The PASSION: Who really killed Jesus?

“Who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things? The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ. For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together, for to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done.” (Acts 4:25-28)

Perhaps you are leaving the movie theater somewhat overwhelmed by what you have just witnessed. Perhaps there was nothing in this world that could have prepared your heart and soul for the gut-wrenching movie “THE PASSION” that was directed by Mel Gibson. Perhaps mere words are insufficient to articulate the height and depth of human emotion that has swept through your entire being.

If you are a Christian, perhaps God has plowed your heart and used this film to call you back to your first love and your first works (Revelation 2:4,5). Perhaps your heart broke afresh over the terrible price our precious Savior paid for the redemption of our lost and wayward souls.

If you are an unbeliever and maybe a part of a religious system other than Christianity, perhaps great conviction has come upon your soul for the first time. Perhaps after viewing this film, you are seeing the claims of Christ and the veracity of His word in a more distinct light. After all, the Bible declares that Jesus is the light of the world. In fact, Jesus affirmed this truth in John 8:12, “I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” It is for you, my non-Christian friend, that this tract has been written.

Much controversy has surrounded this movie since its inception. All kinds of accusations have flown to and fro. Fears of anti-Semitism have arisen and spread like wild fire. Magazines, media, articles, and debates over this film have grown up like weeds and the number one question upon everyone’s lips is “Who Really Killed Christ?”

This is an extremely important question, but unfortunately, our darkened world cannot supply a truthful answer. Human nature being what it is, we cannot but help to politicize the moral, ethical, and spiritual implications raised by this picture. Though we should be grateful that the question has been raised, it is only in the Bible, the Word of God, that one can safely derive authentic answers to life’s perplexing questions.

God’s Role In The Death Of Christ

First things first. We must major on the majors and minor on the minors to arrive at our proposed destination. Our beginning passage in Acts points the finger in the right direction, if we are to understand the nature of who killed Christ. It clearly states that Christ was first and foremost condemned to die the most agonizing death possible on that cruel cross according to what “…thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done.” The hand and counsel referenced here is the hand and counsel of Almighty God.

Hundreds of years before Jesus was born, the Bible prophesied of His coming. Holy Writ foretold that God would become a man and the Word of God (Jesus) would become flesh (Isaiah 9:6, 7:14, and John 1:1-14). The Scriptures foretold the brutal manner in which Jesus would die (Psalm 22, Isaiah 53). Keep in mind, crucifixion had not been invented yet as a method of capital punishment, when King David described our Lord’s suffering on a cross in Psalm 22. The prophets also pronounced Jesus’ glorious resurrection, long before His miraculous incarnation (Psalm 16:10, Acts 2). In fact, there are over 300 specific prophecies in the Old Testament that concern the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The New Testament simply records how Jesus Christ fulfilled each and everyone of them.

The truth is, Jesus Christ was slain before the foundation of the world (Revelation 13:8). Before there was a created universe, before our first parents, Adam and Eve, roamed paradise, and before man sinned and committed high treason against God to plunge this earth into death, hell, and the grave, Jesus was already slain in the heart and mind of God. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost conspired in eternity past to condemn Jesus to die a bloody, horrifying death in order to redeem lost, fallen, and sinful creatures like you and me.

It is this truth and destiny that burned in the heart of Jesus that amply supplied Him with the courage and humility to honestly proclaim that no one could take His life from Him (John 10:18). Jesus received from God the Father the command to lay down His life and the power to take it up again. Jesus knew He was born to die, to bear witness to the truth, and to unleash God’s salvation upon this poor-fallen world. Jesus’ death on the cross could not be avoided. It was God’s eternal decree and no man, no devil, and no government on earth could prevent this most central, tragic, and historical event from taking place. Jesus settles the raging debate once and for all in Luke 24:25,26, “Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory?”

Man’s Role In Christ’s Death

Because many have not perceived God’s role in our Lord’s death, some throughout history have looked for human scapegoats to blame. The Jews, traditionally, have fit the bill. Throughout history, either misguided genuine Christians or unconverted pagans masquerading as Christians have hurled the railing accusation of “Christ Killer” against the Jewish people. As a result, the Jews have suffered persecution at the hands of the Church, especially in the Middle Ages. They were terribly treated.

Even the Reformation did not completely end the Jew’s mistreatment. Martin Luther, at first fought for more freedom for the Jewish people under the Reformation, but as they resisted the Gospel of the Kingdom message, he wrote scathing denunciations against them. In fact, some of his writings became familiar to Hitler. It has been said that Martin Luther later recanted. One can only hope that is true. Obviously, the Jews may have some legitimate concerns when it comes to the handling of our Lord’s death in this day.

On a human level, our opening passage of Scripture in the book of Acts implicates several groups that were involved in the murder of Jesus. God’s Word implicates Herod, Pontius Pilate, the Gentiles, and the people of Israel. In one sense, God indicted the entire known world at that time for the crucifixion of His Son. No one escaped responsibility. On the other hand, the Jews, the Romans, and the political and religious leaders of the day were mere instruments that were unknowingly carrying out the will of God. The Apostle Paul verifies this truth by stating, “Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.”

Dear friend, the truth is, it was your sin and my sin that is responsible for the spilled blood and broken body of our loving Savior. The artist Rembrandt sought to convey this truth in a painting called “The Raising of the Cross.” He painted it as a self-portrait. It was Rembrandt as the soldier that nailed Christ to the cross and lifted up our Lord’s tortured and mangled body up as payment for the sins of the world.

Who killed Christ? Rembrandt knew and so does Mel Gibson. You did and I did! It was our idolatry, greed, lust, selfishness, lies, perversions, abominations, and immorality that nailed Him to the cross, but it was His love that held Him there. Jesus paid a debt He did not owe and we owed a debt we could not pay. Though Jesus never sinned, He died a criminal’s death. Out of His great love for you and me, He became our substitute for breaking God’s Law. He served our sentence for us by enduring the agonizing torture upon a cruel cross. It’s by His blood shed on that cross that we can be saved, escape the wrath that is to come, and everlasting destruction. It is through Jesus’ broken body that our broken relationship with God can be restored. Please don’t delay. Call upon the name of the Lord, repent of your sins, believe in Jesus, be baptized, and receive the gift of the Holy Ghost (Acts 2:38). Today is the day of salvation!

Based upon this Biblical example, we prayed extensively over each one of our children’s names. If they ever decided to backslide, they would have to change their names. Their names would prayerfully remind them of the God of their fathers and the Kingdom multi-generational vision they abandoned for the pleasures of this world. In other words, don’t sell your godly birthright children, for a bunch of worldly pottage. God hates this betrayal.

Proverbs 22:1 states, “A GOOD name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favor rather than silver and gold.” There was a time in America when our children were taught to honor the name of God. The third commandment teaches, “You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that takes his name in vain (Exodus 20:7.” More than using God’s name as a curse word, this commandment forbids God’s people to name the name of Christ and then live like pagans. Jesus reiterated a similar warning in New Testament. Quoting from Isaiah, He declared, “This people draws near to me with their mouth, and honors me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.”

Based upon the honor of God’s name, some American families worked hard to keep their name honorable and noble, though contending with a sinful nature and feet of clay. They tried to pass on a good name to their children in the hopes that they would do well and not destroy the faith, trust, and integrity invested in the family name. Those days are long gone and for most of this generation, we are too busy sinning and fulfilling our fleshly desires to be bothered how our conduct dishonors God, disgraces our families, or hurts others. God forgive us for taking His and our family names in vain.

The foundational Scripture for today’s message is Hebrews 11:32-40; 12:1, 2. God’s word states:

And what shall I more say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets: Who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions. Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection: And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yes, moreover of bonds and imprisonment: They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.

Why seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which does so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking to Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

After laying this Scriptural foundation, we will proceed by God’s grace on a historical journey. We will be investigating certain times and events in American history where men put their names on the line to change the course of history and to pass on to us a heritage of Christian liberty.

