7-3-22 - A Biblical Response To Abortion

Turn with me and your Bibles to Matthew's Gospel chapter number five this morning. Matthew chapter number five, we're going to read verse. 14 down to verse number 18, Matthew chapter 5. The Bible says in Matthew chapter 5, verse 14: Jesus said, Ye are the light of the world. City that is set on a hill cannot be hid.

Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick, and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. You read verse 16 with me. Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven. Think not that I'm come to destroy the law or the prophets. I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill, as we preached on that verse last Sunday.

Then verse 18, if you'd read with me. For verily I say unto you, till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Father, we do thank you and worship you today for your word. Thank you for the men and women who've served our country and are serving. We pray for your hand to be upon them, both their families and also those that are stationed throughout the world.

God, thank you most of all through your Son, Jesus Christ, who through your death and resurrection we have salvation and forgiveness of sins. God, I pray you would give me clarity. wisdom, let me speak only what you would have me to say and nothing more. God, I pray that you would be glorified in all that's said and done, that Christ would be exalted in men. and women might come to Christ.

We ask it in Jesus' name. And God's people said, Man, you may be seated today.

Well This morning I have felt compelled to preach on abortion This has been such a Pressing issue in our culture, and whenever an issue becomes so pressing, I believe that the church needs to address it. biblically God's people need to be led by the truth and not by what the culture says or a politician or anyone else. We must base truth upon Objective truth. standard that does not change with The times Truth is not subjective. It is not relativistic.

Truth is... the same yesterday, today and forever because it is God's truth. I want to ask you this morning, when it comes to abortion, What are your views? In what positions do you take? What do you What do you believe about the life of the unborn child in the womb?

And then what brought you to that conclusion?

Somebody were to ask you today, what do you believe about abortion? How would you respond? And the question I'm asking you is this. Why would you respond that way? What is the reason?

What is the foundation of truth that you're building your answer upon? Are you basing your belief on what the Bible says, or are you basing it upon what a political party says, what culture says, what social media says? If I were to share with you the Word of God this morning, And if the Bible opposes what your view is based upon what a political party says, culture, Facebook, friend group, family, media, or any other group. Who should you side with? And if you choose to side with politics, culture, social media, and it opposes the Bible, I would ask you.

Who then is your final authority? Are you allowing the world to become your final authority now instead of God's word? You need to understand there is only one standard of truth to build your life upon. There is only one absolute standard, and God's word is that foundation. At the end of Matthew's Sermon in chapter 5 through 7, Jesus said, There's two foundations you can build upon.

He said, You can build upon what I say, and it's a rock. And if you build upon that, the storms of life will come and you'll endure. But you can reject my word and build upon what man says and what man thinks. And Jesus said, That's sandy foundation. And so, our worldview, and when I say worldview, I mean the lens through which you see the world.

Interpret it and to interact with it must be built with the Bible. The Word of God and Scripture must be the lens through which we. See the world. Truth has to be based upon God and not man. Today, you make that choice.

Jesus said here in Matthew 5, verse 18. He said, Verily I say unto you, till heaven and earth pass, one jot, which is the smallest letter in the Hebrew alphabet, and one tittle, which is the smallest marking in the Hebrew alphabet, which to us would be like the difference between a letter P and a capital letter Q or capital letter R. It's just that little line. A tittle is just that squiggly line. Jesus says, not the smallest letter and not even the smallest marking that distinguishes one letter from another will pass from my word until all of it's fulfilled.

The Bible says in Psalms 119, 160, the word of... The word is true. Thy word is true from the beginning, and every one of thy righteous judgments. endureth forever. Jesus stated this in John 12, 48.

He that rejecteth me and receiveth not my words hath one that judgeth him. He said, The word that I've spoken unto him shall judge him in the last day. You need to know today. What we read in this book will be the standard by which you and I are judged. And if that is the case, should we not respond to life through the lens of what the Bible says?

If this is the foundation of absolute reality. of what is actually real. then we must be led through the truth of God's word. I remember talking to a doctor one time he said he had a patient get upset because They had corrective Eye surgery done. And she said, You made me ugly.

And the doctor graciously responded, No, now you can just see the clear reflection in the mirror. There's not any good way around that, is there? That was a loose. losing opposition proposition, but You know, when you see the world, everything is foggy and hazy. until you see it through the lens of truth.

So I would ask you today, what does God's word say? about abortion. What does it say about abortion?

Sometimes people say, well, the church should not talk about these political issues. I would ask you the question, when did life become a political issue? And when did God have to be silenced about things that go on in a culture? When did we say, God, you're not allowed to speak on behalf of what's going on in the culture? You have no right.

Your word has no authority on this matter. God, you need to keep silent on the issue. I reject such a proposition. I believe God has. everything to say about everything.

and a right to do it. You believe that today?

So when does life begin?

Well, the Bible tells us life first of all is a gift from God. In Acts 17, 24, Paul is speaking on Mars Hill to a A group of people. We were very religious but very lost. He said, God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that He is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temple made with hands, neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needeth anything. Seeing he giveth to all life and breath and all things, for in him we live and move and have our being.

So God is the one who gives life. to everything. Job 33 verse 4, Job said, The Spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life. Genesis 2, 7. The Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and man became a living soul.

The Bible is absolutely clear that God Gave us life, and also that God is the one who actually creates you in the womb. God is the one who gives you life at conception. And mold you into what you are today. Psalms 22, verse 9 says, But thou art he talking to God that took me out of the womb. Thou didst make me hope when I was upon my mother's breast, so I was cast.

Upon thee from the womb, thou art my God from my mother's belly. Psalms 139, verse 13 says, For thou hast possessed my reins. That literally means you formed my inward parts. Thou hast covered me in my mother's womb. I will praise thee, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.

Marvelous are thy works, and that my soul knoweth right well. The psalmist declares to us that God is the one who formed him in the womb. Isaiah forty four, verse one. Yet now hear, O Jacob, my servant in Israel, whom I have chosen, Thus saith the Lord that made thee and formed thee. Where does it say, church?

In the womb From the womb which will help the Job 31, 15, did not he that made me in the womb make him, and did not one fashion us in the womb? Over and over, do you find this all through the Bible, that God makes us from the womb? Jeremiah 1:5, God told Jeremiah, Before I formed thee in the belly, I knew thee, and before thou camest forth out of the womb, I sanctified thee and ordained thee a prophet unto the nations. God had plans for Jeremiah. Before Jeremiah Was born physically into the world.

