I’ll never forget when I saw the news that Roe V. Wade was overturned come across the tv screen. We’d spent many years serving those experiencing unplanned pregnancies in a country with some of the world’s most loose abortion regulations. It was surreal.
 
In the days that followed, we saw the rightful, necessary celebration of pro-lifers that women, men and the unborn would be spared the pain and death of abortion. We also saw the equally intense reaction of abortion supporters. While driving out of town, I ended up turning onto a street blocked by an angry demonstration. It reminded me so much of the random guy one may see in Time Square holding a “The End is Near” sign. Unfortunately, I fear that this and even messaging from life-affirming organizations may have given the impression that the “fight” is over. That after years of faithful work and prayers, no more women will be regretting recent abortions, or little humans having their lives cut short. I would give everything I have for that to be even close to true.
 
Unfortunately, I speak with Wisconsin women who are just a short car ride away from an Illinois abortion provider. Increased awareness of, and access to abortion pills, is changing the dynamics. An increasing percentage of abortions are abortion pill procedures, which bring unique risks. Borders and laws remain important but have their limits. We live in an age when we can have seemingly anything discreetly delivered to our door. If it’s Italian food (or shoes) I am all for it. However, abortion pills are being mailed sometimes from India. The trends suggest that abortion pills via mail through sites like “Plan C” will only increase. While some things have changed, many risks for women remain the same. We may have been lulled into complacency. We must not forget the destruction that legalized abortion has had on pre-born babies, families, and society. DON’T underestimate the reality and availability of abortion.
 
Even if legal abortions were a thing of the past there would still be unplanned pregnancies, families facing significant challenges, and women and men dealing with unhealed pain from abortion. There would still be those without the hope and unconditional love that can only be found in Christ. The truth is our mission doesn’t change based on the political whims of Washington.
 
I can’t overstate the impact of a woman choosing life, but that is just a beginning. There will be bad days when she needs support and the Holy Spirit grants a volunteer just the right words. Satan will try to scare her into changing her mind. We must be available with practical support. When she doesn’t feel strong enough we can gently remind her she is brave and not alone. Ultrasounds, parenting classes, and diapers are just a few of the ways that we are there for parents in our community.

​Love in action is needed now more than ever! By giving of time and treasure, people are having an impact that lasts for generations. DO be a part of families thriving! Your skills can be a blessing. Learn about volunteer opportunities.

Reaching out to those in need is expensive. You can get the word out about the services provided by giving today!

I remember seeing the ultrasound. In fact, we still have it – on an “antique” VHS tape! As a 25 year-old first time dad it was incredible. “That’s our child!” (We asked not to know if the image showed a boy or a girl…or else I would’ve thought, “That’s our daughter!”). I can only imagine what the ancients would’ve thought or how they would’ve reacted to seeing an ultrasound.

Perhaps it wouldn’t have been on quite the same level as receiving a message via an angel, yet I imagine it would’ve been reassuring to Joseph and Mary if they could’ve seen an ultrasound administered by a compassionate technician who would’ve joined in their celebration of a new life—no matter what their story and without passing any kind of judgment regarding this unexpected, unplanned for pregnancy.

What would they have thought to hear their Savior’s strong little heartbeat? Or to see their Savior’s tiny little fingers and toes? Might they have exclaimed “Awwwww!” as they watched him surprisingly suck his itty-bitty thumb?

Seeing an ultrasound is like looking through a picture window into a mother’s womb. It provides a front row seat to the miracle of every human life knit together in a mother’s womb, not just our Messiah’s!

Imagine more mothers in the Milwaukee area having the opportunity to see that miracle firsthand before a visit to Planned Parenthood. Imagine more mothers being stirred to make a choice for life when love is born in the midst of that first lingering gaze - “That’s my child!” Imagine more mothers being moved sometimes to make a difficult but decidedly heroic choice to make an adoption plan when even in the midst of their trauma they realize, “That child has a right to live and be loved just like me.”

That’s why WELS Lutherans for Life has been committed to protecting a child’s right to live and be loved for the past 35 years. And it’s why Psalm 139:13 is a powerful theme verse for this anniversary year. It’s a year in which we are asking God to move the hearts of his people to pray and give more as we take the necessary steps to become a medical clinic so that we will soon be able to offer on-site limited ultrasound.

