Category Archives: Abortion

Leading Cause of Death in the World

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 56 million people died worldwide in 2012.

The leading cause of death was cardiovascular diseases, killing 17.5 million people in 2012, that is 3 in every 10 deaths.

6.6 million children died before reaching their fifth birthday. The major killers of children aged less than 5 years were prematurity, pneumonia, birth asphyxia and birth trauma, and diarrheal diseases.

The world health organization has another category they track that they do not even count in the death totals. Every year an estimated 45 million children are killed inside their mother’s womb by someone carrying out an abortion.

If we were to add this number to the death total of 56 million above, we see that deaths from abortion account for an astounding 45% of total deaths worldwide… almost three times more than the next leading category (cardiovascular disease).

God clearly tells us life begins in the womb in Jeremiah 1:4-5

The Lord gave me this message:

“I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb.
    Before you were born I set you apart
    and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.”

Medical science today undeniably confirms what God told us thousands of years ago. Life begins at conception and the human life grows inside the mother’s womb. The baby is defenseless and without a voice, but clearly a separate individual human life inside the mother.

If you or someone you know is considering abortion.  Please choose to save the life of the child, even if it is a hard situation. Reach out for help to God and fellow Christians.

If you or someone you know has already been involved in an abortion then you know how devastating it is emotionally. Remember that God is filled with grace.  He can forgive you if you turn toward Him with repentant heart and seek forgiveness. If you are struggling in grief, please reach out to God and to fellow Christians for help.

2 Chronicles 7:14

14 Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land.

Let’s work together to stop abortion!

For information on finding resources to help, please visit our Crisis Help: Abortion page.

Pray for an End to Abortion

The leading cause of death around the world is not disease or famine… it is murder. Worse yet, it is legalized murder. People worldwide have convinced themselves that killing unborn children is somehow acceptable. The World Health Organization actually tracks the number of abortions globally but does not even count them among the death statistics they also track! People around the world ignore God’s word and scientific evidence that is widely available today in this dangerous rationalization of wrong behavior.

In most cases, abortion is simply ending the life of one who is defenseless in order to make the mother’s life more comfortable or convenient or allow the father to avoid responsibility.  Yes, there are extreme pressures involved… but it is still a life. We should treat the unborn no worse than newborn babies. They should not have a lesser standard of protection and care.

Brothers and sisters, come with me before God in prayer and repentance for our nations and the world. Every day worldwide more than 120,000 unborn children are being killed by someone performing an abortion. That is an astonishing rate of 40-50 million children being killed this way each year. The numbers are astounding even compared to what we generally consider the truly terrible events in history, like Hitler’s extermination of the Jewish people in Germany during World War II. That was 6 million people in total (and it was horrible)… at the current rate of abortions, the world kills more than 6 million every two months!

God put babies in their mother’s wombs to grow so they could be safe and yet that is the leading cause of death in the world. Pray that the scales would drop from people’s eyes and they would see the truth clearly and be unable to rationalize and accept abortion.

Pray too for those who have been involved in abortions already, either in performing, encouraging, or forcing someone to participate, or the mother having an abortion. Theirs is terrible grief and sadness. Pray they would come before God with a repentant heart and be healed and forgiven. Pray they would forgive themselves too.

To learn more, review Crisis Help: Stop Abortion.

Forgiveness and healing are available to all thanks to Jesus Christ! May the grace and peace of Jesus Christ be with all of you.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you will be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Crisis Help: Stop Abortion

Our heavenly Father calls us not only to seek Him in study of His written word, but also to seek Him in prayer and to live out our lives the way he instructs. He wants us to pray for and work toward righteousness in our society, not just in “the church”. He does not want us to accept wickedness under the guise of cultural acceptance.

According to the World Health Organization, every year an estimated 45 million children are killed inside their mother’s womb by someone carrying out an abortion.  

God clearly tells us life begins in the womb in Jeremiah 1:4-5

The Lord gave me this message:

“I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb.
    Before you were born I set you apart
    and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.”

And again in Psalms 139:13-16

13 You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body
    and knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!
    Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.
15 You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion,
    as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.
16 You saw me before I was born.
    Every day of my life was recorded in your book.
Every moment was laid out
    before a single day had passed.

