National Alliance for Life Conference Presentation 2021

1. National Alliance for Life Conference 2021
presentation from Africa Christian Action
By Dr. Peter Hammond

2. “…‘You see the distress that we are in,
how Jerusalem lies waste and its gates are burned with fire.
Come and let us build up the walls of Jerusalem,
that we may no longer be a reproach.’”
Nehemiah 2:17

3. Demographic Dynamics
It is said that 5% of people make things happen.

4. 15% of people watch things happen.

5. 80% of people have no clue what happened.

6. Resisting the Call to Action
From the very beginning, as Africa Christian Action was launched
30 years ago, there were those who resisted the call to action.

7. “You Cannot Legislate Morality!”
“You cannot legislate morality!” insisted many.
However, all legislation enforces some version of morality.

8. Either the state will exercise the wrath of God against sin,
or it will exercise the wrath of man against God and His people.

9. Either legislation protects babies from the violence
and injustice of abortion,

10. or, as we see happening now, legislation will be designed to
penalise and prosecute medical professionals who are
contentious objectors to participating in the taking of innocent life.

11. “Jesus said: ‘If anyone loves Me,
he will obey My teaching’ ...” John 14:23

12. Two Extremes
Facing the threats of secular humanism, the New World Order
attempts to rebuild Babylon, privileges for perverts,

13. many respond in one of two extremes. There are those who
want to deny that any problem exists…

14. and those who declare that there is no hope!

15. No Problem
To try to deny reality and claim that there is no problem is
to fail to recognise the depravity of man.

16. Mankind is in rebellion to almighty God.
It is impossible to violate God's Laws without
serious and disastrous consequences.

17. No Hope
On the other hand, those who claim that there is no hope are failing
to take into account the sovereignty of God, the power of the Word
of God and the power of prayer.

18. “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of
power and of love and of a sound mind.”
2 Timothy 1:7

19. “Does not wisdom cry out and understanding
lift up her voice? She takes her stand on the
top of the high hill, beside the way, where the
paths meet. She cries out by the gates, at the
entry of the city, at the entrance of the doors.”
Proverbs 8:1-3

20. “Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will
raise up the age-old foundations; you will be called
Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with
Dwellings.” Isaiah 58:12

21. “Be very careful, then, how you live -not as
unwise but as wise, making the most of every
opportunity, because the days are evil.”
Ephesians 5: 15-16

22. “For I, the Lord, love justice;
I hate robbery and iniquity.” Isaiah 61:8

23. “Hallowed Be Thy Name”
In February 1991, Africa Christian Action (ACA) was launched. Its
first campaigns were against the blasphemous Jesus Christ
Superstar play at Nico Malan Theatre (now the Artscape).

24. "You are the salt of the earth… you are the light of the
world… in the same way let your light shine before men, that
they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in
Heaven." Matthew 5:13-16

25. “And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart,
with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength.
and…You shall love your neighbour as yourself.” Mark 12:30-31

26. • Pornography is in the supermarkets!

27. • Legalised abortion!

28. • Many government schools are promoting secular
evolution, situation ethics, humanism, sex education
programmes, the interfaith movement, gender
confusion, the gay agenda, witchcraft and even
occultism.

29. • Yet the response of all too many
is to “just preach the Gospel”

30. “Just Preach the Gospel!”
“Just preach the Gospel!”
This response has often seemed like a convenient
excuse for disobedience
to the clear commands of Scripture
and an excuse for doing nothing.

31. “All we can do is pray,”

32. “These are the last days,” “Jesus is coming soon,”

33. “We will be raptured before the Tribulation!”

34. Q. Do we really believe that Jesus would have us stand
passively by while God-hating pagans exploit women made in
the image of God, degrade that which God has made to be
holy, make public what God has meant to be private, make
common what God has meant to be special, corrupting young
minds and morals and ruining marriages?

35. • “Just preach the Gospel” is an excuse
to justify laziness or cowardice.

