Freedom of Choice Act
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Freedom of Choice Act (H.R. 1964/S. 1173) is a bill in the United States Congress which, if enacted, would abolish all restrictions and limitations on women in the United States to have an abortion prior to fetal viability, whether at the State or Federal level, or after the point of viability when the life of the mother is endangered.
Findings
The bill states in its findings section that Congress has the affirmative power to legislate abortion based, in part, on the crossing of state lines by abortion providers, women seeking abortions, and medical supplies used in abortions.
Sponsorship
The Freedom of Choice Act was sponsored in the House of Representatives by Congressman Jerrold Nadler, and originally co-sponsored by Congressman James Greenwood, Congresswoman Louise Slaughter, and Congresswoman Diana Degette. In the Senate, it was sponsored by Senator Barbara Boxer, and originally co-sponsored by Senators Jon Corzine, Patty Murray, Frank Lautenberg, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Maria Cantwell, Jim Jeffords, Joseph Lieberman, Diane Feinstein, Paul Sarbanes, and Barbara Mikulski. The bill was introduced in the United States House of Representatives on January 21, 2004, and in the United States Senate on January 22, 2004. Barack Obama promises to sign it if it is passed by Congress.
Status
The bills were referred to the Judiciary Committees of their respective Houses. Neither bill received further action in the 108th Congress. The bills were reintroduced in the 110th Congress, but like their predecessors, have been referred to committee without further action.
Description
The bill is described by NARAL Pro-Choice America president Nancy Keenan as a bill to "codify Roe v. Wade" which would "repeal the Bush-backed Federal Abortion Ban," referring to the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act, "and other federal restrictions," [1]. Similarly, opponents of the bill assert that[2] it would, if passed, invalidate every restriction on an abortion before the stage of viability, in every state, even those previously found consistent with Roe v. Wade by the United States Supreme Court, such as parental notification laws, waiting periods, requirements of full disclosure of the physical and emotional risks inherent in abortion, and the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act. Opponents further assert that it would challenge the right of religiously-based hospitals or clinics to refuse to perform abortions, and that it would force the repeal of the Hyde Amendment, which restricts the use of Federal funding for abortions. Conservative legal scholar Douglas Kmiec disagrees with the latter assertion, noting that the Hyde Amendment is renewed annually by Congress and argues that this legislation would not supersede it [3].
Debate
President-elect Barack Obama became a co-sponsor of the 2007 Senate version of the bill (S. 1173). Responding to a question regarding how he would preserve reproductive rights in a speech given to the Planned Parenthood Action Fund on July 17, 2007, he declared "The first thing I'd do, as president, is sign the Freedom of Choice Act. That's the first thing that I'd do."[4] Although those who oppose the Act have interpreted it as an attempt to obligate religious hospitals to either "do abortions or close"[5], supporters point to conscience clause laws[6] that would protect religious hospitals.[7] Opponents counter that such conscience clauses are weak and easily reinterpreted, and do not explicitly allow religious hospitals to ban the abortion procedure within the hospital.[8]
Some opponents point out that the rationale for legislating abortion on a federal level could logically be extended to every act of commerce that may occur across state lines, and say that such a rationale is likely to be deemed unconstitutional.
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has been vehemently opposed to the Freedom of Choice Act. According to the USCCB's Secretariat for Pro-Life Activites, FOCA would not only "codify the Supreme Court's 1973 decision in Roe v. Wade" but "in allowing and promoting abortion, FOCA goes far beyond even Roe."[9] On November 12, 2008, Francis Cardinal George, president of the USCCB, warned that FOCA would limit the right of Catholic hospitals and doctors to not offer abortions adding that, "those who support FOCA must realize that if Catholic hospitals are ever required to perform abortions, the bishops will close every one of them; no one would be hurt more than the poor."[10] Drawing on Pope Paul VI's encyclical Humanae Vitae, the Catholic apologist Frank M. Rega, S.F.O., writes[11]:
The Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA) is legislation co-sponsored by Barack Obama which would nullify all state laws that in any way attempt to limit or regulate abortion, including partial-birth abortion. Ironically, it specifies that government will not interfere with a woman’s choice to keep or to kill her unborn child. Nevertheless, FOCA would be a major move towards the dangerous precipice of government-mandated abortion, since it would consolidate all power over birth control into the hands of federal law and authorities. From there it would only be a small step to amend it in the light of overriding national health interests, environmental or population concerns, or any other reason deemed appropriate. Thus the FOCA clause in section 4.b.1.a, stating that a woman has the “right to choose to bear a child” could conveniently and easily be changed to, for example, that a woman has the right to choose to bear up to two children. More ominously, it could be amended to state that a woman has the right to bear a child, except in cases of rape, incest, Down syndrome, etc.
The pro-life organization Americans United for Life (AUL) began a petition called Fight FOCA to collect signatures to oppose FOCA. AUL also wrote an open letter to Senator Barack Obama on FOCA.[12] As of Friday, December 5, 2008, at 22:39:00 UT, the Fight FOCA petition has 311,013 signatures.
C.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Not As Graphic..Abortion Part 2
Psalm 139; 13,14 "For you formed my inward parts you covered me in my mother's womb. I will praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are your works, and that my soul knows very well."
In this psalm, David affirms that the work of God in his life extended back to his development in his mother's womb. Who was in the womb? David was. The Bible NEVER uses anything less than human terms to describe the unborn. Science teaches us that an unborn child is just as much an independent human being as you are. The original human cell consists of 46 chromosomes, 23 from each parent. At no point during pregnancy does the mother contribute any new cells to the child. The original cell divides itself and multiplies to provide development and growth for the child. Scientifically speaking, the child is just as independent at six months before birth as they are six months after birth. That means the baby is unique, having half mom and half dad in them at conception. Yes the mother does provide nourishment to the unborn child, but she also provides nourishment with breast milk to a newborn child.
