Thursday

TODAY’S PRAYER
IMB
NOVEMBER 4, 2010

“Give ear to my words, O Lord, consider my meditation. Give heed to the voice of my cry, my King and my God, for to You I will pray.” (Psalm 5:1-2)

WORLD LEADERS. “Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence” (1 Timothy 2:1-2). Please pray today for Administrator Brian Lacy of Christmas Island (Indian Ocean, south of Indonesia).

LAST FRONTIER. Please pray for seven volunteer teams that will be traveling to an area in November that is home to several unreached people groups. Some recent teams have encountered more resistance from the religious leaders there than they have in the past as the Gospel has begun to fall on fertile soil. Pray for safety and courage, but especially for wisdom as these teams share and nurture within these unreached people groups.

ROMANIA. Baptist representative Troy Geddes and other members of Team Eastern Romania ask you to pray for the development of an Urban Outreach Training Center in their city. Their desire is to see highly directional training for the Romanian people within their area, with an additional focus on the multiplication of groups. Pray that the Father will continue to lead them according to His plan and purpose. Intercede for those within their people group to have hearts and minds made ready by the Spirit with a passion for reaching their neighbors, friends, families and cities for Christ.

FBC, Kentwood will be hosting revival services Sunday through Wednesday.  You are invited to attend.  Cottage Prayer Meetings have been held this week.  Tonight, they will be in the home of George Eddie and Alice Faye Lee and at our cabin.  You are invited to attend one of these meetings at 6:30 tonight and the revival services next week.  I’ll post the names of the speakers at another time.

KneEmail

At the name of Jesus every knee should bow…” Philippians 2:10

Mike Benson, Editor

I AM NO political activist, and I was in no small way annoyed and worn out by the political phone calls and ads..

Yet, there was an amendment on the Colorado ballot that did have my undivided attention.  It was simply called “Amendment 62,” an amendment to our state constitution recognizing the independent “personhood” of the unborn child.  By an overwhelming 7 to 3 ratio, our state’s voters denied that amendment.

There are many reasons to recognize the personhood of the unborn child.  The child has its own unique DNA, fingerprints, blood type, many times is even of a different gender, and is distinctly identified as a human being.  The child develops early and rapidly, having blood vessels form in the third week after conception, eyes and the beginning of esophagus, gallbladder, liver, lungs, pancreas, pharynx, stomach and trachea form in the fourth week. The face of the child begins to look human by week five, and the heart begins beating around the same time. The brain of the child can sense smell by day 35.  The beginning of the toes are evident by day 42.  Consider that all of these developments are occurring before or around the time a woman discovers she is pregnant (cf.http://sfuhl.org/).  The most compelling reason requires a belief both in God and scripture, which not only gives us our moral bearing regarding life and love of children but also gives us God’s view of the unborn child.

The Bible tells us that God knew the unborn child even before He formed the child in the womb (Isa. 44:1-2; Jer. 1:4-5).  It further states the love and relationship God has with the unborn child (Ps. 22:9-10; 139:13-16).  In Luke 1:39-44, Elizabeth recognizes the personhood both of the unborn child in her own womb and that in Mary’s womb.  If Mary had been pro-choice and had sought to exercise that choice to abort (and why would a pro-choice Christian deny her that “right”?), the world’s only Savior would not have been born.

The greater concern here is the collective callus on the heart of a nation.  For just short of four full decades, we have legally sanctioned the killing of unborn children.  With the practice now entering a third generation of legal and societal acceptance, I am very concerned about the conscience of an entire culture.

There is an incredible website out there called www.physiciansforlife.org, a voice for medical professionals against the horrific practice of abortion.  On the site, they say, “How ironic that the ‘love’ generation should spawn such a culturally accepted abomination as abortion.”  The site is filled with studies and data about the health risks and problems for the mother who makes this choice as well as an endless amount of statistics and research on the matter.

Our task is great.  It begins with our valuing all human life and the eternal implication residing in every person.  This deserves our prayers and our concern.  If we will be more aggressive in teaching the gospel to the lost, we stand a better chance to reach the heart of a nation hardened by years of choosing evil rather than good on this matter.  May God grant our nation a softened heart and may He bless us all, including those unborn who simply want to live.  Neal Pollard at: http://preacherpollard.wordpress.com/2010/11/03/how-the-nation-views-its-most-vulnerable/

16 These six things the LORD hates,

yes, seven are an abomination to Him:

17 a proud look,

a lying tongue,

hands that shed innocent blood.”

Proverbs 6:16-17

Have a great day!  Enjoy the cooler temperatures.

Anna Lee