"The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men
count slackness; but is longsuffering to us- not willing that any
???????????????should perish, but that all should come to repentance."
2 Peter 3:9
As you know from our last update, this past summer was filled with several opportunities to reach churches across the country by working with church leadership and speaking to congregations. Having returned home to Arizona, normally the autumn months tend to be more geared towards ministering to churches in our local area; but praise God, He has opened up several new opportunities in the coming weeks for me to speak at several more churches in the eastern United States.
Recently, there was also an unexpected blessing for my wife Melissa and I to speak to Junior-high students and their parents on the topics of godly sexuality and the war that is happening in our culture today, especially in the areas of sexuality and gender.
What struck me as we spoke and answered questions from the students was the beautiful earnestness of their desire for actual truth. I think sometimes there is a tendency among older individuals to view Millennials and Gen-Z with a mixture of amusement but also some cynicism. This seems to often be due to our perception of their sense of entitlement and somewhat skewed worldview compared to what we grew up with. However, under that veneer, often there is a genuine hunger and thirst for truth and clarity, which we were excited to see in these students.
These young men and women have grown up in a time of confusion and an unprecedented assault on the innocence of children. This includes the media blatantly promoting a secular, sexualized agenda and the education system that seems to be increasingly geared less towards actually educating and more toward indoctrinating children with sexual and relational discord. Social media and video sharing sites are filled with people promoting gender fluidity and sexual confusion. And there?s of course the purveyors of online pornography that unfortunately make it accessible in so many ways to vulnerable, young people.
As the children we spoke with expressed desire to know truth, I was reminded of 2 Peter 3:9 and Luke 21:28 where Jesus promises that the heart of God toward His people is for all to come to repentance and that He is coming soon to redeem His people.
The Lord has not and will never abandon the hearts and minds of young people to a world that seemingly is dedicated to destroying their innocence. God continues to work through His Church, and it is both our incredible privilege and responsibility to be the shining lamp upon a hill, bringing the light and clarity of God?s truth in all these areas.
These same seeds of confusion have sadly been bearing fruit in many churches across America for many years now, but we are thankful for the for the churches who are remaining faithful to Biblical truth, despite intense pressure from some forces both within and outside the various denominations. Even in the midst of the cacophony and discord sown by Satan among us, I am excited to see God still showing up in the most unexpected places, bringing His love and grace to men and women of all ages and backgrounds who genuinely seek Him through repentance.
So rather than being discouraged by the enormity of what is ahead of us, I am invigorated and excited to see what the Lord continues to do in the Church. Even though seeds of evil have obviously been sown, our Lord has also been planting seeds of a great revival, and we are already starting to see some of the fruit from that. We do not serve a passive God, but rather a mighty King who loves His bride. The remainder of 2022 and looking forward to 2023 will bring many challenges, but also many victories.
Among the challenges that we will continue to face within Christian churches, the sad topic of abortion is one of the most pressing needs. Even with the recent overturning of Roe vs. Wade, every day there are still many innocent babies whose lives are being ended. I am reminded of a quote from my friend Jim Anderson, the author of Unmasked: Exposing the Cultural and Sexual Assault. He said ?Abortion is the end of the conveyor belt in a sex-saturated culture.?
While this is a topic we don?t frequently address here at Love & Truth Network, we do still need to face the reality that sexual immorality and abortion do unfortunately go hand-in-hand, and children will continue to die as a result of the brokenness that is in our society as a result.
A dear friend of the ministry recently wrote an article on this topic, which I have included in our newsletter this month because I feel the points he raises are both timely and much needed.
We are very excited to let you know about a ministry event we have chosen to co-sponsor that is being put on by Living on Purpose & SheRecovery.com ? the SHE Virtual Recovery Summit. The event is a FREE 5-day online global summit for women and teen girls, which was created to address the rise and crisis of female pornography addiction and other unwanted sexual behavior.
Both Melissa & I will be presenting at the summit. The founder of Living on Purpose & SheRecovery.com ? Crystal Renaud Day (who?s testimony is shared below) ? is leading the event.
