Christmas Greetings to Family and Friends

As another year draws to a close, we look forward to celebrating Christmas and the beginning of a New Year.  Our prayer is for sensitivity to each other, and to others, as John assumes new teaching responsibilities at Cedarville College, as Brad graduates from Cedarville High School and enters college, as Mindy enters her teen years, and as Abby labors to make our home a place of refreshment, rest, and hospitality.

So concluded the Silvius Christmas letter for 1987 as we purposed with a prayer for sensitivity to each other as our family of four faced the prospects of the New Year 1988, thirty-five years ago.  Those 35 years have seen Brad and Mindy find their marriage partners, establish their own homes and pursue meaningful professional careers.  We are humbly thankful to God for the privilege of having a son and daughter, blessed to see them grow in the love and grace of God and to experience their kind respect for, and patience toward, their mom and dad; and, more recently to one another in our growing family.

As we reflect on our 53 years of marriage and the many blessings Abby and I have experienced in our 76 years of life, the truth of 1 Corinthians 4: 7 is becoming more and more real to us: 
What do you have that God hasn’t given you?
And if everything you have is from God,
why boast as though it were not a gift?

It is in the spirit of this reminder from God who is the “Giver of every good and perfect gift” (James 1: 17) that we have written this Christmas letter—not to boast about our family, but rather, to share news of what great things God is doing in and through us and each of our loved ones.

Brad continues to serve as a housing loan officer for John Adams Mortgage Co. in Ann Arbor, Michigan; and, his wife Raquel continues her responsibilities as Program and Project Manager at University of Michigan.  Together, they have continued to manage The Little Leaders Company which provides faith-based streaming media for toddlers.  During the past 2 years, Brad and Raquel have also become managers of a vacation rental unit in Florida.

Besides being a husband and father, Steve divides his energies between serving on the pastoral staff at Southeast Church in Tallmadge, OH; working full-time with a handyman home painting service; and trying his skills in the realty business with his newly acquired license.  Mindy is completing the first year in her new position as Advanced Practice Provider with Wellbe Senior Medical in the Akron area.  We are blessed to watch the maturing of Mindy and Steve’s three children, our grandchildren, as summarized in the following paragraphs.

Our grandson, Caleb and his wife Soni enjoy their home in the Pittsburgh area near a hub from which Caleb as a trucker for Papa John’s Pizza delivers fresh dough and fixings to pizza lovers in western PA and eastern Ohio.  As a relatively new homeowner, Caleb is learning handyman skills from his dad while Soni finds it a welcome break from her studies at Pittsburgh Technical College to decorate and prepare meals for the two of them and people such as their family who visit occasionally.

One of our family highlights in 2023 was the marriage of our older granddaughter, Kiara to John Basford.  This sweet couple is now establishing their home near North Canton.  Kiara continues her enrollment in college courses while working full time at a new start-up company, Buckeye Brownies.  John enjoys his work as HR Associate with Amazon.  Both are active in their home church, Southeast Church in Tallmadge.

Della Rose, our younger granddaughter, is a sophomore at Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy where she is currently enrolled in chemistry, history, Bible, and Spanish, among other courses.  We have recently enjoyed a Christmas choral program in which Della Rose sang as a member of the Concert Choral.  She loves animals, especially horses, and enjoys working part-time at Pegasus Farm, Hartville, OH.

Another family highlight in 2023 was our family weekend retreat in August at an Airbnb near Medina, Ohio where we enjoyed games, hiking and wading in a nearby stream, good food, and catching up on family news in a cozy environment.  Abby and I were also blessed once again to spend part of February in Florida with dear friends and family.

We are thankful for our home and neighborhood here in Wooster, Ohio.  We have many great neighbors who represent diverse ages, beliefs, values, and vocations.  Opportunities to assist several of them in times of need, or to ask assistance from them, have helped us build friendships and to share our home, garden vegetables, flowers, and faith.  Meanwhile, we are mindful of the lasting bonds we share with dear friends in the Cedarville community and beyond, and we thank those of you who have cooperated in our limited ability to stay in touch.