Like seeing an ultrasound, Psalm 139:13 gives us a window into a mother’s womb. In poetically descriptive terms, the message couldn’t be any clearer. Who was it there in the womb—yet unborn and not yet fully formed? “Me” says the Psalmist. You knit me together in my mother’s womb.

This is an incredible thought, isn’t it? Already in my mother's womb I was a unique, special, dearly loved creation of God. You were too. You still are! For this reason, Jesus willingly left behind the bliss of heaven and took on our human flesh and blood in that very moment when a single cell was knit together by the Holy Spirit in Mary’s womb. Jesus valued my life, your life, every single human life that much. Ultimately, he proved just how much God values each of us when he died for us all on the cross that we might all live forever with him in heaven. To live and be loved…that is what God wants for us all, to live forever and be loved by him. 

Guest Author: Ben Kuerth

Ben is pastor at Victory of the Lamb in Franklin, WI. He also serves on the WELS Lutherans for Life Board of Directors.

image provided by Naomi Scheel (for more click here to see Naomi Scheel on Etsy)

The National Day of Remembrance for Aborted Children is coming up on September 10th. This is an excellent opportunity to talk with your children about abortion. We teach our children to behave, to repent of their sins, to repel the Devil, to trust in Jesus, to love others, to serve, to watch their step lest they fall...fall where?

The reality of death is everywhere, and yet some parents feel the need to shelter their children from this reality of sin. It's easier not to think about it, and pretend that life will always be as it is, and that we will have more good times than bad...but this is not the reality. And when you avoid the reality of sin, you avoid the reality of God's salvation. When Jesus is only used to make skinned knees feel better, instead of bring people back to life...His Name is cheapened. His Name is The Name - at which every knee will bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth.

This is an opportunity to bow our knees, bow our heads, bow our hearts...and plead for God's mercy, to ask that His will be done, to ask for strength and endurance to defend the rights of all who are destitute, who cannot speak for themselves.

This is an opportunity to show the result of wickedness...the result is sad. The righteous are a strong tower, protected by God, but the wicked devour each other. God's law protects us. God's law protected them while they were in the womb. The fear of the Lord gave their parent's faith to trust God's promises. He will always provide. His timing is good. He gives strength to the weak and sight to the blind. He is the author and perfecter of life.

Show your children the true power of God. He redeems our lives from the pit.

Last year we took our children to Resurrection Cemetery in Madison, and had a private service of God's word, explanation, hymns, and prayer. It wasn't anything extravagant or intensively planned, but God's word worked. 

Sin hurts.

Sin kills. 

​​But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Author: Philip Meinel

A man trying to lead his family in the grace of God.

I know what it is to have an unexpected pregnancy. I was thirty-two years old and had three other children when I found out I was expecting another. 

I was already tired, overwhelmed and burdened by motherhood. I loved my children for sure. It’s just that they had so much energy, and an insatiable thirst for exploring and running and being read to and that meant I had to explore, run and read.

And then there was the embarrassment of the question that always followed when people found out we were expecting: Was this planned?

 We had been married long enough to know how things worked, and yet, somehow here we were, red-faced without a good answer. 

And then there was the pregnancy. I thought maybe if this pregnancy was God’s decision and not mine it would be easy.

It wasn’t. 

An eighteen inch rainfall left our basement flooded and after working all night to mop water down the drain and out of the house I started to feel weak, then feverish, then I developed a cough. 

It would take four months to be properly diagnosed as having walking pneumonia, and in that time I went from being an active mom to being a mom who couldn’t move off the couch and who was awake more of the night than asleep as coughing fits left me unable to lie flat in bed.

When it finally came time to give birth my baby nearly died. She was being strangled and the cord had to be cut even before she was delivered, and then her little face was bruised and puffy, and all that bruising led to jaundice and extra days in the hospital. She failed to thrive and didn’t eat. My milk didn’t come in. And if that wasn’t enough she couldn’t see. For six weeks we waved our hands in front of her little eyes and there was no reaction, only a blank stare. 

This pregnancy from God seemed more like a cruel joke than a gift. Except…

God was there every step of the way and God’s people restored my faith every time I started to lose hope. 

