12-11-11 / Blessed Are The Paps Which Never Gave Suck – Part 1
Luke 23:29 - 29For, behold, the days are coming, in the which they shall say, Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bare, and the paps which never gave suck.
This is a peculiar scripture, a prophecy that Jesus gave before he died. It has came to pass in such a STRONG fashion here in America especially these days. In this day and age, our young women are taught that abortion is totally acceptable, and that children are more of a burden than a blessing. I am not advocating that our youth go get pregnant immediately. HOWEVER, we are not teaching anything about the value of what it means to have a family. Our children are becoming more and more desensitized to what once was considered “obvious” in our culture, and many others – family values.
This message isn’t even about family values, but rather how things change. We cannot take for granted what we see, what we experience, and what we know as normal. Recently, I began to learn about a new law that America has been planning on passing, and it is important that every American know about this law and what it means. It is called the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA 1031), and it basically states that anyone (including US citizens) that the government determines is a terrorist (a threat to USA) can be INDEFINITELY DETAINED without trial.
This law, in that type of writing, is highly unconstitutional, in that it defies the 6thAmendment Rights that we enjoy as a nation. The 6th Amendment to the United States Constitution states that “In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defence.” It is EXTREMELY important to note that this is part of the Bill of Rights, which means that this law was created by our FOUNDING FATHERS. It is part of the legal lifeblood of what the United States stands for.
If this law were passed, any US citizen who is considered a threat to the USA can be indefinitely detained without a trial. You don’t even have to commit a crime! If, for any reason, you are deemed a potential threat to what America stands for, then you can be stripped away from what you enjoy and love as an American.
But what does America stand for? Our country originally stood on a ground of concern for truth, guaranteeing even the criminal the right to a trial. Yes, that is right – even criminals have rights in America. I know that there are people who abuse the system today, but part of America’s legal foundation establishes rights to even criminals. Remember – they are still US citizens. Yet, if we sign this piece of legislation into law, we have shifted what the United States stands for as a whole – those guaranteed privileges will no longer be enjoyed. In other words, we can no longer take for granted something that was GUARANTEED to us as US citizens.
You might say, “What does all of this have to do with a Bible study?” EVERYTHING. The Bible is not just words on a page – it is a life map, a book that gives us instruction on how to handle life. It is filled with pages of stories and experiences of people years ago who went through similar situations as us, and how they either prevailed or failed. It is a collection of stories of people who walked with their God, the God of Israel, and now the God of Christ, and how they overcame impossible situations.
To see these things coming to pass and to not consider what the Bible says might be easy for some, but for the believer, it is IMPERATIVE that we know what is written, for our own good. It is not only important to know what is written, but also to spend alone time with God.
Here is what God says – NEVER TAKE ANYTHING IN THIS WORLD FOR GRANTED. There is no literal wording of that sort in the Bible, but it is directly connected to the scripture at the beginning of the message. The women were coming up to Jesus as He walked to His death, and they were crying. Let’s take a better look at the scriptures that lead up to the one we based our study upon.
Luke 23:26-31 / 26And as they led him away, they laid hold upon one Simon, a Cyrenian, coming out of the country, and on him they laid the cross, that he might bear it after Jesus.
27And there followed him a great company of people, and of women, which also bewailed and lamented him.
28But Jesus turning unto them said, Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves, and for your children.
29For, behold, the days are coming, in the which they shall say, Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bare, and the paps which never gave suck.
30Then shall they begin to say to the mountains, Fall on us; and to the hills, Cover us.
31For if they do these things in a green tree, what shall be done in the dry?
Jesus was more concerned with the people than with Himself – how typical of Him. He always cared more for others than for Himself. Even in His agony, He took the time to share words of wisdom with others in their time of agony. What selflessness!
In the society that they were currently living in, it was considered a blessing for a woman to have children. If a woman did not have children, she was not held in the same esteem – it was almost as if she was “dysfunctional”. Women craved to have children – it was a HUGE thing to them. People considered children a blessing – and rightfully so, because children TRULY are a blessing from God. I have one of my own, a 5 month old named Noah, and his smile is as bright as a summer sun. He is a gift to me and my wife.
However, let’s take a look at today’s society and our outlook on abortion. Beginning with Roe v. Wade in 1973, abortion became an acceptable thing. I want to take a look at the language used in the court case of Roe v. Wade, and how the nature of abortion has shifted over the past 40 years. This is a small excerpt from Wikipedia on Roe v. Wade - The Court decided that a right to privacyunder thedue processclause in theFourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitutionextends to a woman's decision to have an abortion, but that right must be balanced against the state's two legitimate interests for regulating abortions: protecting prenatal life and protecting the woman's health.
Now, if you say that this type of class has no business in the middle of a Bible study, then what are you applying your Bible to? Life around you? Or is it just stories that you repeat about things that happened 2,000 years ago and beyond? The Bible applies to these things today as well, and we need to know what it says about what is going on. I see two key points in the language of what determines a woman’s ability to have an abortion legally - protecting prenatal life and protecting the woman's health.
