Abortion

[0:00] this morning. Please turn to the last chapter of Ephesians. Not quite the last chapter.

[0:11] We'll be in chapter 5 of Ephesians, verses 1 through 12. Therefore, be imitators of God as beloved children, and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.

[0:44] But immortality or any impurity or greed must not even be named among you as is proper among saints. And therefore, there must be no filthiness and silly talk or coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man who is an idolater has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words. For because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore, do not be partakers with them. For you were formerly darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light.

[1:53] For the fruit of the light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth. Trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them. For it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret.

[2:23] For it is graceful even to speak of the Lord. Then if you go back a couple books to the book of 2nd Timothy. And in 2nd Timothy, we'll be looking at verses 1 through 5 in chapter 2.

[2:45] 1 through 5.

[3:15] 3. But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful and unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious, gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to the form of godliness, although they have denied its power. Avoid such men as these.

[4:10] This is a very well-worn passage that I'm sure has been appealed to many times just on the basis of things that are taking place in our culture and in fact have been taking place for the last couple of decades. When the apostle writes to Timothy and says that in the last days difficult times will come.

[4:37] Well, they've been coming for a long time. And generally speaking, the last days are contrasted with the former days. The former days consist of everything that existed and occurred on the other side of the cross.

[4:55] So it is safe to say that thus far the last days have consisted of about 2,000 years.

[5:13] That's how long it has been since the cross took place and Christ was upon it. And all during that time, difficult times have come. Actually, difficult times go back as far as Noah.

[5:26] That's why God brought the curtain down when he did. There were difficult times back then. And human difficulty is ever the product of human sin and the volition that God has endowed us with because we create problems with our self-centeredness.

[5:43] But this passage seems to be speaking more and more as time goes on to the day and age we are living in now. Lovers of self.

[5:57] We have related at one time or another that perhaps the most principal concept that has developed from the fall of our first parents that was passed on to each succeeding generation is the inherent self-centeredness with which each of us are born.

[6:18] This is the way it is. And we are all infected with this disease. The only one of us who ever escaped it was he who came to this earth through a different route and that is our Lord Jesus Christ.

[6:33] Without sin, without spot, without blemish. All the rest of us are tarnished morally and spiritually. And because of that, we are all, in essence and in character, self-serving and self-seeking.

[6:49] We are self-centered individuals. And yet, if you have the ability and the insight to recognize that because the scriptures declare it so clearly, you at least have a leg up.

[7:03] Then you know how to defend yourself against yourself. Because we all have that tendency. However, a great many people who are as self-centered as the rest of us are not aware that that is their problem at all.

[7:18] So, they cannot take any steps to combat it or to prevent it or to deal with it. But that's exactly what Paul is talking about here when he says men will be lovers of self, lovers of money.

[7:30] That kind of goes without saying. Boastful. You know, we've got a few of those too. Arrogant. Someone has said that arrogance is ignorance on steroids. And that's a pretty good definition for it.

[7:43] Revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy. And verse 3 is unloving. If you have a King James reference, some of you do. It talks about without natural affection.

[8:04] And it addresses the issue with the recognition that there is this thing called affection that just naturally comes by human beings.

[8:19] We just have a natural affection for certain things, certain people. Sometimes it's referred to as parents without natural affection.

[8:35] And I cannot escape the concept that the consummate expression of a parent without natural affection is one who is willing to abort her young.

[8:55] Whatever affection she has is obviously overruled by the self-centeredness that we mentioned earlier. and it is a very, very powerful motivation.

[9:06] Matter of fact, it's what motivates most people, including Christians, is this self-centered concept. Parents without natural affection.

[9:18] And then the passage that Gary read in Ephesians 5, and I've shared this with you before, that I have personally, as a pastor, struggled with this passage and with this verse in particular because I really do believe that we ought to be doing something about it and I don't know exactly what is the best way to go about it.

[9:37] And I'm talking about Ephesians 5 and verse 11 when Paul says, do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness.

[9:55] Unfruitful. Curious expression that he uses. Unfruitful. I don't know that you can think of anything that is more unfruitful than an aborted pregnancy.

[10:12] That's pretty unfruitful, isn't it? We tend to think of a baby as the fruit of the womb. But when for whatever reason and whatever method it is denied viability and denied coming to term or even if it comes to term and its life is snuffed out by the brutality of partial birth abortion.

[10:47] I still am at a loss as to how America could have any human being sitting in the House of Representatives or the U.S.

