Male Birth?

In John 16:31, Jesus asks His disciples, after an extended period of teaching about who He was, "Do you now believe?"  He goes on to say:

32 Indeed the hour is coming, yes, has now come, that you will be scattered, each to his own, and will leave Me alone. And yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me.
33 These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."

When we observe corruption all around us and the worldly tendencies to depart from God's Word on full display, we can continue to hold to His truth.  Even in the midst of pressure to adopt the world's philosophies, we can courageously hold on to the teachings of Scripture and remember that Jesus promises us joy even in the midst of trial.  His Word gives us the instruction and the confidence to continue to stand strong. 

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There is great confidence that we receive when we trust in the Lord - His Word brings clarity in a confused and corrupt world. In Jeremiah 17, we can read:
7 "Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, And whose hope is the Lord.
8 For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, Which spreads out its roots by the river, And will not fear when heat comes; But its leaf will be green, And will not be anxious in the year of drought, Nor will cease from yielding fruit.
9 "The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it?
10 I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give every man according to his ways, According to the fruit of his doings.

The human heart is so prone to corruption - Jeremiah 17 describes it as "desperately wicked." That is why we need Jesus, who gave His life, so that we can be changed.  

A recent instance of outright perversion, an act of rebellion against God, was trumpted by a magazine called, Glamour.  The Faithwire website reported that:

The latest edition of the British version of the popular fashion magazine Glamour features on its cover a picture of a pregnant woman identifying as a man.

Logan Brown, the model, was once lesbian but now identifies as “queer” or a “trans pregnant man.”

“We’re real living people,” Brown said, according to Fox News. “And at the end of the day, I am a trans pregnant man and I do exist. No matter what anyone says, I am literally living proof.”

You may have heard on The Meeting House that often gender dysphoria accompanies mental health issues. Well, Ms. Brown admits to having had "really bad mental health” when younger. Brown is, according to the article, that she is "writing a children’s book, 'My Daddy’s Belly: The Miracle of Male Birth.'"

Except it's not. The article relates that, "Oli London, the social media influencer who famously identified as transgender before ultimately detransitioning and becoming a Christian...condemned the magazine cover, writing on Twitter, “Just when you thought woke companies could not sink any lower, Glamour UK magazine has featured this ‘pregnant man’ on the cover to kick off Pride Month...” 

Even the acerbic British commentator, Piers Morgan, was skeptical, asking on Twitter, “Logan’s a biological female who got pregnant, as hundreds of millions of biological females do each year… why are you presenting this as a man getting pregnant which is biologically impossible?”

But Deborah Joseph of Glamour was impressed by Logan's twisted story, stating, "We knew he would be the perfect cover star for our June Pride issue, as a shining example of empowerment, inclusivity and equality.”

Isn't that what it's all about?  Inclusion?  Or is it confusion?  The very public display of gender confusion, I believe, is a contributing factor to desensitizing young people who are having identity struggles.  Rather than turn to God's Word and learn about His perfect plan, so many these days are thumbing their noses and embracing something that is diametrically opposed to His created order. 

The "inclusion" agenda is so hideous in that those who don't embrace these principles regarding gender - as well as other issues where the dominant viewpoint is contrary to Scripture - that people who hold to a Christian worldview are ex-cluded.  But, even though it can be frustrating, it's not a cause for discouragement.   We can boldly and, as Jesus taught, cheerfully, continue to reflect His presence and joyfully navigate this world in faith. 

Boldly Proclaim

We can depend on the Lord to prepare our hearts to do His will: to proclaim, or testify, to His greatness, and to allow the Spirit of God to speak through us as He gives opportunity. Psalm 26 states:
6 I will wash my hands in innocence; So I will go about Your altar, O Lord,
7 That I may proclaim with the voice of thanksgiving, And tell of all Your wondrous works.
8 Lord, I have loved the habitation of Your house, And the place where Your glory dwells.

Out of a pure and devoted heart can flow the testimony of what Jesus has done in our lives. We can be prepared to give Him honor and glory, to share our salvation story and to call attention to how He continues to express His love toward us.  We give Him praise and adoration because of His great love and His magnificent works. The Spirit will prepare our hearts and fill us with boldness and courage to make Him known.

