Historic ruling: Roe v. Wade overturned, abortion laws sent back to the states

 By CASEY HARPER | THE CENTER SQUARE

The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday overturned Roe v. Wade, the 1973 decision that prevented states from banning abortion.

The court ruled 6-3 that there is no Constitutional right to an abortion and that it is therefore up to each state to decide how to handle the issue.

“The Constitution does not confer a right to abortion; Roe and Casey are overruled; and the authority to regulate abortion is returned to the people and their elected representatives,” a syllabus of the ruling reads. 

The high court called the Roe v. Wade ruling “egregiously wrong.”

“Like the infamous decision in Plessy v. Ferguson, Roe was also egregiously wrong and on a collision course with the Constitution from the day it was decided,” the court said. “Casey perpetuated its errors, calling both sides of the national controversy to resolve their debate, but in doing so, Casey necessarily declared a winning side. Those on the losing side – those who sought to advance the State’s interest in fetal life – could no longer seek to persuade their elected representatives to adopt policies consistent with their views. The Court short-circuited the democratic process by closing it to the large number of Americans who disagreed with Roe.”

Several states have already lined up legislation to restrict abortion in anticipation of this ruling.

“Finally, the Court considers whether a right to obtain an abortion is part of a broader entrenched right that is supported by other precedents,” the ruling said. “The Court concludes the right to obtain an abortion cannot be justified as a component of such a right. Attempts to justify abortion through appeals to a broader right to autonomy and to define one’s ‘concept of existence’ prove too much.”

The case in question began with a legal challenge to a Mississippi law banning abortions after 15 weeks. Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch last year requested that the Supreme Court use that case to overturn Roe v. Wade.

The ruling comes after the court last year allowed a Texas law to stand that banned abortions after six weeks, when a baby’s heartbeat is detectable.

A leak from the Supreme Court earlier this year that indicated Roe v. Wade could be overturned sparked controversy and led to protests outside multiple Justices’ homes and a failed assassination attempt against Justice Brett Kavanaugh.

Fencing and barricades were erected around the court, and law enforcement presence increased after the leak. Demonstrators on both sides gathered outside the court all week along with law enforcement in anticipation of the ruling.

Pro-life advocates celebrated the ruling.

“Laws across the country can now affirm that life is a human right and ensure women have greater access to the support and resources they need and deserve,” Alliance Defending Freedom General Counsel Kristen Waggoner said.

Now, the energy on abortion will likely ramp up at the state level, where each state government can now decide how to handle the controversial issue.

“We now turn to the states to ensure that unborn children and their mothers are protected from the gruesome reality of abortion, and that they receive the care and resources they need to flourish,” Waggoner said. “Mississippi asked the court to overturn Roe because that case was egregiously wrong and had no basis in constitutional text, structure, or history. Additionally, Roe’s changing standards have long been unworkable, which is why so many pro-life laws ended up in court. It also failed to account for changing science, which demonstrates that life begins at conception. Today is a day of celebration, but the battle continues, as states either respect or shirk their responsibility to protect the life and health of women and children.”

This story is developing.

Pray for America’s Judges

“Pray for all men with all forms of prayers and requests as you intercede with intense passion. And pray for every political leader and representative, so that we would be able to live tranquil, undisturbed lives, as we worship the awe-inspiring God with pure hearts. It is pleasing to our Savior-God to pray for them. He longs for everyone to embrace His life and return to the full knowledge of the truth.” (1 Timothy 2:1-4 TPT)

When writing the New Testament, Paul makes it clear to us that we are to pray for our leaders, spiritual and governmental. There is no one who needs prayer more than the nine justices who have been appointed by our American Presidents to judge right from wrong and interpret the U.S. Constitution. There are other judges, besides those nine, who have been elected and appointed to these offices in each of our 50 states. They are there to listen, use the wisdom they have gained through study and interpretation of law, and make rulings. Many of these rulings affect each one of us. Therefore, it’s crucial that we pray for them, asking God to speak to and through them.