We are thankful for our church, West Hill Baptist Church, and for our small group which now meets in our home weekly.  John considers his accountability relationship with several godly men as a most blessed provision from our Heavenly Father.  Henry W. Longfellow’s lament, ’There is no peace on Earth,’ I said, now made famous in the hymn, “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day,” is becoming increasingly relevant as we see the increasing turmoil among nations; and, within our nation, churches, families, and even in our own minds.  Thankfully, God’s answer to this darkness plaguing all of us is the Light of the World, born on Christmas Day (Luke 4: 16-21).

Our own growth in the grace of God this year has been encouraged by both our blessings and our trials.  We thank several of you who have invited our prayers and assistance as you have faced physical and spiritual trials.  We have not forgotten you and especially at this time of year.  Thankfully, our trials have been “momentary light afflictions.”  John’s back injury in June became a blessing with the help of 30 sessions at Paragon Physical Medicine where “Dr. Bryce” and his amazing team inspired John to continue with a daily stretching routine.  Abby is thankful that an October fall didn’t cause a fatal injury to her head, and she is learning to walk more carefully.

Thank you for reading our letter, and thanks to many of you who have reached out to us with Christmas and year-end greetings and news.  Although you may not receive a mailed card from us, please know that we will be lifting each of you by name in prayer during the days ahead.  Meanwhile, we hope you will be blessed by the times you enjoy with family and friends, and in reflecting on God’s greatest Gift, Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace who came to help us, and is coming again.

Have a blessed Christmas and New Year,

Receive Oikonomia Monthly Free
Includes Oikonomia blog and informative articles that integrate science, faith, and culture, all coming together monthly to your preferred e-mail. 
Please click HERE to SUBSCRIBE FREE.

Is Light Dimming and Darkness Winning? – 1. Christmas Contrasts

Christmas is a holiday of great contrasts.  Myriads of bright lights pierce the cold darkness of winter nights.  While many are joyfully decorating their homes, others mourn after a year of trouble and loss.  Some are merrily singing “Peace on Earth, Good Will Toward Men” while others remember family members or friends serving in the Armed Services in harm’s way.  Still others are praying for peace and reconciliation with family members or beloved friends.  Regardless of where we find ourselves within these contrasts, we can hope and pray for the Comfort and Joy found a meaningful celebration of Christmas.

Three Christmas Contrasts
I’m thinking of two Christmas contrasts that stand out, and a third one which is more subtle.  All three have immense implications for humanity.  

The first contrast is rooted at the heart of this holy celebration.  It is the infinitely great contrast of the Eternal God who determined in eternity past that His only begotten Son, Jesus, would empty Himself of heavenly radiance and glory and be clothed in human flesh to be born in a dark stable and then live in a corrupted, fallen world.  Jesus, the Savior of the world, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despised the shame of bearing our sin and dying in our place, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God (Hebrews 12: 2).  This infinite contrast stands at the heart of the Gospel, the “Good News message” of salvation to all who will come in humble faith to the Christ of Christmas.  This fact brings us to a second great Christmas contrast.

Most people who celebrate Christmas do so with lights—beautiful, colored lights, and the more the better.  But in sharp contrast, while multitudes of people are attracted to Christmas lights they ignore or turn their backs on Jesus Christ who is the “Light of the World” (John 1: 4-5 and 9: 5).  At the same time, multitudes celebrate Jesus’s birthday by exchanging gifts while they ignore or reject God’s greatest Gift.

The Gospel of John, Chapter 1, explains that Jesus Christ, the Word of God (literally meaning “Reasoning for Life” Click HERE.), came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him (v. 11).  Later, in John 3: 19-21 (emphasis added), John explains that the Verdict is this: The Light has come into the world, but men loved the darkness rather than the Light because their deeds were evil.  Everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come into the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.  But whoever practices the truth comes into the Light, so that it may be seen clearly that what He has done has been accomplished in God.” [To learn more, click HERE.]