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We can make sure our hearts are open for God to move in us and that our ears are attuned to His promptings. Ephesians 5 addresses being sensitive to being used of the Lord, when it says:
14 Therefore He says: "Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead, And Christ will give you light."
15 See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise,
16 redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
17 Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

We have emerged by and large from the graduation season, and while it seems we all too often hear or read stories of graduates who faced opposition in the form of censorship of their graduation messages due to faith content, this season, I have come across a couple of instances of bold students who have pressed forward and proclaimed their faith in Christ. 

One such individual is Lydia Owens of South Carolina.  The Washington Examiner relates:

A South Carolina high school graduate’s speech has gone viral for encouraging her classmates to reframe how they define success.

While speaking at her graduation ceremony, Lydia Owens, valedictorian and senior class president at Woodmont High School, told her fellow graduates that their future accomplishments should not be the measuring stick.

She said, “Even if you accomplish all of your dreams or none of them at all, you are still valuable, and you are still good enough because you are made in the image of God..." The article relates:

Owens explained that when her mother died two years ago, she realized neither her academic success nor her other accomplishments were what gave her value.

“When everything else in my life felt uncertain, the only person I could depend on to stay the same was Jesus,” she told her classmates.

Owens told WHNS that her mother was a strong role model of faith in her life.

“She’s the reason I have such a strong faith,” Owens said. “She wanted me to be my best, and she wanted me to keep going.”

She also noted, "... God promises that his grace is sufficient for us and that his power is made perfect in our weaknesses.”

A tweet from Wayne Bray, Pastor of First Baptist Church of Simpsonville, was embedded in the article; he stated:

In her 3-minute address, Lydia boldly proclaimed the gospel of Jesus Christ. She clearly communicated that Jesus alone determines value, defines success, provides real satisfaction, and gives us hope when everything around us falls apart. She unashamedly made much of her Savior.

Campbell Lino is another valedictorian who testified to what Christ means for her.  A Baptist Press article related that her original speech was rejected by the principal; the article says:

Lino found out in early May she was valedictorian. With the opportunity to share the Gospel with her entire class before her, she turned in her planned speech (as required) a few weeks later. It brought an invitation to the principal’s office.

“He told me I could not give that speech and there were certain things he didn’t want me to say,” Lino told Baptist Press. “We spent about 30 minutes combing through my speech and talking about phrases.

She said, "... the parts he wanted to cut out were very important parts of the Gospel presentation.”

The story says:

Wanting to honor her desire to share the Gospel while respecting authority, Lino and her parents worked through a rewrite of the speech.

“We talked about different ways to give the Gospel presentation,” she said. “A week after that, the speech was approved.”

She delivered the finished product, which she says was around 90% of the original. She included this line: "Now I want to talk to you all about the most important person in my life – Jesus Christ – and how He has changed my life..."

The article goes on to report:

Upon her saying, “… Jesus Christ, and how He has changed my life” the crowd responded with cheers.

“I didn’t know how they would react,” Lino said. “I just assumed it would not be warm. Walking up to the podium, I was very nervous and praying like crazy.

“When they started clapping, I was shocked. It was good to know the crowd supported me.”

Life was confusing before she really understood what Jesus meant to her, she shared. She was gifted in learning other languages and academics. She had a great family and friends. Yet she struggled to find happiness in what she saw in the world while battling her own self-centeredness.

“But then I learned that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the true king of the human race,” she said into the microphone, followed by clapping and growing cheers.

We can be inspired by these young people who decided to boldly proclaim what Jesus had done in their lives.  These instances can be examples to us to not shrink back in testifying to the work of the Lord. We can be bold and courageous in our witness. 

But, that doesn't mean we should not be careful - what we say and how we say it can play a significant role in impacting a life.  We can rely on the Holy Spirit to give us the right words to say and the right tone with which to say it. 

And, remember, we can take advantage of the opportunities to share God's truth.  We should be ultra-sensitive to those open doors and allow God to speak through us. 