Medical science today undeniably confirms what God told us thousands of years ago. Birth begins at conception and the human life grows inside the mother’s womb.

The baby is defenseless and without a voice, but clearly a separate individual human life inside the mother.

If you or someone you know is considering abortion.  Please choose to save the life of the child, even if it is a hard situation. Reach out to God and followers of Yeshua for help.

Similarly, if you or someone you know has already been involved in an abortion then you know how devastating it is emotionally for the mother. Remember that God is filled with grace.  He can forgive you if you turn toward Him with repentant heart and seek forgiveness. If you are struggling in grief, please reach out to God and to followers of Yeshua for help.

Let’s work together to stop abortion!

I have listed a few resource links below. If you know of Christian organizations that are effective in this area, please Contact Us  and let us know so we can add them to our site as resources.

  • Heartbeat International works to inspire and equip Christian communities worldwide to rescue women and couples from abortion through the development of neighborhood pregnancy help centers, maternity homes, and adoption services. These ministries provide life-saving help in a truly life-changing way by assisting women who are at risk for abortion with the life-affirming, practical support they need to choose life, then prepare them to parent or to place for adoption.
  • 40 Days for Life is a community-based campaign that takes a determined, peaceful approach to showing local communities the consequences of abortion in their own neighborhoods, for their own friends and families. It puts into action a desire to cooperate with God in the carrying out of His plan for the end of abortion. It draws attention to the evil of abortion through the use of a three-point program including: prayer and fasting, constant vigil, and community outreach
  • SilentNoMoreAwareness.org  is a Campaign whereby Christians make the public aware of the devastation abortion brings to women and men. The campaign seeks to expose and heal the secrecy and silence surrounding the emotional and physical pain of abortion.
  • DoveChristianCounseling.com provides online, email, or phone counseling to help those who have been involved in abortion or may be considering abortion.
  • I also encourage you to seek out a local Christ centered organization near you.  It is helpful to have someone you can meet with face to face who shares your faith and views on life and can help you through this difficult issue.   Yeshua wants us to work together as the body of Christ to stop abortion.

Brothers and sisters, come with me before God in prayer and repentance for our nations. Every day worldwide more than 120,000 unborn children are being killed by someone performing an abortion. That is an astonishing rate of 45 million children being killed this way each year. God put them in their mother’s wombs to grow so they could be safe and yet that is the leading cause of death in the world.

Pray too for those who have been involved in abortions already, either in performing, encouraging or forcing someone to participate, or the mother having an abortion. Their choice results in terrible grief and sadness. Pray they would come before God with repentant heart and be healed and forgiven. Pray they would forgive themselves too.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? Are you living today filled with the peace and joy of truly knowing and following Jesus Christ? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

120,000 children killed every day

Brothers and sisters, come with me before God in prayer and repentance for our nations. Every day worldwide more than 120,000 unborn children are being killed by someone performing an abortion. That is an astonishing rate of 45 million children being killed this way each year. God put them in their mother’s wombs to grow so they could be safe and yet that is the leading cause of death in the world.

Pray too for those who have been involved in abortions already, either in performing, encouraging or forcing someone to participate, or the mother having an abortion. Theirs is a terrible grief and sadness. Pray they would come before God with repentant heart and be healed and forgiven. Pray they would forgive themselves too.

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Let Us March In Unity Under The Direction Of The Lord

When we as God’s people stand (or march) together consistent with God’s clear direction and with Him to lead us, we are unstoppable. It is not because of our glory or goodness, but because of His.

Joshua 1:10-18

Joshua Assumes Command

     10Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people, saying, 11“Pass through the midst of the camp and command the people, saying, ‘Prepare provisions for yourselves, for within three days you are to cross this Jordan, to go in to possess the land which the LORD your God is giving you, to possess it.’”