Attend a Summit
There are still several summits coming up soon. It's not too late to join us or spread the word!
Learn More
How to Prevent the Most Abortions
by Kyle Malkin
?Do not stand by while your neighbor?s blood is shed; I am the Lord? (Leviticus 19:16 CEB).
Abortion is a tragic practice that has plagued society for a long time ? it started long before any of our lifetimes. Some of the earliest historical records of abortion date back nearly 5,000 years.1
Undeniably, a new human being is formed at the moment of conception/fertilization, so the command to not murder (Leviticus 20:13) absolutely applies to taking the life of an innocent child. We are also commanded by God, ?Do not stand by while your neighbor?s blood is shed; I am the Lord? (Leviticus 19:16 CEB). Jesus made it clear that every human being is our neighbor (Luke 10:25?37), so our responsibility is very clear. However, many Christians find themselves wondering how to help stop the abortion holocaust going on all around us.
The recent US Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe vs Wade is a very important step forward in lawful protection of the most basic human right to life. Yet, even though the ruling will prevent many abortions, it is by no means the primary or most important step in preventing abortions.
The single most important step in preventing abortions is something that depends on YOU. First of all, decide to never have an abortion yourself or participate in supporting one. Then help those around you who are struggling with unwanted and/or unplanned pregnancies.
Ironically, some of the worst aspects of abortion happen well before the murder actually occurs ? the decision to abort often happens the moment relationships fail.
However, when mothers know they are loved and supported, they are more likely to choose life for their child.
A 2018 study conducted by David C. Reardon, which was published by Sage Open Medicine2 and featured in the NIH?s PubMed3, found that among women looking for post-abortion distress counseling, 64% felt ?forced by outside circumstance? to abort their child, and ?83% indicated they would have carried to term if significant others in their lives had encouraged delivery.?
A 2017 study published in the Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons demonstrated that over 70% of women surveyed were pressured to get abortions.4 ?58.3% of the women reported aborting to make others happy? 28.4% aborted out of fear of losing their partner if they did not abort? 66% said they knew in their hearts that they were making a mistake when they underwent the abortion, 67.5% revealed that the abortion decision was one of the hardest decisions of their lives...?
The Michigan Journal of Gender & Law published findings by Jody L. Madeira in 2014 revealing ?abortions are disproportionately higher among low-income women and women of color. This is a good indicator that at least some women are electing abortion because they feel they cannot materially provide for the child they would bear.? 5
These are just a few of many statistics shedding light on what should be obvious ? mothers have an intrinsic, God-given desire to care for their child, but pressures around them influence their decision whether or not to respond to that desire in a life-giving way.
Sadly, many Christians who take a pro-life stance don?t even consider helping a mother facing an unplanned pregnancy. Instead, they often ignore the need. Or worse, they engage in harsh judgment and criticism instead of Christ-like compassion.
For example, in a recent debate I started in a popular online forum, a Christian friend of mine vowed to show ?no sympathy? unless/until someone decides to ?keep, or adopt.? Thankfully, they repented of their thinking by the end of our conversation, but their initial statement reflects the heart attitude of apathy and judgement that many Christians have.
Is this how Jesus would/does respond to mothers who feel overwhelmed and pressured to consider an abortion? Of course not. Jesus loves both the mother as well as the child in her womb who bears the image of God. Regardless of whether the pregnancy may be the result of sex outside of marriage, a new human life has begun, and mothers need support to know they can either care for their own child or provide their babies to adoptive parents. The question is ? will we as Christians do more than merely ?stand against? abortion? We will also stand for mothers in need? Will we be the hands and feet of Jesus to her in loving and practical ways?
Some Christians may object to the idea of loving a mother in need while she is seriously considering an abortion or because has had an abortion, and even going so far as to cite passages of Scripture like Micah 6:8 that command us to ?do justice?. However, doing justice without showing ?mercy? (which is also commanded in Micah 6:8) is the opposite of what Jesus told us to do.
