Blood Money

Monday was my first training session at the pregnancy resource center. I learned so much! It is both overwhelming and exciting to think about serving these precious women at the center.

At the very beginning of the session we watched a documentary called "Blood Money: The Business of Abortion" and it was extremely eye opening. It was so interesting to hear the history behind abortion and abortion clinics such as Planned Parenthood. These were some things I learned that were hard to swallow:

* On average, 1 out of every 4 women is post-abortive, even within the church.

* Abortion clinics deliberately distribute defective condoms and ineffective birth control pills to girl KNOWING that they will fail and the ladies will be back soon for an abortion.

* The goal of the clinics is to get the girls by age 16 for their first abortion, that way they can ensure at least 3-4 others after the first.

* Abortions take place throughout all 3 trimesters! (holds a totally new perspective after caring for my OB patients during my clinical year!)

* "Pro-choice" is an ironic choice of wording since most women who have abortions would say they felt as if they had "no choice" but to abort because of the pressures from parents, boyfriends, even the church.

* Abortion clinics are an INDUSTRY where almost all revenue is collected cash which is therefore not reported. So while they are paying hardly any taxes to operate the businesses they are also being funded heavily by the government with 300 million tax dollars annually.

* At clinics 20-30 abortions are performed every hour, often without sterilized equipment which should be required for such an invasive surgical procedure. Infection rates are often as high as 75%. 1/500 have a major complication.

* "Abortions" are often performed on women who are not even pregnant so that money can be collected.

While its easy to walk away from this disgusted, the reality is that each of us has within us this type of evil! We are by nature children of wrath like the rest of mankind. We live in a world marred by sin, full of deception, and teeming with lies. Though I have never experienced the pain and hurt of abortion, I know this is only by a miracle of grace and protection from the Lord. Though I have not been through it, I know how easily it could have been me in that crisis pregnancy, struggling to know what to do in the midst of all the pressures of the world. I pray that the Lord will use me to help bring life and healing to so many women who are in the midst of crisis, that they would know that they are loved deeply by Christ, that He bore the full weight of sin, the full wrath of God. My God is a God who rescues from the pit, Hallelujah!

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we ALL once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature CHILDREN OF WRATH, like the rest of mankind. BUT GOD, being rich in mercy, because of the GREAT LOVE with which he loved us, even when we were DEAD in our trespasses, MADE US ALIVE together with Christ—by GRACE you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is NOT YOUR OWN DOING; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:1-10

And as he reclined at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners were reclining with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. 16 And the scribes of the Pharisees, when they saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, said to his disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.” Mark 2:15-17

Psalm 103:1 Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and all that is within me,
bless his holy name!
2 Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits,
3 who forgives all your iniquity,
who heals all your diseases,
4 who redeems your life from the pit,
who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
5 who satisfies you with good
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.

6 The Lord works righteousness
and justice for all who are oppressed.
7 He made known his ways to Moses,
his acts to the people of Israel.
8 The Lord is merciful and gracious,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
9 He will not always chide,
nor will he keep his anger forever.
10 He does not deal with us according to our sins,
nor repay us according to our iniquities.
11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;
12 as far as the east is from the west,
so far does he remove our transgressions from us.
13 As a father shows compassion to his children,
so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him.
14 For he knows our frame;
he remembers that we are dust.

15 As for man, his days are like grass;
he flourishes like a flower of the field;
16 for the wind passes over it, and it is gone,
and its place knows it no more.
17 But the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him,
and his righteousness to children's children,
18 to those who keep his covenant
and remember to do his commandments.
19 The Lord has established his throne in the heavens,
and his kingdom rules over all.

20 Bless the Lord, O you his angels,
you mighty ones who do his word,
obeying the voice of his word!
21 Bless the Lord, all his hosts,
his ministers, who do his will!
22 Bless the Lord, all his works,
in all places of his dominion.
Bless the Lord, O my soul!

Here is the video from the trailer if you are interested in learning more:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYaTywSDmls&feature=player_embedded