      12To the Reubenites and to the Gadites and to the half-tribe of Manasseh, Joshua said, 13“Remember the word which Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, saying, ‘The LORD your God gives you rest and will give you this land.’ 14“Your wives, your little ones, and your cattle shall remain in the land which Moses gave you beyond the Jordan, but you shall cross before your brothers in battle array, all your valiant warriors, and shall help them, 15until the LORD gives your brothers rest, as He gives you, and they also possess the land which the LORD your God is giving them. Then you shall return to your own land, and possess that which Moses the servant of the LORD gave you beyond the Jordan toward the sunrise.”

      16They answered Joshua, saying, “All that you have commanded us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go. 17“Just as we obeyed Moses in all things, so we will obey you; only may the LORD your God be with you as He was with Moses. 18“Anyone who rebels against your command and does not obey your words in all that you command him, shall be put to death; only be strong and courageous.”

We see God has started to give parts of the promised land to several tribes to begin to occupy, but they are still to march and fight with their brothers to help them achieve victory. They are not to get complacent only because they have been provided for.

Let us reflect on this in our own lives. Many of us have tremendous comforts in this world. We have hot and cold running water, indoor toilets, heat to cook at our fingertips, plentiful food, and safe from attack. In fact, we live in some ways more luxuriously than kings of old. Let us not get complacent to just settle into our own lives and activities. Let us seek God’s direction for how He wants us to gather together as one body and what He wants us to march against and defeat. There are some things which should be obvious from scripture… abortion, the move to normalize homosexuality and transgender. These are fundamentally leading many people away from God to their own sorrow and troubles. What about the decline in the family structure? There are many broken marriages and broken families. Many families which have a wife and husband have both working so many hours that neither is really home to raise the children, who are raised by the school systems (often godless). Consider those who follow Christ and face severe persecution around the world in the Middle East or other locations. Consider God’s chosen people, Israel, who face enemies on all sides. Let us stand with them, we who are grafted in to the same vine (Romans 11).

Pray that those who follow Christ would humble themselves and pray for our nation. Pray for repentance and genuine seeking of the Lord. Pray for His Spirit to move across our nation and lead us to unity and victory to take back our own “promised land” of the United States for Him. Just because we can have rest personally, does not mean we should settle down and get comfortable and quietly live within our own small circle of influence and friends.

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Do Not Imitate The Detestable Things Of The Nations

We are clearly commanded by our Creator not to imitate the detestable ways of those who do not follow YHWH. We are not to blend with pagans but to be set apart for YHWH’s use. We are to be holy.

Many seem to think this is no longer relevant, but it is very relevant still today. Study history of our most popular holidays. Easter, Christmas, Halloween, Valentines Day, and others are all based on pagan worship and pagan celebrations. The church made intentional choices to imitate and blend with these pagan practices rather than obey YHWH and remain separate from them. They convinced themselves that they knew better than YHWH and this would be a good way to help the pagans feel comfortable in the church. However this was contrary to YHWH’s instruction. People still today, when faced with the clear truth of the history rationalize it still as if they can turn something into good that YHWH declared to be bad.

We similarly have much of our society and even an increasing part of our church that accepts false religions as ok to have increasing influence in our society even when they contradict the teachings of Yeshua. Many accept homosexuality despite clear Biblical passages which consistently rebuke such behavior as sin.  Many who would say it was horrible for people thousands of years ago to sacrifice their children to Molech or other false gods, accept and normalize the murder of the unborn children by the millions all for the god of self.  Many have normalized and accepted sexual relations outside marriage covenant and divorce, again rebelling against YHWH.

Let us heed YHWH’s call and stop imitating the ways of those who do not serve Him. Let us instead follow His ways, as Yeshua taught us.

Deuteronomy 18:9-14

Spiritism Forbidden

      9“When you enter the land which the LORD your God gives you, you shall not learn to imitate the detestable things of those nations. 10“There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, one who uses divination, one who practices witchcraft, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, 11or one who casts a spell, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. 12“For whoever does these things is detestable to the LORD; and because of these detestable things the LORD your God will drive them out before you. 13“You shall be blameless before the LORD your God. 14“For those nations, which you shall dispossess, listen to those who practice witchcraft and to diviners, but as for you, the LORD your God has not allowed you to do so.

Let us be a set apart people for YHWH… a holy people living according to His ways and no other.

