Tag Archives: pregnancy

The Second Glance, Sex, and Murder

Posted on March 25, 2022 by expressyourself4him

One of my most viewed blogs over the past decade is The Second Glance. Yet, this is only the beginning of the demise of King David. According to 2 Samuel 11, David’s second glance at a naked women led to sexual relations with a married woman. When Israel’s king wasn’t able to cover up Bathsheba’s pregnancy as he initially planned, David gave orders to for Uriah to go off on a suicide mission resulting in his death.

In the spring, when kings go forth to battle, David sent Joab with his servants and all Israel, and they ravaged the Ammonites [country] and besieged Rabbah. But David remained in Jerusalem. 2 One evening David arose from his couch and was walking on the roof of the king’s house, when from there he saw a woman bathing; and she was very lovely to behold, 2 Samuel 11:1-2.

When I was a member of the Spiritual Life Committee at Red Lion Christian Academy, I took a group of senior high students to an annual retreat. During one of these conferences, the keynote messages was based upon the consequences of sin. Using Romans 7 as a reference, the speaker claimed that sin will cost you more than you ever expected, sin will captivate your attention longer than you planned, and sin will make you stay beyond the time you intended. This is exactly what happened to King David.

David sent and inquired about the woman. One said, Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite? 4 And David sent messengers and took her. And she came in to him, and he lay with her—for she was purified from her uncleanness. Then she returned to her house, 2 Samuel 11:3-4.

Christian artist Kenny Marks sings about a similar fall from grace in his 1986 hit The Party’s Over. Kenny writes about a rendezvous that two students have at a high school party. Like the start of any romance, infatuation leads to lust, lust triggers passion, and uninhibited passion leads a young woman to give her virginity away. Like David and Bathsheba, this one stand conceived a child placed into a no-win situation.

In the morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it with Uriah. 15 And he wrote in the letter, Put Uriah in the front line of the heaviest fighting and withdraw from him, that he may be struck down and die, 2 Samuel 11:14-15.

Sin turns a curious child into a rebellious prodigal. If you don’t have anyone to hold you accountable for your actions, you’ll end up like a wayward son or daughter on the highway to hell, Matthew 7:13-14. When sin becomes full blown, James 1:15, Christians end up like the apostle Paul in Romans 7:15-16, under the influence of sinful addictions. Before this gets out of hand like David’s situation, confess your sins and turn back to Jesus today, James 5:16. Go now and leave your life of sin before it ruins your life.

by Jay Mankus

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Unplanned

Posted on September 22, 2019 by expressyourself4him

Rarely does a teenager know exactly what they want to do at an early age and takes the steps to fulfill their dreams. Sure, elite athletes, so called prodigies often become professional athletes, but not everyone succeeds. Abby Johnson possessed a hunger deep inside of her heart to help women. This passion propelled Johnson to become one of the youngest Planned Parenthood clinic directors in the United States. A fervent believer in a woman’s right to choose, Abby defended abortion as pro-life protestors surrounded her clinic daily. Abby had designs to be an advocate for Planned Parenthood for life until what see saw during a routine abortion changed everything.

When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come, John 16:13.

According to recent statistics, Planned Parenthood clinics performed 332, 757 abortions in 2018. Each of these accounts have a story of a pregnancy terminated due to some reason. For some of these women, this act brought relief that a child was not born out of wedlock. As time has passed, perhaps guilt and shame have consumed other souls, second guessing their decision. The 2019 film Unplanned shines light on women who have been silenced by the media, afraid that if their testimony is heard, more women will choose adoption or birth over killing unborn children. While the name Planned Parenthood suggests these clinics offer counseling for expecting parents, performing abortions has become a cash cow, with most clinics focusing solely on scheduling and performing abortions.

So Pilate said to Him, “Then You are a King?” Jesus answered, “You say [correctly] that I am a King. This is why I was born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth [who is a friend of the truth and belongs to the truth] hears and listens carefully to My voice.” 38 Pilate said to Him [scornfully], “What is truth?” And when he had said this, he went out to the Jews again and told them, “I find no guilt in Him [no crime, no cause for an accusation], John 18:37-38.