[11:07] Senate or the Oval Office who could put his stamp of approval upon partial birth abortion.

[11:21] Can you realize that this little baby has come to full term is ready to be born and its path is interrupted deliberately and the life outside the mother that it would have had in another two minutes is taken from it.

[11:53] I can scarcely think of anything more barbaric or atrocious than that. And this goes on and it is legal.

[12:08] legal. legal. legal. If ever there was an unfruitful deed of darkness that's it.

[12:19] And the text says what we are supposed to do about it says we are to expose them. How do you do that? Well I guess you would start by talking about it by denouncing it by abhorring it speaking out against it.

[12:44] We've been doing that in one way or another since 1973. And the tide of public opinion has shifted somewhat so that there are a whole lot more people now opposed to it than what there used to be.

[12:57] But there are still far too many who are in favor of this thing called abortion. this morning's newspaper Springfield News one of the lead articles says Ohio the key to the abortion debate and women supporters march in protest full page articles page six large wide page pictures standing here holding a large sign rise up woman hundreds of local supporters join women's march in

[14:01] D.C. protest and on this page thousands rally in downtown Dayton for women's rights women's rights note how that's couched what kind of a monster would you be if you were not in favor of women's rights my intent for the morning message was as indicated in your bulletin for today it was to provide a follow up consideration of Revelation chapter six and our ongoing verse by verse study of the book of the Revelation in particular we were focusing on those dreaded four horsemen of the apocalypse we will postpone that until perhaps next week because a new burden invaded my sleep beginning at 2 a.m.

[15:08] this morning and that's when my bladder beckoned telling me it needed attention this has become a rather reliable and predictable nightly summons particularly upon entering that esteemed geriatric set referred to as the octos that's the octogenarians you all probably regardless of your age know something about the body wanting and needing sleep but the mind responds with complete indifference to the wishes of the body while the body wants to shut down in a peaceful repose the mind revs up as if it is saying nothing doing we've got things to think about so you may as well get up get your clipboard and get with it after all it's now 315 a.m.

[16:15] what exactly precipitated this what was it that got hold of my mind and began its churning over and over again I trace it back to yesterday Saturday January 21 less than 24 hours following the inauguration of President Donald Trump and it wasn't the inauguration itself but the aftermath that followed the inauguration and all its attendant festivities what it was the women thousands of women perhaps tens of thousands maybe hundreds of thousands you consider the groups demonstrating who were spread out across the nation there were placards and mottos and repetitive chants that usually accompanied demonstrations for whatever the cause might be this cause was the feminine backlash forceful strident militant like in expression and attitude all in opposition to the inauguration of a president who had earlier made promises to that abortion on demand was completely unacceptable as the

[17:44] U.S. Supreme Court had legalized it in Roe v. Wade in 1973 as it now stands with only eight justices sitting on the Supreme Court that is normally designed for nine a four-to-four tie on many issues is nearly guaranteed due to the predictability of half the court consisting of conservatives and the other half liberals the addition of a fifth judge would almost certainly sway the balance of power in a five-four decision depending on the judicial philosophy of that ninth judge president trump while yet only a candidate for election made the unusual announcement regarding the pool of candidates from which he would make his nomination to the Supreme Court were he to be elected president of the list he announced all were present judges from lower courts and all were declared conservatives whose previous legal rulings helped to establish their credentials the then candidate

[19:00] Donald Trump promised the electorate that should he win the office of president he would nominate for the ninth judge for the Supreme Court one of the men or women that were on that pre-announced list Donald Trump was elected and on Friday January 20 he was inaugurated and that is why the women in Washington and elsewhere in the U.S.

[19:27] were protesting and will likely continue to protest on various levels the claim on the part of some that the election was not valid due to Hillary Clinton winning the popular vote which they believe should prevail over the electoral college vote or the claim that the Russians somehow threw the vote to Trump in their minds constituted a fraudulent election and delegitimized the presidency of Donald Trump this they believe justifies even demands their rejection of and opposition to the presidency of Donald Trump and their view has been often stated with the words not my president the history of the abortion on demand coalition compels the belief that far and away from the above stated objections about the popular vote versus the electoral college or the accusation that the