Consider that if Jesus? love were conditional on our good behavior, we would all be headed to hell. Instead, He first loved us before we even knew we needed his help,6 which is the only reason any of us have eternal life by trusting Him. That?s what won me over to Jesus ? when people loved me before I ?deserved it.? We?re called to love our enemies,7 and we?re also called to love our brothers and sisters in Christ most closely of all.8
Of course, love (caring for someone?s wellbeing) certainly doesn?t mean blessing and empowering bad behavior. Sometimes love needs to be tough by establishing boundaries that require repentance (Matthew 18:15-35, Luke 17:1-10). However, godly love is always supposed to be ?patient? and ?kind? (1 Corinthians 13) in how it is expressed, and its purpose should always be to offer restoration to anyone who has sinned and/or is in need. This does not rule out the need for strongly and sometimes abrasively challenging someone who stubbornly refuses to repent after they are graciously invited to do so. Jesus did this very often to the religious leaders of his day, and He spelled out how the steps of confrontation He wants us to take leading up to the point in Matthew 18:15-35. However, Jesus? example of abrasive confrontation was always done for the purpose of continuing to call hypocritical people to repentance9, and we know that a number of the religious leaders Jesus confronted did in fact eventually repent (John 12:42).
Confrontation sometimes gets a bit intense. However, that dynamic should change if someone repents. If they repent, we are commanded to forgive (Luke 17:3-4) and help restore them ?gently? (Galatians 6:1) with ?kindness? (Ephesians 4:32).
To help solidify this point, here are just a few of many Scripture passages on the subject:
?...Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you? (Matthew 5:44 ESV).
?And have mercy on those [fellow Christians] who doubt; save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh? (Jude 1:22-23 ESV).
?...God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? (Romans 2:4 ESV).
?[Jesus said,] ?This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you.? (John 15:12 NLT).
Beyond telling us what to do, Jesus also gave us a great example of graciously extending love to someone who has sinned by how He loved the woman caught in adultery in John 8:1-11. When the religious leaders wanted to kill the woman caught in adultery, Jesus instead responded by graciously inviting and empowering the woman to repent. Jesus told her to ?go and sin no more?, thus empowering the woman with the hope and power to actually begin doing so.
Consider how many lives would be spared if even just a few mothers who are considering abortion were to experience their neighbors helping them through less-than-ideal circumstances. Whether kindness is extended by a loved one, an acquaintance, a church community, a non-profit organization, or anyone else, unconditional love saves lives.
The most common reason I?ve noticed amongst Christians for not helping mothers in need is a preoccupation with loving themselves, usually mixed with a fear of lacking the wisdom, knowledge, or resources to be positively influential. Selfishness and fear are obviously both deadly sins, but they sadly are both commonly ?socially acceptable? and even preached from some pulpits as ?wisdom?.
If you don?t believe me, consider some of the following popular misnomers in Christian culture right now:
1. ?Even though abortion is murder and is a terrible sin, it does solve a lot of problems for women in less-than-ideal circumstances. Therefore, it is more loving to help them abort their children until they?re truly ready to be mothers."
2. ?If a child is conceived in rape, it?s not loving to force the mother to carry someone else?s child to term and then parent it. It is most loving to kill the child to protect the mother?s well-being.?
3. ?It?s better to remain silent than to try helping someone in need if you don?t know what to do because you will probably make things worse.?
4. ?Abortion isn?t explicitly listed as a sin in the Bible, so it isn?t actually a sin.?
The list goes on, but all of these arguments above are completely flawed.
Because a new human life is formed at the moment of conception/fertilization, the scope of loving someone considering abortion clearly involves multiple people ? the child and the parents. The command to not murder (Leviticus 20:13) should be enough to convince us that abortion is sin, let alone the many commands spelling out the sin of refraining from loving your neighbor. ?Do not stand by while your neighbor?s blood is shed; I am the Lord? (Leviticus 19:16 CEB) is one of the clearest of them all.
