Here are some of my favorite excerpts:
Don't Be Surprised when Persecution Comes:
The truth is, if you deny yourself, pick up your cross, and follow hard
after the Lord,
(Matthew 16:24) you should know that the world will not receive your
devotion anon with joy.
Your friendship with God automatically makes you an enemy to this world
(James 4:4).
The key, however, is not to
consider it strange when you are persecuted for living godly (1 Peter
4:12, 2; Timothy 3:12). Sadly, the “American Gospel Enterprise” has made
that mentality rare today.
The world hated the Lord and it will hate you (John 15:18),
particularly if you are effective in
serving Christ’s Kingdom. This does not mean that you should develop a
martyr’s complex and
look for persecution. If you misrepresent the Lord and manifest a wrong
spirit, you have what is
coming to you. You are merely suffering for your sins. If however, you
are hated because you are
loving God and your neighbor as yourself, then God’s glory and Spirit
rests upon you (1 Peter
4:14).
Bringing Down the Altars of Moloch:
Throughout the Bible and redemptive history, whenever Satan raised his
ugly head, he went
after the seed of man. He murdered babies on a massive scale. It was
true in the time of Moses
(Exodus 1:15-22). It was also true in the time of Christ (Matthew
2:16-18; Revelation 12:1-6). In
both cases, however, God was neither silent nor inactive. He was
preparing mighty deliverers
who would break the chains of bondage and set captives free. Both
children (Moses and Jesus)
survived Satan’s onslaught, grew up, and collapsed the evil empires
that targeted them for
destruction.
Based upon this Biblical pattern, there is an awesome call on the
survivors of the American
holocaust. The monstrous lie of abortion has wiped out one-third of an
entire generation. If the
war babies, the survivors of Roe v. Wade, remain true to the Biblical
model, they will be God’s instruments of deliverance. They will bring down
abortion’s evil empire and set future
generations free from its injustice. May it be so, Almighty God!
No Justifications for Inaction:
You may have heard, “It is not loving,” or “It is judgmental,” or “It
is not Christ-like,” or “It is not
the Gospel,” or a host of other justifications for inaction. Yet the
Bible calls you to act on your
beliefs (James 2:20). If the church dares to say, “Abortion is murder”
than the church should act
like someone is truly dying. Otherwise, the church’s witness rings
hollow.
Being Blameless in the Battle:
This last Scripture from James brings to mind how the Lord Jesus dealt
with Satan. Know this,
when the enemy came for Jesus, he found nothing to exploit. Satan could
not find a resting
place to work his malice. There was no opening to deceive (John 14:30).
Yes, Christ is sinless and we are not. Yet, we can still live
blameless. If we are to remain faithful
in this battle, it behooves us to keep short accounts with the Lord. A
life of holiness is not
optional (Hebrews 12:14). Every known sin, which provides openings for
the enemy to exploit,
must be repented of and the door shut. Proverbs 28:13 promises, “He who
covers his sins will
not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.”
Believe me, receiving
the tender mercies of the Lord each morning are critical (Lamentations
3:21-23). They provide
the “balm of Gilead” that heal the wounds this battle afflicts upon our
souls (Jeremiah 8:22).
“You cannot keep birds from flying over your head, but you can keep
them from building a nest
in your hair.” This quote, attributed to Martin Luther, is a reference
to sinful thoughts that
come to mind. We may not be able to stop sinful thoughts from coming,
but we can make sure
they do not develop into a sinful pattern that provides ammunition to
the enemies of the cross
to blaspheme the Lord. God’s Word warns, “You who make your boast in
the law, do you
dishonor God through breaking the law? For ‘the name of God is
blasphemed among the Gentiles
because of you,’ as it is written” (Romans 2:23, 24).
Watch out for Pride:
When you go on the offense to defeat this evil, make sure you guard
your strengths and shore
up your weaknesses. Watch out for pride. If the enemy cannot get you
going bad, he will try to
entrap you by doing good. Self righteousness and a Pharisaical spirit
can easily find an opening
that will pollute the well of your salvation.
Lastly, beware of believing that you are entitled to personal liberties
because of your great
sacrifices. Many prolife leaders opened the door to that mentality.
They are gone today. James
3:1 cautions, “My brethren, let not many of you become teachers,
knowing that we shall
receive a stricter judgment.” Jesus mentioned, “To whom much is given,
from him much will be
required” (Luke 12:48).
The Battle and the Family:
The building block of society is the God-ordained family. As goes the father,
so goes the family.
As goes the family, so goes the church. And as goes the church, so goes
the nation. We live in a
day where the family has suffered great harm. Abortion, homosexuality,
divorce, financial
struggle, adultery, government replacing God and father in the home,
and a host of other ills
have served to diminish home and hearth in America. Waging a successful
warfare against the forces of darkness means making family life a priority.