[20:33] Russians did it there looms a much larger objection to the presidency of Donald Trump and that's all about the potential slippery slope on which abortion on demand is likely to be placed this they cannot abide and have vowed they will not abide in 1973 when this same coalition was stumping for abortion on demand a favorite mantra they put forth was every child a wanted child their premise was simple wanted children as opposed to unwanted children would not suffer abuse or neglect from their parents so the best way to eliminate child abuse was simple unwanted children should be prevented birth so that only wanted children would be born thus eliminating child abuse because wanted children would be properly cared for and nourished by the parents who wanted them social scientists today remain at a loss as to why after nearly 55 million so called unwanted children have been aborted our statistics regarding child abuse and neglect has not diminished but has rather increased no doubt their thinking might suggest that those children who were born as wanted were in reality unwanted and they too should have been aborted too bad they escaped and were born only to be abused because they were not really wanted only falsely wanted if it sounds far fetched it's the thinking we have learned to expect from the proponents of abortion on demand predictably with the statistics on child abuse as embarrassing as they are they have quietly dropped the mantra of every child a wanted child they still promote abortion on demand as a panacea for women's rights women's health care no less but there yet remains one more greatest of all objections toward eliminating abortion on demand and

[23:18] I wish to confess this is my personal opinion and I assume that even the abortion on demand coalition despite their total disagreement with me would still say I am entitled to my opinion although that too even if that would be denied if it could by at least some of the more radicals this opinion I consider to be the ultimate kind of proverbial elephant in the room that everyone has to know is there but it yet seems to be somehow ignored I I don't even hear the pro-lifers speaking of it at least not in really obvious up front ways and it is my considered opinion that the real engine that drives the abortion on demand crowd is the threat that abortion on demand being denied severely impacts their sexual freedom so long as abortion on demand is their get out of jail free card they can pursue their sexual pleasures with abandonment and in this case of sexual promiscuity abortion can come in mighty handy of course there are condoms the birth control pill and other forms that prevent conception but they require diligence and responsibility that many do not have the discipline to muster especially all the while their hormones are raging and willing partners are available for hooking up on short notice sometimes abortion is one's only perceived alternative high high school and college girls have often found a sympathetic guidance counselor paid for by public funds of course who can sympathetically assure the girl she merely has a blip on her radar screen that can easily be addressed so she can get on with her life after all a baby right now could seriously jeopardize your education and career to say nothing of losing your boyfriend who doesn't want the responsibility of a baby so the time just isn't right and we know who can help you care for your problem like they have helped untold thousands before you eliminating it will eliminate a lot of other complications and problems you just can't afford at this time in your life it is beyond tragedy that our public schools colleges and universities and yes again on the taxpayer's dime not only provide this kind of counseling because after all abortion is legal it's the law of the land it isn't as though you are breaking the law because you aren't it's lawful you are entitled to determine what is right for you and your body law says so and when one sees human sexuality as so many today see it it is

[27:19] merely a biological function of your personhood actually sex is even expected of you you want to fulfill it in encounters with the opposite sex unless of course you find that offensive because you prefer the same sex yet be advised that it is only the sexual encounter with the opposite sex that will ever result in the need for an abortion and when one considers the worldview behind the thinking of the majority of academia we really shouldn't expect any other kind of thinking than what they put forth say they we are all derived from a common biological source and have through millions of years evolved to where we are now at the current top of the evolutionary ladder actually we are all mere globs of DNA and in our sexual activity whatever it may be and with whomever we do it we are only dancing to the genes of our

[28:26] DNA and we know that because world acclaimed atheist and best selling author in the New York Times told us so his name is Richard Dawkins and he is really smart because he's on the faculty of Oxford University in England if more indisputable proof is needed Stephen Hawking whom most of the world's physicists regard the world's greatest physicists has assured us there is simply no need for God because the existence of gravity has enabled the universe to create itself so even in the unlikely event that there is a God it wouldn't be needed due to a wholly self sufficient universe so what else should we expect to hear from academia and make no mistake about it academia is the engine lest you think government is the engine it isn't be reminded that virtually all

[29:38] US government federal and local is the child of academia you knew that didn't you virtually none has escaped it academia the engine of progress development invention discovery remains all those things but only in technology in every other way academia has been a monster of immorality and corruption that daily exacts a huge price on all our nation and it is no different with academia abroad than it is here in the USA all this and more has resulted in the hostile opposition to any structure of government that even threatens to change it this is why the women are demonstrating no matter what they tell you it's all about the demand for the freedom to engage in sexual activity whether single or married and not be hindered or inconvenienced by a pregnancy the unborn has no rights when my life is complicated by a pregnancy although this is not the way it works in regard to abortion this is the way it should work sexual relations entered into without any protection to safeguard against pregnancy is simply reckless and irresponsible yet we are all capable of being reckless and irresponsible particularly between the ages of 16 and 25 this was the situation for my mom and dad in

