1991 Issue 5 - The Lordship Series: Hope in Crisis - Counsel of Chalcedon
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Transcript of 1991 Issue 5 - The Lordship Series: Hope in Crisis - Counsel of Chalcedon
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8/12/2019 1991 Issue 5 - The Lordship Series: Hope in Crisis - Counsel of Chalcedon
1/2
"HOPE
IN CRISIS"
And I
wi
put
enmlo/
between
you
nd thewoman, ndbetween your
seed
and
her seed.
(Genesis
3:ISctl. .
The crisis pregnancy hotline
ministry of Chalcedon Presbyterian
Church inAtlanta, Georgia, is
not
about
saving babies. Not
really.
The
"Hope
in
Crisis" ministry is really about saving
souls ..in
the name of Jesus
Christ.
Truly,
thisministryis
different from
standing onstreetcomerswith signstltat
say,
"ABORTION
IS MURDER", (which
God's people
know and
the unrighteous
denyagainsttheirconscience),andtaking
verbal abuse while you
stand there.
This
crisis pregnancy ministry is a tool for
church members o labor in the Great
Commission
.
God
commands
us
to
go
into the
world
and preach the gospel
to
every creature, (Matthew 28:19, Mark
16:20).
One amazing thing
about
this
ministry is
tltat
we don't have to go out
into
thehighwaysandbywaysto find
the
lost of
this
world to
tell
them about
salvation
throughJesus
Christ
The lost
call our homes
when
the hotline is call
forwarded from the Chalcedon
Presbyterian
Church
office
Thereareninecounselorsinvolved
at
this
time. These women are wives and
mothersandhomemakersandmembers
of Chalcedon Presbyterian Church,
whom the Lord has stirred up to serve
Himinthisway.
These 'handmaidens' of
Jesus
Christ
were
trained by theworkof
the Holy Spirit within them . In other
words,
just by
listening
faithfully
to the
preaching of
the
Word
from the
pulpit,
praying for guidance
and
wisdom,
and
reading
the Word,
these
women
have all
the equipment they need to
be
effective
servants oOesus Christ.
When I joined the ranks of
counselors seven years
ago,
I
was
burdened because Don and I desired to
have children
and
Iwas labeled infertile.
I was hearing of all the babies
being
slaughtered through abortion and was
appalled
and
said, "Don, these
women
areslaying the babies tltat
we
are praying
for " Through this the Lord led
me
to
be
a
counselor.
When Ibegan I thought Iwas just
going
to
talk women
out of
abortions
but
Iwas
alarmed
atwhat Iwas
hearing
from
the other end of the telephone
conversation--angry,
bitterwomen
who
feared the presentand
the future
having
been wounded
by
the sins of the
past.
Some
even called
to try to
arrange
financing for their
abortions.
Others
called
to
ask our fees. Others called to
askiffour-five-orsixmonthabortions
would
be
too
prohibitive
for
their
pocketbooks.
Others would
ask which
abortion
procedure
would be the least
dangerous
and
painful;
not for their
babies, but for themselves .
Most of the time,
when
I
begin to
speak,
and t
he
y
realized they did not
want
to
hear
what I had
to say,
they
would hang up.
I
used to get my feelings
hurt when they would yell orcomplain,
or hang
up on
me.
Then I
realized
tltat
they were
not
mad
at
me, they were
v
ery
angry
at
the
God tltat they
were
used
to
denying existed.
Thatwaswhen the
Lord
taught
me
that these people are LIVING
IN
DARKNESS and
hate the light, and will
continue
to do so
until
the
lord
reveals
Himself to them
.
And,
what
greater
privilege is
there
in the
life of
a
child
of
Godthanwhenthelordallowsustolead
a lost and rroubled soul to Himself.
This marvelous opportunity
to
serve has been
available
through
this
ministry
for
a
decade
now.
Although
there
is
conflict
between the light of
the
world and the darkness, I find
great
comfort
in
remembering His promise
in
Genesis
3:15,
he
will
crush your head.
Our feeble
efforts
in some way continue
to
expand our
Lord's
kingdom and
evidence
is
total victory ov
er sin,death
andSatan. Thelordsaysthatthereisnot
only
enmity between
Jesus Christ and
the world. There
is hope and grace and
tender mercies and victory
in Him.
"Where
sin
increased grace increased all
the
more." (Romans 5:20)
The Lord
has
blessed me
greatly
overthe past
fewyears
in thisministry.
It
se
e
ms
that
the call
e
rs are
more
willing to
listen or
are
more
troubled
or scared and
are
willing
to pour out their hearts
to
someone who
will
listen.
