Here is a basic and essential truth that each one of us needs to ALWAYS hold on to with all of our being…
“GOD IS GOOD!”
Since the beginning of time, Satan and his cohorts and this corrupt and broken world have relentlessly and tirelessly tried to get mankind to believe the lie that “God is not good”.
Let’s look back at the story of Adam and Eve and the serpent in the garden of Eden for a moment:
Gen 3:1-5 3:1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”
2 The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, 3 but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.'”
4 “You will not surely die,” the serpent said to the woman. 5 “For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
Now there are many things that can be drawn and learned from this story but, for me, there is one very important thing; you see, the serpent sold Eve a lie, the serpent slandered God’s character and Eve bought it. So, in Eve’s eyes now, because she has bought the lie of the serpent, she believes that God does not have the best intentions for her life. She believes God is holding out on her. In essence, Eve no longer believes that “God is good”.
Folks, it’s the same with us. Many, many things will press in on our lives, either from the enemy or from this broken world and try to take from us that essential pillar of truth in our lives that “God is good”.
Can you see that in your own life?
Can you see where the devil has got in by a whisper or a shout saying something like, “See, I told you so. Look at what is happening, God is not good”.
And so, you are the one that suffers. You have bought the lie of the evil one into your heart. You have been tricked and deceived. The problem is, this lie robs you of the fellowship and the relationship of your Heavenly Father.
Never let go of the truth and the fact that “God is good”
Else your hope and relationship in the Lord will be lost.
Heavenly Father, forgive me that I have bought a lie of the enemy that you are not good. I see that now. Lord, you are good and all your ways are just and right. Lord, restore unto me the joy and my salvation. I never want to be in this place of isolation and hopelessness again. Lord fill my heart with your love and your peace and your joy. I trust you with all of my heart, in Jesus name, Amen.
It is for FREEDOM that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. [Gal 5:1]
What an amazing truth! Why has Christ set us free? The answer is right here in this verse; “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free”. Jesus has set us free for our…
FREEEEEEEEDOM!!!!
Jesus proclaimed and fullfilled the prophecy of Isaiah when He read:
“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim FREEDOM for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” [Luke 4:18-19]
Now the average person may say; “I (that’s a gi-normous ‘I’) am not a slave to anyone or anything”. What freedom are you talking about?” We read a similar response in v33 on John chapter 8 from the Jews;
31 To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. 32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” 33 They answered him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?” 34 Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. 35 Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. [John 8:31-36]
Do these Jews know there history? Of course they do. This statement isn’t about the facts, it’s about their pride. Here’s my interpretation of their response to Jesus;
“We are “GOD’S CHOSEN PEOPLE”, nobody, I mean nobody is master over us, BUDDY!”
Their response is a statement of their prideful hearts. Can YOU see what Jesus is saying? Sin and the Devil no longer have mastery over us. Everything that sets itself up as master over our lives is torn down. We are truly and ‘indeed’ set free by (the blood of) Jesus. I’m not talking just about our life in Heaven, I am talking about our life now! Jesus sets us free NOW. Those things that bind us and trap us and oppress us NO LONGER HAVE MASTERY OVER OUR LIVES. Their power is broken by the blood of Jesus.
The Devil hates these verses…
13 When you were stuck in your old sin-dead life, you were incapable of responding to God. God brought you alive — right along with Christ! Think of it! All sins forgiven, 14 the slate wiped clean, that old arrest warrant canceled and nailed to Christ’s Cross. 15 He stripped all the spiritual tyrants in the universe of their sham authority at the Cross and marched them naked through the streets. [Col 2:13-15 – THE MESSAGE]
The Devil and his cohorts are stripped of all their power.
THEY HAVE NO POWER IN A BORN AGAIN BELIEVERS LIFE.
The only power that they have is the power that we give them; either deliberately by our rebelliousness, or by their deception, or by our accepting and believing lies instead of the Truth.
Do you believe that? If you do believe that, I have a question; should your life look a whole lot different to what it does now?
Is your light shining?
