Working Wednesday: Promoting partnerships

These last couple months, the staff (especially Sharlene and Sue Ellen) have been doing a boatload of work related to our partnerships with pregnancy care centers -- mainly those in the US. That has included reviewing and revising our association policies, developing new benefits of association, and reminding current partners it's time to renew association for another year. Today we're finalizing the design of a brochure that will be sent to 700+ centers around the country inviting them to consider a new partnership with us.

What does it mean to be an associate of Life Matters Worldwide? It means a center shares our belief that true compassion ministry is accompanied by the Gospel and reflects the totality of biblical principles and godly characteristics. It means the center meets our criteria for association, including alignment with our Statement of Faith and Standards of Operation.

Most of the PCCs that you find listed on our website are current or past associates. Although some have never been associated with Life Matters, we have first-hand acquaintance with their leaders and feel we can vouch for their quality and integrity.

The bottom line is, we want women to find help nearby when they need it. And, when a center associates with us, we gain the benefit of fellowship with like-minded individuals and ministries -- spurring each other on in love and good deeds.

Tuesday prayer: For our nation

Pray and vote. Will you vote the values that stand the test of fire? Even if those values are ridiculed?

Monday musing: Rape, abortion, and your worldview

Even though "progressives" wish we'd gotten past the abortion issue by now, it has certainly not faded from this election cycle. In fact, "social issues" (marriage and abortion) once again offer some of the clearest distinctions between candidates at all levels.

Both candidates for president, however, agree abortion should be admissible in cases of rape, incest, and the life (and health) of the mother. This has not been the case in other contests and the rape issue has somewhat blown up in all our faces. Republican candidates could do a better job expressing themselves, but it's surprising how surprised the media has been by the idea that executing one of the victims of a crime ought to be a crime. (And, no, scorn for opposing views does not qualify as a rationale.)

Aside from the standard objection to such "hard case" abortions -- that a person's right to life is not altered by the circumstances of his or her conception -- the pro-life view seems to steadily lose resonance. That's as Jesus predicted (John 15:18-21), so please let us not act surprised.

Tired of being on the defensive, one Christian blogger put together a list of 10 questions that pro-choice candidates should be forced to answer. I'd add an eleventh: Why should being conceived in rape or incest be a death sentence? "Liberals" are usually so good at identity politics, so I wonder why they can't distinguish between a rapist and his baby.

Pregnancy resulting from rape touches on a host of meaty doctrinal issues. A theologian would really be able to sink his teeth into them, but I'll sketch out a few aspects of the biblical worldview that have been overlooked in the recent drama:

• Sin - Non-biblical worldviews deny its existence, but the Bible says there is such a thing, and that rape belongs under the heading (Deut 22:25-29). God is the ultimate One sinned against, as well as the victim (Psalm 51:4). Rapists and abortionists must answer to Him (Gen. 9:5).

• Justice - Non-biblical worldviews mistakenly blame the victim for rape, or punish the children. Deuteronomy 24:16 says only the perpetrator is guilty. 

• Suffering - Non-biblical worldviews say a sovereign God would never allow suffering, so instances of rape mean God either doesn't exist or is weak and not worth our time. In the biblical worldview, God is always great and good, no matter what happens to His creatures. Suffering is a result of Adam's sin and sovereignly allowed by God for purposes known to Him and rarely revealed to us (Job 1-2, Gen. 50:19-20).

• Life - Non-biblical worldviews view life as random and essentially meaningless. The Bible teaches, however, that God is the source of all life (Genesis 1-2, John 5:26, Col. 1:16-17, 1 Tim. 6:13). Human life is no accident and all human beings are created in God's image (Gen. 1:26-27, Ps. 139:13-16). This includes the child of rape or of any illicit sexual encounter. It even includes the rapist!

• Parenthood - Non-biblical worldviews increasingly consider children as commodities owned by their parents, but in the biblical worldview, children belong to God and are granted to parents in a stewardship arrangement (Psalm 127:3). Adoption reflects God's loving character and is an excellent alternative to abortion (Eph. 1:5). 