There are important lessons learned by the study of history. George Santayana stated: “Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” In other words, if we do not know where we came from, we will have no idea, where we are going or what to do once we get there. History is His-story. It is God’s redemption plan worked out through the eons of time and His covenant people.

The first document we will examine is the Mayflower Compact. It states:

In the name of God, Amen. We, whose names are underwritten, the loyal subjects of our dread Sovereign Lord King James, by the Grace of God, of Great Britain, France, and Ireland, King, defender of the Faith, etc.

Having undertaken, for the Glory of God, and advancements of the Christian faith and honor of our King and Country, a voyage to plant the first colony in the Northern parts of Virginia, do by these presents, solemnly and mutually, in the presence of God, and one another, covenant and combine ourselves together into a civil body politic; for our better ordering, and preservation and furtherance of the ends aforesaid; and by virtue hereof to enact, constitute, and frame, such just and equal laws, ordinances, acts, constitutions, and offices, from time to time, as shall be thought most meet and convenient for the general good of the colony; unto which we promise all due submission and obedience.

In witness whereof we have hereunto subscribed our names at Cape Cod the 11th of November, in the year of the reign of our Sovereign Lord King James, of England, France, and Ireland, the eighteenth, and of Scotland the fifty-fourth, 1620.

Seeking to flee religious persecution, our Pilgrim Fathers and Mothers escaped England and went to Holland for sanctuary. In Leyland, they obtained religious freedom to serve and worship God according to the Bible, rather than submit to the unholy, tyrannical alliance between church and state in England. Eventually, the Pilgrims left Holland to undertake a hazardous journey to come to the New World. Though they obtained what they were seeking in Holland, they were losing their children to a corrupt culture and decided to become “stepping stones” for future generations. William Bradford stated, “Lastly, a great hope and inward zeal they had of laying some good foundation, or at least to make some way thereunto, for the propagating and advancing of the kingdom of Christ in those remote parts of the world; yea, though they should be but even as stepping-stones unto others for the performing of so great a work.”

While crossing the Atlantic, a great storm arose. It blew them off course. Instead of arriving in Virginia with the King’s official papers to expand the colony, they arrived at Plymouth, Massachusetts. Though they endured much suffering crossing the Atlantic, they would not step foot off of the ship, until they crafted a governing document, the famous Mayflower Compact. The men signed this document, which became the basis for the Connecticut Constitution. It was the Connecticut Constitution that eventually became the basis for the U.S. Constitution.

The next document in American history that demanded signatures from brave men was the Declaration of Independence. Fifty six of our Founding Fathers signed this document, which was, in essence, the signing of their own death warrants. They did it any way! In so doing, they pledged their lives, fortunes, and sacred honor to enshrine these immortal words, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”

The largest signature in the center of the document was John Hancock. He wanted to make sure King George didn’t need his spectacles to see his signature. What a guy! We could sure use men like this today. What inspired these men to put everything they cherished on the line? It was the same motivation that compelled our Pilgrim forefathers and mothers to carve out the Kingdom of God upon these shores. They were seeking a city on a hill, a light to the nations as liberty was proclaimed through out the land.

Eighty-seven years after the signing of the Declaration of Independence, America faced another trial by fire. Slavery! A great and bloody Civil War was fought between the North and the South over this sin against God and this crime against our black brothers and sisters.

In his famous Gettysburg address, President Abraham Lincoln profoundly declared, “Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure.”

To ensure our nation did endure, thousands of Christian clergy appealed to President Lincoln to sign the Emancipation Proclamation freeing our black brothers and sisters. Different Christian denominations sent 79 official condemnations of slavery urging Lincoln in the strongest terms possible to set the captives free. One letter sent by 3050 New England pastors was 200 feet long. Why so long? They needed the length to contain every one of their signatures. They put their name to this document and President Lincoln took note and I dare say he also took courage. Eventually, he put his signature on a document that changed the course of the Civil War. He signed the Emancipation Proclamation.

Senator Charles Sumner thanked the ministers. He stated, “In the days of the revolution, John Adams, yearning for Independence, said, ‘Let the pulpits thunder against oppression,’ and the pulpits thundered. The time has come for them to thunder again.”

How many believe it is time for American pulpits to thunder again in our day? Oppression and tryanny are once again threatening our liberty and national survival. Many our questioning like Abraham Lincoln, can the nation conceived by our Founding Fathers long endure?

Starting with Hebrews, we read of the great clouds of witnesses that ran their lap of the race, who are cheering us on to faithfully run ours. They will not be perfect (mature) until we follow their example and run the race of faith set before us. We must therefore cast off every besetting sin and keep our eyes on the prize, which is none other than our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

The Patriarchs, Prophets, Kings, our Lord, His Apostles, early Church Fathers, Martyrs, Reformers, Colonial Fathers, Founding Fathers, and American patriots of time past have all run their lap of the race. They placed their names, live, fortunes and sacred honor on the line to pass on a godly heritage, which produced the freest, most prosperous nation on the earth. It is our turn now!

I’d like to introduce to you another document a time like this demands. It is called The National Emancipation Proclamation for the Unborn Child. I am going to read it to you and ask you to sign your name to this historical as well as prophetical document. One of the goals we have set for the States of Refuge is to gather as many signatures we can accumulate and put them on a huge scroll to unveil at the Lincoln Memorial. We are scheduling this event for January 1st, 2013. The month and date are significant on two counts. First, January 1st, 2013 will be the 150th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln signing the first Emanicipation Proclamation. January 22nd, 2103 will be the fortieth anniversary of the Roe vs. Wade infamous Decision. Historically and Biblcally these are both noteworthy numbers.

Similar to the way, William Wilberforce unrolled a scroll of signatures in the English Parliament demanding England abolish the slave trade, we are going to roll this scroll down the Lincoln Memorial steps to demand our nation “Let God’s Babies Go” in Jesus’ name! Come sign your name and let us make history in Jesus’ glorious name!

We experienced a whirlwind event in Charlotte, NC this past weekend. Rev. Flip Benham’s sons, David and Jason, put together a Roe vs. Wade Memorial weekend headed up by Alex Kendrick. Alex and his brother Stephen lead Sherwood Pictures who produced Flywheel, Facing the Giants, Fireproof, and the recent release Courageous. I believe a powerful seed was sown in Charlotte, NC and something of great spiritual significance was birthed that will have a ripple effect throughout our country.

On Friday morning, January 20th, a group of Christian, media and business leaders met for a breakfast sponsored by the Benham Real Estate Group. David Benham and Alex addressed the meeting. There was a powerful challenge issued. Alex related God’s dealings in his life that birthed a dream in his heart to make motion pictures that would pierce the darkness of Hollywood.

He is sold out for the cause of Christ. He is the real deal. He publicly declared that if he did anything to shame the Lord in his position that he wanted the Lord to take him out. The essence of his message could be summed up in the admonishment of the Apostle Paul. 1 Corinthians 9:27 states, “But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.”

Roe vs. Wade Memorial Service and States of Refuge Press Conference

Rev. Flip Benham Praying for our Gathering

Friday at noon the saints gathered in downtown Charlotte to participate in the Roe vs. Wade Memorial service and to kick off the new national States of Refuge campaign. Rev. Flip Benham, Alex Kendrick, David Benham, Jeanette Wilson, Ante Pavkovic and I had the privilege to address downtown Charlotte with God’s word.

Brother Flip encouraged the saints with a message that we are winning the battle against the culture of death. He stated, “We believe that now, with the numbers of abortions down by almost 40 percent, the number of abortion mills has dropped almost 65 percent, and the number of doctors doing abortions has also dropped close to 40 percent, we are winning this battle. The time is now for the Church to rise up and wait not for political parties, or the president, or Congress, or the Supreme Court to take care of the issue. It is our responsibility. The gates of hell will not prevail against the Church of Jesus Christ.”

