Life began when the Creator breathed the spark of life into the man and the woman was made from the man.  Life was then passed on from parent to child in an unbroken chain. 

It takes a FERTILE [Living] sperm and a FERTILE [Living] egg, joining together to make a unique new living being. Life is continued from the parents in the offspring, from the instant of conception.

The argument about what stage of pregnancy life begins, is a false argument since life began with the first humans and has continued from them through an unbroken chain of passing that life onward, generation to generation down to us. 

Willful abortion regardless of the week of pregnancy, or even at the point of conception  destroys a totally unique living person.  In-Vitro fertilization and fertilizing eggs for experiments is abortion; it is murder.

There is also a form of spiritual murder; which is to attempt to deceive anyone away from their zeal to learn and keep the Word of God. 

Those who persecute and despise the zealous for God, or try to deceive the brethren away from their zeal to follow God, towards following idols of men;  are leading people away from the way of salvation and towards eternal death; such deceivers are, either willfully or ignorantly;  spiritual murderers.

James

Works of the Flesh ~ "Murders"

In today's world we hear constantly of:

Hostage Killings

Kidnappings and Murder

Suicide Bombings

Road Side Bombings

Drone Bombings

Be-headings

Massacres

School Shootings

Mass Shootings

Road Rage

Snipers

Domestic Violence Murders

Assassinations

Cop Killings

Killings by Cops

Honor Killings

Chemical Warfare

Gang Wars

Genocide

Abortion

War

Ezekiel 7:23 Make a chain: for the land is full of bloody crimes, and the city is full of violence.

Genesis 6:11 The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. 12 And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.13 And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.

The world has been a violent place to live for humans ever since Cain killed Abel. History books tell of the stark realities of the wars, massacres, assassinations, genocide that have happened throughout history; the Bible is full of the records of bloody warfare and men killing each other.

Solomon condemns the crime of murder in his very first proverb. In this passage he instructs his son as to how sinners may entice him to become involved in crimes of violence and then tells him not to even consort with those who would do such things. He warns what eventually will happen to these murderers; what they have done to others will come upon themselves.

Proverbs 1:10 My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not. 11 If they say, Come with us, let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause: 12 Let us swallow them up alive as the grave; and whole, as those that go down into the pit: 13 We shall find all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoil: 14 Cast in thy lot among us; let us all have one purse: 15 My son, walk not thou in the way with them; refrain thy foot from their path: 16 For their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood. 17 Surely in vain the net is spread in the sight of any bird. 18 And they lay wait for their own blood; they lurk privily for their own lives.

All the evidence from man's past up to and including our present day shows us that mankind lacks the capacity to live at peace with each other.

Violence and wars have continuously plagued the human race and there seems to be no let up even after almost 6000 years of man's rule on earth. Mankind refuses to learn any lessons from their past as to the devastation violence brings and how they could change things by doing things different.

In modern times we now have a much greater capacity to kill and do harm to our fellow man because of powerful technology that makes killing easier than ever before. Murders and killings throughout all the nations of the earth continue to escalate. Believers know that it is prophesied that in the end times violence will culminate into the tribulation; it will become so great that unless Jesus intervenes at the end there would be no one left alive.

Matthew 24:22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.

This week we cover the "work of the flesh" called "murders" listed as the fifteenth of these works as listed in Galatians 5:19-21.

Murder Begins in the Heart

First he prayed for truth in his inward parts, [his deepest inner being] and for God to give him wisdom in his heart, the part that is hidden. And then, in essence, he prayed that God would "create a clean heart" in him and renew his heart to the righteousness of God again, and let that spirit be the overriding spirit in his heart rather than his human nature and the works of the flesh. He prayed that God would purge those things [works of the flesh] out of his heart, his inner most being. He felt he needed to have the Holy Spirit replenished again for he asked God to come back into his life and to not take the Holy Spirit from Him.

Psalm 51:6 Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom. 7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. 8 Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice. 9 Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. 10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.11 Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. 12 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.

In the New Testament, Jesus teaches us that there is so much more to keeping the commandments than just the outward actions but that the breaking of God's commandments begins in the innermost being called the heart of a man; that the evil things we harbor in our minds and hearts will come out eventually one way or another and will be manifested in our words and/or evil works. Like David, we need to constantly pray that God would purge these things and replace them with the fruit of the Holy Spirit.

Matthew 15:18 But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. 19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: 20 These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man.

Matthew 5:20 For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven. 21 Ye have heard that it was said of them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: 22 But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.

What Jesus was teaching that day was very different than what the religious leaders had ever considered and these kind of teachings seemed radical to them. The Scribes and Pharisees had no clue as to what He was talking about because the deep meaning of what He was teaching can only be spiritually discerned with the help of God's Spirit. Of course, we know that they did not have God's Spirit, and not only that, but from what we read in the gospels the religious leaders of Jesus and the apostles' day were filled with the works of the flesh and walked in pride.

But Jesus teachings were directed to His disciples; these deep spiritual truths and His words were recorded in Scripture for all those who would later become His disciples. Even with the early disciples it was most likely after they had received God's Spirit and these things were brought to remembrance, that they were then able to understand what Jesus was getting at.

These things were also revealed to the apostle Paul.  In his letter to the Corinthians, he makes it clear that only those that God is calling can understand deep spiritual things; and that it is only by the power of the Holy Spirit that we can discern the spiritual secrets that have been hidden from the world, including the teachings about the spiritual intent of God's law that flow from one's heart.

1st Corinthians 2:11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. 13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

Matthew 13:35 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world.

2nd Corinthians 10:3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: 4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) 5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

The State of the World Today

Many people in our civilized society, even though not called by God at this time, do not go to the extreme of actually murdering others. Because of many factors including upbringing and certain personality temperaments, many people in our western culture would never think of harming others, but as our society careens closer and closer to the end times acts of violence are becoming more common place.

Habakkuk 1:1 The burden which Habakkuk the prophet did see. 2 O Lord, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear! even cry out unto thee of violence, and thou wilt not save! 3 Why dost thou shew me iniquity, and cause me to behold grievance? for spoiling and violence are before me: and there are that raise up strife and contention. 4 Therefore the law is slacked, and judgment doth never go forth: for the wicked doth compass about the righteous; therefore wrong judgment proceedeth.

Instead of loving their neighbors by helping and cooperating and seeking the best for all men in which God has granted to have life, mankind seeks to solve its problems by eliminating those they do not like or who may be different than they in some way, especially when it comes to race or religion as we see this happening more and more. Instead of forgiving each other, people become embittered with hatred and want to retaliate with cruel vengeance thinking that it is their duty to take the ultimate judgment out on those that they feel have wronged them or even those who they believe have no right to exist.

Others seek to have power and control over nations and territories and will use whatever means at their disposal to subdue all that get in their way so that they can take over the lands and resources of others.