• Redemption - We who know the Savior who redeems and restores sinners should let these truths shape our responses to rape victims and their children. We should also never let the magnitude and horror of such a violation be too far from our imagination. We should suffer alongside women as they relive their trauma. When they elect to continue a pregnancy, we should support them with a sense of respect, awe, and gratitude for the abundance of God's grace in their lives. We should love and welcome their children.

This has been an admittedly rudimentary treatment of theological issues at stake in our culture. [Added 10/31/12: To demonstrate the difficulty of saying everything you need to on this subject, I found myself today regretting I hadn't made a point about how abortion solves nothing -- doesn't erase the rape or negate the trauma -- it only compounds the violence and violation that women feel. I also should have provided a link to What About Abortion for Rape or Incest? on our website.]

Related: Read these additional contributions from Christian leaders and other thinkers --

• Mohler: The Mourdock Moment -- Life, Death, and Lies on the Campaign Trail
• Christianity Today: Are Pregnancies Even from Rape a Gift from God?
• Douthat: The Press and Abortion, Revisited
• Richard Mourdock Gets in Trouble for His Extremely Conventional Religious Beliefs
• Rape, Conception, and God: Why Mourdock Was Right
• Our Media & The Blessed Rape Baby
• Rape, God, Life, and Liberals
• Reardon: The Despicable “God Intends Rape” Comments
• Mohler: The Great American Worldview Test -- The 2012 Election
• Pro-life group vows changes after Akin debacle

Personal testimonies:

• “Rape hurt my mother, but abortion devastated her.”
• ‘I’m not a mistake.’ Five women conceived in rape support Mourdock
• I was conceived in rape. Did I deserve to be aborted?
• My Rape Pregnancy and My Furor Over Social Myths
• Dear Ann Coulter: babies conceived in rape are not cannon fodder

Postscript: I was just chatting on Facebook with a friend in Kenya and asked him to pray for our country as we undertake the election next week. He replied, "I fervently pray for your nation. May God give you a leader after his heart and give all of you wisdom as you elect." And then he said something that put everything we endure -- endless robo-calls and attack ads -- in perspective: "Pray for us also as we come to elections. Civil wars arise and many kill each other." Wow. Good reminder, huh? Please pray for Kenya!

Book review: The Just Church

You can't read the Old Testament without noticing God's distinct preference for justice over injustice (Isaiah 1:17). This interest isn't limited to requiring justice from pagan rulers in regard to the freedoms and rights of His people.

God's expectations run the other way most times. His people should impartial in their actions toward others -- including aliens, strangers, foreigners. Those who rule in His name are to ensure that all people -- rich and poor, small and great -- receive fair hearings of their grievances and that impartial judgments are rendered (Dt. 16:18-20, Prov. 31:4-9, Lev. 19:15, James 2:1-13). Radical stuff.

So why is justice uninteresting to some segments of Christianity? Why does it seem to be the "property" of the Christian Left? Did God's demand for it go away with the New Testament? Was Paul unconcerned with justice? What does justice mean? Is it limited to judicial matters, or is it about creating level playing fields and ensuring equal access to resources?

Those questions would make for a fascinating discussion, but I'm not prepared to answer them here. My purpose is to suggest a jumping-off point -- a recent book by Jim Martin called The Just Church. (A complimentary copy was supplied to this reviewer by Tyndale House.)

In challenging readers to move from apathy to action, Martin places seeking justice within the context of disciple-making. "Through the pursuit of justice we find our way to deep intimacy with a God who loves us and calls us into his work not only for the good of others, but for our own good as well. The work of justice, therefore, is as much about discipleship as it is about mission."

So here's another question: Is working for justice truly an element of a Christian's growth?

The book is separated into two sections. The first half talks about what social justice is and why we should care about it. He talks about our faith being like a muscle, it needs to be stretched, exercised, and even brought to the breaking point so it can grow. He writes about maturing faith coming through testing, enduring and then leading to ministry.

The second half is the how: how to think through and engage social justice on a personal and church level. He points out that this is not a quick process, we must consider if we are really ready and willing to pay the cost. Truly engaging the work of social justice will exact a toll -- emotionally, financially, and possibly even physically. He says:

My primary interest is to tell the story of how and why the church is engaging in the fight against injustice. The how of the story is inspiring and compelling, and it is my hope that it will propel many more churches to engage while offering helpful, concrete models for that engagement. The why of the church’s engagement may be surprising. While the statistics, the need, and the call of God are often the primary impetus for my friends around the world who are taking risks to engage, there is another benefit that few of us expected when we began this journey. What we've found is that the work of justice is some of the most fertile ground for discipleship that we've ever experienced. The places of violent oppression and abuse that may seem utterly God-forsaken are in fact the places where we have most deeply experienced the presence and power of God.

