abortion: pro-life & pro-choice supporters: life begins at conception and should not be casually terminated. The Holy Bible is our only source to know God's Will in this matter. Abortion information.

JESUS LOVED AND HAD A PROTECTIVE NATURE TOWARD CHILDREN:

Although the following passages deal specifically with Jesus' teaching about leading little children into sin, they may be easily taken to show Jesus' love for and protective nature of children. Can any Christian really believe that the Jesus who professed His love for children in such moving language would condone killing innocent children before birth? Jesus taught that it would be better for a person never to have been born than knowingly to cause harm to children.

Matthew 18:5-6:* (5) [Jesus said] "And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me. (6) But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea." (*COMMENT: Similar verses occur in Mark 9:42 and Luke 17:2.) Matthew 19:14:* Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these." (*COMMENT: Similar verse occur in Mark 10:14 and Luke 18:16.)

WE MUST OBEY GOD'S- RATHER THAN MAN'S- LAWS:

Some Christians hide behind the U.S. Supreme Court Roe v Wade decision and any subsequent pro-abortion laws. "A woman's right to choose" is a cowardly way for politiicans and citizen to avoid taking a stand on abortion. That is, a stand against abortion is deferred to a Supreme Court decision, and all responsibility for the act of abortion is placed on the shoulders of a lonely, frightened pregnant woman and her for-profit abortionist and abortion clinic. God's Law is supreme, negating any of man's laws. God is our perfect Judge, over-riding all of man's imperfect courts. Each person will answer directly to God for what he or she has or has not done with his or her life, not to Supreme Court justices, politicians, or pro-abortion activists. It will not matter to God what the Supreme Court ruled or the Congress legislated- each judge and politician will answer to God for his or her own life. Your judgment will involve only how you have kept God's laws, as commanded in The Holy Bible.

Matthew 15:8-9: (8) [Jesus, quoting Isaiah, said] "'These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. (9) They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.'" Acts 5:29: Peter and the other apostles replied: "We must obey God rather than men!" 1 Timothy 4:1-2: (1) The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. (2) Such teachings come through hypocritical liars whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron.

GOD WARNED ISRAEL (AS HE WARNS AMERICA?) ABOUT POLLUTING THE LAND WITH INNOCENT BLOOD AND THE CONSEQUENCES OF SIN:

God not only judges and rewards or punishes people, He also judges and rewards or punishes nations. The Bible contains many instances in which God punished His chosen people (the Jews) and nation (Israel) for the sins of the people. God surely will punish America for the sins of Americans, including not only abortion but also our appetite for pornography and drugs; our apostasy in supporting Laodicean-type churches or ignoring worship altogether; and if Americans stop support of Israel and our worldwide missionary efforts in spreading the Gospel.

Deuteronomy 19:10: Do this so that innocent blood will not be shed in your land,… and so that you will not be guilty of bloodshed. Numbers 35:33: [The LORD said] "Do not pollute the land where you are. Bloodshed pollutes the land, and atonement cannot be made for the land on which blood has been shed, except by the blood of the one who shed it." Isaiah 1:15: [The word of the LORD says] "When you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide my eyes from you; even if you offer many prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are full of blood;…." Isaiah 59:2-3a:(2) But your iniquities have separated you from God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear. (3) For your hands are stained with blood…. Hosea 8:7a: They sow the wind and reap the whirlwind.

IS ABORTION OF PREGNANCY FOLLOWING RAPE OR INCEST OR PREGNANCY WITH A POTENTIALLY DISABLED CHILD JUSTIFIED?

These pregnancies tug at the heart most of all. The Holy Bible would seem to indicate that all persons are born for a purpose- even if we are not wise enough to know God's purpose. Each woman must make her own decision in these cases, but she should make the decision after reading The Holy Bible, talking to God in prayer, and discussing the sitiation with her family and pastor or priest.

