November 29, 2023

Ceasefire Extension, Black Friday, TX Abortion

November 29, 2023

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Quote of the day:

"However, the gospel changes my view of God’s commandments, in that it helps me to see the heart of the Person from whom those commandments come."

^{- Milton Vincent}

Today’s Headlines

Black Friday Breaks Records

During Thanksgiving and Black Friday, U.S. shoppers broke records with $9.8 billion in spending alone, up 7.5% from the previous year. A Cyber Weekend total of $10.3 billion. Cyber Monday brought even more spending as Adobe estimated a peak of $12.4 billion spent, making it the year's top U.S. online shopping day. The five-day shopping period led the National Retail Federation to project a 3-4% sales increase during the Christmas season in 2023.

Flexible alternatives, like buy-now-pay-later features, have played a crucial role in increased spending over the past month. These buy-now-pay-later deals have contributed over $5.9 billion to online shopping between November 1 and 23.

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The Remnant's Response

The rush of pleasure that comes from "buying now" rarely matches the pain of having to inevitably "pay later" (Proverbs 13:15). This is not just a problem at the mall; it is a problem for all who think they can mock right living (Galatians 6:9). The enemy of your soul always wants you to 'buy now,' and he will do everything he can to incentivize and entice you to deny the inevitable, including convincing you that because there hasn't been a consequence to your foolishness today, you will be fine tomorrow (Ecclesiastes 8:11). The temporary prosperity of the wicked is a confusing thorn in the side of the righteous (Psalm 73:2-14) and a source of false security in the eye of the wicked (Psalm 50:21-22). The wicked scoff at the idea of ultimate consequences (2 Peter 3:3-4) and wrongly misinterpret the patience of the Lord as indifference (2 Peter 3:9-10). Not only should the remnant be cautious before it follows the world in its reckless spending habits (Americans owe $986 billion on credit cards, surpassing the pre-pandemic high of $927 billion), but we must remain even more vigilant to not fret in light of the loud mocking celebrations of those in debt to the righteousness of God (Psalm 37:1-2).

Buyer's regret is much more than a retail problem; it is the future of everyone who purchases the lies of the one who comes to steal, kill, and destroy (Jude 1:17-21).

Ceasefire Extension

An agreement was reached between Israel and Hamas to extend the ceasefire until Wednesday in hopes that additional hostages / imprisoned Palestinians might be released. Eleven more Israeli hostages were released late Monday night after seven weeks of captivity in Gaza. With each day that passes in the ceasefire, the hope for hostages to come home and aid to be distributed in Gaza increases.

In the midst of the temporary ceasefire, neither side has abandoned their ultimate goals: for Israel, the destruction of the terrorist group Hamas; for Hamas, the destruction of Israel. The number of victims, casualties, human rights violations, and suffering as the war wages on continues to increase.

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The Remnant's Response

It is easy to mindlessly skip over yet another mention of yet another rocket launched or yet another “random” hostage released until we remember that every hostage is someone’s daughter, son, husband, or loved one. Statistics, numbers, and lists tend to numb us, as is evidenced by our tendency to skip over 1 Chronicles 1-9 in our bible reading, but personal relationships keep us wide awake to the evils and sufferings daily happening to otherwise faceless nameless people in our news feed. As troubles multiply, lawlessness increases, and death marches on with relentless consistency, we must be purposeful to remain vigilant and not let our hearts grow cold (Matthew 24:12). If we were the father of the 3-year-old twins and husband of their mother who was just released, our excitement would be wildly more pronounced. Jesus warned us that our own worries, concerns, and focus on our own comfort and riches are great dangers to our effectiveness in serving Him (Mark 4:19), and He reminds us that every soul saved from judgment is the cause of great rejoicing in heaven (Luke 15:10), and therefore ought to be a great source of joy to us. You may not ever know the name of a victim of a terrorist raid, but you should know the names of your neighbors who are being held hostage by the enemy of Christ (Colossians 1:13) and whose souls are being terrorized by sin (Proverbs 13:13) all around you. God has placed you as His ambassador right where you are for a reason and expects you to be actively engaging others with His love and gospel as a means of rescuing them from the horrors and coming judgments to all who die in unbelief (2 Thessalonians 1:9). We are his ambassadors (2 Corinthians 5:20), and he expects us all to do the work of an evangelist (2 Timothy 4:5). We are warned that our indifference to the sufferings of others will inevitably lead to our own (Proverbs 24:11-12).

TX Supreme Court takes on Abortion

The Texas Supreme Court heard arguments challenging the state's abortion laws yesterday, with 22 plaintiffs, including 20 patients and two physicians, arguing that the medical exceptions in these laws are too narrow to protect individuals with complicated pregnancies. The lawsuit, led by the Center for Reproductive Rights, contends that Texas' abortion bans endanger women facing pregnancy complications. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton vehemently defends the state's abortion laws, seeking the case's dismissal.

The court will consider a temporary injunction that, if applied, would grant doctors greater discretion in performing abortions when a woman's health is at risk or when a fetus has a potentially fatal condition. The outcome could impact the extent of medical exceptions to Texas' abortion bans. The case reflects an ongoing legal battle amid increasing plaintiffs joining to challenge abortion regulations in Texas.

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The Remnant's Response

We have written before about the creative and deceptive naming of organizations like the "Human Rights Campaign," "People for the American Way," etc., and we can add the "Center for Reproductive Rights" to the list. A more accurate name for the organization would be the Center for Right to Limit Reproduction. The remnant understands that all life is valuable because of the divine imprint the Lord places on every life, irrespective of the effects of the fall on our physical being (Genesis 1:26-27). While it is appropriate to show immense compassion (Colossians 3:12) and sensitivity to parents who receive a negative diagnosis for their unborn or newborn child, the remnant must always advocate for the dignity of the vulnerable child over the fears created by the special needs of their child (Proverbs 31:8-9).

While there are horrible examples where a decision must be made between saving the life of the mother or the life of the child, these rare occasions need not be categorized under the ambiguous term "the health of the mother," which has too often been broadened to allow for the child being killed for numerous nonlife-threatening mental or lessor physical reasons.

In the 1973 opinion of Doe v Bolton, the Supreme Court creatively introduced language that expanded the definition of a "health exception," making it possible for a woman to use the exception for "any reason stated" broadly. Here is yet another example of the seemingly positive words "the health of the mother" being deceptively used to encourage or allow mothers to do things contrary to the design and command of the Creator and thus do the very opposite of creating health in her life (Proverbs 13:15, 1 John 5:3). The enemy of life has long played with words to deceive us and advance the culture of death (Genesis 3:4-5).

The remnant should advocate for the life of both the mother and the child and pray for Supreme Court Justices (1 Timothy 2:1-2) who bear the responsibility of clarifying any exception in order to protect the life of both mother and child. It is the privilege and calling of God’s people to care for both the emotional and physical needs of the mother and for the protection of the child in and out of the womb whenever possible.

Other news you should know

🪦 Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter dies at 96, was married to Jimmy Carter for 77 years.

🇮🇳 41 workers were rescued after 17 days trapped in tunnel.

🏀 There may be a new MFFL (Mav Fan For Life) in town.

🦅 Top Evangelical Slams Trump, Says He’s Done For in Hawkeye State.

✝️ Pope Francis receives intravenous antibiotics for lung issue.

⛽️ Keep it coming: Gas prices fall for 60 consecutive days.

🪂 Is Rocky Mountain climbing next for this dynamic duo?