The author specifies that this journey will be different for everyone. This process must be undertaken with a heart open to the Holy Spirit’s leading and permeated with prayer. The Just Church should challenge you to think deeply about the issue of social justice and what is the Church's role in pursuing it, and one's own personal role.

One criticism would be that this book seems most concerned about justice in terms of poverty, hunger, human trafficking, and the like. Of course, as a ministry working toward justice for the unborn, we find it sad the author makes no mention of the importance of giving them voice (Prov. 24:10-12). Abortion represents lethal power unleashed against the smallest and weakest members of society. Perhaps conservative churches would do well to think and speak of abortion in terms of justice.

Thanks to Jenni Bancino for help with this review.

Friday feature: Update from Melisa Serata

I wrote about Melisa in our first "Friday feature" back in September. While I hesitate to revisit her ministry of abstinence education in the Philippines since other partner pro-life ministries haven't yet been featured, her news is too good to keep to myself.

It came out rather casually in a Facebook chat last week. I knew she'd been very busy with mission trips and asked how they were going. In the midst of one trip at the time, she said things were going well and mentioned there were some newly trained abstinence teachers.

That statement piqued my interest. I was curious about how many she had trained, imagining it would be a dozen or so. To my surprise and amazement, it's more like dozens! 104, to be exact.

I wondered if they had to raise their own support, as Melisa does, and she said, "Some of them are college students, some of them are married, and some pastors. Most of those who are interested to start, the church is behind it so no need to raise for support."

It's encouraging to learn about this partnership with pastors and others -- a huge development! Gone are the days when Melisa worked alone and was sometimes weary. Well, she still could grow weary because the needs are go great, but rewards of her labor are starting to appear.

One other thing she said was even more exciting: "I was very happy to know that most of the students who heard [the] abstinence [message] are contacting the pastors and now they are attending Bible study. Isn't it great? Thank the Lord!"

Yes, that is wonderful news, because abstinence educators are allowed to share the Gospel as well as God's plan for sex in the public schools, and many students make professions of faith along with pledges to remain sexually pure until marriage. It's good to know these are genuine commitments, reflected in a desire to grow in Christ.

I knew you'd want to hear about that.

Thankful Thursday

Pro-life ministry can involve the mundane and frustrating, as we wrote about yesterday. But, praise the Lord, He answered prayer! We did find favor with the officials that were holding up a couple of our mailings -- one of those glitches that go along with a name-change.

So we're thankful for that, and now samples of our 2013 bulletin insert for Sanctity of Human Life Sunday are on their way to churches around the country! Please pray they'll be well received. The other mailing is our November-December prayer calendar.

Working Wednesday: One of those days

We've all had them. Days when nothing seems to work -- the copier, the computer, the database program. Days when metaphors like spinning wheels and boulders rolling back down mountains come to mind. Yesterday was one of them around here.

I was, thankfully, off for the day, but others in the office were not so blessed. They had to deal with news that crucial paperwork had been lost and that people who said they had something under control didn't. Just when it seemed certain tasks could be checked off the "to do" list and they could get on with "the next big thing," these staff members were sucked back in to caring for details they thought were long off their plates!

So please pray for the resolution of matters . . . favor with officials . . . preservation of good humor and grace.

Pray also for Tom and Nancy as they head to Florida tomorrow for some vacation time and meetings with donors.

Tuesday prayer

Here are a few items on our hearts and minds this week:

• Our intern Ben lost his sister suddenly. She lived in Uganda, and Ben was unable to go home for her funeral. Ask God to comfort him.

• C is applying for a  renewed visa in a closed South Asian country. She greatly desires to get back in order to resume pro-life ministry. Ask God to grant her favor with the officials.

• Chase, the son of a supporting family, had a potentially life-altering accident last week. Ask God to grant him recovery and the strength to maintain faith under trial.