I've heard
some miserable life stories
and
some
wretched situations
and
often I'm able
to
say, "Well,
your
life will continue to be a
June 99 TIlE OUNSEL of halcedon 2
-
8/12/2019 1991 Issue 5 - The Lordship Series: Hope in Crisis - Counsel of Chalcedon
2/2
struggle until
you
stop
the
panicularsin
thatiscaiiSingtheproblem. Godwillnot
let you rest and find peace in this type of
lifestyle
. Ask
the Lord Jesus to
forgive
you and changeyourways .He
promises
in
His
Word that anyone
who
comesto
Him
He will
not tum
them away."
Interestingly,
aJ.most
aU
of
these
womencallthcinselvesCluistians.
Many
of them
have one
ormore
children living
with them. One caller had a
y )1.Jng
daughter
who
was attending a
Christian
School and
she
was pregnant
and
didn't
wantherdaughterto know. Thewoman
was not married to
the
father of the
unborn child. I told her if
she
and her
daughter really did attend church
regularly
and
knew God, then she knew
that
having an
abortion would
kill
her
baby and
she
would just
be trying to
cover
up her sin instead
of confessing
it
to
Godandherdaughter. lsaidthatifshe
would be honest with herdaughter,
that
as cluiStians it would deepen their
relationship.
Herdaughterwouldrealize
that
Mommie
is a sinner and
needs
forgiveness, . oO . After a lengthy
conversation
thewoman
agreed
with
me
and said
she
would do
the right
thing.
Praise God
One
caller,
whodidnotcallherself
aChristian,
wassingle
and
recendy
broke
up
with
a
boyfriend
who
had giverihera
venereal
disease. I told her
that
was
indeed serious and could have
consequences but that siIice it wasn't
AIDS, perhaps
God
was
giving
herspace
to repent and an oppomiility to change
herways. ~ a f t e r a l e n g t h y d i s c u s s i o n
I urged her
to ask God
fut forgiveness
and thank Him
for
sparing her from
AIDS. She listened intently and finally
indicated
''you're
right".
Another woman
called
from her
desk at work and.quiedy asked about
abortions---.1Il she
knew
was that
she
wanted one. I
tried to
destribe
the
procedurestoherandsaid,
Now
do
you
want
to pay someone
to
do
this to you
andyourbaby?"
We
began to
talk
about
the
Lordandshesaid, "I'm
so
gladl
caUed
you,
yournumber
was the first
ad
on the
newspaper listing. You're right, Icould
never go through
with
that, that is
ho
rrible
."
Hallelujah. God's providence
is marvelous
and I
reminded
her
that He
planned
that
phone
call.
Many times I'm able to say
that
"God did
not
createda
woman's
body for
a life to
be
carved out
of it.
And
that
is
what you want
someone
to
do.
And
you'regoingtopaythemtodoit." Ithink
it
is important to reiterate that
I
am not
the
only
counselor
and
that
all the other
women
could reconnt
many, many
fruitful and encouraging conveISations
from
their
own experiences.
Mo
st of the time I never
hear
the
outcome of my conversations
with
the
callers. Sometimes I think they may be
saying
things
tome
that they think Iwam
to hear in order that we can end the
conversation.
It
really doesn't matter.
Sometimes
people
still
hang
up
on
me
when
they
realize
we're
not offering
abortions but
alternatives they can live
with.
But usually
now
before the
conversation is
over I'm able to
share
with them
from
the
Scriptures
. "
So
ismy
word
that goes out from
my
mouth: It
shall not
return
to me
empty
, but will
accomplish
what Idesireandachieve the
purposeforwhichl5entit.
"0sa ah55:1l)
I praise God
for
the
opportunity
and
privilegeL05erveHim inthisministry.
IamthankfultothesessionofChaIcedon
for being
so
supportive to all of the
counselors
and to
others who
have
opened their homes and the
sacrifices
thatare
beingmade
for
the
glory
of
God
.
May
God continue
to
bring the
lost and
dying world
out
of th
e
darkness and
into
the
lightofJesus, through thisministry.n
udio
Tapes
Messages
rom
II orinthians
by
Joe
Morecraft,
III
The love
of
Christ ( 2Cor13)
The New Creation ( 2Cor14)
Reconciliation
( 2Corl 5)
The Ministry of
Reconciliation
( 2Cor16)
The Life of
Christ's
Ambassadors ( 2Cor 17)
$4.00/tape (cassette)
1
5.00
for all
five
tapes
Order
from:
Specialty
Media Services
P.O. Box
28357
Atlanta,
GA 30358
404)-668-9511
m COUNSEL of Cha1cedon June 1991