An Unwanted Baby

by Jeff Curtis

Many years ago, in a small village, a child was born. He was born to a mother who had become pregnant out of wedlock. In her culture, that could have resulted in a death sentence. Her fiancé, who loved her in spite of her predicament, went ahead with his plans and married her. Today, some would have counseled this young woman not to go through the shame and embarrassment of an unplanned pregnancy. They would have encouraged her to keep her secret, even from the child’s father, and to have an abortion. No one would ever have to know.

Every single day, a silent horror kills more Americans than were killed on 9/11.  Every single year, this silent horror kills about as many Americans as have been killed on all the battlefields in all of the wars in U.S. history combined.  This silent horror is called abortion, and it is a national disgrace.  Overall, more than 50 million babies have been slaughtered since Roe v. Wade was decided in 1973.  We have become a nation with so little regard for human life that nobody even really talks that much about this issue anymore.  But the truth is that it is at the very core of what is wrong with America.

The following are a few facts about abortion in America that should make you very sick….

#1 There have been more than 53 million abortions performed in the United States since Roe v. Wade was decided back in 1973.

#2 When you total up all forms of abortion, including those caused by the abortion drug RU 486, the grand total comes to more than a million abortions performed in the United States every single year.

#3 The number of American babies killed by abortion each year is roughly equal to the number of U.S. military deaths that have occurred in all of the wars that the United States has ever been involved in combined.

#4 Approximately 3,000 Americans lost their lives as a result of the destruction of the World Trade Center towers on 9/11.  Every single day, more than 3,000 American babies are killed by abortion.

#5 It has been reported that a staggering 41 percent of all New York City pregnancies end in abortion.

#7 One very shocking study found that 86 percent of all abortions are done for the sake of convenience.

#8 According to the Guttmacher Institute, the average cost of a first trimester abortion at the ten week mark is $451.

(Let me add here that the average cost for an adoption in the United States in 2019 was $40,000.

The devil wants to make sin as enticing as possible. Even in the price you pay here and now.)

(19 Facts About Abortion In America That Should Make You Very Sick; February 10, 2012 by Michael Snyder; endoftheamericandream.com). (This is not his complete list, just the first 4; JC)

The mother in the story at the beginning of our article is Mary, the mother of Jesus. Abortion has been around for a long time. It may have been available to Mary then. What if she had chosen to abort her child? What if Jesus had never been born? Was He any less the Son of God and the Savior of the world in Mary’s womb? Of course, Mary knew who Jesus was (Matthew 1:20-23; Luke 1:26-38), and she would never have aborted her baby; but suppose she had.

Unwanted babies are not a new phenomenon. When Jesus was born, He was unwanted, except by His parents and perhaps a few others.

Herod the Great did not want Him. He was fearful of someone trying to take his throne. When Herod heard about the birth of this baby who was born to be “the King of the Jews,” he sought to kill Him (Matt. 2:7-18).

When He was grown, many in Jesus’ own family rejected Him at the beginning of His ministry (Jn. 7:5). None of His brothers were believers until after His resurrection (Jn. 7:5; Acts 1:14; 1Cor. 15:7).

The Jewish religious leaders did not want Him. John wrote, “He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him” (Jn.1:11; Isa. 53:3-9).

We should cherish life as a gift from God. This should be evident in the way we treat our children, both in and out of the womb. We should take a firm stance against abortion – the destruction of innocent and indefensible unborn children. In addition, we should show compassion toward those children who have been neglected or abused

We’re Here, It’s 2020

Jeff Curtis

     Well, the new year is upon us. That means that we just finished another year. Each person reading this had good and bad changes in our lives. We lost loved ones and there were babies being born. Life goes on.

     The question is “resolutions.” Everyone makes them, whether we call them a resolution or not. We all want to try to some extent to make the coming year better than the last or even the past few years.

     There are several changes taking place. First of all, you have a “new” preacher this year. There may be some skepticism about one preacher leaving and another coming in. My “resolution” is to make this change as easy as possible. I want to work with the elders and deacons and members to help everyone here to grow spiritually.

    One way we can grow is to use the Bible to best of our ability. The Apostle Paul tells us to, “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” (2Timothy 2:15, KJV). He also told young Timothy that the Bible is all that we need for every aspect of our life, husband, wife, child, father, mother, Christian. “¹⁶ All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, ¹⁷ that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2Timothy 3:16-17, NKJV).

     Another thing we can do to help ourselves grow is to pray. Again, the Apostle Paul told the Thessalonians to “Pray without ceasing” (1Thess. 5:17, NKJV). I don’t know that he is telling us to constantly pray and never take a break, but I do believe he is encouraging us to pray every time we have an opportunity or whenever the need arises. King David was a good example of a man / leader that prayed. Every time he was to make a decision, he would turn to God is prayer.

    Something else that will help us grow in the new year is faithful attendance. Jesus said that where two or three are gathered together in His name, He was there in their midst Matthew 18:20, NKJV. Why would Christians not want to be in the presence of Jesus, the Son of God? The Hebrew writer also told Christians in the first century, who were under intense persecution that they were not to forsake the assembling of themselves together. So many times, we try to justify our missing the services. When we have a “slight” headache, or guests show up, we justify missing. The Christians in the first century were told, “not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some,” (Hebrews 10:25, NKJV). In the same context they were told to encourage and provoke unto love and good works one another, v.24. It is difficult to grow when we choose to miss the assembly of the saints. When we choose to not be in the presence of Jesus.

Our Aim

    Our aim as a church is to reproduce in this community a church of the Lord Jesus Christ such as was planted and nurtured by inspired apostles of Christ in New Testament times. In name, in worship, in organization, in spirit, and in life, we propose to emulate the Church of the New Testament.

    Our aims are not social, political, or economic, but spiritual. Our program is, therefore, spiritual. It is our aim to live and to teach others to live to fit ourselves and others to live eternally with God in a better world than this. We believe in the all-sufficiency of the Gospel of Christ and the Church of Christ to effect this grand and glorious result. We, therefore, in our teaching and practice exalt the Christ, His teaching and His church.

    Believing that we save ourselves as we participate with Christ in the salvation of others, we earnestly covet the opportunity to do service to our fellowman. We, therefore, extend to all a fervent invitation to attend our services. Every visitor is our honored guest and will be accorded a warm welcome. We should like to know you personally and for you to know us better religiously.

    If you are a visitor to our area, we welcome you to our community and urge that you test the warmth of the members of this congregation. We believe the New Testament simplicity of our worship and the Bible-based teaching in our classes and from the pulpit will challenge your interest and your respect. (Borrowed from Heath Rogers, Knollwood Reminder)