[31:44] October 1934 my mother Dorothy was 18 my father Wayne a couple of years older yes those god given hormones were raging as they tend to do in all sexually awakened youth and yes they were reckless and irresponsible and you are now looking at the result of their recklessness and irresponsibility but there was a defining factor for which I am thankful had they opted for the course so many do today they could have found someone else to pay for their irresponsibility that would have been me I simply would not have been so thanks mom and dad for life I knew my mother well enough to know that

[32:47] I was her pride and treasure and that there would have been no way under God's heaven that she would have ever considered aborting me if Planned Parenthood had been just around the block no doubt about that the difference between my mom and so many today at least 55 million of them since 1973 is that she thought it only right that she faced the responsibility of her actions rather than making her innocent baby who had nothing to do with their indiscretion pay the price by forfeiting his life so many today refuse to face the consequences of their actions and pass the consequences on to the unborn and the state says that's legal you can do that so again ultimately as it always is comes down to this so what's the answer

[33:59] I wish it were as simple as reversing Roe versus Wade just get that ninth justice on the bench and overturn this moral monstrosity if changing the law would also change hearts and minds I would be all for it but it won't it will certainly make those of the other side more hostile and even more vicious because they would not at all consider the change to be protecting the rights and life of the unborn who is a full fledged human being but rather an infringement upon their rights for not allowing them to rid their body of their baby nothing can change that attitude but a change of heart that has been regenerated by

[35:01] God changing the law would save the baby's life which makes it more than worthwhile changing and in so many instances history has shown that delivered babies can impact the human heart in ways the law cannot touch I'm completely confident that mothers to be who could have aborted but didn't are so very thankful later on rather than the opposite of having wish they had aborted people have been talking about the divisive nature of this country and they're right we really are divided for quite some time there were those who were convinced that the most serious division was the racial division and we've had really gut wrenching situations with some white policemen killing unarmed blacks some of them justified some of them not all of them controversial people choosing up sides formulating positions completely contrary to whatever the evidence says it just shows you how deep the divide and the hatred is and this abortion thing is not going away there's going to be a lot more controversy a lot more divisiveness particularly when that ninth judge comes to the court and it will only be a question of time until somebody sees fit to bring another issue to the

[37:09] Supreme Court and they will debate it and they will render a verdict and who knows what it might be we may have another surprise verdict like John Roberts provided on the Obama health care issue when everybody thought he was going one way he went another way so these are nothing that we ought to put any confidence in and you know I hate to sound like a broken record but it's the only one I've got there's only one hope and only one help for these kind of issues in fact for all of these issues that divide us and tear at the heartstrings of our very being the only solution is spiritual politics will not cut it passing laws will not cut it granted it could help turn things in the right direction and I guess you have to start somewhere after all the other side has had their way about it since 1973 and we see what that has resulted in 55 million unborn you know you can't help but wonder what kind of a dynamic with those 55 million people you know some of them would be parents by now born in 1973 or 1974 some of them would be parents maybe thinking about grandparenting by now who knows what the overall dynamic and flavor of this country might be so far as well so far as everything is concerned real estate housing employment jobs the whole nine yards we just don't know we never will know because we never allowed those 55 million to see the light of day and you cannot help but wonder did we abort some einsteins and some beetovins i mean out of 55 million what are the odds we probably did do away with some earth shaking potential but we'll never know that because we didn't let them see the light of day we throw all of that under this thing called women's health care pro choice is there anybody in their right mind that is opposed to choice just being able to choose the words put you in an advantageous position for winning the argument and they pretty much had their way with this for a long time it's going to be interesting to see if it changes and if it does there's going to be one hollow of blue come out of this

[40:00] I suspect I suspect I suspect the marching that we've seen in the streets the last couple of days were not compared with what's coming up ahead and this beloved nation that we have come to appreciate and all too often take for granted may be at great risk and peril not from a foreign enemy but from a domestic that is within our own borders well I'm going to take a nice nap this afternoon it's been a long morning already anybody would like to offer comments or questions feel free we've got a pair of young legs back there who's going to carry our roving microphone for us so if you have something you'd like to say a question you'd like to ask or comment you'd like to make just raise your hand and he will get to you anybody okay