One of the Seven

A lack of humility indicates a spiritual deficiency, and we see in the Bible examples of those who relied on self instead of God and paid the price. 2nd Chronicles 26 contains the example of King Uzziah - the Bible says in that chapter:
(15b) his fame spread far and wide, for he was marvelously helped till he became strong.
16 But when he was strong his heart was lifted up, to his destruction, for he transgressed against the Lord his God by entering the temple of the Lord to burn incense on the altar of incense.
17 So Azariah the priest went in after him, and with him were eighty priests of the Lord--valiant men.
18 And they withstood King Uzziah, and said to him, "It is not for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the Lord, but for the priests, the sons of Aaron, who are consecrated to burn incense. Get out of the sanctuary, for you have trespassed! You shall have no honor from the Lord God."
19 Then Uzziah became furious; and he had a censer in his hand to burn incense. And while he was angry with the priests, leprosy broke out on his forehead, before the priests in the house of the Lord, beside the incense altar.

That's from the New King James Version; in verse 16, another translation, the ESV, says that: "he grew proud." That's the peril of success and self-centeredness.  If we fail to depend on God, we become dependent on self, and that leads to negative consequences.  We have to reject the rebellious nature of pride and practice the humility, through which we allow the Holy Spirit to flow through us, so that we can reflect the glory of God.

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We hear a lot about "pride" these days, and it's a word that has been co-opted by a certain agenda. But, in the Bible, we see that pride is equated with rebellion against God. God's heart is reflected in Zephaniah 3, as He speaks to Israel:
11 In that day you shall not be shamed for any of your deeds In which you transgress against Me; For then I will take away from your midst Those who rejoice in your pride, And you shall no longer be haughty In My holy mountain.
12 I will leave in your midst A meek and humble people, And they shall trust in the name of the Lord.
13 The remnant of Israel shall do no unrighteousness And speak no lies, Nor shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth; For they shall feed their flocks and lie down, And no one shall make them afraid."
14 Sing, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O Israel! Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem!

An actor who is particularly well-known in Christian circles has been doing some reading lately.  Publicly.  That would be former Growing Pains star Kirk Cameron, who, in the face of public libraries hosting Drag Queen story hours, asked such libraries to allow him to come in an read his book, As You Grow.  Most turned him down, but several allowed him to come and read. The pushback of one librarian in Tennessee resulted in her being dismissed from her position.

So, Kirk now has a new book called, Pride Comes Before the Fall, and according to a Movieguide article:

Cameron told Fox News Digital, “I’m so excited about this book because it’s so fun and full of action and adventure – and the kids are loving it. I read it at the Billy Graham library [in North Carolina] for the first time.”

For his next stop on his nationwide tour Cameron, and his team plan to travel to the Seattle Public Library. Where he plans to read the new book.

When chatting on the book’s storyline Cameron stated, “There’s danger, adventure, waterfalls.”

He continued, “With a nation that is so saturated with the idea that pride is a good thing, the Bible warns us that pride is the deadliest of the seven deadly sins. Before greed, gluttony, sloth, wrath, envy and lust – is pride.”

That Seattle event occurred almost two weeks ago, and the Washington Examiner reported on it - it quoted Cameron as saying to the audience: “We’re in a culture that increasingly seems to have our eyes focused on more and more on ourselves — self-exultation and it’s all about self-expression,” adding, “The virtue of self-control, and humility, and thinking of others first is rare and we need more and more of that.”

Coach Joe Kennedy, the football coach who took his firing for praying at midfield after games to the U.S. Supreme Court, where he was victorious, was part of the event, as well. The report says:

Cameron told the Washington Examiner that Kennedy also “shared his humble story of faith, then huddled up and prayed to remind the kids to always do the right thing and consider others more important than yourselves.”

“The whole reason I became a coach was to help our youth and our kids be the best versions of themselves possible,” Kennedy said. “I’m so excited to be partnering with Kirk.”

Protesters gathered outside the Seattle Public Library, holding signs in opposition to Cameron’s latest book that has targeted the idea of pride.

In addition to visiting public libraries, Cameron released a video last month that appears to be a continuation of his "Campfire Revival" series that he started during the pandemic which was seen online for 100 days. Movieguide reports:

Kirk Cameron took to his Facebook to share to viewers a reason to hope in a world that is broken.

Cameron opened up in prayer and stated, “We thank You God that we get to partner with You in this mission of bringing heaven to earth. So, we ask for Your blessing tonight and we ask that You fill our hearts with hope and with joy and with faith. Because that’s how You called us to live.”

