#411 (1/13) - SUNDAY SPECIAL - My Essay: ''Pro-Life" - Really?

REMINDER: Today's broadcast of "Truth That Transforms['' presents the great message of ''The American Holocaust".As always, in Central Florida, it is on at 5 pm, channel 55.1 today and at 7 pm, channel 52.2 tomorrow (Mon.)  You can also view the message at www.truthinaction.org tttt
SPECIAL NOTE: TODAY marks 9 days before the 40th anniversary of the infamous Roe v. Wade decision that spearheaded the legalizaion of the abortion of the unborn in America. I am in the midst of a 40 day period of prayer and (limited) fasting to honor the memory of the over 55 million ! unborn that have been murdered and the tens of millions of their mothers, fathers, and siblings who have been victimized by this great American Holocaust. 

CHALLENGE: This Sunday, ask your pastor that as a pro-life church (which I trust yours describes itself), how will they recognize Sanctity of Human Life Sunday on  Jan. 20th as will thousands of other pro-life churches in America. If he says he has no plans to do so, ask him why not. I'd love to hear the response you get.

PLEASE PRAY: 1.) For the girls/women each day contemplating an abortion; the abortionists and their staff; healing (emotionally and physically) of the women who have had abortions; the crisis pregnancy centers/sidewalk counselors seeking to serve the women facing unplanned pregnancies. 2)  For the passage of even more state laws that will effectively help to limit the number of abortions being performed. 3.)The defunding of Planned Parenthood that performs over 300,000 abortions (about 1/3 the toal) for profit and still receives almost 1/2 billion dollars in federal tax dollars. 4.) That one day America might finally pass a constitutional amendment promoting the Sanctity of Every Human Life - in effect oulawing both abortion and euthanasia. 5) For churches/Christians being pro-life- not just claiming to be but demonstrating it conclusively by their actiions.

 "Restoring the Value of Life" - watch a great 5-min. video and sign a petition. http://www.restoringthevalueoflife.org/?utm_source=Impact+e-Newsletter&utm_campaign=96d3f2a4b3-Impact_Newsletter_1_11_2012&utm_medium=email

"F.A.Q." - We know that you are confused and looking for answers. Here are some of the questions that are asked most frequently about Abortion and Pregnancy. http://www.restoringthevalueoflife.org/index.php/f-a-q/

My Essay: "Pro-Life" – Really?!!

In the nearly 40 years that I have been a Christian, I have always assumed that the churches that I have been a part of were pro-life. For sure, I never heard anything that expressed a support for abortion. But then, I have long been saddened that in my experience, it is the rare church that actually speaks out for the unborn, even on such a grisly anniversary as the annual anniversary of the Supreme Court’s  Roe v. Wade decision in 1973 which legalized abortion in America. (Sanctity of Human Life Sunday is NEXT Sunday, Jan. 20.)

I’ve long struggled to figure out why this is, why those who clearly have a Biblical mandate to stand up for life are guilty of such silence.

Is it a fear of not wanting to offend someone holding a different view?

        A number of years ago, as I was stepping up to offer prayer at my church worship service one year on
Sanctity of Human Life Sunday, the worship leader standing behind me step forward and whispered,            “Now, be sure not to say anything that might upset any visitors with us today.” (I was so incredulous,            only God knows how close I was to turning around and either screaming at the guy or slugging him.     Honest.)

Is it a question of not wanting to be publicly “politically incorrect” and risk financial loss? 

      

      Last spring I shared of how, 2 years after my awakening, I spent 4 days in jail for joining with several hundred  others in peacefully blocking the entrance to an abortion clinic in Los Angeles. As I’ve shared, I have rarely felt the presence of God as much as I did during those 4 days. I was deeply encouraged to be with so many believers from across the country who shared my passion to want to stand up for life. What was anything but encouraging was the reception I got when I returned to my own church family.

       Shortly after I got out, I attended a meeting of the leadership of my small Asian-American church. Rather than have me share about what I had experienced, I was only told such things as “Japanese people do not do things like that” and most shocking “It’s good no one learned of your attending our church because if that had gotten out, our church’s tax exempt status could have been endangered.” As these were my elders making these remarks, it took supernatural self-control to just bite my lip and try to hide my incredulity. 

It's tragic that the followers of the King of the Universe, Jesus Christ who declared Himself to be ‘the Truth” (John 14:6) should be hesitant to boldly stand for the truth about abortion. How shameful that those who declare the name of Christ would be more concerned about how the world views them or what it might cost them financially! Called to be “salt,” to be the agent of preserving what is good in our society (Mat. 5:13), are we instead responsible, by our silence, for allowing our nation to dwell in increasing darkness?

I’ve actually heard it said that Christians already know abortion is wrong so they don’t really need to hear about it again. Really? Are we that certain that from our youth to our most aged member can defend the truth about abortion in the public square? How would the average Christian have handled the situation I faced several years ago when I was invited to speak in a public high school class on career day to share about being in Christian ministry? >

After I had spoken for a few minutes, I asked the students to write any questions they had for me on 3x5 cards I had passed out. As I went through the returned cards, one said something like: “I got my girlfriend pregnant and I helped her get an abortion. Will God forgive me?” After I answered the question, I was suddenly challenged by two very vocal students who kept firing the typical pro-abortion clichés. I calmly answered each question and as I did I noticed the expression on the faces of the others in the class. It seemed obvious that the students had never heard the pro-abortion clichés they had been used to hearing refuted. I don’t know for sure, but I believe that my being prepared to respond may have been used by God to possibly change some minds or prevent someone from actually having an abortion in the future.

Finally, what about the fact that in almost any worship service, there is bound to be at least one person who has had some personal experience related to abortion?

 I once heard the well-known Bible teacher Chuck Swindoll being interviewed on a Focus on the Family radio broadcast. At the time, Rev. Swindoll was the senior pastor of on of the largest evangelical churches in Southern California. He shared how he had recently spoken of the forgiveness of Christ for women who had had an abortion. Afterwards, he was amazed at the long line of women who patiently waited to thank them for allowing them to be freed from many times decade of guilt. I recall being moved as he began to sob that it made him realize that for decades he had not addressed the subject while so many women sitting in his church pews were suffering!

If a church or a believer is going to claim to be pro-life, they need to stop and ask themselves just what evidence is there of that claim. If being pro-life was considered a “hate-crime” or expressing pro-life views were considered “hate-speech” (of course, we are already there in some form in some places when it comes to homosexuality), will there be any evidence then convict you or your church of that “crime?”

ACTION POINT: Ask your pastor (if not at church, then call him):

1)      That as a pro-life church, how will your church be acknowledging Sanctity of Human Life Sunday? (If he says there will be no acknowledgement, be sure to ask him why not? I would  love to know what reason he gives.)

2)   What other specific ways is your church demonstrating that it is pro-life? (You might suggest that he teach on how to refute the pro-abortion arguments that our public schools and culture indoctrinate us with daily.)