A Different Kind of Birthday

Tears rolled down my cheeks as I held him in my hands. He was perfect. He was so precious and tiny. My little brother Nathaniel Asher, "Nash, " was born on February the thirteenth of this year. Usually, people think of birthdays as the day a life began, but I don't.

My brother never cried when he was born. He never grasped my finger, never looked at me, and never took a breath in my arms. He never took a breath at all, but he lived. His life did not begin on his birthday; no one's life does. Birthdays do not mark the beginning of a unique genetic makeup that only one person will ever have. They do not mark the first beat of a heart. Birthdays do not mark the beginning of a soul's existence. Birthdays mark the day a person, who already exists, enters this world and leaves the environment of their mother's womb.

Nash had a different kind of birthday than most people. His life was already completed when he was born. He was never issued a birth certificate acknowledging his life, but I know that he lived.
I held him in the palm of my hand. Born at seventeen weeks gestation, he was only five inches long. I wondered how someone so small could take up so much room in my heart. I loved him very much, but I never got to tell him so. I never got to know who he was or what he was like; I just held his lifeless body and rocked him. I kissed his tiny forehead and held his delicate fingers. No one could ever convince me that Nash was not a person.

I wish I would have had the privilege of knowing him and seeing his personality. I wish I could have listened to him, made him laugh, and shared life with him. Although Nash was never known by a single person, his little life was important and God knows him. God is the one who formed him and fashioned his soul.

Fetuses are human beings. I am not a scientist, but it was not hard to see that my brother was not an undefined blob of disorganized cells, and I did not even need a microscope or magnifying glass to observe this. He had fingers, toes, ears, legs, arms, ribs, eyes, a nose, and even a tongue. He had everything we have. Fetuses are just a smaller version of normal-sized people. They are not disorganized random cells. They have all the same parts as us, and they are put together the same way. They are just much smaller and more delicate.

Nash taught me that birthdays are not the beginning. Life begins at conception. I will forever remember my brother's life although it ended before his birthday. I held him in my hand for only a few minutes, but I will always hold him in my heart. I am so thankful for the life of Nash, and I will always love him. Birthdays are days when we celebrate someone's life, but I'm learning that life should be celebrated every moment because life is a vapor.

"For you formed my inmost parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth.Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them."Psalm 139:16 

Life- Something I'm Passionate About

Passion and Compassion

I have just finished Jessica Shaver's book Gianna Aborted... and Lived to Tell About It on the life of Gianna Jessen. As I read the book, it sparked a passion and compassion in me. I appreciated that it told the mother's story. It really gave me compassion for Gianna's biological mother, Tina. The book also put a face on the babies that are aborted daily by giving me someone to identify with. As I read about the life of Gianna, I was struck with the fact that her life was almost ended before her story was ever told. She personalized the "blobs of tissue" for me. The book also exposed how her mother had been lied to and was repentant when her baby was born alive. Tina realized what she did was wrong and was truly sorry. I feel deep compassion for women like Tina. I feel deep compassion for anyone who has had an abortion.

Personalized

As I read the book though, I realized that although I already believed in life from conception, it had not really registered in my mind fully. Aborted babies were not personal to me. In a way, I thought of these babies as someone never given a chance to live out their story. What I failed to realize though, was the fact that these babies' stories had already begun. I was against abortion, but I had a misunderstanding. I thought  the babies were alive, but I contradicted myself in thinking they had not been given a chance to live. Life in the womb is still life. It is still a story. It is how everyone's story began.

What Would You Do?

As I sat pondering all of this, I asked myself, "If these are living children, what would I do in any other situation where children were being murdered? If I knew innocent children where being slaughtered legally and that somebody was making a living off of it, I would do something!" What would you do if you knew that children were being murdered in a particular building nearby?  Babies in the womb are alive even though we cannot see them. Abortion is no different. It is the American Holocaust. We must pray, speak, and act!