The sad truth is that this is not the case today. Any teenager who wants an abortion can go to a clinic and be rid of their child immediately. Children (and adults too) can have sex with whoever they want, without regard for the fact that they might conceive, and simply wash away the evidence. This is highly reminiscent of Proverbs 30:20 – “Such is the way of an adulterous woman; she eateth, and wipeth her mouth, and saith, I have done no wickedness.”
I am not going on an anti-abortion rage either. There are some instances where a woman has to have one for medical reasons – sometimes there are complications that can threaten the woman’s life, and then neither she nor the baby will survive. That is NOT what we are discussing. I am talking about people throwing away human life WILLINGLY and SELFISHLY.
What is the point behind this? The things that once were taken for granted are no longer this way. Jesus’ prophecy in Luke 23:29 came to pass with amazing clarity. People are evaluating whether it is more blessed to have children, or to delay for other reasons. There is nothing wrong with not having children. However, the social matrix has shifted – that which once was HIGHLY valued does not hold the same esteem as it once did.
Consider the rights of the baby – at one point, a mother would do ANYTHING for that child’s safety, whether it was in the womb or already born. They were already a child. Even today’s amazing technology can show us real pictures of babies at 6 weeks in the womb with eyesockets, arms, legs, a midsection – the person is DEFINITELY forming already. This begins at conception. But with abortion, the rights of the child are stripped, and they are often condemned to die excrutiating deaths. One of the methods is suction, where the baby is pulled away from its environment to die. Another is by cutting the child into pieces (Dilation and Curettage, or D&C). Then, there is salt poisoning, which is the equivalent of making a human drink acid and giving them a bath in it at the same time (salt poisoning, or saline injection). We could continue with some of the methods, but that probably would be overkill to illustrate the point. The point is, values have changed.
And that takes us back to the discussion on the 6th Amendment and the NDAA. Right now, we enjoy privileges as people – but at any time, these privileges can be stripped away in a heartbeat. DO NOT TAKE FOR GRANTED THE PRIVILEGES YOU HAVE ENJOYED! I know we did not get heavy into scripture this week, but it is important to note that we cannot take these things for granted. Further, what can we do? The Bible tells us to fast and to pray, and to seek the Lord in a time of need. He is King of Kings – that means that He has authority over those in office. I will finish this message with a scripture that we are likely to tie into next week – I want to continue with this topically in a more thorough Biblical manner next week.
2 Chronicles 7:14 - If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
12-11-11 / Blessed Are The Paps Which Never Gave Suck – Part 1
Luke 23:29 - 29For, behold, the days are coming, in the which they shall say, Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bare, and the paps which never gave suck.
This is a peculiar scripture, a prophecy that Jesus gave before he died. It has came to pass in such a STRONG fashion here in America especially these days. In this day and age, our young women are taught that abortion is totally acceptable, and that children are more of a burden than a blessing. I am not advocating that our youth go get pregnant immediately. HOWEVER, we are not teaching anything about the value of what it means to have a family. Our children are becoming more and more desensitized to what once was considered “obvious” in our culture, and many others – family values.
This message isn’t even about family values, but rather how things change. We cannot take for granted what we see, what we experience, and what we know as normal. Recently, I began to learn about a new law that America has been planning on passing, and it is important that every American know about this law and what it means. It is called the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA 1031), and it basically states that anyone (including US citizens) that the government determines is a terrorist (a threat to USA) can be INDEFINITELY DETAINED without trial.
This law, in that type of writing, is highly unconstitutional, in that it defies the 6thAmendment Rights that we enjoy as a nation. The 6th Amendment to the United States Constitution states that “In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defence.” It is EXTREMELY important to note that this is part of the Bill of Rights, which means that this law was created by our FOUNDING FATHERS. It is part of the legal lifeblood of what the United States stands for.
If this law were passed, any US citizen who is considered a threat to the USA can be indefinitely detained without a trial. You don’t even have to commit a crime! If, for any reason, you are deemed a potential threat to what America stands for, then you can be stripped away from what you enjoy and love as an American.
But what does America stand for? Our country originally stood on a ground of concern for truth, guaranteeing even the criminal the right to a trial. Yes, that is right – even criminals have rights in America. I know that there are people who abuse the system today, but part of America’s legal foundation establishes rights to even criminals. Remember – they are still US citizens. Yet, if we sign this piece of legislation into law, we have shifted what the United States stands for as a whole – those guaranteed privileges will no longer be enjoyed. In other words, we can no longer take for granted something that was GUARANTEED to us as US citizens.
You might say, “What does all of this have to do with a Bible study?” EVERYTHING. The Bible is not just words on a page – it is a life map, a book that gives us instruction on how to handle life. It is filled with pages of stories and experiences of people years ago who went through similar situations as us, and how they either prevailed or failed. It is a collection of stories of people who walked with their God, the God of Israel, and now the God of Christ, and how they overcame impossible situations.