Matthew 7:12 "Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the law of the prophets."
Would you care to be pickled to death with an injection? Or have your life scraped away with a tool that looks like a spoon? Or maybe you desire to have your brain removed? Abortion goes against this golden rule passage that Jesus personally delivered to us. No one desires these things.
Psalm 51:3 "For I acknowledge my transgressions, and my sin is always before me."
David confessed this to God after his sin with Bathsheba. David had a constant conviction and regret for what he did. David committed adultery with Bathsheba and had her husband murdered on the battlefield. And he regretted this deeply. Most women who have abortions, spend the rest of their lives regretting it. I ask that you visit with some woman who has had an abortion. Ask her if she would do it again, ask her if she has any regrets. Abortion brings shame, heartache and deep deep regret. Why would this be if it wasn't wrong?
Psalm 127:3 "Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward."
Many translations as this translation refers to say children are a gift from God. The fact that one becomes pregnant is a reward from God. Why would you want to terminate that?
2 Kings 8:12 "And Hazael said, “Why is my lord weeping?”
He answered, “Because I know the evil that you will do to the children of Israel: Their strongholds you will set on fire, and their young men you will kill with the sword; and you will dash their children, and rip open their women with child.”
This is a prophecy of the bad things Hazael would bring upon Israel. These are not good things, young men being killed by the sword, children being killed and pregnant women being ripped open. These are bad things according to this passage as they should be.
Matthew 2:16 "Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men."
Luke 2:12 "And this will be the sign to you; you will find a babe in swaddling clothes lying in a manger."
This verse calls newborn children babes. And this is referring to the baby Jesus. But Luke 1:41 uses the same word babes to describe unborn children in the womb. There is no distinction between whether they're born or in the womb, they're both described as human life, as children. In the book of Daniel, Daniel, Meshach ,Abed-nego and Shadrach would not defile themselves with a portion of the king's food nor with the king's wine. They also would not bow down and worship the king. That ended up getting the three in a fiery furnace and landed Daniel in a den of lions. I'm sure many of us know these stories, but I would like to just point out that the Bible calls out many times not to live a compromising life. We are not to compromise our views and our convictions from the Lord and His word. If broken, Keep the faith. If in financial ruins, keep the faith. If in a blazing furnace, KEEP THE FAITH!
Again I will end like my last post. Let us see from God's word that abortion is wrong in many many ways. Let us make it and see it as the big issue that it is. My prayer is that God shows mercy on us, a nation that claims to be founded on Christian beliefs, yet so often overlooks God and His will and ways for "rights", or economy, or just plain greed. Let us wake up and lean on Him, it saved Daniel and his companions, and it can save us too.
With love,
C.
In this psalm, David affirms that the work of God in his life extended back to his development in his mother's womb. Who was in the womb? David was. The Bible NEVER uses anything less than human terms to describe the unborn. Science teaches us that an unborn child is just as much an independent human being as you are. The original human cell consists of 46 chromosomes, 23 from each parent. At no point during pregnancy does the mother contribute any new cells to the child. The original cell divides itself and multiplies to provide development and growth for the child. Scientifically speaking, the child is just as independent at six months before birth as they are six months after birth. That means the baby is unique, having half mom and half dad in them at conception. Yes the mother does provide nourishment to the unborn child, but she also provides nourishment with breast milk to a newborn child.
Matthew 7:12 "Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the law of the prophets."
Would you care to be pickled to death with an injection? Or have your life scraped away with a tool that looks like a spoon? Or maybe you desire to have your brain removed? Abortion goes against this golden rule passage that Jesus personally delivered to us. No one desires these things.
Psalm 51:3 "For I acknowledge my transgressions, and my sin is always before me."
David confessed this to God after his sin with Bathsheba. David had a constant conviction and regret for what he did. David committed adultery with Bathsheba and had her husband murdered on the battlefield. And he regretted this deeply. Most women who have abortions, spend the rest of their lives regretting it. I ask that you visit with some woman who has had an abortion. Ask her if she would do it again, ask her if she has any regrets. Abortion brings shame, heartache and deep deep regret. Why would this be if it wasn't wrong?
Psalm 127:3 "Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward."
Many translations as this translation refers to say children are a gift from God. The fact that one becomes pregnant is a reward from God. Why would you want to terminate that?
2 Kings 8:12 "And Hazael said, “Why is my lord weeping?”
He answered, “Because I know the evil that you will do to the children of Israel: Their strongholds you will set on fire, and their young men you will kill with the sword; and you will dash their children, and rip open their women with child.”
This is a prophecy of the bad things Hazael would bring upon Israel. These are not good things, young men being killed by the sword, children being killed and pregnant women being ripped open. These are bad things according to this passage as they should be.
Matthew 2:16 "Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men."
Luke 2:12 "And this will be the sign to you; you will find a babe in swaddling clothes lying in a manger."
This verse calls newborn children babes. And this is referring to the baby Jesus. But Luke 1:41 uses the same word babes to describe unborn children in the womb. There is no distinction between whether they're born or in the womb, they're both described as human life, as children. In the book of Daniel, Daniel, Meshach ,Abed-nego and Shadrach would not defile themselves with a portion of the king's food nor with the king's wine. They also would not bow down and worship the king. That ended up getting the three in a fiery furnace and landed Daniel in a den of lions. I'm sure many of us know these stories, but I would like to just point out that the Bible calls out many times not to live a compromising life. We are not to compromise our views and our convictions from the Lord and His word. If broken, Keep the faith. If in financial ruins, keep the faith. If in a blazing furnace, KEEP THE FAITH!
