A couple of opposing candidates for county office were sitting near each other in the local diner... One turned to the other and said, "You know why I’m going to win this election? Because of my ’personal touch.’ For example, I always tip waitresses really well and then ask them to vote for me."
"Oh, is that so?" replied the other. "I always tip them a nickel and ask them to vote for you."
These politicians discovered as so many have that people vote their pocketbook.
-Bill Clinton won the Presidency twice with the motto “It’s the economy stupid”.
-In George Bush’s online “Agenda for America” the first three chapters of his agenda deal with money issues like tax cuts, better jobs, education help, health insurance, small business help. Abortion, which I think is the #1 issue that Christ followers should be concerned about is not even mentioned as an issue until the 4th chapter.
On John Kerry’s website his “Plan for America”, is dominated by pocket book issues and security are among the eight major topics. On a page with 15 “Other issues”, abortion is not mentioned as a major topic but is discussed briefly on a page entitled “Women”.
-So why this emphasis on government financial help and assistance? “A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves largesse from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates promising the most benefits from the public treasury, with the result that a democracy always collapses over loose fiscal policy”. Alexander Tyler 1747-1813.
This appeal to the pocketbook continues while one million babies are being aborted every year. Since 1973, 45 million unborn Americans have been aborted in this county – that is a rate of 4000 people each day. When both parties agree that abortion should be rare, what is going on here?
There is a lot at stake in this upcoming election regarding abortion.
The stakes in the 2004 election:
-Will you be required to pay for abortions abroad and in America?
-Will parents be notified if their girl wants to have an abortion?
-Will abstinence education be thrown out of our schools?
-Will medical research cloning be allowed?
-Will research on newly conceived human beings be paid for and funded by your money?
-Will new Supreme Court justices be voted in who will ultimately decide abortion issues?
-It was said that 4 million evangelicals sat out the last presidential election. So what are you going to do about it? I think we should VOTE THE ROCK! Vote on the issues that are most important to God’s heart not our wallet. I am entitling this “Voice Box” because God wants us to speak up –particularly for the defenseless. We are to do what is commanded in Ephesians 4:15 to “Speak the truth in love”
Maybe someone is wondering “But should we try to legislate morality”? Morality is the basis of all law. The question is whose morality should we legislate? Christians need to prioritize the issues that are most important – and I think abortion should be our #1 concern?
How to speak up for the voiceless:
1) Know the truth about the __unborn ___.
-Some people have said that Jesus and the Bible don’t talk about abortion so therefore it must be OK. It is true that the actual word “abortion” is not found in the Bible but neither is the word “cannibalism” or “sexual molestation” but I don’t think we want to say Jesus approved of these practices.
-The first question is when does life begin? -Truth is found in the Word of God – this is not just a religious question – it is also a scientific question a biological, logical question – life begins at conception – more and more people seem to agree with this including both major candidates for office
-But the Bible talks about existence even before conception – Jeremiah 1:5 - "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, And before you were born I consecrated you." When an abortion is performed no matter how early, the work of God is stopped – God has each person in mind as He begins to form them.
-The Bible has a lot to say about Life in the womb
Psalm 139:13-16 - For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother’s womb. I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, And my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret…
Pictures in the womb - Six weeks old. Heart is beating, Brain is giving off waves. Eight weeks old. Toes/fingers fully formed. All body organs present. Eleven week old feet. Four months. Sucking thumb at 5 months. Smiling at 8 months? Fearfully and wonderfully made.
-The Bible talks about personhood, emotion, even consciousness in the womb – they say that babies recognize their mother’s voice in the womb
-John the Baptist’s mother Elizabeth said this - Luke 1:44 For behold, when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby (brephos) leaped in my womb for joy.
It is interesting that the word for Baby – Luke 1:44 brephos - brephos – “baby” (the unborn John the Baptist) yet Luke 2:12 - This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby (brephos) wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."
-in an attempt to depersonalize and dehumanize the baby – people have taken to calling the baby a “fetus” – Latin for “little one” life in the womb.