God formed him. He said, I even formed you in the belly. God said he was the one forming Jeremiah in the womb. Isaiah 49, verse 1, speaking specifically of the Messiah, the Old Testament says, the Lord hath called me from the womb. Another example is found in the announcement of Samson's birth.

The angel of the Lord comes to Samson's mother and says in Judges 13:7. Behold, thou shalt conceive and bear a son, and thou drink no wine nor strong drink, neither eat any unclean thing. For the child shall be a Nazarite to God from the womb. Samson here is called a child. From the womb.

Now, when did the Lord Jesus Christ enter the world? Did he enter the world when Mary gave birth? Is that when Jesus entered into the world?

Well, Matthew 1:18 makes it very clear. The Bible says, Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise. When has his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph before they came together, she was found. What's the next two words? with child and who planted that child in her womb at conception.

of the Holy Ghost. It goes on to say in verse 20, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. Here, God's word tells us at conception. The child was in the womb. John the Baptist was called a baby while in the womb.

And he was also filled with the Holy Spirit from the womb. Luke 1.15, for he hath For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. And he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost. Read the rest with me, if you would, even from his mother's. Do we have Luke chapter 1 verse 15.

No wonder you couldn't read along with me. But it says in Luke 1.15 Yeah, and you won't be able to read that either. Yeah. It's okay. It says that John the Baptist shall be filled with the Holy Ghost even from his mother's womb.

Even from his mother's womb. Luke 1:41 says, And it shall come to pass that when Elizabeth heard the salutation, the babe leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost. Verse 44 goes on to say, For lo, as soon as thy voice of salutation sounded in my ears, this is what Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist in her womb, says to Mary when Mary enters and she's got baby Jesus in her womb, because Jesus and John the Baptist were cousins and their mothers were cousins. And so Mary goes to visit Elizabeth.

Elizabeth is six months pregnant. Mary is just pregnant. And this is what she says. Elizabeth says to Mary, for lo, as soon as thy voice of salutation sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for what? For joy.

John the Baptist is six months old at this time in the womb. You say, well, that's ridiculous. A baby can't Jump for joy in a womb. You know, with the technology of ultrasound, doctors have been able to learn that even at 20 weeks old, babies are seen crying with their bottom lip quivering. The little baby's bottom lip quivers.

While in the womb, They say when moms begin to laugh, the baby can also get excited and begin to kick and jump for joy at the same time. The the baby At twenty weeks old, Can be detected as yawning, sucking their thumb, jumping in the womb. Crying Little baby The word baby is from the Greek word brethos. And the Bible uses the same word of a baby in the womb for a baby out of the womb. Luke 2:12 says, And ye shall find the brephos wrapped in swaddling clothes lying in a manger.

Talking of Jesus, the Bible sees the baby in the womb. as the same life as that which is out of the womb. The Bible chose that same name. You need to understand. The actual moment of birth doesn't determine life.

The life is at conception. Conception then is the act of God whereby a person is made in the image of Almighty God, created by God's sovereign will, and the soul of the person is breathed into the living tissue by the Holy Spirit. Job 33, 4 says, The Spirit of God hath made me, the breath of the Almighty hath given me life. That child, that conception, is given an eternal soul. The soul of a person doesn't enter at 20 weeks.

or at the end of the first trimester. Or at the End of the 40 weeks of pregnancy, the child. has the Holy Spirit from conception Has, I would say, the soul of their soul from conception, the Holy Spirit. Plants that in that child. Conception is a gift from God.

God is the one who allows conception to happen. Romans 4 or Ruth 4 verse 13 says, So Boaz took Ruth and she was his wife, and when he went in unto her, the Lord gave her conception, and she bare a son. Psalms 127, verse 3 says, Children are a heritage of the Lord, and the fruit of the womb is his reward. You need to understand that Life begins at conception. Human beings Bear the image of God.

Genesis 1.27 says, So God created man in his own image. In the image of God created he him. Male and female created he them. You must understand the reason human beings have essential value is. Because we are made in the image of God.

The reason that you have value is because you're a human made in the image of God. What is being argued by people today is that that baby doesn't have value. unless they are healthy. If they are disabled, then they are not as valuable. And they could and should be aborted.

Or that that baby in the womb won't have as much opportunity because their parents. do not have the finances.

So that child does not have the same value. The child is less valuable. And should not be brought into the world because we don't want to put it into a financially difficult position. Let me ask you: does our human value come from our physical health? If I have a disability, am I now less valuable than you as a human being?

Does my value rest upon my physical limitations? If that's the case, some of you are more valuable than others. Because some of you have more disabilities in some area.

Some of you have learning disabilities, physical disabilities. And you would then be less valuable based on those standards. Is that what we want to become as a human race? Our value isn't based upon such things. That child doesn't have full consciousness or self-awareness yet, so That's what some people say, they should be able to have abortions because the child is not self-aware or self-conscious.

Does our value come when we are self-conscious and self-aware. Do you understand science today has shown that a child doesn't even have self-awareness till they're two years of age?

So therefore, should a child not Be viewed as valuable because they are not self-aware. You say, well, that's silly. People wouldn't propose that. Really? You ever ho heard of Peter Singer?

Who holds the Bioethics Chair at Princeton University. Who has declared unequivocally that life begins at conception, but who believes that you cannot defeat that argument against the conservatives, he says, but. the value of that life doesn't begin until that child is self-aware. At least he's intellectually honest about it, that their life does begin at con and and and he's at least he's consistent with his beliefs because he said this. He said a child should not be allowed to live if the parent doesn't feel the child should live they they should have a right over ending the child's life up to two to three years of age.

He wants to have a law passed to where at least one month the mother would have a choice after the child's born if they want to keep the child or not because the child doesn't have self-awareness. That's what's being argued in our nation, really. Is that what we want to become? You're not self-aware when you're sleeping.

So some of you may not even have it now. People say, well, that child was a mistake. They were conceived by a mistake. Is our value based on convenience now?

Well, that child was conceived by rape or incest. Does our value decrease because of the sins of our fathers?

Some of you had wicked fathers.

Some of you had wicked and evil fathers. Should your value of life now be lessened? Should you not have been allowed to live? The baby is no longer equal now, no longer equally human because their dad was a wicked man. Is that what we want to become?

The same people crying out for equal rights rob babies of all rights and declare they are valuable only if the parents choose to place value upon them. Do we then make the value? is value based upon my own self-determination. Listen to me very closely. We are not valuable because of our abilities or disabilities.

