Pregnancy At 23 Weeks

All About Baby

Even if Mother's bowels aren't quite regular these days, Baby may be settling into a regular routine—more active at night, for instance, while quieter during the day. All of her internal systems are in place, even if they do need more time to mature. Her vestibular system—the area in the brain responsible for sensing movement—is one of the first parts of the brain to mature, and it is already actively sensing all of Mother's movements. At the same time, Baby's hearing continues to develop and sharpen. Studies show that infants who are exposed to certain loud noises in the womb (like dog barks or the dryer beeping) are less likely to be startled by them once they are born.

This week marks an important milestone—if Baby were born this week, she would have a chance at survival. According to the March of Dimes, of all babies born at 23 weeks, 25 to 35 percent survive. This number goes up considerably when you add just a couple weeks: roughly 50 to 70 percent of all babies born at 24 to 25 weeks survive. And 90 percent of all babies born at 26 to 27 weeks survive.


[Picture and (edited) information provided at http://www.babyzone.com/pregnancy-calculator/pregnancy-week-by-week/.]
 

Pregnancy At 22 Weeks

All About Baby

Baby's brain is growing daily. His senses are also starting to develop. He can hear the sound of Mother's heart along with her breathing. As he wiggles his fingers, he may touch his face or even suck his thumb. His lungs are becoming more mature, and he even goes through the motions of breathing. He can also swallow, although he won't have his first real meal until delivery day.

[Picture and (edited) information provided at http://www.babyzone.com/pregnancy-calculator/pregnancy-week-by-week/.]

Pregnancy At 21 Weeks

All About Baby


Baby will begin to fill out over the next few weeks. Fat layers form throughout her body. These layers will eventually keep her warm and insulated once outside the womb. Soft hair, called "lanugo" covers her body, too. Her eyelids are still closed, making her appear like she's sleeping, but frequent wiggles will let Mama know she's awake. Mama may also feel Baby hiccupping. Also, jerky motions Mama feels in her belly are a result of Baby practicing the important task of breathing.

[Picture and (edited) information provided by www.babyzone.com.]

Pastors Gone Wild!!!!!!!!

"The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished: But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous are they, selfwilled, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities." 2 Peter 2:9-10

True story: An American pastor driving down the road was stopped at a routine illegal alien check-point in California. He was not singled out, for he was stopped like everyone else. When asked by check-point officials the simple question, “Are you an American citizen?”, the pastor replied that he was actually a citizen of Israel. The officers then asked if the car he was driving belonged to him. He refused to answer. After refusing to answer a few more questions and also refusing to show any identification, he was asked to pull over to the side. There, the officials continued to ask some basic questions to finally determine if he was legally in the country. To show his "Israeli" citizenship, the pastor held up an opened Bible and began to read aloud Ephesians 2:11-19. He explained that because of the blood of Christ that he was now a citizen of Israel.

This did not impress the check-point officials, so they continued to press the pastor for the information they needed while he continued to refuse to answer their questions. Eventually, the pastor questioned the check-point officials' authority and asked for them to tell him what law gave them the right to ask such personal information. The pastor then cited the Constitution and his rights as an American citizen as reasons he did not need to answer their questions. He suggested that the check point was like what the Nazi’s would have done. He then stated that since they were not peace officers that he wasn’t required to give them his name. After some time, he decided to show them an unopened video presentation that he had made. On the back of the video cover was his picture, name, title, and name of his church. This pastor offered the video to them and told them that the video was all the personal information he was willing to give them at that time. He further suggested that they use the internet to verify his identity. After a little more time had passed, the officials gave the pastor back his video and sent him on his way.

This pastor’s behavior is so disturbing on so many levels. One may attempt to justify reactions to government matters: the “illegal” check points government has set up and the concern for protecting the rights and privacy of American citizens. However, is one to be an American or a Christian first?

Matthew 5:38-39a, “Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: …” (Compare Matthew 5:38-48 with Luke 6:27-36.)

Romans 13:1-2, “Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.”

1 Peter 2:13-14,17, “Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme; Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well. Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king.”

1 Timothy 2:1-3, “I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;”

Titus 3:1-2, "Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work, To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men."