Following the prayer, Cameron began with his immense gratitude to God for protecting his daughter from a dangerous situation. Cameron recalled God’s promise to watch over His children and protect them.

Cameron continued to discuss the “wicked rebellion” that God settled within the heart of every human and concluded the video by ultimately sharing the Good News of the Gospel.

Every day, we recognize that we have an opportunity and a challenge - we are to live each day for the glory of God. That means that our decisions and demeanor are to be governed by the presence of the Holy Spirit.  There is a personal responsibility.  And, by living in this manner, we are making a distinction from the cultural norms.  We are placed in this world, but we are certainly not of this world. 

Our lives are also to demonstrate a certain humility that is infused by the Holy Spirit - indeed, we are not to be proud or self-centered, because that sets us up for spiritual ineffectiveness.  We are to be totally reliant on the Savior who has given us new life. And, we can be reminded that if we are following the Savior, that He gives us the capacity to testify to His greatness.

Serve

Jesus calls us to humble ourselves before Him and to be devoted to serving Him and service others, because we love Him and love those whom He created. In Mark chapter 10, He says:
42 But Jesus called them to Himself and said to them, "You know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them.
43 Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant.
44 And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all.
45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."

The context of these comments is that two of the disciples, James and John had asked Jesus to put them in an exalted position in heaven.  This threatened to bring division among the members of this close-knit group.  Jesus pointed them to the concept of humility - we are called and empowered to serve.  We can humble ourselves before the Lord and recognize that He will direct and bless the efforts we undertake in His name. 

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In Matthew 10, Jesus emphasized the notion of self-sacrifice and taught that we are to serve others in His name. We can find these words in that chapter:
39 He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.
40 "He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.
41 He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward. And he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward.
42 And whoever gives one of these little ones only a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, assuredly, I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward."

The message of the Kingdom of God moves forward as we proclaim God's love and truth through not only our proclamation, but our participation - living out the Christian life in practical ways, including serving others in the name of the Lord.

While this service aspect of Christianity is taught throughout the Scriptures, a new poll shows that while many Christians have the "want-to," they are not actually involved in the work of service. 

A new Lifeway Research survey shows that the desire is present; the survey summary relates:

Most Protestant churchgoers say their churches encourage them to serve people not affiliated with their church and that they want to do so. But few have volunteered in the past year. More than 4 in 5 churchgoers say their churches encourage every adult to serve people outside their church (84%) and they want to serve these people in hopes of sharing the gospel (86%).

The summary notes, "Two in 3 (66%) churchgoers say they have not volunteered for a charity (ministry, church or non-ministry) in the previous year. Three in 10 (30%) say they have, and 4% are not sure." So, just under a third of church attendees have been involved in volunteer work for a charity. That 30 percent level is just over the percentage of the general population in the U.S.; the Lifeway Resaearch site notes that, "According to the latest findings of the U.S. Census Bureau, 23% of Americans volunteered through an organization between September 2020 and September 2021."

Scott McConnell, executive director of Lifeway Research, is quoted in the article as saying, “The easiest way to serve others is when a charity or group organizes the effort,” adding, “They recognize the need, come up with a plan and often gather needed resources. You just have to show up. Churchgoers say they want to, but less than a third showed up to help a charity in the previous year.”

A Lifeway study from last year showed that just over 4-in-10 people said they were "involved with regular responsibilities at their churches; just over 1-out-of-4 were involved in service in the overall community.

One further note: while younger church attendees indicated a desire to serve in the church and community, the older attendees - specifically, those over 65 - are the group who have the greatest percentage of people who are actually doing the work.

There is no doubt that Jesus calls us to be involved in serving others in His name.  He said in Mark 10 that He Himself didn't come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life. That attitude of servanthood is a driving principle of Biblical Christianity.  We don't serve out of a desire for attention or to try to earn brownie points with God; we serve because we love Him and the people He created.

As the leader of this research organization noted, churches can provide opportunity and motivation. We can effectively serve our communities because we ourselves are in community and we can provide the encouragement and even the opportunity to touch the lives of others.

We can recognize that God places a desire in our hearts to minister to other people.  It should be a motivation of the born-again Christian not to behave selfishly, but to humble ourselves before others. Through our service, we demonstrate a contagious love for others that can be influential for the cause of Christ. 