The Bible gives us the detailed account of a loving God pursuing mankind who is caught in sin, fear, and darkness.  The contrast or gulf between Holy God and sinful man; and, between born again child of God and the lost person facing judgment are infinitely large.  Thankfully, God’s Son became the sacrifice for sin in our place, providing a “bridge” across the gulf to God for all who come to the Light.  The Apostle John wrote, …as many as received him, to them he gave power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God (John 1: 12-13).  Later, in John 3, the Apostle explains that Jesus did not come into the world to judge the world (v. 17) but that the world might be saved from eternal judgment through faith in Him (v. 18).

When the sinner repents and turns from dependence upon his or her own merits to trust the finished work of Christ on the Cross, God does the rest. The God who pursues us through His Spirit says His Word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart, that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: that if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with your heart, you believe and are justified, and with your mouth you confess and are saved (Romans 10: 8-10, emphasis added).

Condemnation for sin is cancelled and the believer receives the righteousness of Christ (Romans 1: 17).  Without the convicting power of God’s Spirit and Word (John 16: 5-15) we remain dead in our trespasses and sin (Ephesians 2: 1).  But this stark contrast is followed by a third more subtle contrast.  So subtle that especially Christians may either underestimate its importance or be completely unaware of it.  The remainder of this article will be addressed to professing Christians, those who profess to have been saved by faith as described earlier.

Real Faith Works!
The subtle contrast to which we now refer is between what we as Christians claim to believe and what we actually live out as our profession of faith and practice.  James, half-brother of Jesus, described a “profession of faith in action” as an active faith that is visible through good works in contrast to a “dead faith.”  According to James 2: 14-26, a “profession of faith” is only genuine and real when it is expressed in both our words and works.

The seriousness of this subtle contrast cannot be underestimated for two reasons.  First, while we are saved by faith and not works, we should question the sincerity of our profession if there are no works, or “fruit” in our lives (See 1 John 3, 4).  Second, if we profess to be a Christian but are not really “born again” as God’s child and have no desire to obey and please God, we walk about the world as idolaters in that we do not represent the one true God.  Instead, we are “walking false idols” whose words and actions are those of a false god.  Many Christian leaders have remarked that the greatest threat to Christianity and to the spiritual condition of the Church worldwide is not the attacks from pagan or secular forces from outside.  Instead, it is from those within the Church who profess Christ but poorly represent Him by their lifestyles.  I write this with fear and trembling at the thought of how much I can easily slide into this pattern.

Many who are outside the community of the Christian faith place their “faith” in “good works” to justify their acceptance by God or another higher power.  Meanwhile, genuine Christians understand that it is by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not from yourselves; it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance as our way of life (Ephesians 2: 8-9).  We are saved by faith in the work of Christ, not by our own works.  But there’s more!  Once we are saved, God’s Spirit works within us to give us the desire to live pleasing to Him.  Otherwise, we can become spiritually and emotionally weary like a person who is too tired to put up Christmas decorations and finds no joy in turning on the lights.  There are times that I identify with this condition.  Has this ever described you?

Real Faith Is Alive in Us!
Christ-followers can drift into dark corners in mind, body, and spirit when we fail to abide in fellowship with our Savior and Helper through time in prayer, in His Word, and in fellowship with other believers.  We can all have our “sloughs of despond” like Christian in Pilgrim’s Progress, but our salvation by faith ought to be real and evident because we continually yield to God’s Word and the indwelling Spirit who produces the fruit of Love, Joy, Peace, etc. (John 15: Galatians 5: 22-23) and good works (James 2: 26). 

