Part 1

Most of us have pivot-points in our lives. These could be brought about by marriage, children, deaths, success, failure, etc. 

Although my first taste of a tree-ripened mango in the tropics was mildly life-changing, the most important pivot-point anyone can have is a conversion brought about by repentance and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.         

Pivot-points are moments when you remember where you were, and what everything around you looked, smelled, sounded, felt, and even tasted like.  One such moment happened to me a number of years ago…

 My wife and I were at a friend’s home with many other guests.  The food was plentiful, and the conversation lively.  A good friend and I were standing off to the side munching on trail mix, talking and laughing as usual.  Drawn together by our unique sense of humor, he and I quickly became and remain good friends.

 Somehow, in the course of our conversation we started talking about abortion.  I shared with him some recent stats on abortion that I found appalling.  My friend was in the medical field, and worked at an Adventist hospital, so I made what I considered to be a safe statement:

 “Well, I’m sure that abortions don’t happen at Adventist hospitals...”

 His face fell.  He sighed, and said; “It happens.”

 My spine involuntarily tingled.  I just barely suppressed a yell, “What?!?!”

 He looked down.  “I know, I know...”

 I replied, “You know, I have heard that some Adventists were a bit wimpy on this issue, but never in my wildest dreams did I ever suspect that Adventist hospitals would be murdering babies!”

 I was devastated.  I could think of nothing else the whole evening.  On the way home I spewed out an impassioned monologue to my wife.  Maybe I should’ve let her drive... Somehow we made it home safely, and I laid in bed for some time thinking about what I had just heard.  I just couldn’t believe that God’s Remnant Church would be anything less than 100% clear on this subject!  I guess I was pretty naive.  

 Those next few days I was on a campaign.  I spoke with a few other Adventist friends in the medical field and they admitted that abortions do happen in Adventist hospitals.  I was increasingly disgusted.  What on stinking earth?!?!  I then asked myself what I could do to stop it.  Maybe I could setup an ongoing protest in front of an Adventist hospital with signs, banners and everything!  I discovered that most people were scared to do so — as that would likely doom their employment at said facility. Now what?

 “Maybe I could hire a bunch of long-haired hippies,” I thought, “they’re always up for a good protest.”  I then began to question how effective such a protest would be. I mean, while my wife and I do have an ample stash of Patchouli oil, the bill for that much veganic permacultured fair-trade conflict-free kale could be huge.

 I was at my wits’ end.  I have never been much of an activist, yet the reality of our very own institutions performing infanticide was unconscionable to me.

 I began researching the Church’s official position on abortion.  I discovered that the founders of the Advent Movement were staunchly opposed to abortion & universally upheld the sanctity of life!  And no, Ellen White was NOT silent on this issue.  She was quite settled on the state of the unborn:

 “If the father would become acquainted with physical law, he might better understand his obligations and responsibilities. He would see that he had been guilty of almost murdering his children, by suffering so many burdens to come upon the mother, compelling her to labor beyond her strength before their birth, in order to obtain means to leave for them” (Selected Messages, Vol. 2).

 Need we go further down that trail?  I think not. Research it if you wish, but you will find our beloved founders were clear on this subject (of course)!  Besides, if I understand the purpose of the red books correctly, it was to show how awesome the Black Book is and to build my foundation on that.  The Bible is overwhelmingly strong on the sanctity of life!  Of course...

 The next step was reading the church’s official statement on abortion.  This was surprisingly weak!  Weak, weak, weak!  It’s about as strong as that one limp, clammy hand you have to shake every Sabbath (you know the one).  COME ON!!!  The statement basically lays a biblical groundwork for the sanctity of life, but then leaves it up to you. It’s... up to you… if you want to murder what Jesus called “the least among us.”  

 Uncle Bob

 You know, maybe it’s finally time for Uncle Bob to step in.  You know Uncle Bob… Family reunions wouldn’t be the same without him!  He arrives late in his `89 Trans Am with his big-haired wife and loudly declares his opinions about everything from politics to Grandma’s tapioca.  Still proudly sporting a full mullet & moustache, his cut-off jeans and mustard-stained Lynyrd Skynyrd T-shirt complete the ensemble.  Is it time for some converted Uncle Bob’s in Adventist leadership?  I SAY YES!!!

 Let's say Uncle Bob gets baptized & ditches the T-shirt; upgrading to a humus-stained tie instead.  The Holy Spirit now gives Bob discretion and an extra scoop of tact, but he is still unafraid to say what needs to be said.  Boom!  Now there's a force to be reckoned with!

 Deep down, everyone loves Uncle Bob.  Why?  Because he doesn’t care what anyone thinks!  You know where he stands.  Can you imagine what an army of converted Uncle Bobs could accomplish in Adventist leadership roles?  It’s time to stop caring what people think!  Let us only care what God thinks, and then speak His truth in love!  Be a converted Uncle Bob!     