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

We Must Not Normalize And Accept Sin

As we dive into Luke 16, the parable of the unjust steward there is much to explore as we have begun in previous articles. Today, we look at Luke 16:18. On the surface it appears to be almost randomly placed.

It is clear and direct… YHWH does not intend for divorce. He intends marriage to be “until death do us part”. There is no clause for “until I change my mind” or “until it gets hard”.

Luke 16:18

      18“Everyone who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery, and he who marries one who is divorced from a husband commits adultery.

For those seeking marriage or married… the message is clear… it is for keeps. Take it seriously and do not make quick or rash decisions in how you select or later treat your spouse. Invest in the relationship.

For those who have divorced… if you have not yet done so, seek the forgiveness of our gracious and merciful Lord. If you seek to remarry or have remarried… see the advice above. Seek the Lord in prayer. While we know we can be forgiven, we should never make light of divorce. It is a sin that often tears apart families in destructive ways.

However, let us explore the context of the placement of this verse in Luke 16. It follows the parable of the unjust steward. Ellicott’s Commentary summarizes it as follows:

Here, again, the explanation that has been given of the parable of the Unjust Steward, offers the only satisfactory explanation of the introduction of a topic apparently so irrelevant. The doctrine and discipline of divorce which the Pharisees taught, lowering the sacredness of the life of home, and ministering to the growing laxity of men’s morals, was precisely what was meant by the steward’s bidding the debtors take their bill and write fifty, or fourscore measures, instead of the hundred.

Our culture is still making the same mistake that the Pharisees did. We continue to downplay sin such as divorce, abortion,  homosexuality, adultery, and fornication. It is almost normalized as acceptable behavior. This approach of changing or lowering the standards that YHWH set leads to cultural and moral decay, focused on and filled with unrepentant sin. All too often we find this attitude is true even within the community and churches of those who claim to follow Christ. They may say “it is not right for me, but we should let others live this way”.

I understand how one can make a mistake, repent, and be a follower of Christ. But truly, how can one claim to follow Christ while actively advocating for sin and against what He taught? That person does not know Him. Those who know Him should not be passive, but actively engaging against normalizing sin in our culture. This includes engagement in the community, the church, and yes… government.

Take some time to pray and ask for the Spirit to speak to you about where you stand and what you should do next to get involved in the fight for Christ and His values. Then listen and obey. Praying for our country and your local community and state for revival is a great place to start. Pray for the wicked to be defeated and the righteous to rise up.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? Are you living today filled with the peace and joy of truly knowing and following Jesus Christ? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Woe To You Hypocrites

Yeshua does not pull punches. He does not go around behind someone’s back talking about them. He goes right to them and speaks the truth boldly when it is called for. There are other times where He takes time to build relationship first, as with the Samaritan woman at the well. In Luke 11 when He confronts the Pharisees and lawyers, He is very direct.

The warnings apply for us too. Let us heed them. Are we more concerned with managing outward visible signs of our faith or actually internalizing and living out our faith in all aspects of our lives. Do we just make a good impression on the outside, but on the inside there is wickedness or selfishness?

Luke 11:37-54

Woes upon the Pharisees

     37Now when He had spoken, a Pharisee asked Him to have lunch with him; and He went in, and reclined at the table. 38When the Pharisee saw it, he was surprised that He had not first ceremonially washed before the meal. 39But the Lord said to him, “Now you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and of the platter; but inside of you, you are full of robbery and wickedness. 40“You foolish ones, did not He who made the outside make the inside also? 41“But give that which is within as charity, and then all things are clean for you.

      42“But woe to you Pharisees! For you pay tithe of mint and rue and every kind of garden herb, and yet disregard justice and the love of God; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others. 43“Woe to you Pharisees! For you love the chief seats in the synagogues and the respectful greetings in the market places. 44“Woe to you! For you are like concealed tombs, and the people who walk over them are unaware of it.