The Apostle Paul reinforces this notion in Philippians 2: 12b-13 (Amplified Bible, emphasis added), that Christ-followers should continue to work out your salvation [that is, cultivate it, bring it to full effect, actively pursue spiritual maturity] with awe-inspired fear and trembling [using serious caution and critical self-evaluation to avoid anything that might offend God or discredit the name of Christ].  For it is [not your strength, but it is] God who is effectively at work in you, both to will and to work [that is, strengthening, energizing, and creating in you the longing and the ability to fulfill your purpose] for His good pleasure.   

These powerful words written by Paul as a prisoner of Rome and “prisoner of Christ,” describe the life of a true disciple of Christ.  Do these words strike a resonant chord within your soul and spirit?  If so, thank God for evidence of the Life of His Spirit within you.

The Apostle Paul mentally understood that the call of Jesus Christ meant to deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Christ (Luke 9: 23; 1 Corinthians 15: 31).  This self-denial is possible as we yield our will to God’s Spirit who works within us as our Teacher (John 14: 26) to illuminate the “living, powerful Word of God” (Hebrews 4: 12).  When we “abide in” (yield to and obey) God’s Word in this way, the Word of God becomes incarnate and visible in our manner of life.  As Paul testified, it is no longer I who live but Christ lives in me (Galatians 2: 20).  Although we have this treasure in earthen vessels (2 Corinthians 4: 7), the Light of the World, Jesus Christ, will shine through our lives into a dark world as the character of His life becomes evident in our words and deeds. 

Real Faith Realizes “Costly Grace”
Unfortunately, there is abundant evidence that more and more professing Christians have become lukewarm and are “dimming their lights.” Indications all around suggest that our culture is growing spiritually darker and corrupted for lack of the witness by us who claim to be Christ-followers.  We need to regularly remind ourselves of the Grace of God that saved us, and be reminded by our time in God’s Word, and in times of being challenged from the Scriptures by our friends in Christ, and by strong preaching of the Word from our pastors.

Fortunately, there are a number of modern prophets today who are sounding the alarm.  For example, Eric Metaxas has become a contemporary voice of reason to the Church as an author, speaker, and radio/TV host.  Metaxas has studied the life of Dietrich Bonhoeffer and has written his biography, Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy (Thomas Nelson, 2011).  In this book and in a more recent follow-up book, Letter to the American Church (Salem Books, 2022), Metaxas draws alarming parallels between Christianity in Germany that allowed the rise of Adolph Hitler to power in the 1930’s and the trends in American Christendom and our culture today.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a German pastor who had become a Christian in 1931 near the time when Adolph Hitler was leading the Nazi take-over of Germany.  Bonhoeffer is famous for his preaching, writing, and testimony as one who took seriously the call to discipleship.  To Bonhoeffer, we are saved by faith which is a “gift of God” (Ephesians 2: 8) but our salvation by grace is only genuine when we recognize the great costliness of that grace!  God so loved the world that He gave the costliest Gift imaginable—the very Life of His Son (John 3: 16).

While He was teaching His real-life “discipling class,” Jesus said to His disciples, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed and be raised up on the third day.”  Then, Jesus underscored what the “cost of discipleship” would be upon them, saying (emphasis added):  If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me.  For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it (Luke 9: 23-24).

Jesus’s call to discipleship embodied in these Scriptures, is the basis of Bonhoeffer’s powerful teaching on “costly grace” contained in part in his book, The Cost of Discipleship.  He is quoted as saying, “When Christ calls a man, He bids him come and die.  …we [surrender] our lives to death. Thus, it begins; the cross is not the terrible end to an otherwise god-fearing and happy life, but it meets us at the beginning of our communion with Christ.”

Let’s Don’t “Dim Our Lights”
If you are still reading, thank you for staying with me.  By now, you may be on a guilt trip and feeling as if you are a failure.  But fear not, because you are not alone.  God’s Spirit who has been leading me in recent reading and in the writing this blog is convicting me of by these very same words.  If our hearts are numb to the sharpness of God’s Word, we have reason to fear.  Either we are not His child, or we have simply become distracted by other priorities and our ears have become dull of hearing.