Again I will end like my last post. Let us see from God's word that abortion is wrong in many many ways. Let us make it and see it as the big issue that it is. My prayer is that God shows mercy on us, a nation that claims to be founded on Christian beliefs, yet so often overlooks God and His will and ways for "rights", or economy, or just plain greed. Let us wake up and lean on Him, it saved Daniel and his companions, and it can save us too.
With love,
C.
Monday, December 8, 2008
Warning:Graphic Abortion Part 1
The Bible is quiet about abortions. No where does it say, thou shall not have an abortion. However, the Bible does mention loud and clear respect and love for life and prohibits murder...what I feel abortion is. I know this is a touchy subject for some and I won't deny that I'm probably going to offend some. First we'll start with some general info.
There are five basic types of abortion being performed in America today, while one may be added in the near future due to the election results.
1.) Suction type abortion this is where the unborn child is literally vacuumed from the womb during the early stages of pregnancy.
2.) The currette abortion.....this is where the child is cut from the mother's womb with a spoon like object.
3.) Cesarean operation.......this is where the baby is surgically removed from the mother and allowed to suffocate because the child's lungs are not developed.
4.) The salt brine technique...this is the method where the child is literally "pickled" to death by the injection of a strong salt solution. A few days after the injection, the baby is stillborn.
5.) The RU-486 Abortion pill..This pill works by inhibiting pregnancy hormones and is normally used within 7 weeks from conception. However it sometimes fails and if so, you would need to undergo a surgical abortion.
There is currently much debate over the practice of partial birth abortions which as of now is illegal. This practice will be allowed if the president elect follows through with the "freedom of choice act" as he said he would. Partial birth abortion is where a child is partially delivered (everything but the baby's head) then stabbed in the skull and has his/her brain removed. This technique can be done up to nine months.
I understand a lot of people view abortion as wrong unless it puts the mother or child in grave danger or is a result of incest or rape. Well the facts show that 3% of abortions are done because of the mother's health. Another 3% are because of the baby's health. While 1%, that's right only 1% abortions are done because of rape or incest. That leaves a staggering 93% of abortions done simply because the babies are unwanted. An average of 1,500,000 abortions are done per year. That amounts to 4,000 abortions per day, which comes out to nearly 3 per minute. How many unborn children will die while you read this blog?
Prior to the Roe V Wade decision of 1973 an estimated 500,000 illegal abortions were occurring each year. By 1975, 2 years after abortions became legal, that number doubled to 1 million per year.
I had a fellow from work tell me that back in the 70s, Larry Flint of Hustler magazine did an issue which showed a bunch of women who "bled out" and died while having an illegal "back alley abortion". He said that's why he feels it should be legal, since women will do it anyway and might as well have a safe environment to do it in. I must admit that's a good argument, but if that's the case, should we then legalize heroine since people get AIDs from the needles or get bad drugs and die? Under this way of thinking, we can even have the abusers have doctors in their offices shoot them up. What do you think?
Jeremiah 1:5 "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations."
Jeremiah was keenly aware that the call of God in his life had been determined by God before his conception. In reference to pregnant women in the Bible, the term "with child" occurs 26 times. The term "with fetus" is nowhere in the Bible. God does not see unborn children as fetuses or merely tissues, but a person, a human life. If God allows a child to be conceived, then he may have plans for that child. Mary's parents didn't know she would give birth to the Savior of the world. On the last post I did, I used Luke 1 to show that John the Baptist, being in the womb, leaped for joy. That's what got me thinking about this abortion issue. And also, K was telling me that last night on the news, it showed people can buy a gift card from Planned Parenthood that can be used for abortions. Tell me how that really sounds? You can buy a gift card for someone to go have an abortion! Does that sound right? I take this issue extremely serious because I believe 100% it is the act of killing innocent life. I found out years ago my mom had an abortion appointment while pregnant with me and my dad turning off the highway is the only reason I'm here. I have not changed the world, but I'm glad I'm here and my kids are here.
Abortion lowers the moral fabric this country is barely hanging onto as is. Many of you will call me extreme, but honestly, if we let doctors in the name of science and rights kill unborn children then what's next? Should we be allowed to kill our grandparents or parents if they end up suffering from senility? Or maybe we should have the right to kill mentally retarded or seriously sick people? Should we maybe kill people like me, who in the name of Christ refused be conformed to this world and its views of right and wrong? This is all a reality that could happen and it starts by giving sin an inch. Sin will end up growing and taking a mile, and much much more. That's it for tonight. I will post part 2 with much more scripture demonstrating the act is wrong. Feel free to leave your opinions and feedback....either way.
I pray we make this issue the size it deserves. These abortions would be healthy human lives made in the image of our Heavenly Father.
With love,
C.
There are five basic types of abortion being performed in America today, while one may be added in the near future due to the election results.
1.) Suction type abortion this is where the unborn child is literally vacuumed from the womb during the early stages of pregnancy.
2.) The currette abortion.....this is where the child is cut from the mother's womb with a spoon like object.
3.) Cesarean operation.......this is where the baby is surgically removed from the mother and allowed to suffocate because the child's lungs are not developed.
4.) The salt brine technique...this is the method where the child is literally "pickled" to death by the injection of a strong salt solution. A few days after the injection, the baby is stillborn.
5.) The RU-486 Abortion pill..This pill works by inhibiting pregnancy hormones and is normally used within 7 weeks from conception. However it sometimes fails and if so, you would need to undergo a surgical abortion.
There is currently much debate over the practice of partial birth abortions which as of now is illegal. This practice will be allowed if the president elect follows through with the "freedom of choice act" as he said he would. Partial birth abortion is where a child is partially delivered (everything but the baby's head) then stabbed in the skull and has his/her brain removed. This technique can be done up to nine months.