Storm

Even though there will be opposition and challenges, we know that our Savior has triumphed over the power of sin and death and exercised his victory over the enemy. In Matthew 9, we see how that was expressed:
35 Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.
36 But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd.
37 Then He said to His disciples, "The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few.
38 Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest."

This is an apt portrayal of our world today - we, the people who belong to Christ and to the Kingdom of God, are called to proclaim and demonstrate the message of salvation through Jesus Christ. In a world in which there is great sickness and evil seems to be advancing, the gospel brings hope. And, each of us is called to take that message of hope with us day by day: we are not to grow weary, as Galatians 6 says, but to be discerning, vigilant, and empowered by the Spirit of God.

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In 2nd Timothy chapter 3, Paul begins that chapter with these words:
1 But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come...

Later, he states:
12 Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.
13 But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.
14 But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them,
15 and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

There is a spiritual war that is afflicting this earth, and the powers of darkness and evil are attempting to nullify the work of God - it is an impossible proposition, certainly, but we have to recognize the forces at play and pray accordingly.

At the 2023 National Religious Broadcasters Convention in Orlando, Franklin Graham of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and Samaritan's Purse delivered a message on opening night.  Joel Rosenberg's news service, All Israel News, reported that he said, quoting from a FoxNews.com story: “There’s a storm coming, and we’ve all got to be prepared..." and that, he "noted that many corporate and political entities are becoming increasingly hostile to those who hold traditional Christian teachings."

Graham went on to say:

“The world is deteriorating so quickly. It seems like every demon in hell has been turned loose,” he added. “We're living in a ‘cancel’ culture,” Graham said of American society, arguing that many major corporations “want to destroy Christian organizations.”

“They want us to shut our mouths,” he told the NRB audience. “They don’t want to hear from us.”

The story also related:

During his speech, Graham called upon Christians to decrease their reliance upon corporations owned and operated by those who are hostile to Christ. Specifically, Graham warned that, in the coming years, banks, insurance companies and data storage companies would cut off organizations that are vocal about the Gospel and biblical values.

At BillyGraham.org, these comments were shared:

The problem with cultural Christianity, he added, is that people place too much emphasis on offending people. The Gospel, in and of itself, is offensive, but that doesn’t mean we need to water it down.

“Preach—don’t back up, don’t make excuses. Paul said, ‘I am not ashamed of the Gospel.’ … Don’t apologize for the Gospel—just declare it, just preach it.”

And, most importantly, leave the results up to God.

“How does that work?” he asked. “I have no clue. All I know is it works, I’ll tell you that. If you preach the Gospel and give the invitation, someone is going to respond to it, but it’s got to be clear. The Gospel pierces their heart.”

Nick Vujocic, of the ministry Life Without Limbs, has experienced the financial opposition firsthand. As CBN News reported in July of 2021: "During an interview...with The Epoch Times, Vujicic said he began to speak out against the innocent killing of unborn babies in March 2019. Within 16 weeks of doing that, he revealed, 'we had a grenade at our house, a false magazine article published against me, a lawsuit threat, a spying drone, and a bank kicked me out.'"

The article goes on to say:

Around that same time, Vujicic spoke with his good friend Betsy Gray about launching Pro-Life Bank. The 38-year-old, who has an extensive financial background, told Vujicic that he needed to pray more about the idea.

Vujicic explained that during that period, he experienced more adversity, but this time from his own bank.

"I got kicked out of a bank with no warning. They froze my credit cards, froze my debit cards," he said. "They gave me a letter to say that they did a review of me as a client and they don't want anything to do with me."

The pro-life advocate chose to take on the project with Gray and is excited to educate others by exposing banking networks that partner with abortion providers.

Also, at NRB this year, former Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom Sam Brownback discussed with me, in an interview heard on Faith Radio, an unfortunate incident involving his new organization, the National Committee for Religious Freedom.  The Daily Signal had reported in February of this year:

In May 2022, three weeks after opening the account, JPMorgan Chase closed it. Brownback, along with other conservative organizations, raised the question of whether the move was done for religious or political reasons. JPMorgan has said it had nothing to do with political or religious views and said the decision was made because, under federal laws, it needed more information about donors and recipients than the nonprofit provided.

