Who will stand up for me against evildoers? Who will take his stand for me against those who do wickedness?” Psalm 95:16 ASV
I woke on the morning on January 31st at 5:00 am unable to sleep. While in the car the previous day driving to Tennessee, I had listened to a short news report of the New York State Legislature passing the “Reproductive Health Act.” This act essentially allows women to receive full-term abortions up until birth. This is in principle infanticide.
I have continued to ponder the meaning of this law and its spiritual ramifications for our culture, and listen to the guidance from intercessors.
The Reproductive Health Act
When you read the actual text of the law 1 you will find that there is a lot of nuances that allows some to deny that this law allows late-term abortion. 2 It can be seen that barriers to late-term abortion were removed through what was deleted from the original law and from what was repealed from the NY Penal code. 3
Essentially the law moves abortion from the homicide code to the health code. Proponents of the law claim this is necessary since abortion is legal. But fundamentally abortion still involves taking life, even if abortion is moved from homicide to the health code.
This bill was passed because the Democrats have taken control of both houses of the State government. What was most disturbing to me was listening to the cheers and celebration of the Democrats when the bill passed. (And in the picture here, all happy smiles.)
Reactions to this Bill
In my restless dreams, I had had flashbacks of old newsreels of Adolph Hitler’s frenzied oratory calling for a Jew-free Europe, a euphemism for genocide, the representatives of the Reichstag cheering their approval for mass murder.
There have been many reactions to the passing of this bill. This quote from Charisma Magazine provides an interpretation about what those cheering are really celebrating:
“Make no mistake about it: Those who are applauding the passage of New York’s so-dubbed Reproductive Health Act are not celebrating and promoting a step forward in women’s health rights,” says Jack Graham of Prestonwood Baptist Church. They are celebrating cold-blooded murder. This act is nothing short of a license to kill unborn babies, even when they could survive outside the womb…”
Charisma News
The confirmation of the true intentions and end result of this legislation—the legal permission to murder one’s own children at birth—was confirmed by the stunning and graphic admission by Virginia Governor Ralph Northam when in commenting upon Virginia’s proposed law he spoke of allowing the decision concerning a newborn’s life to be decided by its mother and her physicians. 4
The cover for this atrocity is that this is only to be done in the case of severe abnormalities, etc.; But in reality, it furthers the shift in our culture towards choosing death instead of life.
Shifting national thinking and culture
The shift in culture, which chooses death instead of life is disturbing and can be seen in other countries where late-term abortions are allowed.
A recent PRMI team ministering in Israel observed how this cultural shift has impacted the national thinking and culture. Abortion in Israel is widely accepted in society, and late-term abortions are performed. Estimates put the number of abortions per year at 20,000 legal abortions with an additional 20-30,000 illegal abortions taking place.
In addition, Israel is the world leader in prenatal testing. Abortion is often recommended if it expected that the baby is not perfect. So, abortion is recommended for babies with missing fingers, a club foot, or other malformations. 5
The desire to act in compassion towards people in difficult situations is good and right, but it becomes dangerous when that compassion takes place in isolation from God’s word and His intentions for the sanctity of human life.
The prayer cohort operating in the United Kingdom recently recognized that abortion in the UK was initially only intended for mothers who were facing life-threatening situations. But out of compassion for the many women who died through back street abortions, there was a move to relax some of the restrictions.
We can think of this as a spaceship heading to the moon or to Mars which gets knocked off its trajectory by a fraction of a degree. Initially it is hardly noticeable, but as the craft continues, the difference becomes more and more obvious, and eventually the craft will completely miss its target.
This is what we are seeing with abortion. A slight movement away from what the Lord has expressed in his Word, even if it is done out of a desire for love and compassion, can over time lead to a culture which has become distanced from the intentions and character of God as revealed in scripture.
Cultural Implications
The cultural and spiritual ramifications of this NY law and others like it is the invocation of the high-level demons of Baal and Moloch, through child sacrifice. This brought God’s wrath and judgment upon Israel. This is a judgment that will fall upon any culture where these odious practices are condoned. Listen to the words of Jeremiah.