We're not valuable because of our financial setting. We're not valuable because somebody wants us or doesn't want us or because of what our fathers did. Our value comes because we are made in the image of Almighty God. That's why we're valuable. The early church got this.

In the writings of the Didache, which was written in the late first and early second century, which reflects upon the teachings of the twelve apostles. They wrote. You shall not procure abortion nor destroy a newborn child. The church has always opposed abortion, at least the faithful churches have. And that day there were They had the sole the father had the sole right of the life of a child.

They would bring a child in that day that this was written. to the Father If the father said yes, the child will live, the child lived. If the father said no, They would drown the child. That's what they did. They would leave babies outside at night, let them die.

And the early church and the early believers would go at night and rescue those babies. That's our history, friends. People say, well You're speaking from the Bible. I'm not a Christian. I believe in science.

Well, I'm glad you brought science up because I believe in science as well. You understand science has confirmed exactly what the Bible says, that life begins at conception. When the father's sperm cell unites with the egg of the mother, the three 23 chromosomes from the father and the 23 chromosomes from the mother unite together and make a 46. 46 chromosomes, the deoxyribonucleic acid, and that single cell becomes separated from the mother. that they are now its own entity.

You become a human being at the very moment of conception. All the information to create you what you are going to be is there now. A person at that point is not fully formed, but you're not fully formed till you're in your mid to late 20, 50, mid to late teens. People say, well, the baby's not fully formed. Many of you are not yet fully formed.

Got some of these young bucks walking around going through puberty and their little voices are breaking. Got a little scruff coming in. They got a hair or two coming in. You know, you can, moms, you can help with that, put a little mascara on them, right? Work it in there, baby.

Work it in.

Okay, get that little fuzz going. These guys are trying, man. And they are working their way up the ladder. They got some fuzz. You got to put some layers on that fuzz, okay?

Simple point being is It takes 15 to 18 years for a person to be fully formed. Dr. Rickland Matthew Roth, a principal research associate at Harvard Medical School's Department of Medicine. Put it this way. He said it is scientifically correct to say that an individual human life begins at conception.

Perhaps Dr. Jaime Gordon, professor of medical genetics and a physician at the prestigious Mayo Clinic. best summarized the perspective when he said this I think we can now say that the question of the beginning of life, when life begins, is no longer a question for the theological or philosophical dispute. It is an established scientific fact. Theologians and philosophers may go on and debate the meaning of life or the purpose of life, but it is an established fact that all life, including human life, begins at the moment of conception.

Even Peter Singer, who is radically atheistic, radically pro-abortion, declares the same thing. Let me just show you. I'm not going to show you any pictures today of an abortion. I'm not going to do that. If you if if you are in any way pro abortion, I would give the benefit of the doubt to say you don't understand what actually happens.

You believe that because you have no idea. Because if you actually knew what happened. And you could hold to that? I can't even comprehend it. How somebody could be okay with it.

So the at day 18, we got some pictures of a little baby. Gonna form it in the womb. At day 18, a little tiny heart is formed by age. 21 to 22 days, that little heart begins to pump blood. Unbelievable miracle of God.

Six to seven weeks at this point, the eyes, the hands. The feet, the toes are formed. The first movements of the body, the arms and legs occur. We got a picture, I think, of seven weeks. If we could tickle their nose at six to seven weeks, they would move their head.

At eight weeks, if we could look inside, we could see that that little one can already grasp instruments and hang on to them. At 10 weeks, The tiny little boy body is totally formed, as yours and mine. The heartbeat can be detected. The fingerprints, you could actually take a fingerprint of them. that little precious child, on their hands and feet.

At the tenth week, the baby can suck its thumb, fingers, and toes. By 11 and 12 week, this is one-third of the way through the pregnancy, still in the first trimester. At this age, the baby begins to breathe, swallow, digest, urinate, and have tiny liquid bowel movements. The baby also sleeps now and will wake up if it hears a loud noise. The baby can hear its mother's voice and recognize its mother's voice.

At this age, the baby feels pain. The baby can also be taught things. At that age, They have dream patterns. These are all things that now we've discovered. During this stage, vocal cords are forming and the baby goes through the motion of crying.

At 16 weeks, fingernails, eyebrows, eyelashes appear. He also becomes more active as he kicks his feet, curls his toes, and he rests while sucking on his thumb in the womb. By five to six months, passing the midpoint of pregnancy and moving toward the end of the second trimester, the little one has been fully formed for a number of months.

Now very coordinated. Actions, the baby curls. As the mother moves, stretches when the mother rests. Having increased to the size of about 12 inches or more and weighing up to one and a half pounds, the infant, some of these infants at five to six months can actually survive outside of the womb with medical. Here.

We have actually a baby that was born to a dear family in our church. Just to give you a picture here. This little baby's name was Timber range Young. Little baby ember. She was born October 22nd, 2019, to Aaron and Christy Young.

They've been part of the church family since. About the first year of the church. Chrissy actually went through five miscarriages. over the years. And any families here who've gone through that understand the level of pain that is endured in the heart of a mother.

Father God then allowed them to carry this precious life to its twenty-fourth week. And it had to be delivered through C-section due to complications both with the child as well as the mother. Little baby Ember lived for two weeks. And I know that that baby has touched literally thousands of people's lives. Massive funeral.

online family, church family, different people in community were impacted by her. Even today, her story goes on. She went home to be with the Lord November 5th, 2019. God has since blessed Aaron and Christy with a child, a little girl named Eliza. And it was actually after the death of Ember that they said, you know, we just need to stop trying.

We need to take a break. This is just too hard. And it was even then that God allowed them to have a child and Their little baby Eliza was born January 12, 2021. That baby's now going on two years of age. That's a miracle of God.

It's a miracle of God. I can't even imagine. What it would take for someone to go into the womb and rip apart a baby-like baby ember. I I can't even understand what a person would have to have in their heart to be able to do that. And what is God's response to abortion?

How does God feel about this? I can tell you for myself, I've not cried this much in a week for I don't know how many years. My heart has been so torn up. I felt sick all day. just this week, just the studying on these things, it just grieves me to a level like Just burdened.

How does God feel about this? Well the Does the Bible teach life begins at conception? Yes. Does science teach that? Yes.

Is the unborn child an innocent life? Yes. Should we have the right to kill innocent White. No. I believe the woman should have a right over her own body.

That baby's body is not her body. Did you hear me? That little baby is not her body. We want to have right over our body, yet at the same time impose our will on another person's body to the point of taking their life. That's exactly what happens.

