before the sun goes down

"Be of good courage, and let us behave ourselves valiantly for our people, and for the cities of our God: and let the LORD do that which is good in His sight" (I Chronicles 19:13).

Thursday, June 24, 2021

What Does Your Car Say to the Passing World?


Two Buicks parked

Side by side;

Here is where truth

And error collide.


At least you can tell 

Where each of them stand:

Following the word of God,

Or the "wisdom" of man.


But most Christians' cars

Have no sticker or sign 

There's no way to tell 

Their side of the line.


They may not have thought of it,

Or it's not to their taste;

But when I see a blank car,

It seems such a waste.


For people passing by

On the road, in the lot,

Could see a message from God

But from those they do not.


Truth for the Christian,

Truth for the lost;

Concerning the Gospel,

And our own Holocaust.


Be a witness for Christ

Wherever you are:

When you drive, when you park,

Tell the truth with your car.

#ThomasCarlarkson


What does YOUR car say to those who pass by about what you believe?


Abortion must be abolished. 

Monday, May 24, 2021

Abolition Explained

Abolition is based on 5 Tenets; that which abolitionists hold fast to be true, and will not let go.

I urge you to take the time to read this post and search the Scriptures that are included—and as you do, prayerfully consider what YOUR response must be to this great evil in our land!

 

        1.    Abolitionism is Biblical. 

A ProLife person is defined as one who is for life, thus against abortion.  But an important thing to highlight is that a ProLifer can hold that position on any basis they choose.  Religion, upbringing, science, preferences, etc. 

Abolitionists on the other hand are opposed to abortion essentially on the grounds of the word of God!  There is a Standard for our perspective and practice. "All other ground is sinking sand." 

As abolitionists, we will not cling to any humanistic reasoning but will choose to seek out of the Book of the Lord what God would have us do in regards to this great evil.  Instead of neglecting its use, we are resolved that the Bible is the foundation for everything we do. “…Therefore I esteem all thy precepts concerning all things to be right; and I hate every false way” (Psalm 119:126-128). 

Most likely the Christians who are reading this blog would agree on the foundation that God says to “do no murder.”  But the reason I want to lay this out so firmly is that AFTER building a foundation of WHY we believe this to be true, we can all too easily accept humanistic strategy and compromise as we seek to end abortion.  We must test every strategy, every effort, every bill with Scripture.  We must take care to “[prove] what is acceptable unto the Lord” (Ephesians 5:10).  Everything else builds up from there.

There are two vital truths that are straight from Scripture upon which Abolitionism stands.

1.    IMAGO DEI - Human beings are made "in the image of God" (Genesis 1:27).  That includes all of mankind, regardless of age, gender, and ethnicity (Genesis 9:6).  To condemn the innocent blood (Psalm 94:21) is to contemn God (Psalm 10:13) in Whose image they are created.  

2.    Incarnation - The Creator Himself, Jesus Christ (God the Son) became human (Philippians 2:6-8) in order to rescue lost and rebellious mankind from sin, death, and Hell (Hebrews 9:27-28).  He entered the womb to redeem the world (Matthew 1:21).  It was as a zygote that "the Word was made flesh" (John 1:14).  These murders are being committed in the very place of the incarnation of our Savior and King. 

It is on both the basis of Creation and Salvation that abolition stands.

Moreover, the concept of abolitionism (the removal of evils) is derived from the word of God.  
It flows from the charge to do what is just, reflecting the justice and equity of our God.

"He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?" (Micah 6:8).

In the midst of a society, sick from the sole of the foot to the head with (Isaiah 1:1-4, 16-17)

—gross immorality, 

—bloodshed of the innocent and weak, 

—and rampant iniquity and inequity, 

God’s people are plainly instructed to 

—wash, make themselves clean, 

—put away the evil of their deeds from God’s sight, 

—cease to do evil,

—learn to do well,

—seek justice,

—relieve the oppressed,

—deliver the fatherless, and

—plead for the widow

Abortion is human sacrifice to the God of Self.  Therefore, abortion is both murder and idolatry—child sacrifice, an abomination (Deuteronomy 12:31) which pollutes the land and which God must judge (Psalm 106:37-38).  

Of all people,

—these little ones are the MOST vulnerable of all victims.  

—they are the MOST innocent of all victims.

—they are also in the MOST danger of imminent destruction EVERY DAY.

Those targeted by abortion in the womb are the LEAST of these, and Jesus said that as we have done it unto the least of these, we have done it unto Him (Matthew 25:40). 

So WHY do we oppose abortion?  

Because of what God tells us in His Book.  

From the Scriptural view, abortion is murder: 

—treachery against those whom God says are blessings (Psalm 127:3).

—gross child sacrifice (Jeremiah 7:31).

—the destruction of people made in God’s image (Genesis 9:6).

—the defiling of the place where Christ entered the world (Isaiah 7:14) 

—injustice against one’s neighbor, which is forbidden (Leviticus 19:13,15-18)

—violence against the weakest and most helpless (Jeremiah 22:3). 

Thus it is “homicide in the worst degree”.

—a violation of God's holy law and character (Leviticus 18:21; Jeremiah 32:35)

Abolition is the Biblical response.  

 

2.    Abolitionism is Providential.

Much of the Prolife Movement works according to a pragmatic mindset—claiming to follow what "will bring results", "what the experts recommend", and what they “feel will work".  Most prolifers have swallowed this pragmatic mindset (even if they have done so unintentionally) in one way or another.  

