Moral Outcry

While we rejoice over the victory of the Stupak-Pitts Amendment which would create a ban on public abortion funding under the proposed national health care plan, a Planned Parenthood leader is seething. Cecile Richards, President of Planned Parenthood Action Fund, sent out this letter to her mailing list Sunday afternoon. Some of the things she said struck me, not only for obvious reasons but because of the parallel we as Christians should be noting. We could actually learn a lot from them.

“At Planned Parenthood, we fought together with you until the bitter end (thank you), and once we lost the vote on women's health, we started to do what we do best — gear up for our next fight.” - Richards

The warrior attitude Richards is portraying should be our attitude as we battle in the heavenlies for the lives of the unborn. Jesus makes a striking point when the Pharisees accuse Him of being of Satan when He casts out demons. He says:

"Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand. And if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? ... Or how can someone enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? Then indeed he may plunder his house. Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. (Mat 12:25-26, 29-30)

We want the “goods”—the ending of abortion in America. This isn’t the time to cry, “Democrat!” “Republican!” It’s the time to cry, “JESUS!”

Jesus’ response to the Pharisees is a reminder of the power of unity. The side for abortion is united. They rally and fight; they are warriors. Those who support abortion are militant about it. Some would likely die for this cause.

Richards’ statement later in her letter is notable:

“The fight in the House is over, but the fight in the Senate is just beginning. It's time to use our strongest weapon: the White House.”- Richards

Planned Parenthood believes the ruler of this land is their strongest battle tool. A link on their action page will take you here to a suggested email to President Obama, holding him to his promise to support abortion. It says, in essence, “you said it, now do it!”

Our strongest weapon is the Ruler of everything, Jesus Christ, who has all power and authority. We have the right to do the same thing Planned Parenthood is doing, but instead of the President, we have Jesus. Our job is not to accept defeat and “hope” that maybe this won’t go through. One Republican House member says it’s unlikely the amendment will survive even the House-Senate conference committee. So what’s our response? While they ask in the president’s name, we ask in Jesus’ name.  

This simple principle is our strongest weapon in these next weeks as the battle continues. Jesus tells us over and over to ask: “And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith." (Mat 21:22), “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you” (John 15:7 ), “Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you” (John 16:23).

One of Newton’s basic laws of physics says forces work in pairs, that "for every action there is equal and opposite reaction." Planned Parenthood has taken action. The organization is clearly upset, even removing support from the health plan if it doesn’t support abortion. They are uniting as one and letting their voices rise to the highest office in the land.

Our equal and opposite reaction is to unite as one body of believers, to let our voices rise to the highest office in the universe, the supreme court of Heaven as we continue to humble ourselves and pray and seek His face (2 Chron. 7:14).

God receives our united prayers as “golden bowls of incense” (Rev. 5:8). Who knows what prayers tipped the bowls so that 64 Democrats supported a pro-life amendment Saturday? Who knows what prayers may tip the bowls and not let any anti-life health care reform go through? It might be our one little sparsely attended prayer meeting that tips the last bowl in this battle.

Remember that law of physics? As our prayers go up, something has to come down. It’s God who invented physics. He uses prayer to govern the universe, and when we stand and cry out for Him to move, He will move.  

That’s our action plan.