As a professing Christian, do you feel numb, complacent, and preferring a dark corner; or do you feel convicted that your light is dim and your heart is lukewarm toward God?  If we feel convicted, we should be glad we are spiritually alive enough to “feel” God’s Spirit cutting away at our complacency and numbness; and, then causing our hearts to warm and resonate with His truth.  Jesus said, …he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God (John 3: 21).

What a great Christmas contrast:  Hearts and homes of Christ-followers glowing with the Grace and Truth radiating out into a dark world in which people are lost and stumbling in the darkness and even hating the Light.  Jesus calls His disciples “the light of the world” in Matthew 5: 14-16.  He added that no one lights a lamp without placing it in a prominent place to light its surroundings.  Likewise, we who have received the Light of Truth ought not to dim our lights, but rather, to honor Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence (1 Peter 3: 15).  May our lights burn brightly this Christmas and our Hope be encouraging and winsome.

Christmas Gift Suggestion
In spite of this prophecy of Christ coming as the Light of the World, the lights of Christmas are still surrounded with so much darkness and so many lonely people.  Henry Wadsworth Longfellow lamented the contrast between the promise of “Peace on Earth, good will to men” and the reality of the dark world in which he lived.  And so, Longfellow expressed his lament in his poem, “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day,” with the following lines:
And in despair I bowed my head:
“There is no peace on earth,” I said,
“For hate is strong, and mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.”

As I have suggested in this article, Longfellow’s lament is still appropriate for our day.  But what is my “Christmas gift suggestion?”  While purchase of a DVD of the Sight and Sound movie, “I Heard the Bells,” would be make a good gift, an even better gift would be a copy of Eric Metaxas’s book Letter to the American Church, mentioned above.  As I conclude, let me whet your appetite for reading it if you haven’t already.

Metaxas believes that America, while not intrinsically exceptional, has been sovereignly chosen by God to “hold the torch of liberty for the world, and that the Church is central to our doing this.”¹  However, Metaxas’s thesis in Letter to the American Church is that the silence of the Church in America in the face of moral and cultural decline places the Church on the same path to tragedy as the Church in Germany that failed to stand against the rise of Hitler and the horrible reign of his Nazi regime. 

In Letter to the American Church, Metaxas gives four teachings of the Bible that are misunderstood by many professing American Christians.  I have summarized each of them below. 

“Costly Grace” or “Cheap Grace”
Do those of us who claim to be Christians affirm the genuineness of our faith by “working out our salvation” with the motivation and passion of God’s Holy Spirit (if He is) living and active within us, producing much fruit and so, proving to be Christ’s disciples?

“Idol of Evangelism”
Have we accepted the call of the Church to evangelism while diminishing the importance of discipleship, including the “costly discipleship” of responding to the call of Christ to “speak the truth in love” even at the risk of offending family and friends, or out of fear of losing the favor of church members or potential converts?  [Do we truly love if we withhold the truth?]

“Be Ye Not Political”
Does the biblical call to preach and share the Gospel of Christ and “make disciples of all nations” require that Christian pastors and laypersons avoid addressing political issues?

“Religious at All Cost”
Are there situations in which we are biblically justified in disobeying one of God’s commands in order to promote a larger moral or ethical goal?  For example, telling a lie or participating in peaceful civil disobedience?

In conclusion, if you would rather not be provoked to think more deeply about how Christ would have you respond to His call to be salt and light in an increasingly confused and darkening world, please don’t read Letter to the American Church.  As Rev. Erwin Lutzer concluded, “This book is like a bucket of cold water thrown into the face of a sleeping church.” If you choose to read, I hope you will be challenged to prayerfully think more deeply about the cost you are willing to pay to be an obedient disciple of Christ. 

