Heartbeat

The give-and-take of culture today can produce discouragement in our hearts, if we're not careful.
But, we can maintain our sense of reliance on Almighty God. 2nd Corinthians 4 exhorts us:
1 Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we do not lose heart.
2 But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.

If we are devoted to Christ, we can be confident that His truth will be manifested through us, and that really should be our desire.  His truth provides a template for a life of significance and satisfaction; and provides solid answers for a shaky culture.  We can strive to allow His Word to be reflected in our words and for His nature to be reflected in us.  We can be advocates for what is right and allow Him to direct our actions.

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We have a responsibility to reflect the character of Christ and to live out His Word.  The heart of God
for His people is found in Zechariah chapter 8:
16 These are the things you shall do: Speak each man the truth to his neighbor; Give judgment in your gates for truth, justice, and peace;
17 Let none of you think evil in your heart against your neighbor; And do not love a false oath. For all these are things that I hate,' Says the Lord."

There has been talk of God that has entered the debate about the proposed new bill in Georgia that is awaiting Governor Kemp's signature, a new law that would ban abortion once a heartbeat is detected in an unborn child, with some exceptions.

Now, you may remember a few years ago, legislators in the state had debated and passed a religious freedom bill that would have provided protections to individuals and businesses who chose not to endorse same-sex marriage.  Large corporations based in Georgia, including the massive film industry headquartered there, spoke out and threatened the state; then-Governor Deal acquiesced and vetoed the bill.

Now, some of the more activist members of the Hollywood film industry, who seem intent on determining what values Americans should hold by their on-screen and off-screen antics, are threatening the state of Georgia - again.  This time, it's over the heartbeat bill.

And, front and center is an actress who I am sure has done something significant since her stint on the sitcom Who's the Boss?  Alyssa Milano seems to show up whenever there is a controversy, and she decided to take a religious position on the heartbeat bill.  According to ChristianHeadlines.com:

This week, Milano appealed to her faith and to Scripture to justify her support of unfettered access to abortion. On April 1st, she tweeted “I love God. I believe in God. But I don’t believe my personal beliefs of which we can’t confirm should override scientific facts and what we can confirm.” Then she included a quote from the fourth Gospel. “’ If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things?’ John 3:12.”

The article points out that, "Last week Milano posted a letter signed by 50 actors threatening to boycott Georgia if the bill passed. This came on the heels of a similar letter signed by the Writers Guild of America."

Lila Rose of Live Action countered with this tweet: "You don’t have to love God to acknowledge the irrefutable science that a unique individual human life begins at the moment of conception. But if you love God, then you also will love his children. He’s a father, and every single one of us are created in his image.”

The Christian Headlines article also reports that:

Milano traveled to the Georgia capitol Tuesday with 30 film industry workers to protest the law and to call on Governor Kemp to veto it. She vowed to “do everything in our power to move our industry to a safer state for women if HB 481 becomes law.”

Governor Kemp did not seem phased by the threats. He said, “I can’t govern because I’m worried about what someone in Hollywood thinks about me.”

One of the signers of the Milano petition is none other than Alec Baldwin.  Now, his brother Stephen, a Christian who was hesitant to criticize his brother in an interview with him at last year's NRB convention, regards his support of abortion is a bridge too far, according to FoxNews.com, which reports:

“Avoided tweets like this, long as I could now, to [sic] overwhelming," Baldwin, 52, wrote. "Love will ultimately wins, Jesus [heart emoji symbol], but for so long I’ve sat back & trusted God as my own, family members have perpetrated the spirit of hate ... through abortion, Mockery & blindness #sad #Alec #hates #pray.”

And, Milano has reinforced her penchant for left-wing politics in a tweeted response to Fox commentator Lisa Boothe, who contended that Alyssa would be basically insignificant if not for her progressive activism.  She tweeted:

It IS for attention. You’re right. I use my platform to bring attention to the issues plaguing HUMANITY. There’s no reason to be famous if I can’t use my voice to impact positive, meaningful, change. It’s what I choose to do with my privilege.

Unfortunately, she is using her voice to advocate for the wrong kind of change, that threatens the lives of unborn children.  And, of course, it's done under the banner of women's rights.  But, keep in mind that defense of life should never be confused with compassion for women.  You can be compassionate for women in crisis pregnancies and those who are abortion-minded, but one should always keep in mind that there is a separate, but dependent life inside the mother.  As a graphic on Lila Rose's Twitter feed says, "Love Them Both."

And, each of us is called to be a voice for the truth; and God will fill our mouths with that truth, consistent with His Word, as we rely on the Holy Spirit to speak and live through us.  There are a lot of so-called "activists" these days, and activism has become fashionable.  Recognizing the so-called "progressive," aggressive brand of social change that is sweeping the nation and really the world, we can consider how God would have us get involved in advocating for His principles.