Even though many Christians know they should help, they often still listen to Satan?s voice, which cripples them with fear. And then they do nothing.
Not everything Satan says is totally false, and it?s important to be able to discern how he twists the truth.
For example, it?s very true that giving birth to an unplanned child often does cause a mother?s (and even a whole family?s) living standards to become more difficult. I?ve seen this firsthand with a friend ? a single mother of three daughters ? whom my wife and I led back to Christ several years ago. She gave birth to an unplanned child last year while unmarried and enduring extremely difficult financial circumstances (she was on the edge of homelessness).
Giving birth cost her a lot. The father abandoned the family, and the newborn nearly died of COVID. The mother then lost her job, her home, and stability in the relationship with her own mother. The young family became homeless for many months.
When my wife and I learned about all this, we organized many efforts to help restore her family to a stable living situation. But think of how much easier it would have been for the mother to simply kill the unplanned child to avoid the difficulties. Scenarios like this help make it much more understandable why some women choose abortion.
It can be daunting and overwhelming to consider helping a woman considering whether or not to get an abortion. But is struggling to discern how to best love someone really so difficult that we should just avoid it altogether? The truth is, God empowers and walks with us as we step outside of our comfort zone to help.
Didn?t Jesus say the following?
?If you [only] love those who love you,... what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?? (Matthew 5:46-47 ESV).
?Love your neighbor as yourself? (Matthew 22:39 ESV).
?Whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them? (Matthew 7:12 ESV).
?...apart from me you can do nothing? (John 15:5 ESV).
?...with God all things are possible? (Matthew 19:26 ESV).
As believers, we have already been given the Holy Spirit, and that means we already have ?everything we need for life and godliness? (2 Peter 1:3). We are fully capable of loving our neighbors well because God gives us the wisdom we need to obey Him when we ask. James 1:5 says, ?If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.? And Jesus said in Mark 11:24, ?Whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.?
Now let?s talk practically. Consider if you were the person considering an abortion; how would you want someone to help you? Really think about this. A lot. Also ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you how to best love the woman (and often the whole family) in need. As we ask and truly trust that God will give us the wisdom we need, He gives it to us. Every time.
Then, go do it.
You don?t need to do it all by yourself. There can be wisdom and strength in finding others to partner with you in helping, however, don?t wait around for others to initiate. First seek God, and He will help you know what to do in every circumstance.
Psalm 1 describes how those who ?meditate? on God?s commands are blessed in every area of life. The Hebrew word ?shema? used to describe how we should respond to God in Deuteronomy 4 (and quoted by Jesus in Mark 12:29) means to listen and obey. In other words, if you haven?t obeyed, you haven?t really listened.
Jesus didn?t give us suggestions. He laid out His Way as the only way for any believer to experience joy-filled, abundant life.
So the next time you have an opportunity to be a ?good Samaritan? to someone who is facing difficult circumstances and considering abortion, how will you respond?
SOURCES
1 History of Abortion. Lumitos. (link)
2 The abortion and mental health controversy: A comprehensive literature review of common ground agreements, disagreements, actionable recommendations, and research opportunities. Sage Journals. (link)
3 The abortion and mental health controversy: A comprehensive literature review of common ground agreements, disagreements, actionable recommendations, and research opportunities. PubMed Central, NIH National Libarary of Medicine. (link)
4 Women Who Suffered Emotionally from Abortion: A Qualitative Synthesis of Their Experiences. Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons, Volume 22, Number 4, Winter 2017. (link)
5 Madeira JL. Aborted emotions: regret, relationality, and regulation. Michigan J Gender & Law 2014;21:1-66.
6 1 John 4:19
7 Matthew 5:43-48
8 2 Peter 3:9
9 Galatians 6:10
Partnership Invitation
We are so grateful to be able to serve Jesus by leading His Church into greater purity as we all prepare for His return. There is much still to be done, and you can help us.
Would you prayerfully consider praying for us regularly, volunteering, and/or supporting us financially?
Gratefully,
Garry Ingraham
Executive Director