This is what our good friend Quin Sherrer shares with us:

“There are hundreds of good, honest men and women who serve in our nation as judges—people with integrity who make just decisions. We bless, applaud, and thank them. Sadly, some judges make dangerously wrong ones.

“In 2 Chronicles we read about King Jehoshaphat who wanted good judges. When he returned safely to his house in Jerusalem after a battle, he set judges throughout all the fortified cities of Judah ... city by city.

“He told them, ‘Consider carefully what you do, because you are not judging for mere mortals but for the LORD, who is with you whenever you give a verdict. Now let the fear of the LORD be on you. Judge carefully, for with the LORD our God there is no injustice or partiality or bribery.’ (2 Chronicles 19: 6-7 NIV)

“Judeo-Christian beliefs that our early settlers brought with them helped to form the foundation of our system of laws. Later in 1789, the U.S. Supreme Court was ‘ordained and established’ under Article III of the U.S. Constitution. There were six original justices. Today we have nine.

“When there is a vacancy on the Supreme Court, a new justice is appointed by the U.S. President and confirmed by the Senate. He or she holds the office for life or retirement.

“Today we have two court systems in the United States: (1) the Supreme Court and the lower federal courts, and (2) the state courts. Federal judges, who act on some of the most significant issues affecting the American people, have wide authority and discretion in the cases over which they preside. 1

“‘As the Supreme Court is the highest court in the land, all decisions and outcomes are final and a case that goes to the Supreme Court must first pass through several other courts… [It] has the power to investigate, question and overturn cases that were decided in lower courts. [It] can also judge the actions of federal, state, and local governments. If the Supreme Court feels that another area of government is acting unconstitutionally, they may investigate.’  2

“At the Supreme Court building in Washington, D.C. you will see ‘Equal Justice Under Law’ written above the main entrance. Engraved in stone above the Chief Justice’s seat is a display of the Ten Commandments. When the Marshal announces the beginning of each court session, he ends his speech with, ‘God save the United States and this Honorable court.’  3

“Thousands of judges across our nation need our prayers. When government agencies attempt to strip away our freedoms, even blatantly acting against our Constitution, we must cry out. And we pray that judges will make just decisions, not unjust ones. That righteousness—not evil—will prevail in our nation.

“We must especially continue to pray for the Supreme Court justices whose final decisions affect so many of us—we, the people—and even the unborn.”

One of our most conservative Supreme Court Justices serving us today is Justice Clarence Thomas. Justice Thomas is 73 and has served us since 1991 when he was appointed to the Court by President George H.W. Bush. This past Friday, Justice Thomas was admitted to a Washington hospital after experiencing flu-like symptoms. He does not have Covid, but was diagnosed with an infection and is being treated with intravenous antibiotics. He is responding to the treatment and hopefully will be discharged soon.  4

Today, let’s pray for Justice Thomas and the other judges who are in positions of leadership and authority.

Pray with me:

Thank You, Lord, that our Founders established three branches of government to ensure there would be a balance of powers. We pray for Supreme Court justices, and for the thousands of judges serving across America in federal, state, county, and municipal courts. May they not be swayed by prejudice, political opinion, or malicious outside influences. Lord, as our courts come into alignment with Your will, also cause needed changes to be established in all levels of our correctional system.

We ask for the salvation of those on the bench who don’t know You, and for Sauls to be transformed to Pauls.

Thank You for awakening believers to pray for these reforms to happen, and to vote accordingly. May all forces of evil in our judicial and correctional systems be abolished, in Jesus’ name, Amen. 5

Our decree:

We decree that a visitation from Yahweh is coming to the judicial branch of our U.S. government.

U.S. Supreme Court Justices:

Chief Justice John Roberts, Samuel Alito, Steven Breyer (has announced retirement but will serve until his replacement is decided), Brett Kavanaugh, Elena Kagan, Clarence Thomas, Sonia Sotomayor, Neil Gorsuch, Amy Coney Barrett.