This can be seen in various ways: 

  • Believing that voting for ProLife candidates, giving to pregnancy centers, and supporting ProLife organizations is sufficient to win against abortion.  
  • Thinking it is not worth taking time to stand and plead outside of abortion mills. Saying that, "Calling out at an abortion mill has never saved a baby! It doesn't work!"   
  • Discouraging the use of aborted images in public.  In just the last couple of years, well known and respected ProLife leaders have said that "It doesn't work to use those ugly graphic images.  People will just turn away from you. Graphic images will actually drive women inside to abort their baby."
  • Those same ProLife leaders have counseled to NOT call abortion "sin" and "murder", and to avoid bringing the Gospel into the arena of abortion.  Their reasoning: "It doesn't work to call abortion 'sin', or mention the judgment of God, or that Jesus is their only hope.  That could greatly offend a pregnant woman and she will turn and not listen to you."
  • Creating and supporting ProLife laws that incrementally trim and regulate child sacrifice

This pragmatic mindset is accepted by most within the Prolife Movement solely because they are focused on what the "experts" (those who lead organizations) advise will save the lives of babies, instead of what the God of all creation proclaims in His word must be done in the face of great evil. 

They, intending to do well, want to do "what works".

The Prolife Movement has been fighting abortion this way for decades, and YET, it is still "legal" and it is accepted to kill babies in America.  Despite all their pragmatic thinking, this way is NOT working.  

Over a million babies are murdered every year by abortion within the limits of ProLife legislation. 

And the culture becomes more calloused (and the church more complacent) over the daily slaughter of their neighbors while ProLife Organizations grow.  Abortion is more deeply entrenched in our society's thought and laws because of ProLife legislation and education. 

As I have already stated, ABOLITIONISTS base their reason for opposing abortion upon the word and attributes of God, rather than the advice and reasoning of man.  

As abolitionists, we also rely on God's infallible providence not the wisdom of the world, the pragmatism of fallible man, or the platitudes of professionals in how we work against the evil of abortion.

Psalm 20:7-9 

"Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God."

"They are brought down and fallen: but we are risen, and stand upright."

"Save, LORD: let the king hear us when we call."

As abolitionists, we choose to put our trust in the providence of God not the pragmatism of man.  We rest in the means and methods that God has laid out for us in His word.  We look to the living and true God to lead us, knowing that He is our ever present, all knowing, and all powerful Guide.  

He knows what will work!

It is He that is the sovereign LORD of all,

-that has created and sustained each of us, 

-that has redeemed us from our own wicked sin,

-that has granted life to these little ones in the womb,

-that knows the hearts of people and turns hearts toward the children,

-to whom every one of us will stand before and give account.

Can we not trust Him, "...seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things;" (Acts 17:25)?  

  • It is the power of God working through His Holy Spirit that changes hearts (Proverbs 21:1; Zechariah 4:6; John 16:8). 
  • He has deemed people to be active participants in this arena (Exodus 3:8-10; Matthew 9:38; John 20:21). 
  • We are called to be faithful (I Corinthians 4:2), to walk uprightly (Psalm 84:11; Proverbs 2:7), to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15), and to trust Him above our own understanding (Proverbs 3:5-7): 

"Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding."

"In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths."

"Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil." ‘

We therefore shun doing wrong “that good may come” (Romans 3:8).  We reject unjust action, dishonest words, and iniquitous laws which purport to “get what we can.”  We choose rather to HOLD FAST to righteous, practical means in order to expose the unfruitful works of darkness, warn the wicked, rescue the weak, and effect abolition.  Instead of embracing the compromised methods of people who say we need to do "what works", we obey God and do what He says we are to do. As abolitionists, we believe that when we obey God, that God's ways do work.

"Duty is ours.  Results are God's."  As abolitionists we must go forward, crying out, "Watch what our God will do!"  God's work done in God's way will work.

 

             3.    Abolitionism is Gospel Centered.

As abolitionists, we are committed to the unwavering truth of the good news that God the Son, Jesus Christ, entered the womb to redeem the world.  The Eternal Word became flesh in the form of a zygote (John 1:14) and went through all the stages of development in the womb, was then born as a baby and grew to manhood.  

Fully God and fully Man, Jesus lived a sinless life, testified of the truth, and laid down His life in the place of sinners, the Just for the unjust (II Corinthians 5:21; John 18:37; I Peter 3:18).  His precious blood was shed to atone for sin, for "without shedding of blood is no remission" (Hebrews 9:22).  He died for our sins, and rose again the third day (I Corinthians 15:3-4).  His payment upon the cross purchased redemption for a lost, wandering, and wicked people from the punishment of their sin (Romans 6:23; I Timothy 2:5-6; Revelation 20:15; 21:8). "And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world" (I John 4:14). 

To be consistently Christian, we must recognize that the chief weapon in the fight against abortion is the Gospel.

The Gospel is the Answer to the issue of Abortion

Abortion is sin (the sin of murder) and the only answer for sin is the Gospel. We call abortion murder because it is murder, and we know the God Who can save and forgive repentant murderers.

We go to the battle against abortion as Christians, speaking the truth about life and life everlasting. We plead in the name of Jesus Christ, in the cause of little babies made in His image, and for the good of all who will turn!