Monday musing: The "silly season" is upon us

What does the following factoid say about our culture?

The National Retail Federation projects that Americans will spend $370 million this year on Halloween costumes . . . for their pets!

It's ridiculous on so many levels: There's the folly of celebrating ancient pagan rituals; the pretense of substituting cats and dogs for children; and finally, the fiction that Americans are suffering under a down economy.

Oh, what Life Matters Worldwide could do with $370 million! Or any number of pro-life ministries . . . combined. Did you know that our entire budget for this year is a little over one-tenth of one percent of that figure ($392,000)?

How should we explain this to friends in Africa, Latin America, or Asia, where paganism is not a game and the struggle for daily survival is all-consuming? What couldn't they do with a fraction of what we waste?

Meanwhile, in Uruguay, the country's Senate has joined its House in legalizing abortion in the first trimester. The first abortion clinic has recently opened in Northern Ireland. And in China, abortions continue on a pace of 13 million per year! These three reports were found in a quick scan of headlines from just one newspaper this morning -- The New York Times. They show that Americans have done a good job of exporting abortion culture.

What can we do? I'd like to think that with more support we could do more to fight abortion here and abroad. We could do more to counter philosophies and vain deceit (Col. 2:8).

This past weekend our board met to discuss next year's general budget and special projects. For now, we're still working on meeting this year's goals. If you'd like to help us, go to our website and click Online Giving. From there you can select General Fund or one of our projects to support. (FYI, two projects have been completed: The PCC Summit and Ultrasound for Assam, India).

Thank you!

Friday feature: Garden of Hope

A few weeks ago, Mary Verwys came bursting up the stairs to interrupt our lunchtime conversation with exciting news. Mary heads up the local group of sidewalk counselors, and is always good for a captivating story. This time, however, she told us to watch for 46 billboards that would soon be going up around Grand Rapids.

Found at: rebekahshope.wordpress.com

She also showed us what they would look like. Here's one of two styles. If you live in the GR area, keep your eyes open for them.

The aim of the billboards is to draw the attention of women who've had abortions and offer them hope through post-abortion counseling. Women who visit the Garden of Hope website learn about a post-abortion counseling hosted at Omega House on Fulton Avenue.

Post-abortion ministry has been a feature of Mary's ministry for a long time. Several years ago, they worked with a local cemetery to provide the Garden of Hope Memorial, a quiet place for people to mourn their losses through abortion.

Meanwhile, Mary's sidewalk counselors work to prevent abortions. A faithful cadre of prayer warriors and supporters rally around women who choose life to offer them practical assistance.

Mary says, "Please pray for the tens of thousands of women that will be driving by in the next couple of months. Pray that they reach-out to the Garden of Hope ministry. Our facilitators have trained more women to help us lead the Bible studies. Oh, we long for them to find the hope in Christ alone!"

More from a recent update:

Someone in our ministry had the privilege of speaking to a group of all men this week. These dear people responded to the facts, destruction, and horror of abortion in an extremely compassionate way. They really never knew that abortions were being performed up to 6 months along, just 7 minutes from their church's door. They were broken-hearted by it all and are eager to jump in and help in anyway possible. A blessing! 

A wonderful church has invited our ministry to be part of their Mission's Conference for the next few days. Please pray that there, too, eyes will be opened. 

On Monday 10 staff members from the Ludington Crisis Pregnancy Center will come to Grand Rapids to learn more about the abortion clinic here. Clients from their town, and all over West Michigan, come here routinely to have their abortions. Please pray for safety in travel for our "Up North" friends.

Postscript on the billboard campaign: "Our post-abortive billboard campaign continues. We hope to have some of the boards up for several more weeks. We have heard from women in the community, praise God. We are thrilled that this very public avenue was opened for us, at no charge to the ministry. Once again, God provided generous donors to handle all the expenses. Please continue to pray that women will see our message, and seek us out."

Thankful Thursday: Our board

This is an appropriate week to highlight our board of directors, since they'll be meeting Friday and Saturday. Every agenda is important, but this one includes approval of our 2013 budget and a strategic plan for the next three to five years.