Exodus 23:7b: [The LORD said] "… do not put an innocent or honest person to death…." Deuteronomy 24:16: Fathers shall not be put to death for their children, nor children put to death for their fathers; each is to die for his own sin. Proverbs 6:16a, 17c: There are… seven [things] that are detestable to [the LORD]: (17) …[one of which is] hands that shed innocent blood. Ezekiel 20:4: [Declares the Sovereign LORD] "For every living soul belong to me, the father as well as the son- both alike belongs to me. The soul who sins is the one to die." Ezekiel 20:17c: [The LORD declares] (17) "… He will not die for his father's sin; he will surely live. (18) But his father will die for his own sin…." (See also Ezekiel, chapter 18.) Matthew 25:40: [Jesus said] "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'" Luke 14:13-14: (13) [Jesus said] "But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, (14) and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous." PAUL WARNED US NOT TO BELIEVE FALSE KNOWLEDGE (SCIENCE), IF IT OPPOSES GOD'S WORD: "Scientists" try to establish various arguments that an unborn child is somehow less than human. The whole argument for abortion is like a house of cards. It requires several suppositions of faith- faith constructed by man&'s schemes, not God's Word- to avoid the obvious, that abortion kills an unborn human being and should, therefore, be a criminal, rather than a medical, issue. If the public comes to understand that abortion kills a baby whose heart beats and whose other bodily functions are intact or are developing, support would wane. "Scientists" and "philosphers" engage in various forms of sophistry to hide the fact that life of the unborn child begins at conception (fertilization)- at that split second when genetic codes (chromosomes) from the father and the mother unite to form a new, unique child with full potential for birth and growth for the next generation. 1 Timothy 6:20-21: (20) Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to your care. Turn away from godless chatter and the opposing idea of what is falsely called knowledge,* (21) which some have professed and in so doing have wandered from the faith…. (*COMMENT: Knowledge may also be translated "science." [See Strong number Greek 1108.]) A PERSON'S BODY- AND EVERYTHING IN IT, INCLUDING AN UNBORN BABY- BELONGS NOT TO THE PERSON, BUT TO GOD: A frequent argument for abortion is a woman who says, "This is my body. What I do with it is my business, and no man or government has the right to tell me what I can do with my body." Of course, this argument is absurd because a woman deprives her unborn baby of the very choice she demands by doing to the baby's body anything she wishes (that is, by killing him or her). Who speaks the choice of an unborn baby in an abortion? More importantly, The Holy Bible clearly states that no person owns his or her body. God gave each person a body, but He retains ownership of the body. More than mere ownership of a body, God chooses to live in each person's body, there to make His temple. Think of the magnificent love shown to us by God. Of all the magnificent cathedrals, churches, and temples built ny man in God's name, He lives in each person's body, converting that body to His temple. No person owns his or her body; ownership remains with God. No matter where a person is, he or she always has God living within him or her. We do not need to go to cathedrals, churches, and temples to find God. God has found us. We can worship Him and talk to Him wherever we are and whenever we want to because God is there with us. The beauty and simplicity of God's plan carries a burden- that each person treat his or her body (God's temple) with dignity and respect. Does not an abortion desecrate God's temple by killing a little person sheltered in that temple? Romans 12:1: Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God- this is your spiritual act of worship. 1 Cornthians 3:16-17: (16) Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you? (17) If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him; for God's temple is sacred, and you are that temple. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20: (19) Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; (20) you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body. IS WIDESPREAD ABORTION AN END-OF-THE-AGE PHENOMENON? Anyone who reads The Holy Bible with understanding surely must realize that we are living at the end of the Age of Grace, and that Jesus will soon appear in the clouds for the believers' Resurrection and Rapture. Jesus warned that it would be like "the days of Noah" when He returned (Matthew reference, following). The world was filled with corruption and violence in Noah's day (Genesis reference, following). Can there be much greater corruption and evil in God's eyes than men and women working day and night to kill unborn babies? Can there be anything more violent than tearing apart unborn, defenseless babies as they lie in their mothers' wombs? Paul prophesied that at the end of the age there will be apostate, conscience-seared persons who will follow after Satan, rather than God (1 Timothy reference, following). Matthew 24:37-39: [Jesus said] (37) "As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man [Jesus]. (38) For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; (39) and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man." Genesis 6:11, 12b: [Concerning the account of Noah] (11) Now the earth was corrupt in God's sight and was full of violence. (12) …for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways. 1 Timothy 4:1-2: (1) The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. (2) Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. A CHRISTIAN MUST FIGHT FOR HIS OR HER FAITH: The Christian faith has been purchased at a price beyond measure- the suffering and crucifixion of Jesus. For many centuries, Christians who preceded us have suffered great hardships and martyrdom to preserve and spread the Gospel. Every word in The Bible is available for us to read because of great sacrifice by untold numbers of Christian brothers and sisters who lived