For this city has been to Me as a cause of My anger and of My fury from the day that they built it even to this day; that I should remove it from before My face; (32) because of all the evil of the sons of Israel and of the sons of Judah, which they have done to provoke Me to anger, they, their kings, their rulers, their priests, and their prophets, and the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. (33) And they have turned the back to Me, and not the face; though I taught them, rising up early and teaching them, yet they have not listened to receive instruction. (34) But they set their abominations in the house which is called by My name, to defile it. (35) And they built the high places of Baal, in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to cause their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire to Molech; which I did not command them, nor did it come into My mind that they should do this abomination, to cause Judah to sin.
Jeremiah 32:31-35 NKJV
Notice in this scripture, the complicity of the government and religious leaders of the people of Israel— their kings, their officials, their priests, their prophets.
Is not the removal of the barriers to late term-abortion like this gross and terrible evil of sacrificing one’s own children to the demons of death?
The prophet Jeremiah says that this evil is being condoned not just by the leaders but by the people as well, “especially the people of Judah and the citizens of Jerusalem have done this wickedness.” This is true in our cultures today.
This condoning of evil is not just the work of the leaders but the work of our popular culture as well.
Here We Stand! PRMI’s Statement on the Sanctity of Human Life
In the face of this law and the movement toward removing the constraints on late-term abortion and infanticide, I believe the Lord speaks the following words to us:
Who will stand up for me against evildoers? Who will take his stand for me against those who do wickedness?”
Psalm 95:16 ASV.
The first step then is to publicly state where we stand. In October 2015 the board of PRMI approved the following statement on the sanctity of human life:
We believe that all human life is sacred and created by God in His image.
Human life is of inestimable worth in all its dimensions, including pre-born babies, the aged, the physically or mentally challenged, and every other stage or condition from conception through natural death.
We are therefore called to defend, protect, and value all human life. (Ps 139)
We resist as not according to the biblical revelation of the sanctity of human life all ideologies, movements, and practices that would violate the sanctity of life.
We, as a ministry and as individuals, are committed to the reality that Jesus Christ is the resurrection and the life and that his grace, love and forgiveness extends to all those who have in any way failed to live up to the biblical ideal.
PRMI Faith Statement
As we look at this recent bill which has been passed, it is important to acknowledge that this bill is contrary to God’s plan and purpose for life.
As followers of Jesus Christ, we must stand in opposition to this bill and resist the cultural shift which chooses death instead of life. At the same time recognizing the need to stand in grace, love, and forgiveness toward those who have been involved and affected in this area.
Called to bring forgiveness, healing and restoration
Over the years of my ministry in PRMI, while I will never reveal their names, I have prayed for many women who have experienced Jesus’ forgiveness, healing, and restoration from having had abortions.
On my many trips to China, Taiwan and Hong Kong, often the first evidence of an outpouring of the Holy Spirit and the love and presence of Jesus Christ made manifest, were women, some believers though many were not, smitten by grief for their aborted children. They subsequently experiencing healing, deliverance and restoration.
From this experience of seeing Jesus work, as well as the witness of the Bible, I know this issue of abortion, for both the mother and the aborted baby, is very close to the heart of God our loving Father.
We have the good news of healing and freedom for all those who have been wounded by or are in bondage to this culture of death.
The Larger Context: A war against Judeo-Christian values
The passing of this act is an indication of the continuing formation of a demonic stronghold. This stronghold is promoting anti-God and anti-Judeo-Christian values in the culture. What is disturbing is that this stronghold seems to be being established within the Democratic Party. But that is a topic for another blog. Read: How these bills suggest the presence of a stronghold.
This abortion issue must be seen in
Guidance for prayer
While it is important to continue to look deeper into the philosophical and idealistic movements which are seeking to bring a significant shift to our culture, we also need to mobilize prayer for the issue itself. I was at our grandson’s fifth birthday party when my son-in-law, an EPC pastor said, “After the New York case and the comments made by the Virginia Governor, all the people our church are talking about is the abortion issue. Besides just getting angry about it, what are we going to do about it to truly make a difference?”
That is the question! Is it not? Let us go to the Lord and ask Him for guidance as to what we are to do in the face of such obvious descent into evil. I see the following as initial guidance:
- This word was given to me by Judy in Alaska: “Who will stand up for me against evildoers? Who will take his stand for me against those who do wickedness?” (Psalm 95:16 ASV). This means praying for political, cultural and spiritual leaders to take a stand.