Please pray for this meeting and thank God with us for each board member:

• Dave Bailey of Goshen, IN
• Ron Campbell of Portage, MI
• Ron Foor of Grand Rapids, MI
• Bob Foust of Alabaster, AL
• Rick Geisel of Grandville, MI
• Tom Ham of Sugar Hill, GA
• Pam Harris of Grand Rapids, MI
• Pam Hooker of Byron Center, MI
• Carla Ludwig of Grand Rapids, MI
• Donn Thompson of Leander, TX
• Nathan Treadway of Mishawaka, IN

Working Wednesday: Busy, busy

It's "hump day" in a week with many things going on.

• Tom and Rebecca (Director of Operations) are preparing next year's budget for the board meeting this Saturday. 

• Since the name change, we're still working out some fine details -- updating the website and updating documents. The work is tedious and time-consuming, but much needed. 

• Another big project is making new brochures for our various areas of ministry. We're grateful to have a new intern, Alyssa, who is skilled in marketing and design.

The busyness around the office reminds us that God is at work in us, and allowing us to reach out to others.

One other thing to add:

• At prayer time today we learned that Sharlene is struggling to devise webinar topics that will clearly communicate our values and help our associated pregnancy care centers. Please pray for her during this important process.

Tuesday prayer: Compassion ministries

Yesterday's musing on Unconscious Compassion yields a few obvious prayer requests:

• That we be so enamored by the love of God that it becomes a characteristic of our own lives

• For people all over the world who are engaged in "compassion ministries," especially those related to pregnancy and the end of life

• Particularly for impoverished people like Bentina, Obuya, and Stephen in Kenya who have a great burden to help fellow-citizens -- and do what they can -- but lack resources to do more

See our current prayer calendar for more specific requests.

Monday musing: Unconscious compassion

Jesus' description of a future separation of sheep from goats in Matthew 25:31-46 has always held me in fascinated terror. I remember hearing my mother read it when I was a child of five or six and feeling an awful pang of conviction. Had I ever helped someone in such a way that would keep me from being lumped with the goats?

When I asked our president, Tom Lothamer, what he was musing about this week, he brought up this passage. And he said that on a recent reading something struck him afresh. He noted how unconscious the sheep seem to be of their own actions. When told why they are worthy to "inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world," they ask, "When did we do all this for you?" They seem unaware that helping people, particularly "the least of these my brothers," was actually service to Him.

I think this means sheep are those who serve Christ without consciousness of self, from an overflow of worship and gratitude. What they are conscious of is God's constant presence and protection, His watchful eye, His glorious character that exudes mercy and grace. They don't think about service in terms such as, "I'd better do this for God." Or "I need to rack up more good works." Or "It's my duty as a Christian to help so-and-so." Somehow they are honestly innocent about service to others. They display the beauty of a life transformed by the Holy Spirit.

Goats, on the other hand, seem very conscious of all they have done. Their question is, "When did we not take care of you?" They are religious about keeping score, racking up points, mindful of earning something, making their own way. It's the same attitude that comes through in Matthew 7:22 about people who profess to know the Lord but are denied by him.

There have always been questions about this portion of chapter 25, such as who is Christ intending as "the least of these"? And what is meant when He says this is a judgment of "the nations"? Not to be missed, however, is the Bible's continual emphasis on helping the helpless (Deuteronomy 14:28-29; Psalm 41:1; Proverbs 19:17, 21:13; Luke 10:25-37, Hebrews 13:1-3, 1 John 3:16-19).

What does this have to do with being pro-life?

Everything. Leaving someone hungry, sick, by the side of the road, and so on consigns him or her to the present condition. Left unattended, unless someone else steps in, he or she will die. And then the question is, will his or her blood will be held to my account (Genesis 9:5)? Will I have to answer for it?

I am my brother's keeper. I am called to be a good neighbor. I may hope and pray for someone else to come along, but I don't know whether they will. I am here. I am aware of a need. I must do something.

The Good Samaritan was more conscious of the beaten man's need of help than of its cost to himself or his own piety. He said, in effect, "If I don't take care of this person, who will?"

In the latest update from Bill and Lori Smith (10/14/12), the missionaries to Papua New Guinea write:

Real religion is a relationship with God through His Son and it is lived out in our lives among the people we touch each day. It is not something done each week . . . our religious activities . . . it is a life-transforming daily explosion of His power through my life [my emphasis]. It is reaching out to the lost and hurting around me. It is being willing to go to the place of sacrifice and be willing to be hurt and used and abused to show my love! Leaving my comfy pew and putting into action the love of God to those that need it most! . . .