Alex Kendrick stated that he was deeply disturbed by the evil of abortion, “It grieves my heart and the heart of God.” He further declared, “Whoever wants the next generation the most will get them!” Does the Church want to save this generation more than the world seeks to murder them? Truly, when the cry of the repentance of the Church is greater than the cry of innocent blood, God will end the American holocaust.

Brother David Benham admonished the saints to take the Gospel of the Kingdom to the gates of hell. He quoted Proverbs 1:20-22, “Wisdom cries without; she utters her voice in the streets: She cries in the chief place of concourse, in the openings of the gates: in the city she utters her words, saying, How long, you simple ones, will you love simplicity? And the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge?”

Jeanette Wilson shared powerful testimonies of lives spared and souls saved at the three abortion mills in Charlotte. Brother Ante shared how God opened his eyes to see how God was using Operation Save America to expose the hidden powers of darkness in our nation. Satan is overt in other nations, but he is stealth in America. Satan keeps his cool in the Church of America and convinces most in our society that he doesn’t exist, but when the saints confront abortion, homosexuality, and Islam, demons manifest. For him, this was the clearest sign that Operation Save America was exercising true Biblical Christianity and he had to join the fray.

States of Refuge Interview at Roe vs. Wade Memorial Service

States of Refuge Press Statement

“Come now, and let us reason together, said the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool” (Isaiah 1:18).

Operation Save America is embarking on a new national vision we are calling States of Refuge, Operation: first Abortion Free States. It is based upon concept discovered in the Old Testament. The Biblical model we are seeking to apply in America today is the Cities of Refuge. As you may recall, there were six Levitical cities set apart in Israel for refuge in the cases of questionable deaths. These cities were established by God to provide asylum till proof of innocence or guilt against the accused could be established. These cities were also designed to protect Israel from blood guiltiness, lest the avenger of blood pursue and kill innocent people. States of Refuge seeks this same protection in our time.

Through much prayer and research, we have determined that there are five states in America with one death camp, (abortion mill) remaining defiling our beloved land. This represents the abortion industry and the culture of death it has spawned at their weakest and most vulnerable points. It also represents for the Church of Jesus Christ our greatest opportunity for victory in these tumultuous times!

Operation Save America is devoting this next year to apply our prayers, labor and resources in these five states, which are Arkansas, Mississippi, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming. It is our blessed hope that God will honor the faith and efforts of His people and will be pleased to liberate America from blood guilt, starting with these five states.

It is our sincere prayer that when people hear of this vision, it will resonate in their souls. We pray they will add a hearty amen and desire to participate in this glorious opportunity to defeat this grave evil in our day.

We are calling upon the Church to join this effort. God’s word states, “If my people, which are called by my name, shall 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 will heal their land.” May the States of Refuge carry this mandate and may God be pleased to heal our wounded land in Jesus’ mighty name!

Cities4Life Banquet

Alex Kendrick was the key note speaker at the second Cities4Life banquet. Cities4Life is a vision whose time has come. It seeks to network different aspects of the church, community, medical, and pro-life ministries to create a culture of life that dispossess the culture of death. It seeks to marry the prophetic, front line ministry presenting the Gospel of the Kingdom at the gates of hell with supportive, mercy ministries.

About 750 folks came out to be challenged with this powerful mission. Church, pro-life, business, and cultural leaders were all in attendance. I believe their lives and the city of Charlotte will never be the same again. I highly recommend their website, http://cities4life.org and their Christian/pro-life model for cities to emulate throughout our nation.

Taking it to the Streets

Shantelle and Jose chose life for their baby after seeing the sonogram of their baby in the sonogram RV.

At the end of the Cities4Life banquet, a call was issued to go the Latrobe abortion mill. 139 people answered the call and showed up the next morning in the freezing rain. The death camp did not know what hit them. The Kingdom of God was forcefully advanced against the culture of death. A mobile sonogram unit, tents, signs, banners, sound system and most importantly, the love and truth of Christ was made manifest to destroy the works of the devil.

For many, it was the first time they came to an abortion mill to minister the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I suspect it will not be their last. God opened eyes and broke hearts as the Gospel went forth and spared children from death and saved souls from sin. There were about four children saved and one young man surrendered his life to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. It was glorious!

Special Prayer Request

Alex Kendrick and I in downtown Charlotte, NC kicking off States of Refuge Campaign at the Roe vs. Wade Memorial Service.

I will conclude this report with a special prayer request. Please pray for Alex and Stephen Kendrick. For Alex, It was his first time going to an abortion mill as well. His heart was plowed. He strikes me as a man that will obey the Lord, no matter the cost. If God reveals His will, I believe Alex will do his best to follow. Perhaps, God will call him to utilize his considerable talent and treasure to “Face the Giants” destroying our nation in Jesus’ name!

On January 22^nd, 2012, our nation will be reminded of one of the most egregious rulings in the modern era. Thirty nine years ago, The Supreme Court decriminalized abortion on demand through the infamous ruling known as Roe vs. Wade. Not since the Dred Scott Decision addressing slavery has our nation suffered a more polarizing governmental decree.

Through the years this so-called “law” has raised many difficult issues America has debated and discussed. Today, I would like to focus in on one aspect of the deliberations, the nature of law. Who or what is the ultimate source and authority of law? Is law a fixed, eternal standard that is binding upon all men, at all times, and in every nation? Or, is law evolutionary in nature, which turns the Constitution into a “living document” that becomes wax in the judiciary to fit society’s ever changing mores? Is the source and authority of law based upon the Triune God of the Bible or autonomous men?

The premise this article seeks to establish is Almighty God, the God of the Holy Bible, and His righteous, holy character is the basis and authority for all just laws. James 4:12 states, “There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who are you that judge another?

James emphatically declares that the God of Holy Scripture is the one and only Lawgiver. He is the only one morally qualified to institute law. Men, as fallen creatures, are not morally qualified to make law. All men can do is either uphold or violate God’s fixed, moral absolutes. If we choose to break God’s moral commandments, however, the unavoidable consequence is they eventually break us. America is finding this out the hard way as we hurl ourselves against God’s moral commandments, which provide the framework for life and the infrastructure of reality.     

If men are tempted to reject these Biblical truths, they can only fall back on two failed and disastrous options. The civil government or the individual is the source and authority of law. Tragically, Roe vs. Wade reveals that too many Americans today consider the State as sovereign? This is why many thoughtlessly look to Washington D.C. as the source of all law, power, and authority in the universe. I hate to burst this idolatrous bubble, but the Sovereign Lord of the universe was not born in Washington, D.C., He was born in Bethlehem. 

Historically, when man believes civil government is the ultimate authority, the ultimate power, and source of law inevitably nations degenerate into “isms”―Communism, Fascism, or Nazism, just to name a few. These tyrannies have paved the way for terrible atrocities. If earthly government is the highest authority with no accountability to its Creator, it can easily be tempted to exploit and harm the very ones it claims to serve. This, in a nutshell, reveals much of mankind’s bloody history.

The second option, which we see increasingly manifesting in America today, is the sovereignty of the individual. If God is not sovereign and the civil government is not sovereign, then men resort back to the lie in the garden. The individual is left to construct his own “truth.” Men define for themselves what is good and evil apart from God’s objective truth. Thus, they become a law and god unto themselves. The consequences to this fallen condition are anarchy, chaos, and confusion.

Truly, only One Nation under God can balance the delicate tension between authority and liberty. Only One Nation under God can secure a just, social order on one hand and maximum individual freedom on the other.    

Roe vs. Wade is an example of men seeking to establish law apart from God’s moral commandments. It is a “legal” decree that violates God’s law, which states, “Thou shalt not kill (murder).” Roe vs. Wade decriminalized the murder of innocent babies made in the image of God. The Supreme Court, a court that did not fear God or man, vainly sought to remove the basis of law from God’s fixed moral commandments and opted for an evolutionary view of law instead. It is this mentality that seeks to change the Constitution of America into a living, evolving document that breaks the chains, which once restrained the Federal beast from devouring our liberties. To them, law like men, are evolving. Law is not God’s eternal rules for living set in stone; it has a more fluid quality that follows the path of political expediency. It is this path of least resistance that makes both men and rivers crooked. Roe vs. Wade is humanistic man seeking to make straight what God has called crooked.

