Al Cooper on the left talks with Pastor Mark Hartley

Over the course of the last year or so, many of our big name Christian leaders have been promoted to glory. The question on the minds of many is, ‘Who will take their place?’ This dilemma can be looked at from many angles, but I’ll discuss two.

The most popular one is concerning abortion. I agree we have lost potentially some Christian leaders from this area. However, many of the individuals (not all, by any stretch of the imagination) who have abortions are non-Christians. Therefore the gaining of Christian leaders from this area means they would have been brought to Christ from a non-Christian background and discipled. We know God does work this way and praise Him for it. However, from my observation, throughout Biblical and church history this has been the exception, not the rule.

The least popular, or maybe the least talked about, view from most Christian's perspective flows out of Psalm 127. What is that view and how does it relate to the first?

We, as Christians, do not believe in abortion, and we raise our voices in defense of the unborn child. While we voice God’s views concerning the unborn and the fact that He is sovereign over the womb and not the woman, Christians control the womb in a different manner. No, we don’t murder the child through abortion, but we take other, equally immoral and abhorrent measures so we don’t have any more children.

In verses 1 and 2 of Psalm 127, the psalmist is talking about laboring to build a house. But without the Lord doing the work, all the labor is in vain. We want God to raise up Christian leaders, but we want it to be done with our methods. So we are laboring for the Lord, but according to our methods. Our methods say that we only have time and money enough for two, or at the most three, children.

In verse 3, the psalmist says that living for the Lord means receiving His blessings. Children are a major portion of His blessings. The psalmist says they are a gift (heritage) and a reward. As far as I know, there is not a Christian who understands the Word of God who would not agree that children are true blessings from God. We acknowledge this with our heads, but then say, ‘God I can only handle two or three blessings.’ After the second or third blessing, we take measures into our hands to put an end to God’s blessings. However, we continue to pray for God’s blessings. We pray, for example, for God to bless America. But we then turn around and also prevent more of His blessings from coming into existence. Do we really want His blessing?

In verse 4, the psalmist shows us how this fits in with the question of where the Christian leaders are. Children are like arrows in the hand of a warrior. An arrow in the hand of a skillful warrior is deadly to the enemy. Children in the hands of skillful Christian fathers and mothers cause fear in the enemy. Susanna Wesley was the baby of her family, the twenty-fifth child. John Wesley was the fifteenth child out of nineteen born to Samuel and Susanna. Charles was the eighteenth child born to the Wesley’s. What if Susanna’s parents had said, ‘Lord we can only handle two or three blessings?’ What if Samuel and Susanna Wesley had said, ‘Lord we can only handle two or three blessings. We are poor.’ It is sad today when Christians look at other Christians who have more than two or three children, as if something is wrong with them. Many Christians have bought the lie of Satan that they can only handle two or three blessings of God.

The psalmist closes in verse 5 by saying, ‘How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them; they will not be ashamed when they speak with their enemies in the gate.' The home that has a ‘quiver’ full of children is blessed by God and is without shame in the presence of his enemy. Why? Because the Lord is building the house, and the ‘arrows’ are being sent forth for His glory.

Where are all the Christian leaders? Yes, abortion has taken some, but many more have been taken from Christian homes through telling God we only want 'this much' blessing.

The argument against this by many Christians is that they would not want to raise children in today’s society. Every era since the Fall has been dark. However, Christians are called to shine the light. The greater the darkness the greater the need for the light.

P.S. I know there are many Christian homes that desperately desire to have children, but are unable to for a variety of reasons. This article is not meant to cause you pain or anguish. I pray for you that from this article you will draw encouragement, peace, and comfort knowing that God is sovereign over the womb. Therefore you can trust Him no matter what the circumstances may be.


Living for His Glory,
Pastor Mark Hartley
United Baptist Church Mars Hill, ME

Click here to post your thoughts on this article.
This link will take you to our forum.  Start a thread on this article if one isn't already visible.  We welcome your thoughtful posts.  Thank you for taking the time to interact with other good citizens.

© Copyright by Christian Civic League of Maine.  All rights reserved.

Top of Page