For instance, at the abortion mills, the gates of death, we speak the truth…

"Your baby is not your problem, your baby is your blessing.  Sin is your problem—the selfishness in your heart.  The only remedy for your sin is turning and trusting in Jesus Christ alone, Who died to pay the price for sin!”  

So as ambassadors of Christ, we share the truth about sin, and the Gospel, and call them to repent and believe the Gospel. Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

The Gospel is the Opposite of Abortion

Abortion is the stronger making the weak to take the hit for them. The Gospel is the Almighty laying down His life for those who were without strength to save themselves. Romans 5:6 “For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.”

The Gospel is the Death Blow to Abortion

Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil.  I John 3:8 “For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.”

Without a doubt murder, idolatry, and child sacrifice are among the works of the devil.  So we go into the fray, engaging the culture, unashamed of the Gospel of Christ, knowing it is the POWER of God unto salvation (Romans 1:16).  

Therefore, abolitionists purpose to bring the Gospel into the engagement with child sacrifice.  This we seek to do, not only at the mills, but elsewhere too, in conversations, in the open air, on campuses, and at statehouses.

However, it is the accepted "wisdom" among a large portion of the ProLife community to NOT do this: 

To not call sin “sin”, warn their hearers about God's judgment for abortion as murder, or openly share the Gospel as the only remedy for sin when counseling a woman who plans to abort her baby, in whatever environment they are in – across a table, a hotline call, a sidewalk outside an abortion mill, or inside a counseling room. 

So why would the ProLife Movement lean this way?  As already pointed out, a large percentage of people in the ProLife Movement do not believe in their own need for the Gospel.  Secular ProLifers who are in rebellion against their Creator are understandably not champions of the death and resurrection of Christ Jesus.

There are also many ProLifers who are deeply entrenched in a cult or false religion. They follow "...another Gospel: Which is not another" (Galatians 1:6-7).  The Watchtower Society, Mormonism, and Catholicism do not possess the true message of salvation.  In fact, it has been the Roman Catholic Church, for over 40 years, that has been the main mover and shaker within the Prolife Movement.

Sadly, even numerous evangelical ProLife leaders and organizations have been influenced by Catholic leaders that it is better to keep the Gospel out of any initial dialogue with mothers who are looking for an abortion, and they do not always contain a clear Gospel message when it is discussed due to ecumenical involvement. 

Many Christians who rally for the ProLife position, take time and opportunity to boldly engage others in dialogue regarding abortion, and even go to abortion mills to pray or protest are often carefully trained to NOT use the Gospel with people unless the other person brings up spiritual matters. There are two reasons for this (and perhaps more):

1.    In their objective to save a baby they use pragmatic (not providential) reasoning—they are taught that moral, emotional, logical, and scientific arguments are what works and that sticking to those facts foremost are necessary to persuade a woman to not go through with her abortion.  Abolitionists use logic, science, etc. as well, but we will not shun to share the Gospel openly.

2.    They are afraid of offending the hearer and therefore losing a conversation. Although they do not deny the true Gospel or the need for sinners to come to Christ, they instruct ProLife Christians to "keep the Gospel in your back pocket"—having it readily accessible if the other person brings it up!  I have heard this in training sessions and lectures, and have been told personally by ProLife leaders that the abortion mill is not the place to preach the Gospel.  It could offend them and turn them away from listening to you. 

But abolitionists first of all seek to follow Jesus Christ.  "And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature" (Mark 16:15).  All the world includes abortion mills, and statehouses.  And there happen to be "creatures" there in those places.  "And thou shalt speak my words unto them, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear: for they are most rebellious" (Ezekiel 2:7).  We trust God to use His word.  

I do not want to leave out the fact that there are within the Prolife Movement, Christians that are truly saved and hold to the Gospel with unwavering allegiance.  They unashamedly preach the Gospel and call their hearers to repent from any murderous intent toward their children and turn to the Savior.  I greatly appreciate the testimony of these saints—our family has ministered with them at the very gates of death—our family was one of them for many years! 

But it is easy as a Bible believing Christian to assume that everyone else who is part of the ProLife Movement is believing about the subject the same as you.  It is the ideology and practice of the ProLife establishment that we are contrasting.


                     4.      Abolitionism is Body-Driven.

We believe that seeking and working for Abolition is something the church needs to take part in.  The primary means God has ordained to display His manifold wisdom to the world is through His people (Titus 2:11-14). Seeking abolition is a responsibility of the church.  It is a mandatory ministry to fulfill her ordained purpose—to be salt and light in this sin-sick culture of decay. The church was specifically commissioned to bring the Gospel, and teach the nations to obey Christ’s commands (Matthew 28:18-20).  According to Scripture, "pure religion and undefiled" (genuine and practical Christianity being lived out) is to look after the fatherless (abandoned children) and the widows (women in great need) when they are in their affliction (James 1:27).  This is something we are to do, not just leave to humanitarian organizations.

As Christians, we are commanded to "abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good" (Romans 12:9), to reprove and expose evil (Ephesians 5:11), and We are exhorted to seek to rescue the weak from death and hold back the stumbling from the slaughter (Proverbs 24:10-12), and open our mouths for the innocent being slain (Proverbs 31:8-9).

God warns us not to stop our ears “at the cry of the poor” (Proverbs 21:13) nor hide our eyes from their needs (Proverbs 28:27).  The preborn are the poorest and most vulnerable in all of our society.  We are told in scripture that the righteous considereth the cause of the poor; it is the wicked that takes care not to know it (Proverbs 29:7).