People I didn’t even know that well showed up at my door with meals, others sent notes letting me know they were praying, still others used every opportunity to encourage me and remind me something special was happening (when I didn’t see anything special happening.) 

When I lamented to a friend that I had no endurance and was weeks from delivering a baby, she sent me a necklace with a cross on one side and the word “Believe” on the other.

And when we finally admitted to our family and friends that we thought our baby couldn’t see there was weeping and praying, adamant praying, followed by eyes that were opened and a child who suddenly blinked as something came near her. 

I came to understand firsthand why the body of Christ is ever hopeful about the unborn: 

God doesn’t make mistakes.

There has never been, nor will there ever be a “blob of cells” that mistakenly attaches to a womb. There is only life breathed into being by God Himself. Scripture tells us as much. 

We’re told in the second chapter of Exodus that God allowed the midwives to conceive. In Genesis 20 Abraham’s wife Sarah ended up in a harem and God closed the wombs of all the king’s household until Sarah was safely back where she belonged. The accounts of Sarah, Rachel, Hannah, Elizabeth and Mary the mother of Jesus all show a divine plan when it came to conception.

David, inspired by the Holy Spirit, penned, “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb” (Psalm 139:13).

That little speck in your womb that wreaks havoc on your body is nothing less than the handiwork of God.

And it is the job of the body of Christ, EVERY MEMBER OF THE BODY OF CHRIST, to remind every woman carrying a child that she is blessed …

even if it’s unplanned,

even if circumstances aren’t ideal,

even if the mother is not in good health, and

even if the child has a defect. 

 My fourth child is a constant reminder of God’s goodness. We prayed for her to see and God gave her spiritual insight. She’s got a tender heart and a fierce temper. She runs harder and longer than any of my other children. She’s a mess maker who with a profession of love still brings tears to my eyes.

In short, she is a gift from God, a gift I didn’t know I needed. She shows me often that God blesses us with riches that have nothing to do with money, but that are far more valuable. 

So dear reader, whoever you are: If you have a child inside of you know you have been touched by God. He is the creator and sustainer of life. He does not make mistakes. And from my experience if there’s one thing that can make less than ideal circumstances better, it is to surround yourself with Christian friends who will remind you of the goodness of God in the moments when you can’t see it, and who will give help you find your hope in God in your most hopeless days.

dfdfd

I read this prayer from Luther, and again I was reminded of our cause to defend life, both physical and spiritual. That life might be respected among our youth - that the unborn might have the opportunity to live for Christ - that those of weak faith, struggling with unplanned pregnancies might know God more fully and trust His promises - and that those who now oppose life may come to know Jesus Christ as their Savior and the source of all Truth. Lord, here our prayer!

From my little red book of Luther's Prayers, Section IV: Prayers for Enlightenment from God's Word. 

Prayer 154. For acceptance of privileges secured by Christ

O merciful God, what a kind and gracious Father you are, to deal so sincerely and paternally with us poor and judged sinners. You did release your most precious possession, your Son, Jesus Christ, into the jaws of death and the devil. You did require that he should descend into the deep and again ascend on high and conquer the captivity which has held us all in slavery. Through this we are your dear children, his brothers and sisters, and inheritors of all his eternal, heavenly blessings. Give us your Holy Spirit so that he may preserve us to the end in faith. Grant your grace that youth and those unborn, the weak in faith and those not properly instructed may get and keep a right understanding in the doctrine of becoming fellow citizens with the angels. So highly privileged are we who believe in Christ. Amen.

My highly privileged fellow citizens of heaven. Please pray as Luther prayed, that our Father will extend his grace - that through our faithful work, God's will may be done.

And if you have a failing in prayer as I do, you may also want to pray this:

Prayer 8. For greater faith and diligence in prayer

Dear God, if only we were as diligent to pray, at least with a longing in the heart, as you are in coaxing, bidding, commanding, assuring, and constraining us to pray. Unfortunately, we are too lazy and ungrateful! Forgive us, dear Lord, and strengthen our faith. Since I cannot pay the penalty, and my name has no prestige, let satisfaction be made in the name of my Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Psalm 4:1 of David "Answer me when I call to you, my righteous God. Give me relief from my distress; have mercy on me and hear my prayer."