Roe vs. Wade finds its basis of law in the pagan Roman Empire. Back then, it was the father who had the authority under paterfamilias to determine whether or not children lived or died. If the child did not find favor with his dad, he was sentenced to the infanticide wall and left to the elements and beasts. It was Christians back then who rescued these precious infants and raised them in the faith. If any of you reading this article are seeking to save babies at abortion mills today, you are walking in this same grand rescue tradition established by the early Church.

Today, under Roe vs. Wade, it is the mother who holds the power of life and death when it comes to her children. If she wants the baby, thumbs up, if she doesn’t want the baby, thumbs down. America, with a straight face, pretends this is law. When laws are based upon the mere whims of men or women, nations become lawless. This places law keepers in a precarious situation. Why is this the case? Simply put, in the days of lawlessness, those who keep the law, become the outlaw!

Sir William Blackstone who wrote the Commentaries on the Laws of England stated, “Upon these two foundations, the law of nature (the eternal laws of good and evil) and the law of revelation (found only in the Scriptures), depend all human laws.  That is to say, no human laws should be allowed to contradict these.”

Clearly, Roe vs. Wade violates these two foundations for law on both counts. Under the color of law, it has destroyed one third of an entire generation. I’ll conclude this article with a short prayer that comes from Psalm 119, which is a tribute to God’s law. The Psalmist prayed “It is time for you, LORD, to work: for they have made void your law (Psalm 119:126).” May He do so speedily. May He arise and end the American holocaust that has spawned the culture of death defiling our beloved land in Jesus’ mighty and holy name!          

The view of Christmas has other implications as well. Some Protestants cringe at the last three words mas as it may be a reference to the Catholic Mass. Some point out that Christ was not born on December 25th, so why even bother. Others seek to avoid the commercialism surrounding the birth of Christ by concentrating on the “reason for the season.” Obviously, Christmas has become many things to many people. 

But whether people honor or protest Christmas, its annual commemoration is certain. I suspect it will remain this way for the foreseeable future. Minimally, the merchants of the earth have a vested interest to secure the day if for no other reason than to boost their bottom line. The purpose for this article, however, seeks to understand the birth of Christ from a Biblical perspective. Does the Bible honor the event? If so, in what ways is the birth of Christ distinguished?

The Prophecies 

There is no doubt the God of the Bible viewed it as a major production. There were several hundred prophecies, types, and shadows that predicted, “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given (Isaiah 9:6).” In fact, there are over three hundred prophecies concerning the Messiah interwoven throughout the Old Testament. Some of them are duplications of the same prophecy. For instance, the prophecy concerning Jesus being from the house of David is repeated about fourteen times. The prophecy that foretells the birth place of Messiah as the city of Bethlehem is repeated five times (Micah 5:2). The number of non-repeating distinct prophecies, however, comes in at about one hundred and ninety.

M.B. Bleecker, an engineer, took one hundred and fifty of these noteworthy prophecies that Jesus fulfilled and calculated the odds of His fulfilling them all. The odds of one man fulfilling one hundred and fifty prophecies in one lifetime are one in -1,039,851,278,722,473,896,502,516,467,047,788,121,009,514,090,594,304

The odds of Jesus fulfilling just eight of them in His lifetime are one in -100, 000, 000,000,000,000 

Following up on this mathematical probability, Peter Stoner in Science Speaks (Moody Press, 1963) made this discovery. Mr. Stoner demonstrated that coincidence was ruled out by the science of probability.  Stoner suggested that by using the modern science of probability in reference to eight prophecies, “we find that the chance that any man might have lived down to the present time and fulfilled all eight prophecies is 1 in 1017.” That would be 1 in 100,000,000,000,000,000. In order to help us comprehend this staggering probability, Stoner illustrates it by supposing that “we take 1017 silver dollars and lay them over the face of Texas, so that they cover all of the state two feet deep.”

Mr. Stoner continues:

Now mark one of these silver dollars and stir the whole mass thoroughly, all over the state. Blindfold a man and tell him that he can travel as far as he wishes, but he must pick up one silver dollar and say that this is the right one.  What chance would he have of getting the right one? Just the same chance that the prophets would have had of writing these eight prophecies and having them all come true in any one man.

The Star 

In the realms of astronomy, the Star of Bethlehem has garnered for itself “the world’s most famous celestial event” in history. God rearranged the heavens as a sign that something of dramatic worth was transpiring upon the earth. Of course, it was never a common occurrence that the heavens would open and a choir of angelic hosts would appear to sing praise to God as they brought “good tidings of great joy.” What was the reason for such a bodacious display? They were carrying a divine message, which stated, “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.” 

The Bible records that there was no small stir to the holy announcement. The most famous response came from the woman who was chosen to conceive and give birth to the Son of God. Today, we recognize Mary’s prophetic reply as the Magnificat. Pay close attention to her declarations as it pertains to this poor fallen world. Mary cries out:

My soul doth magnify the Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name. And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation. He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree. He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away. He hath holpen his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy; as he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever.

Mary acknowledges the incredible favor that has been demonstrated to her personally. Beyond personal considerations, she proclaims that there will be powerful ramifications that will greatly impact the world. Wrongs will be righted. Justice will eventually prevail. Oppression in due course will cease. Tyrants, dictators, the ruling elite, and the proud will be cast down. The hungry, poor, outcast, and disenfranchised will be helped. All this and more is guaranteed by the promise God spoke to Abraham and is now coming to pass with the birth of Christ. Is this something that should be ignored or should it be shouted from the rooftops now and forever more.

The Incarnation    

The theological term for this glorious event is called the Incarnation. In general terms it means in the flesh or to become human. When it comes to the birth of Christ, however, who or what is becoming human or coming in the flesh? The Gospel according to John grants us the Biblical meaning, John 1:1 and 1:14 states:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God… And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

The denial of the Incarnation is what actually constitutes the dreadful designation the Bible calls Anti-Christ. Any person, religion, or philosophy that denies Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is Anti-Christ (1 John 4:1-3). Perhaps, there is more to this Christmas business than meets the eye.

Remarkably, the same Word that spoke the heavens and the earth into existence, the same Word canonized in the Bible, the same Word that God sent to heal us, and deliver us from destruction became flesh and dwelt among us. One of the specific words is the fulfillment of Isaiah 7:14 which states, “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” Matthew interprets the name Immanuel as God with us. C. S. Lewis defined the significance of the Incarnation as “The Son of God became a man so that men could become the sons of God.”

The first mention of the promise of the Incarnation traces back to Genesis 3:15. God promised, “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.” Normally, I present this passage of Scripture to teach on the battle that is raging for the souls of men, the lives of children, and the future of our planet. For this article, however, the emphasis will change. The spot light will focus on this passage as the first mention of the glorious Gospel of the Kingdom and the Incarnation as God’s remedy to correct the fall of man. To make this possible God had to establish a seed line.

God tapped Abraham and said, “I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect. And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly.” Why did God choose Abraham? This attribute might have something to do with it. Genesis 18:19 states, “For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment; that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.”

The promise of Messiah passed from Abraham to Isaac and from Isaac to Jacob. Jacob had twelve sons, which became the twelve tribes of Israel. Out of the twelve tribes, the tribe of Judah was chosen. Genesis 49:10 promised, “The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.” Out of the tribe of Judah, the House of David was chosen. 2 Samuel 7:12, 13 declares:

And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever.

Finally, the book of Galatians announces The Promise was born. Galatians 4:4, 5 records, “But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.”