God's word is absolutely clear. Jesus said, I've come to fulfill the law. And he said in Exodus chapter 20. Verse 13, thou shall not kill. Is that clear enough?

Does that make it clear? Is there any commas there? Anybody see any extra statements? Since human life begins at conception, killing is premeditated murder and abortion. And how does God feel about killing innocent life?

Proverbs 6:16 says, These six things doth the Lord hate, yea, seven are an abomination unto him. a proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood. God God compares the Life of the prematurely born baby equal to the life of the grown man who's caused the death. In Exodus chapter 21, verse 25, it says, If men strive and hurt a woman, what's the next two words? If men strive and hurt a woman, what's the next two words there?

With child.

So that her fruit depart from her, and yet no mischief follow, which means the man hurdled pregnant woman. But the pregnancy causes the pregnancy to move forward, and the baby is born prematurely, but the baby is healthy. It goes on to say, he shall be surely punished according to the woman's husband will lay upon him, and he shall pay as the judges determine. And if any mischief follows, which means if there's any injury either to the mom or to that baby, Then thou shalt give life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, going on and on. What God is saying here is that child, if that man hurts a woman that's pregnant and that baby dies, then that's manslaughter.

That's murder, and that needs to be punished life for life. Killing of innocent life has always been an anti-God, satanic attack. Jesus said in John 8:44, You are of your father the devil, and the lust of your father is what you do. Speaking of Satan, Jesus said, He was a murderer from the beginning. and abode not in the truth.

Throughout the Bible, you see killing of children as an evil act of Satan and evil rulers. Pharaoh, what did he do to little babies? He threw him in a river. He drowned him. What did Herod do to little babies two and under in Bethlehem?

He slaughtered them. The killing of children is an abomination associated with idol worship. Ezekiel 16 says, Moreover, thou hast taken thy sons and thy daughters, whom thou hast borne unto me. And these hast thou sacrificed unto them to be devoured. Is this of thy whoredoms a small matter that thou hast slain?

Look how God views the children of pagan nations and what people did in Israel and pagan belief systems. He said, when you offered those children, because Molech was a pagan God who had his arms out like this, and they would have a flaming sacrifice going on underneath his arms, they would lay a child, and that child would be devoured by that flame and killed. And God says this: Those are, he uses the phrase, my children. They're my children that you bore unto me. You've sacrificed them.

Back in Genesis 4. Canaan rose up against his brother Abel. The Bible tells us in Genesis 4:8 that Cain talked with Abel his brother, and it came to pass when they were in the field that Cain rose up against Abel and slew him, kills his brother. God comes to Cain and asks In Genesis 4, 9, the LORD said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And Cain responds and says, Am I my brother's keeper?

That was a snark response. That was a that was a um The phrase brothers keeper Because the word Abel speaks about being a a a keeper of sheep, the the the name itself, and he's Mocking even it. Listen to God's response. in Genesis 4 verse 10. And he said, What hast thou done?

The voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground. Yeah. Consider if God says, That innocent blood that was shed From one grown man to another. He said, Abel's not here to speak on his behalf, but his blood is literally crying unto God from the ground. And what is it crying out?

It's crying out that innocent blood has been shed and justice must come. Judgment and justice must fall on that one who murdered. Able. Just consider if one man's blood cries out to God, what in the world do we think America's soil that's been stained with over 63 million babies aborted is crying out to God? You say Well that you think they're actually crying out to God in judgment?

Believers wouldn't do that.

Well r have you ever read Revelation 6? You know what Revelation 6 verse 9 and 10 says? And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held. And they cry that these are Christians who died. For the cause of Christ For being Christians, And their blood has been shed on the earth.

And listen to what they say to God. How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost Thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? They're not crying out and saying, God, when are you going to save them and forgive their sins? Be merciful to them. They're crying out and saying, God, bring judgment upon them.

Bring judgment upon them. And if That's the cry of some believers that were Slaughtered. In their blood, innocent blood was shed. What do you think is happening From the souls of all of those children crying out to God. Let me ask you a question.

What if your little three-year-old daughter came running into the house and said, Daddy, daddy, the man hurt me, and her arm's been broken open and you see the bones in her arm and her flesh and her wounds, and there's a man out there with a stick that hit your little girl. And he tore her arm open, and she's screaming, Daddy, daddy, protect me! That man's hurting me! Would you protect me, Daddy? And any man here would run out there and you would do justice upon that man's head.

You wouldn't have to do any calling. You would go out there and you would protect your little girl at what level you would need to protect her. What on earth do you think our God in heaven, our Father in heaven, is saying when all these children's blood are crying out to him, Father, Father, avenge our blood! Sixty three million have been slaughtered upon this nation. What do you think the Father in heaven is doing?

Can tell you what he's doing. He's readying himself for great vengeance upon this nation. America is under great judgment, friends. You will see judgment falling upon this nation continually. over and over and over again.

The wrath of God has been revealed against this nation. We have been given over to blindness. We are at the third level of Romans chapter 1. God has given us over to sexual revolution. The Bible tells us that was the first step, and that happened in the 60s and 70s.

The second step is a homosexual revolution. Romans chapter 1 tells us will come. That's exactly what happened in the last 20 years. And the third step is they will have no thought of God, and they will rage in their sin. Do we see a nation raging right now in their sin?

You need to understand when that happens, there is no hope left. There's only judgment. There's there's only judgment.

So, what how is uh What's abortion like on the landscape of America?

Well, the most recent reports, they don't have the last couple years, it takes time to get all the data together. But in 2019, there was 887,000 babies aborted in our nation. That's a baby that's killed in the womb every 35 seconds. every 35 seconds. If you preach a 50-minute sermon, that's close to 100 babies that have already been aborted in this nation.

God said Cain's One man, Abel's blood, is crying to heaven. for me to bring judgment. You know, 23% of babies conceived in the womb are aborted in the United States. 3% of babies born in this country. Are killed.

In places like New York and New Jersey, 34 to 35 percent of babies are aborted. Thirty-five percent. One doctor, Dr. J. Timegues of New York City wrote on any Monday, he said you can see 70 garbage bags.

with fetal material in them along the sidewalks of abortion clinics in New York City. It's what one doctor reported. Seventy bags. Dead babies. all over the street.

and bags. You know, playing parenthood. performs an abortion every 95 seconds. They perform 350,000 abortions a year. That's That's one abortion less than every two minutes.