in past centuries. We must defend The Bible with every ounce of our strength, never letting heretics and unbelievers distort or dilute God's precious word. Any follower of Jesus Christ who does not fight for God's Truth as written in The Bible is not worthy of being called "Christian." Jude 3: Dear friends, …[I] urge you to contend for* the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints. (*COMMENT: Contend for may be translated "struggle for" or "earnestly contend for." [See Strong number Greek 1864.]) Leviticus 19:17b: [The LORD said] "'…Rebuke your neighbor frankly so you will not share in his guilt.'" A CHRISTIAN HAS A DUTY TO DEFEND THE WEAK: Many Biblical teachings command that we help, rescue, and defend persons who are weak, friendless, or poor. Can there be any person weaker and more in need of help than an unborn baby? God expects the Christian to champion the cause of unborn children about to be slaughtered by abortion. Psalm 82:3-4: (3) Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed. (4) Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked. Proverbs 31:8-9: (8) "Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. (9) Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy." Proverbs 12:6: The words of the wicked lie in wait for blood, but the speech of the upright rescues them. JESUS, THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD, TRANSFERRED HIS LIGHT TO HIS FOLLOWERS TO DISPEL THE DARKNESS OF SIN IN THE WORLD: The Bible always portrays God's world as one of light and Satan's world as one of darkness. Jesus came as our perfect Light, that through Him all of Satan's darkness may be exposed and dispelled. Before He ascended to Heaven, Jesus taught that His followers (Christians) would share in His Light, and each follower should shed light onto the darkness of sin. Abortion is a dark sin. A Christian is expected not to hide in the darkness but publicly to shed light upon the dark practice of abortion, and promote God-pleasing alternatives. John 8:12: …[Jesus] said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." Matthew 5:14:-16: (14) [Jesus said] "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. (15) Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. (16) In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." A CHRISTIAN MUST PREPARE TO BATTLE SIN, WITH THE LORD'S HELP: When battling sin, God is capable of providing warriors in His name with all necessary weapons. Ephesians 6:10-18: (10) Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. (11) Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. (12) For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. (13) Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. (14) Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, (15) and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. (16) In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish the flaming arrows of the evil one. (17) Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. (18) And pray in the Spirit on all occasions and with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints [saints are all believers in Jesus]. CAN ABORTION BE COMPARED TO SACRIFICE TO MOLECH? Some pastors have drawn a parallel between abortion and sacrifice to the idol god Molech. Molech, the chief god of the Phoenicians, was known to the Israelites since early times. Human infants were sacrificed to Molech. The idol was made of hollow metal. A fire on the inside of the idol heated the arms to a very high temperature. The infant, placed in Molech's arms, literally cooked to death to appease Molech. Some pastors point out that abortion- at least in some women- is appeasement of various selfish concerns of pregnant women, e.g, satisfaction of lust (abortion used as birth control), convenience, financial reasons (to have more luxuries), or pursuit of career or education goals (not interrupted for maternity leave). Exodus 20:1, 3: (1) And God spoke all these words: (3) "You shall have no other gods before me." Leviticus 20:1-5: (1) The LORD said to Moses, (2) "Say to the Israelites: 'Any Israelite or any alien living in Israel who gives any of his children to Molech must be put to death. The people of the community are to stone him. (3) I will set my face against that man and I will cut him off from his people; for by giving his children to Molech, he has defiled my sanctuary and profaned my holy name. (4) If the people of the community close their eyes when that man gives one of his children to Molech and they fail to put him to death, (5) I will set my face against that man and his family and cut off from their people both him and all who follow him in prostituting themselves to Molech.'" Jeremiah 32:35: [The LORD said] "They built high places for Baal in the Valley of Ben Hinnom to sacrifice their sons and daughters to Molech, though I never commanded, nor did it enter my mind, that they should do such a detestable thing and so make Judah sin." CHRISTIANS ARE COMMANDED TO LOVE ALL PERSONS, INCLUDING EVERY PERSON INVOLVED IN AN ABORTION: A Christian should be concerned about the practice of abortion, but he or she should remember that all persons are sinners and God loves us all. God stands ready to forgive any person involved in an abortion- including the woman who has obtained an abortion; politicians, judges, and activists who promote and defend abortion; and abortion clinic staff members. If God loves all persons involved in an abortion, so must the Christian love these persons. All pro-life Christians must be bathed in love, and always on their lips must be an appeal of redemption- not of hate and condemnation. Matthew 22:36, 39:* (36) [A Pharisee asked Jesus] "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" (39) [Jesus replied] &$147;And the second [greatest commandment] is like the [first and greatest commandment]: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'" (*COMMENT: A similar Scripture is found in Mark 12:28, 31.) Romans 13:8, 10: (8) Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law. (10) Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. 