Having traced the seed line that brought about the Glorious Incarnation, it is time to explore what this means to us and this poor fallen world? There are many wonderful blessings associated with the Incarnation, but for our purposes, I’d like to concentrate on just two of them. One is corporate that concerns the world and the other is individual.

The corporate implications of the Incarnation are discovered in Isaiah 9:6, 7. God’s word states:

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counseller, The mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.

When did the Kingdom of God come and the establishment of God’s government commence? When the Son was given and the Holy Child was born. What does this mean in the real world? “The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign forever and ever (Revelations 11:15).” How or when shall it completely take place? All we need to know is “the zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform it.”

The Gospel according to Luke reveals how Christmas relates to us as individuals. God’s word states:

And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God (Luke 1:28-35).

Biblically, the same manner in which Mary conceived Christ physically is the same manner we receive Christ spiritually. Be it unto us according to thy word. 1 Peter 1:23 affirms this powerful truth, “Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.” James concurs, “Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls (James 1:21).” The Apostle Paul agrees as well, “And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus (1 Timothy 3:15).”

The circumstances surrounding the birth of Christ into our poor fallen world are highly significant. There was no room for him in the inn. This world and each sinner in it have a natural repulsion towards Christ. We suppress the truth in unrighteousness. We reject the light and walk in darkness for fear our evil deeds will be exposed. We go astray from the womb because we are conceived in sin. We are born alienated from God and seek to be a law and god unto ourselves. Thus for many, there is no room in our wicked hearts for Christ.

He was born in a stinky stable and laid in a manger. The manger was not a crib, but a feeding trough for animals. To think that the King of the universe chose this humble estate in which to become one of us is quite humbling. It is, as well, a powerful description of the state of our lives before the King of Glory by the power of the Holy Ghost takes up residence in our immoral lives. We suffer from stinking thinking and sinful actions. When Christ regenerates our lives, however, the sanctifying power of His precious blood goes to work to purify and cleanse our ”smelly stables” or if you prefer, our darknened souls.

Lastly, the ruling elite were clueless as the lowly shepherds saw and heard the glorious announcement:

Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men (Luke 2:10-14).

So it is today, many glory in their riches, power, and wisdom, while those who are being saved boast in the Lord. In this way Christmas, among its many other accomplishments, also reveals our calling brethren:

For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: That no flesh should glory in his presence. But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. 

Just as in His resurrection, Christ refused to appear to Pilate, Caesar, and the High Priest, but rather visited His rough and unsophisticated disciples, so at His birth, the angels appear to lowly shepherds and bypass the rich and famous. As Jesus grew into an adult; His attitude towards the proud never changed. He prayed, “I thank Thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes (Matthew 11:25).” “O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out (Romans 11:33)!”

Much more can be shared about the implications of the Incarnation, but this will have to suffice for now. With that be said, I want to wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas and most blessed New Year in God’s Kingdom!

The founding fathers of America were very much aware of this human proclivity and the temptations associated with power. This is why they went to painstaking lengths to establish our government with checks and balances.  Thankfully, they held to a Biblical understanding of human nature. They were not humanists, secularists, or atheistic in their orientation. They did not believe according to modernity that men were inherently good and the source of our problem was environmental.

It is this humanistic environmentalism movement that is responsible for transforming criminals into victims and blaming society for their crimes. It seeks to remove personal responsibility and accountability. It blames outward influences as the determining factor, which directs men’s actions. The Marxist, Lincoln Steffens, seeking to justify this premise theologically declared, “It was, it is, the apple.” Thus, according to communism, socialism and every other statist, totalitarian system of men, the blame lies not with the disobedience of man to God’s revealed will. It was not the treacherous act of our first parents against their Creator. No, man’s wretched condition stems from the environment, “the apple.”

It is this underlying worldview, which is responsible for liberals, communists, socialists, humanists, and secularist’s attraction to seats of governmental authority. Since these “true believers” reject the existence of God, His merciful offer of salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord, and future rewards and punishment, they honestly think that man’s perfection can be realized on earth by statist manipulation of “law” and socialistic public policy. The Obama administration follows this line with unerring devotion.

The Christian faith rejects this erroneous notion. Law as a basis of man’s salvation makes the cross of Christ and the grace of God null and void. Though true Christians believe this, we have also failed in our relationship to civil government. We hear, “Politics is a dirty business.” Thus many Christians avoid it like the plague. Most do not realize our departure from civil service has inadvertently abandoned civil government to those who have deified it. Through our silence and inaction, the church enables foes within our own national household to remake America in their perverted image.

True Christians know that man is saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone (Ephesians 2:8, 9). The law was not meant to save, but to convict men of their sin and thus drive them to the mercy seat of Christ. The Apostle Paul taught, “Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith (Galatians 3:24).” No manipulation of laws and public policy can perfect men from without. For one simple reason, the true source of man’s problems originates from within.

In Matthew 15:19, 20, Jesus zeroed in on the source of man’s dilemma. He stated, “For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man.” According to King David, man is conceived in sin and goes astray from the womb (Psalm 51:5; 58:3).

The Apostle Paul affirms this theme, which reveals the true state of mankind.  Romans 3:10-18 states:

As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.  They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.  Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: Their feet are swift to shed blood: Destruction and misery are in their ways: And the way of peace have they not known: There is no fear of God before their eyes.

It was this Biblical worldview of the human condition that provided America with our three branches of government.  James Madison, our fourth president and chief architect of our Constitution stated, “If men were angels, no government would be necessary.”  In fact, to the surprise of many, the legislature, executive and judicial aspects of our government find its source directly from Scripture.  Isaiah 33:22 states, “For the Lord is our judge (Judicial branch), the Lord is our lawgiver (Congress), the Lord is our king (Executive); he will save us.”

Before Christianity took root and flourished in the earth, man was subject to pagan governments, which the Bible refers to as “BEAST.”  The beast was a deified state.  This form of heathen rule that was prevalent amongst men and nations not only demanded lawful submission to civil authority, but idolatrous worship as well.  It promoted the emperor cult worship that was prevalent before the birth of Christ, the true God/Man. Under this tyrannical form of government the greatest atrocities known to man were perpetrated.

In history, this oppressive form of government evolved into a doctrine known as the “divine rights of kings.” A brave preacher by the name of Samuel Rutherford denounced this hellish tenant by writing his classical book called Lex Rex. The issue he took on and eventually took out was the “king as law” doctrine.  According to Rutherford, law, God’s law, is king.  Therefore, the king is not above the law or the determiner of law, (there is only one lawgiver, God) but he, himself is subject to the law and must use his office to uphold it. This is the historical understanding that was foundational to our America Republic. America would not be ruled by kings, personalities, and the whims of men, but by the rule of law in a representative government.

Once again, this system of thought comes straight from the Scripture.  Deuteronomy 17:18-20 states:

And it shall be, when he (king) sitteth upon the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write him a copy of this law in a book out of that which is before the priests the Levites: And it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life: that he may learn to fear the Lord his God, to keep all the words of this law and these statutes, to do them: That his heart be not lifted up above his brethren, and that he turn not aside from the commandment, to the right hand, or to the left: to the end that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he, and his children, in the midst of Israel.

Thanks to Lex Rex and the “Law is King” doctrine; the world experienced a fresh wave of freedom. Tyranny, oppression and dictatorships were overthrown. Thus, wherever Christianity was planted and allowed to flourish the decentralization of power followed in its righteous wake. Of course, America today is learning the hard way what happens to a people that rejects this knowledge of God in the public life of our nation. We are resorting back to the brutal darkness of paganism with all its evil fruit, such as, tyrannical civil government, unjust laws, child killing, (abortion) and sexual immorality, which includes fornication, adultery, and homosexuality.

Our founding fathers believed there were two main enemies that would destroy America’s experiment with liberty. They were licentiousness amongst the citizens and tyranny in civil government. Thus, to the degree licentiousness grows amongst the citizenry, to the same degree tyrannical civil government expands.  This truth is based upon Proverbs 28:2, which warns, “For the transgression of a land many are the princes thereof: but by a man of understanding and knowledge the state thereof shall be prolonged.”

