Over the next few posts I'm going to copy some parts of this book I'm writing (No reason I'm writing it - mostly because I work overnights and there are only so many DVD's I can watch before I go crazy). Its still pretty raw and has had no editing done to it - so please excuse my poor sentence structure. My life just stinks right now and have nothing otherwise of substance to blog about.

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Oh Death Where is Your Sting
Chapter Nine – Give Life

In chapter one I said there were other definitions for the Greek word Zoë. The ones I left out specifically so I could spend concentrated time on are these two: return to life and bring life [to others].

Jesus said – “I came so that they would have life (Zoë).” Or “I came so that they would bring life to others (Zoë).

We have established that our lives are not our own, once we are returned to life we must work to bring life to others. There is too much death going on in the world to remain silent. By doing nothing we are actually not living, and I’m not just saying that. Life in its organic form, Zoë, means to live and it means to bring life to others. If we are not bringing life to others then we are not living, and if we are not living, well quite frankly, then we are dead. Therefore by doing nothing we are not living. Once we die to our sinful selves we are not alive until we bring life to others.

Remember when I said the meaning of life is to live. Well, if living means to bring life to others and we are not doing that, then our lives have no meaning. Life is anti-death, and so we to should be anti-death.

In this last chapter, I’m going to briefly outline some of the genocides in our day. Fire off some stats and facts and it is my prayer that you are convicted to go out and live.

Genocide #1 - Abortion
Abortion has killed off half my generation. Every year 46 million babies are killed. Everyday 174,000 babies are killed in the womb. That’s the population of my hometown Richmond BC, or the entire population of the central Okanogan. So how do we live? How do we bring life to these 46 million people? My friend Hannah plans to chain herself to the doors of an abortion clinic on her sixteenth birthday. If you like the extreme route, that’s one way we can bring life to unborn babies, by physically blocking the entrance of an abortion facility, if the doors are obstructed no one can enter, and if no one can enter then no on can die. When I was in The War College (http://www.thewarcollege.com/) we spent our Friday afternoons peacefully (depending on your definition of peacefully) protesting. We would stand on street corners holding signs with large photographs of aborted children. Those posters looked somewhat like this:

I struggled a lot with this at first, as I don’t really like to offend people, but hey, if offending someone means that a baby will live it is totally worth it. I had to remind myself that I too could have been a victim of this genocide, and oh what a shame that would be, for then you wouldn’t be privileged with this book =p. Stacey Campbell likes to preach on this; she says every time there is a revolution there is a genocide that goes on. In the day of Moses, Pharaoh called for the death of all Hebrew baby boys, in the day of Jesus, as we read about earlier, King Herod called for the same thing. In the day of this generation, the Prince of the world is doing the same; he is killing off this generation in his sneaky and manipulative ways. History tells us that this generation is going to be a revolution. Do your part and fight for the lives of unborn babies. A simple way could be to not monetarily support Amnesty International. I think Amnesty does to a lot of good in the name of justice, especially when it comes to war crimes; however some of the money they receive fund abortions all over the world in the name of woman’s rights. Be a part of the revolution.

As I write a song by one of my favourite artists, Damien Rice, came on my media player, Cold Water. It is a song written from the point of view of an aborted fetus. Writing out the lyrics does not do the song justice. I encourage you to download it or buy his CD and listen to it. Not too long ago I was leading a brigade in Victoria mobilizing a group of teenagers into mission. It was during this time I experienced my first ultrasound. This was possibly one of the most amazing things I have ever witnessed. One of the young girls I was discipling got pregnant and as a new covert she was struggling between getting an abortion or not. When she was about seven weeks or so into her pregnancy she asked me to go along with her to her ultrasound and seeing life on the screen was breath taking. Hearing the heart beating was even better. I committed to myself that day that I would fight for this baby. Alas my prayers and my encouragement did not come to fullness. When she called me and told me that she did in fact get an abortion I was grieved, more then I thought I would be, even though during my prayers the Lord revealed this would be the inevitable. A few days after this as I was doing my rations the above mentioned song came on my iPod. Grieved all over again I decided I could not in good conscience do nothing, because I had committed to fight for this child. I interrupted my rations, or mobilised them if you will, hopped on a city bus traveled up Yates turned left on Quadra and walked into the Victoria Police Headquarters the entire time weeping and listening to Damien Rice’s song “Cold Water” on repeat. I was reporting a murder. This act was worldly unfruitful, but spiritually gave a voice to this child. I have decided from now on, anytime a child I know is killed in the womb I will report a murder.

And then there is more stuff to come its just my head and not written out yet. I have some other genocide's written out, but those will come in a future blog. Now my shift is almost over and I gotta pack up and clean a bit. So chew on that for a bit - and I'll refine the next section later.