I understand a lot of people view abortion as wrong unless it puts the mother or child in grave danger or is a result of incest or rape. Well the facts show that 3% of abortions are done because of the mother's health. Another 3% are because of the baby's health. While 1%, that's right only 1% abortions are done because of rape or incest. That leaves a staggering 93% of abortions done simply because the babies are unwanted. An average of 1,500,000 abortions are done per year. That amounts to 4,000 abortions per day, which comes out to nearly 3 per minute. How many unborn children will die while you read this blog?
Prior to the Roe V Wade decision of 1973 an estimated 500,000 illegal abortions were occurring each year. By 1975, 2 years after abortions became legal, that number doubled to 1 million per year.
I had a fellow from work tell me that back in the 70s, Larry Flint of Hustler magazine did an issue which showed a bunch of women who "bled out" and died while having an illegal "back alley abortion". He said that's why he feels it should be legal, since women will do it anyway and might as well have a safe environment to do it in. I must admit that's a good argument, but if that's the case, should we then legalize heroine since people get AIDs from the needles or get bad drugs and die? Under this way of thinking, we can even have the abusers have doctors in their offices shoot them up. What do you think?
Jeremiah 1:5 "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations."
Jeremiah was keenly aware that the call of God in his life had been determined by God before his conception. In reference to pregnant women in the Bible, the term "with child" occurs 26 times. The term "with fetus" is nowhere in the Bible. God does not see unborn children as fetuses or merely tissues, but a person, a human life. If God allows a child to be conceived, then he may have plans for that child. Mary's parents didn't know she would give birth to the Savior of the world. On the last post I did, I used Luke 1 to show that John the Baptist, being in the womb, leaped for joy. That's what got me thinking about this abortion issue. And also, K was telling me that last night on the news, it showed people can buy a gift card from Planned Parenthood that can be used for abortions. Tell me how that really sounds? You can buy a gift card for someone to go have an abortion! Does that sound right? I take this issue extremely serious because I believe 100% it is the act of killing innocent life. I found out years ago my mom had an abortion appointment while pregnant with me and my dad turning off the highway is the only reason I'm here. I have not changed the world, but I'm glad I'm here and my kids are here.
Abortion lowers the moral fabric this country is barely hanging onto as is. Many of you will call me extreme, but honestly, if we let doctors in the name of science and rights kill unborn children then what's next? Should we be allowed to kill our grandparents or parents if they end up suffering from senility? Or maybe we should have the right to kill mentally retarded or seriously sick people? Should we maybe kill people like me, who in the name of Christ refused be conformed to this world and its views of right and wrong? This is all a reality that could happen and it starts by giving sin an inch. Sin will end up growing and taking a mile, and much much more. That's it for tonight. I will post part 2 with much more scripture demonstrating the act is wrong. Feel free to leave your opinions and feedback....either way.
I pray we make this issue the size it deserves. These abortions would be healthy human lives made in the image of our Heavenly Father.
With love,
C.
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Advent
Advent time is here again. This is a time that we observe and contemplate the birth of Christ. It is also a time to remind us (which we should keep ready at all times) that as our Lord came once, he is coming again.
We should take this time to reflect on what really happened that first Christmas. The harsh realities of the dark stank stable, the cold night, and the door to the inn closed. And most importantly we should reflect and rejoice that in that time, God came into our mist. This is something that's not only happened in the past, but is still happening in the lives of repentant believers still today through the work of the Holy Spirit.
Advent is not only a celebration of the anniversary of our Lord who came, but is an opportunity to consider the future, the second advent, the promised coming of God's kingdom on earth. (Revelation 22:20, 2Peter 3:13) We should never forget the grandness of what happened in the small town of Bethlehem. We are all familiar with the nativity scene, a small precious child laying in a manger, shepherds coming to see the king, wise men bringing gifts...this is all relevant and to be recognized. Yet the one thing we should always remember is that baby that laid in that manger is the same man who was crucified on the cross at the hill of Golgotha. The same man who promised to return in all His splendor and glory bringing His kingdom with Him.
They have wreaths, calendars, devotional books and on and on for the entire month of advent. I urge anyone to take part in such things and enjoy them. But I cannot stress enough, in this season, don't get wrapped up with the holiday rush around and all the consumerism that commercials and retailers are shoving on us. Remember the old saying, "Jesus IS the reason for the season. "
I ask that we all take some time this Christmas season and examine ourselves in the light of the gospel to see how far we are from Christ and what is our character of His faith and love. How many of us share the longing of the prophets for the Messiah to come. Mother Theresa once noted that the first person to welcome Christ was John the Baptist, who leaped for joy on recognizing him, though both of them were still in their mother's wombs. (Luke 1:39-45) Do you welcome Jesus into your lives like this? Do you recognize him for who he really was and not just some holiday we celebrate every year to give gifts?
I wanted to do this advent topic because most churches don't celebrate advent. Its lost in the consumerism and rush of the season. Most of my ideas and the Mother Theresa info came from the book, Watch For the Light, reading for advent and Christmas. A good read I recommend.
My prayer for all is that we forget the hustle and bustle of the season, that we forget how work is going, that we forget how the economy's doing, and that we concentrate on the one thing that really does matter, Jesus of Nazareth
With love,
C.
Luke 1:39-45
Now Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste, to a city of Judah, and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth. And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. Then she spoke out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! But why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For indeed, as soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord.”
We should take this time to reflect on what really happened that first Christmas. The harsh realities of the dark stank stable, the cold night, and the door to the inn closed. And most importantly we should reflect and rejoice that in that time, God came into our mist. This is something that's not only happened in the past, but is still happening in the lives of repentant believers still today through the work of the Holy Spirit.
