God, Jesus and our Children

Continuing to build The Kendall Keepsake Foundation-
Our mission statement and business plan is in progress:
“To spread the love of Jesus Christ by providing parents of unborn children with an adverse diagnosis with a keepsake package to memorialize their child through creative and personalized art that embraces the legacy of life that God has created.”

More details to come, but I'm excited about the creative part and helping others celebrate their baby's life. This will be easy with families who choose the same path we chose.

And I remind myself everyday that this is a Christian ministry, and Christ comes first. And where are most of the unbelievers? The 97% confused and not carrying to term. 

Part 1:

This week on the anencephaly group that I'm in there have been some new comers. Some who choose full term and others who don't. And I can feel the pain of the ones who have chosen not to. They are torn, struggling, and confused. As someone who has grown up a Christian, it's hard for me not to want to reach out, shake them and say "why can't you just get it!?". But as our ministry is starting, I'm using it as a way to prepare for the hard questions. Where is my baby after they are gone? Is there a God? Why would God allow this to happen? Many have said they don't want to put their family through such pain. And how to I convey that without such pain they wouldn't be able to feel the depth of love that I know I have felt. And how awesome that feeling is. And how that feeling overcomes the negative.

We won't be able to talk with everyone face to face. So, I've been trying to compile some scripture that we'll eventually have on a website to help point in God's direction...

It seems easy to believe our babies are in Heaven. (Matthew 18:1-5) Many people also say, “we’ll see them again”. And many say that they are (like) Angels looking over us. I believe they are in Heaven as well. But it’s whether or not you/we will get to Heaven to be able see your/our baby.

How do you know you will be there?

John 3:16- For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

God knows our pain of losing a child. But what does it mean to believe? Faith? A lot of people believe there is a God… but what do they do with that?

John 14:6- Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

We have to believe in Jesus, but what does it mean by “through me”?

Romans 10: 9-13- that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.” 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. 13 For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

Sincerity-
Matthew 7:21- “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
Mouth Confession? Whoever Calls? Prayer to God to be saved. What to Pray?

Faith, Repentance, Obedience, Confession:

Faith-
Hebrews 11:6- And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

Repentance-
1 Kings 8:47- ‘We have sinned, we have done wrong, we have acted wickedly’

Confession-
Leviticus 5:5- when anyone becomes aware that they are guilty in any of these matters, they must confess in what way they have sinned.

James 5:16- Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.

Obedience-
Romans 6:17-18- But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching that has now claimed your allegiance. 18 You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.

Okay, I prayed a sincere prayer to God that I know I‘m a sinner, I believe that He sent Jesus to save us from our sins and that I want to obey and live for Him… now what?

People put Christians up on a pedestal. But we’re all human. We all still sin. But it’s that Christians try to turn away from sin that sets us apart. We realized we’ve done wrong and our hearts change to do better. We strive to be Christ-like. We obey. We read His word. We feel the Holy Spirit inside us leading us the right way. And we show and tell others about His love.

Show:
Baptism-
Acts 2:38-Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Acts 22:16- And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name.

Matthew 22:36-40- 36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’[a] 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Tell:
2 Timothy 1:8- So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord

Matthew 4:18-20- Jesus Calls His First Disciples
18 As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 19 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” 20 At once they left their nets and followed him.

Acts 1:8- But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” 

Mark 16:15- He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.

Job 1: God knew Job was strong in his faithfulness and let Satan test him, taking away all he had. He proclaimed:

“Naked I came from my mother’s womb,
    and naked I will depart.
The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away;
    may the name of the Lord be praised.”

22 In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing.

So going back to "why God would allow this to happen?" God didn't make this happen, but He uses these times for us to grow closer to Him...

Part 2 to come... probably focusing on a response to "I can't put my family/children through this". Benefits to going full term verses not.  Trying not to be condemning throwing out abortion verses, but compassionate to the pain people are feeling... This part might not be so straight forward in the Bible, so I'll need some prayers on the right wording.

Update 7/26/12: I've always been one to listen to people's issues, hear both sides of a story and give understanding to both parties. I was President of a sorority for 2.5 years... comes with the territory with 18-22 yo girls. So I realized today that to better give support on the reasons why I believe in going to term with pregnancies, I'll have to understand the (good?), bad and ugly of the opposite.

After reading about someone who is terminating their pregnancy, the word "miscarry" verses "terminate" or "abortion" gets thrown out. I know this is a touchy subject, and again, I know I'm not the one to judge, God is. I'm just educating myself. If you Wikipedia "miscarriage", "spontaneous abortion" is right next to it. So there again, it shows many people seemed confused by what they are doing... what is natural and in God's timing verses un-natural and in man's timing. 

Jesus Friend of Sinners (Casting Crowns)