Murder is the ultimate "work of the flesh" for it cannot be taken back once the thing is done. It robs the victim of the chance to live out his or her normal life span and it robs his or her family of their loved one whom they will no longer have in their lives. The one who murders can repent and God will forgive as we saw in David's example; but the repentance can never bring someone back in this present life that has been the victim of murder.

Violence and murder have always been a hallmark in all cultures in varying degrees, but we are so much more aware of it in our modern day because of instant telecommunication and our technology devices that make it possible to witness crime as it happens.

Because of the promises to the tribe of Joseph that would come to the latter day descendants, modern day Israelites have enjoyed a time of unprecedented peace and security in free societies that had conditioned many of us to think of the world as a relativly safe place to live. It was common to pull over and help stranded motorists; hitchhiking was a way of transportation for those who needed rides; how many of us as children thought nothing of playing outside, roaming the neighborhoods and nearby parks with no thought of abduction or evil persons doing us harm. Now we don't dare let our children out of our sight for a moment. In our recent times if you help motorists or hitchhikers you most certainly risk your life to do so.

So those relatively safe times are quickly passing from our reality as we seem to be experiencing more abductions, violent crimes, terrorism, gang fighting, racial tensions and domestic murders and of course abortion on demand. We are appalled at what we hear daily in the headline news of mass shootings, husbands, wives, children being murdered by family members, plus the atrocities that take place in all the countries where men do the most unspeakable inhumane acts imaginable, and with impunity.

God Hates Evil and He Hates the Workers of Iniquity

The Bible teaches us that God is love; but it also teaches that God also has the capacity to hate. He hates sin, and He will judge it with the fierceness of His wrath. God hates evil and He hates all those who do iniquity, including the acts of blood shedding.

Psalm 5:4 For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness: neither shall evil dwell with thee. 5 The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity.

Our modern end time generations have been taught by false religions that God is indulgent and soft; that He is tolerant of those who break His commandments; that His coming judgments are nothing to fear. It seems that people throughout every generation have difficulty in believing that God really does hate sin. In most people there is no fear of God and many men and women think nothing of murdering, even their own precious offspring.  Most countries have passed laws that make the horrible crime of abortion, which is murder, legal. But as we see in Psalm 5 and 11, evil cannot dwell with God, He is holy, and He loves righteousness.

Psalm 11:7 For the righteous Lord loveth righteousness; his countenance doth behold the upright.

God hates sin for it leads to death (both physical and spiritual) and just as a father hates the thought of a venomous snake slithering toward his precious child threatening his safety and his very life, so too God loathes evil and diabolic forces that seek to influence and instigate His people to do evil and would rob them of life and a chance to live with Him as a member of His own Family. It is God's love for man, His compassion for His children, that is what prompts God to hate sin with such a vengeance. 

And God hates the spirit of murder, whether it is something lurking in the heart of a person, or if it is emotional bullying and meanness, or if carried out to the actual shedding of blood. God tells us some of the things that He hates in the Book of Proverbs and murder of the innocent is one of them; but in fact all of these things are different forms of doing harm to others.

Proverbs 6:16 These six things doth the Lord hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: 17 A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, 18 An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, 19 A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.

In God's great love and in His Plan and Purpose for His creation of man, He is "not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." It is God's desire that all will come to a sincere repentance and then be given eternal life if they choose to walk in His ways. He gave His only begotten Son, which is the greatest thing God could ever give; that men and women might have the chance to have the best life possible for all eternity; and He loathes anything that hinders men and women from being reconciled to Him.

If Satan can tempt us to sin, then we are condemned to death if the sin is not repented of and in this way he can bring about spiritual death. Even before Cain killed Adam, Satan succeeded in tricking Adam and Eve to rebel against God and they were then condemned to die from that day forward. 

This is another way he murders, by teaching men that they do not have to abide in the TRUTH. Satan "was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him." That is why God condemns false teachers and false prophets for they are allowing themselves to be instruments in death if they can succeed as Satan did in the Garden of Eden with our first parents to turn others away from God.

Matthew 24:13 But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in. (Please see the whole chapter of Matthew 23)

John 8:43 Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word. 44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

There are many facets to the spirit of murder for one can steal a person's life by other means than just killing the body. This insidious sin must be rooted out of our hearts and out of the Ekklesia with all the tenacity of purging toxic poisons from our bodies; for those who walk in the works of a murderous attitude toward others will not inherit the kingdom of God. God will not have anyone in His Kingdom that has any trace of the spirit of murder.

For those in the world there does not seem to be much hope for conquering this malicious spirit as we witness the ever increasing violence taking over the earth. The spirit of murder is spreading throughout our lands, no where is really safe and we know from prophecy that it is going to get worse. Only the return of Jesus Christ as the Prince of peace and the King of kings will bring lasting peace to this world; and only by the pouring out of God's Spirit on all flesh, that is what will replace the hard hearts in man and will cause them to not desire to kill others anymore.

Ezekiel 36:26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.

Brethren as God's called out, we have the responsibility (and privilege) of doing that NOW, to change our hearts from ones of stone to flesh. I cannot stress enough how important it is to watch what we are willing to expose our minds to.

Guard Our Hearts for it is a Wellspring of Who We Are Becoming

Solomon says to guard our hearts; the heart being another word for our MINDS and EMOTIONS which we are to keep or guard with all our might! For out of it (our minds) flow the springs [fountains] of LIFE!

Proverbs 4:20 My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings. 21 Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart. 22 For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh. 23 Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.24 Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee. 25 Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee. 26 Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established. 27 Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil.

To keep (or guard) our heart with all diligence, we must set a strict watch upon our souls; to keep our hearts from thinking hurtful things, doing hurtful things, and from getting corrupted. Solomon gives a good reason for this; it is because "for out of it are the issues of life".

The conjunction "for" introduces the reason. The principle that is implied here is that the moral behavior of our lives, its actions and proceedings, are determined by the condition of our heart. If our hearts are pure, our lives will reflect that purity; but if our hearts are wicked, our lives will be corrupt and full of wickedness. 

The heart, which is an analogy of being the seat of our very inner being, is here compared with gushing springs or a fountain. The heart as a physical central organ of the body pumps the blood streams that courses through our bodies. With each beat of the heart, the blood is propelled then circulated and flows into the arterial system which then delivers life-giving oxygen and nutrients to the all the other organs of the body including the farthest limbs. 

And just as the health of our bodies depends on the healthy action of the heart, and the stream of blood coming from it, so our moral and ethical health depends on what is streaming from our inner most consciousness. 

Figuratively speaking; physically, the heart is the most vital organ located in the very center of the body; so when we speak of the heart as mind power, it is the seat of our inner most thoughts, motives, the affections and the center of our moral consciousness. From this moral center (our minds) flow forth "the issues of life;" i.e. the streams [currents, fountains] of a moral or immoral life and reflects the spiritual health or spiritual sickness of the heart of a person or whatever is going on in his mind. It therefore influences all of his attitudes, affections, thoughts and actions; just as the pulsating, circulating blood in a body brings with it whatever is in the physical heart to all the other organs.

