A Nation in Crisis

 

             

If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.  II Chronicles 7:14

 Sometimes choices are hard. Sometimes we make the wrong choice. Sometimes we don't fully understand the choice until it's too late to change the choice. But God is the Great Forgiver and Lover of our souls. 

When I began to keep chickens, I wanted to raise my own flock. I didn't know how to keep my hens from laying with my setting hen. I hated wasting eggs, so I attempted to sort them without candling them (looking inside with a light through the shell.) One day I cracked an egg into a bowl and there lay a yolk with a few arteries stretching across it with a tiny heart beating.

Oh no. What had I done? I couldn't put it back in the shell. I couldn't keep it warm, and I couldn't throw it in the trash. It was alive and dying before my eyes. Over the next 20 minutes, I watched the heartbeat slow as the egg cooled down to room temperature. I tried to walk away but I always returned to check on it, wishing it to live, knowing it would die. I had made the wrong choice. Finally, the little heart beat no longer. I slid it into the trash, my heart broken.

Read the verse again, please. If my people, that's Christians. Aren't we God's people?

Shall humble themselves and pray and seek my face. Why? 

It sounds like there must be something there that needs repentance. What have we done? What are we allowing? Are we sitting idly by while children are being murdered in the womb? Maybe they are being murdered before they even make it to their mother's womb.

When does life begin? My friend had trouble conceiving so she and her husband turned to in-vitro fertilization. The fertilized egg was implanted in her womb. Was the fertilized egg alive? Sure, or it would not have embedded itself in the womb. It would not have grown into a beautiful little girl. There had to have been life there. How many people today would never think of going to an abortion clinic but they prevent the embedding of a fertilized live baby from implanting itself in his/her mother's womb? 

Brothers and Sisters in Christ, this is hard to write but it is necessary if we want to see our families, our churches, and our nation healed. We can't pretend this is not happening even in our own churches. I know it is. But what does the Lord say?

and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

 We are not without hope only if we choose to be.

This Sunday our local crisis pregnancy center is sponsoring a Life Chain on Reidville Rd. 

Would you be willing to research your Crisis Pregnancy Center to find out what you can do to help families? 

Heavenly Father, help us see the opportunities to serve others in crisis and find ways to serve. Help us see the opportunities to share the gospel with others and seize those opportunities to plant the seeds of salvation. In Jesus's name. Amen.

Hey Kids:

Are you looking for ways to serve others? 

It really isn't that hard if our eyes and ears are open. 

Many schools have a special friend bench on their playground. When a student doesn't have someone to play with, they sit on the bench. Then someone can invite them to play. 

Learning to see the needs of others is important in our walk with the Lord. 

How can you watch for opportunities to serve others and make them feel welcomed and wanted?

 

Under the Shadow of Our Steeple

 

And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more. John 8:11

Do you remember reading The Scarlet Letter? When I picked up my granddaughter from school the other day, she asked me if I had read it. Then she said her teacher told them a song by Casting Crowns talked about it in some song lyrics. I remembered the song but misnamed it. I remembered the part about "under the shadow of our steeple." There was a tragedy in the shadow of our steeple just about the time the song was released. I remember thinking I hadn't gone to visit or invite the family to church before the tragedy. 

Actually, the name of the song was "Can Anybody Hear Her?" It was more about a girl with an unexpected pregnancy. It was about how the church looks down on these girls. The past couple of weeks I've trained with the Carolina Pregnancy Center. Part of the training is Life Issues which includes Biblical Sexuality. Our God is a God of second chances. Remember the woman at the well? No one in her town wanted to openly have anything to do with her. Neither did the disciples — but Jesus. There's always the — but Jesus. Remember the woman taken in adultery? There were many accusers but because of Jesus, there was no one to cast the first stone. Neither did He cast a stone but told her to go and sin no more. Jesus spoke truth and love to both women. It made all the difference in both their lives. In the Samaritan town of Sychar, love and truth made a difference in the whole town in two days (John 4).  

How are we as Christians helping others see the truth in love? How do we show them we care about them and their unborn baby? Abortion in the US is used in over 95% of the cases for social and economic factors, "my boyfriend will leave me", "I have to go to school", "I've got a scholarship", and the list goes on. Less then 5% are for rape, incest, life of the mother, health of the mother, or health of the baby (produced by Lisa Van Riper, President of SC Citizens for Life. You will need to type in www.sclife.org).

Does anybody hear her? Does anybody see her? She needs support from Christians, from the church, and from her family. She needs to know Jesus will forgive her. She needs to know He wants to change her life and lifestyle, even if her pregnancy test is negative. The only way she can know Jesus loves her is if Christians love her, support her emotionally, spiritually, and physically, giving her a hand up. 

Those girls who are post-abortion need exactly the same love and truth. Probably no one told them the truth about their baby. Jesus still stands ready to forgive and renew their hearts as well. 

Friends, she is running in all the wrong directions. Does anybody hear her? Can anybody see her? There is a Crisis Pregnancy Center near you. Will you and your church find out how you can help? 

Blessings,

Gail

Life Begins

If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.  II Chronicles 7:14

             

 Sometimes choices are hard. Sometimes we make the wrong choice. Sometimes we don't fully understand the choice until it's too late to change the choice. But God is the Great Forgiver and Lover of our souls. 

When I began to keep chickens, I wanted to raise my own flock. I didn't know how to keep my hens from laying with my setting hen. I hated wasting eggs, so I attempted to sort them without candling them (looking inside with a light through the shell.) One day I cracked an egg into a bowl and there lay a yolk with a few arteries stretching across it with a tiny heart beating.

