this one's for the christians

“He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God” –Micah 6:8

As I sit here beginning to write this, I know that it’s something I’ve been burdened to do so for so long, and yet I am dreading to write it because if there’s anything that seems to stir up so much dissension, it’s politics. Yet this burden is so heavy on my soul; it’s even kept me awake at night. God first told me to write this probably two months ago, but in some combination of disobedience, fear, and laziness you are getting it now. Still, I know that my God is much more faithful than I, and this burden is much more important to Him than to me.

The message on my heart is one for Christians, for those who claim the name of Jesus as their Savior and Lord. Some will probably find it offensive, but I believe that it needs to be said (Ezekiel 33:5-6): I’m afraid that much of the church has been deceived. I fear that we have traded the hope of God for the hope of a man, and are making our decisions not upon a Biblical foundation which God has laid, but upon a worldly foundation which our society has laid. Please hear me out. Even if you cannot yet vote, please hear me out. We all need to understand the spiritual reality of what’s going on. I know this is long.

Many of you might know that I am a one-issue voter. The issue of abortion is unlike any other in this nation. Why do I say this? Because it’s not merely an “issue” like the economy, education, the Iraq War, even health care. It’s not an issue of morality; it is an issue of justice. Since 1973 when abortion was legalized in this nation, an estimated 48,000,000 babies have been denied the right to live. That is almost 16% of America’s current population. About 3,500 babies are legally killed in the womb each day. People make a lot of excuses for abortion, but it is what it is.

We need to face reality. The question we must ask ourselves is: Does this matter to God? Because if it matters to God, then it will impact us. In Genesis 4:10, when God calls Cain out after killing his brother, He says: “What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground.” Do we understand that? God sees injustice. God sees innocent bloodshed; in fact, it pollutes the land:

“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. Do not defile the land where you live and where I dwell, for I, the Lord, dwell among the Israelites” (Numbers 35:33-34).

It’s all over the Bible. Our God is a God of justice: one who fights for the fatherless and widow, who upholds the cause of the oppressed and sets the captives free, and who calls His people to do the same. We are called to love justice as God loves justice, and biblically speaking, if we fail to do so, we put ourselves at odds with—even set up against—the hand of the Lord.

I believe we have a problem in this nation much graver than our “economic crisis” or the fact that we are at war. I believe that we have the blood of 48,000,000 innocent babies crying out from our land, and we have a just God staring His people in the face, asking us what we’re going to do about it. Where are we going to stand? Just as there will be justice on behalf of the Jews who died in the Holocaust, I believe that there will be justice for this bloodshed. This is why I pray the “Life prayer” every single day of my life: Jesus, I plead your blood over my sins and the sins of my nation. God, end abortion and send revival to America.*

Brothers and sisters, we have no option here but to plead the blood of Jesus over this injustice. We need to cry out for mercy on behalf of this nation, on behalf of the Church, which has in so many ways stood silent on this issue! And I, personally, am bound for life to this end, which involves not just my prayer life and daily action (and I know that I am not doing all that I should be as an active voice, as well as an agent of compassion to women who are in such a devastating place as considering abortion; it is the Church’s job more than the government’s, remember!), but yes, also in my vote. And I am pleading with you to stand with me.

First, let’s talk about what appears to be the practical but is more a manifestation of the spiritual war than I think any of us realize. Some people are convinced that Obama has all the answers for this nation. I’m not even going to step outside the issue of abortion (yes, they are important, but in all honesty I don’t see the point when standing before God with the blood of 48,000,000 babies on our hands), but it honestly makes me sick to see so many people put what seems like all of their hope into this man. Say he does have all our economic answers. Say he does have all our health care answers. Say he does have the ability to establish peace in the middle east [all of which = not likely, by the way]. We still have these questions: Where does salvation come from? Where does prosperity come from? Where does blessing come from? Where does success come from? Is it possible to achieve these things apart from God? Only in the worldly sense. People of God, we are crazy to think that our nation will do well in this world apart from the favor of God—or, even worse—if the hand of God is against us. And I truly believe with all my heart that this is where our nation is headed if we refuse to fight this injustice. Judgment is scheduled for America unless something changes. If God stood before Israel—the apple of His eye­—with uplifted hand and brought judgment upon them for their sin and injustice, why in the world would we think that we are exempt?