The conversation between a governor named Pilate and Jesus sum up the current political debate over abortion. The context of this dialogue occurs on the eve of Jesus’ crucifixion as religious leaders persuaded a majority of the people in Jerusalem to hand Jesus over to be executed. The idea of truth is difficult today as Pro-Choice advocates are in favor of terminating pregnancies. The truth about this play on words is that if you are pro-choice, you are for the death of the unborn. Since this doesn’t sound good, optics have been changed to focus on a women’s right to choose. Prior to her life altering experience, Abby Johnson was adored by social media, a champion for women and women’s right. Now that Johnson has switched sides to the Pro-Life crowd, the truth is clear to Abby. My prayer is that as individuals watch Unplanned, the truth will set you free from the pressure to conform to worldly standards.

by Jay Mankus

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A Heartbeat

Posted on June 11, 2019 by expressyourself4him

I recently stumbled upon an interesting article from 2014.  A google search led me to NPR, National Public Radio’s website which posted a piece entitled Why Hospitals and Families Still Struggle to Define Death?  Maanvi Singh examined two cases of people on life support.  Three neurologists said that Jahi McMath died when her brain lost all function after complications from a tonsillectomy.  While a coroner has issued an official death certificate, Jahi’s family won an appeal to keep their daughter on a ventilator.  This is where science and faith collide.

For You formed my innermost parts; You knit me [together] in my mother’s womb. 14   I will give thanks and praise to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; wonderful are Your works, and my soul knows it very well, Psalm 139:13-14.

A fetus’s heart rate begins soon after fertilization and is visible during an ultrasound at the sixth week of pregnancy.  Meanwhile, when a human heart stops beating while in an emergency vehicle or at a hospital, this person is deemed to flatline.  If resuscitation does not trigger hearts to beat, this individual is pronounced dead as doctors move on to the next living patient who needs intervention.  King Solomon referred to the heart as the well spring of life, Proverbs 4:23.  When this spring dries up, life ceases to exist.  While cases of life support may convince some that when brain cells are beyond repair death has arrived, I believe a heartbeat is the deciding factor.

My frame was not hidden from You, when I was being formed in secret, and intricately and skillfully formed [as if embroidered with many colors] in the depths of the earth.16  Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; and in Your book were all written the days that were appointed for me, when as yet there was not one of them [even taking shape], Psalm 139:15-16.

As abortion debates continue today with a few states suggesting doctors and or mothers can choose to terminate life after a child is born, the names Amy Grossman and Brian Peterson come to mind.  When Grossman became pregnant while attending the University of Delaware, this couple got a hotel room off campus as Amy was about to give birth.  Instead of giving their child up for adoption, the baby was thrown into a dumpster and left to die in 1998.  If this event occurred today in the state of New York or Virginia, Amy and Brian would have never gone to jail.  So what has changed over the past 20 years?  Has America become blinded by political correctness that a heartbeat doesn’t matter anymore?  I’m not sure what to think, but I pray that common sense will prevail.

by Jay Mankus

 

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Lowering the Bar or Extending God’s Grace?

Posted on January 30, 2019 by expressyourself4him

As a former Catholic, you can tell a lot about the direction of a church based it’s leadership.  Pope Francis, the head of the Roman Catholic Church, is now calling for priests to forgive any woman who has terminated a pregnancy.  During a recent interview on cable news, a member of a local archdiocese summarized this theological change.  In the past, female Catholics who had an abortion were excommunicated from the church, viewing this act of killing an innocent life.  Today, Pope Francis wants to focus on love and forgiveness by extending grace to those who have fallen short of God’s glory.

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me,” 2 Corinthians 12:9.

When I heard excerpts of this interview, I wasn’t sure what to think.  However, now that I have had time to digest this new stance, there are two possible explanations.  First, the church is lowering the bar by altering the expectations of what it means to be a modern day Christian.  Just as public education has changed the standards for a passing grade, clergy is now more accepting.  As godliness diminishes within society it’s hard to find willing servants of Jesus.  Thus, many churches are being forced to overlook past transgressions to fill half empty buildings and worship services.

But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace, Romans 11:6.

The other logical explanation is a shift from an Old Testament view of God’s wrath and judgment toward a New Testament approach based upon the love of Jesus.  This theological position points to the parable of the prodigal son in Luke 15.  God is already working in the lives of the righteous according to Matthew 9:9-13.  It’s the rebellious, lost and those wandering in the dark who need help.  Instead of emphasizing church growth, pastors have become more evangelistic to reach out to a generation of people who have not grown up in the church.  Depending upon your theological beliefs, you may lean toward one of these two positions.  Nonetheless, the church is suppose to be the hands and feet of Christ, like a beacon of light piercing into the darkness of a spiritually dead and dying world.

by Jay Mankus

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