Christianity 101

Who Wants Children?

34th child abandoned under Neb.’s safe-haven law

A 5-year-old boy has been dropped off at an Omaha, Neb., hospital only a day before the state Legislature begins a meeting to change the state’s safe-haven law.

[…]

Nebraska’s safe-haven law was intended to protect unwanted newborns from being abandoned, but unlike similar laws in other states, Nebraska’s doesn’t include an age limit.

The Legislature opens a rare special session Friday afternoon to change the law and add an age limit.

As of Friday, 34 children have been abandoned under the law. Five have been from out of state.

Free birth control.

Easy abortions.

Safe dumping.

Abuse. Neglect. Unkindness.

Yup. Who wants children?

“Without natural affection,” the Bible says.

How to Pray for Them

Secret Service agents guard President-Elect Obama

Here are some ways to pray for President Bush, Vice President Cheney, President-Elect Obama, Vice President-Elect Biden, and those who guard them.

  1. Pray for their protection.
  2. Cover wives and children in prayer.
  3. Pray that they will govern with God’s wisdom.
  4. Ask God to keep them humble.
  5. Pray for wise and righteous advisers to surround them.
  6. Ask for the spirit of reconciliation.
  7. Pray that they will adopt pro-life convictions.
  8. Bind all evil forces assigned to manipulate our leaders.
  9. Pray that their door will remain open to the church.
  10. Pray that our nation will enjoy God’s peace and blessing during their administration.
  11. Pray that God’s people would honor them as the Master commands.

I modified these from Presidential Prayer. And I added #11.

What would you add to the list?

Voices and Prayers and Life Truths

Andrée Seu posted another good piece over at WorldMagBlog:

As I listened to John McCain giving his gracious concession speech last night I realized that, from here on in, his voice will fade, fade, fade away into the ether (where is Geraldine Ferraro?), and Barack Obama’s voice will wax.

But eventually Obama’s own voice will disappear into the slipstream of history, like a ship’s wake that rushes away from us even as we watch from the stern. We are but froth on the sea.

And how about A Prayer for the President-Elect? It concludes this way:

For the sake of your own Son, who intercedes every moment for your people, give us grace to honor everyone, love the brotherhood, fear you, and to honor President-elect Barack Obama. In the name of King Jesus, we ask. Amen.

And to close this post, I call your attention to some Life Truths I posted earlier this morning.

Congratulations, Mr. Obama

God has chosen to elevate you as President-elect of the United States of America, just as He chose to elevate Bush, Clinton, Bush, Reagan, Carter, Ford, and Nixon before you. (And many others, of course.)

May God be exalted in your administration. And in this country as a result of your administration.

May He keep you and your family.

And may God’s people find in Him the grace and renewal they need for the dim times in which we find ourselves…and for the darkening times which hover on the horizon.

Meanwhile, in other news, Israel launches first airstrike on Gaza since June. I wonder if this portends the trend in the Middle East over the next two months, as the Israelis prepare for President Bush’s departure from office.

Oh, and I’m glad I can not expect Mr. McCain’s disappointed legions to resort to riots and street battles and violent protests.

Muslims at the Vatican

Catholics, Muslims open landmark talks at Vatican

Senior Vatican and Islamic scholars launched their first Catholic-Muslim Forum on Tuesday to improve relations between the world’s two largest faiths.

The three-day meeting comes two years after Pope Benedict angered the Muslim world with a speech implying Islam was violent and irrational. In response, 138 Muslim scholars invited Christian churches to a new dialogue to foster mutual respect through a better understanding of each other’s beliefs.

In their manifesto, “A Common Word,” the Muslims argued that both faiths shared the core principles of love of God and neighbor. The talks focus on what this means for the religions and how it can foster harmony between them.

The meeting, including an audience with Pope Benedict, is the group’s third conference with Christians after talks with United States Protestants in July and Anglicans last month.

Jesus is the Word. (See 1 John 1.)

How can Muslims have a common Word with Catholics?

Or with Christians?

Hold to His Hand

Danny and Liisa, Liisa and Dan,
Walking together through life hand in hand
Raising a family, doing their best
Through thick and thin and every hard test
Holding to God and trusting His way
Living and laughing and loving each day.
Till one day God called
And He said, “Come home, Dan,
I’d like you to sing in my heavenly band
I’ll care for your family — trust Me on this,
They’re special to Me and I know they will miss
You, Dan, as their father,
But I want them to trust
And have faith in Me — that is a must.”
So now picture with me a brand new Dan
Walking with Jesus hand in hand
Now do you not hold to Jesus’ hand too?
Are you seeing the picture in this life so new?
You on one side, and Dan on the other
Jesus between you still holds you together
Yes, we must let go and not wish him back
Though our hearts break and we feel such a lack
God has a grand purpose, a wonderful plan
Keep trusting and hold to His unchanging hand.

My wife Ruby wrote this yet-unfinished poem for Liisa. (I just made up the title — Ruby hasn’t titled it yet.)

For those interested in the family connection, Dan’s mother is my first cousin Janet (Shetler) Ewing.

Danny and Liisa Ewing and some of their children

Above all, love God!