What Does it Mean to Be Gospel Centered and Pro-Life?

WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.600 --> 00:00:05.799 I Am Yours, I am yours, I am yours. Send Me, 2 00:00:06.160 --> 00:00:10.710 Lord. I welcome to Gospel centered pro life. This is a podcast that 3 00:00:10.830 --> 00:00:14.630 deals with pro life issues in light of the Gospel and this episode we're going 4 00:00:14.630 --> 00:00:17.789 to talk about what it means to be Gospel centered in pro life. We 5 00:00:17.870 --> 00:00:21.429 have these episodes. Bless you. Thank you for listening. Stay tuned. 6 00:00:23.699 --> 00:00:33.299 I felt show passish touch your heart. Well. This is the Gospel Center 7 00:00:33.420 --> 00:00:38.009 pro life podcasts, a podcast ministry of Cities for life. I'm the director, 8 00:00:38.049 --> 00:00:41.850 Daniel Parks, of cities for life here in Charlotte, and this is 9 00:00:41.890 --> 00:00:45.329 our volunteer coordinator with cities for life here in Charlotte, Vicki, cassie Org. 10 00:00:45.890 --> 00:00:50.359 This podcast is basically designed not to promote cities for life, but to 11 00:00:50.479 --> 00:00:54.880 share some of our experiences in the pro life realm and with pro life ministry 12 00:00:55.320 --> 00:00:58.640 and to talk about pro life issues in light of the Gospel. That's really 13 00:00:58.679 --> 00:01:00.479 our hearts. What it's called Gospel centered pro life. We want to talk 14 00:01:00.479 --> 00:01:06.430 about pro life issues, the issue of abortion and the protection of the unborn 15 00:01:06.790 --> 00:01:11.150 in light of the Gospel and really what that means to be pro life and 16 00:01:11.269 --> 00:01:15.189 to be Gospel centered. And so just right off bat with the first podcast, 17 00:01:15.230 --> 00:01:18.310 we wanted to talk about really what that means, what it means to 18 00:01:18.390 --> 00:01:22.939 be pro life and Gospel centered. Why is that different? Are we trying 19 00:01:22.980 --> 00:01:26.700 to make ourselves sound more spiritual or we trying to make ourselves sound better than 20 00:01:26.780 --> 00:01:30.739 other people because they're not Gospel centered but we are? What's the motivation behind 21 00:01:30.780 --> 00:01:34.209 this? Really want to talk about what it means to be Gospel centered and 22 00:01:34.450 --> 00:01:38.569 pro life. Is it just again us to be super spiritual, or is 23 00:01:38.609 --> 00:01:45.049 there something unique that we're trying to convey and something that really we think would 24 00:01:45.049 --> 00:01:49.560 benefit the church when we're talking about the issue of life? So right off 25 00:01:49.719 --> 00:01:53.599 bat, Vickie, let's talk about that a little bit. What it means 26 00:01:53.680 --> 00:01:56.760 to be Gospel centered in pro life. Let's talk about pro life first. 27 00:01:56.760 --> 00:02:00.280 What does that mean? PROLIFE? Yeah, well, you know that that 28 00:02:00.000 --> 00:02:06.030 that life is precious, that it is sacred, that it's of value and 29 00:02:06.469 --> 00:02:10.990 of intrinsic value and should be protected. Yeah, yeah, yeah, and 30 00:02:12.069 --> 00:02:15.229 so, from you know, my perspectives break down the word pro life, 31 00:02:15.389 --> 00:02:20.539 pro which is for in the positive, and then life, for life. 32 00:02:20.979 --> 00:02:23.419 We believe, and we're talking about life or talking about human life, obviously 33 00:02:23.500 --> 00:02:28.139 every life is precious. God made all the creatures and all the animals, 34 00:02:28.460 --> 00:02:30.569 but in particular he made human beings and he made us special. In the 35 00:02:30.610 --> 00:02:34.210 Bible says, he made us in his image. And so we're talking about 36 00:02:34.210 --> 00:02:38.810 pro life, we're talking about were for the protection of life, human life. 37 00:02:38.849 --> 00:02:42.409 Human life is not like animal life. It has an intrinsic value, 38 00:02:42.490 --> 00:02:46.919 like you said, and a sacredness to it, and so it's important to 39 00:02:46.000 --> 00:02:50.039 be pro lives. A Matter of fact, I've said actually, that I 40 00:02:50.159 --> 00:02:53.919 believe everyone is pro life on some level, even pro abortion people who some 41 00:02:54.199 --> 00:02:59.349 staunchly opposed what we do and call us is terrible names. But I believe 42 00:02:59.349 --> 00:03:01.229 that those people in some sense or pro life. They would believe at some 43 00:03:01.469 --> 00:03:06.669 point a human life deserves should be protected. I think we would just say, 44 00:03:07.430 --> 00:03:09.629 yeah, we should be pro life and human life is precious, but 45 00:03:09.789 --> 00:03:14.860 we believe that there's no stage in which a human life, a unique human 46 00:03:14.900 --> 00:03:16.340 life, does not deserve to be protected. And that's kind of the pro 47 00:03:16.500 --> 00:03:22.099 life that right and our nation is founded on the belief that life is sacred, 48 00:03:22.259 --> 00:03:29.090 is precious, is intrinsic and and and is the essential first right before 49 00:03:29.090 --> 00:03:34.810 all other rights proceed. Yeah, so, yeah, so we covered the 50 00:03:34.849 --> 00:03:36.969 pro life thing, when it means to be pro life, and I'm sure 51 00:03:37.009 --> 00:03:39.770 that can go into big definitions and there can be a lot of INS and 52 00:03:39.849 --> 00:03:43.520 outs of that, but I think people basically know what we're talking about. 