Here is a prophecy about the ‘Future Glory for Jerusalem’ “Arise, Jerusalem! Let your light shine for all to see. For the glory of the Lord rises to shine on you. Darkness as black as night covers all the nations of the earth, but the glory of the Lord rises and appears over you. All nations will come to your light; mighty kings will come to see your radiance. [Isa 60:1-3 – NLT]
Do people really not notice any difference?
“You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father. [Matt 5:14-16 – NLT]
Is the light of the glory of the cross shining through your life?
For God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness,” has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ. We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves. [2 Cor 4:6-7 – NLT]
REPENT!
Turn around and go the other way! Repentance is not just about stopping what you are doing and asking for God’s forgiveness and mercy (as big as that is). It’s also about going the opposite way to the way you were going. Repentance now has you walking towards the Light, not away from Him.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, I believe in you. I believe you died and you rose again and you defeated sin and death and the Devil. The Devil doesn’t have a hold on me. I am redeemed by your blood. I repent of my wicked and rebellious ways. Forgive me Lord Jesus. Open my eyes to the lies and the deception of the Devil. Search my heart, and reveal any deceptive ways. Renew my heart. Transform my mind. Set my feet upon the Rock, in Jesus name, AMEN
I have been keeping my eye on the release of the film “Blood Money” link here. Here is what film says about itself…
BloodMoney is a documentary film that exposes the truth behind the Abortion Industry from the Pro Life perspective.
This film will examine the history of abortion in America, from the inception of Planned Parenthood and the profitability of abortion clinics, to Roe v. Wade, to the denial of when life begins, to the fight to save the lives of innocent babies, and the devastating effects it has had on the women that have had them.
“Conception is the physical manifestation of the person that God already knows”
There is debate in the secular community as to when a baby is acknowledged as a human and having human ‘rights’ rather than being a foetus or a piece of tissue that can be discarded. I suggest, from God’s point of view, looking at the Bible, that the soul of a person is in the mind of God even before conception. Therefore, life is divinely given, and has a soul (here on this Earth at least) from the time of conception. Here are some verses to consider.
It is God who knits us together in the womb…
“You knit me together in my mother womb”
Ps 139:13-15 13 You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.
15 You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.
We where in God mind before we were physically conceived…
“You saw me before I was born”
Ps 139:16a 16 You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. NLT
As God knew and formed Jeremiah, he also knew us and formed us and even set us apart (all those who are in Christ)…
“I knew you before I formed you in your mother womb”
Jer 1:5 “I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.” NLT
Esau and Jacob jostled each other even before birth…
The babies jostled each other within her; “Two nations are in your womb”
Gen 25:21-26 21 Isaac prayed to the LORD on behalf of his wife, because she was barren. The LORD answered his prayer, and his wife Rebekah became pregnant. 22 The babies jostled each other within her, and she said, “Why is this happening to me?” So she went to inquire of the LORD.
23 The LORD said to her, “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you will be separated; one people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger.”
24 When the time came for her to give birth, there were twin boys in her womb. 25 The first to come out was red, and his whole body was like a hairy garment; so they named him Esau. 26 After this, his brother came out, with his hand grasping Esau’s heel; so he was named Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when Rebekah gave birth to them. NIV
Hos 12:3 3 In the womb he grasped his brother’s heel; as a man he struggled with God. NIV
See how the Lord announces himself to Isaiah…
“He who formed you in the womb”
Isa 44:2 2 This is what the LORD says — he who made you, who formed you in the womb, and who will help you: NIV Isa 44:24 24 “This is what the LORD says — your Redeemer, who formed you in the womb: NIV Isa 49:5 5 And now the LORD says — he who formed me in the womb to be his servant NIV
Even before John the Baptist was born (from the womb) he was filled with the Holy Spirit…
“He will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before his birth”
Luke 1:11-17 11 While Zechariah was in the sanctuary, an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the incense altar. 12 Zechariah was shaken and overwhelmed with fear when he saw him. 13 But the angel said, “Don’t be afraid, Zechariah! God has heard your prayer. Your wife, Elizabeth, will give you a son, and you are to name him John. 14 You will have great joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, 15 for he will be great in the eyes of the Lord. He must never touch wine or other alcoholic drinks. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even before his birth. 16 And he will turn many Israelites to the Lord their God. 17 He will be a man with the spirit and power of Elijah. He will prepare the people for the coming of the Lord. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and he will cause those who are rebellious to accept the wisdom of the godly.” NLT
John was filled with the Holy Spirit even before birth. Perhaps that is why he lept for joy when he met the pregnant mother of Jesus…
“The baby in my womb leaped for joy”
Luke 1:39-45 39 At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, 40 where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42 In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! 43 But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 45 Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!” NIV
Our Lord Jesus humbled himself to the point of being conceived in the womb of Mary. The physical embreaking of the Kingdom of God through Jesus on this Earth began at conception…
“You will conceive and give birth to a son”
Luke 1:30-36 30 “Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God! 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32 He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. 33 And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!”