[41:15] Marvis I just want to say that I agree with everything that you said I also want especially anybody who happens to listen to this on CD who's had an abortion who was probably 15 16 years old and pushed by their mother or their grandmother to get an abortion because they didn't want to raise a grandchild or it's not good for you you won't get to go to college or whatever and now that young woman has aborted that baby and feels so very guilty I just want we hold no resentment against her it's just so satanic of an issue to push a woman into that position that later she's so sorry for

[42:17] I just I think when you're so young and you haven't held that baby that belongs to you people talk you into things and then later you're so sorry and I just want whoever's listening to understand that we understand that thank you thank you Marvis yeah the the post abortion trauma that so many women have undergone and I like you have read and heard so many testimonies of women who have gone that route and later to their great sorrow just agonize over that and the culture is pushing them in that direction very often their friends are pushing them in that direction someone of their acquaintances has had an abortion or maybe a couple sometimes a boyfriend or a husband is pushing them in that direction with the hey I didn't bargain for this

[43:30] I'm not in for a kid if you're not going to take care of that thing I'm out of here you'd be surprised how many women have heard that and they feel alone and vulnerable and confused full of anguish they don't know what to do and someone steers them to Planned Parenthood or somebody like that and they have a suave sweet talker that assures them that they can take care of that problem just like they've done it for thousands of others and honey you're not alone and it's not that big a deal and you can have other babies later on if you want and so on and so and they get all of that stuff and I can easily understand they're falling prey to that and they do need to understand no my dear that is not the unpardonable sin if there is no forgiveness for abortion then Jesus Christ really didn't do a full work when he died on that cross but there is there is forgiveness and and God stands more than ready with open open arms to receive that one and nobody's saying that these decisions are made quickly or flippantly we're just saying that there are a lot of forces there are a lot of forces that today are pushing young expectant women in that direction and all too often counter forces are not available or are not present or they never hear the arguments and that's why we have the likes of pregnancy resource center to try to inform women that you don't have to have an abortion that is not your only option and it is not your best option there is another way and we'll help you

[45:25] I just wish we had ways of making that known as well as Planned Parenthood has of making it known and maybe if we had their multi-million dollar advertising budget that is provided to them by the U.S.

[45:42] government and the taxpayer dollars maybe we could make them more known Loretta even those women who are not forced or pushed into abortion and make that decision on their own and they think that this is something that will pass and it won't affect their lives anymore but years and years and years later there are health issues or mental issues everything that reverts right back to the fact that they made that decision absolutely absolutely and and having the ultrasound at the pregnancy resource clinic showing these girls their babies have saved so many many lives because when they see that baby actually in the womb and moving and it's a real live thing that's when the natural affection kicks in

[46:52] I think yeah and so those ultrasounds that they've been able to give I don't know the number but since they've started giving the ultrasounds the decrease in abortion minded girls that come in have changed drastically yeah thank you thank you Loretta I have had women tell me over the years who have undergone abortions that every year they go into depression what they know would be the birthday day and he's seven years old now what would he look like how would he be doing in school and so on and next year it's the same thing now there is healing for that and there is complete total forgiveness for that but while there is forgiveness for the wrong things we have done and regret there is no erasing the consequences thereof they're still there and you still have to live with those on a day to day basis and it can be agonizing and it is agonizing for a number of people other comments or questions anyone feel free yes

[48:24] John when Roe Wade was passed if I'm not mistaken most of the people on the bench were men I think all of them were I think all of them were I was able to go to the inauguration and then yesterday ended up in the capital area driving through and seeing all these people in the march and it was very sad actually but there were plenty of men there too and so you know we share much of the blame you know indeed you know well these people are just they are just reflecting their world view this is what they are this is where they're coming from and they're just being and doing what they are that's all for them it just comes natural and you know what we're doing the same thing we're just a reflection of our world view and what we've got here that makes your presuppositions come into play whether or not there is a

[49:34] God whether or not there is accountability whether or not we are just a product of chance with no real destiny purpose etc all these things come into play and people tend to act out of what they embrace and this is exactly what we're this is why I say the only solution is to bring people from that world view to the biblical world view and nothing can do that but the gospel God alone can change hearts and he changes hearts through that gospel that's the only way it can happen in the back yeah Mara I just wanted to say thanks for not pulling any punches and talking about that today it's a difficult issue but it's what's required so many pastors are bullied into keeping their mouths shut about this type of thing because it's going to offend people even like we talked about today women who have gone through this and who are suffering but there are millions more other women who we can help keep from succumbing to this and by speaking the truth boldly and not keeping quiet about it because we might hurt people's feelings there are lives at stake and those are more important than just hurting some feelings and being bullied by the liberals out there that would have us keep our mouths shut so thank you well thank you Nathan

