THE
MIKE CUNNINGHAM
NATIONAL CHILDRENS DAY
OCTOBER 10, 2010
As I was driving home from last week’s Worship Service the memory
of what three of the attendees shared with me after it ended lingered in my
mind. It’s always nice to learn that the Lord spoke to someone through one of my
sermons. It wasn’t until a couple of days later though, that I found out just
how relevant that sermon was for two of them. However, I was very distressed
and saddened when the third person filled me in about how they were personally
impacted by the effect a recent spate of tragic events was having on everyone
in their family. Although I never said anything to the person at the time, I
instinctively knew the Lord wanted me to address that particular issue this
morning, regardless of how tired some of you justifiably are of listening to my
sermons about all the evil that’s taking place in the
Whenever something as serious as what I am about to share next effect’s
a member of our congregation very much, and if it will be helpful to the rest
of you, I prefer to address it from this pulpit. So Michelle; I hope the Lord
will turn the first part of this message into becoming a blessing for you and
your family, and especially your brother.
Referring to those tragic events I have been alluding to, Al
Mohler, President of Southern Seminary in
“The
last few days of Tyler Clementi’s life were a cauldron of confusions. Over the
course of three days, he learned that his roommate at
“As
Geoff Mulvihill and Samantha Henry of the Associated Press report: Clementi’s
death was part of a string of suicides last month involving youngsters who were
believed to have been victims of anti-gay bullying. Fifteen-year-old Billy
Lucas hanged himself in a barn in
“Reading
the news accounts of
“Yet,
when gay activists accuse conservative Christians of homophobia, they are also
right. Much of our response to homosexuality is rooted in ignorance and fear.
We speak of homosexuals as a particular class of especially depraved sinners
and we lie about how homosexuals experience their own struggle. Far too many
evangelical pastors talk about sexual orientation with a crude dismissal or
with glib assurances that gay persons simply choose to be gay. While most evangelicals
know that the Bible condemns homosexuality, far too many find comfort in their
own moralism, consigning homosexuals to a theological or moral category all
their own.”
“The
teenage years are hard enough to navigate. Most boys do not struggle with
homosexuality, but there is not a teenage boy alive who does not struggle with
sexual confusion. There is no deacon, preacher, or pew-sitter who went through
male adolescence unscathed and without sin. There is not a human being who
reaches school age who would not be humiliated by a well-placed web-cam. And
yet these boys — along with girls facing similar struggles — imagine themselves
to be alone in their confusion and helpless in their anguish.”
Mohler
asks, “Was there no one to step between Tyler Clementi and that bridge? Was
there no friend, classmate, or trusted adult who had the courage and compassion
to reach into his life and offer hope? Was there no one who could tell him that
the anguish of his moment would not last for his lifetime? Was there no one to
put into perspective the fact that people who did not love him had taken
advantage of him, but that the many who did love him would love him no less?”
“Something
has gone horribly wrong when four young boys take their lives in the space of
one month, and a society just goes on with its business. There are grieving
parents and loved ones who will never get over that month, and there were four
young men who did not survive it.”
“Even
long before they may hear or respond to the gospel, they need to know that they
are loved and cherished for who they are. They need to know that we stand
between them and those who would harm them. They need to know that we know how
to love sinners because we have been loved despite our own sin.”
In
an email from Break-Point, Chuck Colson comments on the following portion of
what is known as “The Manhattan Declaration, ”We respect [those disposed to
homosexuality] as human beings possessing profound, inherent, and equal
dignity... We, no less that they, are sinners who have fallen short of God’s
intention for our lives. We, no less
than they, are in constant need of God’s patience, love and forgiveness. We
call on the entire Christian community ... to refrain from disdainful
condemnation of those who yield to [sexual immorality.] Our rejection of
sin, though resolute, must never become the rejection of sinners.” Colson
concludes, “That, I believe sums up a proper Christian attitude toward
homosexual behavior.” And all I can add to that statement is a hearty AMEN, and
I’m confident you folks agree.
As
I mentioned earlier, it was nice to learn a couple of days after I preached
last week’s sermon that it was especially relevant for two of the women who had
heard me preach it. Now I’ll explain why. At the time I had no way of knowing
the Lord had already planned that our friend Carol
from Harvest Time and her 86 year old mother Connie would join us last Sunday.