34 Mary asked the angel, “But how can this happen? I am a virgin.”
35 The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God. NLT
God’s ultimate plan. For us to be conformed to the image of His Son, through His Son, for His glory…
“God knows His people in advance, He chooses them to become like His Son”
Rom 8:29-30 29 For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30 And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. And having called them, he gave them right standing with himself. And having given them right standing, he gave them his glory. NLT
Father, your divine ‘handywork’ is all over conception, formation and birth of babies. No wonder Satan wants to destroy your creation, even before birth. Father, I praise you for life. I praise you for the miracle of conception, formation and birth of babies. You know us even before conception. All our days are recorded even before we take our first breath. Father, be with babies of miscarriage and babies of abortion. There voices are small compared to the ‘roaring lion’. Protect them, comfort them, love them in your arms. Forgive those that would harm them, in Jesus name, Amen.
2 Sam 12:13-23 13 Then David confessed to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.”
Nathan replied, “Yes, but the Lord has forgiven you, and you won’t die for this sin. 14 Nevertheless, because you have shown utter contempt for the Lord by doing this, your child will die.”
15 After Nathan returned to his home, the Lord sent a deadly illness to the child of David and Uriah’s wife. 16 David begged God to spare the child. He went without food and lay all night on the bare ground. 17 The elders of his household pleaded with him to get up and eat with them, but he refused.
18 Then on the seventh day the child died. David’s advisers were afraid to tell him. “He wouldn’t listen to reason while the child was ill,” they said. “What drastic thing will he do when we tell him the child is dead?”
19 When David saw them whispering, he realized what had happened. “Is the child dead?” he asked.
“Yes,” they replied, “he is dead.”
20 Then David got up from the ground, washed himself, put on lotions, and changed his clothes. He went to the Tabernacle and worshiped the Lord. After that, he returned to the palace and was served food and ate.
21 His advisers were amazed. “We don’t understand you,” they told him. “While the child was still living, you wept and refused to eat. But now that the child is dead, you have stopped your mourning and are eating again.”
22 David replied, “I fasted and wept while the child was alive, for I said, ‘Perhaps the Lord will be gracious to me and let the child live.’ 23 But why should I fast when he is dead? Can I bring him back again?I will go to him one day, but he cannot return to me.” NLT
Now why did I start of with these verses? Well, firstly, it’s a story about a baby. King David’s baby has died. King David, in verse 22, is saying that his baby “cannot return to him” because the Lord has taken him, but that he can, one day, go to where he is – Heaven!.
Have you ever thought that there might be babies in Heaven? Has this ever crossed your mind? OK, so there might be babies in Heaven; what has this got to do with the topic of “Why Do Good People Die?”.
Hmm, as what mostly happens with me, this blog or thought or revelation is kind of hard to birth. You see, I believe there are children and babies in Heaven. I believe that every miscarried and aborted baby is in Heaven. This brings me to the next question. What happens to them when they get there? Are they instantly transformed into a mature 30 year old person? How do they get that maturity? I mean, the Bible tells us that we are going to have new bodies (1 Cor 15:54) so we aren’t going to be sucked up into some ‘cosmic collective conscienseness’ devoid of being a seperate being. So, I’m wondering, how do these babies go from babies to maturity? Perhaps some of you may be thinking I am missing something and that the baby has a spirit so the baby instantly become Spiritually mature in the presence of God. I don’t believe instantly so.