 BTW, regardless of your country or culture, I am confident you have an Uncle Bob archetype in your family…

 There’s no doubt in my mind that we are the remnant movement of God.  I studied it out years ago & I am 100% all-in.  I was truly converted at my first GYC in 2005 (Chattanooga) as a 21-year-old young man.  I saw firsthand the "matchless charms of Christ."  I gave my whole heart to Jesus for the first time & eagerly sought to follow Him wherever He went.  

 Our Jesus

 Jesus is the best example of anyone, anywhere.  He is the best leader, story-teller, trainer, recruiter, confidant, minister, servant, listener, speaker, example, teacher, hero, thinker, warrior & friend!  The same brilliant Warrior who will soon come galloping in on a flaming, flying horse to defeat His enemies is the same gentle teacher who once said; “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven.”  If “offending” a little child warrants a millstone around your neck in the Marianas Trench, what do you think murdering a little child warrants?

 Jesus NEVER shied away from conflict when it needed to be met.  Remember those crazy demon-possessed men (Luke 8)? Jesus stood and faced them with no fear.  

Our current culture is not being led by Jesus, but by the Prince of Demons himself.  We have let this very culture infect our minds to the point that we can’t say definitively whether infanticide is right or wrong.  God help us!!!

 What would Jesus do?  Jesus would stand… stand with shoulders squared and countenance set like a stone against this unspeakable evil.  “Not in my Church!,” He would say. I invite you to take up this rallying cry.

 Come on people!  I feel ridiculous even writing this.  This is a no-brainer.  Hey, maybe that’s the problem… maybe we just need more brains!  Actually we need more guts.  I mean, they say the gut is our second brain, so… I've got you either way.

 The Statistics

 Since 1973, more than 61 million children have been slaughtered in the Christian nation of America. 

That's more than ten times the Jewish Holocaust!  We can scarcely control what the world does, but we can set up a bulwark around this beloved Movement.  "Not in my church!"

 One of the main reasons God asked Israel to conquer the Canaanite nations was because of their detestable human (and particularly, child) sacrifice.  Look what we are doing now… sacrificing the least among us for our convenience.  No longer do you have to sear your infant in the fiery arms of Moloch - now you can simply "terminate the pregnancy" with a simple "procedure."  

 Back in 2015, the Adventist Church spent much time and money belaboring the decision of whether or not an ordained minister should be male or female.  Thankfully, the Movement decided to stay with Scriptural principles and not yield to cultural pressure.

HOW MUCH GREATER….  is “thou shalt not murder?!”  I just can't believe that of all the commandments, the 6th would be a struggle for us.  Wow...

 The truth is, the vast majority of Adventists worldwide are against abortion.  It's mostly just us blithering morons in the West that can't seem to decide if it's an abnormal clump of cells or a precious human baby being knit together in its mother's womb (Psalm 139:13).

I happen to disagree with the Church of Rome basically declaring male "genetic material" to be sacrosanct.  Come on, those little guys are dying by the millions all the time.  Every month at least one female egg dissolves, unless… it is fertilized.  At that moment - when those two cells unite, a chain-reaction begins.  Everyone knows that the final product will be a human - not a cat, a Super Soaker, or shiny new 4-slot toaster.  A human!  So, can we stop with calling an unborn child "tissue?"  Talk about denying science! SMH yet again...

 It behooves us to diligently fight for every true truth out there.  Weakness on the law leads to weakness on sin and weakness on the Sabbath which leads to weakness on Creation which leads to adopting macroevolutionary theories which leads to a rejection of the sanctity of life which leads to weakness on abortion.  Now, clearly not all paths to abortion follow these exact steps, but I hope you can see how giving ground on one foundational truth can lead to a catastrophic collapse of all others!

 Perhaps, in order to help end this mind-numbing nonsense in our Movement, we may need to have a few "strange bedfellows" (please pardon the odd expression).  What do I mean?  Well… often the most zealous amongst us are also the most weird.  If weird, annoying zealots are doing yeoman's work on uprooting this apostasy from our beloved church, then consider supporting them – wherever you can!  Never compromise principles, but hey if they are right, they are right. Just a thought…

 So, what else can be done?  A few suggestions: 

• Pray
• Write letters to people in authority asking for action.
• Pray
• Create, and/or sign an Adventist anti-abortion petition.
• Pray
• Reach out to other Adventists and network.  Meet to pray & brainstorm ideas.
• Pray
• Gather with other Adventists near compromising Adventist health institutions & pray for victory.
• Oh yeah. PRAY !

However, please don't stay on your knees forever.  Get up and do something! 

Part 2

Advent Health

 Now, I know that Advent Health is separate from the church, but I’m not going to get into all the reasons (others have expounded on this quite well). 

The fact is, If Adventist health institutions want to bear the name or have an affiliation with the SDA Church, then there needs to be a complete moratorium of abortions within those facilities.  If we "lose" a few hospitals as a result, then so be it.  Better to remain true to God.  Others are much smarter on this issue, so I will leave it in their capable hands.  It's no doubt going to take a lot of legal wrangling & fine print analyzing to get it done.  Pray for solid solutions!

