Month: January 2020

Life begins at conception

By / about our church

So Abortion Is Murder

 Posted on January 16, 2020      by Dub McClish

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January 22 marks the forty-seventh anniversary of the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision. In that span 61,670,000 totally innocent, helpless human beings have been slain in the womb in the birth process, or after birth—by abortion (http://www.numberofabortions.com/). This figure equals the current combined populations of Pennsylvania, Ohio, Illinois, Georgia, Tennessee, and Indiana. Pharaoh of Moses’ era, King Herod, Josef Stalin, Chairman Mao, and Hitler—all mass-murderers—were small-time operators compared to this legalized slaughter in the “civilized” USA.

Is abortion “infanticide,” or is it merely the removal of “expendable tissue”? For abortion to be murder, the unborn baby must be a living person, distinct from its mother. To the pro-death abortion advocates, the content of the womb is little more than a wart, an appendix, or even a tumor—thus disposable. The crucial question then is, when does life and human personhood begin?

Abortion apologists answer, “At birth, or several weeks after conception at the earliest.” God answers, “At conception.” He said to Jeremiah, “Before I formed you in the belly I knew you; and before you came forth out of the womb I sanctified you…” (Jer. 1:5, emph. DM). Thus, before he had skeletal or muscular form in the womb (i.e., at conception), God recognized Jeremiah as a person. The Bible consistently teaches so (see Job 3:16; 10:11; Psa. 51:5; 139:13–16; Isa. 44:24; 49:5; et al.).

On April 23–24, 1981, various stellar scientists and physicians testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee regarding this issue. These included the “Father of Modern Genetics,” Dr. Jerome Lejeune (U. of Descartes, Paris), Dr. McCarthy de Mere, medical doctor and law professor (U. of Tennessee), and Theodosius Dobzhansky, world-renowned geneticist. The testimony of Dobzhansky, though an atheist, represented the conclusions they all stated: “A human being begins his existence when a spermatozoon fertilizes an egg cell” (emph. DM).

Pro-abortionists recognize life and “animalhood” in the unborn of lower animals. Those who will rally by the thousands to champion the “right” to slay their own kind in the womb will stage a hunger strike to protect the life of the unborn eagle (yes, they know that it possesses life and “eaglehood” while it is still in the egg). Ironically, some vigorously oppose the state’s right to end the murderer’s life, but vigorously champion the “right” of women to slay their own innocent and defenseless offspring. If life, humanness, and personhood do not begin at conception, when do they begin—one day, one week, one month, or three months after the sperm fertilizes the egg? Upon what basis will moral relativists answer this all-important question, except ideology and/or fickle subjectivism? However, if life and personhood begin at conception (as certainly they do), abortion just as certainly constitutes murder—legalized, but murder, no less—on the grandest scale ever known. Hands that “shed innocent blood” are still an abomination to the Giver of life (Pro. 6:16–17).

[Note: I wrote this article for and it appeared on the “Opinions” page of the Denton Record-Chronicle, Denton, TX, January 21, 2019. The DR-C editor reworded my original title, “Abortion—A Continuing Abomination,” and published it under the title above.]

Attribution:  thescripturecache.com; Dub McClish, owner and administrator.

“THE LEAVEN” Don Underwood

By / Don Underwood, Understanding God's Word

The parable of the leaven is an evangelistic truth. You are most welcome to visit our assemblies. Welcome Home! We will love you in so many different ways you are bound to like one of them. Donald

Don Underwood

“The Leaven”

Introduction: (26 January 2020) Welcome…encourage

– Our final lesson in our mini-series on evangelism is the parable of the leaven.

— I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old: (Psalm 78:2).

— These prophetic words of David are applied by Jesus in our parable of the leaven. He foretold that Jesus would speak in parables and He did.

– Jesus used several parables in the context of Matthew 13 and one of those parables was of leaven.

— Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.33 All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them:34 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world.35 (Matthew 13:33-35).

– Prior to the parable of the leaven, there is the parable of the mustard seed. “Both parables emphasize growth and progress. Both also stress the fact of small beginnings with great results to follow (Zechariah 4:10). Both were prophetic regarding the growth of the church. Even though these likenesses exist between the two parables, there are some differences. The mustard seed underscores the fact of growth while the leaven gives impetus to the way of growth. The mustard seed parable looks upon the growth of the church from an outward point of view. The leaven keys on the growth of the church from an inward view.” (“Fred Davis, The Parables of Our Saviour”, Ben Vick, Sain Publications, 1983, p 146).

I. First of all, the leaven must be placed in the dough.

– Matthew 28:19-20

— We must take the gospel and place it into the world. Hence, the church has been proclaiming the gospel with diligence since the first century.

– John 3:3-6

— c.f. Luke 17:21

– I Corinthians 12:13

– Romans 10:13-15

This parable presents our responsibility in taking the gospel into the world.

II. Secondly, the leaven works within the dough and the gospel works within the hearts of men and women.

– Psalm 19:7, The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.

– Psalm 119:11, Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.

– Luke 8:11, The seed is the word of God.