As abolitionists we desire to see churches educated, exhorted, and equipped to fulfill their ordained purpose in this sin-spoiled and darkened world (Matthew 5:13-16).  The love of Christ constrains us to call for justice, mercy, and equal protection for the innocent and the weak.  

Every age has its evils and every age has its abolitionists.  

Historically, Christians have confronted the accepted evils in their cultures with the light of the Gospel: most famously today are probably the abolitionists of the slave trade in the British Empire, and then of chattel slavery in the United States.  But there have been others: infanticide in Rome, temple prostitution/slavery in India, and twin killing in Nigeria.

God's people rose up to Assist and Agitate in those sinful societies: exposing abominations, reproving the wicked, standing for justice and mercy, rescuing the fatherless, helping the weak in their distress, calling to repentance, and demanding that leaders abolish evil practices.  

The tragedy is that today much of the American Church is absent from the battle against abortion altogether.  It seems we have outsourced loving our preborn neighbors to others.  Christians are often sincerely prolife in opinion but not Biblically consistent in their practice.  They do not go corporately (or individually) to the abortion mills, neither do they seek to engage the culture concerning the holocaust of the preborn. I heard a poll that perhaps only 2% of Christians witness of their faith on a regular basis.  I fear the percentage of those who have ever gone one time to an abortion mill to pray and plead for the babies being slain would be much lower than that.

This work of abolition is also imperative to be consistent with the TWO GREAT COMMANDMENTS!

Scripture plainly states, "And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these" (Mark 12:30-31). 

Jesus tells the story of the good Samaritan to his disciples so that there would be no misunderstanding regarding exactly who the neighbor we are commanded to love, is.  The preborn human is the most marginalized, abandoned, victimized, abused, tortured, "beaten and left for dead" neighbor in our midst.  Two babies are murdered every minute of every day in the midst of hundreds of thousands of Bible-believing churches.  

Here is an exercise: What if I and others like me were being dehumanized and destroyed, carried into buildings to be slain.  What would I desire?  To have people pleading for my life on the sidewalk.  To have people calling on the government to stop the bloodshed and protect me.  If that is what I would want, how can I not do it for my neighbors who ARE being murdered?

It is the role of the Church, the role of every individual Christian, to say “Lord, what will You have me do?   Some might ask, Are you saying that we should drop everything else and only focus on the preborn?  Not at all.  But we must live as though they are actually being murdered, and love them as we love ourselves, not just in word and in tongue, but in deed and truth.  There are a lot of ways that Christians can engage justly for their preborn neighbors, many of which can be done while just living life.  But we must resolve to take right action in obedience to our God Who is over all.

"If thou forbear to deliver them that are drawn unto death, and those that are ready to be slain;  If thou sayest, Behold, we knew it not; doth not he that pondereth the heart consider it? and he that keepeth thy soul, doth not he know it? and shall not he render to every man according to his works?" (Proverbs 24:11-12). 

The Church must do as the "good Samaritan" did, and ENGAGE for the cause of the vulnerable and defenseless, to speak for the weak at the very gates of death.  There are many abortion mills where the sidewalks are empty.  What message does that send to the world?  Police officer…

The Church must also ENJOIN the magistrates in their state to establish equal protection under the law from murder for the preborn.  The legislators need to hear from US, to do their jobs and abolish abortion.  This brings us to the 5th tenet.   


                5.    Abolitionism is Immediate and Uncompromising.

Abortion is the abominable sin of child sacrifice and as such abolitionists call for its immediate and total abolition. 

We see this in God’s dealing with Judah: “They said, Turn ye again NOW every one from his evil way, and from the evil of your doings…” (Jeremiah 25:5).  Jesus called people to repentance, and declared to sinners, “Go, and sin no more” (John 8:11).  The time to repent is NOW.  The time to engage to protect people from murder is NOW.

Psalm 119:126 “It is time for thee, LORD, to work: for they have made void thy law.”

Psalm 119:128 “Therefore I esteem all thy precepts concerning all things to be right: and I hate every false way.”

I don’t want to oppose evil only to find out later that that I was opposing it in a way that God calls evil.  I don’t want you to do that either.  I fear that the Christian community has been well trained to be ProLife in its perspective, practice, and policy concerning abortion, yet not Biblically consistent.  And if we have been doing it wrong, it is best to NOW “prove what is acceptable unto the Lord”, “cease to do evil, and learn to do well.” 

Abolition is a call not only to abolish abortion itself, but also to forsake the practice that has largely become characteristic of the Prolife Movement, namely, REGULATING the mass murder of the most vulnerable, telling WHO can murder, WHEN they can murder, WHY they can murder, WHERE they can murder, and HOW they can murder under color of “law”, rather than actually engaging for the abolition of that murder under law.  Would we do that for any other murder? 

“You can’t murder your spouse, unless you wait 24 hours before you carry out the deed.”      

“You cannot murder your boss by dismembering him; no dismemberment, unless you have already poisoned him to death                                                                                                    

“You cannot murder your teacher unless you give her a proper burial.”

God forbid.  

There are many prolifers who have said to me, “You’re against abortion regulation laws because they’re just not enough.”  But the answer is a resounding "No!  The primary reason I am against abortion regulation laws is because they are not just."