Let me tell you a story, which you can believe or disbelieve. It’s quite personal so I may end up looking foolish to some. Anyway, I while back now, our church lost a very gracious sister. She was/is a great lover of God and of her children and her family. She also had/has a very strong relationship with the Lord. Sadly, she battled with cancer and went to be with the Lord. Thankfully she had “built her house upon the Rock before the storm” (Matt 7: 24-27). Her funeral was such a mournful and also such a joyous time.
In my prayer time for her family I saw her in Heaven, ministering and nurturing very young children. I told the husband about this. It was such an amazing picture of this gracious women loving God and serving Him in Heaven by ministering and nuturing these children.
So here is my point. “Why Do Good People Die?” I had an understanding, in that moment, of why God wanted such a precious person in Heaven. There are so, so many babies and children dying in this world. God needs good people to serve Him, and to serve the children in Heaven, bringing them to maturity.
In Heaven we are going to worship our Lord and we are going to serve Him and serve our brothers and sisters in Christ.
All praise and honour and glory and power to Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb, for ever and ever, Amen.
Have you ever wondered, if God knows the end of the story, why does He choose to create all of us? Here is an example of what I mean – the people of Noah’s day.
Gen 6:5-8 5 The LORD saw how great man’s wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. 6 The LORD was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain. 7 So the LORD said, “I will wipe mankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth — men and animals, and creatures that move along the ground, and birds of the air — for I am grieved that I have made them.” 8 But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD.
“The LORD was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain.” So, why didGod make all of these people in the first place if He knew that they would not honour and glorify Him? It’s, kind of, an interesting question isn’t it? That is, that God would give someone life knowing that they would be such a heartache to Him that He would choose to destroy them. I mean, why make them in the first place?
Also, why would God choose to interact in peoples lives when He knows they are not going to listen to Him. One example in the Bible is this – God speaking to Cain before He murders Abel.
Gen 4:6-8
6 Then the LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? 7 If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it.”
8 Now Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go out to the field.” And while they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.
To a certain extent, I can see the point of this second example. That is, that God is presenting Cain with the reality and choice that it doesn’t have to be like this. But if Cain is not listening, and God knows He is going to kill Abel anyway, why bother with Him? (our God is a God of grace)
Here’s something radical – the future is not set. Well, at least from our point of view. We are the random. We are the unknown quantity. We have free will and we have choice so our future is not set. The other big thing is that our God is a God of grace.
Here’s something even more radical. God chooses to walk our timeline. Now it’s not really our timeline, it’s God’s timeline. God is not buzzing about in some time machine effecting the future and the past to a achieve a desired outcome. God is in our moment and our present and this is where He chooses to act and to lavish His graciousness upon us.
So, getting back to the people of Noah’s day, these people had all these ‘present’ moments where God was gently speaking into their lives, before their final ‘now’ moment of their destruction . Their choices, which were not devoid of God speaking to them, have led them now to this point where a loving God would choose to destroy them rather than to continue to bear the pain of their evil choices. Yes, God is bearing the pain of OUR evil choices. This is where the grace of our Lord Jesus fits in.
Pointing this back to us. God is in this present moment. He wants to speak into your life and my life NOW! He wants to change the course of your life and my life NOW! Don’t delay in submitting your life totally over to your Creator and Jesus Christ His Son.
The ‘I AM’ is here now!
The LORD is gracious and compassionate,
slow to anger and rich in love.
The LORD is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made.
All you have made will praise you, O LORD; your saints will extol you.
They will tell of the glory of your kingdom and speak of your might,
so that all men may know of your mighty acts
and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom
and your dominion endures through all generations.
The LORD is faithful to all his promises
and loving toward all he has made.
The LORD upholds all those who fall
and lifts up all who are bowed down.
The eyes of all look to you
and you give them their food at the proper time.
You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing.
The LORD is righteous in all his ways and loving toward all he has made.
The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.
He fulfills the desires of those who fear him;
he hears their cry and saves them.
The LORD watches over all who love him,
but all the wicked he will destroy.
[Ps 145:8-20]
Have you listened to Gianna Jessen testimony yet? She is an amazing woman with an incredible testimony. I’ve been thinking about her message. In it, she directly addresses and challenges the men. Her words have been ‘ruminating’ in my head. Check them out.
