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Specialized Ministry — August 2005
CHOOSE LIFE: Being the Salt of the Earth and the Light of the World
By Martha Wong, Cleveland, Tennessee
(Martha Wong volunteers at New Hope Pregnancy Care Center in Cleveland, Tennessee and is a member of the Bradley County Chapter of Tennessee Right to Life. She is a member and an ordained deaconess of the North Cleveland Church of God, is on its hospital visitation team, and coordinates Sanctity of Human Life and voter-related projects for its Women’s Ministries. Martha also serves on the Church of God International Prayer Commission as Commissioner of Leadership Prayer. She is the mother of two married daughters and grandmother of four grandchildren.)
I have a rather unpleasant, but true story to share. It needs to be told to understand exactly what our Lord Jesus Christ meant when He said:
"Let your light so shine before men that they may see your moral excellence and your praiseworthy, noble, and good deeds and recognize and honor and praise and glorify your Father Who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16, Amplified Bible).
"You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste (its strength, its quality), how can its saltness be restored? It is not good for anything any longer but to be thrown out and trodden underfoot by men. (Matthew 5:13, Amplified Bible).
During the Jewish Holocaust of World War II, a train carried thousands of Jewish men, women, and children to the notorious Auschwitz death camp. The people were herded into cattle cars that were so packed with humanity, they could hardly breathe.
This train and its tragic cargo passed by a German Protestant church regularly on Sunday mornings. The church was always full of worshippers. As the train approached the church, the prisoners would begin to cry out to the Christians for help. This happened Sunday after Sunday.
At first, the congregation was horrified. Then they were intimidated by thoughts of Nazi reprisal if they offered help. Finally, they learned to cope with this ongoing atrocity by singing louder to drown the cries of desperate Jews on their way to certain, undeserved death.
Is this not like the Church of today regarding the abortion issue and the sanctity of human life? We don’t approve of abortion or euthanasia, but we don’t want to get involved—in case it costs us.
Forty-five million innocent babies have been brutally murdered in their mother’s wombs since the Roe v. Wade decision on January 22, 1973. Hitler and a cooperative Germany, part of who were silent, salt-less, born-again Christians, killed six million Jews. Most Germans heard rumors of the atrocities going on but were too fearful to stand against the evil regime. Comparing Hitler’s six million deaths to our 45 million abortions, Hitler almost looks like a "good guy”!
May I share my own journey regarding getting personally involved in the sanctity of human life to "salt” and "light” my part of the world?
After my two daughters left my single-parent "nest,” I was freed to focus more on the issues of the day—especially since God had impressed upon me the vital importance of intercessory prayer. For several years, as different issues came to the forefront, I "prayed through the daily news.” The Lord burdened me to pray for the moral issues of our country as it continued to go down the slippery slope of immorality.
Sanctity of human life, in particular, became a passion in my prayers. To me, the abortion issue was bottom-line. This issue carried with it the potential of either blessing or cursing regarding us, as individuals, as well as our nation.
"I call heaven and earth to witness this day against you that I have set before you life and death, the blessings and the curses; therefore choose life, that you and your descendants may live and may love the Lord your God, obey His voice, and cling to Him. For He is your life and the length of your days, that you may dwell in the land which the Lord swore to give to your fathers . . .”
(Deuteronomy 30:19, 20 Amplified Bible).
Not too long afterwards, the Lord asked me a question: "Martha, what are YOU going to do about the abortion holocaust?” I knew what the Lord meant. He wanted me to put feet to my prayers and engage in the nitty-gritty of that ministry and the spiritual warfare that surrounds it.
A friend gave me information regarding what steps to take. After making application at our local Pregnancy Care Center and learning about its outstanding ministry, I signed up for volunteer training. What excellent training it was! It has helped equip me for service with all kinds of women—no matter what kind of ministry I may be called to in the future.
Under supervision, I began to volunteer regularly in the center’s counseling rooms, counseling girls and women who came for a free pregnancy test. Eventually, I was on my own. For those who were pregnant, we give further counsel and assistance with maternity clothes and other needs, as well as enrolled them in our "Earn While You Learn” parenting program. For those who are not pregnant, we counsel them regarding their potentially destructive lifestyle and encourage them to be chaste until marriage. With all of our clients, we endeavor to lead them to salvation in Jesus Christ or to a rededication. By the grace of God, souls are saved!
Among these girls and women, some are abortion-minded. We do everything we can to show them that they have a real baby in their wombs. (The center does not yet have the finances for ultrasound.) Thankfully, some babies are saved from a horrendous death. Other babies lose their lives because the mother feels she has no other choice. We speak and pray with these mothers about the advantages of adoption. Yet, we have to let go and entrust that innocent life into the hands of God. You can believe that we agonize over each baby lost to abortion and his/her mother!