JUSTICEGod is JUST.  He is a JUST God and a Savior.  In Him, there is no respect of persons.

Exodus 23:2-3,6-8

:2 “Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil; neither shalt thou speak in a cause to decline after many to wrest judgment:”

:3 “Neither shalt thou countenance a poor man in his cause.”

:6 “Thou shalt not wrest the judgment of thy poor in his cause.”

:7 “Keep thee far from a false matter; and the innocent and righteous slay thou not: for I will not justify the wicked.”

James 2:4,8 “Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts? …If ye keep the royal law, according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself, ye do well: but if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors.”

Partiality in protecting people from murder is transgressing God’s true justice. Inequity is Iniquity.

Jesus said “Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment” (John 7:24).

Equity and Justice must be established.  Equal justice under the law.

Isaiah 10:1-2 “Woe unto them that decree unrighteous decrees, and that write grievousness which they have prescribed; To turn aside the needy from judgment, and to take away the right from the poor of my people, that widows may be their prey, and that they may rob the fatherless!”  When the LORD God says, “WOE”, it is wise for people to say, “Whoa…” and consider our ways.  Laws that say, after 20 weeks, or after the heartbeat is detected, we will not allow abortions.   It dehumanizes the babies that are not protected and undermines the truth that these innocents are people and that abortion is murder.

TRUTHGod is TRUTH.  He cannot lie.

Also in Exodus 23:1 “Thou shalt not raise a false report: put not thine hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness.”  Exodus 20:16 “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.”

Truth telling.  True treatment.  Treat the preborn like who they are.  Treat abortion like what it is. Regulatory bills that require well-lit rooms, wider hallways, clean instruments…When the ProLife Movement regulates abortion by ProLife legislation, they are treating it like what the proaborts say it is: “Healthcare”.  They are not telling the truth.  Abortion is Homicide.  In the list of things that God hates in Proverbs 6, “hands that shed innocent blood” (v.17) is found, but lying is found twice: 2) “a lying tongue” and 6) “a false witness that speaketh lies.” Jeremiah 9:3 tells about the wicked, that “they are not valiant for the truth upon the earth;” Should we not then “be valiant for the truth” ourselves? Therefore, because His precepts are right, we must demand Equal Justice and Truth, and reject Partiality and Falsehood.

Isaiah 59 speaks of a culture of violence and vanity, in which people’s “feet run to do evil”, and “shed innocent blood” (verse 7).  Verse 8 says, “Their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity [going their own way], and “wasting and destruction are in their paths.”  “There is a way that seemeth right unto a man: but the end thereof are the ways of death” (Proverbs 16:25).

It is described as a day when the vulnerable and the innocent are not being protected from violence. Verse 14 “And judgment is turned away backward, and justice standeth afar off: for truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter.”

In such a day, one of God’s declarations in verse 4 was that “none calleth for justice, nor any pleadeth for truth;” instead they trust in vain strategies, and iniquitous measures.  They hatch all sorts of plans, and then call on God, petitioning Him to bless their efforts.  They are choosing their own way too, in opposition of the evil.

What is God’s charge to those in authority? ESTABLISH TRUE JUSTICE.

Jeremiah 22:3 “Thus saith the LORD; Execute ye judgment and righteousness, and deliver the spoiled out of the hand of the oppressor: and do no wrong, do no violence to the stranger, the fatherless, nor the widow, neither shed innocent blood in this place.”

What is God’s charge to you and me as His people?   To love in TRUTH and live according to JUSTICE. True love in I Corinthians 13, “rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth.”  Thus, we cannot approve of ProLife laws that regulate abortion as if it is healthcare.   That is bearing false witness against our preborn neighbors and the God in whose image they are made.  We are to urge our state magistrates to stop regulating murder, and instead establish true equal justice.

Jeremiah 5:1 “Run ye to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, and see now, and know, and seek in the broad places thereof, if ye can find a man, if there be any that executeth judgment, that seeketh the truth; and I will pardon it.”  JUSTICE and TRUTH.

This is not an issue of what seems practical, achievable, or reasonable. It is an issue of obedience to God.

Don’t let Isaiah 59:4 describe YOU.  Call for JUSTICE.  Plead for TRUTH.

Because all God’s precepts concerning all things are right, 

ABORTION MUST BE ABOLISHED.

Friday, April 23, 2021

George and the Dragon

 This day, April 23rd, is said to be the day on which a particular Christian martyr was slain for the testimony of Jesus Christ back in AD 303.  He was a soldier, by the name of George.

Among the few other things that we are told about George's life before his martyrdom, is that at one point, he slew a dragon (which I believe could have been a dinosaur).  This account was told as history for centuries. 


The way I read it, there was a region that was ravaged by a terrible dragon, which terrorized the pagan people of the land.  To placate its hunger, they would leave out a couple of sheep on a regular basis.  This only worked until they ran out of sheep.  In the face of the vicious threat, the people began to cast lots for whose children would be put out for the beast to devour.  How dark and despairing the circumstances must have been!  To save their own lives, they were giving up their own children to the appetite of the dragon.

But then, one day, the lot fell on the daughter of the king.  In desperation, her father offered great rewards to anyone who would take her place.  There were no takers, and the tearful daughter was removed to the place of slaughter away from town, and bound there to await the creature.

However, along came George the soldier, who seeing her tears and distress, inquired of the cause, and upon hearing the situation, manfully set himself to battle with the dragon, despite the maiden's pleas for him to save himself.  