This passage teaches that when a nation becomes lawless, it automatically creates a bureaucratic blob that crushes freedom.  Why, because lawless people lose the moral fortitude to correctly handle their freedom. They foolishly turn liberty to licentiousness, which leads to anarchy and anarchy inevitably leads to tyranny. America must return ASAP to our historical and Biblical root system, which is, self-government is the key to liberty. 

Robert Winthrop grants incredible insight concerning this foundational principle.  He stated:

All societies of men must be governed in some way or other. The less they have of stringent State Government, the more they must have of individual self-government. The less they rely on public law or physical force, the more they must rely on private moral restraint.  Men, in a word, must necessarily be controlled either by a power within them, or a power without them; either by the word God, or by the strong arm of man; either by the Bible or by the bayonet.

Remove these premises and America will spin out of control. Is it any wonder that our freedoms are being threatened by forces from within and from without. The inmates are running the asylum, while the Islamic hordes smell our moral rot. Like Nero before us, America parties and fiddles while our nation is burning.

Nevertheless, it was these fundamental truths, which blessed America in times past. We believed that we were One Nation under God.  Our national motto is “In God We Trust.”  It is not the gods, but the one true and living God, the God of the Bible, the Triune God of Holy Scripture, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. When mankind rejects this Biblical truth of God’s sovereignty, however, man has only two other failed options available. 

First, the state is sovereign and the ultimate authority, which historically has led to every murderous regime that has crushed the freedoms, lives, and property of those they claim to serve.  In the 20^th century alone, hundreds of millions of innocent people were massacred by this monstrous lie.  The second option is man as an individual is sovereign, which leads to anarchy, chaos, and confusion. 

The prophet Jeremiah reveals our current malaise in America, “For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water (Jeremiah 2:13).” Only One Nation under God can secure social order on the one hand and individual freedom on the other.  Only One Nation under God can maintain the delicate tension between authority and liberty.  All else is sinking sand and cisterns that can’t hold water.

Check out our new websites:

www.statesofrefuge.org  www.klibraveheart.com

Message to America 9.11/10

Live Call Replay: Rusty Lee Thomas gets interviewed by Pat Necerato of Go Stand Speak Ministries on the topic, “Should Christian’s Stand Up Against the Evils of Society with the Gospel?”

This was the Scripture verse Flip and I chose to lead us into Orlando for this year’s OSA national event. Little did we realize how significant it would become. Historically, this passage of Scripture records a time when Israel was threatened by three pagan armies who conspired to destroy their nation. King Jehoshaphat, rightly concerned about this national threat, sought the Lord and proclaimed a fast. All of Judah gathered together to seek deliverance.

The armies facing God’s people back then were Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir. Interestingly enough, the dangers facing America are also three-fold. The exposed areas Satan is using to destroy us are child-sacrifice (the shedding of innocent blood), the homosexual agenda, and Islam. The first two abominations are the idolatrous roots, while Islam is the dangerous fruit. The left in America has been quite successful in garnering for themselves the most favored business status, abortion, the most favored class, homosexuals, and the most favored religion, Islam. According to brother Flip, their favorites, however, are nothing more than “three different colored gloves (red, pink, and black) that contain the fist of the Devil.”

Each year as we prepare to enter a city for our national event, we also recognize the need to fast and pray. The enemies of the cross are growing bolder. They are filled with fury towards anything holy, righteous, or lawful. God haters on every front seek to eradicate the influence of Christianity in order to keep their most favored bloody, perverse, and deceptive status. This year in Orlando was no different. We set aside three days to fast and pray as we sought the Lord to rescue our nation from the battle within and without. Our prayers, I’m here to report, were gloriously heard from on high and in ways we could not imagine.

Casey Anthony’s Court Trial

“And judgment is turned away backward, and justice stands afar off: for truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter. Yes, truth fails; and he that departs from evil makes himself a prey: and the LORD saw it, and it displeased him that there was no judgment” (Isaiah 59:14, 15).

When we chose Orlando, affairs were set in motion years ago that we had no earthly idea would come to pass during our national event in Orlando. Specifically, there were two court trials whose scheduling corresponded with our visitation. The first we became aware of was the tragic case of Casey Anthony and her murdered daughter Caylee. This particular case in Orlando started three years ago. Ironically, she was found “not guilty” and released on the same day we scheduled our Solemn Assembly.

       Caylee and Esther’s Memorial Service at the Orange County Jail

The following is Flip’s account of this providential timing, “God gave us an incredible platform to connect the dots between what Cayce Anthony did to her little Caylee Marie and what mothers are doing to their children in the womb via abortion.  Cayce just waited two and a half years longer to get rid of Caylee (Late-Term Abortion) than the mothers who have aborted their children.  All of the eyes of the world were on the Orange County Jail as Cayce Anthony was about to be released.  National and international media were everywhere.  The stage was set. 

Early Sunday morning, we conducted a funeral service at the Orange County Jail for little baby Esther, a child aborted by her mother and father.  We then held an open casket viewing of this precious little baby girl.  Though all the media was there with their huge satellite trucks, no one came.  No one cared.  No one wanted to see. 

The Bible tells us that God is not mocked, whatsoever a man sows that shall he also reap.  We are reaping a horrible harvest of violence in America today, as blood is coursing down the corridors of our schools, workplaces, and streets.  If we sow bloodshed in the womb, we will reap bloodshed in the streets.  To stop violence in the streets, we must first stop bloodshed in the womb.   

The world did not want to see nor did it want to hear God’s message to America.  But it was proclaimed from the rooftops, nevertheless.” 

The media was too busy treating the symptoms of America’s injustice to report the root cause. The abortion culture has spawned incredible devastation upon the American family. It has turned formerly concerned parents into predators who prey upon their own children in order to obtain a better life. This was proudly displayed by Casey Anthony’s “Bella Vida” (the good life) tattoo. She sported this tattoo after Caylee was missing.

Millions of abortion-minded women display the same cavalier attitude when it comes to their own offspring. Children must be disposed of in order to continue the party life unhindered by parental responsibility. This is nothing less than the “all about me and I pity the fool who seeks to awake me from my deceptive selfishness” syndrome that leads to the murder of children. Flip commenting on this tragedy stated:

“Justice has failed, but judgment remains!

 God’s judgment for Casey Anthony began the moment she “chose” her right to “Bella Vida” (the good life) which eclipsed little Caylee Marie’s right to any life at all.  There is a law of spiritual gravity that is as absolute as the law of gravity on this earth.  It applies to all people, at all places, at all times.  You may disagree with it, but that does not change its absolute effect upon you.

Yes, a final judgment remains for Casey Anthony but her judgment has already begun.  It is a spiritual gravity as certain and as objectively true as the physical law of gravity.  ”A man tormented by the guilt of murder will become a fugitive until death; let no one support him.”  Proverbs 28:17.  That which Casey thought was going to set her free to do whatever she wanted to do, has already become a ball and chain around her neck dragging her into the depths of despair, despond, and depression.  There won’t be enough Margaritas to assuage her guilty conscience, not enough lines of cocaine she can snort, not enough relationships with other men, not enough hours on a psychiatrist’s couch, not enough money, not enough education, not enough fame, not enough Zoloft or Prozac, to make her pain go away. 

 The way she thought would set her free, has made her a fugitive, a slave until death.  God has given us Casey Anthony to bring us into a full blown realization of what happens when a mother aborts (kills) her own child.  The courts of this world may say it is legal or give one a “Not Guilty” verdict, but in God’s court the judgment has already begun.” (Editor’s note: Flip and I tried to visit Casey and minister the Gospel to her in the hopes she would recognize her wretched state, repent and find the salvation of God.)

