In the Way

We've all been told we're "in the way" before. Whether standing in the hall, perusing a shopping isle, or stuck in traffic, we've all experienced a polite "excuse me", a less friendly exclamation of annoyance, or a blaring horn that's let us know definitively: "You are in the way."

That phrase has really struck me recently, but for a different reason thanks to John 14:6: Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through me." I've realized I am in the Way. In the truest sense of the term, I am always in the Way, because of my relationship with Jesus.

The awesome thing is, you are too if you've accepted Jesus as Lord. You've rejected the broad way of the world that leads to destruction and embarked down the narrow way that is life in Jesus. You've followed our Lord's advice to, "Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it." (Mathew 7:13-14)

How does walking on this new, narrow path work itself out practically in real life? It is interesting in that it's not as if our new path as Christians is in a whole new world (we are not transported to Narnia like the Pevensies, unfortunately), but here in the nitty gritty of the same world where we once explored the wide path. We are in the world; we are just no longer of it. And to make matters more confusing, in this world there are crossroads where the wide and narrow ways intersect.

Yep, let that sink in.

These crossroads are explained in Jeremiah 6:16:

This is what the Lord says: Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient path, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls. But you said, 'We will not walk in it.'

It's natural for all of us to ask where each potential path leads when we come to a crossroad, both physically and spiritually.. I praise God that if you're a Christian, you've asked where the good way is, you've walked in that ancient path, and you've found rest for your soul. Moreover, it's our job as Christians to answer those questions being asked at the crossroad. We should be the ones saying, "Here, over here!! This is the path that leads to life!" Unfortunately, clearly there are many who will reply adamantly, "We will not walk in it!"

As Christians, what should our relationship be with these "We Will Not's"? Here is where the explanation becomes a tongue twister. You see, if we are in the Way, than we will be in the way of those people who have rejected the good way. As Proverbs 24:11-12 says:

Deliver those who are drawn toward death, And hold back those stumbling to the slaughter. If you say, “Surely we did not know this,” Does not He who weighs the hearts consider it? He who keeps your soul, does He not know it? And will He not render to each man according to his deeds?

It is our calling as Christians to stand in the gap at the crossroad, to link arms and try and stop those stumbling toward the road sign marked "Broad Way", because we know a more accurate sign would read "Destination: Destruction." That's why Christ is a stumbling block to those who won't believe (1 Peter 2:6-8), and that's why it is our responsibility to preach this stumbling block (1 Corinthians 1:23). It's not that we are somehow clinically sadistic, but that we want to save the lost around us from a path that dead ends--and by dead end, I mean a literal dead end. "There is a way which seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death." (Proverbs 14:12) 

A practical example of this "Standing in the gap" is our public stand at a physical crossroads in front of Planned Parenthood, where we pray to end abortion. We are a terrible stumbling block and "in the way" of a lot of people who don't want even a reminder of the ancient path or the good way, but if we save but one life spiritually or physically, it will be well worth the cries of anger and rage from the "We Will Not's." Even if we don't ever save a life, it is still our calling to try!  And may we all be faithful to that calling.

Lastly, we are also called to bring back those who wander from the narrow path: 

My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins. (James 5:19-20)

Even those who start down the narrow path can wander back to the world, and that's why it is so important that we make disciples, and not just converts. To be a Christian is to be in the Way, and to be in the Way is to be in the way of those who would wander straight into hell. So, that leaves me with one question. 

Will you be in the Way with me? 

I am Pro-Choice: Why Choice isn't just a Woman's Right

I am pro-choice.

I have come to realize that I need to admit this to my family, church, and community. I do believe it is a woman's right to decide whether to have a child or not, and nobody can take this right from her. Not a Christian, not even a conservative atheist. Especially not government. There will be no government-imposed, forced sterilization on my watch, and neither will I ever accept a justification worthy enough to mandate that a woman must have a child.

Since this choice is a right, Women shouldn't be left alone to speak out on this issue. I believe it is every human being's responsibility to speak out for human rights, even if they are the opposite sex of those who deserve that right. For instance, if an employer decided not to hire me based solely on her prejudice against me as a male, I would hope both men and woman would speak out against this discrimination. Forcing a woman to stay silent--claiming she has no right to speak up for me because she doesn't share my same genitalia--is pure sexism. So is saying I don't have a right to speak out on the pro-choice issue just because I am a man.