The value of a human soul is of infinite worth.  There is no dollar amount you can put on a human life — especially not a "procedure" that ended that life.  There will no doubt be countless little children in the resurrection that a hospital said was only worth $1,500 but Jesus will read their precious names engraved in His nail-pierced hands.

Resolving The Guilt Of Abortion

I understand that some of you may know people who have aborted a child.  I do. The guilt is overwhelming.  I have close personal friends that have seriously contemplated suicide because they aborted their child.

Maybe you have aborted a child in your past.  If so, there is healing in Jesus.  He can forgive you.  There is nothing He cannot forgive — if you confess and repent (1 John 1:9).  You cannot undo the past, but you can forever be forgiven of this sin. There is healing in Jesus.

 As the Remnant of God, we are called to be the head & not the tail.  Stem the tide!  Stop the violence!  Be the head!  Be the head on everything!  We have been earlier than most everyone else on so many key issues:

• We were early on slavery
• We were early on health principals
• We were early on abortion 

Street Cred

My wife and I are millennials (born between 1980—2000). You don’t hear from millennials on this issue very often and it’s time for that to change. Look folks, (listen up, Peeps) many, many other denominations are like totes "woke" on this issue and are far ahead of us!  Just this year, the movie "Unplanned" was a major pro-life hit.  We are not the head on abortion and it sickens me!  Make no mistake, our weakness on abortion will one day be a massive public embarrassment (think pre-conversion Uncle Bob to the power of 10, or "PCUB^10").  

One day we will have to answer to the Christian world and to God Himself as to why we didn't protect every single defenseless child within our gates.  What will you say?  Talk about humiliatingly awkward!  

The sooner we reform our position to pure rightness, the sooner we can have a better story to tell about our denomination's reformation on this topic, and save the lives of innocents within our gates.

Calling All Men

 So, where does the buck stop?  Most of the leadership in this church is indeed male.  It is time for the males to become men!  Too many stallions among us have willfully let this politically-correct culture castrate them – so they can graze peacefully & quietly in a back corner of the pasture as docile geldings.  No stinking longer.  God is asking you to "Be strong, and show yourself a man (1 Kings 2:2)!"

As the natural defender (and the majority of leadership), God will require much of us men on That Day.  Just as God asked Adam to answer for both his and his wife's sin, God will ask those in leadership roles to give an account.  It is almost entirely men's fault that the official church is weak on abortion. If men of God stand up, the rest are sure to follow their lead.  Weakness begets weakness, but courage begets courage!

Many use “lamesauce” arguments like "what if the mother's life is in danger, or what if the child is a deformed, or a result of incest or rape?"  These arguments are lame because they are an attempt to sidestep the main issue at hand.  Firstly, elective abortions in our institutions are the primary concern here.  Stop them all. Boom.

Secondly, "abortion saves the life of the mother" is a ridiculous straw-man (oops, pronoun-slip) argument.  Here's a guy with letters who said some stuff:

 “There are no conceivable clinical situations today where abortion is necessary to save the life of the mother. In fact, if her health is threatened and an abortion is performed, the abortion increases risks the mother will incur regarding her health.” — Dr. Bernard Nathanson, American Bioethics Advisory Commission

Thirdly, the deformed and mentally challenged among us deserve to live!  Nazi Germany started "euthanizing" the sick, old and disabled first because "clearly they had no quality of life."  You are not to be the judge among the helpless among us lives or dies. This is yet another lame-cake argument!

Fourthly, the awful sins of incest & rape in no way validate the sin of murdering the innocent product of those heinous crimes!  Extreme Failmuffins! BTW, I have a friend who kept her daughter who is a result of a violent assault. She travels and speaks about the sanctity of life.  Countless people have reconsidered their stance through her story!

 So...

 If/when the General Conference retrofits their stance on abortion, it must, in no uncertain terms, mandate a number of things: 

1.     A complete moratorium on all abortions (elective or otherwise) in Adventist-affiliated medical facilities.

2.     A CRYSTAL CLEAR OFFICIAL STATEMENT AGAINST ALL ABORTION!

3.     A clear process to deal with members who have abortions from then on.  Membership should be revoked for a certain period with opportunity for full renewal of membership — if they so desire.  I think we all agree that restoration ought to be the goal… 

Final Thoughts

In closing, I am confident this Remnant Movement will continue until the very end.  I am also confident that a shaking & refining process will render a very different-looking group on the other side of said shaking (Heb 12:27).  Things are already shaking, and we can feel it. Better to face the fiery darts of the enemy unfettered by this grievous burden about our necks!

 The blood of countless innocents cry out to God from the ground (Gen 4:10).  May nary a drop of their precious blood ever fall the ground within our care! 

If it does, I'll sic "Uncle Bob" on you…