So does it actually matter to elect somebody pro-life? Some people think that it’s never going to be overturned, so why ignore other things? But from a practical standpoint, yes, it does matter. There are a lot of things people assume a President has power over that he doesn’t, but one thing the president in this nation can do is appoint Supreme Court justices. When Roe v. Wade (the Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion in 1973) gets overturned, practically speaking it will be a decision upheld through the Supreme Court. You probably know that the practice of partial birth abortion (usually 18-26 week abortion, in which labor is induced, the baby’s skull is crushed and a dead baby is delivered) is currently banned in this nation (praise God!), a decision upheld in a 5-4 ruling of the Supreme Court since George W. Bush has been in office (Clinton vetoed this ban). Does this tell us that the scales are close to tipping? The two oldest justices are two of the most liberal. People are estimating that the next president may be in a position to appoint three justices. There are only nine on the Supreme Court! The overturning of Roe v. Wade is not impossible. Obama himself has said that "Roe v. Wade probably hangs in the balance" in this election.** On election day, the citizens of South Dakota are voting on a law that will criminalize abortion in that state. It is not impossible.

Practically speaking, Barack Obama is nowhere near neutral on this issue. He has proven himself as an enemy of the unborn as far as legislation goes, and a 100% approved friend of the pro-choice movement. He opposes the partial birth abortion ban (in fact, his wife wrote letters to try and get the ban stopped). He opposed the Born Alive Infant Protection Act (BAIPA), which would require, in the event of an induced-labor abortion where the child was mistakenly born alive, a second doctor to be called in besides the doctor performing the abortion, to ensure that every step possible was taken to attend to the living child. This legislation was written in response to the revealed truth that babies born alive in Illinois were being left in linen closets to die, or held by devastated nurses until they did. Obama not only opposed this legislation at the state and national level, but spoke out against it in Illinois because it is “burden[s] the original decision of the woman”…meaning that babies are dispensable if they interfere with the underlying logic of Roe v. Wade that they aren’t people anyway.*** Obama opposes minor parental consent and notification legislation, which means that he’s okay with a thirteen year old girl (who can’t take a Tylenol without parental consent) getting an abortion without her parents even knowing. Make no mistake, Obama will fight for a woman’s “right to choose,” and his Supreme Court justice appointments will no doubt reflect it.

Practically speaking, does it make sense to give more power to the government which already teaches immorality in schools? To further empower the government, who is teaching, “well, it’s best not to, but since you’re going to anyway, let me tell you what to do about it,” according to the rules of our society, which is in no way sexually and morally neutral? Is it in any way a solution to support the further empowering of a government that is already sending this nation’s teenagers to Planned Parenthood (America’s number one abortion provider, partially funded by your tax dollars), so that they can get and feel “safe” on all sorts of birth control, a lot of which they don’t even explain doesn’t even necessarily always prevent conception, but will most likely stop fertilization, ie cause miscarriage, just in case it doesn’t? (read for yourself at www.thepillkills.com or simply google “how birth control pill works”).

More importantly, however, is to look at the issue through the spiritual lens. Will it matter to align ourselves with pro-life candidates? Yes. Abortion is also a spiritual issue, a place where the devil, who hates people, has a stronghold in this nation and uses it to physically, emotionally and spiritually destroy people. Ultimately, who will be the one to tear down this stronghold? It will be God Himself. God has the power to turn this thing around. And when will that happen?

“…If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14).

God loves us and desires to respond to us. We must remain faithful to God in this. We must choose Him and not the world. We must stand for righteousness for as long as it takes.

In the meantime, like I said, I believe that we are awaiting judgment. Do we really think that God doesn’t see this? Or that God doesn’t care? We, as God’s people, have to get this. The church is in a place of crisis. And what are we doing? How should we react? Joel 2 says this:

“’Even now,’ declares the LORD, ‘return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.’ Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity. Who knows? He may turn and have pity and leave behind a blessing—grain offerings and drink offerings for the LORD your God. Blow the trumpet in Zion, declare a holy fast, call a sacred assembly. Gather the people, consecrate the assembly; bring together the elders, gather the children…” (Joel 2:12-16a).

