A few days ago, a cargo plane in Afghanistan carrying 7 pilots and crewmen accelerated down the runway and took off. However, after reaching an altitude of about 1,200 feet, it stalled. The pilot veered to the right in an apparent attempt to regain speed but it was too late. It crashed into the ground and burst into flames killing everyone on board. A video taken from a vehicle dash cam showed the surreal, horrifying scene.As I watched the clip on the news, I knew ahead of time that the crash was coming. Yet, as I observed the plane take off knowing that they had about 15-20 seconds left to live, I realized that the crewmen inside the plane were clueless as to what was about to happen. They were moments from their own demise and didn't even know it!
As I also watch American culture and it's rapid moral decline, I cannot help but realize that unless God's people wake up and push back the darkness through 1) prayer, 2) changing hearts by leading folks to a saving faith in Jesus, and 3) by legislation, we are headed for our own demise ... and probably much sooner than we think.
It's seems to me that one of the clearest signs of our coming doom is the issue of abortion. Masked behind the veil of "women's rights," it has become a major catalyst in helping us to become a culture of death.
To view a few undercover videos of what abortionists
approve and advise their patients behind the closed
doors of their clinics, simply click on the following links:
As abortion becomes more accepted and normalized and as our nation's conscience becomes further desensitized, we should not be surprised if, very soon, other human life is no longer valued (e.g. the elderly, the handicapped, etc.).
A Christian worldview is diametrically opposed to our nation's growing acceptance of abortion. Let me ask you some questions: Have you ever thought about what gives people value? Are you worth anything? And if so, why?
That answer is clear in the Bible. Your worth is based upon one primary thing: you are made in God's image! God's fingerprints are all over you!
Genesis 1:26-27 "Then God said, 'Let us make man in our image, after our likeness' ... So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them."
Did you get that? Your worth isn't based upon how much money you have. It's not based upon how successful you are or how much influence you have. Your worth isn't based upon how much you contribute to society. It's not based upon what others say about you. It's not based upon who you know. It's not based upon your age or the fact that you are still growing in your mother's womb.
Pure and simple, your worth comes from the fact that you have God's fingerprints all over you! You are His creation! No matter what you do or who you become, you are a person of value.
That cannot be taken away from you. You are God's creation made in his image and therefore, you have worth!
Without making this post too long, I'd like to take you to one more passage of Scripture - Psalm 139. In this Psalm, King David exalted God for his greatness. Specifically, he elaborated on the three "omni's" of God:
- Psalm 139:1-6 - God is omniscient (God knows all things)
- Psalm 139:7-12 - God is omnipresent (God is completely everywhere at all times)
- Psalm 139:13-18 - God is omnipotent (God can do anything God desires to do)
In regard to the last attribute (God's omnipotence), how would you have illustrated God's power if you wrote this psalm? If I wrote it, I probably would have described his action in the creation of the world. I would have talked about how He formed the massive galaxies with only a word. Talk about power!!!
Yet, that's not what the Psalmist used to illustrate God's omnipotence. Instead, as the Holy Spirit directed him, he illustrated God's infinite power by describing His work in forming a child in the womb. Just think about that!!!
Psalm 139:13-18 "For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them. How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I would count them, they are more than the sand. I awake, and I am still with you."
In a Christian worldview, every single person is viewed as someone of value because they are created by God in His image (even though we are tarnished by sin). The baby in the womb is to be protected just as should an elderly person who no longer is able to contribute to society. Why? Because they are a human life created in God's image! God's fingerprints are all over them and therefore, they have value!
Unfortunately for all of us, Christianity is losing its influence in American culture. As this continues to happen, we shouldn't be surprised if human value nosedives at some point and death is not simply the plight of the unborn ... but of the elderly who are unproductive, the handicapped or whoever is deemed by society a "burden." (If you scoff at my conclusions, wait for about 10-20 years and then let's see if you're still laughing.)
As Christians stand against abortion, we're not standing against women's rights. We're fighting for the life of the unborn who has value. We're also fighting against a mindset that may soon move to claim other "burdens" on society.
It blows my mind that Christianity is seen as a threat to our society (Christian soldiers may now be court martialed for sharing their faith) when we are virtually alone in standing up for human value!
1 comment:
Absolutely spot on Matt! I, too, think the downward spiral of our culture is accelerating. I couldn't agree with you more. I often share Psalm 139 with others. I think it's a powerful message for all of us. Thanks again.
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