The dragon appeared, and ferociously attacked, but the courageous George relented not, but fought valiantly and finally slew the dragon.  When the townspeople emerged, they discovered the princess alive and whole, and their dread nemesis slain.  They joyously received George, who refused reward, giving God the glory and preaching the Gospel unto them.  Just about the whole community professed faith in Jesus Christ and were baptized as Christians.

That is the story of saint George and the dragon.  A tale of Interposition.  

INTERPOSITION: to position oneself between two parties; to intercede; to take up the cause of one and face the other; to entreat on behalf of another; to encounter the foe; take the hit; to strike the blow; to stand in the face of incoming danger in defense of others.

George played the role of hero in this legend.  He steadfastly engaged to defend the innocent and the weak from the vile beast.  He came on the scene, and his actions and testimony led to repentance and faith on the part of the people of the land.

Today, there is a fearsome dragon of monstrous proportions, feasting on the children of our culture, who are sacrificed to it by parents for their own sake.  THIS dragon's violence is protected by the governing leaders, and promoted by society.  Even those in leadership who profess to oppose the dragon are making rules to decide who they will protect for now, and who they will permit to be eaten.  This dragon's name?  Abortion.  And none of the players in this scenario thus far are playing the true hero.

The most oppressed people in the land (the preborn), who are being murdered daily for the appetites of pride and lust and greed, need a Christian to NOT follow the multitude to do evil (Exodus 23:2-3,6-8).

Are we not to love our neighbors, including the least of these, as ourselves?
Are we not to take up the Sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, and engage for the lives of these poor and needy?  
Are we not to bring the Gospel of Jesus to the secret places where they murder the innocent, and shine the Light of the truth of the Scriptures on the lair of the dragon?
Are we not to open our mouths to call out to our leaders for justice and plead for truth?
Are we not to be a testimony of the Truth, calling people to repentance and faith in Jesus Christ?

Duty is ours.  Results are God's.

Don't seek to make the dragon less gory in its murder.
Don't seek to make the dragon wait a fortnight to eat, thinking that it may change its mind.
Don't seek to limit the dragon to consuming just smaller children.
  
Slay the Dragon.  Abolish Abortion.

Abortion must be abolished.

Friday, March 5, 2021

Show Me the Seal and the State of the State of Missouri

Behold, the Great Seal of the State of Missouri.

Missouri is the “Show Me” State, so let's consider what the Missouri Coat of Arms shows us in our day.  It contains much that may be missed at a glance.

The Shield

The shield, or rather circle, is divided into three parts, a half on the East, and two quarters on the West. 

The half section is a field of white on which is emblazoned a bald eagle grasping the olive branches of peace and the arrows of war in its talons. This is from the seal of the United States, and represents that Missouri is a part of the Union. The background is white, symbolizing purity. Inside the Missouri state Capitol rotunda, the words “Righteousness exalteth a nation” are etched into the wall, quoting Proverbs 14:34.  This is true.  We must also remember the rest of the verse: “but sin is a reproach to any people.”  

The lower quarter section to the west is a field of red with a white bear walking on all fours.  The bear is to indicate the strength and bravery of the citizens of Missouri, and the white again is for purity.  The red field is meant to depict valor.  However, when the blood of over 58,000 children is on our hands, under “color of law,” how is our bravery doing?  When we walk surrounded by the bloodshed of the least of these, how are we clean?  These are things to bear in mind.

The upper quarter is a field of blue with a crescent moon. This moon represents two things. In heraldry, the crescent moon means the second son. Missouri was the second state to be carved out from the Louisiana Purchase. Additionally, it represents the state of Missouri at the time of its induction into the Union: a state with a small population and huge potential for growth. But what about the SMALLEST POPULATION TODAY WITH HUGE POTENTIAL, those children in the womb whom we do not protect?  The blue field represents vigilance and justice.

Then should we not consider the measure of our VIGILANCE?  “Whoso stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor, he also shall cry himself, but shall not be heard” (Proverbs 21:13). “He that giveth unto the poor shall not lack: but he that hideth his eyes shall have many a curse” (Proverbs 28:27). “The righteous considereth the cause of the poor: but the wicked regardeth not to know it.” Proverbs 29:7). Vigilance must be shown towards the preborn, the poorest and most needy in our land.

And should we not weigh out the balance of our JUSTICE? “How long will ye judge unjustly, and accept the persons of the wicked? Defend the poor and the fatherless: do justice to the afflicted and needy. Deliver the poor and needy: rid them out of the hand of the wicked” (Psalm 82:2-4).  “Thus saith the LORD; Execute ye judgment and righteousness, and deliver the spoiled out of the hand of the oppressor: and do no wrong, do no violence to the stranger, the fatherless, nor the widow, neither shed innocent blood in this place” (Jeremiah 22:3).

Equity and Justice must be established. Truth telling. True Treatment.

The Belt

The red, white, and blue circle is surrounded by a belt inscribed “United we stand, divided we fall”, indicating the advantage of the union of the United States.

But in the area of child sacrifice, and the rampant bloodshed, we are in error before the God to Whom we will give account.  Though hand join in hand, we shall not be unpunished.  LET US REPENT, FOR WE ARE UNDONE.