53 00:03:43.520 --> 00:03:47.879 We're talking about being prolife. But what about the Gospel centered aspect that we're 54 00:03:47.879 --> 00:03:52.080 talking about? What does that mean? Gospel centered pro life? You know, 55 00:03:52.280 --> 00:03:54.120 I'll share a little bit about my heart, but what's your heart on 56 00:03:54.240 --> 00:03:59.789 that? That sort of yeah, well, you know, I'm I'm I'm 57 00:03:59.949 --> 00:04:03.669 someone who loves the Lord and and my world view procepts from from that. 58 00:04:03.909 --> 00:04:11.180 That is basic to everything that proceeds out of me. And so God's Word 59 00:04:11.259 --> 00:04:15.060 is clear that human beings are made in the image of a holy God, 60 00:04:15.219 --> 00:04:21.420 that life is sacred and and it is that which gives value to every human 61 00:04:21.500 --> 00:04:29.370 being. And so if I am a a pro life person with a Gospel 62 00:04:29.689 --> 00:04:36.290 Centered, focused life and Gospel centered orientation and everything I do, then then 63 00:04:36.410 --> 00:04:44.199 my my feelings about life are going to reflect what God says about life and 64 00:04:44.279 --> 00:04:47.839 they really can't be separated about you know, for someone who is a Believer, 65 00:04:47.920 --> 00:04:54.990 I think the Gospel has to be an inherent part of everything we do 66 00:04:55.750 --> 00:05:01.870 as as pro life advocates, because because God says that, God gives us 67 00:05:01.870 --> 00:05:09.139 the standard by which we determine the point at which life become sacred. Yeah, 68 00:05:09.819 --> 00:05:13.660 which is the point of conception according to the Bible. Yeah, and 69 00:05:15.220 --> 00:05:17.300 you know, and everything flows out of that, that, that belief about 70 00:05:17.300 --> 00:05:21.209 God. Everything that we encounter on the sidewalk, I think, has to 71 00:05:21.329 --> 00:05:28.089 proceed out of that and for me that's what a Gospel focused pro life ministry 72 00:05:28.970 --> 00:05:31.769 is all about. Yeah, it's course, will mention a lot, as 73 00:05:31.850 --> 00:05:36.480 we do our podcast, even this podcast, about sidewalk counseling ministry. That's 74 00:05:36.519 --> 00:05:41.279 what we do as a ministry and cities for life and and it's what we 75 00:05:41.399 --> 00:05:44.839 deal with on a daily basis when we're there in front of the abortion centers, 76 00:05:44.920 --> 00:05:48.399 where they're proclaiming the Gospel, where they are certainly speaking about the humanity 77 00:05:48.439 --> 00:05:51.870 of the baby and the resources that are available to a mom in need, 78 00:05:53.709 --> 00:05:58.149 but we're also sharing the Gospel and everything that we try to do is really 79 00:05:58.269 --> 00:06:01.509 Gospel centered, focused on what God says in his word. Yeah, there's 80 00:06:01.509 --> 00:06:06.379 a lot in the pro life realm when people talk about being prolife and people 81 00:06:06.379 --> 00:06:10.660 say their pro life. A lot of times what I encounter, what what 82 00:06:10.779 --> 00:06:13.699 you encounter, what used to encounter in general when you talk about pro life 83 00:06:13.779 --> 00:06:17.500 stuff, is people take it as a political issue and so they hear right 84 00:06:17.540 --> 00:06:20.410 away. When you talk about prolife, they might hear a Republican. You 85 00:06:20.449 --> 00:06:24.769 know, I'm prolife. Also, you're a Republican, and so that's why 86 00:06:24.769 --> 00:06:27.569 I think when we talk about being pro life, when we talk about Gospel 87 00:06:27.610 --> 00:06:30.610 centered pro life, that's what we're really saying. I think one since we're 88 00:06:30.610 --> 00:06:36.319 separating out the politics from abortion because at its root, because abortion is sin 89 00:06:38.519 --> 00:06:42.560 at its root, any sin is rooted to course and selfishness and all that 90 00:06:42.720 --> 00:06:46.319 thing, all that that kind of stuff, and this sin of abortion is 91 00:06:46.399 --> 00:06:49.269 not really rooted in politics. It's been captured, I think, by the 92 00:06:49.430 --> 00:06:55.149 devil and by devious politicians to try to make it a political thing. And 93 00:06:55.269 --> 00:06:58.949 I so I think when we're saying we're Gospel centered pro life, we're separating 94 00:06:59.470 --> 00:07:02.420 from the political aspect. Doesn't mean that politicians can't do good stuff. They 95 00:07:02.500 --> 00:07:08.860 can. There can be Gospel centered new legislation. I guess that that can 96 00:07:08.899 --> 00:07:14.819 be enacted. However, we understand that it's not politicians that are going to 97 00:07:14.860 --> 00:07:17.209 end abortion. It's not politicians that are going to be saving babies on a 98 00:07:17.250 --> 00:07:21.449 day to day basis. It's God doing it and it's through the proclamation of 99 00:07:21.529 --> 00:07:26.209 the Gospel. And you know, of course, our heart is. We 100 00:07:26.290 --> 00:07:28.889 don't want to get away from that. We don't want to get away from 101 00:07:29.410 --> 00:07:33.639 the gospel censored approach decide, while counseling or the Gospel centered approach to talking 102 00:07:33.680 --> 00:07:38.439 about the issue of abortion. We're having a debate or a conversation with somebody 103 00:07:38.439 --> 00:07:43.319 about abortion, God in his word is always going to come up because, 104 00:07:43.360 --> 00:07:46.870 like you said, it's central to who we are. We Are Christians. 