Many were outraged by this verdict, but why should they be? Roe vs. Wade trained an entire generation with a demonic view towards life, babies, and family. The message is clear, if you cannot handle the responsibility of your actions then kill it. Now, we are upset that people are living out the lessons learned by this unjust ruling. Injustice begets more injustice. Except this time, it is spilling out of the womb in the light of day rather than hidden in American death camps that dot the landscape of our beleaguered nation.

God is going back to Church Campaign

“Stand in the gate of the LORD’s house, and proclaim there this word, and say, hear the word of the LORD, all you of Judah, that enter in at these gates to worship the LORD…If you oppress not the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, and shed not innocent blood in this place, neither walk after other gods to your hurt: Then will I cause you to dwell in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers, forever and ever” (Jeremiah 7:2, 6, 7).

After the memorial service to honor Caylee, Esther, and all the other Caylees and Esthers killed in America, we went to the gate of the Lord’s house. One team went to an apostate “church,” the First Unitarian Church of Orlando. This was the “church” who hosted all the pro-aborts of the National Organization of Women assigned to protect the altars of Moloch from the “domestic terrorists” and the “Christian Taliban.” The NOW gang put out a national call to protect their “sacred temples” and all they could muster was a pitiful collection of aging feminists, which amounted to about 5 or 6.

Another team went to a large seeker-friendly evangelical church called, Northland. Pastor Joel Hunter, a spiritual counselor to President Obama, is the senior pastor. We set up signs, praise and worship, and passed out a flyer called, Sing a Little Louder. We came to them with a Macedonian Call, “come help us,” and to remind them of their responsibility to rescue those unjustly sentenced to death and to speak for those who cannot speak for themselves (Proverbs 24:11, 12; 31:8, 9).

Solemn Assembly

“And why behold you the mote that is in your brother’s eye, but consider not the beam that is in your own eye? Or how will you say to your brother, Let me pull out the mote out of your eye; and, behold, a beam is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of your own eye; and then shall you see clearly to cast out the mote out of your brother’s eye” (Matthew 7:3-5).

 That evening we conducted our Solemn Assembly. This provided us the opportunity to point the finger in the right direction and set the proper spiritual tone for the rest of the week. The following is the prayer topics we covered. Our holy desire was to meet the righteous conditions set forth in God’s word and trust that the Lord would hear from heaven, forgive or sins, and bring healing to our land (2 Chronicles 7:14).

1) The doctrine of bloodguiltiness by Rev. Rusty Lee Thomas

Scripture Reference: Psalm 106:38, “They even sacrificed their sons and daughters to demons, and shed innocent blood, even the blood of their sons and daughters whom they sacrificed to the idols of Caanan; and the land was polluted with the blood.”

Prayer Thought: Leading the Church in repentance for her past failures of not actively opposing the shedding of innocent blood and to rescue those unjustly sentenced to death.

2) The compromise, indifference, and apathy of the Church by Pastor Victor Morgan

Scripture Reference: Proverbs 25:26, “A righteous man who falters before the wicked is like a murky spring and a polluted well.” See also Lam. 4:12, 13.

Prayer Thought: The wicked cannot rise in power unless they first pass through the sins and compromise of the Church. A Church that has veered from or compromised the truth of God’s Word always empowers a tyrannical government and a wicked culture. God forgive us!

3) The failure of men by Doc Johnson

 Scripture Reference: Psalm 78:9-11, “The men of Ephraim, being armed and carrying bows, turned back in the day of battle. They did not keep the covenant of God; they refused to walk in His law, and forgot His works, and his wonders that He had shown them.”

 Prayer Thought: The failure of men to fight the battle against the prevailing spirit of lust (videos, magazines, internet, etc.) that rages from within and steals our moral authority to lead courageously in our homes, churches, and communities.

4) The fear of man and a man-pleasing spirit by Ante Pavkovic

Scripture Reference: John 12:43, “For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.” See also Galatians 1:10.

Prayer Thought: We have become more concerned about offending men and keeping our reputations than our fear of offending God.

5) Return to God’s Law which is the standard that is binding upon all men, at all times, and in every nation by Cal Zastrow

Scripture Reference: Hosea 4:6, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge, because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being priest for Me; Because you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.”

Prayer Thought: We are called to build our nation and its institutions upon the righteous foundations of His eternal law lest we be overtaken by wicked ideologies and our children fall prey to a profane and depraved culture.

6) The squandering of our costly, godly heritage by Rev. R.C. Sproul Jr.

Scripture Reference: Psalm 88:12, “Shall Your wonders be known in the dark? And Your righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?” See also Isaiah 51:1, 2.

Prayer Thought: We have disdained our godly forefathers by forfeiting their costly legacy and defrauded our children by wasting their righteous inheritance.

Weekly Street Activities

“And the lord said to the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled” (Luke 14:23).

Starting Monday morning, July 18, we organized several teams and sent them out to the highways and byways of Orlando. We had five teams cover the five death camps from Monday to Saturday morning. We had a sign team that covered major intersections throughout the city as well. There was a display team that set up at the University of Central Florida who passed out literature and engaged the students. They also set up the display in front of city hall in downtown Orlando for our special memorial service for baby Esther. Moreover, we sent out a special team that leafleted abortionists’ residences, offices, and other key locations. Needless to say, Orlando could not escape the charge God has against us for killing His babies (Hosea 4:1, 2).

Each night at our rallies, powerful messages and testimonies of divine appointments and open effectual doors of ministry were shared. Testimonies of souls surrendering their lives to Christ and families rescued at abortion mills glorified God. It was a time of refreshing and rejoicing in the presence of the Lord. 

The other mission performed by OSA this year in Orlando was the Personhood petition drive to protect Florida babies in the womb by love and by law. To sweeten the deal, there were first place, second place, and third place prizes for those who gathered the most signatures. For the youngest person with the most signatures, the prize was to smash brother Flip with a pie at our Friday night rally. This honor went to little Gracia Campana. Many rejoiced as brother Flip received his just “deserts.” Altogether, OSA saints collected about one thousand signatures for the week. 

The Second Court Trial 

“Behold, the righteous shall be recompensed in the earth: much more the wicked and the sinner” (Proverbs 11:31). 

The kingpin of the abortion industry in Central Florida is James Pendergraft. He is the one who gave the awful boast, “If the Church would stop frequenting my clinics, I’d be out of business.” Sad statement, but is it true? I suspect there is a basis to this wicked taunt. Regardless, unbeknownst to Flip and I, there was a case against him that started ten years ago. It just so happened to commence on Tuesday, July 19 at the Orlando County Circuit Court during our national event. Imagine the shock, when this notorious abortionist looked behind him in the court room and saw Flip Benham, Chet Gallagher, and me staring at him. He went over to his lawyer and complained, “The antis (Anti-abortion) are here.” His lawyer replied, “There is nothing I can do about it.”

That was not only true concerning us, but the lawyer was also hapless to help deliver Pendergraft from a civil lawsuit that plundered his abortion empire. Pendergraft was hit with 18 million in the civil suit itself and another 18 million in punitive damages, totaling over 36 million dollars.

During the trial we saw the latter part of our theme Scripture verse fulfilled in 2 Chronicles 20:17. All parties involved in this tragedy, Pendergraft, abortionist Randall Whitney, and the staff at the abortion mill scrambled to distance themselves from responsibility for failing to kill the child. She survived and as a result, they began to throw each other under the bus. This is exactly what happened to the pagan armies who threatened Israel. They eventually turned and devoured each other as Israel stood and saw the salvation of their Lord.

Special Venues

Brother Flip preparing the way to honor baby Esther
 

I will conclude this report with three special venues that took place on Friday, July 22. In the morning, we gathered at city hall to conduct our memorial service for baby Esther. As we pulled up to the area, the sights and sounds took our breath away. The pro-life display was fully set up and the praise and worship of God resounded off the downtown buildings. The presence of God energized the atmosphere. The sun was rising and its rays shined upon a church steeple mounted with a cross. We were literally standing in the shadow of the cross.