The Helmet

Above the shield and belt, a helmet is depicted, representing Missouri’s state sovereignty. It is the duty of the lesser magistrates to protect the lives and rights of the people in their jurisdiction, and to stand in the gap for them to interpose when injustice is decreed from higher up (i.e. Exodus 1; I Samuel 14; Daniel 3). In the face of tyranny, we must assert state sovereignty to protect the preborn and abolish murder by abortion under the law.

The Upright Supports

The seal is upheld by two grizzly bears standing, one on each side of the shield. These upright supporters of the Seal symbolize Courage & Strength.  It takes courage and strength to stand for the weak in a day when they are being slaughtered under color of law, and we will give an account to the Keeper of our souls for how we live in regards to our actions in a culture of child sacrifice.

“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of HIS might” (Ephesians 6:10).

 “If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small.  If thou forbear to deliver them that are drawn unto death, and those that are ready to be slain; If thou sayest, Behold, we knew it not; doth not he that pondereth the heart consider it? and he that keepeth thy soul, doth not he know it? and shall not he render to every man according to his works?” (Proverbs 24:10-12).

 “Be of good courage, and let us behave ourselves valiantly for our people, and for the cities of our God: and let the LORD do that which is good in his sight” (I Chronicles 19:13). Duty is ours. Results are God’s.

The Motto 

At the base of the seal is a scroll…SALUS POPULI SUPREMA LEX ESTO, meaning “Let the welfare (health, safety, good) of the People be the Supreme Law.” It is the motto of the state of Missouri. But Abortion is not healthcare. It is Homicide in the worst degree, attacking the most vulnerable and innocent of victims.  So the Missouri state motto requires that the law must establish justice to protect the lives, the welfare, the health, the safety, and the good of the people targeted for slaughter. Abortion is MURDER. It must be abolished.

Friday, February 26, 2021

Vote NO on "Value Them Both", if You Love the Preborn...

ATTENTION: Both the House and the Senate of Kansas have passed a resolution to put an amendment (Value Them Both) to the bill of rights of the Kansas state constitution on the ballot on August 22, 2021. 

Although Kansans for Life (and almost every other ProLife organization in the state) are calling people to vote yes, Abolish Abortion Kansas urges you to NOT support “Value Them Both” (VTB) and to spread the word to others.  This is an iniquitous amendment.  Here is the wording:

"Regulation of abortion. Because Kansans value both women and children, the constitution of the state of Kansas does not require government funding of abortion and does not create or secure a right to abortion. To the extent permitted by the constitution of the United States, the people, through their elected state representatives and state senators, may pass laws regarding abortion, including, but not limiting to, laws that account for circumstances of pregnancy resulting from rape or incest, or circumstances of necessity to save the life of the mother...

Explanatory statement on ballot:  “The Value Them Both Amendment would affirm there is no Kansas constitutional right to abortion, and would reserve to the people of Kansas, through their elected state legislators, the right to pass laws to regulate abortion..."

What is wrong with this?

    I.        This amendment does NOT value them both.  It shows partiality and God is against it.

"Are ye not then partial in your selves, and are become judges of evil thoughts? ...If ye fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself, ye do well: But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors" (James 2:4,8-9).

Valuing children in the womb equally would require that those children be given equal protection under the law from murder, even as men and women themselves today have protection from murder under the law.  Loving our neighbors as ourselves requires it. (See also Exodus 23:2-3,6-8; Deuteronomy 16:18-20; 24:16-17; Proverbs 24:11-12; 31:8-9; Jeremiah 9:3; Matthew 25:45; Mark 12:30-31)

Consider the ludicrous action of putting forth an amendment that stated: “We value both men and women, therefore we reserve the right to regulate how women can be raped when and if men decide to do it."  That would be offensive and demeaning to both men and women!

But that is exactly what the VTB amendment is proposing: "We value both women and preborn children, therefore we reserve the right to regulate how the preborn can be murdered when and if women decide to do it."  This is offensive and demeaning to both women and children! 

  II.        This amendment protects the WRONG thing. 

Instead of protecting the preborn, it merely protects the ProLife regulatory laws and the freedom to make more!  The amendment states correctly that "a right to abortion" is not in the Kansas constitution, but then stoops to create and codify "the right to pass laws to regulate abortion."  The people of Kansas do not have the right to regulate the murder of some humans! But they do have the duty to protect humans from being murdered.  Regulatory laws make allowance for babies to be slain—the amendment would ensure that vulnerable children are allowed abandonment to destruction by their parents. 

God says, "Woe unto them that decree unrighteous decrees, and that write grievousness which they have prescribed; To turn aside the needy from judgment, and to take away the right from the poor of my people, that widows may be their prey, and that they may rob the fatherless!" (Isaiah 10:1-2).

When God says, "Woe”, His people should say, "Whoa!" Regulating who can murder, when they can murder, how they can murder, where they can murder, and why they can murder is making an iniquitous decree.  Regulating abortion is treating it like Healthcare, not what it is—Homicide. Sadly, what the ProAbortion crowd calls healthcare, the ProLife establishment treats as nothing more.  Repent with us. (See also Psalm 94:4-23; Proverbs 11:1; Jeremiah 8:11; Micah 6:8; Galatians 4:16; Ephesians 4:15; 5:7-11)

III.        This amendment is unnecessary and an enemy of abolition and equal protection.  Our constitution already gives humans in general certain rights, such as: 

1. "Equal rights. All men are possessed of equal and inalienable natural rights, among which are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness."