Advent is not only a celebration of the anniversary of our Lord who came, but is an opportunity to consider the future, the second advent, the promised coming of God's kingdom on earth. (Revelation 22:20, 2Peter 3:13) We should never forget the grandness of what happened in the small town of Bethlehem. We are all familiar with the nativity scene, a small precious child laying in a manger, shepherds coming to see the king, wise men bringing gifts...this is all relevant and to be recognized. Yet the one thing we should always remember is that baby that laid in that manger is the same man who was crucified on the cross at the hill of Golgotha. The same man who promised to return in all His splendor and glory bringing His kingdom with Him.
They have wreaths, calendars, devotional books and on and on for the entire month of advent. I urge anyone to take part in such things and enjoy them. But I cannot stress enough, in this season, don't get wrapped up with the holiday rush around and all the consumerism that commercials and retailers are shoving on us. Remember the old saying, "Jesus IS the reason for the season. "
I ask that we all take some time this Christmas season and examine ourselves in the light of the gospel to see how far we are from Christ and what is our character of His faith and love. How many of us share the longing of the prophets for the Messiah to come. Mother Theresa once noted that the first person to welcome Christ was John the Baptist, who leaped for joy on recognizing him, though both of them were still in their mother's wombs. (Luke 1:39-45) Do you welcome Jesus into your lives like this? Do you recognize him for who he really was and not just some holiday we celebrate every year to give gifts?
I wanted to do this advent topic because most churches don't celebrate advent. Its lost in the consumerism and rush of the season. Most of my ideas and the Mother Theresa info came from the book, Watch For the Light, reading for advent and Christmas. A good read I recommend.
My prayer for all is that we forget the hustle and bustle of the season, that we forget how work is going, that we forget how the economy's doing, and that we concentrate on the one thing that really does matter, Jesus of Nazareth
With love,
C.
Luke 1:39-45
Now Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste, to a city of Judah, and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth. And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. Then she spoke out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! But why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For indeed, as soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord.”
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Does God Change His Mind?
We are told in the Bible to pray on all things. We are also told to be anxious for nothing, but to offer prayers and petitions to God. Well I have been asked before and even asked this question myself. If and when we pray, does that or will that change God's mind?
In the beginning, the first book of the Bible, Genesis, Abraham the forefather of the Israelites, is asking that the Lord not destroy Sodom and Gomorrah. He pleads as we will see in the verses below to save the cities if they have any righteous in them.
23Abraham came near and said, "Will You indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked?
24"Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city; will You indeed sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous who are in it?
25"Far be it from You to do such a thing, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous and the wicked are treated alike. Far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth deal justly?"
26So the LORD said, "If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare the whole place on their account."
27And Abraham replied, "Now behold, I have ventured to speak to the Lord, although I am but dust and ashes.
28"Suppose the fifty righteous are lacking five, will You destroy the whole city because of five?" And He said, "I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there."
29He spoke to Him yet again and said, "Suppose forty are found there?" And He said, "I will not do it on account of the forty."
30Then he said, "Oh may the Lord not be angry, and I shall speak; suppose thirty are found there?" And He said, "I will not do it if I find thirty there."
31And he said, "Now behold, I have ventured to speak to the Lord; suppose twenty are found there?" And He said, "I will not destroy it on account of the twenty."
32Then he said, "Oh may the Lord not be angry, and I shall speak only this once; suppose ten are found there?" And He said, "I will not destroy it on account of the ten."
33As soon as He had finished speaking to Abraham the LORD departed, and Abraham returned to his place.
First of all, as we asked in our Wednesday prayer class when looking at the passage, why did Abraham stop at ten? Did he feel like he was pushing the Lord too much? Did he in pleading with the Lord get a revelation or sense as to what God was going to do anyway? He was pleading for Lot, that's why he didn't want the cities destroyed...Lot lived there. Well even though Abraham was a great bargainer, the Lord in the next chapter sends to angels to Sodom and Gomorrah to destroy them. Abraham's prayer was still heard though in that Lot and a handful of his family was brought out of the cities before they were destroyed. Unfortunately his wife disobeyed the Lord and looked back as they were leaving and turned into a pillar of salt. That's a subject for another time, but I do want to note, don't do anything God tells you not to do.
To stay on topic, Abraham asked God to not destroy Sodom and Gemorrah, even pleaded with him, but it was God's will to do it. So it had to be done. God did know of Abraham's wish to have Lot spared and God being merciful and gracious granted him that. God did answer Abraham's prayer just not in the way Abraham had wanted or asked. Remember that...God knows what's best in the end for us and that is how he will answer all our prayers. Not for our will, but for His.
7Then the LORD spoke to Moses, "Go down at once, for your people, whom you brought up from the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves.
8"They have quickly turned aside from the way which I commanded them. They have made for themselves a molten calf, and have worshiped it and have sacrificed to it and said, 'This is your god, O Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt!'"
9The LORD said to Moses, "I have seen this people, and behold, they are an obstinate people.
10"Now then let Me alone, that My anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them; and I will make of you a great nation."
Moses' Entreaty 11Then Moses entreated the LORD his God, and said, "O LORD, why does Your anger burn against Your people whom You have brought out from the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand?
12"Why should the Egyptians speak, saying, 'With evil intent He brought them out to kill them in the mountains and to destroy them from the face of the earth'? Turn from Your burning anger and change Your mind about doing harm to Your people.
13"Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, Your servants to whom You swore by Yourself, and said to them, 'I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heavens, and all this land of which I have spoken I will give to your descendants, and they shall inherit it forever.'"
14So the LORD changed His mind about the harm which He said He would do to His people.