In a meeting Planned Parenthood Physician said that abortion is, quote, the preferred method for unwanted pregnancies. They went on to say, quote, abortion is a treatment for unwanted pregnancies, the number two sexually transmitted disease. They literally called a baby in the womb a sexually transmitted disease. Pew research in a recent survey showed 61% of United States adults say abortion should be legal all or most of the time. I don't understand what's happened to the soul of this nation.

Between 1933 and 1945, You had the rise of the Nazi Regime under Adolf Hitler. Third Reich. Hitler believed people like Jews. were less than human. And because they were less than human, they treated them in the way that they saw them as being valued.

They saw them as Not valuable. They did the same thing to black people. The Nazi regime saw black people as less valuable. You're less of a human. They saw gypsies as being less than a human, mixed races to be less inferior, actually subhuman.

And so as a result of that, they went on to kill, sanctioned, through law, 11 million people and 6 million Jews in what we know as the Holocaust. They used propaganda. Hitler was a big propaganda guy. In his work, Mein Kampf, which means my struggle that he wrote in nineteen twenty six, he writes, propaganda works on the general public from the standpoint of an idea and makes them ripe for the victory of this idea. Propaganda is being published all throughout this nation.

You can't watch a movie or TV show anymore without transgenderism, homosexuality, and abortion rights pretty soon on every single thing. They create films such as The Eternal Jew and under Hitler, which depicted Jews as being less than humans. And the nation accepted it. The result was a nation that Put its stamp of approval on the sanctioned killing of six million Jews. The Jews were put in concentration camps, starved to death, tortured.

They built gas chambers to exterminate them. Many were shot, then buried, some buried alive. Among those killed were people with mental and physical disabilities that they said were unfit to live. The horrors of the Holocaust are just beyond words. I don't know if some people may have not studied that out.

You need to go this week and. Watch a documentary on the Holocaust. Huh. I'll never forget when I was in uh Israel and They said, We're going to take you to the Holocaust Museum. And my guide was a 64-year-old man.

Spoke four languages. Very nice man. We were going to the Holocaust Museum. He said, I'll meet you guys here in like three hours. He said, I'll come back to get you.

I said, Are you not going to come with us? He says, You don't understand.

So what do you mean? He says... He said everyone here had grandparents die there. He said, look around you. He said, you see all these Jews around here?

He said, all of us have family that died in the Holocaust. All of us. We're a nation of people who all of us have grandparents who died in the Holocaust. Every one of us. Said, you don't understand.

And I didn't. You walk through a Holocaust Museum and you see what human beings can do to other human beings. It is an evil that is out of the pit of hell. It is satanic. It is wicked and demonic.

And what we as a nation have done to the babies of our nation. literally make the Holocaust Hail in comparison. Unbelievable. They killed 6 million Jews in the Holocaust. We have killed 63 million in the womb.

60 million. Three. million. And you know what happens when a baby They seek to abort the baby when the baby lives, they set the baby aside and let it die. They give it no medical attention.

They just let it suffer and die because it didn't die through the abortion. I have to ask, where is the soul of this country gone? After Rover's Wade was overturned, it should have been a time of national repentance. There should have been a cry out to God for forgiveness. God forgive us.

Be merciful to us. But instead of repentance, this nation has responded in rage. The Bible tells us in Psalms chapter number two. God says, why do the heathen rage? Why do the heathen rage and the people imagine a vain thing?

They seek to throw over the authority of God upon them. We see a nation burning buildings, threats of violence, acts of violence, and why are they raging? What is causing them to rage? They're raging because they want to be able to abort their babies. Chance, if my abortion is not safe, neither are you.

Today, in America, we have turned into a nation that is enraged because restrictions have been placed on killing babies. And while America burns, politicians and preachers fiddle. Like Caesar who fiddles while Rome burns. I can tell you there's something more important for me to preach to you today than your best life now. We don't need to come here and hear about how I can have my best life.

We need to get on our knees and repent to God for 63 million babies whose blood's crying out to our Father in heaven who sits on a throne of holy vengeance. But why we say kill the babies, we fight desperately to save human or animal and plant life. You know in Maine it's illegal to move a pregnant lobster? If a lobster is pregnant and you move it, you will face a $1,000 immediate fine. We have state and federal laws that if you destroy a turtle's egg, A turtle's egg, you will face a $100,000 fine and up to a year in prison.

You literally have more laws to protect cats. You have more laws in our country to protect Eagles' eggs, the Bold Eagle to Egg Act of 1940. If you destroy or even disturb an egg, you will face a $100,000 fine and a year in jail. I'm all for protection of Not to that level, but just protection of animal life. But with the overturning of Roe v.

Wade, you have corrupt American I would say The the the corporate America has now stepped into the scene. Companies such as Amazon, Kroger, Dick Sporting Goods, and others are going to pay people $4,000 to go have an abortion.

So if you work for Kroger's. Dick's sporting goods. Amazon, there's many other places, hundreds of companies that are signing on to this. They will pay you up to $4,000 to go out of state if you need to to get an abortion. Do you think that they're like, you know what, we really care about those women?

We really care about them. We sure don't want them to have to go through the difficulty of bringing life into the world. You know what they you know what they want? Corporate America is not stupid. They know that, women, your time off to care for those children, your maternity leave will cost them more to replace you than if they just tell you basically, woman, go out, get your abortion and get back to work.

Go get your abortion woman and get back to work. You be our slave. That's what they're doing. Don't be naive on this issue. They're not dumb.

They know what it's going to cost. And the blindness of people embracing such things. Corporate America is pushing a lot of this propaganda. If they cared about the family, why aren't they paying $4,000 for people who are having a baby? Right?

They're not paying anybody to have a baby, but they'll pay you to kill your baby. We're not dumb, are we? You know, America rightly mourned over the death of nineteen children that were slaughtered at. School in Texas, Uvalde Elementary School. That was a sad day, wasn't it?

I mean that was a sad that was that was that was tough. We grieved. I wonder where the tears have gone in our nation for these children that have been. Swattered in the womb And the same people that cry out for gun control cry out for the murder of children. And you know the IRS will even give you a tax deduction for abortions?

IRS will give you a tax deduction if you have an abortion, but if you have a baby that's stillborn, you get no tax deduction. That's how wicked this has gone. You know, there was a day when abortion was viewed even by liberals as a sad thing. In 1974, a year after Roe v. Wade was decided, Our current president, Joe Biden, said the ruling had gone too far.