105 00:07:46.470 --> 00:07:51.509 We haven't had an encounter with God through his Gospel that has changed our hearts 106 00:07:51.990 --> 00:07:56.189 and, like the apostle says, we can't help. This. Is in 107 00:07:56.310 --> 00:07:58.509 the book of acts where they were told not to speak in the name of 108 00:07:58.550 --> 00:08:01.379 Jesus, that we can't help but speak the things that we've seen in that 109 00:08:01.459 --> 00:08:05.420 we've heard. And so we're talking about the issue of life and the protection 110 00:08:05.500 --> 00:08:09.420 of Human Life, the Gospel and God's Truth and God's Word is going to 111 00:08:09.500 --> 00:08:13.569 really come to play in that. And of course, when we're talking about 112 00:08:13.610 --> 00:08:18.810 Gospel centered what we're talking about is we're talking about a biblical understanding of pro 113 00:08:18.009 --> 00:08:22.730 life issues. And now there are, you know, there's organizations out there 114 00:08:22.810 --> 00:08:28.000 and there's some some organizations that are really taken a secular approach to the issue 115 00:08:28.000 --> 00:08:31.039 of life. There's even an organization secular pro life that that comes at it 116 00:08:31.080 --> 00:08:35.480 from a secular perspective. And you know, of course, when you look 117 00:08:35.480 --> 00:08:41.789 at just the science behind life in the womb and behind abortion, even from 118 00:08:41.789 --> 00:08:46.470 a secular perspective, there's no denying that abortion is destroying human life. That's 119 00:08:46.470 --> 00:08:50.789 right, that's right and from the moment of conception, is the only logical 120 00:08:50.909 --> 00:08:54.990 drawing line, medically scientifically as well. And if it, you know, 121 00:08:54.029 --> 00:08:58.860 if you don't have God, though, at the center, I think it 122 00:08:58.980 --> 00:09:05.899 becomes easier to rationalize and to point out terrible circumstances that somehow then change the 123 00:09:05.980 --> 00:09:11.289 value of life. The value of life becomes relative. So I think a 124 00:09:11.370 --> 00:09:18.250 gospel oriented approaches is more absolute. Life is precious, period. Human Life 125 00:09:18.330 --> 00:09:22.409 is precious and innocent human life should be protected at all costs. Yeah, 126 00:09:22.529 --> 00:09:26.240 yeah, because I think we run the risk when we when we back away 127 00:09:26.759 --> 00:09:31.720 or abandon what God's word says and the need as believers to look at what 128 00:09:31.799 --> 00:09:35.080 God's word says and base our beliefs on that, because we kind of run 129 00:09:35.120 --> 00:09:39.110 into this trap of end up having an agree with the world and in the 130 00:09:39.149 --> 00:09:45.429 world's persuasion when we abandon the foundation of the truth of God's word. And 131 00:09:45.870 --> 00:09:50.429 sadly there are a lot of believers, not just in per life circles but 132 00:09:50.549 --> 00:09:54.500 just in general, especially in America, that kind of abandoned the Gospel focused 133 00:09:56.580 --> 00:10:00.019 approach to ministry. Really, I would say if you're not focused on the 134 00:10:00.139 --> 00:10:03.059 Gospel and the Gospel is not your main driving force, you're not really doing 135 00:10:03.139 --> 00:10:09.330 ministry. It's more like a business or just some humanitarian effort. Humanitarian Efforts 136 00:10:09.370 --> 00:10:13.649 aren't bad, they're good, but are humanitarian efforts have to flow out of 137 00:10:13.169 --> 00:10:18.169 God's love put in our hearts and our desire to promote his gospel, because 138 00:10:18.450 --> 00:10:22.279 it can become human centered, it can become humanistic, and I we talked 139 00:10:22.320 --> 00:10:28.240 about that before, but kind of like a humanistic approach to prolife stuff and 140 00:10:28.440 --> 00:10:35.710 saving babies. What's your take on kind of the humanistic approach there? Well, 141 00:10:35.830 --> 00:10:39.429 again, God is is not an integral part of it. It doesn't 142 00:10:39.590 --> 00:10:46.269 need you can a humanistic approach would would recognize, okay, the logical starting 143 00:10:46.309 --> 00:10:50.620 place of life. The American College of Pediatric says at the point of conception 144 00:10:50.100 --> 00:10:54.820 there is human life and that human life develops and and all the names, 145 00:10:54.980 --> 00:11:01.539 the de Zygoat, the fetus, all of those are just different stages of 146 00:11:01.659 --> 00:11:09.330 development, but they're all human beings and you know, and then when the 147 00:11:09.409 --> 00:11:13.970 baby's born you have still a human being, just more developed, and you 148 00:11:13.009 --> 00:11:18.370 can certainly you can make a case, excuse me, for the value of 149 00:11:18.490 --> 00:11:22.639 that little human being from the moment of conception. But but I think you 150 00:11:22.759 --> 00:11:30.200 run into trouble from a humanistic point of view when and the and equally valuable 151 00:11:30.559 --> 00:11:37.429 human being, the mom has issues that make her feel that this human being 152 00:11:37.470 --> 00:11:46.509 inside of her is impeding her own safety, happiness whatever. And and I 153 00:11:46.629 --> 00:11:50.059 think that's where humanistic view is going to struggle. Yeah, and a Gospel 154 00:11:52.179 --> 00:12:01.210 focused view is is going to point to something much more important than our humanistic 155 00:12:01.289 --> 00:12:09.409 values. Are Standards are limited ability to to kind of perceive the whole picture. 