Care to Comment?
If you have questions or comments, we’d love to hear from you.  I am particularly interested in how you respond to the concerns raised by Eric Metaxas after you have read his book.  Just post a “Comment” below or e-mail to silviusj@gmail.com

Maybe you are left with a sense of confusion, uncertainty, and even fear.  If you have never encountered the “Good News” or Gospel, let us help.   The “Good News” is summarized in an outline called “Steps to Peace with God” (Click HERE.).  It explains God’s love, our predicament (sin and separation from God), what Jesus has done to address our predicament, and what you can do by faith to receive God’s righteousness (right standing with a Holy God). 

¹Footnote:
Metaxas is quick to add that “when God chooses anyone [whether a nation or individual] …it is never something to be celebrated, as though the one chosen has won a contest.  Quite the contrary: it is a grave and fearsome responsibility…[a] most solemn duty [that] should make us tremble.”

Ohioans, Please Vote! Lives Depend on It!

Ohio residents are fond of being called “Buckeyes” and of hearing folks call Ohio “The Heart of It All.”  Fierce loyalties, mostly in fun, have grown over the years.  Not the least of these is the football rivalry between The OSU Buckeyes and the Michigan Wolverines.  But the outcome of the OSU-Michigan game on November 26 will pale in comparison to the consequences of the Ohio general election on November 7.  On this year’s Election Day, Ohio voters will determine the fate of Issue 1 and Issue 2 which if passed will have major impact on Ohio residents and families.

Our Purpose
Our purpose in this short article is to provide some facts about Issue 1 in particular.  Then, it will be your responsibility to decide how to vote based on the value you place on the life of the unborn baby, the value of the baby’s mother and father, and the value of the family unit in which babies, young children, adolescents, and young adults are nurtured in moral and spiritual understanding as they mature and discover their identity and purpose in life. 

Please note that we will not address Issue 2 which will decide the fate of another amendment to the Ohio Constitution: “An Act to Control and Regulate Adult Use Cannabis (11/7/2023).” Click HERE for details.  Before voting “YES” we ought to study the effects of legalized marijuana on the cultures and families of states that have allowed it to varying degrees.  We have decided to vote “NO” based on what is happening in other states.

Ohio Heritage Values
Judeo-Christian values have been at the heart of Ohio culture since the settlement of the Ohio Valley in the 17^th century.  These biblical values reflect those of America’s founders.  Their beliefs are expressed in the words of Thomas Jefferson, that mankind has been “endowed, by their Creator, with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.”  This understanding was echoed in the writing of the Constitution of the State of Ohio, approved in 1803.  Biblical morality was in turn preserved through the succeeding centuries by wise executive, legislative, and judicial decisions in Columbus and at the local level.   Now, it falls to our generations to preserve and not interfere with any of the blessings and privileges of God’s endowments.

Many Ohio voters also recognize that historically, Ohio has been a leader in science, technology, and enduring cultural values.  Therefore, it is worth noting that residents in many other states, plus the news media, will have their eyes on Ohio on November 7.  Looking back to 2022, according to Ballotpedia, “there were six ballot measures addressing abortion — the most on record for a single year. Measures were approved in California, Michigan, and Vermont. Measures were defeated in Kansas, Kentucky, and Montana.”  Let us hope that the outcome of the vote on Issue 1 will not only be good for Ohio but favorable as an influence on other states contemplating ballot measures in the future.

Consider Carefully Before Voting
This November, Ohioans are called to answer several questions that will literally decide which unborn Ohio babies will be allowed to live.  At issue is also who will preside over the nurture of our children.  Will it be their parents or the state; and, will parents be included in their child’s decisions on gender and gender alteration.  If Ohio Issue 1 passes with a majority of “Yes votes,” the lives of unborn babies, the integrity of Ohio families, and the nurturing of our children will all be placed in jeopardy. 