2 Timothy 2:24-26: (24) And the Lord's servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. (25) Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, (26) and that they will come to a knowledge of the truth, (26) and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will. GOD'S FORGIVENESS IS AVAILABLE FOR ALL: If a person committed sin and was doomed to spend eternity on Hell for that sin, there would be no hope for the future. God, our loving Father, knows that we, His children, will sin. He provides a way for us to be forgiven of our sins and to restore eternal fellowship with Him in Heaven. FIRST, BECOME A CHRISTIAN. To receive God's forgiveness, a person must be re-born. The old, sinful person must "die" to sin, in order that a new, spiritual person may come forth. I have written another Web site- Christ Seeker: Come Home to God!- which explains in more detail how to become a Christian. Please read the pertinent portion of this site for more information. A few Scripture verses related to becoming a Christian follow: John 3:16: [Jesus said] "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son [Jesus], that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." John 10:10b: [Jesus said] "…I have come that they [the people of the world] may have life, and have it to the full." Romans 3:23: For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…. Romans 6:23: For the wages of sin is death,* but the gift of God is eternal life* in Christ Jesus our Lord.** (COMMENT: *Death is spiritual death- death of the soul, or eternal separation from God and Heaven. **Life is eternal life with God in Heaven.) Romans 5:8: But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 1 Corinthians 15:3-7: (3) …Christ died for our sins…, (4) …was buried, …was raised on the third day…, (5) and …appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. (6) After that, he appeared to more than five hundred…. (7) Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me [Paul] also…. John 14:6: [Jesus answered] "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." John 1:12: Yet to all who received [Jesus], to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God-…. Ephesians 2:8-9: (8) For it is by grace* you have been saved, through faith- and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God- (9) not by works, so that no one can boast. (*COMMENT: Grace is a gift- the gift of salvation and eternal life in Heaven- given to a person from God, not because the person deserves or earns it but because of God's love for that person.) John 3:1-8: SUMMARY OF TEXT: Nicodemus, a rich Jewish leader, came to Jesus at night for guidance. Jesus said, "No one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again." A puzzled Nicodemus asked Jesus how is this possible, since a man cannot re-enter his mother's womb for a second birth. Jesus replied, "No one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit." (COMMENT: Jesus used a play on words, with the Greek phrase gennethe anothen meaning both "to be born again" and "to be born from above" [from God]. Born of water implies repentance from sin and baptism. Born of the Spirit implies receipt of God's grace and welcoming the Holy Spirit into one's life.) Revelation 3:20: [Jesus said] "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in…." 1 John 5:11-13: (11) And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son [Jesus]. (12) He who has the Son has [eternal] life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. (13) I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God [Jesus] so that you may know that you have eternal life. SECOND, SEEK FORGIVENESS OF SIN: God has promised to forgive us of sin, if we follow His Plan for us as outlined in The Holy Bible. No one needs to have sin charged against him or her or feel guilty because of past sins. God, our loving Father, is willing to forgive our sins. Matthew 18:15-17, 21-35: SUMMARY OF TEXT: Jesus, teaching on forgiveness, told every believer to take any grievance to the person who sins against him or her for reconciliation. If that fails, take along other believers. If that fails, ask the church to intervene. If that fails, ignore the offending brother or sister. Jesus was asked by the Apostle Peter if he should forgive someone seven times- more times than Jewish law required. Jesus answered with an impractical, large number- seventy-seven times- and told this parable: A king [God] asked servants who owed him money to settle their accounts. One servant was in debt to the king for the equivalent of many millions of dollars [each person's large debt to God for sins], and, not being able to re-pay the debt, asked for mercy [prayer and repentance]. The king showed mercy on the servant and forgave the debt [God's mercy]. Upon leaving the king's presence, the forgiven servant met a fellow servant who owed him the equivalent of a few hundred dollars [each person's smaller sins to other persons]. When the second servant could not repay the debt, the first servant had him thrown into prison. When the king found out about the first servant's lack of compassion, he had him thrown into prison to be tortured by the jailers [sentencing to Hell]. Jesus added this chilling warning: "This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart." The disciples asked Jesus how to pray. In His model prayer- the Lord's prayer- Jesus included this sentence (Matthew 6:12): "Forgive us our debts [sins], as we have also forgiven our debtors [persons who have sinned against us]." Following the prayer, Jesus explained one part of the prayer to emphasize the importance of forgiveness (Matthew 6:14-15): (14) "For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. (15) But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins." Mark 11:25: [Jesus said] "And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins." Matthew 5:22a, 23-24: (22) [Jesus said] "But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment…. (23) Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, (24) leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift." Matthew 5:7: [Jesus said] "Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy." Luke 17:3b-4: (3) [Jesus