To see these things coming to pass and to not consider what the Bible says might be easy for some, but for the believer, it is IMPERATIVE that we know what is written, for our own good. It is not only important to know what is written, but also to spend alone time with God.
Here is what God says – NEVER TAKE ANYTHING IN THIS WORLD FOR GRANTED. There is no literal wording of that sort in the Bible, but it is directly connected to the scripture at the beginning of the message. The women were coming up to Jesus as He walked to His death, and they were crying. Let’s take a better look at the scriptures that lead up to the one we based our study upon.
Luke 23:26-31 / 26And as they led him away, they laid hold upon one Simon, a Cyrenian, coming out of the country, and on him they laid the cross, that he might bear it after Jesus.
27And there followed him a great company of people, and of women, which also bewailed and lamented him.
28But Jesus turning unto them said, Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves, and for your children.
29For, behold, the days are coming, in the which they shall say, Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bare, and the paps which never gave suck.
30Then shall they begin to say to the mountains, Fall on us; and to the hills, Cover us.
31For if they do these things in a green tree, what shall be done in the dry?
Jesus was more concerned with the people than with Himself – how typical of Him. He always cared more for others than for Himself. Even in His agony, He took the time to share words of wisdom with others in their time of agony. What selflessness!
In the society that they were currently living in, it was considered a blessing for a woman to have children. If a woman did not have children, she was not held in the same esteem – it was almost as if she was “dysfunctional”. Women craved to have children – it was a HUGE thing to them. People considered children a blessing – and rightfully so, because children TRULY are a blessing from God. I have one of my own, a 5 month old named Noah, and his smile is as bright as a summer sun. He is a gift to me and my wife.
However, let’s take a look at today’s society and our outlook on abortion. Beginning with Roe v. Wade in 1973, abortion became an acceptable thing. I want to take a look at the language used in the court case of Roe v. Wade, and how the nature of abortion has shifted over the past 40 years. This is a small excerpt from Wikipedia on Roe v. Wade - The Court decided that a right to privacy under the due process clause in the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution extends to a woman's decision to have an abortion, but that right must be balanced against the state's two legitimate interests for regulating abortions: protecting prenatal life and protecting the woman's health.
Now, if you say that this type of class has no business in the middle of a Bible study, then what are you applying your Bible to? Life around you? Or is it just stories that you repeat about things that happened 2,000 years ago and beyond? The Bible applies to these things today as well, and we need to know what it says about what is going on. I see two key points in the language of what determines a woman’s ability to have an abortion legally - protecting prenatal life and protecting the woman's health.
The sad truth is that this is not the case today. Any teenager who wants an abortion can go to a clinic and be rid of their child immediately. Children (and adults too) can have sex with whoever they want, without regard for the fact that they might conceive, and simply wash away the evidence. This is highly reminiscent of Proverbs 30:20 – “Such is the way of an adulterous woman; she eateth, and wipeth her mouth, and saith, I have done no wickedness.”
I am not going on an anti-abortion rage either. There are some instances where a woman has to have one for medical reasons – sometimes there are complications that can threaten the woman’s life, and then neither she nor the baby will survive. That is NOT what we are discussing. I am talking about people throwing away human life WILLINGLY and SELFISHLY.
What is the point behind this? The things that once were taken for granted are no longer this way. Jesus’ prophecy in Luke 23:29 came to pass with amazing clarity. People are evaluating whether it is more blessed to have children, or to delay for other reasons. There is nothing wrong with not having children. However, the social matrix has shifted – that which once was HIGHLY valued does not hold the same esteem as it once did.
Consider the rights of the baby – at one point, a mother would do ANYTHING for that child’s safety, whether it was in the womb or already born. They were already a child. Even today’s amazing technology can show us real pictures of babies at 6 weeks in the womb with eyesockets, arms, legs, a midsection – the person is DEFINITELY forming already. This begins at conception. But with abortion, the rights of the child are stripped, and they are often condemned to die excrutiating deaths. One of the methods is suction, where the baby is pulled away from its environment to die. Another is by cutting the child into pieces (Dilation and Curettage, or D&C). Then, there is salt poisoning, which is the equivalent of making a human drink acid and giving them a bath in it at the same time (salt poisoning, or saline injection). We could continue with some of the methods, but that probably would be overkill to illustrate the point. The point is, values have changed.
And that takes us back to the discussion on the 6th Amendment and the NDAA. Right now, we enjoy privileges as people – but at any time, these privileges can be stripped away in a heartbeat. DO NOT TAKE FOR GRANTED THE PRIVILEGES YOU HAVE ENJOYED! I know we did not get heavy into scripture this week, but it is important to note that we cannot take these things for granted. Further, what can we do? The Bible tells us to fast and to pray, and to seek the Lord in a time of need. He is King of Kings – that means that He has authority over those in office. I will finish this message with a scripture that we are likely to tie into next week – I want to continue with this topically in a more thorough Biblical manner next week.
2 Chronicles 7:14 - If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.