_______________________________

1. https://www.reference.com/world-view/duties-supreme-court

2. Ibid

3. William J. Federer, America’s God and Country, (FAME Publishing, 1996), 595.

4. ,https://www.newsmax.com/us/clarence-thomas-infection-hospital-washington/2022/03/20/id/1062082/

5. Quin Sherrer and Ruthanne Garlock, Warfare Prayers for Women, (Bloomington, MN: Chosen, 2020), 238.

We Must Not Miss This Opportunity

From Dutch Sheets:

I appreciate Intercessors For America. Their long and fruitful track record of praying for America is unsurpassed. In the following report, Dave Kubal shares from an interview with former Governor of Mississippi, Phil Bryant, regarding the upcoming (December 1, 2021) Supreme Court abortion case.

“As Mississippi Governor from 2012 to 2020, Phil Bryant attacked key social ills. Rates for unemployment, high school dropouts, and teen pregnancies hit record lows during his tenure. But what he really wanted to stop was abortion.

“In an interview with IFA’s Dave Kubal, Bryant shared: ‘The number one issue— the first thing we all do as governors or anyone in public life— is public safety. To protect the lives of our citizens. These (pre-born children) are citizens. And they deserve due process. They deserve the constitutional rights of every citizen of the United States. They are children of God and we must lay down our lives, if necessary, to protect them.’

“Hope for doing this came with the heartbeat bill and the science of the sonogram. ‘At about fifteen weeks, you can detect…that heartbeat, the brain is beginning to mature. Life clearly exists,’ Bryant said. ‘So it was a viability question. Is that child viable? Is it a human life? And if it is a human life, does the state of Mississippi have a right to protect it? We said it does and we are going to fight it all the way to the Supreme Court.’

“This case—Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health—aims directly at Roe v. Wade. Bryant said, ‘Our 10th amendment said all of those laws that are not prohibited—powers that are not specifically given to the federal government—are those of the states. We believe this is a state’s’ rights issue.’

“Bryant is no stranger to the court system. He was sued over the state flag, religious freedoms, even the state budget. ‘And all of the cases went to the same judge. Remarkably the same Obama-appointed judge got every case in which I was sued,’ Bryant said.

“But things went differently with the lawsuit over the heartbeat bill. ‘It went to the Fifth Circuit and the Fifth Circuit said, “We’re trying to deliberate as to whether or not we will hear it,’” Bryant said. ‘And the United States Supreme Court said, “We are going to hear it.” We’re going to pull that out and bring it before the United States Supreme Court. Remarkable that this is happening at this time.’

“Bryant isn’t shy about his goal: ‘[These judicial activists] thought it was a big deal, “Oh we got him to admit that he wants to [end abortion in Mississippi].” Praise God I do! You got me! If you want me to say I want to end abortion, you got me. I’ll write it down and testify to it.’

“His testimony is fueled from heaven. ‘I was just looking this morning at my devotional Jesus Calling. It says “Do not let any set of circumstances intimidate you. The more challenging your day, the more of My power I place at your disposal. Amen,’” Bryant said. ‘That is for today. He is placing His power at our disposal for this purpose and we can’t let any set of circumstances intimidate us.’”

The battle for life in America has been long, indeed. Winston Churchill once said, “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” As usual, the great Churchill’s wisdom was profound. There have been many failures in this battle, but I believe the courage and tenacity to continue will, indeed, prevail. Charles Spurgeon once said, “Through perseverance, the snail reached the ark.”(1)

While preparing to visit the Supreme Court for my first time in the early 90’s, Holy Spirit spoke to me and said, “Now I’m going to show you where the strongman over America lives.” (See Matthew 12.29) No person or persons has opened the door to more evil in America in the last 60 years than the Supreme Court. There have been some great and righteous Justices over that span, as there currently are, but nonetheless, the Court’s legislation and approval of evil have been unsurpassed. Their decisions have not only made a mockery of the Constitution, but they have shaken their fists in God’s face, epitomizing Psalm 2:1-3 (TPT):

  “How dare the nations plan a rebellion. Their foolish plots are futile! Look at how the power brokers of the world rise up to hold their summit as the rulers scheme and confer together against Yahweh and His Anointed King, saying: ‘Let’s come together and break away from the Creator. Once and for all let’s cast off these controlling chains of God and His Christ!’”