What's more though, I've realized that it's not only women who have the right to choose whether to have a baby or not, but also men. This choice is their personal choice, and they too, like women, should speak out to defend it. For me personally, I have chosen not to have a baby right now. I am 21 and still a virgin because I know I am not ready to start a family and provide for a baby.

You see, if you've lived more than a few years, you know the answer to the question "where do babies come from?"  It's a proven fact that the pleasure of sex brings babies into this world. That is not debated. It is also not debated that the embryo is similar yet distinct from its parents at the moment of conception. Because the DNA specifies human, the embryo is human like its parents, and in that way it is similar. However, since the DNA is spliced together from both the mom and dad's chromosomes, this little person (let's say the DNA specifies "boy" for clarity's sake) is neither his mother or father--or a part of his mother's body, for that matter. He is a distinct human being at the earliest stage of development.

The preamble to the Declaration of Independence states: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness." I believe every human being has the right to live in freedom, so that they can make choices to better themselves and live in peace and happiness. To take these choices away from anyone is despicable. That's why slavery is wrong. That's why eugenics is wrong. And that's why killing little human beings inside the womb is wrong.

Abortion is not a personal choice, but a perverse crime since it robs human beings of their unalienable rights.  Since I am pro choice, I believe all human beings have the right to choice, and I stand against any practice that takes those choices away. We all have the right to choose whether or not to bring a baby into this world, but when our choices lead to the conception of a new human being, we no longer have a choice to bring a baby into the world or not, because the baby is already here. I will always speak out against abortion, because choices are personal to me, as they should be to every human being. I don't want my choices taken from me or any other human being.

You see, you don't have to be pro-abortion to be pro-choice. Quite the opposite. Abortion doesn't rob a woman of her choice to bear a child; she's already accepted that possibility would come as a result of sex. Instead, abortion takes all the choices from the child in the womb. Yes, I am pro-choice, family and friends. And that is why I stand against abortion.

Debunking Planned Parenthood's Propaganda

Care. No matter what.

That is Planned Parenthood's latest slogan. It begs the question, though: What kind of care is Planned Parenthood talking about? You can care for a lot of things. You can care for people: Woman's health, humanitarian aid, government subsidized healthcare that can make care affordable for even the poorest in the community. Or, you can care about Money and Gain: Immense profit, no matter what the cost to society;  monopolizing the abortion industry; finding ways to make more income . . . even if those ways would be considered unconventional, illegal, or evil. Or maybe it's your appearance you are the most concerned about: A shiny veneer of Woman's Rights and Freedom to Choose as you dodge calling your service what it is--abortion. Less controversial that way. Less deprecating.

So what kind of care is Planned Parenthood driven by? They would, of course, say option number one. They care for people! But what you say is oftentimes meaningless. It's your actions and the fruit they produce that define you, not the words you say about yourself. So let's take a look at some of the things Planned Parenthood claims about themselves and see if their actions back them up.

Pro-Choice

Being "pro-choice" suggests that you evenly expose all options for a woman's unwanted pregnancy. However, you are 160 times more likely to have an abortion than be referred for adoption if you visit Planned Parenthood. This testimony of an atheist woman shows very clearly the priorities of Planned Parenthood. They are pro-abortion, not pro-choice.

Ultrasounds and Prenatal Care

Along those same lines, Planned Parenthood claims extravagantly that they are vital to women because of not only the option to terminate their pregnancy, but to receive prenatal and ultrasound care if the woman decides to keep her pregnancy. This is the fair and balanced approach Planned Parenthood claims to have. Their name even suggests it! However, two investigations by Live Action showed that only 5 out of 97 Planned Parenthood clinics contacted around the nation offered prenatal care, and that only 3 of 68 Planned Parenthood clinics contacted offered ultrasounds to check on the health of the baby, rather than to abort it. You can view those revealing investigations by clicking these links: Prenatal Care Ultrasounds

3% of our services are abortions

This is a desperate "cooking of the books" statistic that is completely false. A left-leaning news blog like Slate called it "The most meaningless abortion statistic ever" and the Washington Post's fact-checker gave this statistic "three Pinocchios". It is completely false.