Do you see?? Who knows?? Perhaps the LORD will turn from judgment and leave us with a blessing instead. Who knows? I know that God loves mercy. He has showed us that in Jesus. We desperately need the mercy of God over our nation right now. It's time to pray and repent.

We must never forget that this world—including this nation—has one Messiah, one Savior, one hope. It is neither Obama nor McCain; His name is Jesus, and He will come back to this earth one day to make every wrong thing right. Let us not be like the Israelites, who in their “wisdom” rejected their true King and cried out for an earthly king, despite it not being God’s will for them. God let them have their way and gave them a king (Saul), but it was not what He’d desired for them, and they suffered for it.

Why am I a one-issue voter? I will not vote for anyone who is not pro-life because every day I come before God and ask Him to end abortion in this land. There is so much about all this that I don’t understand, but I do understand very clearly that if I am asking Him something in the spiritual, I must line up with Him in the physical. I will have to stand before God one day—as will you—and give an account for my actions. This world is passing away, but one day we will each give a reckoning as to where we stood. As far as I am able, the blood of those 48,000,000 babies will not be on my hands. Let it not be said of me what Jesus spoke to the Pharisees—

“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill, and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel” (Matthew 23:23-24).

Instead, let it be said of me that I stood, and that I fought for justice as a voice for the voiceless.

If you are not convicted regarding the reality of abortion, I would like to give you a challenge. In fact, I give it to all of us, because we need to truly understand what is going on.

• Read Psalm 139:1-18 (especially 13-16), Jeremiah 1:4-8, and Luke 1:39-45, and go before God and ask Him to reveal to your heart what the unborn mean to His.
• Go to http://www.abort73.com and http://www.durarealidad.com to read the truth and watch the graphic videos (if you are young, ask your parents first)…and then go before God and ask Him to reveal to your heart what abortion does to His.
• Watch the following videos: one of Pastor John Piper making a statement about how “Abortion is about God,” and watch this video, “The Silent Scream,” which shows an ultrasound video of an abortion as it happens…and then go before God and ask Him to reveal to your heart whether or not He has forgotten.
  http://www.desiringgod.org/Blog/1370_abortion_is_about_god/ at bottom of page and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvshMADC7s0
• Finally, go before God and ask Him whether or not Jesus would overlook justice for 48,000,000 (and growing: 5.2 million more over the next four years) babies to establish a universal health care plan. Please take not just your vote, but your life, before God in this issue.

Truly, many excuses are made about abortion, but it is what it is. If you would like more information or any sermons on any of this stuff, I probably have some. Let me know. Check out the links below. If you are carrying the scars of an abortion, know that God loves you more than you understand, and He desires to pour His mercy, forgiveness, healing, and wholeness into your life. Jesus has come to set us free.

“You cannot pray for the ending of abortion and promote those who support it…Yet no poll or pundit can guess the outcome when God breaks in suddenly with answers to the prayers and fasting of His people."

In the name of JESUS—
Missy Ryan
*www.bound4life.com/make-the-covenant/

**from the article regarding Supreme Court Justices found at http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/election2008/2008-10-23-candidates-courts_N.htm
An excerpt: “The eldest justices on the current court, John Paul Stevens, 88, and Ruth Bader Ginsburg, 75, are among the most liberal. If they retire and are succeeded by conservatives, the court would tip considerably. The appointment of Alito, who replaced retired justice Sandra Day O'Connor in 2006, has altered the law on abortion, race and campaign finance because he has voted more conservatively than O'Connor.”

***Read for yourself here:
http://www.jillstanek.com/archives/2008/02/links_to_barack.html

Other Resources:
Pastor John Piper: “Why I am a One-Issue Voter”
http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/Articles/ByDate/1995/1524_OneIssue_Politics_OneIssue_Marriage_and_the_Humane_Society/

An Article: “The Stakes Couldn’t Be Higher” by Dutch Sheets
http://www.dutchsheets.org/index.cfm

Stand True Christ Centered Pro-life
www.standtrue.com