36. Q. Would God have us stand idly by while a
murderer rips the arms and legs off a baby and crushes
its head?

37. Q. Which servant of God in the Bible limited
himself to “just preaching the Gospel?”

38. Q. Was Elijah wrong to confront, and expose the
pornographic, child-sacrificing prophets of Baal?
(1 Kings 18)

39. Q. Was John the Baptist wrong to have publicly
confronted the immorality of King Herod
(Matthew 14:3-4)?

40. Q. Could our Lord have been in error when he
confronted the corruption in the temple - overturning
the tables and driving out the money changers?
(Mark 1 1 : 15-16)

41. Sins of Omission
The Parable of the Good Samaritan with its “Go and do
likewise” (Luke 10:26-37), the coming Day of Judgment when our
Lord warned us that we will be judged on the basis of what we did

42. In Matthew 25, our Lord makes it clear that,
on the Day of Judgment, we will be judged for sins of omission,
for the good things that we failed to do.

43. to care for the sick, feed the hungry, clothe the naked,

44. visit prisoners and welcome strangers (Matthew 25:31-46),

45. confirms that we are obligated to do far more than
“Just preach the Gospel!”

46. True Christianity is Love in Action
In James 1:27, we read that the Biblical definition
of true religion before God is:

47. • “to look after orphans and widows in their distress
and to keep oneself from being polluted by the
world” James1:27

48. We are called to be “the salt of the earth”
Matthew 5: 13. We have been taught to pray “ Our Father in
Heaven, hallowed be Your Name, Your Kingdom come, Your
will be done on earth as it is in Heaven” Matthew 6:9-10.

49. Seek First the Kingdom of God
We are called to be “the salt of the earth.” Matthew 5:13.

50. We have been taught to pray:
“Our Father in Heaven,
Hallowed be Your Name.
Your Kingdom come.
Your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven…”
Matthew 6:9-10

51. Love God and Love your Neighbour
It was love for God that motivated us to stand up
against the legalisation of blasphemy.

52. It was love for our neighbour
that motivated us to organise outreaches outside abortion clinics.

53. “Who will rise up for Me
against the evildoers?
Who will stand up for
Me against the workers
of iniquity?”
Psalm 94:16

54. “And have no fellowship
with the unfruitful works
of darkness,
but rather expose them.”
Ephesians 5: 11

55. It was in obedience to the Scripture: “have no fellowship with
the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.”
Ephesians 5:11, that led us to march to parliament

56. “If you faint in the day of adversity,
your strength is small.
Deliver those who are drawn toward death
and hold back those stumbling to the slaughter.
If you say, ‘Surely we did not know this,’
does not He who weighs the hearts consider it?
He who keeps your soul,
does He not know it?
And will He not render to each man
according to his deeds?”
Proverbs 24:10-12

60. “If My people who are called by My Name
will humble themselves,
and pray and seek My face,
and turn from their wicked ways,
then will I hear from Heaven,
and will forgive their sin
and heal their land.”
2 Chronicles 7:14

63. "Hate evil, love good;
maintain justice in the courts …
let justice roll on like a river,
righteousness like a never failing
stream!" Amos 5:15, 24

64. Communication Imperatives
It has been observed that:
5% of people think.

65. 15% of people think they think.

66. 80% of people never think

67. Communication Imperatives
5% of people think.
15% of people think they think.
80% of people never think

68. For those who think, we need books,
seminars, conferences, documentation.

69. For the 15 %, leaflets
and video documentaries are needed.

70. For the 80%, we need sound-bites, slogans,
T-shirts and bumper stickers.

71. Reaching Every Sector of Society
However, every movement needs to mobilise each section of society
starting with Leadership Training, books and seminars,
going on through leaflets and documentaries,
but not neglecting the slogans, sound-bites and social media.

