"The Baby Leaped In The Womb"

 

We've had a few days to digest the Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe V. Wade. This is a momentous decision for the future of our country. I was in college when Roe became law in 1973, and through the years I have become more devastated at the agreement among my fellow women that it is okay to end the life of a child in the womb. I will sadly admit that in my 20s I was cavalier about abortion... I got caught up in the feminist rhetoric, and not knowing Jesus at the time, I gave little consideration to the effect this horrendous law would have on over 60 million babies in our country alone. 

Many of my college acquaintances had abortions; free contraceptives at the University Health Clinic did not stem the tide of the unwanted consequences of casual sex. The freedom to terminate a pregnancy was embraced and even celebrated. It became an accepted method for millions of women as they pursued careers without the hindrance or restraint of raising a child. But I also know that there were millions of other women who had abortions and did not approach it in that dispassionate manner. For them, it was a gut-wrenching decision and one that left an enduring wound on their souls and spirits. That was a time in our nation that Revelation 12:9 describes quite well ... Satan managed to deceive and seduce the entire world on the issue of abortion. He was an accuser and an author of confusion. But I thank the Lord that women who fell for the devil's lies can repent and receive forgiveness from the LORD of Lords. And I pray that they will forgive themselves.

But now we have the Supreme Court decision that overturns Roe v. Wade. And the devil is mad! He has stirred up hatred and vitriol because his lie is being exposed. The Supreme Court Justices took a courageous stand for the Constitution and the rights of the unborn. You see, it is a lie that "fetal tissue" is not a human baby. From ancient times, it has been acknowledged that it is a baby in the womb of an expectant mother. And if you are a Christian and have doubts or question the veracity of that statement, let me give you an answer from God. 

We are all familiar with the story in Luke 1:41 when Mary, the mother of Jesus, comes to visit her cousin, Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist. Scripture says, And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. The use of that word "baby" is not accidental. It is the Greek word, Brephos, meaning "unborn baby". The term does not distinguish between a pre-birth or post-birth baby; it was a baby that leaped in Elizabeth's womb. And Jeremiah 1:5 says Jesus knew the prophet from the foundations of the world before He formed Jeremiah in the womb, establishing that what was in the womb was a human being. Same thing goes for Galatians 1:15 which says that God separated Paul from his mother's womb, again confirming that what was in the womb was Paul, a human being. Psalm 139:13-15 also validates that the Lord formed David's parts (intricately and skillfully) in his mother's womb. What is in that womb is clearly identified as David! All this is Biblical evidence that God considers what is in the womb is a living baby.

What those who believe in abortion [including those who call themselves Christians] don't understand is that Satan longs to kill God's creation. Although you may doubt its veracity, let me introduce you to the First Book of Enoch which is a pseudepigraphal text [not included in any canon of Scripture, but referred to by many ancient sources as being the writings of Enoch, the son of Jared, great grandfather of Noah, and father of Methusaleh]. In chapter 69, names of fallen angels and their assignments are revealed. The fifth angel's name is Kasdeja. He is credited with "showing the humans every wicked strike of spirits and of demons, the strike at the embryo in the womb, to miscarry it ...". It describes how demonic spirits can strike at the unborn "like a serpent". As hard as it may be for you to accept, abortion is a demonic act. And I want to refer you to some information I discovered back in 2015, as a current demonstration of that fact.

In 2015, I wrote an article titled, Is There A Connection Between Abortion and Satanism. It is a truly disturbing testimony of abortion as a ritual for Satan by a man who once partook in this satanic/demonic act, and has since repented and become a warrior for Christ. I warn you, his story is chilling and alarming. And if that's too hard to believe, just a couple of days ago, during protests against the Roe v. Wade decision, an angry man is recording telling an investigative reporter that he "f----ing loves killing babies" -- in the voice of a hateful demon! You can watch the video here. I don't share these unsettling pieces of information to shock you, but to show you the underbelly of what this country has endorsed for 50 years! And let me share a personal story that a dear expectant mother shared with me ... she went for an ultrasound and it revealed her baby was asleep. So the technician pushed on her stomach to arouse the baby and the ultrasound showed him crying because he was woke up! How can pro-abortion advocates still declare that this precious child is the property of the woman to be disposed of at her will? 