So from this we see that we must seek from Jesus the living water, that comes forth from Him and His Father, the sanctifying cleansing Spirit, that issues forth everlasting life. If we fill ourselves up with this fountain and let it flow through us, it will bring perfect spiritual health and provide us with life everlasting!

Psalm 36:9 For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light.

Proverbs 13:14 The law of the wise is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death.

Revelation 21:6 And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.

How the Spirit of Violence and Murder is Invading our Minds and our Homes through "Entertainment"

So after all this being said, we cannot stress enough how important it is to be very careful about what we allow into our minds and into our homes. Not only is modern technological weapons making it easier to kill huge numbers of people, but also our modern technology makes images of violence and murder accessible and addicting more than ever before.

Our videos, music, movies and TV shows are fueling the spirit of murder in the hearts of people in ways of imagery and subtle conditioning. Especially the interactive video games which condition the mind to become insensitive to the gore of killing and to feeling any kind of empathy toward the victims (persons) in the programs. The realistic graphics, sounds and the themes in effect cause the players to see the people in the games as deserving to die or that it is somehow ratifying and fun to see others suffer and die.

And watching this over and over ingrains this mentality into the very hearts and souls of those who take this in day in and day out; for the players are not only just watching these scenes; most computer games call for the active participation by seemingly doing the killing from the player's own computer gadgets that act as triggers on guns, or switches to bombs or whatever constitutes initiation of the action of killing and doing the violence and mayhem from their own hand. 

These images and the active participation, (even though not real) are scarring to the human psyche and recent research shows that those who immerse themselves in this kind of activity, have detectable changes to the very brain as well. Following is what they had to say:

"Researchers looking more and more at the impact are finding growing evidence long-term play of violent games is having a troubling effect on young brains.

One newly released study by Indiana University researchers finds less activity in certain regions of the brain after just one week of heavy game play. And longer term studies find significant behavioral changes, according to Dr. Leonard Sax, a noted researcher and author specializing in child development."

"At the start of the study, researchers used functional MRI to scan brain activity in the participants, all young adult men, while they completed lab-based tasks involving either emotional or non-emotional content. The participants were then scanned again while they repeated the same tasks, after a week of playing the video games."

How Playing Violent Video Games May Change the Brain, By Alice Park)

It is so very important to realize that sin is not something to be played with and it is not to be taken lightly as if entertainment makes it okay to wallow in this kind of filth. It is like playing with fire. Like David, we ought to "hate the works of those who are far from God's holiness and righteousness"and David said this about what he allowed his eyes to look upon:

As Christian parents, we know we can become very unpopular with our children for pulling the plug on these things, but if we realize the damage this kind of media is doing to the young malleable minds and brains of our children, we will want to do whatever we can to stop the damage. It is as critical as preventing them from drinking water that is laced with poison or going after the venomous snake that is just about to strike, for this stuff is just as dangerous and toxic as venomous snakes and deadly poison. How many times after a mass killing spree do we hear that the perpetrator was addicted to violent video games and/or on mind altering drugs?

As parents and as Christians, we must set the proper example by never partaking of this disgusting evil, refusing to purchase or download such media, and to speak out about the dangers and evils of these sordid video games, speaking the truth in love to those who will listen.

It doesn't appear that mankind is learning any lessons from what is happening in our culture where just about every day or every week we hear of atrocities being acted out similar to what happens in these videos. Mankind is going to have to reap the horrible consequences of feeding their minds and hearts with this kind of "entertainment" and possibly hit bottom before they wake up. The Wrath of God is coming down upon this nation and the other nations of the world and it will take God's intervention to clean up the hearts of those who like to indulge in this kind of entertainment, influencing them to then act upon it, and also of those who merchandise such things to make a profit.

The Opposite of Murder is to Love and Do No Harm to Others

Until the peoples' hearts are cleaned from these things, we as true Christians must be beacons of light to the rest of the world by having the spirit of love toward our fellow man and toward our brethren rather than the spirit of murder in any way, shape or form.

As we have previously studied in our series on the fruits of the Spirit, Paul continues in the Book of Galatians 5 to teach us about the way we can conquer the works of the flesh: and that is to walk in the Spirit always.

Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. 24 And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. 26 Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.

John 13:34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. 35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

And how do we love our neighbor? By keeping all of God's commandments and in that way we do no harm to him, keeping the letter of the law and in the spirit of the law as well.

Romans 13:10 Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

John in his epistle talked about how we are to love the brethren and how important it is to not harbor any kind of ill feeling toward any brother and if we do, we are not of God. The opposite of love then is hatred and whoever hates his brethren (or anyone for that matter) is a murderer.

1st John 3:14 We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.15 Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.16 Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 17 But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? 18 My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.

Jesus was the ultimate in showing His love for He gave His own life in order that those who sincerely repent and commit to sin no more could have eternal life. If we are walking as He walked while He was here on earth and we are seeking to be made in His likeness, we too must not murder our brother but rather do the deeds that provide for life and nurturing.

1st John 4:9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. 10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.

In Proverbs 24 Solomon speaks of this principle of saving lives and delivering those who are about to be delivered to death because no one has warned them or taught them to turn from their sins.

Proverbs 24:11 If thou forbear to deliver them that are drawn unto death, and those that are ready to be slain; 12 If thou sayest, Behold, we knew it not; doth not he that pondereth the heart consider it? and he that keepeth thy soul, doth not he know it? and shall not he render to every man according to his works?

As members of the Ekklesia and because we are God's children, God has called us to be watchmen for the rest of humanity who need to be warned and told that they are sinners and need to repent. If a house was on fire and the inhabitants of the house were sleeping and had no idea that their house was about to burst into a fiery inferno, and we happened by and saw the smoke and knew that a family was still in the house; what would we do? If we just hurry on by and not say anything, not try to warn them that they are about to die, does that not make us murderers just as if we had set the house on fire? This is what God is alluding to in Ezekiel.

Ezekiel 33:3 If when he seeth the sword come upon the land, he blow the trumpet, and warn the people;4 Then whosoever heareth the sound of the trumpet, and taketh not warning; if the sword come, and take him away, his blood shall be upon his own head.6 But if the watchman see the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned; if the sword come, and take any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at the watchman's hand.

7 So thou, O son of man, I have set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel; therefore thou shalt hear the word at my mouth, and warn them from me.

8 When I say unto the wicked, O wicked man, thou shalt surely die; if thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.

We can do harm to our neighbor by refusing to speak up, even though we are able to, on behalf of those who cannot speak for themselves.

When Cain killed Abel and God asked him about it, Cain retorted "am I my brother's keeper?"

