Sanctity of Life

There are many challenges facing America today. One that has nearly disappeared from the public forum is the issue of abortion and the sanctity of life. The slaughter of the unborn continues in the name of convenience, choice and women's health. The right to life is being denied over a million times a year in America. Denied to the most vulnerable of our culture. The voices of men such as Peter Singer, Francis Crick & Margarat Sanger are finding more and more credibility in our culture. Someone said that abortion is a confusing issue. Really it's not, if we can move beyond our selfish view of life. The issue is life. God challenged the people of Israel to 'choose life (Deut. 30:19)." When we embrace abortion, infanticide, euthenasia, we are choosing death. When we lose sight of a Creator who has formed us with a purposeful life in mind (and in America we have lost sight of the Creator), we may devalue life, and even be willing to destroy it. God calls us to choose life. Not just in the realm of abortion and the killing of the unborn, but in everyday situations. When we choose to love, be kind, forgiving, etc., we are choosing life. When we choose to hate, become bitter, we choose death. When we choose to kill the unborn, we vote for death and devalue our own existence. The destruction of the unborn is often a self serving action and it devalues all of humanity. When the will to get my way compels me to destroy another person, death comes to all. The pro-abortion movement is one of death. We must speak out, vote pro-life, and communicate God's grace to those who have been scarred by abortion. Don't shoot doctors, bomb clinics, or throw rocks through windows-those are death choices. Let the body of Christ speak the truth in love and pray for victory. Choose Life!

HOPE

Reading E. Stanley Jones' In Christ, as one of my devotionals. He states, "my past is past, buried in His love; my present is His, my future unfolds in Him." This statement speaks of the hope we have in Christ. 'In Christ' is the source of life, joy and hope. As we rush into a new year, may we understand that the time we spend focusing on Christ through His Word and in prayer, will feed our hope. The nightly news will continue to be filled with 'bad news.' The political scene will continue to be frustrating. Relationships in life will continue to be challenging. The stresses and strains of everyday living will continue to be experienced. This is reality and in the middle of what at times is a real mess, Christ's people have hope. A hope that is sure, steadfast, anchored in heaven(Heb.6;19). Peter says this is a living hope (1 Pet. 1:3). Paul says this hope stands in the midst of grief and loss (1 Thess. 4:13). He told the Romans this hope does not disappoint (Rom. 5:3). He told Timothy that Christ is our hope (1 Tim. 1:1). My calling is to get close to Christ and stay close. Kyle Strobel says in his book, Metamorpha, "the aim of the Christian life is not independence, but greater dependence; it is intimacy and love, rather than accomplishment and development." Hope comes in one package-Jesus Christ. Christ in us our hope of glory (Col.1:27).