Interestingly, as I write this, my friend Matt Lockett just texted me. Matt leads the Justice House of Prayer in DC, the prayer group which has prayed daily at the Court (with the red “LIFE” tape) for over a decade. He told me: “It’s interesting that Ken Malone’s dream, ‘Damn the Torpedoes’ was on 7-22. This year, the Mississippi brief arrived at SCOTUS on 7-22. Leading up to that a prophet said to me that we needed to be prophesying Daniel 7:22 over the state’s brief. We did, and they changed their legal strategy to openly calling for the overturning of Roe vs Wade.”

... The verse Matt referenced, Daniel 7:22, tells us: “Until the Ancient of Days came and judgment was passed in favor of the saints of the Highest One, and the time arrived when the saints took possession of the kingdom” (NASV). I and others have prayed this verse over America for years. We must pray it now as never before. It is time for this evil and despicable law to be overturned.

We must also pray that the evil hold of this principality over the Court be broken once and for all. Its power base there has been long and strong. Many will go there to march and cry out for death from now leading up to the case. Others of us will go to cry out for life. Join us in praying Daniel 7:22 and in binding the evil hold over the Supreme Court.

Pray with me:

Father, we have asked You many times to cleanse us for the shedding of innocent blood in our nation. Millions of prayers of repentance have been offered regarding this. The evil principality, Baal, has been empowered to control our nation through these blood sacrifices for over 5 decades. 60 million babies have been sacrificed to this spirit.

Yet, in Your mercy, You have kept us free and preserved our destiny as a nation. We have received grace upon grace. Now, we have come to an opportunity for breakthrough. We ask You to release the power of Holy Spirit to influence the Supreme Court of America. We ask that they be moved upon to reverse this evil. Influence their thinking; ensure that they not be influenced by any wrong thinking, deception, or demonic pressure. May they boldly and courageously do what is right. And may it further the process of breaking this stronghold off of America.

We thank You for saving America! 

“Jesus, I plead Your blood over my sins and the sins of my nation. God, end abortion and send revival to America.” [This is a 22-word prayer Lou Engle wrote to replace the 22-word prayer the Supreme Court ruled was unconstitutional - the Engle vs. Vitale case of 1962.] Amen.

Our decree:

We decree that the evil law, Roe versus Wade, will be overturned in America.

Today’s post includes an article from Intercessors for America (click here to see it). Please visit www.IFApray.org for this and many other great articles, as well as materials to aid us in prayer for America.

1. https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/charles_spurgeon_143068

Copyright © 2021 Dutch Sheets Ministries, All rights reserved.

Texas Leads the Way

 I am sure many of you have heard by now that the state of Texas filed a lawsuit directly with the US Supreme Court shortly before midnight on Monday, December 7^th, challenging the election procedures in Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin on the grounds that they violate the Constitution.

Quoting from breitbart.com, “Texas argues that the states violated the Electors Clause of the Constitution because they made changes to the voting rules and procedures through the courts or through executive actions, but not through the state legislatures. Additionally, Texas argues that there were differences in voting rules and procedures in different counties within the states, violating the Constitution’s Equal Protection Clause. Finally, Texas argues that there were ‘voting irregularities’ in these states as a result of the above.”

This is huge! The lawsuit reads, in part:

“Certain officials in the Defendant States presented the pandemic as the justification for ignoring state laws regarding absentee and mail-in voting. The Defendant States flooded their citizenry with tens of millions of ballot applications and ballots in derogation of statutory controls as to how they are lawfully received, evaluated, and counted. Whether well-intentioned or not, these unconstitutional acts had the same uniform effect – they made the 2020 election less secure in the Defendant States. Those changes are inconsistent with relevant state laws and were made by non-legislative entities, without any consent by the state legislatures. The acts of these officials thus directly violated the Constitution.

