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Pregnancy Issues 13/10/2006 Are all of the prophecies of the Old Testament applicable to Christians? In other words, it's like Isaiah 54 or 55 it talks about "widen your tent and make room you barren who have never bore a child." Wasn't that really for Israel? Is that still applicable for Christians today? It's a good point. Number one, the interpretation is for Israel. But the application applies to anyone who believes that they have a relationship with God because remember the reason why God gave the promises to Israel that He gave. It's because Israel was the new name given to Jacob and Jacob was the grandson of Abraham and Abraham is the one to which God made the promises to begin with. So, all the things that God ever does for Israel is because He made a covenant with Abraham. And in Galatians 3:29, the Bible says if we belong to Christ, then we are Abraham's seed and we are also joint-heirs with Jesus Christ and joint-heirs with Abraham as heirs of the promises that God made to Abraham. So, you've got to remember that it didn't start with Israel. It started with Abraham and the only reason that Israel was blessed was because of their connection to Abraham. Well, we now have the opportunity and have the privilege to be a part of Abraham's blessing by claiming the rights of the child of God according to Galatians 3:29. So, yes, it applies to us if we truly believe that Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior.

Pregnancy Issues 19/07/2006 My question is about fertility drugs. My husband & I are trying to have a child and I’ve been diagnosed and told that basically, the only way that I can have a child is with a drug called Clomid which makes me ovulate. So, I’m wondering if it’s a lack of faith to go ahead and proceed with some type of fertility drug? Or do I just pray about it and just wait for something to happen? First of all, no, it is not a lack of faith on your part that you would consider taking fertility drugs. But you do need to make sure that you do not have a lack of knowledge also. You need to know what the side-effects and the consequences are of those drugs. And you need to make sure that you go into it with open eyes and an open mind. And you need to know what your expectations are going to be. No, it’s not a lack of faith because even if you use the drugs, you just need to make sure that you put your faith and your trust is in God. “Whatever is not from faith is sin.” And the Bible says, “Let every man be convinced in his own mind. Have your faith unto yourself.” Or make sure that your faith is yours and you’re not trying to imitate somebody else’s or reproduce somebody else’s. But if you truly believe that this is something that you and your husband are in agreement about, something that you guys desire, then that is not something that is against your faith and it’s not something that proves you lack faith. It actually proves that you do have faith, that even though you’ve been told that you can’t have children, you’re believing God that you can. And you’re willing to explore the opportunities and the possibilities of fertility drugs and those kinds of things. And that’s okay. I encourage you and welcome you to explore those, but do that with knowledge. Make sure that you gather all the facts. Proverbs talks about gathering the information before you set out to accomplish something. Make sure that you know what you’re getting into and you know what the side-effects are and all of that and you’ve counted the cost according to Luke chapter 14. Before you build something, make sure you’ve counted the costs to make sure you have enough to build. And we’ll be praying for you to have success and to have great results in that regard.

Pregnancy Issues 11/05/2006 What does the Bible have to say about contraceptives? We are responsible for giving birth to the next generation. God told Adam and Eve to be fruitful and multiply. That does not mean we should have as many babies as our physical bodies will allow because even if your physical body is capable of having 20 or 30 children, you’re emotional and financial and spiritual makeup is not necessarily capable of having that number of children. You need to look at it from a full perspective – spirit, soul, and body. Are you spiritually capable and emotionally capable to take care of those children and give them the affection and attention that they need? Wholesome contraception is permissible. Remember, the Bible says, “All things are lawful but not all things are profitable.” Abortive contraceptives are inappropriate. It’s unscriptural to take the life that is already conceived. To prevent conception through contraceptives, however, is within the boundaries of our responsibilities. Just like if you were a farmer, you could prevent your harvest of green beans by not planting green bean seeds – or you could control the amount of harvest you bring in. Children are different from green beans, but we are responsible to tend our garden and make sure that whatever life we bring into this world, we bring it to full term. We must be prepared to take care of that child emotionally, physically, and spiritually. If we are not prepared to do that, then we should make sure to use contraceptives. Remember, sex within a marriage is wholesome and pure. It’s not just for the purpose of procreation but for the purpose of agreement and unity, for the purpose of showing affection toward one another.

Pregnancy Issues 25/05/2006 I am married and have two children. My husband wants more children, but I don’t think I do. Why do I feel guilty about not wanting more children? Is that God’s way of talking to me? You and your husband should read over Amos 3:3 together. That verse says, “How can two walk together unless they are in agreement?” One of the most important ingredients in a successful marriage is that the husband and wife be in agreement about the decisions they make. If one of them is not in agreement, then they need to table that situation until the Lord changes that person’s heart, or that person changes his or her mind, or until the other person changes his or her mind. So you shouldn’t move forward with having more children until you are both in agreement. You shouldn’t move forward in getting a dog unless you are both in agreement. You shouldn’t move forward in selling your house and buying a new one unless you are both in agreement. You should not move forward with any big decision unless you are both in agreement. God does not speak to us through guilt. Guilt is something that the devil wants us to feel because he never wants us to be happy about the choices we make. God, on the other hand, speaks through peace. It says in Psalm 85 that God speaks peace to his children. So, if you are feeling peace about having another child, then that is a good sign that God is speaking to you, but if you feel guilty about not having more, then that usually is not the Lord speaking to you.

Pregnancy Issues 13/04/2006 I’m not getting any younger and I would like to have a child. I was married and divorced unfortunately. And I still would like to have a child. I was wondering what the Bible says about that. The Bible says in Psalm 128 that children are a gift from the Lord. They’re a reward, they’re a gift. And I think that’s the right answer that they’re a gift from God. But I think what you or anybody, has to look at is what is the reason that I want to have a child? Do I have life experience and wisdom that I want to be able to give to that child so that their life can be even better than mine was? Or do I want a child because I’m lonely and I feel like that’ll make me complete or that’ll fulfill me or that will make me feel important or give me a sense of self-esteem? Those are wrong reasons to have a child. A child should be the by-product of a loving relationship between two people in a marriage. But oftentimes, that’s not the case. Oftentimes people get divorced and the children are a by-product of a time when they were in love and a time when they did have the belief that children were a gift from God. I believe that every child that is born into this world is a gift from God, even if the parents get divorced, even if the child was a product of a relationship where the two people weren’t married. God wants that child in this earth anyway. It’s not God’s will that bad things happen, but it’s certainly God’s will that once that child is conceived, that that child be on this earth. But as far as your situation goes, that child should have a father. You shouldn’t try to have a child without a father. If you believe that God wants you to have a child, then you should do it because you’re married and you want to have a child with somebody else.