Testimony is, of course, popular in our postmodern, that’s-good-for-you age. Who would object to your thinking you’ve gotten something good from Christ? But wait and see what happens when you try to move the conversation from what Jesus has done for you to the facts of the life, death, and resurrection of Christ, and how that all applies to your nonbelieving friend. That’s when you discover that testimony is not necessarily evangelism.
Mark Dever

A Prophetic Witness That Saves

A Prophetic Witness That Saves

This was published in The Defender, Jericho Project of Dayton’s newsletter. It provides a clear rational for direct action against the abortion trade.

A PROPHETIC WITNESS THAT SAVES LIVES

Every day 4,000 unborn children are torn limb from limb in their mothers’ wombs, victims of this nation’s abortion chambers. Many of these children are killed right here in Dayton. Yet most Christians in our city have remained silent in the face of this American holocaust–often too busy, too uninformed, or too apathetic to spend a few hours a month to speak up for God’s little ones.

Yet, as Christians, God calls us to be a prophetic light to a fallen world by declaring and acting upon the truth of His word. Proverbs 24: 11 and 12 commands Christians to: Rescue those being led away to death; Hold back those staggering towards slaughter. If you say, ” But we knew nothing about this,” Does not He who

weighs the heart perceive it? Does not He who guards your life know it? Will He not repay each person according to what he has done? Jesus taught that “whatever you have done to the least of these my brethren you have done unto me.” In the same passage He makes clear that standing by idly in the face of human suffering is a sin. On judgment day you will be called to answer the question “what did you do when they were killing My innocent children?” How will you respond?

A Way to Save Lives Picketing abortion chambers is one way that Christians can be obedient to God’s commandment. It is not the only way, but it is one of the most simple and effective. It requires no special skills or talent. Just a boldness to declare and act upon God’s word. And yes, picketing saves lives. Many women are turned away from the abortuary merely by the presence of Christians outside demonstrating their concern for the woman and her tiny unborn child. Your presence on the picket line could be an innocent child’s last chance for life.

**A Prophetic Witness**

On the larger scale, picketing abortion chambers is a prophetic witness to our society of God’s hatred of this evil. By picketing abortion chambers you will send a simple but clear message that the Christians in Dayton have not and will never accept the killing of innocent children who are precious in God’s sight regardless of how our society assesses their worth.

Remember, we show the sincerity of our convictions and the seriousness of the abortion holocaust through our actions.

Franky Schaeffer once observed that, “If there is an abortion clinic in a neighborhood that is not being picketed whenever abortions are performed, then the Christians in that community have accepted abortion.”

How true. And how sad that Church services and Bible studies are held in our city while only blocks away the abortionists practice their grisly trade without so much as a peep of protest from the vast majority of Christians.

Picketing abortion clinics drives home the point that there is no neutral ground in the abortion debate; the unborn child is either a human being or it is not. Picketing abortion chambers forces the public to confront this issue. It forces them to think.

The abortionists want nothing more than to fade away into the background so that they can practice their trade in obscurity.

Won’t you help expose their evil to the searching light of God’s truth?

**A Call To Commitment**

Fifteen years have passed since the Roe v. Wade decision was handed down by the United States Supreme Court which struck down as unconstitutional the anti-abortion laws of all fifty states.

Since that decision more than twenty million unborn children have been exterminated while the church, for the most part, has continued to act as if nothing were happening.

How long can Christians remain silent? Apathy in the face of evil is, of course, nothing new.

When our nation was divided by the slavery issue, Henry David Thoreau observed that, “There are thousands who are in opinion opposed to slavery . . ., but who yet in effect do nothing to put an end to it. They hesitate, and they regret, and sometimes they petition; but they do nothing in earnest and with effect. They will wait, well disposed, for others to remedy the evil, that they may no longer have it to regret.”

Fortunately, in Thoreau’s day and throughout history God has raised up the voices of a few courageous Christian men and women who were willing to speak out against the evils of their day even while other Christians looked askance.

These prophetic men and women bore public scorn and ridicule and sometimes risked even their lives to stand up for God’s truth. Can we do anything less in the face of 1.5 million deaths a year?

**A Moderate Response**

Some Christians view picketing as too “divisive” and too “radical”. Yet if we really believe as Christians that abortion is the taking of innocent human life, then picketing is a mild response.

Imagine this: the Supreme Court arbitrarily declares that life begins six months after birth. “Family Planning” centers spring up throughout the country where mothers can take their newborn infants to be killed. Pro-life Christians begin picketing these centers.

Would we then hear criticism that pro-lifers were “harassing” women who had made a difficult decision, that pro-life tactics were extreme and divisive? One would hope not.

**A Vision**

Abortion continues for one reason only: because the Church allows it to continue.

If just a small fraction of the pro-life Christians in our city would picket for just a few hours a month, thousands of activists would be on the streets every week in front of the abortion chambers, the abortion hospitals, and the homes of the abortionists. he abortion industry simply could not survive.

Our vision is to make Dayton, Ohio, one of the nation’s first Abortion Free Zones, a place where it is safe to be born, a place that is pleasing to God, a model for other cities throughout our land of what can be done by concerned Christians.

The task will not be an easy one but it can be done. It will require a broad-based grassroots movement of Christians who have dedicated themselves to prayer and to action.

The ultimate victory will belong to the Lord, but we must show up for the battle. Won’t you join us?

**Your Involvement**

Becoming a pro-life picketer is easy. Just show up.

Regular pickets are scheduled each week at key locations throughout the city. In addition special marches, rallies, and demonstrations are announced continuously on The Dayton Pro-Life Action Line. The number to call for a three minute taped message is 252-CARE (252-2273).

Signs are supplied at the picket line.

Picketing is safe and legal. So please, for the sake of God’s little ones, join us in our fight to protect the unborn. ### (EDITOR’S NOTE TO GENIE USERS/ You are free to use this article and to modify it in presenting the need for action against the abortion trade in your own community. If you would like to receive the DEFENDER newsletter from Jericho Project of Dayton, Ohio. Drop me a note at GEnie address: P.DeMott