Blog Archives - Bound4LIFE

July 5, 2015

The Weapons of our Warfare Part 2

In 2 Chronicles chapter 20 Jehoshaphat faces two formidable foes, the armies of Moab, and Ammon. He is outnumbered, and he knows it. He doesn’t know what to do or how Judah can possibly defeat them. So he calls a prayer meeting. Everyone comes, even the women and the children. They admit to God that they don’t know what to do. In verse 12 Jehoshaphat says, “For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, BUT our eyes are on YOU.” Where are our eyes as we fight this vast army that is attacking the next generation? Are we looking to the talk radio voices? The politicians? The supreme court? Or are we looking to God and asking Him, how do we fight this army? How do we take on this enemy? Here’s what Jehoshaphat did; first, he prayed and asked God what to do, then he gathered others with Him to pray and seek God’s face. Then they went to the place where the armies had assembled. They went “on location” if you will. But we need to stop for a minute and pay attention to who went first. Verse 21, “After consulting the people, Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the Lord and to praise Him for the splendor of His Holiness as they went out at the HEAD of the army saying, Give thanks to the Lord, for His love endures forever. As they began to sing and praise, the Lord set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab.”

Why do we go to the clinic, or to the court? What difference does the location make? Well, that is where the stronghold has taken residence. We go to fight; we go to wage war in the Heavenlies. Not with the weapons of our flesh, not with anger, or bitterness, or sarcasm. We go in a spirit of prayer, and worship because we know that it isn’t about us. It isn’t about how powerful my weak prayers are, or how much I’ve sacrificed to be there. It’s about a mighty God who goes before us, and believe it or not, is even more grieved over this loss of life than we are. We go to partner with His heart, to stand and say, Yes Lord this hurts, it hurts me too. I’m here with You. We go with a heart of joy and worship because we know how the story ends. Jesus wins.

What is the result when we face our enemy the devil with Joy, Praise, and Worship? Confusion. The enemy doesn’t know how to react. Even the other people on the sidewalk don’t know how to react. It never fails, almost every time I have been at a clinic praying, the escorts and sometimes the workers in the clinic come outside and just stare at us. Their reaction is in STARK contrast to the others on the sidewalk who are shouting or otherwise being loud in some way. This strategy of standing silent in a posture of prayer and worship has taken them by surprise. We’ve been praying confusion in the enemy camp and I believe I have seen what that looks like firsthand. You can see it on their faces, it’s like they are thinking, “who are these people?” “What are they doing?”

I believe Goliath was taken totally by surprise when the stone hit him. It was unexpected. God’s Strategies are often odd to us, and confusing to the enemy. When we don’t fight with the weapons of this world, we win! It may take time, it may take much longer than we want. We often want to give up and like an immature child throw ourselves down on the floor and kick and yell and get upset. But we have to remember like David, we are children of the Living God and He has already won this battle. In times when it seems like we’re losing the battle, or that what we are doing isn’t making a difference we have to stop and look to Jesus. When we seek His face and search His word for what to do, the strategy is clear, worship first. As the worshipers we are sounding the battle cry, we are going first in the spirit and setting the stage; preparing the atmosphere for what God wants to do through the others on the sidewalk. We all have our place, those who call out to the women have a vital purpose on the sidewalk, without us there praying and backing them up, they are much less effective. It’s prayer and worship combined with action and outreach. We are more powerful when we unite and each of us fulfill the mission God has called us to. In Judges chapter 1, when the armies of Israel were preparing to go in and take the promised land, what tribe goes first? The worshiping tribe of Judah. In Hebrew Judah means: “I will thank/praise the Lord”. There is power released when we go in a spirit of thanksgiving, prayer, joy and worship. As a bonus, these things bring confusion to the enemy. They just don’t know how to respond. So go in the spirit of thanksgiving, and joy; giving praise to our God because we know how this story ends. Jesus gets the victory.