said] …"If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. (4) If he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times comes back to you and says, 'I repent,' forgive him." 1 John 1:9: If we confess our sins, [God] is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. Acts 3:19: [Peter said] "Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord." Hebrews 8:12: [God said] "For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more." Isaiah 53:5a, 6b, a prophecy written centuries before Jesus' birth: (5) But he* was pierced** for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities…. (6) … and the LORD has laid on him* the iniquity of us all. (COMMENT: *He and him refer to the Suffering Servant, or the Messiah, who came to the Earth as Jesus. **Pierced predicted the way in which the Messiah would be killed. Jesus became our Passover Lamb, and His blood was the essential sacrifice for the atonement of the sins of mankind. Jesus was pierced to release His precious blood, e.g., from the back by flogging, from the wrists and feet by being nailed to the cross, from the scalp by the placement of the crown of thorns, and from the chest by being stabbed with a soldier's lance.) Ephesians 1:7: In him [Jesus] we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace…. Colossians 1:13-14: (13) For [God] has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, (14) in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. ADDITIONAL STUDY: If you want an excellent online resource to study The Holy Bible, GO TO The Blue Letter Bible. RETURN TO THE DIRECTORY. · HAS GOD ENCODED AN UNBORN BABY'S DEVELOPMENT IN THE FEASTS OF ISRAEL? · INTRODUCTION: Zola Levitt www.levitt.com made a most interesting observation in his 1979 booklet, The Seven Feasts of Israel, (Zola Levitt Ministries, Inc., Post Office Box 12268, Dallas, Texas 75225-9987; or, 214 696-8844). It has long been recognized that the ancient feasts of Israel foretold the earthly ministry of the Messiah, Jesus the Christ. Zola Levitt noted that these ancient feasts- some dating to the time of Moses- relected some aspect of the development of an unborn baby, through appearance of a pertinent characteristic of the baby according to the timetable of the feasts. Zola Levitt's ideas are presented in the following table, modified somewhat by me to better fit the format of this Web site. ANCIENT FEASTS OF ISRAEL JESUS' FULFILLMENT OF FEASTS BY HIS EARTHLY MINISTRY UNBORN BABY'S DEVELOPMENT PATTERNED AFTER FEASTS PASSOVER. Passover occurred on the fourteenth day of the first month- the month of Abib or Nisan (Leviticus 23:5). Passover commemorated the salvation of Israelite children from death- through faith placed in the (Passover) lamb's blood- and the beginning of a new life in the Promised Land- as God used Moses to lead His people from bondage in Egypt. NEW LIFE. God sent His Son, Jesus, to give all believers eternal life (John 3:16; etc.). Paul called Jesus our Passover Lamb (1 Corinthians 5:7). Any person who accepts by faith Jesus' blood sacrifice is given new life- an eternal life with Jesus in Heaven (John 3:1-21; etc.). OVULATION. If one counts the month a woman becomes pregnant as the first month of pregnancy, ovulation occurs on the fourteenth day of the first month. At ovulation, a new life is readied, requiring only the next step- fertilization. UNLEAVENED BREAD. The Feast of Unleavened Bread began on the day following Passover (Leviticus 23:6). This feast commemorated the haste required by the Israelites as they left Egypt (the bread did not have time to rise) and also symbolized the need to remove leaven from the homes (leaven, or yeast, was a metaphor for sin). THE SEED. Jesus was buried in less than one day after His crucifixion. The Seed (Jesus) was buried- or planted- in the tomb. Seed of any plant must be buried in soil before it can sprout and bear fruit. Our Seed, Jesus, was planted so that He could rise as the Firstfruits of resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:20-23; etc.), with the proof and promise that those who believe in Him would also be resurrected from death (James 1:18; etc.). Jesus had no leaven (sin) in Him. FERTILIZATION. Fertilization of the mother's egg (ovum) with the father's sperm- literally, planting of the father's seed- must occur within one day of ovulation, or that ovum disintegrates and pregnancy cannot occur that month. FIRSTFRUITS. The Feast of Firstfruits began on Sunday following Passover (Leviticus 23:9-14), and could, therefore, occur on any date between two to six days after Passover. Celebration of Firstfruits involved waving a sheaf of the first harvested grain before God, and was a statement by God's people of faith in Him to provide for all their needs as well as an offering of thanksgiving for all He had provided. JESUS' RESURRECTION. Jesus, our Bread of Life (John 6:35), rose from death on the third day after His crucifixion (John 24:7; etc.). The planted Seed literally rose to become the Firstfruits of resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:20-23), as a sign of His Divinity and a promise that believers in Him would also be raised from death to eternal life. IMPLANTATION. After fertilization, the fertilized ovum (egg) slowly moves through the fallopian tube into the cavity of the womb (uterus) for approximately two to six days, until it implants into the endometrium (the lining of the uterus) where it will be nourished and will develop until birth. At birth, the "fruit" of pregnancy comes forth- a baby with an eternal soul. PENTECOST. The Festival of Weeks, Shavuot or Pentecost, occurred fifty days after Firstruits (Leviticus 23:15-16; Deuteronomy 16:9-10). This festival was an offering of new grain to God in thanksgiving for the summer grain harvest. HARVEST. The Christian Church- the body of Jesus the Christ- began on the Day of Pentecost following Jesus' resurrection (John 14:16-20; Acts, Chapter 2; etc.). From this day forward, this Church would reap a great harvest of souls for God's Kingdom (Joel 2:28-29), with believers in Jesus being transformed into a new creation (2 Corintians 5:17; etc.). NEW CREATION (FETUS). As the implanted ovum continues to