Author: Philip Meinel

​A man who respects his grandmother's faith. Some of her sins were blatantly obvious, but so was God's grace in her life. She loved giving gifts of God's word - either engraved bibles or hymn books. She's currently in heaven with our Savoir, and left this little red prayer book. My heart longs to see her again in heaven and thank her for her inspiration and guidance.

You most likely heard about the U.S. Supreme Court decision recently to reverse part of a pro-life Texas law that protects women’s health. The law protected women’s health and welfare by requiring abortion clinics to meet the kinds of medical and safety standards that legitimate medical centers meet.
 
This is the Supreme Court’s biggest ruling on abortion since upholding the federal ban on partial-birth abortions in the Gonzalez decision.
 
One Step Forward…
      Two Steps Back?
 
You, like all of us who value the sacredness of human life, must be filled with a sense of disappointment and disgust after the Supreme Court’s ruling. Just when we think the laws of our land are getting closer to protecting life, especially life in the womb.

          Psalm 146:2-4
          I will praise the Lord all my life;
             I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.
          Do not put your trust in princes,
             in human beings, who cannot save.
          When their spirit departs, they return to the ground;
             on that very day their plans come to nothing.
 
In light of yesterday’s U.S. Supreme Court decision, WELS Lutherans for Life continues to seek to save lives not by changing laws, but by changing hearts. I’m grateful to have you as a supporter of our life-saving efforts here in Greater Milwaukee.
 
At WLFL we are seeing the fruits of God’s blessings. Our pregnancy care center is continuing to serve women where they are, helping them understand the value of life in the womb. And we are still proceeding to become a medical clinic to provide ultrasound services. 
 
We trust that God is in control of all things knowing he cares for those who love him. We take comfort in his providence as described in the next verses of Psalm 146.
          
          Psalm 146:5-9
          Blessed are those whose help is the God of Jacob,
             whose hope is in the Lord their God.
          He is the Maker of heaven and earth,
             the sea, and everything in them--
             he remains faithful forever.
          He upholds the cause of the oppressed
             and gives food to the hungry.
          The Lord sets prisoners free,
             the Lord gives sight to the blind,
          the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down,
             the Lord loves the righteous.
          The Lord watches over the foreigner
             and sustains the fatherless and the widow,
             but he frustrates the ways of the wicked.
 
I’m grateful to have you as a supporter of our life-saving efforts. Thanks for being with me in this fight for Life!

For Life in Christ,

Peter Georgson
Executive Director

​Nowadays the angst many Christians feel is a result of seeing our values marginalized in the world. It can even make us lash out or be a bit “preachy.” But what if the world sees Christians in a negative light too? 

I’m proposing that we Christians replace negativity and anger with an approach of gentleness and evangelism. Indeed, I’m proposing that, instead of focusing on Christian hardships, we look for relationships.

I’m referring to two key relationships. There are countless crucial relationships in our lifetimes. But for the purposes of a discussion on how we can “persuade” society back to Christian values, it really boils down to two in particular. 

The First Relationship

Our relationship to our Heavenly Father must become ironclad. If Christianity is the “product,” we must become the top consumers, and we must consume it like it’s going out of stock! In John 15:5 Jesus analogized by saying “I am the vine, you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” No amount of yelling and hollering doomsday dictions from our pulpits (real or metaphorical) will convince anyone of anything but that we’re pompous. In fact, our condemning and self-righteous words and actions probably only push others away and turn them off to listening to us (and, consequently, to the Lord). We must become fruit-bearing. Let the world see what we do – what we produce. Let it come out in the ways we serve one another, lift up the weak or oppressed in our communities, and never miss an opportunity to do good. It’s not that we want self-aggrandizement; we’re just overflowing with God’s love for other people! That can only flow out of us if we are rooted in Him. We root ourselves in Him by drinking deeply of His Word, and by associating with strong brothers and sisters in our faith, who lift us up and remind us that God’s family is the strongest safety net to fall back into. 

The Second Relationship

We need to - all of us – become “everyday-everywhere-missionaries.” Did you know that the number of missionaries coming to America from other countries is rapidly increasing? As our culture keeps shifting away from the moralistic “city on a hill” that America always was, foreign Christians (and practitioners of other faiths) see our country as a place where their missionaries need to be sent! For anyone older than about 40, that idea was a far cry from a likelihood when they were a child, but it’s the world we now live in.
 