156 00:12:09.490 --> 00:12:13.370 We're going to look to an absolute standard of the value of life as 157 00:12:13.529 --> 00:12:18.559 determined by a holy God and it is unchanging in our circumstances are not going 158 00:12:18.600 --> 00:12:24.960 to change the value of that life, because God doesn't put restrictions on commands 159 00:12:24.039 --> 00:12:28.440 like thou shalt not murder. Yeah, Thou shall not murder, whether your 160 00:12:28.480 --> 00:12:31.990 circumstances are good or bad, whether you're rich or poor. And that child 161 00:12:31.070 --> 00:12:35.389 is a value because, again, he's made in the image of a holy 162 00:12:35.429 --> 00:12:39.830 God and I think if you can keep going back to a biblical standard, 163 00:12:41.309 --> 00:12:46.700 you you're on solid a solid foundation, which the Bible says also, you're 164 00:12:46.700 --> 00:12:52.980 not on sinking sand. That's going to change dependent on circumstances or or feelings. 165 00:12:54.100 --> 00:12:56.940 Yeah, yeah, I mean we've got a lot in our modern society, 166 00:12:58.019 --> 00:13:00.809 a lot of people that are driven to do a lot of good things, 167 00:13:00.929 --> 00:13:07.049 but based on just feelings and from our experience in the realm of ministry 168 00:13:07.129 --> 00:13:09.289 that we're called to and that we function in on the sidewalks in front of 169 00:13:09.330 --> 00:13:13.159 an abortion clinic, if we do what we do based on feelings, it 170 00:13:13.679 --> 00:13:18.480 can be devastating. You know, just today we had a mom who just 171 00:13:18.639 --> 00:13:24.080 yesterday had chosen life. Yeah, and she was farther along than most of 172 00:13:24.120 --> 00:13:26.120 the moms that we encounter. She was almost sixteen weeks along at that point. 173 00:13:26.269 --> 00:13:31.350 She'd actually gotten an ultrasound on board, a mobiultra sound unit with a 174 00:13:31.429 --> 00:13:35.750 partner Ministry of ours, help pregnancy center, and chose life. From what 175 00:13:35.830 --> 00:13:39.230 we understood, we help to help her to see all of the needs that 176 00:13:39.350 --> 00:13:43.820 she had could be met with resources and things like that, and poured into 177 00:13:43.860 --> 00:13:48.220 her and the sidewalk counselor Angela, had poured into her and just really connected 178 00:13:48.259 --> 00:13:50.340 with her and we thought that was a solid choice for life. And then 179 00:13:50.419 --> 00:13:56.169 she came back today, apparently to kill that baby. Her feelings had changed 180 00:13:56.210 --> 00:14:01.850 and kind of a you know, the opposite happened today on the sidewalk, 181 00:14:01.889 --> 00:14:07.730 where a young woman very overwhelmed and and very certain that she needed to kill 182 00:14:07.769 --> 00:14:11.639 her baby almost the same age. This is a big baby, fully developed. 183 00:14:11.679 --> 00:14:20.639 Yeah, and and she she agreed to go on the mobile ultrasound unit 184 00:14:20.679 --> 00:14:28.830 and her feelings changed when she saw the baby on the ultrasound and when she 185 00:14:28.990 --> 00:14:37.509 heard about the resources and and the Gospel. But the point is that feelings 186 00:14:37.950 --> 00:14:43.220 can her feelings led her to that abortion center and then an hour later, 187 00:14:43.340 --> 00:14:48.820 her feelings led her to believe that this child was of value. So feelings 188 00:14:48.860 --> 00:14:54.730 are good. Yeah, shift and change and there just has to be again, 189 00:14:54.929 --> 00:14:58.730 there's something that is permanent. Yeah, that is lasting, that will 190 00:14:58.809 --> 00:15:03.730 endure. Feelings won't, circumstances will change. So yeah, so what can 191 00:15:03.850 --> 00:15:07.919 we rely on that is unchanging? Yeah, and you know, I know 192 00:15:07.080 --> 00:15:13.399 the Gospel was presented to the woman yesterday. But and I think that there 193 00:15:13.559 --> 00:15:16.840 is a higher likelihood of woman is going to stay firm, yeah, her 194 00:15:16.879 --> 00:15:20.960 choice for life when when the Gospel is presented. But of course, I 195 00:15:20.080 --> 00:15:24.830 mean if she yields her life to Jesus, and obviously she's not gonna not 196 00:15:24.950 --> 00:15:28.429 going to have the abortion, even from our perspective, you know, from 197 00:15:28.470 --> 00:15:35.149 the the woman's perspective, the feelings change. But even from our perspective, 198 00:15:35.269 --> 00:15:39.259 and even maybe in a political realm, you know when politicians their feelings change 199 00:15:39.340 --> 00:15:43.980 and there's always shifting and one politician might say that abortion is wrong and then 200 00:15:45.340 --> 00:15:50.090 you know your years later say that abortion is right because it's more expedient for 201 00:15:50.169 --> 00:15:52.090 them and their feelings change on this issue. And Yeah, and even with 202 00:15:52.330 --> 00:15:56.450 you know, out there on the kind of the street level, out at 203 00:15:56.490 --> 00:16:00.769 the abortion center, and we're out there because God's word says we should be. 204 00:16:00.289 --> 00:16:03.519 If we're only out there because we feel like we want to be a 205 00:16:03.679 --> 00:16:07.039 help to these MOMS or even to these babies or whatever. That's one of 206 00:16:07.080 --> 00:16:11.200 the things we warn our volunteers against, is you can't be out here based 207 00:16:11.200 --> 00:16:17.240 on just emotion alone. Certainly emotions, God can use those to draw us 208 00:16:17.279 --> 00:16:19.149 to do the right thing. Guilt can be a good tool to get us 209 00:16:19.149 --> 00:16:22.269 out there, but it can't sustain us out there on the sidewalk. And 210 00:16:22.470 --> 00:16:26.590 so we have to be motivated by what God's Word Says First, like we 211 00:16:26.669 --> 00:16:30.830 say, a love for God first, not even a love for that baby 212 00:16:30.909 --> 00:16:33.940 first. Got To be a love for God first, and our focus is 213 00:16:33.019 --> 00:16:37.820 on him and our focus is on advance in his kingdom, not our ministry. 