develop, he or she becomes recognizable with human-like features at approximately fifty days of gestation. From this time forward, the new creation becomes more human-like in appearance day after day until birth. TRUMPETS. The Feast (Day) of Trumpets, Yom Teruah, occurred on the first day of the seventh* month, the month of Ethanim (or, Tishri) (Leviticus 23:23-25; Numbers 29:1-6). Trumpet blasts on this day acknowledged the presence of God in the land, announced the two major Holy Days to follow in the month, and signalled the finality of God's plan for the year's harvest. (*The number seven is symbolic of the completion of a work of God.) BELIEVERS' RAPTURE/ RESURRECTION. Jesus will return in the clouds to resurrect dead believers and rapture (translate, snatch up) living believers, that they may be with Him forever in Heaven (Acts 1:11; 1 Corinthians 15:51-54; 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17; etc.). This event will be accompanied by the sound of God's trumpet and a shouted command for believers to come up to the Lord. HEARING. The unborn baby's hearing is fully developed by the seventh month of gestation, so that he or she can discriminate sounds, e.g,, the sounds of God's trumpet and the command to come up to the Lord. ATONEMENT. The Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur, occured on the tenth day of the seventh month (Leviticus 23:26-32; Numbers 29:7-11). This solemn day for the atonement of the sins of the people through confession and repentance involved the shedding of blood from sacrificial animals. (NOTE: Two goats were sacrificed. Blood from the goat for the LORD was sprinkled on the mercy seat of the Ark of the Covenant, the goat for azazel [Hebrew: az-aw-zale']- the scapegoat, the goat of departure- took up the sins of the people and was removed from the community [to take away the sins] and killed [to never bring the sins back]. Thus, the goat for azazel symobolized God's promise to forgive and forget sin, after a sinner's confession and repentance.) REDEMPTION. Surviving Zion (Israel) will be saved during the Tribulation, as Jews come to accept Jesus as their Messiah and Savior (Romans 11:26). Redemption from sin- for Jews and Gentiles alike- can occur only through personal acceptance of Jesus' blood sacrifice on the cross (Ephesians 1:7; Colossians 1:14; etc.). Like the symbolic goat for azazel, Jesus through His crucifixion (blood sacrifice) became the way He could take our sins upon Himself and remove them from us, if we confess and repent of the sins (Isaiah, Chapter 53; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Colossians 2:13-15; 1 Peter 2:24; etc.). BLOOD (HEMOGLOBIN A). Hemoglobin is the iron-containing protein in red blood cells which transports life-sustaining oxygen to the body's cells. During early pregnancy, the unborn baby requires a special hemoglobin, fetal hemoglobin (hemoglobin F), to carry oxygen from the mother's placenta. After birth, the baby requires another hemoglobin, adult hemoglobin (hemoglobin A), to carry atmospheric oxygen from the lungs. The change from fetal (F) hemoglobin to adult (A) hemoglobin occurs during the seventh month of pregnancy. Thus, the change in the baby's blood hemoglobin prepares the baby to live outside of the womb in the world, just as Jesus' blood sacrifice prepares the believer to live outside of Earth in Heaven. TABERNACLES. The Feast of Tabernacles (Ingathering, Booths, Sukkot) began on the fifteenth day of the seventh month (Leviticus 23:33-43; Deuteronomy 16:13-15). This feast, commemorating the time the Israelites lived in camp huts during their journey through the wilderness to the Promised Land, was a time of joy and celebration for all that God had given His people. KINGDOM. Immediately after the Tribulation, Jesus will return to Earth and establish His rule during the Millennial Kingdom (Isaiah 9:7; Revelation 20:4-6; etc.). During this time, Jesus will physically tabernacle (dwell) with His people on Earth. In other words, the Spirit of God will physically live on Earth. LUNGS. The unborn baby's lungs begin to develop sufficiently to breathe more efficiently after birth, during the seventh month of pregnancy. "Spirit" and "breath" are similar Biblical concepts: God blew His breath into Adam to bring him to life (Genesis 2:7). When the Holy Spirit descended upon believers at the birth of the Christian Church on the Day of Pentecost, one of the Spirit's manifestations was "the sound of a rushing wind" (Acts 2:2). The New Testament Greek word translated "wind" is pno-ay', which comes from the word pneh';-o, which means "to breathe hard." CHANUKAH (HANUKKAH). The Feast of Dedication was not a Mosaic feast. This feast, prophesied in Daniel 8:9-14, commemorated the cleansing of the Temple after it was recaptured from the Seleucid Greeks (Antiochus IV, Epiphanes) by the Maccabeans in the Second Century B.C. This feast was celebrated after ten lunar cycles- or, 280 days- into the Jewish year. Hanukkah today is represented by the nine-lamp Hanukkah menorah, which stands for victory and new life. ETERNITY. After the Millennial Kingdom, which will be ruled by Jesus, New Jerusalem (Heaven) will descend to Earth, and here will God the Father and Jesus live with believers forever (Revelation 21:1 - 22:5). NOTE: Appreciate the significance of the Hanukkah miracle. There was only enough sanctified oil to light the Temple lamp for one day, but the oil miraculously lasted for eight days. Jesus is the Light of the world (John 8:12; etc.). One day to us is like one-thousand years to the Lord (Psalm 90:4; 2 Peter 3:8). Thus, eternity can be considered the "eighth day of creation," as follows: Days 1 through 4 represent the 4,000 years between Adam and Jesus' First Coming. Days 5 and 6 represent the 2,000 years between Jesus' First and Second Comings. Day 7 represents the Millennial Kingdom. Day 8 represents Eternity, which follows the Millennial Kingdom. ETERNAL LIFE. The baby is delivered (born) after approximately 280 days of gestation. This baby is eternal because he or she possesses a soul. This soul will live forever- either in joy in Heaven or in torment in Hell. What a God we