The article continued, stating:

In December, the National Center for Public Policy Research submitted a shareholder proposal, following up on a similar proposal in November from the National Legal and Policy Center, calling for more transparency

JPMorgan is asking the Securities and Exchange Commission staff for permission to exclude consideration of the resolutions from its annual shareholder meeting...

The website later reported that the SEC had decided, "JPMorgan Chase & Co. must allow shareholders to vote on a resolution urging the company to investigate politically-motivated discrimination after Chase denied payments or canceled accounts in what critics call a discriminatory trend in banking."

Reporting on that meeting, the Daily Signal stated in May:

Shareholders of JPMorgan Chase & Co. rejected a proposed inquiry into “debanking” by the financial giant that may be targeting account holders based on politics or religion.

The article noted:

The inquiry was suggested by David Bahnsen, managing partner and chief investment officer of The Bahnsen Group, which manages more than $4 billion in assets.

His proposal shined light on the issue despite its defeat, Bahnsen said in criticizing JP Morgan Chase, the nation’s largest bank, at a Tuesday press conference held over Zoom.

Bahnsen is quoted as saying, “If they were indeed as focused against religious and political discrimination as they have claimed, and as CEO Jamie Dimon reaffirmed this morning—if they are so sure that this not only is corporate policy, but is not happening at all—then a rather routine and I think inexpensive investigation in the grand scheme of things, that inquiry would have been very helpful..."

The article also said that 19 attorneys general nationwide had written a letter to Dimon "calling for JPMorgan Chase to oppose viewpoint discrimination." Arkansas AG Tim Griffin said during that press conference, "They talk a lot about openness and inclusivity. The reality is, when they are asked to define what their standard is for shutting some of these accounts, they are unable or unwilling to do so..."

Inclusivity - sounds great, doesn't it?  Problem is, if the ideas of some don't line up with the dominant ideology, they find themselves ex-cluded.  That has happened time and again to Christians who dare to act in accordance to their faith.  We have been included in the Kingdom of God, and that means that our actions are to line up with the principles of the Kingdom - that will conflict with dominant, humanistic philosophies of this world.  

When we find the world's systems are aligned against the proclamation and practice of the gospel, then, as Franklin Graham declares, we have to look for alternative ways to get the message out.  I am thankful for the technology that enables Faith Radio to reach our broadcast area on-air and the world online.  But, we have, and all of us have, a responsibility to recognize the potential roadblocks to proclaiming our message and to live productive, God-honoring lives.  During the tribulation period, as Revelation 13 teaches, freedom to engage in commerce will be restricted for those who do not honor the one-world government - we are heading in that direction, which is good in one sense, because we know that Jesus will soon come to take the Church to be with Him, but it's bad in another sense, because we know our freedoms are under assault.  We have to be vigilant, but continue to trust in our faithful Savior. 

Life and Science

Persecution or opposition for the cause of Christ comes in multiple forms, and we live in a world in which the god of this world, the enemy of our souls, attempts to defeat us. Psalm 143 relates:
3 For the enemy has persecuted my soul; He has crushed my life to the ground; He has made me dwell in darkness, Like those who have long been dead.
4 Therefore my spirit is overwhelmed within me; My heart within me is distressed.
5 I remember the days of old; I meditate on all Your works; I muse on the work of Your hands.
6 I spread out my hands to You; My soul longs for You like a thirsty land...

We cannot allow the enemy to defeat us because of what Jesus has won for us.  The devil wants to make inroads on our precious gift of salvation and cause us to miss out on the joy that comes from knowing the Lord. But, we have the spiritual weapons to stand strong against Him.  We have been given powerful resources that can sustain us in our journey through life.  Yes, there will be temptation, there will be trouble, but we can continue to look to Him.  

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Living for Christ involves manifold blessings and tremendous benefits. But, it also comes with its share of challenges. 1st Peter 4 reminds us:
12 Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you;
13 but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ's sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy.
14 If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified.
15 But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or as a busybody in other people's matters.
16 Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter.

The American College of Pediatricians is an organization that, according to The Daily Signal, was "founded in 2002 as an alternative to the politically correct American Academy of Pediatrics."  It is referred to by a shorter name, ACPeds.  

