Healed

I've been thinking and praying for all of the women who have had abortions. You are many.  In Christ, may you know grace and mercy; may you know peace and forgiveness.
I pray that you will not be overwhelmed by a burden of sorrow. I pray that you will not be haunted by a past that is already gone; by actions that are already forgiven in Christ.

"So if the Son sets free, you will be free indeed," (John 8:36).

I pray that you will find trusted friends who will walk with you through this journey of repentance and faith. I pray that you will find renewed strength and courage for the days and times that your soul is overwhelmed with sadness. I pray that you will know unrelenting joy in the face of internal accusations, and that you will be reminded of this beautiful word from our Lord:

"So if the Son sets free, you will be free indeed," (John 8:36).

And I've been thinking and praying for all the men whose wives or girlfriends have had abortions. You are many.  For some, your counsel and urging has led to the abortion.  In Christ, may you know the same grace and mercy, the same peace and forgiveness that are found at the cross.  

"So if the Son sets free, you will be free indeed," (John 8:36).

For others, your loss is a great loss, as fatherhood slipped away from you and you are heart-broken. I pray that you, too, will know the peace of God that passes understanding.  I pray that your forgiving heart will lead others to faith in Christ- the One who said:

“…He has sent me to heal the broken-hearted..."  (Luke 4:18)

Hillsong sings:  "Man of Sorrows" ~ 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YlOJ5o8W4Lw

July 18, 2015.

Torn.

That’s what I have been, these past few days…torn apart at the tragedy that is presently going on in the United States; the illegal selling of aborted babies’ organs and body parts, by Planned Parenthood.  If you can stomach it, watch this video clip: https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/undercover-video-planned-parenthood-uses-illegal-partial-birth-abortions-to.

Is it not enough that, in Canada alone, on a yearly basis, over 100,000 babies in the womb, (http://www.statcan.gc.ca/access_acces/archive.action?loc=/pub/82-223-x/82-223-x2008000-eng.pdf&archive=1), are already being torn apart, aborted; those unloved, unwanted “mistakes?” 

Perhaps some of these babies were conceived out of the inconceivably horrible crime of rape.  How is it that a baby should be given the death penalty for their father’s crime?  Perhaps it is discovered that the child in the womb has a particular disability- are they any less human?  These are unmitigated, horrible actions; unspeakable and evil things.  But speak I must, or I will have no peace. 

Who will be the voice for these unborn, voiceless, vulnerable people?  Yes, I will call them people.  Even though Canadian criminal law states that they are a child in the womb, they are not recognized as a human being until they have exited the womb; what utter doublespeak!  I will call them people.  We all know that a woman does not carry an animal in her womb – she carries a person, stamped with the very image of God upon them. How precious and priceless we are; unless you are doomed to die in the place of life- in your mother’s womb.  And at that, your body tissue sold to the highest bidder; echoes of slavery haunt my mind and I am reeling at the implications of it all. 

My heart is torn.  I have prayed with heartbroken women who have had abortions, and I have wept for the babies who never caught a breath.  I fall in anguish and sorrow and ask the Prince of Peace, Jesus, to bring His peace into the heart of this latest battle for the souls of humanity. He was torn.  He knows the pain of nails driven into His hands and feet.  His heart was torn apart at the full weight of the sins of humanity and he did something about it.  He laid down His life and rose from the dead so that people might be forgiven; so that sin’s debt could be paid by Him, rather than by us.  Faith in Him will bring true peace, and will lead us to action; the kind of action that speaks louder than words, bringing justice to bear in these days of tragic barbarism.  So I will support this organization:                                                                       www.tricountypregnancycarecentre.ca

 The old saying still rings true: ‘If you don’t stand for anything, you will fall for everything.’

                                             "My eyes fail from weeping,  I am in torment within, 

                   my heart is poured out on the ground because my people are destroyed,
             because children and infants faint in the streets of the city.(Lamentations 2:11)

Images of the unborn being destroyed haunt me. The idea that someone, or some “entity,” is willing to buy these torn-apart babies for research leaves me almost speechless.  Read here: http://www.centerformedicalprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/StemExpress-flyer.pdf It gets worse.  They have stooped to illegally using ultra-sound so they can “harvest” an aborted baby’s intact organs.  The very thought of it is despicable beyond belief.  Oh, how I shudder at the righteous judgment of God, before whom reckless lawmakers and money-grabbing lawbreakers will one day stand. 

“Woe to those who decree iniquitous decrees, and the writers who keep writing oppression, to turn aside the needy from justice, and to rob the poor of my people of their right, that widows may be their spoil, and that they may make the fatherless their prey.” (Isaiah 10:1-2)

The Price of Peace

July 7, 2015.

Where the Whole World Stands

Peace. Who needs it?  I would venture to say that the whole world stands in great need.  As I continue my walk through the fruit of the Spirit, found in Galatians 5:22, I find myself pondering peace.   Of late, I have received a greater measure of it.   Mom has been in need of more supervision, with summer’s arrival.  She loves to be out working in the yard, which is a huge understatement.  You can hardly persuade her to come inside, even as the sun is setting, the air is cooling and the bugs have the munchies. At the age of 91, it is truly wonderful that she can enjoy such pleasures.

Until now, she has been able to manage being on her own when I head out to my part-time job as a Recreation Worker at “La Villa Acadienne,” a long term care facility.  But dementia has a sneaky way of changing the rules.  So now, I’ve hired someone to come and spend time with her when I am at work.  It is only for a few hours.  I have much more peace about her well-being, but this decision is tinged with sadness and I am reminded that peace usually comes with a price tag.  Should you ask any soldier, they would understand.  Should you ask Jesus, He would show you the wounds in His hands and His feet, and He would tell you: “Tetelestai!” (John 19:30)

“ Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, 

He said, "It is finished!" And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.”

This Greek word, which is most often translated: “it is finished” means “paid in full,” like a bill that has been paid. Jesus was willing to pay for all my sin, (and yours), at the cost of His life. Stamped over every sin are the glorious words: “paid in full,” if a person is willing to believe the weighty truth of such an unimaginable sacrifice.

This is where the whole world stands - in need of the peace that Jesus offers.  It is deep. It is glorious. It is enough to pay for sin and to quiet the uncertain heart. It will be sufficient for this next season, as I walk with Mom through these summer months and on into Autumn.