worship! God has captured three messages within a single concept: He reminded His people- all Jews and Christians- of our heritage, of times in the past when His grace was exceedingly abundant, and of our responsibilities to Him. He foretold the earthly ministry of His Son, our Savior, Jesus the Christ. He recreated certain developmental stages of an unborn baby, with features of the newly-created life applying to features of the ancient feasts of Israel and occurring on the timetable for the feasts. Concerning this last point, God's plan for life surely lies within a woman's body, from the moment of conception (fertilization); through implantation and intrauterine growth of the baby; until birth, when a new creation of God, a baby with an eternal soul, emerges into the world. An unborn child must be very special to God because He has lavished such love and meticullous detail to the developing baby. An unborn baby is a person to be cherished and protected, never to be destroyed by abortion. RETURN TO THE DIRECTORY. · THREE WOMEN · Pregnancies in three women many centuries ago changed world history. These women were Hannah, Elizabeth, and Mary. HANNAH: Hannah was unable to conceive a pregnancy- until God intervened. 1 Samuel 1:1-3, 5, 9-11, 17, 20: (1)-There was a certain man from Ramathaim… whose name was Elkanah…. (2) He had two wives, one was called Hannah… Hannah had [no children]. (3) Year after year the man went up from his town to worship and sacrifice to the LORD Almighty…. (5) [To] Hannah he gave a double portion [of meat] because he loved her, and the LORD had closed her womb…. (9) Once when they had finished eating, Hannah stood up. Now Eli the priest was sitting on a chair by the doorpost of the LORD's temple. (10) In bitterness of soul Hannah wept much and prayed to the LORD. (11) And she made a vow, saying, "O LORD Almighty, if you will only look upon your servant's misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then will I give him to the LORD all the days of his life…." (17) Eli answered, "Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant what you have asked of him…." (20) So in the course of time Hannah conceived and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, saying, "Because I asked the LORD for him." ELIZABETH: Elizabeth was unable to conceive a pregnancy and was too old to bear a child- until God intervened. Luke 1:5, 7, 11, 13-17, 24-25:(5) … [There] was a priest named Zechariah [and] his wife Elizabeth…. (7) But they had no children, because Elizabeth was barren; and they were both well along in years… (11) Then an angel of the Lord appeared to [Zechariah]…. (13) But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zechariah, your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John. (14) He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, (15) for he will be great in the sight of the Lord… and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from birth. (16) Many of the people of Israel will he bring back to the Lord their God. (17) And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous- to make ready a people prepared for the Lord."… (24) After this his wife Elizabeth became pregnant…. (25) "The Lord has done this for me," she said. " In these days he has shown his favor…." MARY: Mary was a virgin, betrothed for marriage to Joseph. Matthew 1:18-23: (18) This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. (19) Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. (20) But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home to be your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. (21) She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins." (22) All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: (23) "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel"- which means "God with us." SIGNIFICANCE OF THESE WOMEN FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS: These three Jewish women who lived many centuries ago seemingly were ordinary women, except they listened to God and their obedience changed the course of history and the lives of hundreds of millions of people. Their sons' lives were inter-connected: Hannah's son, Samuel, anointed David to be King of Israel (1 Samuel 16:12b-13). From David's descendants came our Lord Jesus Christ (Matthew 1:1, 6, 16). Elizabeth's son, John the Baptist, baptized Jesus and announced Him to Israel as "the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world" (Matthew 3:13-14; John 1:29) and Mary's son, Jesus, is the Son of God, the Messiah, the Savior of the world. All of these women accepted their unexpected pregnancies with thanksgiving. Although God surely would have prevented such an assault on His plan, consider if any of these women were capable of having and had submitted to an abortion. All of the women had a reasonable excuse to seek an abortion. Hannah and Elizabeth were too old to become first-time mothers. Mary was an unmarried young woman- a virgin- living in a time in which a woman's virtue was expected to remain pure, a time in which adultery could have been punished by death. God had a plan for Samuel, John the Baptist, and Jesus, even before they were born. God has a plan for each unborn child today. We should not tamper with His plan by aborting any unborn child. RETURN TO THE DIRECTORY. · SECULAR QUOTATIONS · NOTE: The following quotations may be useful in pro-life sermons, lessons, or speeches. The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing. · Edmund Burke If a man loses reverence for any part of life, he will lose his reverence for all life. · Albert Schweitzer Every legislator, every doctor, and every citizen needs to recognize that the real issue is whether to affirm and protect the sanctity of all human life, or to embrace a social ethic where some human lives are valued and others are not. As a nation, we must choose between the sanctity of life ethic and the "quality of life" ethic. · Ronald Reagan: Abortion & the Conscience of the Nation Abraham Lincoln recognized that we could not survive as a free land when some men could decide that others were not fit to be free and should therefore be slaves. Likewise, we