Self-Examination

It is a wise person who periodically examines their lives to make sure their words, actions, and motives reflect the person of Jesus Christ. There are many references in the Bible for such self-examination. When we come to participate in the Lord's Supper, the apostle Paul tells us we ought to examine ourselves before we eat of the bread and drink of the cup (I Corinthians 11:28). Other Bible references telling us to take a look at ourselves include: II Cor.13:5; Lamentations 3:40; Psalm 119:59; 139:23&24; Romans 12:3. Even Michael Jackson got it right when he said that making a difference in the world begins by taking "a look at yourself" ("Man in the Mirror"). But, it does us no good to examine ourselves if we aren't honest about what we see and disciplined in what we do, as a result.
A severe rash prompted a farmer from a very rural area to get an examination from a doctor. After taking the usual tests, the physician advised the patient that his dog was causing an allergic reaction and he would have to get rid of it. As the farmer was leaving the office, the doctor asked him whether he planned to sell the animal or give it away. "Neither," the man replied. "I'm going to get me one of them second opinions I been reading about. It's a lot easier to find a good doctor than it is to find a good bird dog."
Over the next two weeks, New Hope Christian Church is undergoing a self-examination and we need your help. Included in the bulletin is a website where you can take a test that lasts anywhere from 25-40 minutes. It's not a Bible quiz. It's more like a spiritual inventory. No one will know who gave what answers so we need you to be totally honest. Whether you attend New Hope irregularly or regularly,and whether you are a member or not, we need you to help us determine how well we are doing in making disciples of Jesus Christ and fulfilling our mission. If you don't have access to a computer or the Internet, call the office (752-1612) and we'll set up a time for you to come in and take it at the church. We'll share the overall results with you at a later time. As we continue with our sermon series for the year, entitled, "I Am Responsible.....", it is important that our church family take inventory so we know where we need to improve. In advance, thanks for your help!

Legal Hypocrisy

A young woman boarded an airplane in Pittsburgh and flew to Youngstown, Ohio, a flight of thirty-two minutes. During that time, she delivered a baby in the restroom of the airplane and left it there. She was arrested on two charges; child abandonment and attempted murder. While her action was obviously a crime worthy of prosecution, what seems hypocritical is that Planned Parenthood would have been happy to assist her in murdering the unborn baby with an abortion and she would not have been arrested or charged with any crime. What's even more schizophrenic is knowing that in some states a teenage girl does not need her parent's permission to abort a baby, but she does need her parent's permission to pierce her ears. Furthermore, an unborn baby is considered by our legal system to be a "nonperson", regardless of how developed that baby is, but when that "nonperson" is born, he/she is suddenly a person eligible for welfare benefits.
These are only a few of the dilemmas created when the U.S. Supreme Court decided on January 22, 1973 that the wording found in the United States Constitution guaranteeing every "person" the right to life, applied only to people already born. I have ministered to parents who miscarried babies after only four months of pregnancy and seen the babies. Believe me, they may be small, but they are fully developed human beings. I have seen doctors and nurses deliver a baby weighing a little over one pound after only six months of pregnancy. That little girl is still alive today! Pregnancy is a consequence of sexual intercourse. If two people do not want the responsibility of a pregnancy, then they should consider the wisdom of having sexual relations without some means of preventing that pregnancy, other than taking a human person's life after he/she has already been conceived. If Abel's blood cried out to God from the ground after Cain had murdered and buried him (Genesis 4:10), then you can be sure that every unborn baby whose life has been selfishly and senselessly murdered has the same effect on God.
Jesus Christ came to give us "life" and he demonstrated how to enjoy life "to the full" (John 10:10). God has not given us permission to play God by killing life before a baby is born. I hope you will always stand with me on the side of life. I believe that every life deserves to be born. I believe that every life which has been born deserves to be treated with dignity and respect. I also believe that mothers who have already had abortions deserve to find the love and the forgiveness of Jesus Christ, and God has called Christians to be that instrument. "I have set before you life and death, blessings or curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live...." (Deuteronomy 30:19).