The organization has been in the news recently for a couple of reasons, perhaps related. It is one of the plaintiffs in that ongoing lawsuit against the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, contending that the FDA should have never approved the abortion pill, mifepristone.  A federal district judge had agreed in an initial ruling, but that decision was put on hold by the 5th Circuit and the U.S. Supreme Court.  Hearings in the case occurred almost three weeks ago before the 5rh Circuit.

According to the article, "the organization came under several targeted attacks April 24 when hackers attempted to access its website servers, email accounts, and social media accounts. Its cybersecurity measures repelled most of them, although an archived website—unused since 2019—was breached." The story notes, "ACPeds immediately moved to shut down the website, but documents on a Google Drive were exposed and then leaked to...[a] writer at Wired," a technological magazine and website, which published the material.

Executive Director Dr. Jill Simons spoke with The Daily Signal and stated:

“They don’t want to debate us because they can’t beat us on the facts and the science. They can’t even beat us on common sense,” she said. “Last week there was a coordinated, concerted attack on several of our organization’s key structures—our key technology structures, our databases, our financial accounts. … This was professional, and it was unrelenting.”

The Daily Signal reported:

ACPeds’ current policy priorities are to protect born and preborn children, to promote biological integrity regarding gender identity, and to defend conscience rights for health care professionals.

“Unfortunately, I’m seeing people in my own profession who are causing harm to these children and their families,” Simons said. “Those kids, those who can’t speak for themselves, the most vulnerable among us, that’s why we all have to speak up. That is just something we must do.”

The article noted that this was another in a pattern of acts of intimidation against pro-life people and organizations, stating:

Since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last year, pro-life institutions and individuals have faced sustained attacks. The militant group Jane’s Revenge vandalized pregnancy resource centers, the FBI arrested pro-life father Mark Houck in Pennsylvania, and a deranged pro-abortion man plotted an assassination attempt on Justice Brett Kavanaugh.

Roger Severino, Vice President of Domestic Policy at The Heritage Foundation, who was formerly the Director of the Office of Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, said that ACPeds doctors "provide children with health care that is based in science, not ideology.” He added: “The American College of Pediatricians is under attack for one reason—because its members publicly speak the truth and protect innocent children from the Left’s dangerous pathologies...Because the radical Left can’t win in court or the ballot box, they resort to crime, intimidation, and doxxing. This assault on ACPeds is just further confirmation.”

And, the pregnancy resource center ministry of CompassCare in New York state is marking an ominous anniversary tomorrow - it notes on its website:

June 7, 2023 is the 1-year anniversary of the brutal firebombing of CompassCare’s Buffalo, NY pro-life medical office, causing half a million dollars of damage, injuring two firefighters, and inaugurating the pro-abortion Kristallnacht.

CompassCare CEO James Harden said, "Kristallnacht became the tipping point of violence into the Jewish community in 1938 Germany. This was because of a lack of public outcry by the political elite and their refusal to denounce the violence. Well, the pro-abortion violence continues today, exacerbated by the complicity of federal law enforcement and pro-abortion politicians..." The article goes on to say: "While CompassCare resumed serving patients the day after the firebombing and rebuilt the torched medical office in 52 days, there have been no convictions of the two arsonists who attacked CompassCare, nor in any of the over 300 other attacks on pro-life entities."

We continue to keep in mind that these physical and technological expressions of opposition are an expression of spiritual warfare at play.  So, while pro-life organizations are right to protect themselves, we also recognize that they need our prayers.  There are many on the front lines speaking out for the unborn, and it is a worthy cause - a cause of literally life and death. 

We can also be in prayer for this federal court case involving the abortion pill, in which the American College of Pediatricians and its allies are involved.  With somewhere around half of abortions in America now done chemically, this means that unborn children and women are facing grave danger in the privacy of homes, without the instant availability of medical professionals.  To think that a woman would place her own life at risk out of convenience and disregard for the gift of life within her shows the deception that surrounds this issue.  And, those who are Biblically pro-life can be motivated to continue to speak truth. 