- It also means that we must take a stand in whatever ways the Lord calls us to. For some, this may be in prayer for those in leadership. For others, it means offering healing pray to those affected by abortion. And for others, it may mean taking a public stand. This is between you and the Lord. Seek his guidance for the role that He has for you in His battle plan to defeat these demonic strongholds and to advance the Kingdom of God.
- We need to pray for the exposing and defeat of this ideology that Satan is using to build a stronghold in our national cultures. Pray by name for those who are on the frontlines of exposing this ideology and its evils. For example, pray for Jordon Peterson in Canada, and Ben Shapiro in the USA. Please suggest names for those who are at the forefront of this work in the UK and in Israel (i do not know who they would be).
- Pray for the President and Vice President of the USA who are standing firm on these issues.
- There is a call upon the entire body of Christ to overcome this ideology with the Gospel of Jesus Christ and to bring hope and freedom to the minds and souls of its captives. This calls for prayer for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit to bring revival.
- Pray for us in PRMI/DFI to be empowered and rightly guided to take part in Jesus’ program of mobilizing, equipping, and deploying intercessors who can take part in this prayer work to defeat these strongholds and to advance the Kingdom of God.
Let’s all join in seeking guidance about how to pray into this situation. Please pass on any guidance you have as quickly as you can. Pray also for very strong protection as we are being called to engage these strongholds that are very close to home.
- You can read the text here: https://legislation.nysenate.gov/pdf/bills/2017/S2796
- No, the New York Abortion Law Does Not Allow ‘Any’ Late-Term Abortion: Read the law here. https://heavy.com/news/2019/01/new-york-late-term-abortion-law/ (If you read this, unlike the link to the NY gov, it does not include the struck parts of the original law).
- For instance, notice that what they have done here is amend a section of the law. The terms in [ ] have been struck from the code. In each case it is abortion that is struck: HOMICIDE[, ABORTION] AND RELATED OFFENSES 30 § 6. Section 125.00 of the penal law is amended to read as follows:
31 § 125.00 Homicide defined.
32 Homicide means conduct which causes the death of a person [or an 33 unborn child with which a female has been pregnant for more than twenty-four 34 weeks] under circumstances constituting murder, manslaughter in 35 the first degree, manslaughter in the second degree, or criminally 36 negligent homicide[, abortion in the first degree or self-abortion in 37 the first degree].
38 § 7. The section heading, opening paragraph and subdivision 1 of 39 section 125.05 of the penal law are amended to read as follows:
40 Homicide [, abortion] and related offenses; [definitions of terms] 41 definition. 42 The following [definitions are] definition is applicable to this article- 43 : 44 [1.] “Person,” when referring to the victim of a homicide, means a 45 human being who has been born and is alive.
- Source: https://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/tony-perkins-late-term-pro-life/2019/02/08/id/901918/?ns_mail_uid=4583d856-3c08-47f4-880a-472da0943f9e&ns_mail_job=DM16014_02092019&s=acs&dkt_nbr=010124acodzr
- Information from beadchaim.com
The Lord said to Moses, “Say to the Israelite’s: Any Israelite or any alien living in Israel who gives any of his children to Molech must be put to death. Leviticus 20: 1-2. You are correct to bring this important subject to the attention of all believers. This is now a much bigger area, as it now reaches all the Christian world and we are subject to God’s word. I feel that this is another attack upon the USA and other parts of the world to flout God’s direction for mankind. It is also an attack on the government of the US and bringing evil forces into play in an ever increasing force. It is vital that we form a cohort of intercessors to come against this barbaric practice. The boundary of evil is pushing out further than ever and taking advantage of weakness and uncertainty, not just in the US but in most parts of the world we need to bring a halt to that evil progress by the forces of evil.
Agree! Praying for believers in Democratic Party to rise up and be free from political servitude.
Keep praying for John Roberts of the SCOTUS. He is drifting.
Pray for the release of the movie” Unplanned” coming out in theaters March 29. It is the story of Amy Johnson, former”employee of the year” with Planned Parenthood. It is a story of redemption and produced by Chuck Konzelman and Cary Solomon, who also produced “”
God is Not Dead I and II.”Though given an R rating by MPAA, it is a good movie and there is no reason for that label. Adult permission will be needed for minor children. Spread the word as this movie needs to be seen by many people, especially for a time as this with several states advocating infanticide.
We also need to pray about the ties to the pharmaceutical companies and the use of aborted fetal tissue in vaccines, which are then mandated for our (living) children,