The good news is – WE DON’T NEED THEM! Why not? Because out of the 300+ million Americans living within our borders, millions of us leave our homes every day with Christ in our hearts and interact with our fellow Americans in our businesses, while shopping at the mall, in school, or anywhere else. Everywhere we go there are chances to positively influence others with our values and faith.

The question is, Do we see each day as opportunity for just that? Do we still somehow believe that the only real missionaries are those leaving our nation to travel abroad? Do we truly believe it should be that way, when countless millions of our neighbors right here need us to show them Jesus? 

Maybe what stops us from taking up that torch is that we have too narrow a view of what a missionary should be. It’s far too easy to abdicate to the “qualified.” Jesus has called some to be ordained into public ministry, to make a career of serving and ministering to people within a church congregation and to that community’s inhabitants. But the mission isn’t just for them. Most of Jesus’ first followers, who led the beginning of the Christian movement, were “Average Joe’s” like fishermen, tax collectors, or tradesmen. Whatever gifts we have, we’re meant to use them. And we all have the gift of love and sincerity to see every other person we come upon in daily life as a soul who is bound for one of two eternal destinations. God gives us “Average Joe’s” his saving mission too! Perhaps you’ve heard it said: God doesn’t call the qualified, he qualifies the called! Read the end of Matthew 28 and understand that Jesus meant those words for all believers!

We aren’t all called to preach a sermon at all times. In fact, that’s often not helpful or necessary. We live in a culture where randomly turning to the person next to you on the subway and spouting Bible passages robotically won’t be received well. We need to become excellent at just making relationships – friendships – with every person we meet, and especially with anyone God positions in special places around us in life. That coworker. That person you seem to always stand at the bus stop with on the way to work. That fellow volunteer down at the American Legion. That assistant coach on your little league team. That student. That professor. That neighbor who always seems to wander over to your yard and chit chat, which sometimes leads to admissions about a hopeless or troubled life. 

It doesn’t come naturally to all of us. Believe me, I’m one of them! We don’t all have an enterprising personality or the charisma of a pop star. But we all have the message, and we all can make friends! That’s how it starts. 

We are all called to reach out to everyone who needs a gentle “Hello there” or a hug in the midst of calamity striking a neighborhood. We are all called to be there for one another, and to let others into our lives. The more of our fellow human beings we can become connected with, the more opportunities we have to counteract the belief that Christians are just a bunch of judgmental hypocrites. 

Ask God for the courage to leave your safe personal bubble! Remember how much Christ means to you, and imagine how amazing it would be for someone else to know Him too! Jesus’ love can guide your every word, thought, and deed. Meet people where they are at, learn about their life, and be someone they want to get to know. Become a listener, not a talker. Be real. Then, and only then, will you have a door of opportunity opened to you to show what life with Christ is all about. 

We can change the discussion on values. We can change the discussion on the sanctity of human life. But we’ll never do it as banging, clanging, self-pious and boisterous cymbals who look like we just want attention. We will change it when we first draw close to others, and let them see who we really are. Let them see how Jesus has changed our hearts, and how it changes our mind on things. Then the same will happen for them. One relationship at a time, all of us, as everyday-everywhere-missionaries, can restore the value of life! This is the power of Christ in us!

Who do you know that you can be like Jesus to today?

​If you’re anything like me, you’ve probably gotten caught up in the squalor of moral outrage that is commonly being voiced by Christians today. We can get so outraged by the dissolving of values that once were the norm in American society. We bemoan that these aren’t “the good old days” anymore. We shake our heads and utter things about the world going to hell in a handbasket and so forth. 

But does this moral outrage really do any good? Why do we allow ourselves to spout out our disapproval of the current generation’s continuance of the trend of marginalizing Christian values? Is it because we truly are heart-broken on God’s behalf, and, like the prophet Jeremiah in the Scriptures, we weep for our nation and want so badly for all hearts to turn back to God?

Or is sometimes something more selfish or self-righteous? Is it more comfortable and convenient to sit on self-made thrones of piety and assume God’s role of judge?