      45One of the lawyers said to Him in reply, “Teacher, when You say this, You insult us too.” 46But He said, “Woe to you lawyers as well! For you weigh men down with burdens hard to bear, while you yourselves will not even touch the burdens with one of your fingers. 47“Woe to you! For you build the tombs of the prophets, and it was your fathers who killed them. 48“So you are witnesses and approve the deeds of your fathers; because it was they who killed them, and you build their tombs. 49“For this reason also the wisdom of God said, ‘I will send to them prophets and apostles, and some of them they will kill and some they will persecute, 50so that the blood of all the prophets, shed since the foundation of the world, may be charged against this generation, 51from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who was killed between the altar and the house of God; yes, I tell you, it shall be charged against this generation.’ 52“Woe to you lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge; you yourselves did not enter, and you hindered those who were entering.”

      53When He left there, the scribes and the Pharisees began to be very hostile and to question Him closely on many subjects, 54plotting against Him to catch Him in something He might say.

Ask the Spirit to help you evaluate your walk with Christ. Ask Him to show you any areas where you may just be “going through the motions” or not fully committed and submitted to the Lord and His ways. We have a culture around us that constantly tries to pull us away from Christ and His ways. Even in our church community there are many who will focus on “good enough” or “better than most” or “I help people”, or “I am a good person”…  but these are insufficient standards. We are to live to God’s standard. That requires us constantly submitting our lives to Him in all areas.

We can not say be fully committed to Him by attending church weekly and then turn around and not oppose something like abortion, the murder of millions of innocent lives, just because it is accepted culturally.  We can not pay a tithe and then accept and endorse homosexuality, which God clearly condemns. Should we accept removing any reference to God in our government and schools and public spaces just because our sinful culture demands it? Are we here just to be liked and make friends with everyone while they live sinful lives rejecting Christ on their way to hell? We should not be “silent” or “private” Christians. The Lord did not hide the light but put it on a lampstand for all to see.  We should be living in the example of Christ and that includes calling out sin appropriately and, at times, directly and with boldness… even when those hearing the message will hate us for it.

Pray for boldness and the leading of the Holy Spirit in your life. When He leads, obey and follow.

Woe unto any of us who pay lip service to Christ but live in hypocrisy by not living submitted to Him.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? Are you living today filled with the peace and joy of truly knowing and following Jesus Christ? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

For The LORD Will Not Abandon His People

There are certainly times when we look around us and see wickedness rotting out our culture and the people of the world. Often we see the wicked oppress or attack the righteous, perhaps at times for no other reason than to feel better about their own wickedness by influencing others to join them rather than call them out for their sin.

Pray for the plans of the wicked to be destroyed and the righteous to be elevated. For the LORD will not abandon His people. Pray for repentance in the wicked that they would turn from sin and humble themselves before the Lord.

Psalm 94

The LORD Implored to Avenge His People.

     1O LORD, God of vengeance,
God of vengeance, shine forth!

      2Rise up, O Judge of the earth,
Render recompense to the proud.

      3How long shall the wicked, O LORD,
How long shall the wicked exult?

      4They pour forth words, they speak arrogantly;
All who do wickedness vaunt themselves.

      5They crush Your people, O LORD,
And afflict Your heritage.

      6They slay the widow and the stranger
And murder the orphans.

      7They have said, “The LORD does not see,
Nor does the God of Jacob pay heed.”

      8Pay heed, you senseless among the people;
And when will you understand, stupid ones?

      9He who planted the ear, does He not hear?
He who formed the eye, does He not see?

      10He who chastens the nations, will He not rebuke,
Even He who teaches man knowledge?

      11The LORD knows the thoughts of man,
That they are a mere breath.

      12Blessed is the man whom You chasten, O LORD,
And whom You teach out of Your law;

      13That You may grant him relief from the days of adversity,
Until a pit is dug for the wicked.

      14For the LORD will not abandon His people,
Nor will He forsake His inheritance.

      15For judgment will again be righteous,
And all the upright in heart will follow it.

      16Who will stand up for me against evildoers?
Who will take his stand for me against those who do wickedness?

      17If the LORD had not been my help,
My soul would soon have dwelt in the abode of silence.

      18If I should say, “My foot has slipped,”
Your lovingkindness, O LORD, will hold me up.

      19When my anxious thoughts multiply within me,
Your consolations delight my soul.

      20Can a throne of destruction be allied with You,
One which devises mischief by decree?