cannot survive as a free nation when some men decide that others are not fit to live and should be abandoned to abortion or infanticide…. There is no cause more important for preserving freedom than affirming the transcendent right to life of all human beings, the right without which no other rights have any meaning. · Ronald Reagan Never be afraid to stand with the minority which is right, for the minority which is right will one day be the majority; always be afraid to stand with the majority which is wrong, for the majority which is wrong will one day be in the minority. · William Jennings Bryan Right is right, even if everyone is against it, and wrong is wrong, even if everyone is for it. · William Penn 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. · The Declaration of Independence No person shall… be deprived of life…, without due process of law…. · Article V of The Bill of Rights- The Fifth Amendment- of The Constitution of the United States 1. …nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property without due process of law, nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws. · Article XIV- The Fourteenth Amendment- of The Constitution of the United States The care of human life and happiness, and not their destruction, is the first and only legitimate object of good government. · Thomas Jefferson How can there be too many children? That is like saying there are too many flowers. · Mother Teresa It is a poverty to decide that a child must die so that you may live as you wish. · Mother Teresa The greatest destroyer of peace today is abortion. · Mother Teresa Any country that accepts abortion, is not teaching its people love, but to use any violence to get what it wants. · Mother Teresa What is taking place in America is a war against the child. And if we accept that the mother can kill her own child, how can we tell other people not to kill one another? · Mother Teresa America needs no words from me to see how your decision in Roe v Wade has deformed a great nation. The so-called right to abortion has pitted mothers against their children and women against men. It has sown violence and discord in the heart of the most intimate human relationships. It has aggravated the derogation of the father's role in an increasingly fatherless society. It has portrayed the greatest of gifts- a child- as a competitor, an intrusion, and an inconvenience. It has nominally accorded mothers unfettered dominion over the independent lives of their physically dependent sons and daughters. And, in granting this unconscionable power, it has exposed many women to unjust and selfish demands from their husbands or other sexual partners. Human rights are not a privilege conferred by government. They are every human being's entitlement by virtue of his humanity. The right to life does not depend, and must not be declared to be contingent, on the pleasure of anyone else, not even a parent or a sovereign · Mother Teresa Life is a gift that God has given us. That life is present even in the unborn. A human hand should never end a life. I am convinced that the screams of the children whose lives have been terminated before their birth reach God's ears. · Mother Teresa I am sure that all people know deep down inside that the little child in the mother's womb is a human being from the moment of conception (fertilization of the mother's egg with the father's sperm), and is created in the image of God to love and be loved. Let us pray that nobody will be afraid to protect that little child, to help that little child to be born. Jesus said, "If you receive a little child in my name, you receive me." · Mother Teresa By abortion, the mother kills even her own child to solve her problems. And, by abortion, the father is told that he does not have to take any responsibility at all for the child he has brought into the world. The father is likely to put other women into the same trouble. So abortion leads to abortion. Any country that accepts abortion is not teaching its people to love but to use violence to get what they want. This is why the greatest destroyer of love and peace is abortion. · Mother Teresa A great poverty reigns in a country that allows taking the life of an unborn child- a child created in God's image, created to live and to love. His or her life is not for destroying but for living, despite the selfishness of those who fear that they lack the means to feed or educate one more child. · Mother Teresa You know, people worry all the time about innocent children being killed in wars, and they try to prevent this. But what hope is there in stopping it if mothers kill their own children? Every life is precious to God, whatever the circumstances. In Isaiah, chapter 43, verse 4, God says, "You are precious to me and I love you." · Mother Teresa We must not be surprised when we hear of murders, of killings, of wars, of hatred. If a mother can kill her own child, what is left but for us to kill each other? · Mother Teresa Life, especially human life, belongs to God. Whoever attacks human life, attacks God's very self. · Pope John Paul II We mourn… the two most damaging Supreme Court decisions in our nation's history. In 1857, the Supreme Court denied personhood to black Americans in the infamous Dred Scott decision. [In 1973,] seven people decided that a mother has a constitutional right to have her baby killed up until the moment of birth. · Gary L. Bauer When sin is condoned, no one asks for forgiveness, so there is little hope of receiving healing or grace. · Ludwig Schneider, editor-in-chief, israel today, March 2002 issue We really need to get over this love affair with the fetus…. · Joycelyn Elders, former U.S. Surgeon General (Clinton Administration) We who as a people always knew that abortion was the killing of an unborn baby were brainwashed to believe that the destruction of the "products of conception" or the destruction of a "fetus" is not the same thing as killing an unborn baby. Traditional medical definitions were deliberately changed in order to do away with our moral repugnance toward abortion. · C. Everett Koop, M.D., former U.S. Surgeon General (Reagan Administration)