The 2012 Democratic National Convention rolled out Monday as thousands of people flooded Uptown Charlotte on the Labor Day holiday. Up until Sunday, I had not planned on being able to do any outreach during the DNC due to my work schedule, but the Lord gave me the opportunity to join some dear brothers and sisters at the last minute.
I arrived Uptown just before noon and the crowds were already building up. As I walked the streets for a few minutes looking for the team, it wasn’t long before I was hit with the reality of liberalism that had consumed Charlotte, my hometown. This realization quickly turned into a righteous anger as I saw abortion and homosexuality being celebrated by thousands drooling over Barack Obama, then suddenly to a deep sadness and burden for the thousands so deceived.
This is the largest gay rights organization in the world and they support Barack Obama.
I was astonished to meet several professing Christians, who “amened” and cried out “hallelujah” to the open-air preaching, only to confront them in their worldview to find out they saw no problem with supporting a president as radically pro-abortion as Barack Obama. Moreover, this president has officially endorsed homosexuality and the Democrat party endorses homosexual marriage on its official party platform. As you can see, there is a LGBT Community page dedicated to this on the official party website in addition to Obama’s official campaign website dedicating cyberspace to Obama Pride: LGBT Americans for Obama. Yet, perhaps millions of professing Christians are head over heals for a man who is bent on destroying life and the sanctity of marriage in the United States of America. My heart breaks for them, and it was with this burden today we preached the glorious Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ today, the only true Hope and Change that matters (as my dear brother Scott Smith so perfectly put today).
These first two videos are of my open-air in the middle of Tryon Street. We decided to set up in the middle of the street as the crowds would flow by us. I would compare the numbers in the crowd with what I experienced at the Super Bowl and the London Olympics earlier this year. At one point, there must have been a half dozen news cameras in front of me, with one getting right under my face. The Lord moved me to preach right into the cameras on a number of occasions, so I pray the words preached will pierce someone’s heart with the truth. Before I could finish the message, a police officer asked us to move to the curb so to not impede pedestrian traffic, so that is why the footage ends before the end of the message.
This next video is of my dear brother, Shawn Pander. I praise the Lord in how He has been working in him in the preaching of the Gospel. It was only last November that he preached for the first time at UNCC. I’m really excited to see what God has in store for Shawn as he continues to be a faithful servant of the Gospel.
This last video was taken as I was walking back to my truck to go to work. On one stretch of sidewalk, I passed one Planned Parenthood volunteer handing out literature and getting people to sign up to support its baby-killing industry, then I passed another volunteer, then as I passed a third I said to the lady, “Ma’am, God hates abortion”. I walked passed a fourth volunteer to say the same thing, and she asked me “where does it say that?” I stopped to read to her Proverbs 6:16-17, which says:
There are six things that the Lord hates, seven that are an abomination to him: 17 haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood…
She said “OK” and was back to her business.
It was the fifth volunteer that I passed and said that “God hates abortion” to that I could not bear it any longer. The young woman clearly did not want to have a conversation, so when I tried to engage another volunteer and her victims, the fifth volunteer tried to prevent me from doing so. It was at this point I walked to the other side of the sidewalk, evaluated my surroundings, put down my book bag to pull out my Sword, prayed that God would be with me, then I opened my mouth to declare the abomination of abortion and to warn professing Christians who support Planned Parenthood and Barack Obama while preaching the Gospel. I have never preached so impromptu before, so I was grateful for the privilege and courage the Lord gave me to do so. It was not easy doing it alone, but the Lord was with me and gave me everything I needed to preach a short message:
Our nation is in such terrible shape. I can only imagine how much longer the Lord will be patient before His wrath falls on America for her wickedness. Judgment is coming, dear friends, and many millions will fall into the hands of the Living God because of their love for evil and their suppression of the truth. Please pray for my dear brothers and sisters who will continue to be out there this week during the DNC, as the crowds are going to get larger, and the evil liberal agenda will grow more boldly. Pray for God to have mercy on these people, including professing Christians so blind to evil, that they would repent from their sin and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Additional photos of the day are below.
Update: Democrats have now added the following to its official party platform. These two statements alone should be everything any Christian needs to know with regards to voting for a Democrat (not that one must vote for a Republican). By voting for a Democrat, especially at the national level including the presidency, one is supporting these agendas whether they believe it or not:
ABORTION
The Democratic platform states that it “unequivocally” supports Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court decision that made abortion legal, and “supports a woman’s right to make decisions regarding her pregnancy, including a safe and legal abortion, regardless of ability to pay.”
The platform states: “Abortion is an intensely personal decision between a woman, her family, her doctor and her clergy; there is no place for politicians or government to get in the way.”
The Republican Party platform bans abortion in all cases, even rape, incest and when the life of the mother is endangered. Republicans say “the unborn child has a fundamental individual right to life which cannot be infringed.” It opposes using public revenues to promote or perform abortion or to fund organizations that perform or advocate abortions.
——
GAY MARRIAGE
The Democratic platform supports the movement to get equal treatment under the law for same-sex couples.
The platform says: “We also support the freedom of churches and religious entities to decide how to administer marriage as a religious sacrament without government interference.” The platform opposes “federal and state constitutional amendments and other attempts to deny equal protection under the law” to same-sex couples.
The Republican Party platform affirms the rights of states and the federal government not to recognize same-sex marriage. It backs a constitutional amendment defining marriage as the union of one man and one woman.
Source: Associated Press
See Also:
Why Christians Should NEVER Vote for Obama (or any other pro-choice/pro-abortion candidate)
Jesus Christ Saved Me from Homosexuality
Gendercide: The War on Baby Girls
Planned Parenthood’s Philosophy
Christians Voting for Pro-abortion Obama
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- Jesse Jackson received a Gospel tract today.