But God says in many like passages that, yes, we are our brother's keeper, not in the sense of being their savior and trying to force them to believe and repent, but in showing them the way to salvation by our words and by our example. If we lead them to water and they still refuse to drink, then we have done what God has given us to do and then the consequences of refusing to obey God is on their shoulders.

Jesus also taught that to be reconciled to Him we are to do all we can to be reconciled with each other and not harbor or cause others to harbor offenses; that God will not accept our offerings until we go to someone that we may have offended or wronged.

Matthew 5:3 Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; 24 Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.

For Those Who Repent and Follow Christ, There Is Hope for a Better Tomorrow

In conclusion, we know that we are living in the days of Noah when mankind became corrupt before God and the earth became filled with violence. Mankind is bringing destruction upon himself and we see the tribulation fast approaching.

Matthew 24:37 But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, 39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

But the good news is that Jesus Christ is going to come again to this earth; this time not as a human infant in a manger but as a conquering warrior that will put to death all wickedness and destroyers of men.

Matthew 24:30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

Jesus Christ will rule in power and He will put down all those who dare to fight against Him and those who would bring violence and destruction into God's Kingdom. No one will ever be able to defeat Him to bring pain and sorrow back into the world as they have done in this present dispensation.

Revelation 19:11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. 12 His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. 13 And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. 14 And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. 15 And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. 16 And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, King Of Kings, And Lord Of Lords.

Jesus pleads with men even NOW to repent and to turn back to Him and if they do, He will show mercy and not His wrath.

Joel 2:11 And the Lord shall utter his voice before his army: for his camp is very great: for he is strong that executeth his word: for the day of the Lord is great and very terrible; and who can abide it? 12 Therefore also now, saith the Lord, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning: 13 And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the Lord your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil.

Joel 2:17 Let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare thy people, O Lord, and give not thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them: wherefore should they say among the people, Where is their God?

And here in Joel, is God's promise that He is going to pour out His Spirit on all flesh one day and then hearts will turn to kindness, goodness and goodwill toward all men instead of doing harm.

Joel 2:27 And ye shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am the Lord your God, and none else: and my people shall never be ashamed. 28 And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: 29 And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit. (Please see the whole chapter of Joel 2 to see what God is going to do to bring about justice and abundance upon the earth in those days which will soon be here.)

Some day there will be no more murder in the land; Jesus Christ will do battle against those who wage war and violence upon the earth and will have complete victory over them. Then God is going to wipe away all the tears of all people who will accept Him as their God.

God promises that a future time is coming when there will no longer be sorrow, crying and no more death, no one will ever murder ever again. Why? Because the stony hard heart of pride, hatred, envy and murder will be changed into a heart of flesh.

Ezekiel 36:26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.

Only then will it be possible for the earth to be restored again to the days of Eden and then the earth will blossom like the rose and instead of war there will be peace and plenty. The people will no longer need their weapons of war anymore. Instead they will be working the land to produce abundantly for their families and their communities.

Isaiah 2:4 And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.

Instead of murdering and killing each other men and women will be:

Cooperating with each other

Helping the weak and elderly

Healing the sick and disabled

Building houses and cities

Planting and harvesting crops

Building loving marriage relationships

Having children

Teaching their children to love the Lord and to be obedient

Respectful and courteous, especially to their elders

Feasting and enjoying nutritious untainted food and drink

Keeping the Festivals, Holy Days, new moons and on God's determined days

Keeping God's Sabbath holy and making it a delight for the whole family

Worshiping God and keeping all of His commandments

Dancing and singing and being joyful

Jeremiah 31:13 Then shall the virgin rejoice in the dance, both young men and old together: for I will turn their mourning into joy, and will comfort them, and make them rejoice from their sorrow.

Isaiah 65:17 For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind. 18 But be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy. 19 And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people: and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying. 20 There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days: for the child shall die an hundred years old; but the sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed. 

21 And they shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them. 22 They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree are the days of my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands.

Never again will men want to take another person's life away but rather all mankind will finally come to realize and cherish that "LIFE" is the greatest gift that one could ever receive if it is lived in the way of holiness and righteousness. They will come to honor LIFE as precious and not cheap. 

And with hearts that are fashioned like that of God, we will want life for ourselves and also want it for everyone who has ever lived; to have the chance to become a member of God's own Family with life everlasting.

If we are changing our hearts of stone to hearts of flesh NOW, during our lives as called out ones, we will then know how to teach others to do the same. We will be filled with joy and will rejoice that there will be no more sorrow and all tears will be finally wiped away; no more will we ever have to worry about the effects of murderous hearts ever again.

They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain,

Constance

Jeremiah 19:3-5 

3And say, Hear ye the word of the Lord, O kings of Judah, and inhabitants of Jerusalem; Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will bring evil upon this place, the which whosoever heareth, his ears shall tingle.

4 Because they have forsaken me, and have estranged this place, and have burned incense in it unto other gods, whom neither they nor their fathers have known, nor the kings of Judah, and have filled this place with the blood of innocents;

5 They have built also the high places of Baal, to burn their sons with fire for burnt offerings unto Baal, which I commanded not, nor spake it, neither came it into my mind:

Jeremiah 19:3-5 Commentary

Abortion ~ Murdering of the Poor Innocents

Next Thursday, on January 22, 2015 it will be 42 years since the landmark court decision (Roe v. Wade) that made abortion legal in this country, the United States of America.

Before we look at what the Bible says about the subject of abortion, which is another aspect or manifestation of the work of the flesh, the spirit of murder, that we are studying this week, let me briefly define the term "abortion" and what the Supreme Court's decision was about.

Abortion is the deliberate termination of a human pregnancy; it is a medical procedure used to end a pregnancy and cause the death of the fetus. Without becoming too graphic this is basically what abortion is. The intent is to end the life of a growing live fetus prior to its natural birth. The term "fetus" may be the correct medical term, but ideally we need to always think of what is forming in the womb as a developing human baby.

I say this because we almost never hear abortion advocates speak of the individual that is growing in the womb as a baby or a little child. That would be too telling, rather they typically refer to the child as a human zygote, blastocyst, embryo, or fetus or even "mass of tissue".  And instead of calling abortion what it is, "pro-murder", they like to call themselves "pro-choice".  

Pro-abortionists typically say such things as "because ultimately, the status of a fetus is a matter of subjective opinion, and the only opinion that counts is that of the pregnant woman. ....If you point out that a fetus consists of human tissue and DNA, anti-choicers triumphantly claim you just conceded it's a human being. Now, a flake of dandruff from my head is human, but it is not a human being, and in this sense, neither is a zygote." (PERSONHOOD: IS A FETUS A HUMAN BEING? By Joyce Arther)  I actually found this statement in an article on the Internet when I was doing some research.

This blows the mind of a thinking rational person that these people can reason away the fact that a fetus is indeed a human being. Throughout history mankind has used twisted rationale for justifying the killing of the unborn and even infants after they have been born. How did men and women ever come to the conclusion that they have an inherent right to murder their own children?