Crime to kill unborn baby – even accidentally – it is murder
-Exodus 21:22-25 If men who are fighting hit a pregnant woman and she gives birth prematurely but there is no serious injury, the offender must be fined whatever the woman’s husband demands and the court allows. But if there is serious injury, you are to take life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth.
-Fetal Protection Act of 2004 Partial birth abortion was outlawed but
Children in general -
Psalm 127:3-5 Behold, children are a gift of 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. How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them; They will not be ashamed When they speak with their enemies in the gate.
-Jesus’ view of children – (there was a debate on abortion in the Dallas Morning News. A liberal scholar said that Jesus doesn’t talk about abortion at all. I wrote in and said he did to.
Jesus commanded us to “receive” children. In Matthew 18:5 “Whoever receives one such child in My name receives Me”. aborting a child is the exact opposite of “receiving” it.
-Matthew 18:10. Jesus also said, “See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven continually see the face of My Father who is in heaven” Aborting is undeniably a form of despising. How can one despise a child any more than by ending its existence?
-my dad – I always thought that having 8 kids was a choice foisted upon him because he was Catholic and didn’t believe in birth control at all
-Jesus said, “let the children come to me”
-Someone may say “But what if a child is deformed”? – there is no difference - God highly values those who are deformed or handicapped: -Exodus 4:11 “Who has made man’s mouth? Or, who makes him dumb or deaf or seeing or blind? Is it not I, the Lord?”
Applications:
-so what do we do about stem cell research/cloning – there have been many emotional and touching pleas by many people including Christopher Reeve – who had a severe spinal cord injury and just died this week and Nancy Reagan who is claiming that embryonic stem cell research might have saved President Ronald Reagan who suffered with Alzheimer’s. There are several Republican Senators who agreed with her.
-stem cells can be taken from the placenta and the umbilical cord and from adult stem cells, but whether that research ever pans out research on human embryonic stem cells involves the destruction of human life.
-fertilization clinics – there are major struggles on what to do with the “fertilized eggs” – many clinics hold ceremonies when they dispose of frozen embryos
–Did you know that hundreds of thousands of pro-life Christians have committed abortion unknowingly -the pill - contraceptive pill is abortive – the pill does not prevent conception – it prevents the attachment of the new human to the uterine wall therefore it does not live
How to speak up for the voiceless:
1) Know the truth about the __unborn ___.
2) Use our voice to vote for the defenseless (Proverbs 24:11-12).
Ephesians 4:15 - Speaking the truth in love
Proverbs 31:8-9—Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.
Psalm 82:2-4—How long will you defend the unjust and show partiality to the wicked? Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed. Rescue the weak and needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.
Proverbs 24:11-12—Rescue those being led away to death; hold back those staggering toward slaughter. If you say, “But we knew nothing about this,” does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who guards your life know it? Will he not repay each person according to what he has done?
“All that is necessary for evil to succeed is that good men do nothing.” -Edmund Burke
Accountability -I do believe that God will ask us all what we did about 43 million children being killed
How to speak up for the voiceless:
1) Know the truth about the unborn.
2) Use our voice to vote for the defenseless – speak the truth (Proverbs 24:11-12).
3) We should speak up with love (John 8:11).
Ephesians 4:15 - Speaking the truth in love
-Jesus example of love – the woman caught in the act of adultery – John 8:11 - And Jesus said, "I do not condemn you, either. Go. From now on sin no more.”
-kindness leads to repentance – Romans 2:4 Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?
-We need to lose the spirit of condemnation – How can someone do such a horrible thing? – people get abortions for the same reasons that many pro-life people limit the size of their family.
-money – can’t afford it -health -they or their partner don’t want any more children -having a child will disrupt their job or education
-Many women who have aborted a child really struggle -last year the Canadian Medical Association Journal published a study showing that "women who had abortions were 2.6 times more likely than delivering women to be hospitalized for psychiatric treatment in the first 90 days following abortion or delivery."
-There’s an old saying which goes, “People do not care how much you know until they know how much you care.” Have you found that to be true?
-be willing to help financially – coming in the future we will be informing you of ways that we can help mothers of unborn children in practical ways. Forgiveness in Christ - share GOSPEL
