TEACHER: WHAT DOES THE WORD APATHY MEAN? STUDENT: I DON’T KNOW AND I DON’T CARE.

Hello beloved,

On the first day of the OSA National event, we went to the gates of the Church, as a living rebuke. On the last day, as well as all those in between, we paid a visit to the very gates of hell. You would think that you would see a stark contrast between the two. But, sadly, I report to you that both of them stink to high heaven with apathy.

You see, the pastors of Sugar Hill Family Church have done an abominable thing by apologizing for what God calls beautiful (Here is what they did: http://www.christianindex.org/4296.article). Now, I know it might sound harsh to say that what these pastors have done is abominable, but look at scripture. Proverbs 17:15 says, “He that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the just, even they both are abomination to the LORD.” Tell me if that is not exactly what they have done.

Now, seven days later, we paid a visit to the Atlanta Women’s Center. My guess is that at least sixty children were killed by noon on the last day of the event. I would also assume that as many were killed, each day, throughout the event. I was heart broken to see thirty people standing outside the clinic, just waiting their turn like dumb cattle waiting to be slaughtered. I couldn’t help but to think of Isaiah 43:6, which says, “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way”. I had never seen such a thing. And I’m afraid it will only get worse.

I would expect that you would like to know how I could compare the two places. Well, both are committing abominable acts…and both are surrounded by apathetic people. The congregation of Sugar Hill Family Church, if they were not already aware, now know what their pastors have done. Some might act on this knowledge, yet most will not. They are apathetic, not only in not rebuking their pastors, but their lack of standing in the gap for the unborn. Likewise, the abortion clinic is surrounded by neighbors who do nothing about the killing of innocent children, taking place in their midst.

Are not their hands full of blood? Leviticus 20:1-5 says, “1 The LORD said to Moses, 2″Say to the Israelites: ‘Any Israelite or any alien living in Israel who gives any of his children to Molech must be put to death. The people of the community are to stone him. 3 I will set my face against that man and I will cut him off from his people; for by giving his children to Molech, he has defiled my sanctuary and profaned my holy name. 4 If the people of the community close their eyes when that man gives one of his children to Molech and they fail to put him to death, 5 I will set my face against that man and his family and will cut off from their people both him and all who follow him in prostituting themselves to Molech.” Now, I know that we are not to kill anyone who has an abortion, but the principal of innocent bloodguilt is still there. Verse four clearly places guilt on the community that closes their eyes to the killing of innocent children.

I’ve already written on what took place at Sugar Hill, but I must tell you about my experience at Atlanta Women’s Center. So, we showed up at 5:30am and the workers were already there(you know that Satan never sleeps, right?). Though they were trying to hide themselves in the unlit room, you could see their silhouettes from the hallway lighting. As the day began to dawn, women started pulling in. It wasn’t long that the parking lot was full, as well as many parking lots surrounding the clinic. Though there were some struggles, we eventually got a sound system up; one at the clinic and one at the intersection about 200 feet from the clinic. That’s where I was most of the time, so that is what I will tell you about. We had each corner covered. God was glorified. One thing I know for sure: at this corner, we confronted this particular community that has closed their eyes to this horrible place.

Well, they definitely hated us being there, and that hatred manifested in several individuals. It’s only by the grace of God that I am in one piece today. One guy threatened to let his dog out of his car when I wouldn’t put the Malachi sign away. As he took off his seat belt, I thought I was in for it, but thank God, he backed off. (Probably due to the video camera aimed at him) Others either cussed us out, or gave us the middle finger. I don’t know that I had ever seen such anger and hatred. But, know this beloved: it is not us they hate. They hate the message. They hate the method. They hate Jesus! John 7:7 says, “The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil.”

I actually had a man come up to me and tell me that, though he agreed with what we are doing, he thought it very inconsiderate of us to have our sound system turned up so loud. After all, the neighborhood, right next to the clinic, was unable to enjoy their Saturday morning. I wonder how the babies feel, who, one moment are nestling comfortably in their mothers’ womb, and the next moment are being ripped apart? How can we be so cold? But, here is what is so much more troubling. How many of us(Christians) are just as cold?

Quite a few others complained that our graphic pictures are offensive. If only they would face the reality that we are only showing them what takes place behind closed doors. I understand that the pictures are horrific. But, the truth is, little baby Malachi is the face of choice, though he had no choice. God had a wonderful plan for Malachi, but his mother thwarted that plan when she chose to murder him. Now, little Malachi has become the voice for over 50 million babies who cannot speak for themselves. He is crying out for justice.

So, as I visited two places in a span of seven days, I have come to a conclusion. It’s easy to point the finger here and there. Yet, where does it belong? Are we not all guilty? Could we not all do more?

