Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Choose Life

Deuteronomy 30:19 This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live 20 and that you may love the LORD your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the LORD is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

Choose life - it seems like such a simple choice. And yet - it's such a controversial issue. Since the Supreme court issued it's ruling in 1973, it is estimated that 46 million babies have been aborted in the United States.

On January 24, 2008 a federal court ruled in Missouri that the state could not ban "Choose Life" as a slogan for speciality license plates. The 9th circuit court just ruled the same way in a case involving Arizona.

Why is there such controvery? Why is there an almost pathalogical fear against a license plate slogan?

While many reasons could be cited, I believe the heart of the issue goes back to the Garden of Eden. It was here that the temptation was presented to Adam and Eve. Obey God - OR - follow your own path, making your own rules, living by your own standards. If God happened to be on your side - that was ok. BUT - humans would get to decide the rules.

The ugly issue of abortion is but one of the outgrowths from the fall. It is primarily a rebellion against God - a decision that babies are not really made in the image of God, until a mother wants them, that God is not soverign over creation, that God makes mistakes, that my happiness is the ultimate standard of right and wrong.

Over all of this, God says - I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now - choose life!

Lord, I pray that the day may come when this terrible rebellion against you ceases and life is once more honored.

Pastor John

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