The answer to those questions is worth some deep introspection for all of us. I for one have certainly acted out great moral disappointment by things I see going on in my lifetime. Of course, it’s in those times that I forget that I, too, am a sinner who is so direly in need of a Savior. When I’m humbled enough by my reflection in the mirror of God’s law, I recall in remorse that, at my human core, I’m just as rotten as anyone else who simply sins differently than I. 

The same grace that covered my sin can cover anyone else’s as well.

Beyond that truth, though, there’s a question to revisit: What good do we do with all the loud, clamoring moral outrage Christians engage in?

The point behind that questions is this: Something CAN be done. But it’s not what we think it is. What if we stopped following a lie that God needs us to wail about and tattle on other sinners? What if we instead saw them as a mission field? We have a mission to help change this culture by leading souls to Jesus, so they can first discover a Savior they too can call their own, and then also to come to understand all the applications of his Truth in our lives. We may yearn for switch we could flip that would cause everyone to agree that abortions end lives and we must seek other solutions, and make healthier choices in our lives. But it doesn’t work that way. Minds only conceive of what God illuminates for them, after the heart is changed. 

We want our nation to become a nation who values human life as deeply as God does, don’t we? Yes, we sorely do.

Then we must understand one very important thing: Right now, the world sees no meaningful appeal in a life of following Christ. Read the quote by evangelist Brennan Manning once more. Doesn’t it ring true in your own conscience? It does for me! By God’s grace, we are forgiven for every ugly violation of His will that we have performed before the eyes of our mission field. Yet it’s a sobering reality to keep in mind. What is the ramification? Neither we, nor our pro-life values (and others) are taken seriously!

Think of it this way. Does the gym owner who eats fast food day and night, and never works out himself, have any credibility with those seeking gym membership? No! He’s not a bad person – he just invalidates the message he’s advertising. The same goes for us if we claim to follow Jesus, yet we don’t live like we’re transformed. Matthew 5:16 encourages “…Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” 

If we feel as though nobody shares our values in society anymore, what if part of the reason is that our lights aren’t shining brightly enough? Are our very lives persuasive evidence that following Jesus is worth doing?

Nobody likes to hear the life-changing message of God’s love for fallen mankind compared to a sales pitch. But the same principle applies, that if we are going to claim that it’s the greatest way to live, and the only way to die, then shouldn’t our everyday lives reinforce that? If someone accused you of being a Christian, would there be enough evidence in your life to be convicted?

A great way to turn this all around begins with work on our relationships. 
​
Stay tuned for our upcoming post “The Two Relationships."

If you let it, tax season will get you down. As you peruse your W2, you see how much money you theoretically made in a year (your gross income) in relation to a considerable smaller number which represents the amount of money that actually passed through your hands (your net income). 

If we’re honest, the numbers on the check or W2 form don’t matter nearly as much as what we do with our money. The question every believer must answer is: are we working for God’s kingdom or trying to build our own kingdom?

The difference between trying to build our own kingdom and working for God’s kingdom is the difference between Saul, the first king of Israel, and his son Jonathon. Saul was more concerned with what others thought than what God thought. We see this when he disregarded God’s command to destroy the Amalekites completely, as well as everything that belonged to them. He told Samuel, “I was afraid of the people and so I gave in to them” (1 Samuel 15:24), allowing them to keep the best of the sheep and cattle. 

We will give into others when we adopt the philosophies of the world regarding money. We’ll hear, “You deserve this!” or “You should do that for your family,” even when the “this” or “that” are nothing more than worldly indulgences which have no bearing on necessities. We easily can be talked into a newer car, bigger house or the latest clothes if we treat our money as if it’s ours and ours alone.

In contrast, when David defeated Goliath, Jonathon saw David’s victory as the Lord’s hand fighting for Israel. We’re told “Jonathon took off the robe he was wearing and gave it to David, along with his tunic, and even his sword, his bow and his belt” (1 Samuel 18:4). Jonathon had already proven himself as a mighty warrior. He might have seen David as competition and refused to help him or befriend him. Jonathon did just the opposite. David was a poor shepherd boy who had the courage to fight, and Jonathon took his own things and shared them with David and encouraged him.