[51:15] I you know I get stuff across my desk all the time and I hear things all the time and I've encountered some pastors over the years yeah I agree it's a terrible thing not to be doing but man I can't touch that I can't touch that thing with a ten foot pole I'd lose a third of my congregation the women that turn against me to get mad and the giving would drop off and blah blah blah and blah and blah and blah and blah and blah and you just can't afford to say what you really believe and the point that I've tried to make in the past and I don't know to what degree I've been successful but I have been accused and some have even left the church here because they consider me too political and I I have to realize that I have to stand I have to stand before my God someday and give an account I'm not going to have to stand before that person that left the church because I was too political and I have long since taken the position that I'm not interested in being political but I am insistent on addressing issues of morality because that's what the

[52:37] Bible is all about morality has to do with how we live our lives and our value system and God help my wretched miserable soul if I refuse to talk about that and we've got a Republican president now coming into his administration and if that administration goes in a direction that we know is clear cut wrong and contrary to the morality of the scriptures you better believe I'm going to lay it out there I don't care what your politics are the Old Testament prophets it was called speaking truth to power and sometimes it costs them their head because the power doesn't always appreciate having truth spoken to it you know Herod did John the Baptist had his head served up on a silver charger simply because he spoke the truth to power and Jesus said when he addressed the scribes and Pharisees he as much as said you just name one just name one of the prophets that your fathers did not persecute and some put to death because of what they preached we are supposed to be a clarion call for righteousness and morality and truth no matter whose stinking politics are involved that's the way it ought to be and anytime we're ready to run for the tall grass because of what it might cost us then please get out of the pulpit and stay out you don't have any business being there people don't need you you're a detriment one more and then we'll conclude anybody lois up here up this way this beautiful lady there in the white dress and the white hair and that blue dress and the white hair may get my combination right no you just passed her well we've got more we've got more than one beautiful woman with white hair okay bless your heart

[55:02] I've got a big mouth anyway so you can hear me without a mic I'm on the other side I don't mean that I'm for abortion but I have a beautiful daughter who's 56 years of age now and she came from an unwanted pregnancy of a college girl and I wouldn't trade her for anything and I tried to tell her from the time she was born I would speak to her and tell her her mother loved her so much that because she couldn't keep care of her she made sure she went to a loving home and maybe I wouldn't have my other three if it wasn't for her because I was told I would never have children and it was a little catholic nun that I was at Ohio State in school with that said she was going to get me a baby and thank God works in mysterious ways we were on a windjammer cruise Carl and I and the trip was to be 10 days and 8 days we were back trip was over no reason why we were 2 days back soon said what to do and that's when you could get flights back and you could just go in and buy an airplane ticket it's not like now the waiting days and I said let's go home and rest up before we go back to work and when I got back

[56:26] I was at my mother's he was out playing golf with his fellow workers and I went over to my parents house and the phone rang there and they said we're looking for a Lois Lind and I said she's speaking and they said we have a baby for you and you have three hours to get ready we have called all week and I've always felt that God had a plan that that trip was over or we would not have had Beth he does work in wonderful ways so this is one reason why I believe in keeping the baby maybe we would childless the rest of our lives thank you thank you Lois well I trust that you will just continue in prayer about this situation and about the pros and cons of it and about the potential turbulence that it has for causing in the nation that there might be some some real kind of positive thing come out of it best thing that could come out of it would be trading in that unfruitfulness for fruitfulness to the womb would you stand please father we recognize that we're just one more voice added to the thousands and thousands of voices that are out there decrying the same thing and there are as many on the other side and we know that the need for coming together is greater than we can imagine there are a number of issues that just tend to pull us apart and this is one of the greater ones and the issue of race that ought not to even exist as racism is another thing that divides this nation and we look to you for a healing in that regard as well recognizing that we are all people of one blood and that the skin color differences that separate us are mere minutia in reality they make no difference at all because you placed as much value on the color of one skin as you have upon another and Jesus

[58:48] Christ died for all we are so grateful that we have a gospel that we do have a panacea we do have an antidote to the problem and we look to you for better ways of disseminating that gospel because it and it alone can change hearts and we're just so glad that it can in Christ's name amen yeah you