This is what Wikipedia says about the Roe v. Wade decision. These are excerpts from their article and explains some of what the Supreme Court's decision was about.

"Roe v. Wade, 410 U.S. 113 (1973), is a landmark decision by the United States Supreme Court on the issue of abortion. Decided simultaneously with a companion case, Doe v. Bolton, the Court ruled 7-2 that a right to privacy under the due process clause of the 14th Amendment extended to a woman's decision to have an abortion, but that this right must be balanced against the state's two legitimate interests in regulating abortions: protecting prenatal life and protecting omen's health. Arguing that these state interests became stronger over the course of a pregnancy, the Court resolved this balancing test by tying state regulation of abortion to the third trimester of pregnancy."

"The Court later rejected Roe's trimester framework, while affirming Roe's

central holding that a person has a right to abortion until viability. The Roe  decision defined "viable" as being "potentially able to live outside the mother's womb, albeit with artificial aid", adding that viability "is usually placed at about seven months (28 weeks) but may occur earlier, even at 24 weeks."

"In disallowing many state and federal restrictions on abortion in the United States, Roe v. Wade prompted a national debate that continues today about issues including whether, and to what extent, abortion should be legal, who should decide the legality of abortion, what methods the Supreme Court should use in constitutional adjudication, and what the role should be of religious and moral  views in the political sphere. Roe v. Wade reshaped national politics, dividing much of the United States into pro-choice and pro-life camps, while activating grassroots movements on both sides."

"The Court issued its decision on January 22, 1973, with a 7-to-2 majority vote in favor of Roe. Burger and Douglas' concurring opinions and White's dissenting opinion were issued along with the Court's opinion in Doe v. Bolton (announced on the same day as Roe v. Wade). The Court deemed abortion a fundamental right under the United States Constitution, thereby subjecting all laws attempting to restrict it to the standard of strict scrutiny." (Wikipedia)

We Are to Obey God's Laws, Not Man-made Laws

God's Word teaches that God has absolute moral standards that apply to every society, every culture and every age, not just the nation of Israel. God gives us plenty of warning that He is going to judge every person based on His holy and righteous standards. In Romans 1 we read how man is willfully ignorant of God's existence and therefore feel they do not have to obey a God that they do not believe even exists.

Those who are being called of God and those who know better cannot plead ignorance of God's will for mankind. Those that advocate abortion have no excuse to disobey to God's laws because they refuse to believe what He has to say about such things as the killing of the unborn. Murder is against God's holy commandments and the victims in the case of abortion are helpless innocent infants that have no say in their own defense or as to how they are being treated. God gave people the responsibility for caring for these little ones. The very fact that they are so helplessly dependent on their parents, shows that God gave parents, especially mothers, the responsibly of protecting and nurturing them.

God holds us accountable to the standards of His LAW, whether we know those standards or not. So it is important that we educate ourselves in these matters. As future kings and priests we will be dealing in the Millennium and then during the Main Fall Harvest with many, many people who have been effected by the scourge of abortion in this present evil world, both the victims and the offenders. We will need to know how to reeducate them and help them to understand properly God's ways in regard to the letter and the spirit of all God's laws, including the commandment to not murder.

The Bible tells us that those who can speak up for the helpless are not to remain silent, turning away a deaf ear because we perhaps don't want to deal with such a horrible subject.

We applied the following passage in the main article in this Newsletter in reference to preaching the gospel message to those who are in need of turning from their sins, but this also aptly describes the plight of the unborn who are slated for the abortionists' instruments. As God's people we need to warn and teach the people of the world how horrible the sin of abortion is. They may not listen at this time and may even persecute us for our political incorrectness, but at least they are being warned.

Proverbs 24:11 If thou forbear to deliver them that are drawn unto death, and those that are ready to be slain; 12 If thou sayest, Behold, we knew it not; doth not he that pondereth the heart consider it? and he that keepeth thy soul, doth not he know it? and shall not he render to every man according to his works?

Isaiah 1:17 Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.

Psalm 82:3 Defend the poor and fatherless: do justice to the afflicted and needy.

And who is more needy and oppressed than the millions of unborn infants that die each year at the hands of their own parents who allow the abortionist to kill them. And the blood of unborn children is innocent more than any other persons in the world for they have done no evil and are completely helpless to defend themselves.

The Bible uses the phrase "innocent blood" about 20 times, in each case He condemns the shedding of innocent blood. God condemned the ancient Israelite for sacrificing their children to the fire of their idols in many, many passages. These verses consist of dire warnings from God about such practices and about those who would do such crimes against their children. These people were no different than our modern culture even though today's killings take place usually in sanitized professional clinics, with doctors and nurses dressed in clean white uniforms. This too is the sacrificing of our children for the sake of our gods, such as convenience, careers, hiding an illicit relationship, etc., etc.

Deuteronomy 12:31 Thou shalt not do so unto the Lord thy God: for every abomination to the Lord, which he hateth, have they done unto their gods; for even their sons and their daughters they have burnt in the fire to their gods.

Leviticus 20:1 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, 2 Again, thou shalt say to the children of Israel, Whosoever he be of the children of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn in Israel, that giveth any of his seed unto Molech; he shall surely be put to death: the people of the land shall stone him with stones. 3 And I will set my face against that man, and will cut him off from among his people; because he hath given of his seed unto Molech, to defile my sanctuary, and to profane my holy name. 4 And if the people of the land do any ways hide their eyes from the man, when he giveth of his seed unto Molech, and kill him not: 5 Then I will set my face against that man, and against his family, and will cut him off, and all that go a whoring after him, to commit whoredom with Molech, from among their people.

Ezekiel 16:20 Moreover thou hast taken thy sons and thy daughters, whom thou hast borne unto me, and these hast thou sacrificed unto them to be devoured. Is this of thy whoredoms a small matter, 21 That thou hast slain my children, and delivered them to cause them to pass through the fire for them?

Note that God calls the Israelites' little children "my children" that they were causing to pass through the fire. God views the children of the world as His own.

Ezekiel 16:20 Moreover thou hast taken thy sons and thy daughters, whom thou hast borne unto me, and these hast thou sacrificed unto them to be devoured. Is this of thy whoredoms a small matter, 21 That thou hast slain my children, and delivered them to cause them to pass through the fire for them?

There is no more accurate assessment than what God says through Jeremiah of all those who think that they should have the right to legally kill innocent unborn infants. This verse describes the hearts of those who do not know God and who have no fear to disobey Him. Jeremiah nails it on the head when he says that the heart is desperately deceitful and wicked. When we hear the arguments that are thrown out about why it is all right to kill the unborn, we can only shake our heads (and perhaps sigh and cry); these people are ludicrous in their thinking! And they not only say it is just fine to abort a baby, they DEMAND their right for themselves and others to do so.

Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

Abortion is an abomination and those who pass laws and approve of abortion are an abomination to God. All these works in the following verses in Romans 1 are true of those who lie and promote the murderous acts against humanity which abortion most certainly is.

Romans 1:28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; 29 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, 30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31 Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: 32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.

The last verse is clarified in the Amplified Bible which clearly shows that God condemns those who not only do the physical acts of wickedness but who approve and applaud these wicked practices. This would definitely include all the politicians who uphold abortion laws, those who write and pass abortion laws, and this also includes all who advocate for the right to have abortions.

Romans 1:32 Though they are fully aware of God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve to die, they not only do them themselves but approve and applaud others who practice them. AMP

In the beginning of the debate over abortion, the pro-abortion people argued that until a fetus can survive outside the womb on its own, it is not really a human being yet and therefore is only un-viable tissue mass.

Originally abortionists argued that a woman has a right to an abortion until "VIABILITY" of the fetus. This term is used to detract and mislead the public that a baby in the womb is not considered a living person until it is capable of living outside the womb on its own. Lawmakers state their opinion that

"First is a recognition of the right of the woman to choose to have an abortion before viability. . . . Second is a confirmation of the state's power to restrict abortions after fetal viability." (Justice Sandra Day O'Connor)

Here is a definition of fetal viability from Wikipedia, it is important to understand this concept for this is the foundational justification that the abortionists try to use to advocate that a fetus is not a human being yet.

"The potential of the fetus to survive outside the uterus after birth, natural or induced. Fetal viability depends largely on the fetal organ maturity, and environmental conditions. According to Websters Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language, viability of a fetus means having reached such a stage of development as to be capable of living, under normal conditions, outside the uterus. Viability exists as a function of biomedical and technological capacities, which are different in different parts of the world. As a consequence, there is, at the present time, no worldwide, uniform gestational age that defines viability." (Wikipedia)

In other words "viability" is defined as "capable of living; capable of growing and developing into a living thing" (Merriam-Webster Dictionary)

These people twist words and terms to say what they want words to mean to justify their debate, but any thinking rational person knows in their heart that a fetus is a living being and that it doesn't matter if an undeveloped fetus cannot live outside the womb. As soon as the sperm unites with an egg, a brand new separate human being has come into existence and on "day one" the cells grow, divide and begin to develop. What abortionists call "mass of tissue" is the beginning of what every human being starts out as, and to do away with that "mass" is to do away with the person that has been created at the time of conception. To do away with any person no matter what stage they are at in their development, is to cut them off from living out their normal life span that God has granted to them in the normal course of living and dying. This constitutes MURDER in the eyes of God no matter what men should say or think or allow!

Abortion is murder no matter how the pro-abortionists should define it. It does not matter if the fetus is 3 months, 8 months or even one second old. As soon as an ovum is fertilized by a sperm it has become an individual. Common sense tells us that everyone living, is living because they started out as a tiny embryo, and if we had been aborted at any stage of the pregnancy, even as a tiny zygote, we would not be here existing as a person in this world.

Satan has blinded the eyes of those who say abortion is not murder and that an embryo and a fetus are not human yet, so therefore the mother has a right to end its life. Those who do such things and those who approve of doing such things and those who pass laws that make abortion legal at any stage are guilty of breaking the sixth commandment "thou shalt not kill"; and they stand condemned before God as murderers if not repented of their acts or of their approval of such heinous crimes.

What does God say about the taking the lives of the young innocents?

Jeremiah 2:33 Why trimmest thou thy way to seek love? therefore hast thou also taught the wicked ones thy ways. 34 Also in thy skirts is found the blood of the souls of the poor innocents: I have not found it by secret search, but upon all these.

Jeremiah 19:3 And say, Hear ye the word of the Lord, O kings of Judah, and inhabitants of Jerusalem; Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will bring evil upon this place, the which whosoever heareth, his ears shall tingle. 4 Because they have forsaken me, and have estranged this place, and have burned incense in it unto other gods, whom neither they nor their fathers have known, nor the kings of Judah, and have filled this place with the blood of innocents; 5 They have built also the high places of Baal, to burn their sons with fire for burnt offerings unto Baal, which I commanded not, nor spake it, neither came it into my mind:

Taking Matters in Our Own Hand

Murder is having the ultimate control over the situations in life and abortion is about just that, controlling the consequences of sin rather than admitting our sin, turning from it and then being accountable for what we have done. David probably did not feel any hatred toward Uriah, this man was a faithful subject, but rather David felt a need to control the situation. Subsequently in his faulty reasoning, he viewed Uriah as being a detriment to the situation he found himself in; so instead of facing the responsibility for what he had done, in his mind he came to the conclusion that to have him eliminated would somehow eliminate the "problem". He could "make" things appear to be what he wanted them to be, Bathsheba would be a widow, he would be free to marry the mother of his child and if Uriah was out of the picture, he could possibly make it look as if the child was conceived during a quickly arranged marriage.

The sin of abortion is about having control over matters, the same as other types of murder. Instead of living a life style that is conducive to the laws of God regarding family and chastity, and therefore not expossing oneself to the risk of an unwanted pregnancy, people want to have their sin and then be free of the consequences when they get caught, such as when a baby is conceived. Abortion seems to offer a way out; and not only that, people will then not take precaution in getting pregnant. Many think of abortion as their safety net if per chance they find themselves with an unwanted pregnancy. Because abortion is freely accessible and even covered in some cases under insurance policies, it acts as a type of birth control in the minds of millions.

Consequences For A Nation That Condones the Murder Of Innocents

Those who have no fear of God, think that because national calamity has not happened yet, that it will never happen, and so they fear no judgment; and yet judgment is coming. 

They think God does not see, so they think they can destroy their offspring if they want to, or if it is too inconvenient to bring a child into the world; "God does not care one way or another, I am free to do whatever I want with my body." 

Oh, yes, He does care. He is the Creator of life and He chooses to begin each human being (even His own Son) in a mother's womb in the form of a baby. It breaks our heart to think of what happens to a little one when a doctor, nurse, or abortionist does what he does to kill it and yank it from its mother's womb. How much more it must grieve God to see babies tortured and destroyed in such a way with no thought of how the baby can feel pain, or that it even has the right to its life as a created potential child of God.

God had laws for the nation of Israel that punished those that harmed the unborn child which shows us that He does care and that He does exercise justice for the life of the unborn. If we were a God fearing nation and structured our laws after the laws written in the Bible, we too would enact the same as what is outlined in this passage, instead of just of opposite, of making the killing of the unborn legal.

Exodus 21:22 If men strive, and hurt a woman with child, so that her fruit depart from her, and yet no mischief follow: he shall be surely punished, according as the woman's husband will lay upon him; and he shall pay as the judges determine. 23 And if any mischief follow, then thou shalt give life for life,

Abortion is are not only a curse upon the individuals who commit it, but it is a curse upon the whole nation if that nation enacts laws making what God calls an abomination permissible. Abortion brings many psychologically as well as physiological curses upon those who commit such acts and upon any nation that advocates it.