214 00:16:37.139 --> 00:16:40.620 You know, we can get in this mentality of we're trying to advance 215 00:16:40.620 --> 00:16:44.539 our ministry and then we get things out of whack, you know. But 216 00:16:44.820 --> 00:16:51.250 really our emotions can shift, our circumstances can change and society can shift and 217 00:16:51.370 --> 00:16:56.090 society can change its opinion of the value of life, but God's word doesn't 218 00:16:56.210 --> 00:17:00.929 change. Yeah, the Scripture says that heavens earth can pass away, but 219 00:17:00.370 --> 00:17:07.319 my word remains, and that's why we come from a Gospel centered perspective of 220 00:17:07.400 --> 00:17:10.920 Biblical perspective on anything that we write talk about right, and that's such a 221 00:17:10.960 --> 00:17:15.910 good point, because a humanistic approach, I think it would be very easy 222 00:17:15.990 --> 00:17:19.269 to be discouraged. You've presented all of this medical evidence. You know the 223 00:17:19.390 --> 00:17:22.829 science behind human development, you know that baby is a baby, is a 224 00:17:22.910 --> 00:17:27.390 human being from the moment of conception. And if you're out there thinking, 225 00:17:27.430 --> 00:17:33.619 okay, if I just present enough facts, then logically everyone will choose life. 226 00:17:33.619 --> 00:17:36.980 Well, we know that doesn't yeah, that doesn't happen because we're not 227 00:17:37.259 --> 00:17:41.740 just rational beings, we're spiritual, yeah, beings as well, otional beings 228 00:17:41.819 --> 00:17:45.529 and emotional and you know, and and so, when you're coming from a 229 00:17:45.609 --> 00:17:52.529 Gospel perspective, just like you said, we're not there primarily to save babies. 230 00:17:52.650 --> 00:17:55.529 I mean we are. That's the focus of our ministry, on one 231 00:17:55.890 --> 00:17:59.839 in one, you know, aspect. But we are primarily out there because 232 00:17:59.880 --> 00:18:02.960 God has commanded us to be out there. He has said that we are 233 00:18:03.000 --> 00:18:07.079 to be a voice for those who can't speak for themselves. And so we 234 00:18:07.640 --> 00:18:11.039 have the victory by being on that sidewalk. We have done what God has 235 00:18:11.119 --> 00:18:15.150 asked us to do, and then we use that that time out there to 236 00:18:15.230 --> 00:18:19.349 the best of our ability and, with the grace of God, hopefully bear 237 00:18:19.509 --> 00:18:27.819 fruit. But but our our goal is to be obedient to God and let 238 00:18:27.859 --> 00:18:33.220 him be responsible then for what happens. Yeah, there, yeats are yeah, 239 00:18:33.259 --> 00:18:36.940 I mean that's, you know, kind of one of the dynamics that 240 00:18:37.259 --> 00:18:41.809 it that we can deal with nationally on a political level or just again, 241 00:18:41.890 --> 00:18:45.130 on a street level, is that. Yeah, we can do certain things. 242 00:18:45.210 --> 00:18:48.809 You know, man plans his step, his steps, but the Lord 243 00:18:48.930 --> 00:18:52.569 has that passage gave. Man plans his step, but the Lord makes the 244 00:18:52.609 --> 00:18:56.400 way access directs this fact. Thank yeah, yeah, yeah, it should 245 00:18:56.599 --> 00:19:00.039 that. Certainly. So we plan our steps, we do the things that 246 00:19:00.119 --> 00:19:04.119 we know best to do, but ultimately the results are up to the Lord, 247 00:19:04.200 --> 00:19:07.440 between the Lord and the person. So we can't as much as we 248 00:19:07.519 --> 00:19:12.630 don't take responsibility in a baby is saved or when some political victory takes place. 249 00:19:12.750 --> 00:19:15.309 I mean, certainly there's a lot of stuff going on in our nation 250 00:19:15.430 --> 00:19:21.670 now and there's some political victories and defeats and and on later podcast will talk 251 00:19:21.789 --> 00:19:26.099 more about some of the politics and how we view the politics of abortion in 252 00:19:26.259 --> 00:19:29.660 light of the Gospel and all of that. But even in those realms and 253 00:19:29.779 --> 00:19:33.539 on the street level. We can't take credit for when a mom chooses life, 254 00:19:33.579 --> 00:19:36.900 when a victory is row we give the glory to God because it's his 255 00:19:37.140 --> 00:19:41.009 work, it's his spirit at work in the hearts of the MOMS. And 256 00:19:41.170 --> 00:19:45.410 even when a mom decides to go into the abortion clinic and and to have 257 00:19:45.650 --> 00:19:48.809 that abortion, we can't take responsibility for that, because I know one thing 258 00:19:48.930 --> 00:19:53.160 that that can happen is we can let our flesh and the devil beat us 259 00:19:53.160 --> 00:19:56.960 up. And the thing we should have said this. You didn't say that. 260 00:19:56.000 --> 00:20:00.319 I spoke with Angela. We text a little bit this morning about this 261 00:20:00.400 --> 00:20:03.079 mom who came back and she was like, you