1 Timothy 3:7, “Moreover he (a bishop) must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.”

There was a time when Christians realized that America was unusual in its religious freedoms and, thus, were appreciative of those liberties. Today, some -- if not most -- demand not only their religious liberties but other liberties as well, as if God has mandated in his word that governments allow Christians to live freely. God has obviously given each person freedom of thought and choice, but He clearly put man’s freedom of action under the authority of government. So, Christians are to not only obey God but are to also obey their government. Only when the government forbids their obedience to God or tries to force them to disobey Him are they allowed to stand against” the government, recognizing all the while that punishment may still come, as experienced by Peter and some of the apostles (Acts 5:17-40). With that said, it is biblically unjustifiable for anyone to excuse the behaviors of this pastor, for to answer the questions the check-point officials were asking in no way defies any command from God.

It is helpful for all Christians to reflect upon 1 Peter 2:11, “Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;” Hebrews 11:13 also states that Christians are “pilgrims”, not truly belonging to this world anymore but having their citizenship in heaven. While in their earthly, fleshly bodies, Christians ought to be constantly on guard to not live according to the flesh. As Paul reminded them over and over, Christians are to exercise the mind of Christ they already have. For as it is well known, Christ did not concern himself with the affairs of this world but kept His focus on the reason He came, that being to seek and to save those that were lost. Jesus was certainly concerned with the spiritual condition of religious and government officials and not with His letting others know of His status as an Israeli citizen or as the Son of God. One can quite easily enjoy (in the flesh) this pastor’s defiance, but as a Christian one is to do everything to the glory of God, which this pastor’s actions do not do.

In closing, the pastor’s name nor the link to the video of his interaction with government officials are being provided. His story is solely being shared out of the concern that American Christians are more and more being easily side tracked with the cares and concerns of this world and, in so doing, sometimes forgetting the Christian testimony they are to be showing. One could assume that the check-point officials were men who are lost and on their way to hell. After their interaction with this pastor, what must these likely unsaved men be thinking of Christianity and Christians in general?

Philippians 2:14-16a, “Do all things without murmurings and disputings: That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world; Holding forth the word of life;…”

Philippians 1:27, "Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ;..."

Ephesians 5:1-3, "Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour....as becometh saints;"

 

Pregnancy At 20 Weeks

All About Baby

By week 20, Baby is gearing up for the next phase in his development—filling out. His organs are getting into their proper places. His kidneys are now in position with their familiar bean shape. His testes (or ovaries for girls) have reached their position. His brain continues to form and grow. His teeth are beginning to appear, and he can swallow. If Mother hasn't been able to feel him move, chances are she'll be feeling him move more and more over the coming weeks.

[Picture and (edited) information provided by www.babyzone.com.]

Righteous or Religious?

"The temptation to introduce 'new' things into the work of God has always been too strong for some people to resist. The Church has suffered untold injury at the hands of well intentioned but misguided persons who have felt that they know more about running God's work than Christ and His apostles did. A solid train of box cars would not suffice to haul away the religious truck which has been brought into the service of the Church with the hope of improving on the original pattern. These things have been, one and all, positive hindrances to the progress of the Truth, and have so altered the divinely-planned structure that the apostles, were they to return to earth today, would scarcely recognize the misshapen thing which has resulted.

"Our Lord while on earth cleansed the Temple, and periodic cleansings have been necessary in the Church of God throughout the centuries. Every generation is sure to have its ambitious amateur to come up with some shiny gadget which he proceeds to urge upon the priests before the altar. That the Scriptures do not justify its existence does not seem to bother him at all. It is brought in anyway and presented in the very name of Orthodoxy. Soon it is identified in the minds of the Christian public with all that is good and holy. Then, of course, to attack the gadget is to attack the Truth itself. This is an old familiar technique so often and so long practiced by the devotees of error that I marvel how the children of God can be taken in by it.

"We of the evangelical faith are in the rather awkward position of criticizing Roman Catholicism for its weight of unscriptural impedimenta and at the same time tolerating in our own churches a world of religious fribble as bad as holy water or the elevated host. Heresy of method may be as deadly as heresy of message. Old-line Protestantism has long ago been smothered to death by extra-scriptural rubbish. Unless we of the gospel churches wake up soon we shall most surely die by the same means." - A.W. Tozer