We can work or we can serve . . . there is such a difference.

What a joy that as we refocus and see God clearly in our lives He eclipses the irritants, fears and frustrations. We give because He has given all for us. We love endlessly because we are loved beyond measure. Our actions speak the words in our lives.

Time & Abortion

Our fall issue of Life Matters -- the copy-ready insert you can print out for church bulletins or the tract rack -- is now available for download. The topic is Time & Abortion. It asks readers to ponder some important questions:

• What does the passage of time mean in relation to abortion? 

• As the 40th anniversary of Roe v. Wade approaches, are we any nearer the end? 

• Where can we find encouragement?

Friday feature: Salva Una Vida

Tom Lothamer, Life Matter's president,
with Carlos and Karen Feijoo.

Eight or so years ago, Life Matters Worldwide (then Baptists for Life) was asked to pitch in to "save" a struggling pregnancy care center in Quito, Ecuador. After several training trips, much consultation, prayer, new leadership, and the provision of resources -- including ultrasound equipment -- Salva Una Vida (Save A Life) is now thriving.

Missionaries Carlos (a doctor) and Karen Feijoo (a nurse) direct the ministry. Carlos also conducts abstinence education in the schools, which has always been a strong feature of this center.

How you can pray for this center:

• Their bylaws are under review by the government. Pray that this process would go smoothly.

• Ask God to bring local churches alongside the center to supply funding and volunteers.

Find them on Facebook.

Update from an email 10/13/12:

Six junior year nursing students from the Central University School of Nursing (which is run by the government) will be doing a month long clinical rotation at Salva Una Vida. We will have a new group each month from now through January. We are very excited about this . . . opportunity to teach them Biblical values in regards to sexuality. . . . One of the students this week was very moved after we did some teaching on abortion and she shared with us that she had an abortion 4 years ago, and she has never been able to be at peace since. She wants to start the post-abortion Bible study next week...what an amazing opportunity to share the love of Jesus!

On Monday we will be going to a shelter to give a conference for girls ages 12-17 who have been rescued from sex trafficking. A woman who went through the post abortion Bible study with us over a year ago works at this shelter, so that is how the contact was made. This shelter is funded by the government so we were very surprised to receive this invitation and we are asking God for wisdom as we share this time with them.

Last week G, a beautiful young woman who we helped through her pregnancy 3 years ago, visited us with her precious 3-year-old Emily. She is feeling the need to know more about Jesus and came to see if she could come back to do some more Bible study with us and also wanted to know if she could be involved somehow to help other girls who are going through what she went through! . . .

This week M, a 15-year-old who is in her 9th week of pregnancy, came for counseling and support. She has been kicked out of her home, has dropped out of school, works at a beauty shop and so part of our plan is to make contact for her to get into a home for teen moms that is run by another Christian ministry here in Quito. We are praying that details will work out and that she will be able to understand how much Jesus loves her.

V is a precious 23 -year-old woman who came to the center this week. Her heart was breaking and the tears did not stop during the hour and a half we were together. She has had 3 abortions and the shame and guilt has become overwhelming. She is very open to doing the post abortion Bible study...first step was to tell her how much Jesus loves her and that He can forgive her past. Please pray for V as she begins this process. 

God has brought 4 women who have begun the volunteer training process which is so encouraging to us. The more volunteers, the more people we are able to offer help to! Pray that they would sense confirmation from God that this is an area of ministry He wants them to share in.

Thankful Thursday: Faithful donors

Today we're expecting to receive a large generous donation from the "Birdies for Babies" contest at our August Golf Classic, and that makes us think about how blessed we are to have generous, consistent donors. Many have been with us throughout the years. Some give only a few dollars each month -- a "widow's mite." We thank God for each one and ask Him to bless them and their families.

Working Wednesday: Bulletin inserts for Sanctity of Human Life Sunday

The next Sanctity of Human Life Sunday (SOHLS for short) isn't until January 20, 2013, but we're preparing to send samples to churches so they can order them in advance. Want a sneak peek?