know, shouldn't be doing 262 00:20:03.079 --> 00:20:04.319 in it, but I'm beating myself up. Yeah, like should have said 263 00:20:04.359 --> 00:20:07.390 this. I have said what else could I say? And so my encouragement, 264 00:20:07.430 --> 00:20:11.829 as always, I was encouraging another volunteer who stopped a mom, who 265 00:20:12.109 --> 00:20:15.349 mom stopped and she talked to her on their way into the abortion center and 266 00:20:15.630 --> 00:20:19.269 just poured everything out to her that she could possibly think. They poured out 267 00:20:19.269 --> 00:20:22.819 to this mom and she still went in there and she said, I feel 268 00:20:22.819 --> 00:20:25.420 like I should have said this, said, listen, you can do that, 269 00:20:26.140 --> 00:20:30.460 because you can always say something better. You could always deliver it at 270 00:20:30.460 --> 00:20:33.380 a Matamore opportune time or whatever that you can. It's like your flesh is 271 00:20:33.460 --> 00:20:37.529 never satisfied. You could always do better. Okay, fine, but you 272 00:20:37.650 --> 00:20:42.250 can never say something that is always going to change someone's mind because you don't 273 00:20:42.250 --> 00:20:47.769 know their circumstances. What you are responsible to do is to deliver the mail. 274 00:20:47.970 --> 00:20:52.680 Just deliver the truth and they are responsible to receive that truth and to 275 00:20:52.720 --> 00:20:55.519 do with that truth what they what they should. Yeah, well, the 276 00:20:55.559 --> 00:20:57.160 results are up to the Lord. What God said to Moses? You know, 277 00:20:57.240 --> 00:21:00.240 he sends him to go speak to Pharaoh, and most says but I 278 00:21:00.359 --> 00:21:04.349 can't. I'm a man of Stuttering Lips. Why, you think about that? 279 00:21:04.430 --> 00:21:07.869 Why would God, of all the people that could have chosen? Surely 280 00:21:07.990 --> 00:21:11.109 there was someone who is eloquent? Yeah, but he didn't. He chose 281 00:21:11.230 --> 00:21:15.630 a stutterer to deliver his message. And I and the Bible says, when 282 00:21:15.670 --> 00:21:18.339 we are weak, he is strong. And so I think again. It 283 00:21:18.779 --> 00:21:25.539 is freeing in a Gospel centered pro pro like ministry. It is freeing to 284 00:21:25.700 --> 00:21:30.539 all of those who labor it with with that in mind, because it truly 285 00:21:30.579 --> 00:21:33.890 is what what we need to say and do. God will empower us and 286 00:21:34.049 --> 00:21:40.250 then everything else is up to him. Yeah, Tis. Yeah, again, 287 00:21:40.289 --> 00:21:44.569 we're responsible for just the delivery of the male, so to speak, 288 00:21:45.009 --> 00:21:48.640 and people are responsible for whether or not they open it what they do with 289 00:21:48.720 --> 00:21:52.039 it when they do open you God told Isekiel and say sent them to the 290 00:21:52.079 --> 00:21:55.960 children of it who sent is Equel to the children of Israel as a prophet? 291 00:21:56.079 --> 00:22:00.200 He said basically, if you don't warn them, their blood will be 292 00:22:00.279 --> 00:22:03.670 on your head, but if you warn them and they don't obey, their 293 00:22:03.710 --> 00:22:07.869 blood is on their head. So we're responsible to warn people of the consequences 294 00:22:07.950 --> 00:22:15.140 of abortion and to to offer them the alternatives to abortion and life affirming options 295 00:22:15.180 --> 00:22:18.819 and all that stuff. We're responsible to do that and deliver that male, 296 00:22:18.980 --> 00:22:22.539 so to speak, but what they do with it is up to them, 297 00:22:22.619 --> 00:22:26.420 and we you know as much as we're told that we try to control women's 298 00:22:26.460 --> 00:22:29.420 bodies with what we talked about as far as to convince people not to have 299 00:22:29.500 --> 00:22:33.609 abortions. We literally don't have control over women's bodies. We don't, or 300 00:22:33.730 --> 00:22:37.130 else, you know, abortion wouldn't wouldn't exist because we're plased to it. 301 00:22:37.289 --> 00:22:41.569 Yeah, so it's kind of that dynamic of us. We can't take responsibility 302 00:22:41.609 --> 00:22:48.279 for the results either way, as long as we're faithful to deliver the truth 303 00:22:48.359 --> 00:22:51.480 of God's word. Right. That's what we of course, ought to do 304 00:22:51.599 --> 00:22:53.920 as Christians in every realm that we're involved in. Exactly, and I think 305 00:22:56.279 --> 00:23:00.069 for me, one of the strongest indicators of that that's the way to go. 306 00:23:00.470 --> 00:23:06.589 Yes, when, almost every time a woman pulls up and I go 307 00:23:06.829 --> 00:23:11.990 through whatever talking with her, but when I when I offer the question what 308 00:23:11.150 --> 00:23:17.339 would God have you do, it almost always causes tears. Yeah, even 309 00:23:17.380 --> 00:23:22.900 in people who say they don't necessarily know God, because that we are spiritual 310 00:23:22.059 --> 00:23:26.609 beings and we all do know what because God has written on our heart and 311 00:23:26.690 --> 00:23:30.650 all creation declares the glory of God. We know right from wrong. God 312 00:23:30.690 --> 00:23:34.970 has shown us very clearly and I think it's it's it's you know, it's 313 00:23:34.970 --> 00:23:38.289 a very telling question. Yeah, absolutely. Yeah, one of the things 314 00:23:38.329 --> 00:23:45.400 that I'd share with you that kind of Said is my failsafe prolife argument to 315 