LifeWire

Then Nathan said to David, “You are the man!” (2 Samuel 12:7) King David’s sin with Bathsheba was lurid in its details but simple in what it was – rebellion! When people of faith know the truth and defy it, it is rebellion. Whether we are talking about legalizing...

Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and always to be gentle toward everyone. (Titus 3:1–2) Ever since the Dobbs ruling, the Democratic party...

Recent headlines highlight that abortion will be a significant issue in upcoming ballots. Traditionally, Democrats support abortion rights, while Republicans oppose them. Consequently, news stories often discuss how abortion referendums are being used as tools to...

“I have a right to do what I want with my body, and nobody is going to tell me otherwise.” Whether the issue is abortion, birth control, IVF, or euthanasia, we value our choices as election cycles illustrate ad nauseum. Scripture teaches us to value choices: But if...

So far, every state referendum proposed to either support access to abortion or restrict access went the wrong way for the pro-life community. It has happened five times since the Dobbs decision, and this November, nine more states have referendums on the issue. In...

Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:31–32) In April, Anthropic announced that its artificial intelligence product, Claude3Opus [Opus], can engage in debate. I...

I need to be regularly reminded that, as a Christian, the world and I are looking at things from two completely different directions (John 15:19). When I read the story of a nine-year-old child with Down syndrome bringing joy, all I could think of is the world’s...

The line between conservatives and liberals in the United States is often drawn along social issues. Generally, conservatives are pro-life and pro-traditional marriage and accordingly believe in moral absolutes, typically rooted in the Bible. Liberals, on the other...

There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death. (Proverbs 16:25) How can professed Christians support candidates who support abortion rights? It is one of our most polarizing issues. Human Life in the Image of God Human life is venerated...

“Put your sword back in its place,” Jesus said to him, “for all who draw the sword will die by the sword. Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled...

For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. (2 Timothy 1:7) Paul’s letter to Timothy calls all of us to courage. Humanly speaking, Timothy had cause to be timid: He was sensitive to being young. Paul told Timothy...

As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in...

The recent presidential debate raised two important questions: Does President Biden have the mental acuity to rule competently for a second term, and does former President Trump’s propensity to exaggerate and lie make him a good politician or unqualified for office?...

The headline read, “Louisiana Requires Classrooms to Display the Commandments.” As we witness a national implosion of morality, this is not the solution. God declared: “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are...

On February 16, 2024, the Alabama State Supreme Court ruled that cryopreserved embryos created using IVF were children – not potential children, not property, not blobs of tissue, and not detached parasitical material of the woman’s body. [In case you are not familiar...

The New York Times email succinctly encapsulated a prevalent discourse: “Far-right activists have spread misinformation conflating birth control with abortion. But the vast majority of Americans support birth control access.” [6-5-24] Is birth control tantamount to an...

Texas doubled down on protecting unborn life, and Delaware is doubling down on making abortions easier. Where would you live? The answer is harder than you think. Both sides of the abortion debate agree that a child’s life is lost. The abortion-rights argument creates...

“A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough.” (Galatians 5:9) It is often called the “slippery slope.” It is described this way: “If the camel once gets his nose in the tent, his body will soon follow.” The smallest step away from the will of God eventually...

“If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.” (John 15:18) On May 11, 2024, Harrison Butker, placekicker for the Super Bowl Champion Kansas City Chiefs, was the commencement speaker at Benedictine College in Atchison, KS. Benedictine College refers to...

Each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. (James 1:14–15) I have used these commentaries each week to advocate...

When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God…My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on...

As our culture drifts further from objective truths, it wanders into calamity. Such is the population picture that is unfolding. The terminology can vary. It is sometimes called the “birth rate” or “fertility rate.” Technically it is called the “total fertility rate”...

8 Then Haman said to King Xerxes, “There is a certain people dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom who keep themselves separate. Their customs are different from those of all other people, and they do not obey the king’s laws; it is not in...

But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. (Hebrews 3:13) [NIV] I went to see the 1997 blockbuster film Titanic three times. I was blown away by the special effects and the emotional...

My co-podcaster on Life Challenges, Pastor Jeff Samelson, once said in an episode, “We all want to stand for something, but we don’t want to suffer for it.” How true! Jesus sent his disciples to do ministry with this advice, “I am sending you out like sheep among...

Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up his clothes by casting lots. (Luke 23:34) In 1948, General Omar Bradley observed in an Armistice Day address: We have grasped the mystery of the atom and rejected the...

These are the things you are to do: Speak the truth to each other, and render true and sound judgment in your courts; (Zechariah 8:16) Truth, in these progressive times, is taking a beating. Aldous Huxley, author of the famous dystopian novel, “Brave New World” once...

The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: “Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times.” And he went outside and wept bitterly. (Luke 22:61–62) When peer counselors in our pregnancy care...

With access to surgical abortion now restricted in many states, the shift has been to chemical abortions. According to the latest statistics, 53% of all abortions are now chemical abortions. Danco Laboratories, a private Manhattan pharmaceutical supplier, distributes...