Place an order for your church here.

Find other items by going to our online store and clicking the "Church Items" category.

Tuesday prayer: For an abortionist near you

Are you praying for your local abortionist by name? Do you know his or her name? 

Here's a website that lists the 700+ remaining abortionists in the U.S.: AbortionDocs.org. Look up the one nearest you and begin loving your "enemy" by praying for him or her.

How to pray:

• For all who've participated in abortions to be brought to repentance and so they can know, love, worship, and follow Christ.

• For all who facilitate abortions: clinic workers, doctors and nurses, security guards and escorts – that they’ll find other employment.

• Pray for God to turn the hearts of "pro-choice" elected leaders and politicians toward the protection of all human life.

Monday musing: Love the enemy

I still remember the moment I excitedly realized I could obey a difficult passage of Scripture. The sun was in my eyes as I headed east after leaving the bagel place where I'd studied Luke 6:27-36. It may have been this same time of year, with a 40 Days for Life campaign going on. Whatever it was that made me put two thoughts together -- loving my enemies and praying at the abortion clinic -- I felt joyful as I anticipated loving the local abortionist by praying for him!

Before this, the concept of having an enemy had been rather vague. None of mine seemed to have a name or a face. They existed in the abstract -- Fear, Anxiety, Forces of Darkness in High Places ... entities like that. Whenever I came across references to foes in the Psalms, I spiritualized them. In general, I didn't really want to identify someone as my enemy because that would mean -- in the world's scheme of things -- having to battle or confront him or her in some way.

Thankfully, what I am actually called by Christ to do is love, do good to, bless, and pray for those who "despitefully use" me. Or despitefully use the unborn.

As previously noted, righteous indignation is too thin a motivation for being pro-life anyway. It simply doesn't get at the core problem or bring about lasting change. The reason is, it doesn't reflect the totality of Christ's character the way loving ones enemies does.

Over at Churches for Life, Rev. Douglas W. Merkey writes that there are many possible motives for being pro-life. "Some ... are driven by an imbalanced affection for God’s law and an overblown sense of their own piety. Some ... are driven by unresolved guilt, perhaps fueled by their own abortion experience. Some ... are driven by a hope for human approval, or insecurity. Still others ... are driven by a craving for political, social, or moral enlightenment." He urges champions of life to be "gospel-driven." (See a longer treatment of this idea here.)

When I read the article my mind went to 1 Corinthians 5:9-13a where Paul corrects a misperception: 

I wrote you in my letter not to associate with immoral people; I did not at all mean with the immoral people of this world, or with the covetous and swindlers, or with idolaters, for then you would have to go out of the world. But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler—not even to eat with such a one. For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Do you not judge those who are within the church? But those who are outside, God judges.

We're to hold "insiders" to God's high standard but, rather than being constantly alarmed or surprised by what "enemies" do, we're to treat them with godly pity. "Such were some of you."

So, while I might identify someone as an enemy of life, my treatment of him or her is modified by what God requires of me in terms of reflecting His mercy. I have to recognize this person is incapable of living a new life, never having forsaken the old (Col. 3:1-14). He lacks the advantage of an indwelling Holy Spirit.

Thanks to the Gospel, enemies become friends. Carol Everett is one such trophy, among many. Hatred and vilification could not do what the Holy Spirit, prayer, and persistent pro-life witness did by God's grace.

A new pro-life organization is devoted to bringing abortion doctors and workers out. Abby Johnson, a former Planned Parenthood executive, has started And Then There Were None, whose goal it is "to provide financial, emotional, spiritual and legal support to anyone wishing to leave the abortion industry."

Do you know the name of an abortionist? Would you pray for one today? Here's a list of over 700 U.S. abortionists. Find the one nearest you.

Friday feature: Metro Women's Center

Metro Women's Center in Crystal, Minnesota, was one of the first centers we helped establish, back in 1990. It's been a privilege to know and work with Director Colleen Tronson all these years. And a joy to watch her dream of opening a maternity home come true. The grand opening of the Amazing Grace Maternity Home is tomorrow, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (official ribbon cutting and dedication program at 2).