“Men, you are made for greatness. You are made to stand up and be men. You are made to defend women and children, not stand by, and turn your head, when you know murder is occurring and do nothing about it. You are not made to use women and leave us alone. You are made to be kind and great and gracious and strong and stand for something because men, listen to me, I am too tired to do your job.”
“I trust, men, you will rise to the occassion…you are made for greatness…you are made to defend what is right and good…what sort of man do you want to be? A man obsessed with your own glory or a man obsessed with the glory of God?”
“Men, you are made for greatness”
I guess this is some thoughts for men. “Men, you are made for greatness.” Don’t misunderstand this quote. This isn’t ‘great’ in your own sight and in the sight of others, this is great in the sight of God! This isn’t puffing up and glorifying yourself (as lots of men do) it is glorifying God. To quote an early Saint
“THE GLORY OF GOD IS MAN FULLY ALIVE”- Saint Irenaeus(2nd century AD)
We are to stand out as shining lights for justice and mercy, integrity and love, kindness and graciousness, to defend and protect the widow and the orphan, to be the man of God that loves his wife as Christ loves the Church.
“He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” [Mic 6:8]
“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” [James 1:27]
“Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.” [Eph 5:22-27]
and yet, a lot of us are bumbling about in the dark. Why? There are many reasons.
One is, we live compromised lives. The virtues of honest and integrity are pushed aside for an easy, more comfortable life. The values that we say that we subscribe to are pushed away by the realities of life.
Another reason is that we have never grown up. Like Peter Pan we never step up to the responsibilities of being a man. We shy away. We look for the easy way. We remain children at heart. Why? Because we can. In this society we can avoid being mature and upright men so we ‘hide out’ in the ‘safe places’ of our addictions and soul comforts.
“Men, you are made for greatness”
So what does God do when men refuse to stand and be men? He raises women! God raises women to do what the men won’t do. God raises women to do and to speak and to lead because the men refuse to be men and/or do not know how to be be men. Gianna says to the men listening…
“I am too tired to do your job”
I’m not trying to promote something sexist here. I am highlighting a truth.Most men are not men of truth and integrity, of love and kindness, of faithfulness and honour, of courage and valour, of loving their wives as Christ loves the Church, of standing up for the widows and the orphans, of fighting for the causes of the opressed, of standing against all forms of wickedness and evil.
Why are men such pathetic wimps?
We were made for so much more! We were designed to rule and reign but, at the ‘fall’, this rule and reign was defaulted to Satan through deception. However, at the cross, Satan was defeated and put to public spectical. Here’s where we go wrong.
Just like in the garden, we believe a lie.
We do not believe sin is broken over our lives. We believe what this world teaches us more than we believe the Word of God. We allow thing to bind us and to rule and reign over our lives so that we never become a powerful and effective man of God. Christ has given us the power to overcome anything that would try to rule and reign us. Don’t you know that “if we endure, we will also reign with Him” [2 Tim 2:12]
All power and all authority have been given to Christ therefore, those who are in Christ, there is nothing that should rule and reign over them!
I want to end with some Words from Revelation…
To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God. [Rev 2:7]
He who overcomes will not be hurt at all by the second death. [Rev 2:11]
To him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give him a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to him who receives it. [Rev 2:17]
To him who overcomes and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations—
‘He will rule them with an iron scepter; he will dash them to pieces like pottery’ –
just as I have received authority from my Father. 28 I will also give him the morning star. [Rev 2:26-29]
He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father and his angels. [Rev 3:5-6]
Him who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will he leave it. I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on him my new name. [Rev 3:12]
To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne. [Rev 3:21-22]
Gianna Jessen, abortion survivor speaks at Queen’s Hall, Parliament House, Victoria (Australia) September 8 2008 on the eve of the debate to decriminalize abortion in Victoria. Gianna’s visit was sponsored by the Ad Hoc Interfaith Committee – Part 1
Gianna Jessen, abortion survivor speaks at Queen’s Hall, Parliament House, Victoria (Australia) September 8 2008 on the eve of the debate to decriminalize abortion in Victoria. Gianna’s visit was sponsored by the Ad Hoc Interfaith Committee – Part 2
“We are in an interesting battle, whether we realise it or not, in this world. It’s a battle between life and death. What side are you on?”