The Alabama ruling declaring that IVF embryos are people and not property has created the expected public wailing. The lament casts the justices as cruel for having swiped from people the chance to have children. One headline used these provocative words: “Alabama...

Hans Christian Anderson’s fable of the Emperor’s New Clothes concludes with a child stating the obvious – “he is naked.” That is what the Alabama State Supreme Court did on Friday, February 16, 2024, when it ruled that frozen embryos obtained by means of IVF are...

Last week, I discussed sliding from temptation into sin. Let’s now illustrate that practically by looking at the slippery slopes in life. The late U.S. Surgeon General C. Everett Koop observed, “It is a small leap in logic to go from taking life in the womb to taking...

Each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. (James 1:14–15) Sinning is a process. It begins with temptation. Once...

“But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’” (Matthew 9:13) A representative form of government allows individuals to marshal collective strength to effect change. Adding my vote to many others brings in new leaders, adopts referendums, and, on...

Adam named his wife Eve, because she would become the mother of all the living. (Genesis 3:20) Sometimes, we miss it! In the heat of a debate, the point gets lost. I thought about that earlier this week when Vice President Harris came to Wisconsin to press for...

Richard and Helen Brown built a career nurturing young lives with their School of Broadcasting. Their legacy, however, was tarnished by their 1994 suicide, fueled by a desire to spare themselves future suffering and create a legacy within their United Church of Christ...

In 1984, U.S. Surgeon General C. Everett Koop spoke at a Christian Life Resources national convention. He talked about rapid technology changes and the ethical challenges they bring. He gave this scenario: A mother births twins prematurely. Both require advanced...

There has been a language shift among abortion advocates. What they used to call a “heartbeat” is now being called “cardiac activity.” The shift in language serves two purposes: “Heartbeat” is historically understood as the evidence of life. When there is no...

When we are called “social conservatives,” it means we are known for what we are against. We oppose abortion, euthanasia, promiscuity, same-sex marriage, and the list can go on. Those who walk outside of the guidance of Scripture characterize Christianity as a group...

A person may think their own ways are right, but the LORD weighs the heart. (Proverbs 21:2) You would think Texas hates pregnant women facing health or life endangerment. CNN reported: …a Texas woman has been battling the state to terminate her high-risk pregnancy…her...

The American Medical Association (AMA) recently affirmed its opposition to physician-assisted suicide. A portion of the statement states, Physician-assisted suicide is fundamentally incompatible with the physician’s role as healer, would be difficult or impossible to...

One of the hardest truths to face in the abortion debate is the deception. Advocates of legalized abortion keep beating the “choice” or the “rights” drum. If you think about it, that is not the issue. After all, everyone likes to have the freedom to make choices....

Adam made love to his wife Eve, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain. She said, “With the help of the LORD I have brought forth a man.” (Genesis 4:1) There are fundamental Bible truths about procreation: God is the predominant player. He is the one who is...

For 35 years, I have traveled throughout North America, giving presentations and Bible Classes. Invariably, attendees try to pin me down on politicians and political issues, especially during election cycles. I always respond the same way, “None of the political...

Curtis Means is the earliest delivered surviving baby. He was born 19 weeks into the pregnancy on July 5, 2020. His twin did not survive. Conversely, about 1% of all abortions occur at 20 or more weeks gestation. There were approximately 930,000 abortions in 2020....

“I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.” (1 Kings 19:14) Regardless of your...

I have been reading a book written by a gifted writer diagnosed with terminal cancer. He has faced his diagnosis with courage and insight. The problem, however, is his understanding of purpose. Not once throughout the book does he reference God, Jesus, sin, or...

Sometimes, we use words to communicate what we want others to know quickly and clearly. “Danger” is a clearly understood word. When shouted in a crowded room, it gets attention, and people run to safety. Sometimes, we use words to share larger realities and concepts....

When I became active in pro-life issues in the fall of 1976, I could not figure out what was so difficult about seeing that in abortion a child dies. I saw pictures of unborn children at rallies, fair booths, and in pro-life offices. What do we see that they do not...

In June 2023, the Center for a Biblical Worldview, a research arm of the Family Research Council, surveyed 1,009 adults who attend a worship service in-person or online at least once/month. The statistic that popped out for me was that 58% of those adults wanted their...

On August 30, 2023, the Interim Chief Executive of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG) and the Interim Director of Advocacy and Public Affairs for the Society of Family Planning concluded a brief op-ed piece in the Washington Post with these...

There was a time when the mantra for abortion rights sounded like this: “Safe, legal, and rare.” My, how the times have changed. The new director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Dr. Mandy Cohen, said, “…we will support however we can the...

The Apostle Paul wrote: I rejoiced greatly in the Lord that at last you renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you were concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the...

Having the freedom to make choices without interference feels like good public policy. It mitigates the ideological differences among the citizenries. Consider how it plays out: Advocates for drug legalization argue that individuals should make their own choices about...

Canada continues to be an example of euthanasia out of control. Christians find themselves challenged and confused over what to do. I want to make four points: 1) Authorship. A Christian believes God is the author of life (Genesis 1:27; Colossian 3:10; Deuteronomy...