This is the story of the golden calf and the plea from Moses to God to spare the people from God's wrath. God had planned to pour out His wrath on them and make a great nation out of Moses. After Moses' plea, verse 14 says "so the Lord changed his mind about the harm which he said he would do to his people." (NASB) The King James version says God repented and other versions say God relented. What it boils down to is God did not destroy the Israelites like He was going to and make a great nation for Moses. So does God change His mind? In the end, God's will is always carried out. God may change the means to which the end comes about but it is always according to His will since He is sovereign. His mind may change, but His will does not. For His will to change would mean God is not perfect, which is absolutely not true. God is true perfection.
My prayer for all is that we bring our troubles and thanks and prayers to God no matter how big or small they may seem. That we may open our eyes to glimpse the way of which God's hand is working in all our prayers.That we see the beauty and glory of His perfect will.
With Love and prayers always.
C.
In the beginning, the first book of the Bible, Genesis, Abraham the forefather of the Israelites, is asking that the Lord not destroy Sodom and Gomorrah. He pleads as we will see in the verses below to save the cities if they have any righteous in them.
23Abraham came near and said, "Will You indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked?
24"Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city; will You indeed sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous who are in it?
25"Far be it from You to do such a thing, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous and the wicked are treated alike. Far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth deal justly?"
26So the LORD said, "If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare the whole place on their account."
27And Abraham replied, "Now behold, I have ventured to speak to the Lord, although I am but dust and ashes.
28"Suppose the fifty righteous are lacking five, will You destroy the whole city because of five?" And He said, "I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there."
29He spoke to Him yet again and said, "Suppose forty are found there?" And He said, "I will not do it on account of the forty."
30Then he said, "Oh may the Lord not be angry, and I shall speak; suppose thirty are found there?" And He said, "I will not do it if I find thirty there."
31And he said, "Now behold, I have ventured to speak to the Lord; suppose twenty are found there?" And He said, "I will not destroy it on account of the twenty."
32Then he said, "Oh may the Lord not be angry, and I shall speak only this once; suppose ten are found there?" And He said, "I will not destroy it on account of the ten."
33As soon as He had finished speaking to Abraham the LORD departed, and Abraham returned to his place.
First of all, as we asked in our Wednesday prayer class when looking at the passage, why did Abraham stop at ten? Did he feel like he was pushing the Lord too much? Did he in pleading with the Lord get a revelation or sense as to what God was going to do anyway? He was pleading for Lot, that's why he didn't want the cities destroyed...Lot lived there. Well even though Abraham was a great bargainer, the Lord in the next chapter sends to angels to Sodom and Gomorrah to destroy them. Abraham's prayer was still heard though in that Lot and a handful of his family was brought out of the cities before they were destroyed. Unfortunately his wife disobeyed the Lord and looked back as they were leaving and turned into a pillar of salt. That's a subject for another time, but I do want to note, don't do anything God tells you not to do.
To stay on topic, Abraham asked God to not destroy Sodom and Gemorrah, even pleaded with him, but it was God's will to do it. So it had to be done. God did know of Abraham's wish to have Lot spared and God being merciful and gracious granted him that. God did answer Abraham's prayer just not in the way Abraham had wanted or asked. Remember that...God knows what's best in the end for us and that is how he will answer all our prayers. Not for our will, but for His.
7Then the LORD spoke to Moses, "Go down at once, for your people, whom you brought up from the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves.
8"They have quickly turned aside from the way which I commanded them. They have made for themselves a molten calf, and have worshiped it and have sacrificed to it and said, 'This is your god, O Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt!'"
9The LORD said to Moses, "I have seen this people, and behold, they are an obstinate people.
10"Now then let Me alone, that My anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them; and I will make of you a great nation."
Moses' Entreaty 11Then Moses entreated the LORD his God, and said, "O LORD, why does Your anger burn against Your people whom You have brought out from the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand?
12"Why should the Egyptians speak, saying, 'With evil intent He brought them out to kill them in the mountains and to destroy them from the face of the earth'? Turn from Your burning anger and change Your mind about doing harm to Your people.
13"Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, Your servants to whom You swore by Yourself, and said to them, 'I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heavens, and all this land of which I have spoken I will give to your descendants, and they shall inherit it forever.'"
14So the LORD changed His mind about the harm which He said He would do to His people.
This is the story of the golden calf and the plea from Moses to God to spare the people from God's wrath. God had planned to pour out His wrath on them and make a great nation out of Moses. After Moses' plea, verse 14 says "so the Lord changed his mind about the harm which he said he would do to his people." (NASB) The King James version says God repented and other versions say God relented. What it boils down to is God did not destroy the Israelites like He was going to and make a great nation for Moses. So does God change His mind? In the end, God's will is always carried out. God may change the means to which the end comes about but it is always according to His will since He is sovereign. His mind may change, but His will does not. For His will to change would mean God is not perfect, which is absolutely not true. God is true perfection.
My prayer for all is that we bring our troubles and thanks and prayers to God no matter how big or small they may seem. That we may open our eyes to glimpse the way of which God's hand is working in all our prayers.That we see the beauty and glory of His perfect will.
With Love and prayers always.
C.
Saturday, October 4, 2008
"STORMS"
I wanted to do this blog on Jesus' teachings on love and compassion to all His creation, and all the analogies He uses referring us and Him many times as animals of one kind or another. Well that is still in the works so I'm gonna do this one on the storms that come along in our lives. We all face trials and temptations in life, and in times like that I find great comfort in the teachings Jesus gives us on the storms others have faced in His day and the way God uses it to show Himself and His power to us. I am pretty sure I have done a blog before on problems we face and go through in life. The Bible teaches that such times will come, for not even Jesus was spared trials and temptations. We will not be spared hard times, but instead we will be made and conformed into that of which God wants us to be through them.