In the Book of Hosea God has an indictment against Israel for her sins and as we know, we are living in modern day Israelite nations. What God is indicting them for, He is also indicting us as the modern peoples of Israel and He says that Israel is being destroyed for her lack of knowledge; knowledge of the laws and commandments of God and the fact that God expects His people to obey them and walk in them. This is no different for the end times we are living in.

Hosea 4:1 Hear the word of the Lord, ye children of Israel: for the Lord hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land.

2 By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out, and blood toucheth blood. 3 Therefore shall the land mourn, and every one that dwelleth therein shall languish, with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven; yea, the fishes of the sea also shall be taken away. 4 Yet let no man strive, nor reprove another: for thy people are as they that strive with the priest.

5 Therefore shalt thou fall in the day, and the prophet also shall fall with thee in the night, and I will destroy thy mother. 6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.

Since the US Supreme Court decision of Roe v. Wade on January 22, 1973, 42 years ago this coming Thursday, a culture of death has permeated this nation. This death mentality is a result of the brutal murder of almost 58 million unborn children just in our country alone. 

How has a culture of death taken over our land? Although our leaders condone the killing of innocent infants, at the same time they let child molesters, rapists, murderers of innocent people and brutal terrorists off the hook. They refuse to legally put vicious criminals to death. As a result those who are at large in our cities and communities destroy the peace and security of the average law abiding citizen. We are no longer safe to travel and walk freely in our cities, parks, wilderness areas and we are no longer safe in our own homes. 

All of us are affected by this mentality of death in our country for we now live in a very dangerous and twisted society. When we willingly commit heinous crimes against our offspring, and pass laws that make those crimes legal, the hedge of protection is then lifted off the rest of the citizens and we bring indictment against ourselves and our nation. That is why there is so much child abductions with kidnappers raping or killing them. When we see these atrocities in the news, people are shocked, yet the same people who are shocked are some of the very ones who did or approved of similar things to their own in the womb, but it was hidden and sanitized in the confines of a clinic or hospital.

For those who have eyes to see, we are now living in an increasingly lawless society and after 42 years of legalized abortion on demand, we now have in the highest office in the land, a lawless President and an lawless administration, in addition to the rest of our government that is lawless in all areas and thinks nothing of killing in other venues as well.

The U.S. Supreme Court has struck down all laws in every state that in any way had protected the lives of developing unborn infants. In 1973 it legalized abortion in all 50 states for the full 9 months of pregnancy for social and economic reasons but this is not what we have been told on the news, but that is the reality and the legality of this edict. The abortion bill states that the law protects only legal persons and "that a legal person does not exist prenatally." It authorized mothers to have the right to legalized abortions with no restrictions in the first three months of pregnancy. 

What most do not realize is that abortion was allowed all the way until full nine months if a licensed physician judged it necessary for the mother's health for her to have an abortion. The term "health" could include either physical and mental conditions such as what an inconvenient birth could cause; the physicians were given authorization to determine if the pregnancy would be "detrimental to the mothers' health", and many physicians had no qualms about making that decision especially for those who perform abortions for profit; the more abortions the more profits for their coffers. By deceitfully deciding that most of these pregnancies are harmful to the pregnant woman's mental health (even if it is primarily for convenience sake) they can get away with abortions right up until full gestation.

And recently we have witnessed the increasing predominance of partial birth abortions. We have all seen the news accounts of doctors that seem almost like serial killer monsters that do these things, but then it is just not the doctors and the law makers. If all women in this nation would just say NO to the killing of their babies, it would put an instant stop to abortions happening, no matter how many laws are on the books making it legal. (At least in our country, for we know that some countries are actually forcing women to abort their babies regardless of what the mother wants.)

The Astounding Statistics of Abortion

Here are some statistics showing the incredible number of abortions in the U.S. since Roe v. Wade and then worldwide abortions since 1980. To think about what the ramifications of these numbers are and how the killing of innocent children has so pervaded the mind-set of the whole world is shocking.

This is from Life Matters TV Program Website:

 http://www.lifematterstv.org/abortioncounters 

 *  The National Right to Life Committee reported on their 2/2014 fact sheets  (http://www.nrlc.org/uploads/factsheets/FS01AbortionintheUS.pdf )   that the total of  US abortions since 1973 (RVW) through 2013 was 56,405,766 based  on state government health organization data & the Guttmacher Institute data including factoring in the possible 3% undercount cited by GI for their own figures.

* The number of abortions executed by Planned Parenthood shown in the counters come from PP's Annual Reports. They reported 329,445 in 2010, 333,924 in 2011 and 327,166 in 2012.Their latest annual report. 

* The World Wide abortion counters uses one of the more conservative estimates on the number of abortions world-wide since 1980 (40 Million per year for 30 years)  and this equals 1,200,000 Billion (from Lifesitenews.com: http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/oct/09101604.html )  
 

Here is a Website that is a clock of all the numbers of abortions taking place around the world.As you watch the numbers tally up, it can be very disturbing but this shows the reality of the world we live in.

 As I write, the number according to this clock is 57,535,175 babies that have been murdered in our country alone since January 22, 1973 (Roe V. Wade)

God is All About Life and Families - Not Death

In the beginning, God the Father and Jesus Christ recreated a beautiful habitat for man to live in and then it says in Genesis 2 that God "formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul." (Genesis 2:7)  In the very next verse we are told that:

Genesis 2:8 And the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed.

In Genesis 1 we are told that God made man in God's image after His likeness and gave "them" to have dominion over the all the other living creatures and the care of the earth. He gave them all the things that would make for a wonderful physical life at that time, including a beautiful home, delicious food and herbs in abundance, springs of water, good health; and He then told them to be fruitful (have children), multiply and fill up the earth with their descendants.

Genesis 1:26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. 28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

God the Father and Jesus Christ are all about LIFE and FAMILY. Jesus even says in John 10 "I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." (John 10:10)

Adam and Eve were created to reflect God's image physically but God also created them with the capacity to grow and develop to become like Him spiritually, in His spiritual image; but then they listened to Satan and took of the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Ever since that time, mankind has decided for himself what is right and wrong; and when it comes to abortion, the killing of ones' own children, men and women have strayed far into darkness and away from what God had intended for the family.

The logic that men use to justify the killing of innocent humans by saying that they are not humans is one of the aspects of deciding for oneself what is right and what is evil. In Isaiah, God says WOE to those who call evil good and good evil, and His judgments are coming upon the land for doing exactly as God foretold that they would do.

Isaiah 5:20 Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! 21 Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!

Isaiah 59:1 Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: 2 But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear. 3 For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue hath muttered perverseness. 4 None calleth for justice, nor any pleadeth for truth: they trust in vanity, and speak lies; they conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity.

