Tag: new york

40 Days of Prayer: Day 1

Dear Christian Sisters,

My friend Heidi is a prayer warrior. Her response to New York’s late-term abortion legislation and all the abortion news since then has been to pray. May we all be like her.

With her permission, I am sharing her prayers with you so that we may pray as one voice.

Lord Almighty,

The wind has been knocked out of us. The reality of the evil that has swept over and bound up this country for far too long is raw and real this day. The agenda moves forward. We watch agape as pink lights celebrate, CELEBRATE, the passage of a law allowing more of our babies to be butchered. And other states are contemplating similar measures. What is to be done?

While the snake slithers and laughs its bitter laugh, we come boldly to YOU, heavenly Father, grieving the terrified, agonized babies who die every day. How have we let this happen? How could we close our eyes and cover our ears? How could we let it fade into the background?

Our hands are bloody. Our sin is deep. But you, O Lord, you know. There is none like you. We need forgiveness and healing and a new direction. We need so much! Help us to pray. Hear us and forgive us. Show us the way forward, step by step.

We pray these things in the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.

In Christ,

Cheryl

National Day of Mourning

Dear Christian Sisters,

Today is #nationaldayofmourning over NY and other legislation for late-term abortions over the last month.

Let us mourn for our inaction that we would allow murder to be legal for 46 years throughout the USA and 49 years in NY.

Let us mourn for not valuing the sanctity of sex, your beautiful design for sex in marriage between one man and one woman.

Let us mourn that we have allowed others to teach about sex and reproductive rights when we should be teaching in The Church and in our homes.

We allowed this! Lord, we repent!

In Christ,

Cheryl

Hearts are Being Revealed

Dear Christian Sisters,

It’s only been two weeks since the 46th Roe v Wade anniversary, the day that New York passed its late-term abortion legislation, cheered, and lit up New York City in Planned Parenthood’s pink (see note below).

The hearts of the NY legislators and governor were revealed that day.

Then we heard from Delegate Kathy Tran of Virginia introduce legislation that would make it easier to get a late-term abortion in Virginia, saying that abortion could happen all the way up to birth.

The Virginia Delegate’s heart was revealed that day.

After that, we heard Virginia Governor Ralph Northam on the Ask the Governor radio show explain “exactly what would happen” in a third trimester abortion, but what he described was infanticide.

The Virginia Governor’s heart was revealed that day.

Let us rejoice that the truth is coming out while simultaneously praying for God’s mercy. Please be in prayer for everyone you hear about in the news, that they would know the personal, loving God who changes hearts and loves life.

In Christ,

Cheryl

Note:

When we see pink, we think of breast cancer. I did a little searching and found that Susan G. Komen started using pink in 1991. Around the same time, I remember protesting with PP (see below), and everyone there had pink arm bands. I don’t know which organization started first, but I can say that PP has been using pink for a long time.

You may be shocked that I protested with PP, that I was on their side. Yes, I used to be pro-choice. Remember that I had an abortion when I was 17, and until I had a personal relationship with Christ, I defended my decision by supporting PP, even though I did not have an abortion at one of their clinics.

Let’s Get Serious, Church: A Reaction to John Piper’s Post

Dear Christian Sisters,

I applaud every pastor who speaks about abortion. I am pleased that John Piper wrote a blog post about abortion and that his Desiring God ministry shared it on Facebook once again earlier this week on the anniversary of Roe v Wade.One Sanctity of Life sermon per year is not enough

However, we—The Church—have so much more to do.

I am a member of a big church with a famous pastor who is willing to speak against abortion on Sanctity of Life Sunday. I so appreciate his willingness to do so because so many pastors don’t or won’t.

Yet at the same time, I know that one 40-minute sermon once per year is not enough. About 30% of abortions in the United States are by Christian women. That’s 30% too many.

We have so much more that we need to do.

Sanctity of Life

What Do We Teach?

When our churches have classes and small groups, do they teach why abortion is a sin? Do they provide the bible verses that show that God knows all of us when we were formed in the womb? Do they teach the spiritual consequences of abortion?

To Whom Do We Teach?

Do we teach not just to teenagers but to the young adults and to the adults? Remember, everyone 64 and younger has known Roe v Wade their whole adult lives—and four states legalized abortion before Roe v Wade (Hawaii, New York, Oregon, and Alaska).

My church does not teach these things.

Sanctity of Sex

Most abortions could be eliminated simply by people waiting until they are married to have sex. Do the classes at our churches teach the sanctity of sex?

Do we teach sex education in our teen programs? Or do we leave sex education to our public schools?

Do we teach in our young adult or adult programs? Because, once again, our adults don’t even know—and many don’t practice—the sanctity of sex.

So, let’s get started. Pray, asking the Lord to start providing Sanctity of Life and Sanctity of Sex classes in your church to everyone—not just teens. Talk to other like-minded members about getting something started. Talk to your church leadership.

Let’s make the biblical teaching of abortion and sex normal in our churches. We need to end abortion in The Church. It’s up to us to make that happen.

In Christ,

Cheryl

Watch Your Words as You Comment on the New York Late-Term Abortion Legislation

Remember how Jesus talked to the Woman at the Well?

Dear Christian Sisters,

The news that New York has legalized late-term abortions once again has everyone in an uproar. I just ask that you comment on articles with love and logic.

I wasn’t feeling well yesterday, so I sat on my couch and read all sorts of comments on news posts while my friends sent me private messages asking me for advice on how to respond to people.

I can’t help but get involved in the conversation because I have so much to say about what abortion does to women, and it didn’t take long for someone who disagrees with me to comment in return.

Except that she didn’t just comment—she yelled and swore. I did not. I responded with logical explanations.

Her comments devolved into twisting my words. I politely pointed out what I really said and pointed her back to my original comment. I also asked that she talk to me without swear words and without telling me where to go.

When she couldn’t argue with me anymore, she left the conversation.

That’s what I want to encourage you to do. Stay in the conversation but do so gracefully and with love. My words will stay with that woman. My words were seeds. I pray that the Lord will water and grow those seeds into love for the Savior.

Our goal is to love others over the life line.

I was loved over the life line by my husband Russ and by Christ, as you’ll soon read in my first book, ReTested.

Abby Johnson, author of the book and soon-to-be-released movie “Unplanned,” was loved over the life line by her husband, parents, and the 40 Days for Life. It can be done, and we should be the ones doing it.

Remember how Jesus talked to the Woman at the Well? He spoke truth to her, and she didn’t recoil but instead was honored as one of the first to be told directly that He is the Christ.

As Christians, we are called to be Christ followers. That means doing like He did. Let us love them so much that they want to become pro-life Christians.

In Christ,

Cheryl