James 1:2-4 "My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing."
Matthew 8:23-27 Now when He got into a boat, His disciples followed Him. And suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves. But He was asleep. Then His disciples came to Him and awoke Him, saying, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!” But He said to them, “Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?” Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. So the men marveled, saying, “Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?”
Now this is a literal storm that the disciples went through here, and imagine the fear that must have gripped them, for they thought they were gonna die. Now I gotta ask, how is it Jesus was sleeping during a raging storm like this? Do you sometimes feel that God is sleeping when you are in the middle of a raging storm that is trying to consume your life? Do you feel like He is not hearing your cries and waking up to calm the storm like He did for the disciples here? Well, the storms will and are coming, and rest assured that Jesus knows that they are and He knows the best way to calm them.
I have no doubt that Jesus knew this storm was coming before He even got in the boat. He slept and was in the boat during the storm with them (as in life He is with us) and He wanted to show them what faith really was, and to in times of trouble cry out and call upon Him. Many times in the gospels things like this happened so that Jesus could teach the disciples (and us) to rely, depend, and trust in Him completely. This story shows a touching picture of Christs humanity that He fell asleep and was so weary that not even the violent rocking of the boat woke Him. This story also shows us of His power as the Son of God that He awoke and rebuked the sea and winds and they obeyed Him. In the storms and the good times of life, that's the type of Saviour I choose to serve and obey!
The next set of scriptures I am gonna comment on is the story of the death and resurrection of Lazarus found in John 11:1-44. (Bear with me for I know this is alot of scriptures.)
1Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha.
2It was the Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.
3So the sisters sent word to Him, saying, "Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick."
4But when Jesus heard this, He said, "This sickness is not to end in death, but for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified by it."
5Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.
6So when He heard that he was sick, He then stayed two days longer in the place where He was.
7Then after this He said to the disciples, "Let us go to Judea again."
8The disciples said to Him, "Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone You, and are You going there again?"
9Jesus answered, "Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world.
10"But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him."
11This He said, and after that He said to them, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I go, so that I may awaken him out of sleep."
12The disciples then said to Him, "Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover."
13Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that He was speaking of literal sleep.
14So Jesus then said to them plainly, "Lazarus is dead,
15and I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, so that you may believe; but let us go to him."
16Therefore Thomas, who is called Didymus, said to his fellow disciples, "Let us also go, so that we may die with Him."
17So when Jesus came, He found that he had already been in the tomb four days.
18Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles off;
19and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary, to console them concerning their brother.
20Martha therefore, when she heard that Jesus was coming, went to meet Him, but Mary stayed at the house.
21Martha then said to Jesus, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.
22"Even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You."
23Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again."
24Martha said to Him, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day."
25Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies,
26and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?"
27She said to Him, "Yes, Lord; I have believed that You are the Christ, the Son of God, even He who comes into the world."
28When she had said this, she went away and called Mary her sister, saying secretly, "The Teacher is here and is calling for you."
29And when she heard it, she got up quickly and was coming to Him.
30Now Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still in the place where Martha met Him.
31Then the Jews who were with her in the house, and consoling her, when they saw that Mary got up quickly and went out, they followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep there.
32Therefore, when Mary came where Jesus was, she saw Him, and fell at His feet, saying to Him, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died."
33When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, He was deeply moved in spirit and was troubled,
34and said, "Where have you laid him?" They said to Him, "Lord, come and see."
35Jesus wept.
36So the Jews were saying, "See how He loved him!"
37But some of them said, "Could not this man, who opened the eyes of the blind man, have kept this man also from dying?"
38So Jesus, again being deeply moved within, came to the tomb. Now it was a cave, and a stone was lying against it.
39Jesus said, "Remove the stone." Martha, the sister of the deceased, said to Him, "Lord, by this time there will be a stench, for he has been dead four days."
40Jesus said to her, "Did I not say to you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?"
41So they removed the stone Then Jesus raised His eyes, and said, "Father, I thank You that You have heard Me.
42"I knew that You always hear Me; but because of the people standing around I said it, so that they may believe that You sent Me."
43When He had said these things, He cried out with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come forth."
44The man who had died came forth, bound hand and foot with wrappings, and his face was wrapped around with a cloth. Jesus said to them, "Unbind him, and let him go."
This is the story of Lazarus. Lazarus was a close friend of Jesus as we see in verse 5. His sisters sent word to Jesus that Lazarus was sick. When Jesus received this news He waited two days until He decided to go back to see him. Now He tells His disciples that they are going back to see Lazarus because he has fallen asleep (verse 11). The disciples are worried about the Jews in that area wanting to kill Jesus and say if he has fallen asleep he will awaken, and this is the part to really ponder, Jesus says "Lazarus is dead, and I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, so that you may believe." It goes on to show how distressed Mary and Martha were over the death of their brother and the power of Christ to come back and raise Him from the dead on the forth day of Lazarus' death.
Jesus knew the storm was coming and as we see He had the power to calm it. He said that Lazarus' sickness would not end in death. You say he did die? Yes he did but in the end he was alive and I bet more alive than he had ever been. Lazarus died and lived again to bring glory to God. Never forget that God is Huge! So huge that our biggest storms in life, including death, are nothing to Him. No one can begin to even ponder the greatness and awesomeness of God. The human mind literally does not have that capacity. So please, in the storms of your life call and lean on Him. He may not answer your prayers and requests how you make ask or like, but He is sovereign and does have your best interests in mind in all that He does. He let Lazarus die, and was glad, because it showed many who He was and the power He has.
My prayer for all is that we do indeed try to see things in the holy and awesome way that God does. That we see the beauty that lies just beyond the storms in our lives, and the power and glory in the hand whom calms the storms. With love and prayers always.