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- This lady had a pluralistic shirt on and chanted “God is love” over and over again during Shawn’s preaching (see video).
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- One of the Planned Parenthood volunteers, left of where I began preaching in the last video.
airō 
steph80000
September 4, 2012
That’s very hard ground to work in… But God is able to save to the uttermost (Hebrews 7:25). Praying for much fruit from the good seed planted by the laborers at the DNC.
evowoman88
September 4, 2012
Unfortunately, the Republicans put up a candidate that I can not vote for, especially with the addition of Paul Ryan to the ticket. Congressman Ryan wants to end Medicaid for my severely disabled child and there’s no way my husband of 28 years and I can afford to pay for her services with out it.
Justin Edwards
September 4, 2012
I am not voting for Romney either, evowoman. Does your not voting for Romney mean you are voting for Obama? Just seeking clarity from your comment…thanks!
evowoman88
September 4, 2012
Yeah, unfortunately, I am voting for the President. I’m concerned that if the Republicans get the White House, I am concerned about losing services that there’s no way we could afford. Do I like the Presidents position on many issues, no.
Justin Edwards
September 4, 2012
Evo, I understand your family may have hardships, but I highly encourage you to read the first additional link at the bottom of the article. God will provide for you, trust Him and do not compromise. Obama is not the answer to your trials, God is.
evowoman88
September 4, 2012
First, I am a born again Christian and I trust God for providing for my families needs. Second, I don’t have “hardships” in my life. I don’t When we don’t have much, we have a place to live, food in the refrigerator and a car to drive. It could be much worse. No, the President is not the answer, no man is. Only God is the answer.
Shawn Pander
September 4, 2012
Evowoman, Do you realize by voting for Obama you are actually supporting Gay marriage, and the murder of un-born babies? If you haven’t thought about this, you need to. You must pray about this matter. As a born again Christian myself, there is no way I can/nor will cast my vote towards anyone that supports sin. I would rather just wash my hands of the matter, so that there is no blood on my hands.
Imagine if yourself or someone in your family had a couple of kids, and you had to chose between two baby-sisters to watch the kids.
Baby-sitter #1) was a 40 y/o gay female, she has been in prison for child-molestation, possession of crack, and accused of rape
Baby-sitter #2) was 45 y/o straight female, married has kids of her own, never been to prison, but has a record of Police coming to her house because she has anger problems at times and is prone to abuse her children.
Which Baby-sitter would you pick?
My guess is you would probably pick neither, because you know if anything happens to those children, it is going to partially be your fault, because you chose which sitter should watch those kids.
It is no different with the President, would you rather pick one evil person over another evil person, if you do you are still reliable for the evil the lesser evil supports.
GCgirl
September 4, 2012
May God bless and encourage you Justin…thank you for taking a Biblical stance for truth and righteousness.
Jennifer
September 4, 2012
Just curious why in the first video, you didn’t step off the “platform” and talk “one-on-one” with the guy who had questions?
Justin Edwards
September 4, 2012
Thanks for the question, Jennifer. I wonder if I should have, but at the time he did not seem sincere about his questions, and we also had nearly 10 believers with us who could answer any questions he had. Some times I do get off the box to speak with people, but I do my best to discern when that’s appropriate. I hope that helps.
Justin Edwards
September 4, 2012
The following has been added to the original article:
Update: Democrats have now added the following to its official party platform. These two statements alone should be everything any Christian needs to know with regards to voting for a Democrat (not that one must vote for a Republican). By voting for a Democrat, especially at the national level including the presidency, one is supporting these agendas whether they believe it or not:
“ABORTION
The Democratic platform states that it “unequivocally” supports Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court decision that made abortion legal, and “supports a woman’s right to make decisions regarding her pregnancy, including a safe and legal abortion, regardless of ability to pay.”
The platform states: “Abortion is an intensely personal decision between a woman, her family, her doctor and her clergy; there is no place for politicians or government to get in the way.”
The Republican Party platform bans abortion in all cases, even rape, incest and when the life of the mother is endangered. Republicans say “the unborn child has a fundamental individual right to life which cannot be infringed.” It opposes using public revenues to promote or perform abortion or to fund organizations that perform or advocate abortions.
——
GAY MARRIAGE
The Democratic platform supports the movement to get equal treatment under the law for same-sex couples.
The platform says: “We also support the freedom of churches and religious entities to decide how to administer marriage as a religious sacrament without government interference.” The platform opposes “federal and state constitutional amendments and other attempts to deny equal protection under the law” to same-sex couples.
The Republican Party platform affirms the rights of states and the federal government not to recognize same-sex marriage. It backs a constitutional amendment defining marriage as the union of one man and one woman.
Source: Associated Press”
The Seeking Disciple
September 10, 2012
I actually prayed for you brother last week during the DNC because I knew you lived in Charlotte and would probably do some street preaching. I prayed for the people to hear the gospel and be saved. I have been earnestly praying for President Obama to repent.
I praise God for all of this. It brought joy to my heart!
The Seeking Disciple
September 10, 2012
Reblogged this on Arminian Today and commented:
Was excited to see that some brothers did in fact reach out for souls to the people at the DNC last week in Charlotte. I rejoiced as I read this!
Jeff Mardling
September 11, 2012
Hi Justin, thank you for your faithfulness and obedience to reach the lost that day. I was introduced to your ministry during the Olympics through Tony Miano. I too lead a team weekly in London, Ontario Canada. Not unlike London England, Ontario is seeping with fullfledged, tax aided, government supported abortion and gay marriage. I thank you and pray for you as you continue to preach the truth of the Lord Jesus Christ in the USA and around the world. The fields are truly ripe and may the Lord continue to bring labourers