So how did Planned Parenthood come up with such a wildly distorted stat, and why? Watch this helpful video to find out. Like the video points out, to be a business whose greatest income is abortion would create a huge public relations problem for Planned Parenthood, so they found a way to make abortion look relatively small--despite the fact that they provide 30% of our nations abortions every year. They divided abortions by the amount of so called "services" which they self-described as a "discreet clinical interaction". So, for instance, they would count administering a pregnancy test as a service--the same pregnancy test they offer to woman to confirm their pregnancy before terminating it. Counting such miniscule services like a pregnancy test or STI test as equal to a much larger and more costly procedure like an abortion is clearly dumb math. It would be like if Burger King claimed that burgers were only 3% of what they offered--by counting each fry and ketchup package as equal to a burger.

PAP Tests and Breast Exams

Planned Parenthood does not have an essential part in administering these services like they claim. They provide only 0.97% of PAP Tests and 1.8% of Breast Exams nation-wide. America would clearly do just fine without them in these regards.

Washington's Post's Fact Checker found the claim that Planned Parenthood provides Mammograms completely bogus and worthy of three more long Pinocchio noses.

As far as their PAP Tests (cervical cancer screenings) go, this may be Planned Parenthood's greatest claim that they provide vital services other than abortion. They claim to do as many PAP exams as abortions. However, a PAP Test is a routine procedure that can be had for free or at a very low cost thanks to the National Breat and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program. Again, Planned Parenthood provides a tiny fraction of the PAP Tests around the country. Even if they were to go completely out of business, we wouldn't have some huge cancer crisis on our hands. The few patients comparatively speaking that they see for cervical cancer exams would be easily absorbed into other state health care providers.

I hope this information has helped give you a foundation to base your own study of Planned Parenthood off of. It's time we refuse to accept claims by Planned Parenthood at face value and do a little fact checking of our own. It wouldn't be advantageous for Planned Parenthood to say, "Abortion. No matter what", so they've chosen instead to hide behind the false claim of "Care. No matter what." It's time to hold them accountable to their claims. It's time that we force them to discard all their misleading propaganda and be upfront in what they are really all about: Abortion.  

Planned Parenthood: A Real Life Dystopian Regime?

Have you ever read a dystopian tale? If you have, than you will know that central to any Dystopia is a regime that offers a perfect society to the protagonists--but is in reality weaving a terrible web of lies and destruction. In these Dystopians, society isn't helped. Instead, it is de-humanized and oppressed. The regime rules securely, because either the public is unaware that they are being deceived or are unwilling to risk their safety to stand against the lies.

But then a tiny handful of heroic characters dare to stand, like Jonas from the Giver or Katniss from the Hunger Games, and expose the lies of the regime. And the world is shook to its core. It's because of the courage of the few in the face of overwhelming odds that I love a good Dystopian story. They inspire me to stand strong against the lies in my own world.

And's it's because of the courage of a few in my own world that I bring you this article today to get the facts out about a regime that demands our attention, a regime that demands we take a stand against.

Planned Parenthood.

In 2015, the Center for Medical Progress exposed a practice of Planned Parenthood's to rival the most dreadful of Dystopia ideas: Planned Parenthood was selling aborted babys' organs for profit. Their undercover videos are abundantly clear about this. Dr. Deborah Nucatola, Planned Parenthood's Senior Director of Medical Services, specifically talks about the high demand of hearts and livers, and how abortion doctors use ultrasound-guided "procedures" to make sure they don't damage these sought after parts as they extract the baby they just killed. This and many other videos, which can be found on CMP's website, should chill us to the bone.

They are very clearly talking about human organs here, people. It's not "fetal tissue" being discussed, but human body parts. Planned Parenthood should have been immediately closed down and prosecuted. At the very least they should have been defunded by the government!

Instead? Planned Parenthood continues to have widespread support and is given about $500,000,000 annually in government grants. What is more, David Daleiden and Sandra Merrit, the journalists who exposed this inhumane brutality, have just been charged with fifteen felonies. https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/breaking-california-charges-david-daleiden-with-15-crimes-for-exposing-pl

Planned Parenthood has become a practiced expert in deceit. They can dodge each shocking reveal about their atrocities with practiced ease because of the incredible network of propaganda they have built around themselves. Propaganda, though, is easily combatted if we are willing to actually do the hard work of pursuing truth, like any good journalist or involved citizen should be doing (and not being charged fifteen felonies for). That work has been done; the truth is out there about Planned Parenthood. We just need to share it, to do our part to expose Planned Parenthood. Decency demands we act and give voice to the defenseless who cannot speak for themselves in their mother's womb. We can no longer claim the safety of the sideline in this struggle to save these tiny babies from being cut into pieces. Let's speak out!