      21They band themselves together against the life of the righteous
And condemn the innocent to death.

      22But the LORD has been my stronghold,
And my God the rock of my refuge.

      23He has brought back their wickedness upon them
And will destroy them in their evil;
The LORD our God will destroy them.

There is evil of many shades around the world. Some openly persecute and execute Christians, such as is common in some Muslim dominated countries. Others just constantly try to shame Christians for standing up for God’s instructions in life and pointing out sin in the society around them or for just refusing to participate in the sinful culture around them. They use lawsuits and lawmakers to discriminate against Christians living out their beliefs. They stir up anger and strife against businesses, calling for boycotts.

These same people are willing to murder unborn babies for their own selfishness and demand that it be free. They demand that Christians embrace and support and participate in homosexual marriage. They take no accountability for their own lives and just demand government pay them so they can buy what they have not earned.

Pray for repentance and revival. Pray for the righteous to rise up and be moved by God to take back our local, state, and national government proudly and without fear standing for and living out our beliefs. Then listen for how God wants you to be active and engaged in this revival and allow Him to direct you. Prepare yourself that if you are to serve Him, you will likely have to make changes in your own life and may likely face adversity and conflict… as He did.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? Are you living today filled with the peace and joy of truly knowing and following Jesus Christ? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Be A Joyful Servant of the Lord

Mary is an intriguing figure. Some make statues of her and pray to her, and this is clearly wrong. She is not God. Only God answers prayers. However, we should take care that we don’t dismiss her too quickly just because of how people have put too much emphasis on her. She is, in fact, a wonderful example of a servant of the Lord who submitted her life and her plans to the Lord, even when it was disruptive to her life and could have resulted in breaking up her engagement to Joseph and possibly disgracing her in the community and with her parents. This was a big deal in the culture at that time for an unwed girl to become pregnant. Only those to whom God revealed the truth would believe that she was made pregnant by the Holy Spirit and not her own indiscretion.

We can see how she is filled with joy and counts herself blessed over the situation as she visits Elizabeth during her pregnancy. Isn’t it wonderful that the Lord provided Mary with Elizabeth, who was also made pregnant with God’s help… though in a different way in that God “opened her womb” and allowed her husband to make her pregnant. She had previously been barren.

Let us also not miss that God provides us with a very clear example of the baby in Elizabeth’s womb being very much alive and responsive to the outside world… before birth. Some just can’t seem to grasp that obvious biological concept that babies are humans from the moment of conception and should be treated as such. Abortion is abominable.

Luke 1:39-56

Mary Visits Elizabeth

     39Now at this time Mary arose and went in a hurry to the hill country, to a city of Judah, 40and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth. 41When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42And she cried out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! 43“And how has it happened to me, that the mother of my Lord would come to me? 44“For behold, when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy. 45“And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what had been spoken to her by the Lord.”

The Magnificat

     46And Mary said:
“My soul exalts the Lord,

      47And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.

      48“For He has had regard for the humble state of His bondslave;
For behold, from this time on all generations will count me blessed.

      49“For the Mighty One has done great things for me;
And holy is His name.

      50“AND HIS MERCY IS UPON GENERATION AFTER GENERATION
TOWARD THOSE WHO FEAR HIM.

      51“He has done mighty deeds with His arm;
He has scattered those who were proud in the thoughts of their heart.

      52“He has brought down rulers from their thrones,
And has exalted those who were humble.

      53“HE HAS FILLED THE HUNGRY WITH GOOD THINGS;
And sent away the rich empty-handed.

      54“He has given help to Israel His servant,
In remembrance of His mercy,

      55As He spoke to our fathers,
To Abraham and his descendants forever.”

      56And Mary stayed with her about three months, and then returned to her home.

I encourage you to pray for the Spirit to fill you with joy as you serve the Lord, even as He asks you to do something you feel is very hard. Check yourself if you find yourself complaining about how hard something is that He wants you to do. Trust in Him. He is able. Joyfully and willingly embrace what He calls you to do. If you are submitted and obedient, He will work through you with His power to accomplish what He calls you to do.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? Are you living today filled with the peace and joy of truly knowing and following Jesus Christ? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.