The snake got me just like he got Eve on that ever famous day when she ate the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

You see, I did something bad one day and then the next day I decided to not get out of my bed all day because I figured if I hid under the covers then I couldn't do anything bad, or anything bad couldn't happen to me. I figured by not climbing down my ladder (yes, I'm 22 and sleep in a bunk bed!) and setting my foot on the ground I couldn't hurt anybody else and I couldn't hurt myself. This isn't even the part where I was manipulated by the snake.

So I slept as long as I could - but I don't like to sleep so I was mostly awake just lying there. As I was awake lying there I was thinking how unprotected I felt. How the only way I felt safe was to stay in bed and not move. Then here is when the cunning voice of the snake got me....I was thinking about Psalm 91 and how it said "The Lord protects and rescues those He loves" and listened to the snake and agreed that because I am not safe and I am not protected then the Lord must not love me. Then of coarse I figured if the Lord doesn't love me then I had no reason to get up and no reason to worship and no reason to pray. I know seems bizarre to me too that I would actually believe something so obviously untrue but man the snake got me. This lasted two days before I realised I love the Lord too much to not worship him and to not pray. So this morning in my rations I was reading Psalm 91 to confirm that the Lord doesn't love me...turns out it doesn't say "The Lord protects those He loves" it says "The Lord protects those who love Him". The snake twisted the word of the Lord just like he did with Eve.

(now i just got to work on the loving and trusting the Lord part a bit more...)

Don't let the snake twist the word of the Lord. Gird on your belt - tight. Know the truth.

God is here.

Have you ever done something you regret - and then even after the fact, still can't stop thinking about it and even if you have been forgiven cant forgive yourself and its all you think about for the next ion...well I sure have, and infact am there now...

I was at work yesterday and asked some of the residents here if they ever felt that way. One guy said "ya, said I love you too, and didnt mean it".

Really, in short thats what I did. I said I love you too. I said it by my words, but did I really mean it. For if I did I would have shown it so in my actions too.

It hurts so much the more when someone you care about says I love you in words but is not followed through in actions. I've been on the recieving end of this far too often - and yet I am grieving Holy Spirit now, I am greieving the Father's heart. I am greiving those who care about me...my friends and family. And Im sorry.

Jesus says if you love me you will obey my commands.
Ouch - I guess I dont love Jesus. I guess I dont love you.
Sorry.

If you ever need to get your tires fixed go to Kal-Tire on Main Street.

I got a flat tire the other day and I went in today to get it fixed. When I took out my Visa to pay the guy said "This ones on us" I was like "really" and he said "yup, remember where we are". No joke, I got my tire repaired and put back on totally for free. I suppose it helped big time that I had some cute kids with me. Perhaps he had pity on me thinking I was a young single mom. Either way thank you Kal-Tire and thank you Noah and Dominic White.

So if you ever need tires repaired that's the place to go.

Most of my day was just as good. I got some break dancing lessons from a three year old.

And now I'm sad. I don't know why I'm sad - I just am. But I have been encouraged to look for the presence of Christ around me - which will bring joy. I'm looking - but I must be blind - Oh Lord please open my eyes. Check out www.warroom614.blogspot.com for some exhortation on that.

Joy of the Lord eh. I had a bit of a taste of that yesterday. I'll blog on it over the weekend. But really, joy is one of the greatest strategies out there I reckon.

Hmmm..

God is here?

God is here.

I just read an article in the 24 hours newspaper saying how good insite is.

This is my responce to the editor.

I just read your article entitled, "Insite Getting a Raw Deal", I am not one to normally write into the editor to express my thoughts or concerns, however I cannot read this and not respond.

I have been living in the Downtown Eastside for the past four years, and I walk by insite everyday. I can not understand how insite remains funded. I walk by and watch my neighbours stand in line outside of the doors waiting to die.

In your article you said the number of 911 calls to the area has dropped, however you failed to mention that 95% of all 911 calls to the area are dispatched to insite, often for overdose related incidents.

Insite doesn't make sense to me, it is just trading in one way of dying for another. It is saying "Please come get high, under government funding, its okay, we want you to die".

I am not much of a debater, usually why I don't respond to articles, I just know my opinion, and I believe there is nothing good in insite. And I am sad that this article makes the reader thinks otherwise.

I could listen to the arguments against me and possibly be persuaded, but its places like insite that have given birth to places like the Naomi project - a legalised facility where heroin is given to addicts. Now I can somewhat understand why people could have hope in insite, but I definitely cannot understand why people could have hope in Naomi. And I don't think the Naomi project would have been launched if insite never opened.

Sorry I am not a good writer, and sorry I do not agree with you - but I think the next time you write about insite- it shouldn't be glorified in anyway, and we as readers should be informed of reality instead of fantasy.

to read the original article go here
http://vancouver.24hrs.ca/pdf/cover.pdf and scroll to page seven.

you can send an email to the editor if you wish ian.king@24hrs.ca

WARNING!!!
This is a safety announcement.