Men are called to courageously lead their families with the Word of
God. Husbands and fathers
must love their wives and raise their children in the fear and
admonition of the Lord (Ephesians
6:4). This is why it is important to never use ministry as an excuse to
abandon responsibilities at
home. Men’s hearts must be turned towards their children to be
effective in saving other
children from certain death. As you lead your family into the battle,
it is wise not to create two worlds—the world of ministry and the world of
family. It is best they comport into one world. Many a minister lost his children
by creating disparate worlds, a breach for the enemy to exploit. Just as in all
ministry,
abortion ministry, should be a family endeavor. The husband leads, the
wife submits, and the
children obey. Divine order is crucial to protecting your family in the
battle (1 Corinthians
11:1-3). A three-fold cord is not easily broken (Ecclesiastes 4:12).
Psalms 127:3-5 reminds God’s people:
Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb is
a reward. Like arrows in
the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one’s youth. Happy is the
man who has his quiver full
of them; they shall not be ashamed, But shall speak with their enemies
in the gate.
Besides the obvious benefit for others, family ministry is a tremendous
blessing for families. It is
a winning way to disciple children. Leading them on the offense against
evil is the best defense
against evil. Too many Christian families tell their children what not
to do without leading them
what to do. This leaves them on the defensive where they can become
easy pickings for the
spirit of the age. When children actually see their parents, pastors,
and elders taking a public
stand against evil, evil loses much of its lure. They are not just
hearing the message preached,
they are witnessing adults model the message. In addition, the public
witness strengthens their
faith and helps them take ownership of Biblical truths and principles.
This makes all the
difference in the world as we prepare them for future service to God.
Our Silence Grants Consent:
Abortion violates the essence of Biblical manhood, which is partly
defined as protecting,
providing, and caring for women and children. By “law,” fathers must
stand idly by, while the
unspeakable happens to their children. This injustice screams to the
heavens and tragically
reinforces the inherent sinful nature of men—irresponsibility and passivity
in the face of evil.
Fatherlessness created the environment for the mass slaughter of
children. It has unleashed a
dreadful curse upon the land (Malachi 4:5, 6). Preborn children
scheduled to die have no fathers
to protect them.
God is a Father and the helper of the fatherless (Psalms 10:14).
Throughout the Bible, God
demands justice and intervention for the fatherless (Psalms 10:18,
82:3; Isaiah 1:17). Yet most
Christians ignore these commands. Our silence inadvertently grants
consent. Through inaction,
Christians unconsciously aid and abet the powers of darkness savaging
children made in the
image of God. Historically, anytime the church ignored evil of this
magnitude, it strengthened
the oppressors and prolonged the victimization of the weak.
Necessary Covering of the local church:
If you are engaged in the battle, you must recognize some vital truths
when it comes to the
church of Jesus Christ. First, to have authority (to fight and win this
battle) you must be under
authority (Matthew 8:9). Each rescuer needs to be in submission to a
local church. We all need
the accountability, covering, and blessing of the church. We need the
church to send us out to
wage a good warfare against the powers of darkness. Church covering is
vital for our spiritual
wellbeing in the midst of increased conflict.
Forgiveness and Staying Sane:
The attacks from within and from without are manifold. The problem with
most engaged in the
battle is that they forget to hold the shield of faith up when it comes
to the church, family, and
friends. When the Evil One’s fiery dart is shot by someone close, most
of the time it hits the
heart and it hits hard. Wounded warriors can often end up causing great
damage to those they
love, though they remain convinced of the justness of their cause.
Romans 12:18 teaches, “If it is possible, as much as depends on you,
live peaceably with all
men.” We are supposed to do good to all men, but especially to the
household of faith
(Galatians 6:10). To stay sane in this battle, good soldiers of Jesus
Christ must understand that
our duty is to keep sowing, loving, intervening, helping, reaching out,
preaching, and fighting
the good fight of faith, regardless of whether or not others join in
the work. We stay faithful
anyway. John Quincy Adams had the right attitude. He stated, “Duty is
mine, the results belong
to God.” We can do no less.
This is the tightrope Christians must walk, the divine tension
experienced in the battle.
Christians must live consistent lives, in word and deed, without
causing church splits, making
disciples unto ourselves, or usurping the role of Biblical elders (1
John 3:18, Acts 20:30).
Conversely, the church should spiritually cover and bless the ministry.
The church should send
missionaries out to engage in the battle. If others come under
conviction to join you, praise the
Lord and pass the spiritual “ammo.” If not, sing the old hymn, “Though
none go with me, still I
will follow.”
Not the Government, but the Church:
We are beyond a political solution to what ails our nation. We cannot
expect politicians to stop
the evil that is savaging this generation. We cannot expect them to
fight a battle against sin and
Satan and prevail. Only the church is equipped and empowered to take
Satan on and take him
out. As the church rises up and wins the battle in the heavens and on
the streets, our laws will
change. Our government will one day reflect the victory. Civil
government can be restored back
to its divine calling, which is protect life and stop the shedding on
innocent blood. The church’s
responsibility is to regain her prophetic voice to be the moral
conscience of our nation once
again. Reverend Flip Benham stated it well, “Abortion will come to an
end in America when the
Church of Jesus Christ makes up her mind it will come to an end. And
not one second sooner.”
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