But I believe God is hearing the prayers of His faithful people and is turning us back to His heart. Just in the last week, we have protected the 2nd Amendment, reversed Roe v. Wade, and safeguarded our religious freedoms [when the Supreme Court voted that it is constitutional for Coach Joe Kennedy to pray publicly on the football field]. That, my friends, can only be the hand of God intervening in our judicial system. Thank you, Father!

And now there is room for hope that we just might have a chance to see our country redeemed and become one nation under God again! But know this: the Enemy will not give up without a fight! So you prayer warriors must continue to pray and storm the heavens for righteousness. We cannot give up! The Enemy knows his time is short -- we all know it, too. So, pray and fast and keep your spiritual armor on. We have won some very important battles, and there are more to be won before our Lord returns! Amen!

Job 33:4      The Spirit of God has made me; the breath of the Almighty gives me life.

God and the World's Economies

 

More and more Americans are becoming aware that the world's economic systems are in a lot of trouble. Just in this country alone, we see headlines that report the crash of Netflix; Jeff Bezos loses $13 Billion in hours as Amazon takes a nose dive; and the Dow lost nearly 1,000 points on Friday! In fact, all U.S. stock indexes were in the negative category. The world's economy is still floundering post-pandemic and struggling to find out how to bring "economic equality" to the world's nations, and develop policies that curb inflation, interest rates, and debt [while creating financial stability]. Or so they say.

Perhaps for the first time, we Christians are asking, Is God involved in Economics? What does He say about economic systems in the world? And what should we be looking for? Just because we may all be Christians, it doesn't mean we agree on all the concepts of socioeconomic systems or their methods of operation. Where we stand politically has a lot to do with our view of different economic practices. If you lean towards less government involvement and favor more social and economic freedom, then you are likely to align yourself with capitalism. If you lean toward more government controlling more of your social and economic affairs, then you probably identify with socialism.

I think, as Christians, it is important for us to identify the various world economic systems [and their methodologies] and then compare them to how God commands (and desires) us to operate in His economy. So, let's briefly consider each of the three major economic systems of the 20th and 21st Centuries: Socialism, Communism, and Capitalism. I want to look at their definitions so we have a baseline to compare with what God's Word says. I'm also going to give a very simple example of each that was shared by a friend on Facebook.

Socialism: “A theory or system of social organization that advocates the vesting of the ownership and control of the means of production and distribution, of capital, land, etc., in the community as a whole.” Example: You have two cows. Give one to your neighbor. 

Communism: “A system of social organization in which all economic and social activity is controlled by a totalitarian state dominated by a single and self-perpetuating political party.” Example: You have two cows. Give both cows to the government, and they might give you some of the milk.

Capitalism: “An economic system in which investment in and ownership of the means of production, distribution, and exchange of wealth is made and maintained chiefly by private individuals or corporations.” Example: You have two cows. Sell one cow, buy a bull, and raise more cows.

Because each of these economic systems are human-devised, there are inherent flaws and problems with each. Socialism doesn't agree with private property rights of the individual; favors redistribution of wealth through government coercion; discourages innovation and creativity; restricts individuals of determining their own future; and invites dictatorial rule by unrighteous men. Communism [in its pure form] is an atheistic system which cancels individual freedom; centers around secret government surveillance, propaganda, and censorship; whose economy is centrally controlled and ultimately does not meet the people's needs. Capitalism is often characterized [not without merit] of being a system of elitists with privilege and wealth that encourages greed and profit over people. Corruption and cronyism between individuals and governments have often become its trademark, along with currency manipulation -- all of which interferes with free enterprise and the ability of individuals to have control of their own destinies.