July 1, 2015July 1, 2015

The Weapons of our Warfare Part 1

“The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.” 2 Corinthians 10:4

Anger, worry, despair, control, cynicism, sarcasm, spite; these are all “weapons” we could use to fight the battle for LIFE in our nation. These are the weapons of choice of our flesh. When we forget who our real enemy is, it’s easy to get angry at the reality we face. The reality is that babies are dying every day in our nation, in our cities. In my home state last year just over 5000 babies were killed in abortions. That is such a sobering fact, but not nearly as sobering as the number lost in our neighboring state of just over 41,000! Yes! You read that right, it’s not a typo. When I first read that statistic I was brought to tears, and filled with righteous indignation at the massive loss of life so close to home. When I was growing up in a suburb of St. Louis Missouri I remember when we would drive into our city limits and pass the sign that listed the population. I’ve never been much of a numbers gal. In fact I have always HATED math. It’s a difficult subject for me and often when I am reading and there are numbers I just quickly scan them and don’t really stop to read them or really spend much time thinking about them. But growing up in my hometown and passing the population sign frequently I remember it vividly even today, the population of the little suburban town I grew up in was 46,000 at the time I was living there. So when I read the statistic this week of how many babies were killed in abortions in Illinois last year I was immediately reminded of that sign. When I read that statistic it was like I was driving past my hometown and almost everyone was gone, wiped out by some plague or terrible terrorist attack. I’m not a very emotional person, but when I put the 2 numbers together I couldn’t help but cry out to God and say, It’s not fair! God, the state right next door to where I live had as many abortions last year as almost the entire population of the town I grew up in. Abortion Rates Down since 2010

We can react one of two ways when faced with this reality. Our flesh wants to act out. When I realized just how big abortion is and just how many lives have been lost, I wanted to shout and yell from the rooftops. I wanted to call every pastor I know and grill them on why this isn’t an issue they trumpet in their pulpits. I wanted to get in some people’s faces about why they don’t care. The flesh is so very weak and wants to act in all these rather immature ways that don’t get the results we want. So how should we react? If all the “weapons” of the flesh are ineffective what are our “weapons” in this fight? 2 Corinthians reminds us that our “weapons” are not the weapons of this world, i.e. the weapons of our flesh. We fight this battle on our knees. The most effective weapons we have are; joy, prayer, and worship. Joy? I know what you’re thinking, how can I possibly have joy in the face of such blatant evil? Our joy is not because of the evil, nor is it reduced because of the evil. Our joy is in the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ who we know has already won the battle. He has defeated death and is victorious! When I remember this fact I can go to a clinic and remain joyful. I can’t help but be reminded of a Misty Edwards song where she says, I know the end of the story, and we’re only at the beginning of the beginning. We must keep our focus on Jesus and His victory over death. It is a vital part of being in this fight. Without that truth, we fall back on the weapons of the flesh, we become bitter, angry, and apathetic. Without Jesus and a reminder that we know how this story ends, we will burn out, we will stop going to the clinic because it’s too hard, it’s too depressing, it’s too heavy. Jesus is the key, a close walk with Him is the sustaining factor in this battle.

We have forgotten this over the years, but if we look back at the Old Testament we see over and over again when the armies of Israel faced very strong and powerful armies God gave them some pretty odd strategies. David faced a giant with just 5 smooth stones. Was it because he was just such a good shot with his sling? I’m sure he was skilled with his sling, but I propose the reason he defeated Goliath with the first blow is that he walked closely with God. He didn’t approach Goliath with anger or sarcasm. He walked up to that giant with a confidence that comes only from a place of walking closely with the living God. David had a confidence not in his ability to use a sling shot to bring down a giant, but in a God who he knew would go before him on his (and the nation of Israel’s) behalf. That God is still in the giant slaying business today. It is for that reason I can stare down evil with joy and a smile on my face (often accompanied by tears). It’s almost a contradiction that I can stand outside a clinic with a heart full of prayer, praise, and love for my king, while at the same time full of grief and mourning for what is happening inside while I wait for the giant to fall. I suppose it’s something similar to how the Father felt when Jesus was hanging on the cross. Knowing the glory of what was to come, yet having to endure the pain of the present. It is that hope, that knowing of a savior that brings joy. We can press in with joy, because we know the end of the story, and we’re only at the beginning of the beginning. Thanks for that amazing reminder Misty! We know the one who has victory over death, His name is Jesus. Joy is a powerful weapon in demolishing the stronghold of abortion in our nation, let’s use it!

(This is part 1 of a 2 part series on the weapons of our warfare. Part 2 will cover, prayer, and worship.)

January 5, 2015September 17, 2017

From Runners to Forerunners: The Gaddite Stand

In case you haven’t noticed, the ground is shaking here in St. Louis. The time for intercessors to arise in our region is NOW. The time for the warring tribe of Gad to take their place on the front lines has arrived.

More than once in our region’s history we’ve avoided the difficult battles. In 1820 while trying to maintain a “balance” the Missouri Compromise was minted. At a Jordan River moment in our nation’s history, we looked and saw that the giants were too frightening to battle with. Again in the 1960’s, while most other major metropolitan areas had race riots, St. Louis was one of only a handful that had none. After wandering a while longer, we find ourselves again facing a Jordan River crossing in history and we must fearlessly face down the giants of the land. We are presented once again in our region an opportunity to fight for justice, what will we do?