C.
James 1:2-4 "My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing."
Matthew 8:23-27 Now when He got into a boat, His disciples followed Him. And suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves. But He was asleep. Then His disciples came to Him and awoke Him, saying, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!” But He said to them, “Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?” Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. So the men marveled, saying, “Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?”
Now this is a literal storm that the disciples went through here, and imagine the fear that must have gripped them, for they thought they were gonna die. Now I gotta ask, how is it Jesus was sleeping during a raging storm like this? Do you sometimes feel that God is sleeping when you are in the middle of a raging storm that is trying to consume your life? Do you feel like He is not hearing your cries and waking up to calm the storm like He did for the disciples here? Well, the storms will and are coming, and rest assured that Jesus knows that they are and He knows the best way to calm them.
I have no doubt that Jesus knew this storm was coming before He even got in the boat. He slept and was in the boat during the storm with them (as in life He is with us) and He wanted to show them what faith really was, and to in times of trouble cry out and call upon Him. Many times in the gospels things like this happened so that Jesus could teach the disciples (and us) to rely, depend, and trust in Him completely. This story shows a touching picture of Christs humanity that He fell asleep and was so weary that not even the violent rocking of the boat woke Him. This story also shows us of His power as the Son of God that He awoke and rebuked the sea and winds and they obeyed Him. In the storms and the good times of life, that's the type of Saviour I choose to serve and obey!
The next set of scriptures I am gonna comment on is the story of the death and resurrection of Lazarus found in John 11:1-44. (Bear with me for I know this is alot of scriptures.)
1Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha.
2It was the Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.
3So the sisters sent word to Him, saying, "Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick."
4But when Jesus heard this, He said, "This sickness is not to end in death, but for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified by it."
5Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.
6So when He heard that he was sick, He then stayed two days longer in the place where He was.
7Then after this He said to the disciples, "Let us go to Judea again."
8The disciples said to Him, "Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone You, and are You going there again?"
9Jesus answered, "Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world.
10"But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him."
11This He said, and after that He said to them, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I go, so that I may awaken him out of sleep."
12The disciples then said to Him, "Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover."
13Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that He was speaking of literal sleep.
14So Jesus then said to them plainly, "Lazarus is dead,
15and I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, so that you may believe; but let us go to him."
16Therefore Thomas, who is called Didymus, said to his fellow disciples, "Let us also go, so that we may die with Him."
17So when Jesus came, He found that he had already been in the tomb four days.
18Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles off;
19and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary, to console them concerning their brother.
20Martha therefore, when she heard that Jesus was coming, went to meet Him, but Mary stayed at the house.
21Martha then said to Jesus, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.
22"Even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You."
23Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again."
24Martha said to Him, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day."
25Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies,
26and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?"
27She said to Him, "Yes, Lord; I have believed that You are the Christ, the Son of God, even He who comes into the world."
28When she had said this, she went away and called Mary her sister, saying secretly, "The Teacher is here and is calling for you."
29And when she heard it, she got up quickly and was coming to Him.
30Now Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still in the place where Martha met Him.
31Then the Jews who were with her in the house, and consoling her, when they saw that Mary got up quickly and went out, they followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep there.
32Therefore, when Mary came where Jesus was, she saw Him, and fell at His feet, saying to Him, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died."
33When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, He was deeply moved in spirit and was troubled,
34and said, "Where have you laid him?" They said to Him, "Lord, come and see."
35Jesus wept.
36So the Jews were saying, "See how He loved him!"
37But some of them said, "Could not this man, who opened the eyes of the blind man, have kept this man also from dying?"
38So Jesus, again being deeply moved within, came to the tomb. Now it was a cave, and a stone was lying against it.
39Jesus said, "Remove the stone." Martha, the sister of the deceased, said to Him, "Lord, by this time there will be a stench, for he has been dead four days."
40Jesus said to her, "Did I not say to you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?"
41So they removed the stone Then Jesus raised His eyes, and said, "Father, I thank You that You have heard Me.
42"I knew that You always hear Me; but because of the people standing around I said it, so that they may believe that You sent Me."
43When He had said these things, He cried out with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come forth."
44The man who had died came forth, bound hand and foot with wrappings, and his face was wrapped around with a cloth. Jesus said to them, "Unbind him, and let him go."
This is the story of Lazarus. Lazarus was a close friend of Jesus as we see in verse 5. His sisters sent word to Jesus that Lazarus was sick. When Jesus received this news He waited two days until He decided to go back to see him. Now He tells His disciples that they are going back to see Lazarus because he has fallen asleep (verse 11). The disciples are worried about the Jews in that area wanting to kill Jesus and say if he has fallen asleep he will awaken, and this is the part to really ponder, Jesus says "Lazarus is dead, and I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, so that you may believe." It goes on to show how distressed Mary and Martha were over the death of their brother and the power of Christ to come back and raise Him from the dead on the forth day of Lazarus' death.
Jesus knew the storm was coming and as we see He had the power to calm it. He said that Lazarus' sickness would not end in death. You say he did die? Yes he did but in the end he was alive and I bet more alive than he had ever been. Lazarus died and lived again to bring glory to God. Never forget that God is Huge! So huge that our biggest storms in life, including death, are nothing to Him. No one can begin to even ponder the greatness and awesomeness of God. The human mind literally does not have that capacity. So please, in the storms of your life call and lean on Him. He may not answer your prayers and requests how you make ask or like, but He is sovereign and does have your best interests in mind in all that He does. He let Lazarus die, and was glad, because it showed many who He was and the power He has.
My prayer for all is that we do indeed try to see things in the holy and awesome way that God does. That we see the beauty that lies just beyond the storms in our lives, and the power and glory in the hand whom calms the storms. With love and prayers always.
C.
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