2. "Political power; privileges.  All political power is inherent in the people, and all free governments are founded in their authority, and are instituted for their equal protection and benefit."

10. "Trial; defense of accused; witness against self; double jeopardy.  In all prosecutions, the accused shall be allowed to appear and defend in person, or by counsel; to demand the nature and cause of the accusation against him; to face the witness face to face..." 

Not only will the amendment not protect babies from murder, it will be an obstacle to the future abolition of this great evil.  Although abortion is not a right in the constitution, VTB expressly puts abortion in the constitution itself as something to be regulated, not condemned as the murder it is.  It would specifically establish that the right to life and due process of law (which is already in the constitution) would not apply to the preborn.  It would be similar to amending the constitution to secure the right to regulate how slavery of a certain people group would be operated in the state.  If it takes a lot of both time and money to get a new amendment passed, it is far more difficult to remove.

"Thus saith the LORD; Execute ye judgment and righteousness, and deliver the spoiled out of the hand of the oppressor: and do no wrong, do no violence to the stranger, the fatherless, nor the widow, neither shed innocent blood in this place" (Jeremiah 22:3). (See also Psalm 82:1-8; Psalm 119:126-128; Isaiah 1:4-6,13-18; 59:1-15; Amos 5:12-15; Luke 18:2-5; John 7:24)

We as Christians, and as Kansans, must rise up against this amendment and vote it down.  We must persistently show our legislators what they must do and demand that they stop regulating murder!  We do not want the regulation of child sacrifice in our constitution!  

Call your legislators to do their duty to do justly in establishing equal protection for all people, born and preborn.  "Run ye to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, and see now, and know, and seek in the broad places thereof, if ye can find a man, if there be any that executeth judgment, that seeketh the truth; and I will pardon it" (Jeremiah 5:1). Be on the right side of history.  Become an abolitionist.

Do not support the VTB amendment on the ballot.  

Abortion must be abolished.

(For a more in depth look at the VTB, go to and read: http://timetowinabattle.blogspot.com/2022/01/an-assessment-of-value-them-both.html)

Tuesday, January 12, 2021

Upside Down

Our culture in the United States is functionally upside down
  
                             
One striking example is the area of education.

The Professors:
The ones most trusted in Academia and most esteemed to teach in "higher education"--passing knowledge to the next generation

are the ones who are subverting even the existence of knowledge, and leaving students with NO basis for truth and reason.

All the while, the Bible gives us the picture of what is right side up.  "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; but fools despise wisdom and instruction" (Proverbs 1:7).  This is confirmed multiple times, in multiple ways, through the entire scriptures.  It is the word of God alone that gives us the standard of what will make us wise and what will (even though believing ourselves to be wise) make us fools.

But it is especially acute in the area of abortion.  Consider these...

The Prey: 
The ones who are the most innocent, the most harmless, and the most vulnerable people in the land 

are the ones who are the most condemned, hated, and targeted with violence and execution. (Preborn)

The Procurers:
The ones who should have the most vested interest in caring for and protecting these innocent victims 

are the ones who are actively seeking out their slaughter, hiring assassins to murder them. (Parents)

The Practitioners:
The ones who have sworn an oath to help the weak, to heal, and to "do no harm"

are the ones who commit the most murders in the land (hundreds and thousands each), and are hired to do so.

The Powers:
The ones who are sworn to uphold the document that does recognizes the victims' rights and guarantees equal protection

are the ones who dehumanize the victims and secure the ability to destroy their lives.

The ones who are bound to make sure laws are according to the Constitution

are the ones who pervert the Constitution in their opinions.  Indeed, the ones whose task of impartial judgment (symbolized by a blindfolded individual with scales and a sword) are the ones who are partial in their judgment, stripping equal justice from the poorest and most needy.

The ones who are elected to write laws to establish equity for all the people in the states

are the ones making mischief by laws that are inconsistent and arbitrary.

The Pragmatists: 
The ones who are dedicated to do "what works" for good end results

are the ones who keep doing what isn't working (in explicit opposition to the word of God) destroying the possibility for good end results.

The Perpetuators: 
The ones who are the most lauded in the ProLife Movement as the champions of the preborn

are the ones who are diligently stopping the bills that would abolish abortion and finally protect the preborn, and thus are prolonging the Holocaust.

The Permissioners:
Many millions of Christians, whose opinion largely is opposed to the murders of their preborn neighbors (in the their votes, in their charity, and in their prayers)

are the ones who are allowing the murders which take place in their cities and states to continue without taking meaningful action to stop it or even go to speak up for the weak in the place where it is being committed.  

The truth that is becoming more and more evident in this upside down world (a truth that Francis Schaeffer actually penned 30 years ago) that boldly states:

"Every abortion clinic should have a sign in front of it, saying, Open by permission of the church."  Francis Schaeffer


This sad state of affairs is poignantly illustrated in the symbol of abolition.  The upside down A represents the culture that has subverted God's righteous Law, to allow for the slaughter for fellow image bearers, humans in the first stages of life.  Even many in the ProLife Movement are using worldly reasoning and actions in their opposition of the evil.  Abolitionists are seeking to turn this whole system to right thinking and right action, in accordance with God's Higher Law, illustrated by the upright A in the symbol.

The world, and our society may say,

"These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also;" (from Acts 17:6),

But in reality, we are seeking to turn things right side up.

ABORTION MUST BE ABOLISHED.