In Numbers 32 the leaders of the tribe of Gad and Ruben have a meeting with Moses and ask him to allow them to have the land on the near side of the Jordan River. Moses, remembering the last time they were ready to cross the Jordan 40 years prior, and not wanting to wander in the wilderness for another 40 years confronts them saying in verses 7-9:

“Now why will you discourage the heard of the children of Israel from going over in the land which the Lord has given them? Thus your fathers did when I sent them away from Kadesh Barnea to see the land. For when they went up to the Valley of Eshcol and saw the land, they discouraged the heart of the children of Israel, so that they did not go into the land which the Lord had given them.” (NKJV)

Recognizing their previous cowardice and lack of faith in the promises of the Lord, the two tribes vow to lead the charge in battle and fight on the front lines for the land designated for the other tribes before returning to receive their own land inheritance, saying in verses 17-18:

“but we ourselves will be armed, ready to go before the children of Israel until we have brought them to their place; and our little ones will dwell in the fortified cities because of the inhabitants of the land. We will not return to our homes until every one of the children of Israel has received his inheritance.”

After conquering the Promised Land, the tribe of Gad became well known as a tribe of fearless warriors.

On January 13 the cases for Arkansas’ 12 week abortion ban and North Dakota’s 6 week abortion ban will be before the Eight Circuit Court here in St. Louis. Some legal experts have labeled these as the most significant cases on abortion since Roe v Wade itself. So here we are again at the banks of the Jordan River, are we willing to war in prayer for justice to be established in our nation or will we declare the “the timing isn’t right”, or “the Supreme Court isn’t stacked right”, or other giants are just too formidable? It is the time for the tribe of Gad to arise and fight. We will war in prayer for the inheritance of our sister states Arkansas and North Dakota on the front lines at the eighth circuit court here in St. Louis.

We will be holding a Silent Siege from 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM on January 13 outside of the Eighth Circuit Court building at 111 10^th St. while the cases are heard inside. We are asking all who can join us, to come join our Gaddite Stand as we fight for the inheritance of our sister states.

February 26, 2014October 2, 2014

Our Stomping Ground

*Originally published on Bound4LIFE.com

Sieges/ Rumbles
Regular Silent Siege is always the 3rd Saturday of the Month from 9-11 am. Extra sieges are added occasionally, including April 5th from 7am-7pm when we are joining with 40 Days for Life. Check our facebook page for more information about the location and how to sign up. Right now we siege the 8th circuit Court House at 111 10th street in St. Louis. We also siege a Planned Parenthood facility and another abortion facility in metro Illinois (The Hope Clinic). Rumble Every second Tuesday of the Month from 8-10pm at the Gateway House of Prayer.

Chapter Leaders
Jeremy and Melissa Jacobs

Our Journey
Being pro-life intercessors has been quite a journey with the Lord for Melissa and Jeremy. Melissa has always LOVED children but for many years felt that abortion was necessary in some circumstances. As the Lord blessed Melissa and Jeremy with children, He was also slowly and gently transforming their hearts to see children the way He sees them.

Melissa and Jeremy attended The Call Nashville on 07-07-07 and it was a turning point in their family and marriage and ignited a fire of intercession in their hearts. They left that gathering with a burning desire to see the ending of abortion in America and to join a Silent Siege in St. Louis. They felt sure that someone in their hometown was leading Bound4LIFE and conducting sieges. When they got home and discovered there was not an organized chapter they felt the Lord nudging them to be the leaders. They now feel they have been given a mandate from the Lord to pray and that they will see the ending of abortion in their lifetime.

Why join Bound4LIFE?
Bound4LIFE is one of the easiest ways to make a difference in the pro-life movement. It may not seem like it because we don’t do some of the community activism that is so visible. We attack the culture of death right at it’s source. We are not fighting a battle against flesh and blood but against the very spirit of death that has taken hold of our nation. The fight for life, is a spiritual battle and the only way to defeat it is through prayer. We love and support what other pro-life ministries are doing and believe they are serving a vital aspect of reaching those in crisis, however if you are nervous about talking to people about abortion or not sure you would know what to say, Bound4LIFE is a perfect fit. You don’t have to talk to anyone if you don’t feel lead, you just pray. If you love babies and you love Jesus, Bound4LIFE is a perfect way to step into the pro-life movement! Join us in prayer! It’s easy.

Bound4LIFE Testimonies
We were praying outside the Planned Parenthood clinic one Saturday a few years ago at about 10:30am. All the sidewalk counselors had left for the day because most of the abortions are scheduled for early in the morning. I don’t usually talk to the ladies when we siege the clinic, but this time was different. I saw a woman sitting in an SUV right in front of where I was standing. My heart was drawn to her and I felt the Lord nudging me to go talk to her. She was sitting in her car crying and talking on the phone, her door was slightly open and she looked as if she was conflicted about if she should get out or not.