– I Thessalonians 2:13

The word of God like leaven must be placed into something, the word of God is placed into the human heart or soul.

III. Furthermore, the leaven multiplies itself, i.e. it causes increase.

– People were added to the Lord’s body: Acts 2:41, 47

– Acts 5:14

— Multitudes were added, just as the parable taught, and there was growth.

– Acts 6:1, 7

– Acts 11:23-24

– Acts 16:5

Growth was experienced by God’s people when the word was planted into the hearts and minds of the people. The church began small and has mushroomed since the first century.

IV. Finally, the leaven leavens or changes the whole loaf.

– Romans 12:1-2

– II Corinthians 5:17

– Galatians 6:15

– Colossians 3:10

The gospel of Christ is for the whole world, not just a part of the world. The gospel will change the whole person not just part of the person.
Conclusion:

– In our lesson of the hour, we have learned several important truths from the parable of the leaven. First of all, the leaven must be placed into the dough in order for the leaven to cause change. Likewise, the word of God must be placed within the hearts and minds of people in order for people to change. Secondly, leaven works within the dough as the gospel works within the hearts of people. Furthermore, the leaven causes growth just as God’s word causes increase. Finally, the leaven leavens the whole and not the part. God’s word is for the whole world and not just the part.

Questions:

1. What must be placed into the dough? _____________________________________

2. What must be placed into the heart of people? ______________________________

3. Where does the word of God work? ______________________________________

4. Has the church increased from the time it began? Y or N

5. The gospel of Christ is for all people. T or F

The Only Way to Draw Others to Christ:

By / about our church
Have you ever wondered if we’re doing enough to draw souls to Christ?

Did you know that Jesus tells us plainly how to do just that?

The Only Way to Draw Others to Christ: Building of the One, Oneness of the Building

The black and white words in your Bible may have informed you how to get into Christ, but that knowledge alone is not the motivation to act. Scripture teaches plainly that it is not commanded on a stone that brings us to God, but when God’s word is in our heart (Hebrews 10:16). To bring people to Christ, we must be about the Father’s business, continuously edifying His house of living stones, both from within and without.

Being one body/structure in Christ is so important that Jesus Himself explicitly stated that that is how we will cause the world to believe (John 17:21). People could tell that Jesus was God’s Son because He was one with the Father (Matthew 27:54); His oneness with God was in His every action and word. The world too will know whom we follow by our actions and words; whom we serve is seen by our fruits. If we are not serving the Lord, then we can only lead people away from Him. But if we are truly Christ-like, if we are one with the Father, then Jesus Himself tells us that the world will be convinced. Jesus did, in fact, draw all peoples to Him by being one with the Father. We can also draw all truth-loving souls to Him, by the same method: be one with the Father!

Edification of the body from within draws those without. This is especially important in our worship service (e.g., I Corinthians 14: 22-25; 40). When we invite people to worship with us, do they hear a superb presentation of the word of God or one that is less than? When they hear us sing praises to God, do they hear those who are continuously improving both their earthly skill to make beautiful harmonies with their voices before God, as well as those pure spiritual harmonies from the heart? Are they welcomed with caring, as God welcomed us while we were still sinners? Do they see a truly functional family of brothers and sisters in Christ who have peace that passes understanding, where the widow is part of the bride of Christ and the orphan has a Father? If that’s what they see, then they will want it with all their being, because no one can have true contentment without Christ. But if the visitor does not see Christ among us, they can be just as powerfully repelled from us and, worse, from God. If we won’t be one with Christ, better that we cut ourselves off from the body than to stay as a cancer to keep others from it as well, weakening the body.  Let us be the one body that Christ wants us to be: be children of God, and we will help others be so as well. This is the only truly effective method of evangelism.

Failure to Grow Kills

We will never become one with God, and thus an effective servant to bring others to Him, unless we can grow in Him (Ephesians 2:21). The only way we can grow is to change. And the only way we can change is if we learn to recognize all the lies we’ve told ourselves, all the excuses we use, to avoid changing. We cannot indefinitely hide from the truth any more than Adam was able to hide from God in the garden. We might as well be willing to accept faults so we can change them now. Because the danger of not growing is a matter of life and death. Although scripture tells us to bear with the weaker brother, we must never use that as an excuse not to grow. The Hebrew writer expressed the mortal danger of not growing very clearly. What happens if we do not grow from being able to take milk from God’s word to meat? The danger is that of falling away and losing forgiveness (Hebrews 6:1-6). This danger is so important that it is repeated again in Chapter 10: if we do not draw near to God with a pure heart, and assemble with the saints for the support we offer each other to do just that, then the danger is that of falling away, where the latter end is worse than before we obeyed Christ (10:22-30; II Peter 2:21-22).

Are you ready to develop the skills and behaviours and attitudes necessary to bring others to Christ? Following are many examples of such habits that we must institute in our lives on a daily basis. In order for our very identity to be that of Christian, we must be one indeed at all times. And that takes constant practice. Truly look into the mirror of the Word of Truth and exam what it reveals about what you are and what you should be, and you can change, and only then.