Later Carol sent an email and on Wednesday she gave me her permission to post
it in its entirety in my Guest Book. Carol wrote: “Hi Mike, My mother and I
were happy that we were able to hear your sermon preached. The timing was
perfect for us. I just wanted to say I thought it was really good. Many times
during the sermon, I was thinking about what my mother was thinking. I was glad
that she was hearing everything you had to say about abortion. When we walked
out my mother immediately said she liked it.”
“We both know a Christian woman who in the past has said for some people, she
felt it was best not to give birth to these children that would probably be
abused and have a hard life. So I plan to talk with her soon. God is sovereign.
It is not our decision to abort a child. Thanks Mike. God bless, Carol.” The
Lord blessed me through Carol’s posting last Wednesday and again on Thursday through
three elderly women in their 80’s at our weekly Bible Study at the Gazebo
Apartment’s Assisted Living Facility who have been listening attentively to my
series of sermons on the Imprecatory Prayers. For example: “That was a
wonderful sermon last week, Mike. You are sure waking us up!” Barbara. A
lady named
Incidentally, I wonder if my next quote from world renowned
Australian philosopher Peter Singer may accurately reflect the opinion of a
new-comer to Harvest Time. She told us last week that she had recently gotten
the distinct impression during her last visit with her surgeon that he viewed
her as just back in need of repair, and not as a human being who had been
created in the image and likeness of God. Now here’s the Singer quote. “We can no longer base
our ethics on the idea that human beings are a special form of creation,
singled out from all other animals, and alone possessing an immortal soul.” And
that poor deluded mans Creator says:
Genesis 1:27 (ESV) 27 So God created man in
his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created
them.
I’m
glad there are wonderful Christian Pro-life ministries such as Care Net who
view all human beings as the apex of God’s creation. The Lord blessed me again
last week when I received the following letter from them. “Dear Mike: As director I fill many roles from
administration, to facilitating trainings, hiring and encouraging staff.
Sometimes I need to step in as a client advocate. Just last week, I had the
opportunity to meet with a client. She
was abortion-minded and thankful for the negative test, but I’m not sure that
was the only reason she was here. You see, we believe that every client is a
divine appointment. What we don’t know is where they are on their spiritual
journey. Sometimes we are allowed to plant seeds, or water what has already
been planted. Other times we can harvest because people before us have
deposited into their life-and what a joy it is to pray with a brand new
believer!”
“It is likely the client above will return and we will continue to
sow seeds of faith into her life. The exciting thing is that every client gets
to see the compassion of Christ through us-together with you! Thank you for
your visit and your gift. It was a pleasure to see you. All for Christ, Deb
Couture, Executive Director.”
In working on these sermons dealing with abortion my heart once
again ached for Linda who has been asking us and the folks at Harvest Time for
almost a year now to pray that researchers will come up with a cure for awful
illnesses such as cancer and also for the M. S. which she is plagued with. I
was reminded of the fact that the famous Gospel singer, Ethel Waters life
resulted from the rape of her mother at the age of thirteen. I wonder how many
men and women who may have been able to give Linda her heart’s desires were
killed before they ever saw the light of day. And I wonder how many blessings
we Americans have robbed ourselves of since our government gave women and girls
the right to legally kill the little girl or boy God is creating in their womb.
Some well known celebrities are proponents of the continuation of that
barbaric practice. For instance, although I’ve never seen it nor do I intend
to, there’s a program on T V I’ve been told appeals to women; it’s named The
View. According to the October 2010 edition of The Vermont Catholic, back in
August one of the people on that program named Elizabeth Hasselbach said: “I am
a person that does believe that life begins at conception, but I also don’t
believe that the government should tell women what to do with their bodies. So
I’m torn there in terms of supporting laws [for or against abortion]. I always
say I would rather change a heart than a law. I think it has to start there.
Always trying to mandate, mandate, mandate this or that is not the way I
believe this country should be run.”