72. The goal is to inform, inspire
and involve,
to educate and enlist, to
motivate and to mobilise.

73. Raw information,
such as makes up the majority of
newspapers, is cheap.

74. Understanding
is valuable.

75. Participation is most precious.

76. "I have set watchmen on your walls,
O Jerusalem; they shall never hold their peace,
day or night, you who make mention of the Lord,
do not keep silent." Isaiah 62:6

77. "Your watchmen shall lift up their voices…" Isaiah 52:8
Lift Up Your Voices

78. "Thus says the Lord:
'Stand in the ways and see,
and ask for the old paths,
where the good way is
and walk in it;
then you will find rest,
for your souls…
Listen to
the Sound
of the Trumpet
Jeremiah 6:16-19

79. also I set watchmen
over you, saying
'listen to the sound
of the trumpet!'"
Jeremiah 6:16-19

80. “When I say to the wicked, 'O wicked man, you shall
surely die!' and you do not speak to warn the wicked
from his way, that wicked man shall die in his
iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand.
Ezekiel 33:2-33

81. Nevertheless if you warn the wicked to turn from his
way, and he does not turn from his way, he shall die
in his iniquity; but you have delivered your soul.”
Ezekiel 33:2-33

82. The watchmen were key figures in ancient Israel. Large watchtowers
were placed overlooking the fields of agriculture and men would stand
watch, guarding the fields which contained the community's basic food
supply.
The Watchmen of Israel

83. The watchmen needed to be alert to any threats,
whether from animals, thieves or from fire.
The watchman also had to be alert for any sign of invasion.

84. The watchmen on the walls of a fortified town were to monitor all the
approaches and at the sign of any threat would sound the warning so
that the town could shut its gates and prepare to defend
against any attack.

85. The vigilant watchmen would observe the daily life of the community.
He could see much of the activity in the streets, and in the markets. He
would know the people, their work, their habits and their lifestyles.
Vigilant and Alert

86. If his tower was near the city gates,
he could also observe the business of the city conducted by its officials.

87. God uses this role of the watchman to illustrate the responsibilities
of a minister to both comment on the conduct of society,
and to deliver messages of warning and instruction.
The Responsibilities of a Minister of God

88. The Word of God declares that we who have received the Word of God
must give warning to the wicked.

89. The danger of God's judgement upon wickedness is a far more
serious danger than that of an invading army threatening a
city. One may be able to defend a city against a foreign
invader.
The Greatest Threat

90. However, no one can escape the scrutiny of an all all-knowing,
everywhere-present, all-wise God! Nor can anyone escape
judgement from an omnipresent Judge!

91. Neither can anyone have
any hope of victory
in a war
against Almighty God!

92. The prophets of God had a solemn duty to deliver a most sober and
serious message. Unless the citizens of Israel acknowledged their sins,
turned away from sin, repented and resolutely obeyed the Word of God,
they would die in their sins.
A Solemn and Serious Responsibility

93. However, regardless of how individuals respond
to the warning, if they hear the message, the prophet has
fulfilled his duty and is no longer responsible.
Duty is Ours
– The Results are in God’s Hands

94. Duty is ours.
The results are
in God's hands.
However,
if the messenger failed
to deliver the warning,
their blood would be
required at his hand.

95. "Again, when I say to the wicked, 'You shall surely die,' if he turns from
his sin and does what is lawful and right, if the wicked restores the
pledge, gives back what he has stolen, and walks in the statutes of life
without committing iniquity, he shall surely live; he shall not die.
Restitution Brings Restoration

96. When the righteous turns from his righteousness and
commits iniquity, he shall die because of it. But when
the wicked turns from his wickedness and does what
is lawful and right, he shall live because of it.

97. “See, I have set
before you today life
and prosperity,
death and
destruction ... love
the Lord your God,
to walk in His ways,
and to keep His
commands, decrees
and laws; then you
will live and
increase, and the
Lord your God will
bless you in the land
...” Deuteronomy 30: 15-16

98. "And you know in all your hearts and in all your souls that
not one thing has failed of all the good things which the Lord
your God spoke concerning you. All have come to pass for
you; not one word of them has failed." Joshua 23:14

99. “But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our
Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be
steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the
Lord, knowing that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.”
1 Corinthians 15:57-58

100. ForMore Information:
Contact
Christian Action Network
Tel: (021) 689 4481
Web:www.christianaction.org.za
E-mail: info@christianaction.org.za