So, that's what man has been able to create as forms of producing, organizing, and distributing available resources among the nations of the world. But what is God's economic policy or policies? Remember that Jesus proclaimed that "His Kingdom was not of this world". God's ways of perfect government are different than man's ideas and systems for governing. And we often see Scripture twisted to align with our own ideas of what we think [or want] God to be declaring that He established. For instance, I'm sure you have heard that Matthew 19:21 is all about Jesus teaching a socialistic redistribution system:   (Jesus told him, “If you want to be perfect, go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me”.) But that's not the message of the Bible at all! Jesus is showing us that the rich young ruler's sorrow [over the Lord's admonition to give his wealth away] is because the young man cherished his wealth over God; his wealth was more important than being willing to surrender his wealth and serve God. 

Those who believe in the socialism economic model will condemn wealth as being unbiblical, and misquote 1 Timothy 6:10, which says, "For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil", rendering it as "Money is the root of all evil". Pretty convenient mistranslation, isn't it? Notice how Satan has convinced mankind that money and wealth are the root of all evil, when the Bible clearly states that sin is the root that perpetuates evil in the world. In fact, it is not money that is evil, nor does God condemn wealth or the gaining of wealth. After all, Abram, King David, and his son, Solomon were all favored by God and they were extremely wealthy. It is the love of money that can lead to the sins of greed, corruption, and forms of unrighteousness.

Another example of wrongly identifying God's economic system with the world's is the tendency by some to state that Acts 4:32-35 advocates communism ... All the believers were united in heart and mind. And they felt that what they owned was not their own, so they shared everything they had. The apostles testified powerfully to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and God’s great blessing was upon them all. There were no needy people among them, because those who owned land or houses would sell them and bring the money to the apostles to give to those in need.  On the contrary, "the needy" in this passage were converts who had traveled to Jerusalem from foreign lands for the Passover feast days and after Jesus's death and resurrection, they decided to stay and learn more about Him and His Kingdom. They then found themselves in want, so those who had resources voluntarily shared what they had. Communism is an economic system that demands citizen participation and confiscates wealth from the producers. Additionally, nowhere in Scripture, do we find that this became the norm among Christian society. It was in response to a unique situation and displays a personal willingness to share with others out of the love of a consecrated heart for a fellow man.

And while the economic system of Capitalism can provide the wealth to serve others from our hearts, God will not bless this system if it is rooted in deception, greed, theft, special-interest influence or cronyism. Sadly, we, in the United States, have seen the effects of these sins upon our faltering economic system. But the tenets of Capitalism are evidenced in the Bible through freedom of choice in how we operate in our lives [including our businesses and means of financial support] when our enterprise is conducted with compassion, unselfishness and generosity. But since we still live in a sinful world, we won't see that model in its fullness until Christ returns and implements His Kingdom on earth in its fullness. Micah 4:4 gives us a hint of what that perfect world economy will look like ... Everyone will live in peace and prosperity, enjoying their own grapevines and fig trees, for there will be nothing to fear. The Lord of Heaven’s Armies has made this promise!

Until that glorious Day when the Lord returns with His perfect economic governing system [in which the residents of Heaven on earth will espouse the virtues of work, tithing, and sharing the blessings of God], we have one more economic system to endure ... the Mark of the Beast. Revelation 13:16-17 says, He required everyone—small and great, rich and poor, free and slave—to be given a mark on the right hand or on the forehead. And no one could buy or sell anything without that mark... 

How close are we to experiencing that system? Perhaps sooner than any of us want to think! All I know is that we desperately need the biblical social and economic policies of Heaven here on earth NOW! I don't know how much longer before the Lord gets the go-ahead from the Father to mount up with the Host of Heaven and ride to defeat Evil once and for all. I don't know about you, but I am ready to receive Him on earth! I am ready for the earth and mankind to reflect God's ordained system of government in all its manifestations! I will not be consumed by fear of what mankind is scheming out of corrupted hearts and minds, but stay focused on the glorious future that awaits us when we see Jesus coming on the clouds. I choose to glorify the Lord in all the ways He leads me and trust in His provision in this world. Seek first the Kingdom of God and righteousness, and all your needs will be met. That's the key to enjoying God's economic system for us!

 Philippians 4:19   And my God will supply every need of yours according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.