He said a woman, quote, a woman seeking an abortion should not have the sole right to say what should happen to her body, end quote. In 1976, he votes for the Hyde Amendment, which bans federal funding of abortions. In 95 to 2003, he voted three times to ban partial birth abortion. If you're not familiar with what partial birth abortion is, that is the most barbaric act that has ever been foisted on the lives of a person. I won't go into the details of it, but I'm going to tell you something.

If you don't know what that is, Do a little research this week and it'll put you on your knees. It is a wickedness that is un imaginable, unbelievable. Beyond hu it's literally, in my view, beyond what humans can do. But somehow they do it. I can't even understand it.

Animals don't even do this to each other. Animals In the animal kingdom, don't even do what we do to other humans. He then says, Totally changed his view. And now opposes blocks on partial birth abortion. Our president, right now, is for partial birth abortion.

He now supports federal funding for abortion. In 2020, he said he supports abortion under any circumstance. And when Roe v. Wade was overthrown, he said it's a sad day in our country. It's a sad day quote for the court and our country.

That is satanic. Do you hear me? What our president said is wicked, it's out of hell. That is evil. That is wicked.

Who would say it's a sad day when babies' lives are being defended? I don't listen to me very closely. I don't care if I'm the only one in this church. I don't care if I'm the only one in this city. I will stand up against that stuff and call it evil the rest of my living days.

I'm not a Republican, I'm not a Democrat, I'm a preacher, I believe in the Word of God, and I stand against anyone who upholds such vile beliefs.

Well, what about the objections, preacher? You can't answer some of these objections. Christians should not force their beliefs on those who are not Christian. I believe what you're saying, but I don't think I have a right to force my beliefs on other people. Let me ask you a question.

If you're walking down the street, and you see your neighbor beating their little puppy. Would you force your beliefs on them? Also, you'll defend a puppy dog, right? You'll defend a puppy, but not a human. Why would you impose it's not your dog and it's not your backyard and it's not your body?

Leave them alone, right? Oh. Why why would you intervene? Because you have m what's called humanity. You have a moral understanding that certain things should not be done.

People should not beat their little dogs to death, and neither should people put their children to death. But I would ask the question too that, does it matter what God has to say about? A life. Does it Does God's Word have authority only on the believer, or does God's Word also have authority on the unbeliever? And if God's word will be the standard of judgment for us one day as well as the standard for the unbeliever one day, would it not be the right thing to do to call believers as well as unbelievers to line up with God's truth?

If you don't want to impose your beliefs on other people, never evangelize again. Never share the gospel again. Because what you're telling them is that they are sinners going to be separated from God for all of eternity unless they repent and confess Christ as Lord. Never do that, because you're imposing your beliefs on others. Jesus came and didn't impose his belief on others.

He came and declared the truth to everyone. And you have to, if you're going to be a light, if you're going to be the truth, there is no other way. And if you can't stand for life, what could you stand for? I saw my grandfather die in a hospital at The VA because of all the tragedies that both physically and emotionally and mentally that he went through. Imagine somebody going up there and saying, well, these guys are half their minds gone.

They can't think clear. We just need to pull the plug and get rid of these guys that are a drain on society. I can tell you what, I'd be up there. Anybody with me? I'd be up there, maybe three or four of us would.

Hopefully, there'd be more than that, but we would be up there and saying, This isn't going to happen. You're not going to just kill these men. They're valuable.

Well, they can't do anything to benefit us. They're a drain on. You know what money we're poured into them? They're valuable because they're made in the image of God. They're human beings.

And once you move away from people being valuable because they're human beings and you begin to base it on their economic, their physical disabilities or abilities and base it on anything else, you've just removed equality. The only way equality works is if we're all humans and we have value because we're human beings. Once you remove that, there is no other way to balance equality.

Well, you shouldn't.

Well, what about rape and what about incest? I believe. People should be able to have abortions if they've gone through rape or incest. Wouldn't you agree with that, preacher? I would ask again, what does the circumstance of the conception of the child have to do with the value of the child?

The child conceived by those terrible acts is still a child made in the image of God. Why should a baby be punished for the sins of its father?

Some of you have had wicked fathers.

Some of you have had fathers that were evil. Yet your value doesn't get based upon what they did or did not do. Do you know there's people literally in Lighthouse? Do you listen to me very closely? There are people alive in our church who are saved now, living, but their mother was raped by their father, and yet the mother chose not to have an abortion, and that person, those people are in our church today.

Here. You know that?

Some of you don't know that. When you go around and say, oh, I think, you know, for really.

So then I need to go tell them: you know what, you really don't have value, you really shouldn't have been born. Because because if you were born with a good dad, then you you have more value in life. Do you know what? God comes along and says, You keep your mouth quiet. They have value because I made them in my own image.

Abortion needs to be legal to save the life of a mother at risk. Let me speak to this for a moment. Because this is a It could be a very difficult thing when people ask you some of these things, and it's like, how do I? responded this well first of all we're always for life we always desire life. Professor From Dr.

Irvin Kushner, Professor of Obstetrics at the UCLA School of Medicine, testifying before the U.S. Senate, said in our country, less than one percent of Abortions. are performed. for the life of the mother, to to save the life of the mother. But other medical professionals go further.

They state that abortion is never necessary. to save the life of the mother. Over 1,000 OBGYNs and maternal health care experts signed a statement in 2012 saying, Quote As experienced practitioners and researchers in obstetrics and gynecology, we affirm that direct abortion, the purposeful destruction of the unborn child, quote, is not medically necessary to save the life of a woman. There's other things that can be done. besides going in and killing the baby.

That's not what has to happen. Further, in 2019, Medical leaders representing 30,000 doctors. Said intentionally killing a late-term baby in an abortion is never necessary to save a mother's life, end quote. Thirty Doctors said you never have to abort a child to save the life of a mother. Did you hear that, church?

That's the truth. That's the truth. They go on and say in cases where the mother's life actually is in danger in the latter half of pregnancy, there is no time for abortion because an abortion takes two to three days. Instead, immediate delivery is needed in those situations and can be done in a medically approved way, labor induction or C-section by the woman's own physician. We can do and do and save life of the mother through the delivery of an intact infant in a hospital.

You saw little baby Ember. That's exactly what they did. You know, if if if she carried that child to full term, she may she Her life, she was in a physically dangerous position for weeks. She went as long and as far as she physically could possibly go. to give the child the best possible chance.