Oh no. What had I done? I couldn't put it back in the shell. I couldn't keep it warm, and I couldn't throw it in the trash. It was alive and dying before my eyes. Over the next 20 minutes, I watched the heartbeat slow as the egg cooled down to room temperature. I tried to walk away but I always returned to check on it, wishing it to live, knowing it would die. I had made the wrong choice. Finally, the little heart no longer beat. I slid it into the trash, my heart broken.

Read the verse again, please. If my people, that's Christians. Aren't we God's people?

Shall humble themselves and pray and seek my face. Why? 

and turn from their wicked ways. It sounds like there must be something there that needs repenting. What have we done? What are we allowing? Are we sitting idly by while children are being murdered in the womb? Maybe they are being murdered before they even make it to their mother's womb. When does life begin?

When does life begin? My friend had trouble conceiving so she and her husband turned to invitro fertilization. The fertilized egg was implanted in her womb. Was the fertilized egg alive? Sure, or it would not have embedded itself in the womb. It would not have grown into a beautiful little girl. There had to have been life there. This couple was attempting to create a life. How many people today would never think of going to an abortion clinic but they prevent the embedding of a fertilized live baby from implanting itself in his/her mother's womb? 

Brothers and Sisters in Christ, this is hard to write but it is necessary if we want to see our families, our churches, and our nation healed. We can't pretend this is not happening even in our own churches. I know it is. But what does the Lord say?

 then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. We are not without hope only if we choose to be. What will we choose?

Please choose life,

Gail

Hard Choices

Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. Isaiah 41:10

Yesterday was the Sanctity of Human Life Sunday. Sometimes choices are hard. Sometimes we make the wrong choice. Sometimes we don't fully understand the choice until it's too late to change the choice. But God is the Great Forgiver and Lover of our souls. 

When I began to keep chickens, I wanted to raise my own flock. I didn't know how to keep my hens from laying with my setting hen. I hated wasting eggs, so I attempted to sort them without candling them (looking inside with a light through the shell.) One day I cracked an egg into a bowl and there lay a yolk with a few arteries stretching across it with a tiny heart beating.

Oh no. What had I done? I couldn't put it back in the shell. I couldn't keep it warm, and I couldn't throw it in the trash. It was alive and dying before my eyes. Over the next 20 minutes, I watched the heartbeat slow as the egg cooled down to room temperature. I tried to walk away but I always returned to check on it, wishing it to live, knowing it would die. I had made the wrong choice. Finally, the little heart no longer beat. I slid it into the trash, my heart broken.

Jochebed (Exodus 6:20) faced a much harder choice. She conceived a child during the reign of a Pharoah that demanded all Hebrew baby boys be thrown into the river. What if she and Amram disobeyed? Could this child cost her her life? Could it cost Amram's life, the life of her other children as well? It was a hard choice to hide her newborn son but faith in the all powerful, all knowing God gave her the strength to hide him three months. 

When things became hopeless she placed him in a basket in the very river that should have been his death. She couldn't watch so she asked her daughter. Hidden in the reeds, Miriam watched. The daughter of Pharoah came with her maids to bathe. Seeing the basket she sent one of her maids to retrieve it. There she found a crying babe. 

The baby's sister stepped out of hiding and offered to find a nursemaid for the child. Jochebed's baby went home to his mom. 

We are sometimes faced with hard choices. We need to "candle" our choices. Hold them up to the Light. The right choice is often the hardest. 

Please - Choose Life.

Hard Choices

Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. Isaiah 41:10





When I began to keep chickens, I wanted to raise my own flock. I didn't know how to keep my hens from laying with my setting hen. I hated wasting eggs, so I attempted to sort them without candling them (looking inside with a light through the shell.) One day I cracked an egg into a bowl and there lay a yolk with a few arteries stretching across it with a tiny heart beating.

Oh no. What had I done? I couldn't put it back in the shell. I couldn't keep it warm, and I couldn't throw it in the trash. It was alive and dying before my eyes. Over the next 20 minutes, I watched the heartbeat slow as the egg cooled down to room temperature. I tried to walk away but I always returned to check on it, wishing it to live, knowing it would die. I had made the wrong choice. Finally, the little heart no longer beat. I slid it into the trash, my heart broken.

Jochebed (Exodus 6:20) faced a much harder choice. She conceived a child during the reign of a Pharoah that demanded all Hebrew baby boys be thrown into the river. What if she and Amram disobeyed? Could this child cost her her life? Could it cost Amram's life, the life of her other children as well? It was a hard choice to hide her newborn son but faith in the all powerful, all knowing God gave her the strength to hide him three months. 

When things became hopeless she placed him in a basket in the very river that should have been his death. She couldn't watch so she asked her daughter. Hidden in the reeds, Miriam watched. The daughter of Pharoah came with her maids to bathe. Seeing the basket she sent one of her maids to retrieve it. There she found a crying babe. 

The baby's sister stepped out of hiding and offered to find a nursemaid for the child. Jochebed's baby went home to his mom. 

We are sometimes faced with hard choices. We need to "candle" our choices. Hold them up to the Light. The right choice is often the hardest. 

Please - Choose Life.

Hey Kids:

We are faced with choices every day. Choices to be kind, honest, brave, truthful. 

Have you thought of keeping a journal? 

Keeping a journal helps us reflect on the choices we make and how the Lord gives us the strength to make the right ones. 

Even when we can't write a lot of words, pictures still tell great stories. 

What will your story look like today?

Blessings,

Gail