O’ may we all repent of our apathy.

In Christian love,
Adam Tennant

STANDING IN THE GAP

Operation Save America National Event

The first day of the event, being a Sunday, God sent us to the church. After all, that is where judgment begins. The church I went to was the The Family Church at Sugar Hill. The Pastor of this church has openly renounced the calling of the church to stand in the gap on behalf of the unborn child. He apologized for the tiny percentage of the church that actually does stand. He basically said that our “intolerance” was not something that God approves of.

Anyway, we went to The Family Church at Sugar Hill, not as their enemies, but as their friends. You see, their pastor says that what we do is hate. Leviticus 19:17 says “You shall not hate your brother in your heart; you shall surely rebuke your neighbor, and not bear sin because of him.” We loved our brothers and sisters in Christ, as we became a living rebuke to them.

We showed them, in the Word, that we are called to be watchmen. Ezekiel was called to be a watchman for the house of Israel, in Ezekiel 3:17-19 “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me. When I say to a wicked man, ‘You will surely die,’ and you do not warn him or speak out to dissuade him from his evil ways in order to save his life, that wicked man will die for his sin, and I will hold you accountable for his blood. But if you do warn the wicked man and he does not turn from his wickedness or from his evil ways, he will die for his sin; but you will have saved yourself.” Just as Ezekiel was, we are called to warn the wicked and speak out to dissuade him from his evil ways. That was the call on Ezekiel’s life. That is the call on our lives. But what is the message?

In Ezekiel 22:2-5, he received his message, “The word of the LORD came to me: “Son of man, will you judge her? Will you judge this city of bloodshed? Then confront her with all her detestable practices and say: ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: O city that brings on herself doom by shedding blood in her midst and defiles herself by making idols, you have become guilty because of the blood you have shed and have become defiled by the idols you have made. You have brought your days to a close, and the end of your years has come. Therefore I will make you an object of scorn to the nations and a laughingstock to all the countries. Those who are near and those who are far away will mock you, O infamous city, full of turmoil.” We, too, are called to judge. The world, along with Sugar Hill Church, says that we should not judge. But, the Bible is very clear that we should. We just need to remove the log from our own eye, before removing the speck from our brothers’ eye.

Now, Ezekiel was a watchman over the house of Israel. But, does God have watchmen over the church of Jesus Christ? Absolutely. Paul was a watchman over the church. Acts 20:22-27 says, “And now, behold, I am going to Jerusalem, constrained by the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and afflictions await me. But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God. And now, behold, I know that none of you among whom I have gone about proclaiming the kingdom will see my face again. Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all of you, for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God.”

Paul understood that if he did not declare the whole counsel of God, if he did not warn the wicked to turn from his wicked ways, he would be held accountable for the sins of that wicked man. Paul said that we should follow him, as he follows Christ. Just as Paul was, we are called to be watchmen over the church of Jesus Christ. We must go to the abortion clinics and to the homosexual parades to warn the wicked of their evil ways. If we do not, we will be held accountable for their sins.

The pastor of Sugar Hill Church said that he wants sinners to know us(Christians) to be known for the God we are for, not the things we are against. The only problem with that is that the God we are for is also against sin; and he wants his church to boldly proclaim the things he is against. Romans 10:14-15 says, “How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” Sugar Hill Church is called, by God Almighty, to send Christians outside of the four walls of their church to preach the Word of God; to preach the good news. We know we are to preach the good news, yet we also know that the good news cannot come until the law is preached. Gal. 3:24 says, “Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.” Prov. 3:34 says, “He mocks proud mockers but gives grace to the humble.” The sins of homosexuality and abortion destroys lives. The wages of sin is death. Yet, they will not know this unless we, Christians, preach it. And we can’t preach it unless we are sent. Sugar Hill Church is in sin; not only for misrepresenting God in an apology for something he calls beautiful; but for not sending the church to preach the truth. Just as if we try to give a cure for cancer to someone who doesn’t know they have cancer, giving God’s grace to a sinner who doesn’t think he is a sinner is foolish. We must confront sinners with their sin before we give them the cure for their sin.

Finally, I would like to revisit Ezekiel to show you what God is looking for from his church, and, unfortunately, what he cannot find in his church. Ezekiel 22:30 says, “I looked for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found none.” God is looking for us to stand in the gap on behalf of the unborn. Yet, most of the church sits at home and watches television while thousands are being slaughtered in abortion clinics all over this nation. Our apathy will stand with us, and condemn us, on Judgment Day and God will spew many out of his mouth.

Oh God, may it not be so with your church any longer. Oh God, thank you for sparing us another day.

In Christian love,

Adam Tennant