"No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier." - II Timothy 2:4
"The hymn Onward Christian Soldiers is a familiar one, reminding us of the verse in 2 Timothy where Paul exhorts Timothy to stay on task in his service.
Toy soldiers dress nicely; they keep in step and look the part to perfection. The only problem is, they never accomplish anything. In the end, they all look the same--and on one is afraid of a toy soldier.
True soldiers however, at some point leave behind the "perfect" look. They have to, because while shined boots are a part of discipline, those boots must get dirty in order to accomplish a mission.
True soldiers keep in step when necessary, but when it is time to run, or time to crawl through a jungle, they worry less about appearance and more about getting the job done.
So it is for those of us involved in the "soldiership" ministry. We have to understand that around us there are toy soldiers, whether we want to admit it or not. Toy soldiers--sadly-are in our churches. They dress the part, keep in step and march back home at the end of a service. The only problem is, they never do anything of value for the kingdom of God.
The true soldier has to get dirty-and life at a crisis pregnancy center is certainly one of foxholes of Christian soldiering. Here, we break open our own wounds at times, in order to assist in the healing of others. It's a messy work. But, it is vital if we are to accomplish the mission God has for us.
At times we are going to be discouraged. It's the life of a soldier. At times we are going to want to quit. It's the life of a soldier. And at times we are going to look for something to do that makes us feel better-and less stressed. That's understandable; and it is the life of a soldier.
Yet we will continue. We won't give up, we won't back down and with love in our hearts we will continue to advance forward. And in the end we will see the rewards of eternity, because we didn't take it easy and we never lost sight of the mission the Lord gave us. Thankfully, this too...Is the life of a soldier."
(This article is written by Kirk Walden, Publisher of The LifeTrends Connection)
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Help Wanted!
We are in need of people who are willing to serve as table hosts for our upcoming fundraising banquet on September 17th. Our prayer is that 50 people will volunteer to be table hosts. All that means is that you would be responsible for inviting 8 other people (if you have a spouse) to sit with you at your table. We do not sell tickets in order to attend the banquet, so there is no "selling" anything! If you are interested in serving in this way or would like more information, contact Cheryl Bond at golden.pond@sbcglobal.net or Kathie Archer at 352-2082.
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Stats From January to July
# Days Open: 80
# Client Visits: 805
# Ultrasounds Done: 69
# Babies Saved: 15
# Women Making Commitment to Jesus Christ: 40
# Clients in Parenting Classes: 4
# Clients in Parenting Classes: 2
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"There is an appointed time for everything. A time for every event under heaven. A time to give birth...a time to laugh...A time to dance...a time to embrace...a time to love."
Saving life..Transforming lives.A Time to Celebrate Life! Stayin' Alive: Pro-life Advocacy in the Obama Era (The following is taken from an interview with Scott Klusendorf)
"There is no doubt we've experienced a crushing defeat in the current political cycle. The executive and legislative branches of the federal government are now firmly in the hands of those deeply committed to the proposition that an entire class of human beings can be set aside to be killed simply because they are in the way of something we want...The moral logic in play here is baffling. First, if abortion does not unjustly kill an innocent human being, why is Obama worried about reducing it? But if it does unjustly kill a human being, isn't that a good reason to legislate against it? Second, laws which allow--indeed, promote--the killing of unborn human beings are unjust even if no one has abortions. Imagine a candidate who said he was personally opposed to spousal abuse while he had a 100% voting record in favor of men having a right to beat their wives. Suppose he told the public the underlying cause of spousal abuse is psychological, so instead of making it illegal for husbands to beat their wives, the solution is to provide federally funded counseling for men.. It's no stretch to say the voting public would see right through his smokescreen, even if he favored social programs to treat the underlying causes that allegedly contribute to abuse. After all, there are underlying causes for rape, murder, theft, and son on, but that in no way makes it misguided to have laws banning such actions...Obama won't be the only one telling pro-lifers to surrender politically. Voices within Christendom will assert that evangelicals have spent too much time on politics, with little to show for it. What's really needed, so the claim will go, is more time preaching the gospel. Well, I'm for preaching the gospel, but why should anyone suppose that political efforts aimed at protecting human life detract from the biblical command to go make disciples? Why can't pro-life Christians do both?...Truth is, pro-lifers are simply outnumbered and underpowered. But this in no way justifies political silence in the face of evil, the likes of which we are about to witness at a whole new level...In short, the true solution to our current political defeat is to equip more pro-lifers to engage the culture, not shrink back in defeat. Quitting now is simply not an option."
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Save the Date
Monday, September 21st @ 6:30 p.m.
For this year's after-banquet activities, we are going to try something new. At the close of the banquet, attendees are given the opportunity to make a donation to the CPC. Part of the donation process includes completing an attendance/informational card. There is a box on this card for those to check if they would like to receive information on how they can be involved at the CPC. Even though modern technology has provided us with many ways to contact someone, I am still having problems connecting with those who seek additional information about the CPC.
In an attempt to avoid that after this year's banquet, we are going to have a "HOW YOU CAN BE INVOLVED" informational meeting the Monday night after the banquet. This will take place at 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the CPC which is located at 2003 Fendley Dr., North Little Rock. Attending this meeting will not "lock" you into a commitment of serving at the center. The purpose of this meeting is to explain the various ways someone can serve at the CPC. An added bonus to attending this meeting is it allows us to "show off" what God has given us! In addition, volunteer packets will be available for those who feel God may be leading them to get involved to take home. If you are attending the banquet, there will be more detailed information in the program or please contact Kathie Archer at 501-352-2082 for more information.
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What should Christian leaders do to advance the pro-life cause?
Banquet speaker, Scott Klusendorf, believes that there are four vitally important tasks that Christian leaders should commit to:
"Christian leaders should purposefully preach and teach a biblical view of human value and do it often.
Christian leaders must not only preach about human value; they must equip their people to engage the culture.
Pro-life Christians must hold their churches and parachurch organizations to account.
Pro-life Christians must recruit more full-time apologists. Theology gives church members a Biblical foundation for their pro-life beliefs. Apologetics gives them the tools to take those Biblically informed beliefs into the marketplace of ideas."