Upholding Life

Every human being has been created in the image of God, and God expresses His love toward all, and testifies to His greatness, so that human beings might come into a relationship with Himself. John chapter 1 says:
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 He was in the beginning with God.
3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.
4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.
5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

Through creation, we can behold the presence of and the hand of God. He is the author of life, and we recognize that He has an expressed intent for all human beings formed in the womb. He desires for each child to have the opportunity to experience life and to follow His will.  As John 1 tells us, Jesus was there at creation, and He brings us eternal and abundant life. His life brings light, as verse 4 says, and through the light of Christ, we can overcome darkness and death. 

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We can give honor and praise to our Creator God, who has made each of us in His image and brings glory and awareness of His presence through His creation. We can read this glorious passage in Colossians chapter 1:
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.
16 For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.
17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.

In a recent article at The Stream website, Aliya Kuykendall shared these comments:

Medicine, done rightly, is for helping the human body to be healthy and function according to its design. That’s why abortion is not healthcare while fetal brain surgery is. As Dr. Monique Wubbenhorst said, “If abortion is healthcare, my question is: what disease are you treating?”

This ushers the reader into the story of an incredible medical miracle. Surgery was performed on a baby - in the womb.  The article goes on to say:

The disease doctors treated her for what is called “vein of Galen malformation,” or VOGM. A vein in Denver’s brain wasn’t formed correctly, so blood wasn’t flowing in her brain properly. VOGM can result in serious heart problems and brain injury if not treated. By performing the surgery in the womb, doctors were able to treat the improperly formed vein early, before major problems developed.

Included in the article was a tweet by Lila Rose of Live Action, who said:

Incredible.

A medical team performs surgery on a baby in utero to repair hole in his brain.

Babies with medical conditions are routinely aborted. Imagine if we used medicine to help them instead?

The Live Action website stated: "While other surgeries have been performed in-utero, this was the first time this particular procedure has ever been performed."  The article noted:

According to the MIT Technology Review, the little girl’s parents signed up for a clinical trial after receiving the diagnosis in hopes of saving her life.

“Over time the vein essentially blows up like a balloon,” said Darren Orbach, a radiologist at Boston Children’s Hospital in Massachusetts who treats babies born with the condition. “All of a sudden there’s this enormous burden placed right on the newborn heart. Most babies with this condition will become very sick, very quickly.”

Mario Ganau, a consultant neurosurgeon at Oxford University Hospitals in the United Kingdom, further explained, “It’s stealing blood from the rest of the circulation.” In usual cases, doctors try to correct the malformation after birth; unfortunately, by then, it can sometimes be too late.

Derek and Kenyatta Coleman spoke to CNN about their pregnancy. The couple was thrilled to be expecting their fourth baby, which eventually turned to fear. But when they learned about the clinical trial taking place at Brigham and Women’s and Boston Children’s hospitals, they traveled from their home in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to give their baby girl — by then 34 weeks gestation — the best chance at life.

The Live Action article says:

Now, two months later, Denver is thriving, and for now, doctors believe she won’t need any additional interventions.

“She’s shown us from the very beginning that she was a fighter,” Kenyatta said. “[S]he’s demonstrated … “Hey, I wanna be here.’”

John Stonestreet, in a recent piece at the Breakpoint website, took to task a Washington Post piece about Denver's miraculous pre-birth story; he related:

Despite the piece’s clear joy over the miracle of Denver’s life, even calling her an “unborn child” throughout the piece, The Washington Post’s editors ran with this title: “A Fetus had a 1% Chance at Life. A Historic Surgery in Womb Saved It.”

“Fetus” and “It,” not “Child” or “Her”? Talk about underwhelming. … I doubt that her parents, her family, or even the doctors trained in medicalese used that language to describe Denver after working so hard to save her life.

All life is miraculous. All are, whatever their health or ability, created by God in His image. Welcome to God’s world, little Denver!

This is an example of true "healthcare..." the preservation of life, not the pursuit of death.  God has given us wonderful doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals and the technology for them to use in order to follow the Hippocratic Oath and "do no harm."  In this case, the team has moved in the direction of life - that should always be the direction, the aim, the goal. Unfortunately, society has allowed a "culture of death" to increase around us.  Culturally, we need to change our thinking.  

We serve a God who has loved us, who will use a crisis for His glory, who provides wisdom in order to craft solutions so that men and women can live in this world drawn by an awareness of Himself. We can rejoice when we see life, healing, and redemption and realize those are expressions of the hand of a loving, Creator God who has loved us greatly.