00:23:45.440 --> 00:23:48.480 a mom at an abortion clinic, and it's a very simple argument. I 316 00:23:48.559 --> 00:23:52.359 guess you is not really an argument. You're pleading the case. You're doing 317 00:23:52.400 --> 00:23:55.279 what proverbs thirty one, verses eight nine says open your mouth for the speech 318 00:23:55.319 --> 00:23:56.470 us. In the cause of all who were pointed to die, open your 319 00:23:56.470 --> 00:24:00.630 mouth, judge righteously and believe. The cause of the poor and needy is 320 00:24:00.710 --> 00:24:03.750 basically to ask them the question, do you believe that there's a God? 321 00:24:03.789 --> 00:24:07.470 And and the majority, especially here in the South Maj already, are going 322 00:24:07.509 --> 00:24:10.900 to say, I believe there's a God. Okay, you believe that God 323 00:24:11.140 --> 00:24:15.460 loves every person. Yeah, I believe God loves every person. And then 324 00:24:15.500 --> 00:24:18.619 you make the question more personal. Do you believe God loves you? Yes, 325 00:24:18.660 --> 00:24:22.019 I mean most people are going to say Oh, yeah, and they 326 00:24:22.099 --> 00:24:26.769 probably you know, you're so obviously grateful that God does love them and smiling. 327 00:24:26.809 --> 00:24:29.450 Yeah, God loves me. And then you ask the question, well, 328 00:24:29.569 --> 00:24:32.890 when did God begin to love you? I did this just last Saturday. 329 00:24:32.930 --> 00:24:34.410 I was talking to a young lady who came with a friend and she 330 00:24:34.569 --> 00:24:38.079 was trying to justify the abortion of her friend and saying, you know, 331 00:24:38.119 --> 00:24:41.000 I don't exactly agree, but she's in a difficult situation. I asker that 332 00:24:41.039 --> 00:24:44.839 question. You believe there's a God? Yeah, you believe that God loves 333 00:24:44.880 --> 00:24:47.440 every person. Yeah, you believe it. God loves you. Yeah, 334 00:24:47.680 --> 00:24:49.200 and then I asked the question when did God begin to love you? And 335 00:24:49.359 --> 00:24:52.390 it didn't take it was a split second before she responded with, well, 336 00:24:52.470 --> 00:24:56.589 but I know, but you know. So she puts it in you where 337 00:24:56.630 --> 00:24:59.430 you were going exactly. She knews where I was going to. So I 338 00:24:59.589 --> 00:25:02.829 responded with where, you can't put your butt in the way of what God's 339 00:25:02.869 --> 00:25:06.390 truth says. What does God's truth, what does his words say about human 340 00:25:06.470 --> 00:25:11.420 beings, about human life? Does he love every person from the moment that 341 00:25:11.500 --> 00:25:15.619 they become a person, but at the moment of conception, or does he 342 00:25:15.740 --> 00:25:19.460 not? And if, if he doesn't love that baby before that baby is 343 00:25:19.579 --> 00:25:23.130 born, like he loved you before you were born, why what does that 344 00:25:23.210 --> 00:25:27.410 baby possessed that that you don't? Or what does that maybe not possessed that 345 00:25:27.450 --> 00:25:32.089 you do? And so what you're doing is you're basically showing them that they 346 00:25:32.130 --> 00:25:37.640 have separated themselves as better than this other person. And it brings it kind 347 00:25:37.680 --> 00:25:41.680 of brings it home and you know, it starts the wheels turning. But 348 00:25:41.759 --> 00:25:45.279 that whole argument, that whole you know, idea comes right out of God's 349 00:25:45.319 --> 00:25:48.559 word. I'm going right to what God says. I'm starting with the premise 350 00:25:49.230 --> 00:25:52.710 that there's a god, because I actually believe. I don't. You know, 351 00:25:52.829 --> 00:25:56.710 there's there's a book Great Comfort wrote, I think some years back, 352 00:25:56.789 --> 00:26:02.309 called God doesn't believe, an atheist, and I believe God's Word is pretty 353 00:26:02.309 --> 00:26:04.420 plain about this, that there really are no atheists. There are people that, 354 00:26:04.859 --> 00:26:08.299 you know, believe that there's no god in some sense, but it's 355 00:26:08.299 --> 00:26:14.339 almost an emotional thing and it's almost like they do they believe in order they 356 00:26:14.539 --> 00:26:18.059 disbelieve in God in order to satisfy their conscious. Fact is, every person 357 00:26:18.299 --> 00:26:22.289 knows that they have a creator and that they're responsible to that creator, you 358 00:26:22.369 --> 00:26:26.609 know, and that's really really the foundation, I guess, of a Gospel, 359 00:26:26.609 --> 00:26:30.809 Senator Approach, is that there is a god and that he has certain 360 00:26:30.849 --> 00:26:33.759 truths and is certain appeal in his word that he calls you to. He 361 00:26:33.920 --> 00:26:38.759 calls you to acknowledge your sin, to turn from your sin and to put 362 00:26:38.799 --> 00:26:44.160 your trust and the work that Jesus Christ did and his death is bury on 363 00:26:44.279 --> 00:26:47.269 his resurrection, and that's Really Gospel, senator. That's right and it's so. 364 00:26:47.589 --> 00:26:52.190 You know, we've heard how many millions of just really horrific stories? 