Isaiah 59:7 Their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed innocent blood: their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; wasting and destruction are in their paths.

The pro-choice advocates have lied to get their laws passed and to set laws in place that are ambiguous in nature and therefore making it easy to have abortions for any reason and up to any stage in the nine months of pregnancy. 

The above quoted verses describe the deceptions and outright lies that make it seem that abortion is not all that bad and even desirable for the mothers that do not want to have their babies. These people seem to be getting away with their lies and their wickedness in selling the idea of abortion as a fix for "emotional trauma" that might come from carrying a child until birth and then being responsible for bringing the child up to adulthood. 

But just as we see in Psalm 73 where the psalmist is puzzled by the prosperity of the wicked, God says that they have placed themselves on slippery slopes and that their days are numbered for how much longer mankind will be able to seemingly get away with this horrible wickedness.

God Forgives Those Who Repent 

In this article we condemn the sin of abortion and want to expose it for what it is, but just like any other sin that a person could commit, and we all fall short of the glory of God in many ways, this is not an indictment against those who have had abortions and have now repented and have set their hearts to go and sin no more. 

There is no sin that God cannot forgive if we sincerely go to Him and confess that we have sinned and that we want to turn from those sins. The example of David shows that even adultery and murder can come under the blood of Jesus and He will accept us if we repent. 

David may have failed in these areas but he was humble enough to admit his failings, to seek God's forgiveness and restoration. In that way, David was an exemplary example for us all and one that we must emulate when we have sinned in any area. The good news in God's Word is that "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners".

1st Timothy 1:15 This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. 16 Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.

The apostle Paul, who persecuted the church and was responsible for the deaths of many innocent people, is the one who wrote this passage, and in it he claimed that in regard to sinners, that he was chief among them. He also wrote:

Philippians 3:13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,

Paul received God's forgiveness and mercy when he turned to God and become converted and committed to never do those things again. He went on to be an example of one that obtained mercy and that he would be a pattern to them that would also be called to receive Christ's forgiveness. No matter how great one's sin, even the sin of abortion, if one will turn from their sins and apply the sacrifice that Jesus Christ offers that covers repented sins, God will pardon all of our sin and credit the righteousness of Jesus to our account.

Romans 4:4 Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. 5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.

And just like Paul, sometimes God uses those who have sinned in certain areas to then go and teach others, for they have been humbled and they know the pain of having done those things and they become even more zealous in advocating repentance; plus they can have compassion on others who are coming to Christ that have done similar things.

Hebrews 4:15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. (See also Hebrews 5:2)

The Prayer of Daniel

In the Book of Daniel, Daniel felt the burden of the sins that were being committed among the people of his nation and he prayed that God would forgive and intervene. This is what he prayed and as we think of the all the sins that are being committed in our modern nation of Israel, we too can pray this prayer not just for the sin of abortion but for all the abominations that are taking place. 

As we read this prayer for the Jewish people who were in captivity because of their departing from their God, we realize that this could be a prophecy of the time when our people will be taken into captivity for their transgression and idolatry against the Creator.

Isaiah 26:21 For, behold, the Lord cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain.

We do know that judgment is coming soon to the modern nations of Israel and at this point there is no evidence that there will be any real repentance on a national level. But we can have hope that Christ is coming back soon to rescue His people from captivity.  He will change their wicked and deceitful hearts and when they have learned their lessons and the veil has been taken from their eyes, then they will listen and God will answer this prayer in Daniel.

Daniel 9:3 And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes:

4 And I prayed unto the Lord my God, and made my confession, and said, O Lord, the great and dreadful God, keeping the covenant and mercy to them that love him, and to them that keep his commandments;

5 We have sinned, and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even by departing from thy precepts and from thy judgments:

6 Neither have we hearkened unto thy servants the prophets, which spake in thy name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land.

7 O Lord, righteousness belongeth unto thee, but unto us confusion of faces, as at this day; to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and unto all Israel, that are near, and that are far off, through all the countries whither thou hast driven them, because of their trespass that they have trespassed against thee.

8 O Lord, to us belongeth confusion of face, to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against thee.

9 To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses, though we have rebelled against him;

10 Neither have we obeyed the voice of the Lord our God, to walk in his laws, which he set before us by his servants the prophets.

11 Yea, all Israel have transgressed thy law, even by departing, that they might not obey thy voice; therefore the curse is poured upon us, and the oath that is written in the law of Moses the servant of God, because we have sinned against him.

12 And he hath confirmed his words, which he spake against us, and against our judges that judged us, by bringing upon us a great evil: for under the whole heaven hath not been done as hath been done upon Jerusalem.

13 As it is written in the law of Moses, all this evil is come upon us: yet made we not our prayer before the Lord our God, that we might turn from our iniquities, and understand thy truth.

14 Therefore hath the Lord watched upon the evil, and brought it upon us: for the Lord our God is righteous in all his works which he doeth: for we obeyed not his voice.

15 And now, O Lord our God, that hast brought thy people forth out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and hast gotten thee renown, as at this day; we have sinned, we have done wickedly.

16 O Lord, according to all thy righteousness, I beseech thee, let thine anger and thy fury be turned away from thy city Jerusalem, thy holy mountain: because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and thy people are become a reproach to all that are about us.

17 Now therefore, O our God, hear the prayer of thy servant, and his supplications, and cause thy face to shine upon thy sanctuary that is desolate, for the Lord's sake.

18 O my God, incline thine ear, and hear; open thine eyes, and behold our desolations, and the city which is called by thy name: for we do not present our supplications before thee for our righteousnesses, but for thy great mercies.

19 O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive; O Lord, hearken and do; defer not, for thine own sake, O my God: for thy city and thy people are called by thy name.

Jesus and Little Children

What was Jesus attitude toward the little children when He was here on earth as a man? When parents brought their babies to Him to touch them and bless them He did not turn them away. He did not become annoyed or impatient because He had more important things to do, but rather He blessed them and referred to the attitude of children as object lesions in how we all should be when it comes to receiving the Kingdom of God. In Mark it says that Jesus took them up into His arms and blessed them.

Luke 18:15 And they brought unto him also infants, that he would touch them: but when his disciples saw it, they rebuked them. 16 But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. 17 Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein.

Mark 10:14 But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. 15 Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein. 16 And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them.

On the other hand the disciples rebuked the parents for bringing their children to Jesus, for in their self important minds they thought that Jesus should not be bothered with such things; yet Jesus used this situation of the little children to teach lessons on how we should regard those who are the least amongst us. 

Jesus welcomed the little children and so should we, even from the time of conception, for that is when they become a potential spiritual child of God that God is going to call some day, and they too will have a chance to become a valuable member of the Family of God. We pray for those days to come soon, when all little children will finally be safe from the hand of the abortionist.

 " ...They shall not hurt nor destroy  in all my Holy Mountain" 

(Isaiah 65:25)

Constance