Does that argument sound familiar? Of course it does. We hear it
all the time from politicians including many of whom profess to be Christians
such as our own Senator Patrick Leahy, especially when they are out on the
campaign trail attempting to drum up votes. Can you imagine any of these double
talking politicians saying something such as, “I’m personally opposed to being
high on Pot while driving and I sure wouldn’t recommend it? However, I’m not in
favor of laws prohibiting driving under the influence because I believe
American drivers should have the right to decide for themselves whether or not
to drive when they’re high on Pot? Those professed Christian politicians ought
to be reminded that:
Romans 13:1-5 (ESV) 1 Let every person be
subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from
God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists the authorities
resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good conduct,
but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what
is good, and you will receive his approval, 4 for
he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for
he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger
who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer.
5 Therefore one must be in
subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience.
Among
other benefits, government has been instituted by our Creator in order to protect
human beings from the evil acts of others. Wayne Grudem whose excellent book I
can’t recommend too highly and whom I quoted last week adds: “A similar
position to “I’m personally against abortion, but I don’t support laws against
abortion” is that of Jim Wallis, in his book God’s Politics. Wallis says that
“the abortion rate in
I
believe Wallis has taken something which ought to be a no-brainer for any
civilized person and turned it into a demonically inspired complex issue. And
this is the kind of gobble-de-gook our young impressionable children and
grandchildren are being bombarded with in the schools, and by the entertainment
industry, TV, magazines, newspapers, radio, and of course by all too many of
our politicians, including those who profess to be followers of Jesus.
I
realize a lot or perhaps all of what I have shared in my last week’s sermon
with abortion is “old-hat.” But I seriously doubt it was to the daughter of
another member of our congregation who hasn’t been able to be with us on
Sundays since the beginning of this year. That’s why I email my sermons to her mom
and dropped off last week’s sermon on abortion
at her place of employment, and I intend to hand deliver this one during the
week. I want to make it as convenient as possible for her young daughter to
read these sermons.
The
Lord blessed me again late last night while I was working on this one. Allow me
to share. “You have preached a powerful sermon about one of the most evil
aspects of American society, abortion. Somehow we now call evil good and good
evil. May God help us to repent of this nationwide holocaust before judgment
comes. You quoted your son Mike in your sermon as saying: “I have to ask
myself, why God should bless
Since
1973 over 50 million tiny defenseless unborn boys and girls have been legally
murdered through abortion. Despite the relentless endeavors of Pro-life
ministries such as Care Net the number is 1.2 million annually. And we
American’s have the audacity to label the perpetrators of the 9/11 attacks on
our country as being evil people!
Let’s bow our heads while I pray. Father, I praise and thank You
for revealing to me the fact that it’s through You alone that all my many
blessing flow. You know the Pro-life movement has been engaged in that
spiritual battle since 1973. I’m hoping the time has finally arrived when
You want Your children to become part of something I would call “The Imprecatory
Prayer-Warrior Battalion of Christian Soldiers,” and to take their gloves off
and join the battle with an unrelenting barrage of prayers peppered with curses
upon the proponents of the legalized killing of defenseless unborn girls and
boys in America in order to wake them up to reality, and powerfully draw each
of them to Your Son begging for His mercy and forgiveness! Finally, I
humbly ask You to put Your thoughts in my mind so that I will pray mine to You
sometime this week and then post them on my web site. I’m making this petition
in the name of the One apart from whom I can do nothing: my Lord and Savior,
Jesus Christ. Amen!
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Incidentally,
Anne-Marie has since told me how happy she was to learn how God blessed Carol
and her mother and me by them being with us last Sunday to hear my sermon on abortion
preached. There is so much more I could say about this evil but we don’t have
the time. I just wanted to whet your appetite and encourage each of you to
honestly take this national disgrace seriously and try you very best to get rid
of this modern day “Slaughter of the Innocents.”
I
plan to offer Carol the gift of any book that I have mentioned in this series
of sermons on the Imprecatory Prayers in recognition of her most recent posting
in my Guest book. It was the last one just before a milestone for my site was
reached. At the end of my wife’s birthday on Thursday October 7th
there were 100,116 recorded hits. And only God knows the impact my site is
having on those who visit it. I’m hoping I have somehow been able to glorify
Him through my labor of love!
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