Something Worth Fighting For

Unborn babies' lives are worth fighting for, but how much more is the life of people's souls! People need the gospel. My life goal is not to end abortion. That will be ended when God comes back. I will give my life for the sake of Christ. If I give my life to any other name or cause, I have only been successful in making an idol. True success was accomplished when Christ triumphed over death on the cross. My life goal is to glorify God and to spread the gospel. There is no greater name nor cause! If you want to live your life well, give it up for the only One who is worthy!

Two Victims

We should stand up for these babies, but never forget we must speak truth to their mothers too! The baby is not the only victim. The mothers are victims to lies! As scripture says " the truth will set you free". These women need to hear the truth.

Concluding Thoughts

I'd like to end with these verses: "Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all the unfortunate.

Open your mouth, judge righteously, and defend the rights of the afflicted and needy." Proverbs 31:8-9

                              Life is precious, no matter how small!
                           Originally posted on 2/4/13

Life--Something I'm Passionate About

Passion and Compassion

I have just finished Jessica Shaver's book Gianna Aborted... and Lived to Tell About It on the life of Gianna Jessen. As I read the book, it sparked a passion and compassion in me. I appreciated that it told the mother's story. It really gave me compassion for Gianna's biological mother, Tina. The book also put a face on the babies that are aborted daily by giving me someone to identify with. As I read about the life of Gianna, I was struck with the fact that her life was almost ended before her story was ever told. She personalized the "blobs of tissue" for me. The book also exposed how her mother had been lied to and was repentant when her baby was born alive. Tina realized what she did was wrong and was truly sorry. I feel deep compassion for women like Tina. I feel deep compassion for anyone who has had an abortion.

Personalized

As I read the book though, I realized that although I already believed in life from conception, it had not really registered in my mind fully. Aborted babies were not personal to me. In a way, I thought of these babies as someone never given a chance to live out their story. What I failed to realize though, was the fact that these babies' stories had already begun. I was against abortion, but I had a misunderstanding. I thought  the babies were alive, but I contradicted myself in thinking they had not been given a chance to live. Life in the womb is still life. It is still a story. It is how everyone's story began.

What Would You Do?

As I sat pondering all of this, I asked myself, "If these are living children, what would I do in any other situation where children were being murdered? If I knew innocent children where being slaughtered legally and that somebody was making a living off of it, I would do something!" What would you do if you knew that children were being murdered in a particular building nearby?  Babies in the womb are alive even though we cannot see them. Abortion is no different. It is the American Holocaust. We must pray, speak, and act!

Something Worth Fighting For

Unborn babies' lives are worth fighting for, but how much more is the life of people's souls! People need the gospel. My life goal is not to end abortion. That will be ended when God comes back. I will give my life for the sake of Christ. If I give my life to any other name or cause, I have only been successful in making an idol. True success was accomplished when Christ triumphed over death on the cross. My life goal is to glorify God and to spread the gospel. There is no greater name nor cause! If you want to live your life well, give it up for the only One who is worthy!

Two Victims

We should stand up for these babies, but never forget we must speak truth to their mothers too! The baby is not the only victim. The mothers are victims to lies! As scripture says " the truth will set you free". These women need to hear the truth.

Concluding Thoughts

I'd like to end with these verses: "Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all the unfortunate.

Open your mouth, judge righteously, and defend the rights of the afflicted and needy." Proverbs 31:8-9

                              Life is precious, no matter how small!

The Untold Story

There is a silent Holocaust taking place in America. Millions of babies are aborted every year! The only people who know these babies' stories may be the mother and the doctor, but God knows about these lives that are murdered. In fact, He formed these babies and gave them a soul. May this song stir you to action! Speak up for those who are never given a trial! We can not be silent while the innocent perish! We must pray! We must speak! We must Act!