I didn’t know what to say and to this day I can’t remember exactly what I said, as I took the tape off my mouth and walked toward the fence I prayed and asked God to give me the words to speak. I called out to her told her I understood how she felt as I’ve had several unexpected pregnancies myself. I stood there and I waited. Eventually the woman came to the fence I told her she didn’t have to go through with it and that God has a plan for her baby. I told her we could get her help and handed her a brochure I had from a local crisis pregnancy center. She told me she just couldn’t do it, she couldn’t go through with it. I asked her if I could pray with her. We prayed I gave her my phone number and told her to call me anytime if she needed anything. She thanked us for being there got in her SUV and left the clinic parking lot.

That is one life saved from death. This is not a typical occurrence at sieges, though. Mostly when we siege the abortion facility there are many sidewalk counselors calling out to the women and we don’t want to get in their way. In the 6 years that Bound4LIFE St. Louis has been sieging there have only been a handful of times like this where someone from our group has taken the tape off to talk to a woman considering abortion. However I know there have been many times when lives have been saved just by our presence. The sidewalk counselors have told us on several occasions when they talked with a woman who left the clinic and canceled her abortion that when they spoke with her all she could say was, “I just couldn’t get the image of those people with the tape on their mouth out of my mind.”

The Final Word
Tape may not seem like much, but it’s the weak things that God uses to make a big difference. It’s the humble stand of the few who are silent, but speak volumes in the Heavenlies. God is the creator of life and He says children are a gift, a treasure, arrows, and a heritage. Praying for life is so easy to do because we know beyond a shadow of a doubt that when we pray we are partnering with God’s heart.

June 21, 2013October 2, 2014

Every Life is Beautiful

*Originally published on Bound4LIFE.com

Today I got to hold two babies. One of them was so tiny she looked like one of my daughter’s baby dolls. She has the sweetest nose, and she kept cracking these little smiles. Her twin brother was equally adorable. These babies are even more remarkable because one was given a deadly diagnosis in utero. The sweet baby girl was diagnosed with Trisomy 18. A selective abortion was presented to the parents. Many babies with Trisomy 18 don’t live long. In this case the parents chose life.

I went to the store to pick up a gift for the babies and it was the hardest baby gift I have ever bought. How do you give a gift to the parents of a tiny baby when no one is sure how long she will be here on this earth? What kind of gift is appropriate in this situation? How do you honor her life and her brother’s without seeming like one is more valuable than the other? I searched the baby section at the store and prayed that God would lead me to the gift that would bring comfort to the parents. I also thought, “What would I want as a gift if I were in this situation?”

My husband and I talked before I went to the store and he made a remark that really stuck with me as I searched. He said, “I guess we don’t really want to give them an outfit.” I get why he said it, he was thinking of the parents and didn’t want to give them something that would bring pain if she didn’t live long. As I stood there I thought if I had a baby and no one was sure how long he/she would live, I actually would want something to remember them by. I would want an outfit or a little hat, something that I could set aside and look back on to touch and remember that life, and how beautiful it was even though it was short.

A few years ago I went through a pretty difficult miscarriage. The hardest part for me even after the emotional and physical healing was the absence of a reminder. The ultrasound screen was turned away from me; I didn’t even get to see my child. It’s hard to explain in words the emptiness my arms experienced after that. Now three years later I still remember that precious child in my heart, but have nothing tangible to remind me that I am a mother of seven children, not six. I long for something, a picture or a footprint, anything to remind me of that life.

We went to the hospital to bring comfort to the parents but also to love on the precious babies. I wasn’t sure what to expect. We had been told she would be born with some physical deformities so I was prepared for that. What I was not prepared for was just how beautiful she is. I fell in love with that sweet baby girl. Even her little cry and her squeaks and grunts were like music. The fact that she survived after birth and she is able to suck formula from a bottle is more than anyone was expecting. Even at 2 days old she has outlived any expectations doctors had for her. Can you imagine? To be only 2 days old and already have exceeded everything that your parents and doctors thought you would be able to accomplish. What a great life to have the privilege of living.

I cannot imagine this world without these children, the ones with physical limitations, or mental limitations. Are they the easiest children to care for? Probably not, but the reward for welcoming them is huge! Jesus said to welcome the little children and to let them come to Him. I don’t believe he was referring only to those born in perfect health. Every life is wonderfully and fearfully made. God does not make mistakes. If I know anything it’s that welcoming those who are created differently only enriches our own lives and makes our society better. They are gifts that so many would say should just be aborted. Statistically 90% of all babies diagnosed with Down syndrome prenatally are aborted; some estimates say it’s even higher for babies diagnosed with trisomy 18. This is a tragedy! What could we learn about pure love if our culture shifted to embrace these special children?

Every life has value and a purpose. The length of a life lived is NOT what determines its value.