Because Saul was all about building his own kingdom, he saw David’s victories as a threat and a means of overtaking the throne. Indeed, God had decided to take the throne from Saul and give it to David, but it was not because of David’s victories, but because of David’s heart, which was in tune with God and His kingdom. Saul hunted David to kill him in an effort to keep the kingship in his family. 

If we’re about building our kingdom, we’re going to have to take people out, too. We’re going to have to cut out the people we would otherwise help. Our money will be needed to pay our credit card bills, our car payment, and our house payment instead of helping the poor, or buying gifts for the sick or to comfort those imprisoned. We’ll need all of our time to work to pay for our lifestyle, so we won’t have time for the neglected, and we’ll look past the weak and widowed.  

In contrast to his father, Jonathon loved David and was fine with God’s decision to make David the next king. His only request was that David not harm his family, a covenant David was happy to make. Imagine that. Jonathon had been raised with his father as the king, but he understood the position of king was God’s to appoint. 

If we live like Jonathon we’re going to be ok if the promotion is given to someone else, even if it means less money for our family. We’re going to be ok when others succeed in worldly ways, because we’re not after worldly prestige and riches, and we know God knows what He’s doing. Jesus said not to store up earthly things which rust or fade, but to focus on eternal things. He also said we’d need to make a choice between serving money and serving God (Matthew 6).

When we see the things God gives us (talents, possessions and income) as a means of serving others, we bring glory to God. When we see those things as a means of serving ourselves alone, we lose an opportunity to use the worldly to benefit the eternal. 

Don’t lose sight of the obvious. We can’t take anything with us. Use what you have to make a difference, both in this world and the world to come. 

Author: Amber Swenson

Amber has a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Creative Writing and Literature. She has authored four books; two of them (Bible Moms and The Whisper Theory) are in print and two (The Bread of Angels and Ladies of Legacy) are in various stages of publication. Both her Bible studies and her novels are written in an effort to bring single, married, young and older women to a closer relationship with their Savior Jesus Christ. She also authors a weekly blog found on facebook under "Bible Moms" or at "biblemoms.wordpress.com".

Sanctity of Human Life Sunday is this Sunday! What will you do to celebrate life this year? Invite a pro-life speaker to your congregation? Send a special gift to your local pregnancy help center? Volunteer? Set aside time this day to teach your children the truth of life from God's word?

Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart. - Jeremiah 1:5
We all have a God-given purpose.

For you [God] created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. - Psalm 139:13
God took great care in creating each one of us unique to fulfill our unique purpose. Praise God for how you are made, and help others see their God-given gifts.

Surely I was sinful at birth,
    sinful from the time my mother conceived me.
Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb;
    you taught me wisdom in that secret place.

Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean;
    wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. - Psalm 51:5-7
We are conceived in sin, and we all badly need a Saviour who will take away our sins. We look to God for deliverance.

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." - John 14:6
Jesus came to pay the penalty of all sin for all time, so that we may have life and not death. Live life to the fullest in Christ! There is no sin too big for God's grace. There is no problem too big for God's power. 

Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. - Proverbs 31:8
God uses his people to spread His word of truth, His water of life.

God bless your Sanctity of Human Life Sunday!

For all you people who enjoy the details, below is a nice synopsis of National Sanctity of Human Life Day from www.cute-calendar.com 

National Sanctity of Human Life Day is celebrated on January 17, 2016. National Sanctity of Human Life Day is an observance declared by several U.S. Presidents who opposed abortion. President Ronald Reagan designated January 22, 1984 as the first National Sanctity of Human Life Day. The date was chosen to coincide with the 11th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court case that first recognized the constitutionally-protected status of abortion in the United States. 

Reagan issued the proclamation annually thereafter, designating Sanctity of Human Life Day to be the third Sunday in January, which represents the closest Sunday to the original January 22 date. His successor, George H. W. Bush, continued the annual proclamation throughout his presidency. Bush's successor, Bill Clinton, discontinued the practice throughout his eight years in office, but Bush's son and Clinton's successor, George W. Bush, resumed the proclamation, and did so every year of his presidency. (With material from: Wikipedia)

Author: Philip Meinel

Philip is the current Chairman of the WELS Lutherans for Life (WLFL) Board of Directors, and also Chair of the Advancement Committee. If you would like to help advance the mission of WLFL, please contact Philip at Philip.Meinel@ALife2.com