Passage of Issue 1 would allow an amendment called “The Right to Reproductive Freedom with Protections for Health and Safety (11/7/2023)” to be enshrined into the Ohio Constitution.  (Click HERE for full text.)  Ironically, the amendment promising “Freedom” and “Protection” would accomplish just the opposite.  The amendment would threaten Freedom and Protection by challenging and likely invalidating current Ohio laws that protect life, children, and families.  This claim is supported by a legal analysis provided by the Ohio Attorney General, Dave Yost (Click HERE for full analysis.).

If Ohio Issue 1 passes by a majority of “YES” votes, according to the Ohio Attorney General, the following Ohio laws currently in effect to protect human lives and families will be struck down. Some, will be invalidated within 30 days of passage, others will fall as vague language is used to invalidate the remaining restraints:

1.      Current Ohio law, the “Heartbeat Act,” which restricts abortions (with health and other exceptions) after a fetal heartbeat is detected (~6 weeks). 

2.      Current Ohio law prevents abortion after 20 weeks when baby is believed to feel pain.

3.      Current Ohio law protects unborn babies against late-term dilation and extraction abortions (so-called “partial-birth feticide”)

4.      Current Ohio law requires a 24- hour waiting period to assure the mother is fully informed before giving her consent to the abortion

5.      Current Ohio law bars doctors from performing abortions of babies with Down syndrome or other criteria motivated by discriminatory motives—e.g. sex or disability of the fetus.

6.      Current Ohio law bars abortions after a fetus is able to live outside the womb with a health exception for serious medical conditions as verified by second opinion of an independent doctor.

7.      Current Ohio law does not exist to govern parental involvement in minors’ use of contraception, sterilization, and transgender treatment.  With the vague language of the Amendment (i.e. “reproductive decision” and “individual”), it will invite developing law that will challenge and likely remove parents from the minor’s decision-making.

8.      For consideration of other current Ohio law restrictions that will be affected by Issue 1, please consult AG Yost’s full article (click HERE).

Avoid Being Deceived
Whether deliberately or due to the influence of a worldview that is so common in our “culture of convenience,” or “have it now,” or “I owe it to myself,” the wording of “The Right to Reproductive Freedom with Protections for Health and Safety (11/7/2023)” is deceptive.  We have already noted how the title of the Amendment claims to offer something that is contrary to our Founders’ concept of “freedom, health, and safety” based on biblical values.  The following table lists provisions of the Issue 1 and the Amendment that leave the door open for the destruction of life, children, and families as suggested in the right column for each provision (CLICK on table to enlarge):

But Where Is Your Christian Compassion?
Having laid out our position on Ohio Issue 1, we hope readers will not think we are arrogant know-it-all’s who lack compassion and are divorced from the physical, economic, and moral realities that many Ohioans face during these hard times.  The issues surrounding Issue 1 are complex, particularly as relates to our personal moral standards and our beliefs about when human life begins, when minors are mature enough to make their own decisions, and the extent to which government should be involved in personal and family decisions. 

Perhaps the largest factor dividing our culture relates to the question of whether there is a God and if He exists, the extent to which His commands as revealed in the Bible should guide our lives and decisions.  As we have stated, we have unapologetically presented a biblical perspective on Issue 1 as well as possible.

Finally, our readers should understand that we do not condemn mothers who elect to have an abortion, or the fathers who support or press for that decision.  Rather, we condemn the act of abortion and regret the sin and the judgment that follows this violation of God’s command not to murder (Genesis 9: 6:  Exodus 20: 13).  Isn’t it tragic when mothers who are alive because their mothers chose life decide that their babies have no right to live?  Even apart from the penalty of violating God’s law are the natural consequences of violating the “sowing and reaping principle (Galatians 6: 7-8)”:

Do not be deceived: God is not to be mocked.
Whatever a man sows, he will reap in return.
The one who sows to please his flesh,
from the flesh will reap destruction;
but the one who sows to please the Spirit,
from the Spirit will reap eternal life.