Verse 1
Tiny heartbeat

(A life size replica of a first trimester baby in the womb )

Tiny toes
What you'll look like
No one will ever know

Tiny fingers
No one will ever hold
Your precious life is a story
That will never be told

Verse 2
An empty cradle
You would have used
An empty table
That is missing you

An empty hole
In your mother's heart
An empty role in the world
That is your part

Verse 3
Without a trial
No chance to defend
They decided death
Was your sentence

Your lifeless body
Was thrown away
No tombstone

To mark your grave

Verse 4
Your baby may not
Have a voice
No one may ever
know your choice

But for every act
You will ever do
God will demand
An account from you

Verse 5
Is someone missing
From your world
A baby boy
Or a little girl

There is no sin
God can not forgive
Have faith in Him
And you will live


If you haven't already, be sure to watch Ray Comfort's film on Abortion, 180.  I posted it on my blog in a former post entitled: "One Million Views in 22 Days". Please encourage all your friends to view this short film. They can view it for free at 180themovie.com. Be creative and think of ways to support life in the womb!

1 Million Views in 22 Days!

In The Image of God (Written 1/18/12)

Created in His Image
Genesis 1:27 "God created man in his own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them."

Did The Fall Change That?
God created man in his own image, but since the fall is man still a reflection of it? There is no unrighteousness in God. If we are unrighteous, (Romans 3;10-18) how can we reflect his image? Eph 4:22-24 says that "in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lust of deceit, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth." (Emphasis added) The old self which being corrupted in accordance with the lust of deceit, is certainly not a reflection of God's character but is totally depraved, unable to even chose good (Eph 2: 1-2). Psalm 51:5 says "Surely I was sinful from birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me." We sin because we are sinners not vise versa. However, even though man no longer reflects God's character he is still made in God's image.

Image Bearers vs. Character Reflectors
Even though our nature is not a reflection of God's character, we still posses something distinctive that all other creation doesn't, and that is a soul. Even though our nature has changed, our substance (or being) hasn't. If a dog develops rabies he doesn't become another animal or thing; he just has an extremely aggressive nature. He is still a dog though. Despite the fact that our desires and impulses are naturally evil now, and we are totally depraved apart from God's saving grace; we are just a corrupted  form of what God designed us to be. We are still humans and posses a soul even after the fall. James 3:9 is one place where the New Testament mentions us being made in the image of God. So the fall did not nullify that fact. All humans bear God's image, but only Christians are a reflection of his character and are in the likeness of God. Isn't that interesting. In fact Satan told Adam and Eve that eating the forbidden fruit would make them like God, and doing so did just the opposite. He is the father of lies and cannot tell the truth.The new self "in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth." Those whom God saves are a reflection of his character. The unregenerate are not a representation of God's character, but they still bear his image.

Not Exactly
Ultimately Jesus is "the exact representation of His nature" (Hebrews 1:3). Even with our new nature, we are not the exact representation of his glory or nature because we are still putting to death the deeds of the flesh by the spirit and learning to walk by the spirit (Galatians 5:16,25). Ephesians 5:1 goes on to say we should be imitators of God. We should imitate God's love to those who don't reflect his character.


The Value of Human Life
The fact that humans posses a soul is an important fact. We aren't animals. If you are a human you have a soul and you've had one from the moment you became one. People argue over when a fetus becomes a human. I believe the moment they where created, just as it was from the beginning, that a man is human and has a soul. I believe abortion is murder and that it is a sin.  When we kill a fly or mosquito that is not a sin. Those insects do not posses a soul. It is the same as when we pull a weed out of our garden and kill it. That is not a sin. God does not say "thou shalt not kill", but "thou shalt not murder."
I have never heard of a man being executed for squishing an ant. However, many times it has happened for killing a human. For the same reason, I think killing an old person or dissabled person who no longer contributes to society, is wrong. I have compassion for those who have had abortions, and I know often the mothers are decieved into doing so. God's grace can cover any sin, even murder. God created man in his own image. That puts value on man. We should value man as well, reflecting God's character to a fallen world in need of God's saving grace.