And when we do, Maybe--just maybe--America will regain it's conscience again. We have before. Once in our history, 4 million African Americans were held in bondage and treated as sub-human. It took us nearly two hundred years, but slavery was abolished throughout our land. As I have studied American History recently, I was shocked to realize that abortion is approaching or at its own two-hundredth birthday in our nation. It has claimed untold millions of lives, making the 4 million slaves held in bondage--but at least allowed to live--a comparatively piddling statistic. It's more than time for abortion to be abolished. And what's more, I believe we will be the generation that sees an end to abortion in America, if we are faithful to stand for the unborn.

Look for a post tomorrow that will combat each facet of Planned Parenthood's propaganda with fact-checking truths. May it help you in your fight to stand for truth and for the unborn!

God Can Use You to Reach the World: The Inspirational True Story of my Sister, Caroline, and Forty Days for Life

Do you ever doubt that God can use you?

Maybe you are shy or insecure, like we all are at times. Maybe you cave under the pressure of your peers too often. Maybe you feel sin has too much of grip on you for you to ever break free. You admire the Christian heroes all around you, but you know you can never be one of them.

Well think again, because my sister Caroline is living proof that God will use you if you commit yourself to Him!

The beginning of this year, Caroline said "yes" to God in a way that would stretch her way outside her comfort zone. She decided to run a Forty Days for Life campaign--a peaceful prayer vigil to pray for the end of abortion outside our local Planned Parenthood clinic. While I really appreciated her heart to stand for the unborn, honestly my first thought when she told me she was going to coordinate a vigil was:

"Say whaaat?"

I have grown up with my awesome sister from the womb onwards. I know her very, very well, and so I knew leading a public event wasn't exactly her forte. She is a sweet, smart, over-all-very-beautiful young lady, but she is most definitely an introvert. She hates making phone calls. And public speaking. And confrontation.

And those things were kind of what being a Forty Days for Life local coordinator was all about.

Caroline knew all this. She knew how much it would stretch her, and yet her burning desire to serve God and stand for the defenseless compelled her. Her desire launched her into orbit in the vast unknown outside her comfort zone like some crazy, brave NASA astronaut trying to reach the moon. There was no aborting (pun not intended) the voyage, only strapping on her spacesuit--or in this case, her spiritual armor--and getting right down to work.

She had said "yes" to this journey because of her faith in God. What else could she do?

Now make no mistake, this courageous step of faith did not mean she suddenly became an eloquent, gifted public speaker and prayer vigil leader. It was almost painful to watch her worry about her first few phone calls and meetings with local pastors. She would always take a sibling along to her first few meetings, not to be an "Aaron" for her like Moses, but to at least provide some much needed moral support. She was still naturally timid--to the point where even speaking in front of our own church was too scary at first. She had our dad give the first few announcements about Forty Days for Life. At one point, after a particularly hard morning, the stress and worry overwhelmed her, and she cried in one of the back rooms of our church.

I was almost tempted to be mad at God for putting my introverted sister through all these struggles. I appreciated her heart so much, but still, didn't God see that she was not naturally gifted for a leadership role like this? Didn't He see that it was making her cry and breaking her down?

And yet, even at these low points, I started catching glimpses of the work God was doing, not only in the heart of my sister, but in the heart of our community. Caroline met fellow Protestant and even a few Catholic friends who vastly encouraged her and helped her to stand strong. The prayer vigil schedule started filling up with eager prayer warriors willing to make a stand for life. Caroline started giving the announcements at our church. She started reaching for the phone as soon as it started ringing, shouting, "I'll get it!!". She spoke for forty-five minutes in front of the small army of prayer warriors she had  gathered at the Forty Days for Life kickoff rally.

The prayer vigil started. Caroline trekked out to Planned Parenthood almost every day to get the vigil off on the right foot and to encourage her troops. She became  affectionately known as "The Little General" because of her knack at keeping her prayer warriors on track and committed to praying to end abortion.

She started meeting the "unfriendlies", those who thought she and anyone praying to end abortion were anti-women bigots. She didn't shrink from the challenge to show them differently. After long, emotionally-draining days in front of Planned Parenthood, you could find her back at the house studying up on the facts about Planned Parenthood, abortion, and the devastating effects both have on women. I have gotten to see this knowledge in action several times as we have been approached by "pro-choice" people in front of the clinic. She demonstrates her love for them, while at the same time standing strong for the truth and debunking a lot of the false pro-Planned Parenthood, pro-abortion arguments thrown at her.