Colleen sends out a regular e-newsletter, and this week's so perfectly illustrates what we've been writing about in our Monday Musings (here and here). She writes:

We are completing our 22 year of ministry at the end of September. My heart is full or gratitude to God and our supporters who have made this outreach possible.

Each day we receive calls from people who need physical and/or financial help. It continues to be our joy to assist where we can, but our greatest desire is to share the Gospel. Please pray with us that we have more opportunities to do this in the coming months.

Other prayer requests:

• For abortion-minded women to seek help at the center
• Women who are trying to make decisions about parenting or adoption
• Fathers to protect the lives of their children, born and unborn
• Keith and Meredith Henderson, our new house parents/resident managers for the Amazing Grace Home
• For spiritual growth of new believers
• For safety for all the workers at the AG Home site

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Read Colleen's story

Thankful Thursday: Friends from Uganda

Ben and Veronica got to meet each
other in our office today!

Today we're thankful for two friends from Uganda. One is our new intern, Benjamin David, who is about to graduate from Calvin College in Grand Rapids and will be helping us in the area of videography. An AIDS orphan, he came to this country when he was a teenager. He'll be in the office later today.

At lunch, a couple of us will be hosting an old friend --Veronica Nakyewe who is the director of The Comforter's Centre in Kampala and in town for a few days. Her fascinating story began before she was born, when her mother attempted an abortion, and continues through her conversion to Christ to today's fruitful ministry in a pregnancy care center.

We praise God for how He gifted both of them and brought them on long journeys to pro-life ministry.

Working Wednesday: Mourning with those who mourn

This week our hearts are heavy for Rick Geisel, one of our board members, as he mourns the loss of his wife Diane, age 43. Earlier this year doctors discovered a malignancy in her brain, and her health quickly deteriorated until the Lord took her home.

We find comfort in our faith that Rick and Gideon (age 13) and Grace (10) will one day be reunited with her. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14 says, “Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.”

Please join us in praying for the family, that they may feel God’s loving arms around them and that God’s peace will cover them. 

Tuesday prayer: For deeds that match speech

Photo: Kibera slum, Kenya Ministry of Housing

As I was writing yesterday's Musing, I kept thinking about the email I'd received that morning from Bentina, in Kenya. She works as a pregnancy care center worker in the notorious Kibera slum, Africa's largest.

Bentina was trained for this work by former ABWE missionaries Russ and Mary Huff and Gary and Mary Jane Strange, who had received their training in pro-life ministry from us.

She wrote: "In my office there is a street girl who opts to give out her baby for adoption. She will deliver in January but she wishes not to look at or even breastfeed the baby. Am not aware of any adoption org[anization] that can help. . . . Join hands to help the innocent creature of God."

I've got my feelers out for any adoption agencies I can tell her about, but I'd love to do more. Would you at least join me in praying for this young pregnant mom and her baby? Would you also pray for Bentina who, with so little of this world's goods, nevertheless follows the Lord's injunctions about deeds matching faith. She's an example to us all! May God encourage every one of her good deeds and words. (2 Thess. 2:16-17)

Monday musing: May God bless every good deed and word

"May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father,who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word."

Paul encouraged believers in the 1st century with these words (2 Thess. 2:16-17), and they bless our hearts today. Life Matters Worldwide's mission statement echoes the thought:

Helping the Body of Christ articulate the biblical pro-life message in word and deed.

Word and deed. Proclamation and practice. It's an over-arching theme in Scripture, Old and New Testaments. The prophets were famous for challenging people who professed to have faith in God to also help the suffering person -- or at least stop participating in their oppression. Isaiah 58:1-11, Jeremiah 7:4-7, Zechariah 7:9-12, and 8:16-17 are just a few OT passages that come to mind.

James completes the thought in 2:12-17: 

"Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment. What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead."

From our earliest days, this organization was founded on the principle that "it's not enough to say abortion [or now assisted suicide] is wrong, we must also offer alternatives." There are many ways to do that. We've made it an aim to express our beliefs in actions that establish and sustain pregnancy care centers as effective Gospel outreaches. And, through LIFT, to help Christians offer practical and spiritual support when church members are chronically or terminally ill. 

Whatever you do for Christ today, may God encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word!

Related article that may hurt to read: Pregnant and homeless on the doorsteps of a Christian megachurch