“I know, along my journey, I am already hated because I declare life!”
“How much are you willing to take, and how much are you willing to risk, to speak the truth in love and graciousness, and stand up and, at least, be willing to be hated?
“There was not a radical feminist, standing up and yelling about how my rights had been violated that day. In fact my life was being snuffed out in the name of womens rights.”
“There are things that you are only able to learn by the weakest among us. And when you snuff them out you are the one that looses. The Lord looks after them but you are the one who will suffer for ever.”
“And what arrogance, what absolute arrogance, and it has been an arguement for so long in this human place that we live, that the stronger should dominate the weaker, should determine who lives and dies. The arrogance of that! Don’t you realise that you cannot make your own heart beat. Don’t you realise that all the power that you think that you possess you really possess none of it. It is the mercy of God that sustains you, even when you hate Him.”
“We misunderstand how beautiful suffering can be. I don’t willingly sign up for it, but when it comes, we forget that God is in control and God has a way of making the most miserable thing beautiful.”
“Men, you are made for greatness. You are made to stand up and be men. You are made to defend women and children, not stand by, and turn your head, when you know murder is occurring and do nothing about it. You are not made to use women and leave us alone. You are made to be kind and great and gracious and strong and stand for something because men, listen to me, I am too tired to do your job.”
“Women, you are not made for abuse. You are not made to sit and not know your worth and your value. You are made to be fought for, forever.”
“So now is your moment, what sort of people are you going to be? I trust, incredible. I trust, men, you will rise to the occassion. To the politians listening, particularly to the men, I would say this, you are made for greatness, set your politics aside. You are made to defend what is right and good, this fiery young girl will stand here and say, now it your moment. What sort of man do you want to be? A man obsessed with your own glory or a man obsessed with the glory of God? It’s time to take a stand, Victoria. This is your hour. God will assist you. God will be with you. You have the opportunity to glorify and honour God in 2008.”
“Some of you might be slightly annoyed that all I keep doing is talking about God and Jesus but how on earth can I walk about, limping through this world and not give ALL my heart and mind and soul and strength to the Christ who gave me life! So if you think I am a fool, it’s just another jewel in my crown. My whole intent in living here is to make God smile.”
Gianna Jessen, abortion survivor speaks at Queen’s Hall, Parliament House, Victoria (Australia) September 8 2008 on the eve of the debate to decriminalize abortion in Victoria. Gianna’s visit was sponsored by the Ad Hoc Interfaith Committee – Part 1
Gianna Jessen, abortion survivor speaks at Queen’s Hall, Parliament House, Victoria (Australia) September 8 2008 on the eve of the debate to decriminalize abortion in Victoria. Gianna’s visit was sponsored by the Ad Hoc Interfaith Committee – Part 2
“I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world.” [John 17:14]
Giant Selfishness was huge of stature and strong of limb, taller and more powerful than his younger brother Sloth. There were few indeed who could cope with his arm, he was tyrant over half the world. Many a great conqueror he had made his slave, thousands and thousands had felt his chains, he claimed dominion over young and old. Yet now as the giant sat alone, a deep shade of gloom was upon his massive brow. He listened not to the tinkling fall of the fountain, he glanced not at the beautiful flowers,
“Evil tidings, evil tidings” he muttered to himself.
“Sloth has been the first victim but he will not be the last. I dread nothing on earth but the invincible sword, not even my strength can stand against that.”
He pressed his vast hand over his eyes and remained for some moments in thought.
“Ha, I have it!” he exclaimed suddenly raising his head what force cannot accomplish cunning may perform.
He clapped his hands as a signal and the noise that they made was startling as a peal of thunder. Instant at the summons his servant Pleasure appeared. A fairy like creature with gossamer wings all sparkling with the tints of the rainbow.
“Pleasure” exclaimed the Giant, “I call thee to my aid against him who would root out the race of Selfishness. Do you know if Fides is still at the castle where Sloth this morning fell beneath his sword?”
A taste of a great novel : The Giant Killer (written by Charlotte Maria Tucker in 1856)
"I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe"
Enlightened Hope 