Instead of aborting the child, they delivered the child and the child Though a small percent chance of living, the child still had a chance. And praise God for mothers who fight for the life of their children like that. Amen. People say, well, the child is not a Person. The child may be human, but they're not a person yet.

Let me ask: what's the difference between a human and a person? Show me a human that's not a person. And if you want to start segregating people between humans and those that are persons, you're going to have a real big problem in this nation. You want to talk about inequality? If a personhood isn't established until self-awareness, children are not even They don't even have self-awareness until around two years of age, and sometimes not even until probably 20 years of age.

But this is the same line of argument that was used to hold blacks in slavery. They're not equal to us. They're inferior to us. Praise God for men like Abraham Lincoln and early Christians who fought to abolish slavery. They didn't cower in the face of opposition.

Men like that who stood and even gave his life for a cause he believed in. Would to God there'd be some men and women of God that would stand up and say, We are going to defend life and we're not going to be ashamed of it. We're going to stand on the truth. And even if it took our life, we would stand on such truths. Abortion should not be allowed because a baby in the womb can't survive on its own apart from the mother, preacher.

Well, a baby out of the womb can't survive without its mother either. Right. Nobody's one-year-old baby can survive without mom or some caretaker.

Well, it's been legal for 50 years.

Well, so is slavery and segregation. Just because it's legal doesn't mean it's right. What about the woman having a right over her own body and her own choice? It's her choice. The baby's not her body, friend.

And you are upset because you feel a law is imposing upon a woman's body. What about a woman imposing her beliefs on a baby at such a level that she would end the child's life? They're crying out because they feel like other people are opposing on their body. They're imposing their beliefs on the child. But the woman is a victim.

She's not a victim if she willingly slept with the man. Did you hear me? But women get stuck with the baby and pregnancy. That's not fair. When did pregnancy and babies become such a curse to us?

What if the mother can't afford raising the baby? The child will grow up in poor circumstances. Why should economic Economics determine the value of a child. If that's the case, then a child at two years old could have its life ended because they could Why are they any they're less valuable then because they don't have the finances to take care of the child? You can't build value of humanity based upon economics.

What if the baby has a deformity or disability? The truth is all of us have deformities. It's just a question of extent. Why would a deformity make one human less valuable than another? Health doesn't determine a person's value.

But that's such a burden on the parents. It can be. There's people here who've raised children that have had all kinds of physical difficulties and challenges, but every parent will face challenges whether you had a healthy baby or not.

Some of you had a healthy baby and they gave you the biggest challenge of your life. And they're still giving you the challenge of your life. If they're in your basement. You can do this. You can say, I'll kick you right there.

Yeah, the sun doesn't shine there, but my shoe does, baby. Boing out. Kick them all out. You need a shoe, I can give you one. But let me ask you, when is murder the answer to challenges?

Exodus 4:11, God says, Who made man's mouth? Who made the dumb, the deaf, the seeing, and the blind? Have not I the Lord? I was reading this week in 1939, there was a man who came to the Chancellor of. Germany.

He said, my baby was born without an arm. He's having seizures, having convulsions. He said, Chancellor. Adolf Hitler, he says Can I have permission to kill my baby? He's a monster.

to which Adolf Hitler sent his Doctor Looked at the baby. And they said, yeah, that baby's not fit to live. They euthanize the baby, they killed the baby, through lethal injection. And it was that. Decision in nineteen thirty nine.

that became the steamroller for why he went on and killed 300,000 disabled. Babies. and adults in Germany. I wept when I read that and saw those pictures un Believable. Unbelievable.

And what kind of monster do you have to be? People say that stuff today, and I think how gross that statement is. That's just so gross. You go to Walmart today, you're going to see somebody with a disability. You're going to see, you know, John, you can't walk like you used to.

You've got a disability now, served our country faithfully. Was it Agent Orange? Should have had a lot of money. By God's grace, he lived. They had to remove.

All kinds of stuff and do some things with him. You know, I'll tell you what, John's as valuable as any person on this earth. Amen. Praise God for men like that that served our country. I look around this room.

I tell you what, I I know a lot of these different stories and You're valuable because you're made in the image of God, friend. Also the God God is a God of miracles. Even if the mother's life at risk, let me share with you a story. Tim Thibault had won two Heisman trophies while quarterback at Florida State. played for professional football for a time.

He spoke at the March for Life rally last year in January. 2021. He shared his personal story about how his mother refused to have an abortion even when the doctors told her her life was at significant risk. And the doctor even said, the baby's just a tumor in you. All the doctors said, You need to have an abortion.

You need to get rid of him. You need to get rid of him, Thibaut said. But she decided that she was going to trust God. even when the doctor said it could and might cost her her life. He described having survived despite difficult circumstances.

His mother's placenta was not even attached at the time of birth, limiting the nourishment Thibault could receive from his mother. The doctor who delivered him described Thibault's survival as, quote, the greatest miracle he had ever seen. Thibault concluded by saying, I'm so grateful my mom gave me a chance for life. Let me conclude by this. What should our Christian response be to abortion?

You need to first of all friends have a biblical worldview. you know, 30 to 40% of Women in our culture have had an abortion, 30 to 40%, probably 20 to 30 percent, I would say, inside the churches. If not higher. We need to first understand that abortion is Is a violation of the law of God. This is wrong.

It's a. You say, are you against abortion all the time? I'm always against abortion. I'm always against abortion. I have four daughters.

You say you're a man. I have four daughters. Married. Love those girls. I'm always against abortion.

Because I'm always against killing innocent life. You have to cite. If you believe this book, If you believe this, you have to stop. That's where you have to be. There's no other option.

Unless you want to be God. or unless you want to build truth upon the society and culture. And do you really want to build truth on the culture in America today? Do you want to build it on our President or on the Congress or on the Senate or whatever else? Truth has to be based on the Word of God.

Secondly, we have to have a biblical response. You know what our response needs to be? We need to get on our knees today and plead to God for forgiveness. Where on earth is the broken repentance of our nation? My heart has been so just sick this week.

And With the overturning of Roe, you would think some people would look back and say, you know, God, forgive us, we have sinned. There's not one leader that I've seen rise up in brokenness and repentance. God forgive us. Where's the tears? Where's the mourning?

Where's the sorrow? Should be somebody today that would get on their knees at this altar, at an altar call, or at their seat, or at their home by their bedside, and say, Dear God, be merciful. Do what Daniel did in Daniel 9. He cried out to God for forgiveness for the sins he committed in the sins of the nation. We also need to have a biblical approach.