Never have I had so much assurance that I am working hand-in-glove with God on the "front lines” of spiritual battle than when I am engaged in this kind of ministry. We are fighting for the lives of babies and for the souls of girls and women!
To my surprise, the majority of clients I counsel claim to have a genuine relationship with Jesus Christ as Savior; nevertheless, according to Life Dynamics president, Mark Crutcher, close to 50% of abortions are performed on church-going women. What an eye-opener!
DID YOU KNOW?
- Did you know that if the church took a strong, bold stand against abortion, Planned Parenthood and its affiliates would go out of the abortion business? Also, it would soon be outlawed. (See www.LifeDynamics.com.)
- Did you know that out of every four women sitting in our churches, one has had one or more abortions and needs confidential, loving, compassionate, forgiving abortion-recovery ministry?
- Did you know that there is a baby-killing death camp not far from where you live . . . in your town or city . . . in your county . . in your state? Yes, please face that fact! What would God have you do about it?
- Did you know that the pro-life anti-abortion activists are winning this war—too slowly? In the early 80’s there were over 2,000 abortion clinics in operation. Now there are about 750. That is great news! Yet, that is 750 clinics too many. Fewer abortionists, nevertheless, are killing 4,000 babies EACH DAY in America.
- Sid you know that the 1% of women who become pregnant as a result of rape or incest prefer to give birth rather than have an abortion? Not only is one violent act done to them (rape or incest), but an abortion is regarded as the second violent act, and they must endure the grief of the killing of their baby.
- Did you know that most girls and women are pressured and/or forced by boyfriends, husbands, and parents to get an abortion against their will? These women suffer long-term physical, psychological, and spiritual pain. Some women actually are permanently maimed or lose their lives during the abortion procedure—a fact totally suppressed by our liberal, pro-abortion media. (See www.LifeDynamics.com.)
- Did you know that the abortion industry is interested in only one thing—not women, but money? For an insider’s look into how this chilling industry began, read "How Lying Marketers Sold Roe v. Wade to America” by Clicking here.
- Did you know that our nation and every born-again Christian will stand before God to give an account for taking the lives of these 45 million babies? What can we and our churches do to stand against this holocaust? Contribute financially to our local Pregnancy Care Center? Be trained as a volunteer? Donate disposable diapers and baby wipes? Persuade the abortion-minded that life is sacred and precious?
- Did you know that a Pregnancy Care Center should never have to raise funds to support its work—its operational funds should come from the churches in the center’s geographical area? Your local center is representing YOUR church and sharing the compassionate love of Christ as salt and light to desperate, needy girls and women. Unless you and your church are willing to begin such a ministry yourselves, the Body of Christ should support YOUR center—at least, financially.
- Did you know that the words, "Choose Life,” are an exhortation from the very heart of God? Read Deuteronomy 30:19, 20 in your own Bible and ask Him what actions He would have you to take.
- Did you know that national and state legislators are proposing legislation to protect the unborn? Acquaint yourself with the bills that are before the U.S. House and Senate and contact your two senators and your representative regularly. Kindly and politely urge them to support pro-life legislation. Do the same with your state senators and state representative regarding state pro-life legislation. Until the laws are changed, things will remain the same.
- Did you know that there are pro-life organizations you can join? Each has a specialty area in defending life and is working diligently to change our culture from a culture of death to a culture of life—for the pre-born, elderly, and disabled.
- Did you know that the abortion movement is wicked? Many working in this industry are spiritually blind and utterly deceived. Pray for the abortionists and clinic workers—that their eyes will be opened and that they will leave this bloody industry. Many abortion clinic workers have become sickened and left as a result of prayer. This is spiritual warfare!
He Who lives in you is greater (mightier) than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4b, Amplified Bible).
- The abortion industry is a 32-year old stronghold that Satan has built; but we can and will win this war, through the Name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!
- NOW is the time to plan a Sanctity of Human Life Sunday program and project for your church! Contact your pastor/pastor’s wife to obtain support. Sanctity of Human Life Sunday is designated as the 3rd and 4th Sundays in January (your choice). The actual anniversary date of Roe v. Wade is January 22.
- Every born-again Christian must take PERSONAL responsibility to be salt and light in our culture, to choose life for the pre-born, the elderly, and the disabled—regardless of the cost! It means being "at war” with the enemy; but it also means being abundantly "blessed” by the Lord.
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