365 00:26:52.269 --> 00:26:56.950 There are horrific situations that these these women are off and in and and if 366 00:26:56.990 --> 00:27:00.309 you go to a Gospel senator approach like that, where you know the foundational 367 00:27:00.349 --> 00:27:06.859 truths of what God says about the sanctity of human life, then that's the 368 00:27:06.980 --> 00:27:10.579 issue. Yeah, that's where you can keep coming, bringing them back instead 369 00:27:10.619 --> 00:27:15.650 of all those rabbit trails of their terrible circumstances. And you add as Christians, 370 00:27:15.690 --> 00:27:19.289 I think we should meet those as well as we're able, that we 371 00:27:19.329 --> 00:27:25.250 should at least address and and try to provide resources to help them through those 372 00:27:25.329 --> 00:27:30.960 those dire needs. But the issue is not the circumstances. The issue is, 373 00:27:32.480 --> 00:27:34.640 is life precious or is it not before a Holy God? Yeah, 374 00:27:34.720 --> 00:27:40.440 you're going to rebel against him or decide to follow him. Yeah, yeah, 375 00:27:40.720 --> 00:27:42.920 and we're talking about Gospel, a Gospel Center approach. We're talking about, 376 00:27:42.960 --> 00:27:48.509 you know, Gospel centator approach to sidewall counseling or or whatever political realm 377 00:27:48.670 --> 00:27:52.750 of Gospel centert approach to doing a pregnancy center or whatever. We're not talking 378 00:27:52.750 --> 00:27:56.509 about shoving the Gospel Down Somebody's throat. We're not talking about except Jesus, 379 00:27:56.549 --> 00:27:59.180 or we're not going to help you, or you know, anything like that. 380 00:27:59.579 --> 00:28:03.500 Exact what we're talking about. That that's our main motivation and while we're 381 00:28:03.500 --> 00:28:07.660 out there, is to advance God's kingdom through the proclamation of the Gospel, 382 00:28:07.299 --> 00:28:11.579 and we're talking about that's kind of what we're always going to come back to. 383 00:28:11.619 --> 00:28:14.490 You know, when we do as a ministry, we do baby showers. 384 00:28:14.529 --> 00:28:18.250 Other ministries do do different things to help women in need, and we 385 00:28:18.289 --> 00:28:21.089 should, but we're always going to say, well, this is because of 386 00:28:21.210 --> 00:28:23.049 what God has done for us and he's done the same for you. If 387 00:28:23.089 --> 00:28:26.759 you'll turn to him, he'll rescue he'll save you from your sin, because 388 00:28:26.759 --> 00:28:32.240 at the foundation of the issues that all of the eels of society, the 389 00:28:32.319 --> 00:28:37.079 issues that we face are, at their foundation the issues spring out of sin. 390 00:28:37.279 --> 00:28:41.470 The problem is sin, the problem being sin. The problem with abortion 391 00:28:41.589 --> 00:28:45.390 it's not a it's not a political issue, it's a sin issue. It's 392 00:28:45.390 --> 00:28:49.470 a spiritual issue and it's rooted in sin. It's rooted in selfishness. The 393 00:28:49.630 --> 00:28:55.509 solution for the issue of abortion, in any other of the ills of society, 394 00:28:55.549 --> 00:28:59.299 abortion being one of the worst, if not the worst, issue that 395 00:28:59.380 --> 00:29:03.180 we face in society. It's rooted in sin. Of the solution is Jesus 396 00:29:03.220 --> 00:29:07.259 Christ, his Gospel, his death is burial and his resurrection. Right, 397 00:29:07.579 --> 00:29:11.849 right, and it's not that we're trying to shove our beliefs on someone, 398 00:29:11.930 --> 00:29:15.970 it's that we know this is truth. This is truth and this is what 399 00:29:17.170 --> 00:29:21.690 is going to change the the politicians can change all the laws in the world 400 00:29:21.690 --> 00:29:26.119 and it's it's not going to affect abortion unless there's a true change in the 401 00:29:26.319 --> 00:29:33.200 heart of the people, because there will always be desperate women thinking that killing 402 00:29:33.240 --> 00:29:37.480 their child is what's going to solve their issues unless they recognize that there's something 403 00:29:37.960 --> 00:29:44.430 far more important than their than their circumstances or their their ease and comfort in 404 00:29:44.509 --> 00:29:48.309 their life at that moment. Yeah, yeah, so, yeah, that's 405 00:29:48.309 --> 00:29:52.230 a little bit of our heart. That's our this our first podcast episode to 406 00:29:52.349 --> 00:29:56.380 try to give an understanding of those who would be listening and watching where we're 407 00:29:56.420 --> 00:30:00.859 coming from. Why Gospel centered pro life? Would we ever trying to make 408 00:30:00.900 --> 00:30:04.180 ourselves again more spiritual or whatever? Now we're trying to say that our approach 409 00:30:04.220 --> 00:30:07.410 to anything, any subject that we deal with, has to be founded in 410 00:30:07.450 --> 00:30:11.849 God's word and our desire has to always be to promote the gospel of Jesus 411 00:30:12.369 --> 00:30:17.329 and a loving and gracious way, but also in a fourth right and truthful 412 00:30:17.369 --> 00:30:21.329 way and we believe that if we don't abortion to end in this country and 413 00:30:21.480 --> 00:30:25.119 around the world, the Gospel has to take root in a society in order 414 00:30:25.200 --> 00:30:30.319 for abortion and these evils to end. So we appreciate all those who listen. 415 00:30:30.079 --> 00:30:34.039 You can check us out as a ministry on Charlotte dot cities for Life 416 00:30:34.079 --> 00:30:41.150 Dot Org and go on facebook at cities for Life Charlotte, and we'd love 417 00:30:41.230 --> 00:30:49.180 to connect with you. And, God bless give me our love for love, 418 00:30:52.859 --> 00:31:02.380 give me our loft for gratitude. I know it will cost me my 419 00:31:02.700 --> 00:31:10.089 life. Nothing's too precious in some you