Her resolve was demonstrated the most when a fledgling counter rally was organized against Forty Days for Life by several young ladies of the local college. They stand on the same street corner with us in front of Forty Days for Life, holding signs like "Pray to end judgement" and "Jesus didn't shame women, and neither should you". They often stand right in-between all of us prayer warriors who hold our "Pray to End Abortion" signs. It was almost a comical scene, though without Caroline's leadership and encouragement to love these ladies, it could have been a very volatile, emotional one. These ladies expected us to respond in a negative way. They assumed we would try to kick them off "our" corner. They were completely caught off guard by our appreciation that they were there and our desire to engage in friendly discussion about our differing viewpoints. They've thanked Caroline for being so "chill", as they put it.

And soon, Caroline and our family will be meeting to talk more with the woman who lead the counter rally and a pro-abortion man running for senator. We hope to be able to plant more seeds of truth in their hearts.

Then, on Friday, God took it one step further. Caroline got a call from the national leader of Forty Days for Life, the Shawn Carney as she put it. He asked her to speak in front of the national rally of vigil leaders, to share her testimony. This would have probably struck Caroline mute with terror but a couple of months ago, but last Friday she answered immediately, "Yes". No, "Let me get back with you" or "Let me pray about it". Just yes.

Talk about a transformation.

"I've learned that you just have to say 'yes' to God, wherever He takes you," Caroline told me yesterday. "He will be faithful to uphold you and see you through."

That's really what it all comes down to, isn't it? Can we trust God enough to lay our lives in His hands, to allow Him to do whatever He wants with them? Can we trust Him even as He launches us into orbit outside our comfort zones? Can we dare to dream that He can use us in mighty ways? Yes, yes, yes! I would say. I've seen it happen right in front of my own eyes. I've seen the way God has used my sister Caroline in mighty ways when she submitted her insecurities and fears to Him and took that leap of faith. It inspires me!

Someday when I grow up, I want to be more like my sister Caroline. Don't you?

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.

Proverbs 3:5-6

Abortion, 1 BC

What if abortion had been around for the greatest of all unplanned pregnancies?

Imagine a girl, trembling hands pressed to her stomach. She's almost three months along in her pregnancy, and she will be starting to show soon. What will her fiancé do? What could he possibly do? This isn't their child. They never came together. She wonders how on earth she can possibly explain it to him. How can she? He will never understand.

She lives in Israel, 1 BC. Back then, unwed girls found to be with child were stoned according to the law.

If abortion had been around back then, would she have taken advantage of it?

It would make sense, right? What right did this pregnancy have to destroy her hopes and dreams? She would never be able to marry the man she loved. At best, he would send her away privately so as not to cause a scene. At worst, he would pick up a stone. She knew he loved her. She knew he wouldn't be able to pick up that stone. But still, he was a righteous man. This pregnancy would drive an inseparable rift between him, because he wouldn't be able to understand that she had been anything other than unfaithful to him. He would send her away, privately. And permanently.

But what if an abortion could make that rift disappear? What if she could still have his love, if she would but terminate the pregnancy?

Is this the life she would be forced to live if not? Was she destined for isolation and shame because of this unexpected pregnancy? Would her family disown her? Would they forget she ever existed, or at least pretend she never existed? Could she possible support herself and a baby? How would she?

Abortion could take away the insecurity. It would provide safety for her. It would make all the questions go away.

What if her fiancé, Joseph by name, learned she was pregnant, but had that third option other than stoning her or sending her away? Wouldn't he love her enough to urge her to get the abortion? Wouldn't that be what's best for all of them? After all, who could trust that his fiancé had really seen an angel? People had hallucinations all the time--a matter of dehydration, or a really bad lunch. Could this angel have been a hallucination, especially given its bizarre message about a virgin birth?

Yes, an abortion certainly would make sense in this case, wouldn't it?

So who would have blamed Marry for aborting the greatest unplanned pregnancy of all time?

Would you have?

Now at this time Mary arose and went in a hurry to the hill country, to a city of Judah, and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. And she cried out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!“And how has it happened to me, that the mother of my Lord would come to me? “For behold, when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy. “And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what had been spoken to her by the Lord.”

Luke 1 39-45