We don't need to be argumentative with people. We need to be ready to give an answer to everyone that asks us. We need to be able to give them a biblical answer. The Bible says we need to do it with meekness. That's self-control, not argumentative spirit, but self-control.

The Bible says in Ephesians 4.15, speak the truth in love. I would encourage you to learn to use wise questions. When people ask you a question, And they're being argumentative, just respond with a question. That's what Jesus did.

Well, should we pay tax to Caesar Jesus? And he says, well, Whose image and superscription is on it? Ask wise questions. Do you believe in human equality? Do you believe innocent lives should be protected?

Do you agree with science and the Bible that life begins in the womb? Do you believe a life in the womb is less valuable? Do you think it's less worthy? There should be no equality with them?

Somebody says, well, what about rape and incest?

Well, should an unborn baby pay for the crimes of their father? Does their life now hold less significance because they were conceived in sin? Use questions. You learn to use wise questions to point them to the truth. But if somebody has a pregnancy and they can't take care of the child, well.

Pray to God and see what God can do. Many things can work out. Many of us had children, we couldn't afford them. Amen. Keep and raise the child, give the child up for adoption.

We have many families in our church that adopt. What should a Christian do about abortion in America? Share the gospel. We need to be witnesses in this world. Shine the light, advocate for life.

Support Miami Valley Women's Center, which our church does. And you know, our church supports missionaries all around the world, over 50 missionaries, and many of them have orphanages that care for folks. Send letters and petitions to state representatives. Vote for life. If you vote based on a political party, there's an issue.

You need to build your ba your your your your um voting record on what saith the scripture. If there is one issue that I would never vote against, it's life. How on earth could I ever vote for somebody who's for abortion? There is an entire political party in our country. that has made the sins of Romans one their platform.

The sins did you hear me? There it I it's I can't even believe where our nation has gone. The sins of Romans 1 have now become the political position. The platform. They voted God out.

this last decade. In their meeting, they voted God out. And then now homosexuality, which is rust said in Romans 1. LGBTQ. portion, all these things have now become their platform.

If you have in the past voted for those things, today's a good day to say, God, forgive me. For ignorance was in my heart to vote for such things. Forgive me. That needs to be repented of. Consider adopting and fostering parent.

Being a foster parent. James 1:27 says, Pure religion undefiled before God and the Father is to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction. Psalms 82 says, Defend the poor and fatherless. What if I've had an abortion? I've talked to several people in our church.

I had a lady that said, To me this week, she said, Preacher, could I sometimes get up and give my story? Because I don't want anyone to ever go through an abortion like I have. Over thirty years ago, she said every day it it just Sorrow. Yeah. I can tell you people say you'll you'll ruin a girl's life if she has to go forth with an abortion or with a with a pregnancy.

No, no, no, no. Life doesn't ruin people's life. When people have an abortion, they are 400 to 800% more likely to be suicidal.

So many things I could share with you today, I don't have time. But if you've had an abortion, know that there's mercy, there's grace, there's forgiveness. Lighthouse doesn't hate you. Pastor Josh doesn't hate you. We love you.

Your sins can be forgiven just like mine have. You know the guy who wrote half the New Testament was a murderer? And God forgave him and used his life to write half the New Testament. Praise God for mercy. Amen.

Men. And I would encourage you. There's things you can do. You can take this message and post it on your Facebook. You can post it on your social media.

You can advance it. This message will be posted on different places. We have radio stations that these things go out on as well. Let me conclude in Isaiah 59. I know our time's gone, but just listen to what the Bible says.

The Bible says, Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened that it cannot save, neither his ear heavy that it cannot hear. God says, but your iniquities have separated you. between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you that he will not hear. And what sins is God talking about? He says, For your hands are defiled with blood.

Your fingers with iniquity, your lips have spoken lies, your tongues have muttered perverseness. None calleth for justice, nor any pleadeth for mercy. They trust in vanity and speak lies. They conceive mischief and bring forth iniquity. He goes on and says in verse 7, their feet run to evil.

They make haste to shed innocent blood. He goes on and on throughout this chapter saying how wicked of a nation the nation has turned against God. They've turned away from God. And what we are literally reading in Isaiah 59 is also a foreshadowing of the day before God returns. Isaiah 59 says, And he saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor.

There was no one that would stand up for the truth. There was no one that would defend what is just.

So, what does God do? It says, Therefore, his arm, his arm, God's arm, brought salvation unto him, and his righteousness sustained him. For he hath put righteousness as a breastplate and a helmet of salvation upon his head, and he put on a garment of vengeance. Vengeance for clothing. You know what God's doing?

God is preparing himself for battle. God is clothing himself in armor. This is Revelation 19. What you're reading is Revelation 19. And he comes in great vengeance.

And then you get into Isaiah chapter 60, and it says this. Arise, shine, for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon thee. For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people, but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee, and the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings and the brightness of thy rising. What you find in Isaiah 60 is the millennial kingdom. This is Revelation 20.

Jesus sets his kingdom up. Friends, I believe that the king is preparing himself I believe our days are short. And I believe if there's ever a day that we stand up and we become a light in this world, it's got to be now. If there's ever anything in your life that you stand for, let it be the gospel and let it be human life. You never cower, you never back down, you stand on the truth, you stand with love, you're not argumentative, you're not fightful, you're not all these things, but you do not back down, you stand for the truth.

Build your life upon the Word of God. Today, if you don't know the Lord Jesus Christ, we have men and women that stand down in the front. You can come today and trust in Christ. But today, maybe your heart just needs to come and kneel down. along with myself and just say, God, be merciful to us a nation.

Turn us back in repentance. Let's all stand this morning. Father, we thank you for your mercy, for your grace. Lord, your truth has been clear. But we have sinned and our sin is reached up to the heavens.

And God, we pray that your mercy and your grace and forgiveness But come upon our lives. God, we know judgment must fall because justice is Yours. Uh God, I pray that you would raise up A generation, you would raise up a holy seed in this nation that would be unashamed to stand for the truth. Let us not be molded by culture, politics, social media, family, or anything else. May we let you have the final authority in our life, for you are that final authority.

I pray today if anyone has gone through these tragedies in their own life, God, I pray that they would find grace and help in time of need through Jesus Christ. Uh And find forgiveness at the cross. I pray you'd help us to be merciful, but also clear in our Teaching of the Word of God. We pray today if anyone's lost that they might come today and be saved. We ask it in Jesus' name.

Amen. Mm.