These are hard words.  But we invite readers to join us in our humble dependence God through prayer and through His Word in the Scriptures of the Bible. 

Pray for Discernment
--Then Vote!

On issues as important as Ohio Issue 1 and Issue 2, it is a matter of Christian obedience for voting age and able Ohioans to exercise our right to vote.  Beyond that, we ought to take use opportunities to encourage others to read, pray, and vote.  We have included some links at the end of this article that provide yard signs, booklets, and other resources for spreading the word.

We will close this article with a prayer and invite you to read and mediate on its words.  Prayer reminds us that we serve on behalf of God’s purposes and His coming kingdom.  Prayer helps us develop a distinct hate and aversion to sin while loving the sinner as Christ loves all of us sinners—i.e. both the redeemed Christ-followers and those who still need to repent and receive Christ as their Savior.

The following is a challenging call to worship and to lift our prayers to God on behalf of the unborn, mothers, and fathers:

“American culture is captivated by instant gratification.  As our attention spans have waned, so has our ability to wait; to endure moments of discomfort and distress; even to understand why sometimes we shouldn't get everything we want the moment we want it.

In such a culture, patient and persistent prayer to the God of the universe is a radical idea. Prayer is stillness. Prayer takes time. Prayer requires honesty and, even sometimes, discomfort. Prayer acknowledges that we are not in control.

Through prayer, Christians are invited to "humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time He may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you" (1Peter 5: 7).

Not only is prayer counter-cultural to those outside the church; often it's misunderstood inside.  Prayer is not a moment that we decide to spend in God's presence, as if He lives in our world.  Rather, prayer is a moment in which we discipline our hearts to focus on God's constant presence.

Through prayer, we worship God.  Through that worship, we tune our hearts to His goodness.  We remind ourselves of who He is, and of the gift of knowing and trusting Him.  And yes, we bring Him our supplications-- because that is what Jesus told us to do when He said to pray for His Kingdom to come and His will to be done (Matthew 6: 10).

Praying for the protection of preborn babies in a culture captivated by instant gratification, the worship of "individualism," and a growing disdain for the value of human life can feel like a futile endeavor.  But let us remember, again, how God delivered His people from slavery in Egypt.  Exodus 3 contains five of the most radical words in all of Scripture: "I have heard their cries."  And because God heard those cries, with a "mighty hand and an outstretched arm (Deuteronomy 26: 8), He brought justice.

Pray this week, with confidence in God's goodness and His deliverance, that He would hear the cries of His people for the protection of new life.   Pray that He would turn the hearts of mothers toward their children and away from fear, and that He would thwart all plans of the Enemy to persist in building a culture of death.  Pray that his justice would "roll down like waters" (Amos 5: 24).   Pray that his Kingdom would come, where every human life no matter how new or small or "planned," is valued and protected. Pray that his will would be done.  (From:  “More Than Conquerers,” Center for Christian Virtue, pages 13-14.; click HERE.)

Resources:
1.   Center for Christian Virtue Resources— yard signs, helpful 
       booklets, church bulletin inserts calling for rejection of
       Issue.   Click HERE.

2.   Know Your Rights as individuals, pastors, and churches. 
      Click HERE.

3.   171 FAITH LEADERS WARN OHIOANS ABOUT 'DECEPTIVE'
      ISSUE 1.  Click HERE.

4.   Governor Mike DeWine and wife Fran voice their concerns
      about Ohio Issue 1.  Click HERE.

5.   Thorough analysis of the vague language of the Amendment,
      line by line. Click HERE.

Comments:
As always, we welcome “Comment” from readers.   We are particularly interested in your thoughts and questions about Ohio Issue 1.  If you reside in another state, or in a smaller town or city, you may still participate.  How can we make a difference?  Please use the “Comment” link below for ideas or questions; or, contact us personally at silviusj@gmail.com