“This case presents a question of law: Did the Defendant States violate the Electors Clause by taking non-legislative actions to change the election rules that would govern the appointment of presidential electors? These non-legislative changes to the Defendant States’ election laws facilitated the casting and counting of ballots in violation of state law, which, in turn, violated the Electors Clause of Article 2, Section 1, Clause 2 of the U.S. Constitution. By these unlawful acts, the Defendant States have not only tainted the integrity of their own citizens’ vote, but their actions have also debased the votes of citizens in Plaintiff State and other States that remained loyal to the Constitution.”

The case is now on the docket and will be heard. I have been told by legal experts that this could be a game-changer. Thank God for government leaders in Texas standing up for truth and integrity. Now we need to bathe this lawsuit in prayer.

We are also awaiting the decision from the Court regarding Pennsylvania. The attempt by the Governor and Secretary of State to give the election to Biden is being challenged. This is due to the incredible number of illegal votes cast through the mail-in voting. We must pray faithfully and intensely for both of these State battles.

Give Him 15 minutes in prayer:

• Give thanks to the Lord for Texas and the godly leaders there.
• Ask the Lord to give them great wisdom, skill, and favor as they present this case.
• Pray against any strategy of the enemy to defeat them.
• Pray for those in Pennsylvania bringing their case to the Court. We must win Pennsylvania!
• Pray that these lawsuits create momentum and that other victories follow.
• Pray for exposure of the evil. And pray for the legal teams fighting these battles.

A prayer you can pray:

Father, we thank you for this breakthrough in Texas. Now we ask for your favor as this goes before the Supreme Court. We ask that they will rule according to the Constitution. We ask that you give incredible wisdom and articulation to those representing Texas-that they have the right strategy. We pray that the inappropriate election decisions made will be exposed. Use this case to expose the fraud.

And Lord, we pray for Pennsylvania. We ask you for breakthrough there. We ask you that those who have come forward and presented discrepancies and fraud be vindicated. And we ask that the governments in contested states are not able to ignore the fraud and deception that took place. We ask you for just and righteous election outcomes.

We pray continually for the legal teams. We ask you, Lord, to give them strength, courage, endurance, wisdom, and provision. We pray for our President–give him strength and endurance. And finally, we pray for the Justices, that they will think clearly, wisely, and constitutionally. We pray a protective covering over them, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Today’s decree:

We decree that God will hover over the Supreme Court as they make these decisions, and rule over every decision rendered!

Montana: Pro-Gun Advocates Appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court

From the Associated Press:

Gun advocates asked the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday to overturn a lower court's ruling against state laws designed to buck federal gun rules.

Earlier this year, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a district judge's decision against the 2009 Montana Firearms Freedom Act. The law attempts to declare that federal firearms regulations don't apply to guns kept in the state where they were manufactured.

Other pro-gun states have passed similar measures.

The Justice Department has argued successfully that the courts already have decided Congress can use its power to regulate interstate commerce. Some gun-control advocates sided with the federal argument, saying "firearm freedom acts" would allow felons to obtain guns without background checks and make it harder to trace guns used in crimes.

Gun advocates have long said only the Supreme Court can decide the case because it will have to limit the reach of Congress to regulate guns. The Supreme Court is expected to decide next year whether to accept the request.

The advocates, led by the Montana Shooting Sports Association, have had legal support from the attorneys general from the pro-gun states of Montana, Utah, Alaska, Idaho, Michigan, Nebraska, South Carolina, South Dakota, West Virginia, and Wyoming. States that have formally passed a version of Firearms Freedom Act include Alaska, Arizona, Idaho, Kansas, Tennessee, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming.

Read the whole article here.

Pardon Me?

To paraphrase Dr. Ian Malcolm in Jurassic Park II, this is the worst decision in the long, sad history of bad decisions ... but it may also contain the germ of a good thing.

It has the potential to spark a counter-revolution in Congress & among We the People to start cleaning up the mess. I'm not going to hold my breath, but you never know.

This Could Get VERY Interesting: Voter ID

"The Supreme Court ruled Monday that states can require voters to produce photo identification without violating their constitutional rights, validating Republican-inspired voter ID laws."

Read the rest here.