Never be alone.

I repeat, under no circumstances let yourself be alone.

Community is very very important. Friends are very very important. It is not good for man to be alone. I repeat IT IS NOT GOOD FOR MAN TO BE ALONE. Hey, didn't God Himself come up with that one?

But seriously, at all times avoid being by yourself. This is prime time for the father of lies to speak to you. This is prime time for temptation to entice you. This is prime time for Satan to kill, steal and destroy and prime time for us to let him.


This is dangerous. Avoid it at all costs. Yesterday I was surrounded by good people...most of the day...but then I had five minutes here and five minutes there and then five minutes later I allowed temptation to get the better of me. But this temptation didn't even come near me when I was with people - it waited until I was alone and vulnerable. My conclusion, I just cant be alone. It is not safe.

We were created to live together and to not be alone. God himself personifies community and by like a good teacher doesn't just say it but lives it too (the Trinity).

I do not honor the Lord when I leave the fellowship, and yes I believe you can leave the fellowship yet live in community at the same time - (although now I am wanting to re-evaluate my definition of community). I would say its a 50/50 ratio. Half the time me being alone is circumstantial, I have to walk to work, I have to drive to pick someone up or drop someone off, and it also looks like being at one friends house and walking 2 blocks back to my house alone (and yes even in those two blocks I have become vulnerable to enemy attack) . The other half of the time it is fully me. My pride doesn't want to bother someone and ask them to walk me to work and my shame doesn't want to humiliate myself and let someone know I need to be babysat. My sinful nature wants to be alone so that I can do what my flesh so desires. And the world has taught me well that we are to be independent.
THIS IS SO EFFING FRUSTRATING.

What was my point of this blog again? Oh ya, to warn you to not be alone. If you find yourself alone - call me 778-773-5433 and I will come to you. You need friends. if you don't have any I will be your friend. Call me and we can be friends. Actually, even if you have friend I still want to be your friend.

It's times like these I wish I had a Siamese twin.

I wonder when I will realise that I am never alone because I always have God the Father looking out for me, Jesus His son loving me and being around to talk with, and His Holy Spirit guiding me.

Well excuse me as I leave this place now, and walk home alone - probably will do something stupid.

This blog was never intended to be so personalised - I was just planning on writing a generic warning to all. Oops.

God is here.

Currently Reading - Helps to Holiness by Samuel Logan Brengle.

ps- I've been blogging a bit more these days - I have a few new ones below. I'll wait a few days before I post again so you can catch up =P

Although my life doesn't always reflect it, I like to think I am fairly anti-death. I know where I stand on most things. I believe that abortion is always wrong. I believe that capital punishment is always wrong. I believe that war is always wrong.

However, I have struggled with where I stand on euthanasia, until tonight that is. I can now say that I believe euthanasia is always wrong.

I struggled with this because I would think if someone I cared a lot about was ever in a 'vegetable state' as they put it I couldn't see myself agreeing to let them live like that. And then I would personalise it and think, well if I was ever brain dead, I would want the plug pulled. My mind was thinking this way because of mercy, not because I believe death is okay. Now, I have always thought euthanasia for the handicapped is wrong. I guess I was just really torn at where to draw the line.

But I know the line now, that there is no line. Euthanasia is always wrong.

Tonight I was watching Law and Order. There was a scene where this girl was on life support. The mother was very adamant about keeping her alive even though the daughters condition was irreversible. The husband on the other hand was just as adamant about taking the feeding tube out. During this scene you had all the characters debating on the morality of this situation. Some thought like the mother - life is worth living and no one other the God should decide when life ends. Others thought like the husband - to take her out of misery and end her pain. I can admit that both sides have there legit reasoning, and prior to tonight I think I would have been quick to agree with the husbands view. However, I cannot in good conscience ever say that killing someone is okay - and same goes with euthanasia.

Jesus came to give life. The enemy came to kill. (John 10:10). If we are following Jesus then we should too give life and live lives and fight for life in others. If we are following Satan, then sure kill unborn babies, drop a bomb on an Israeli village, inject a criminal with poison and pull the plug. I follow Jesus though. I am anti-death, always and in all things.

Man, the enemy is so manipulative. Manipulating how the world, saved and unsaved alike, view these moral choices. Could it be okay to abort a child because he or she may be born with cerebral palsy, or is a victim of a rape. Could it be okay that the person who murdered your sister is legally put to death. War, its defencive violence, justice manifested. Yup, the enemy has had me there too. But death is always wrong. Simple as that.

Now, I'm not much of a debater, in fact I avoid blogs and conversations such as these simply for that reason - but throw me some comments on this one. Spiritually and morally. I'm interested.

Grace,
Nicole

God is here.

Currently Reading - Helps to Holiness by Samuel L. Brengle

and I don't usually blog this close together - so if your interested in fruit of Scripture memory check out my post below.