The stage was set to memorialize little baby Esther. Some young men acting as pallbearers carried the casket containing Esther. Others bore flags and were led by our bagpipe player, Nathan, who performed Amazing Grace. They escorted baby Esther to the table set up in the midst of city hall. A few men and women spoke passionately, lovingly, and firmly against the culture of death, which was responsible for Esther’s death.

“Thou dead, Esther still speaks” was the theme message (Hebrews 11:4). She has volumes to communicate to a nation staggering under the weight of bloodguiltiness and our divine purpose was to give her voice. After the speeches, folks filed by and placed flowers upon her casket, begging forgiveness for what we did and did not do for her and the nameless sons and daughters of America consumed by America’s bloodlust (Matthew 25:40, 45). May God have mercy and somehow end this holocaust without ending our nation.

Mosque

Preaching at Mosque

“And Elijah came to all the people, and said, how long halt you between two opinions? If the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him” (1 Kings 18:21).

Friday afternoon, OSA Christian men experienced an old fashion Mt. Carmel showdown. We visited the largest Mosque in Orlando. This particular Mosque had been investigated for supporting the terrorist group, Hamas. Apparently to repair their image, they put together a deceptive sign campaign. Signs like, “Did you know that over 1,500,000,000 Muslims believe in Jesus?” “Truly, this nation of yours is one nation, and I am the Lord, so worship me -God (Qur’an 21:92),” “Jews, Christians and Muslims, same God- shared beliefs…let’s talk,” and, “There is only one God. Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad are messengers of God.” There were other signs as well, but you get the gist of their misleading strategy.

Our purpose was to set the record straight and dismiss the deceptive propaganda put forth by this Mosque. After dismantling and refuting their lying claims, we preached the glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ and His Kingdom. It created no small stir. Cameras were running while a loud speaker with a siren blasting tried in vain to silence the truth and love of Christ.

Our message, however, was clear, “The Jesus you speak of is not the Jesus of the Bible. He is another Jesus. You are led by a different spirit and you follow a different gospel that is no gospel at all. Allah cannot save you. Muhammad cannot save you. Religion and good works cannot save you. Only the Jesus of the Bible can save you. Only God in the flesh, crucified and resurrected, can redeem your soul from hell.”

Abortionist Randall Whitney Visits our Church Service

“When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance” (Mark 2:17).

In all the years of fighting the battle against the culture of death, never did we witness a practicing abortionist visit one of our church services. That dry spell ended in Orlando at this year’s national event. Flip commenting on this incredible visit stated:

 ”Note this well.  I have been privileged to share the Gospel of Christ with Randall Whitney on more than one occasion.  He attended our last Rally session on Friday night, though most of you were unaware of his presence.  He came as a guest of Mark Hall who has been sharing Christ with Randall for many years.  Rusty preached that night and I know that God spoke to Randall’s heart.  Please keep Randall Whitney and his wife in your prayers. Pray that God will save Him, through our wonderful Lord Jesus Christ!”

After the service, Jo Scott followed Mr. Whitney in the parking lot to witness to him. This is her account:

“I asked him what he thought of the service, he responded, ‘It was powerful.’ ‘Do you believe that Jesus died for your sins?’ I asked. He said that he didn’t believe that anyone could die for anyone else’s sins. He said that he believes in a god, but a god that is only love. I explained to him if his god loves the rapist and the raped there is no love, just chaos. Jesus loves intensely and he hates those who come against what he loves. I explained that He is always ready to forgive but he is also just and holy. Ps. 5:5, 7:11

Whitney believes in evolution so I asked him about his conscience. I explained, ‘In order for something to evolve it must have at least a cell, the conscience does not.” He agreed. Then I explained that God wrote the law on our hearts and that knowledge has no cell, or atomic weight. No scientist in the world can explain how all people everywhere innately know the difference between right and wrong. Then I explained to him that God gave him a conscience because that’s where God goes to talk to us. I looked him in the eyes and said with conviction, “That is why the first time you killed a child in his mother’s womb, you knew it was wrong.’ It was one of the few points I made with the 77 year old abortionist that he did not have an answer for, he just let it go.

He told me that the Bible says nothing about the child in the womb. I quoted Exodus 21:22, ‘If men strive, and hurt a woman with child, so that her fruit depart from her, and yet no mischief follows: he shall be surely punished, according as the woman’s husband will lay upon him; and he shall pay as the judges determine. And if any mischief follow, then thou shalt give life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.’

He seemed a little shocked at that, but quickly regained his composure and with a superior attitude and asked, ‘You believe in a god like that?’ I answered you bet I do. He asked me if I’ve been watching what’s going on in the world. He said that the new democratic rule was leading the world to peace. He was very excited about it. I explained that salvation will not come from legislation. It’s a free gift and it comes from Jesus.

When talking about his abortion practice he said that he believes that he is truly helping women. He says he, ‘Really loves women.’ And that he KNOWS that he is helping them. He refuses to listen to anything to the contrary. Our conversation went on for twenty minutes and what is interesting to me is he sees himself as a messiah of sorts, helping women in these tough times. But at the same time reality has smacked him upside the head lately. He slapped a woman in his office recently and he was arrested for it. He was called to testify at Scott Pendergaft’s trial this past week and he was probably the key witness to sink his colleague.

Whitney is not board certified in 7 critical fields and Pendergraft left him alone with a patient and went home. She complained that they would not give her anything for pain and then left the office, went to a hospital and delivered a child severely damaged by the botched abortion. Finally, he recently had surgery to insert a pacemaker. His whole image of himself may be
shaken and this may be an opportunity to shine the light of Jesus through the cracks in his facade.”

I know this report is lengthy, but I pray it edifies, encourages, and challenges all who read it. This is what happens when the church crosses the line of obedience and shows up at the gates of hell. They cannot prevail in Jesus name!     

As one who has been privileged of the Lord to take the Gospel of the Kingdom to the exposed areas in America, eventually, one learns the different fronts of the battle that is raging for the souls of men, the lives of children, and the future of our nation. There are vile roots contributing to our manifold problems and there are dangerous fruits being produced under our watch. Today, the roots of our woes are child-sacrifice, the shedding of innocent blood and the spreading of the homosexual agenda. The dangerous fruits are lawlessness, the rise of Islam, governmental tyranny, injustice, corruption, economic ruin and licentiousness amongst American citizenry. 

Biblically, however, the battle comes down to two primary issues, who is Lord, God or man, and whose laws, God or man, are ultimately binding. Acts 17:7 reveals the answer. God’s word states, “Whom Jason has received: and these all do contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, one Jesus.” Notice the accusations against the early Church. The charges that led to their persecution and martyrdom centered on the Kingship of Christ and His decrees that threatened the tyrannical, pagan rule of Rome. May I suggest that these two issues define the same battle that faces us today? As wise King Solomon has stated, “There is nothing new under the sun (Ecclesiastes 1:9).”  

The title of this message is “The Source and Authority of Law.” The premise this article seeks to establish is Almighty God, the God of the Holy Bible, and His righteous, holy character is the basis and authority of all just laws. James 4:12 states, “There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who are you that judge another?

James emphatically declares that the triune God of Holy Scripture is the one and only Lawgiver. He is the only one morally qualified to institute law. Men, as fallen creatures, are not morally qualified to make law. All men can do is either uphold or violate God’s fixed, moral absolutes. If we choose to break God’s moral commandments, however, the unavoidable consequence is they eventually break us. America is finding this out the hard way as we hurl ourselves against the Stone of Stumbling and Rock of Offense (1 Peter 2:8).

The Bible teaches us in both Testaments that God rules and reigns in the affairs of men. After Christ was raised from the dead, He proclaimed, “All power is given to me in heaven and in earth. Go you therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatever I have commanded you: and, see, I am with you always, even to the end of the world. Amen (Matthew 28:18-20).

The Apostle Paul during the insane rule of the degenerate, dictator Nero pronounced “Let every soul be subject to the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God (Romans 13:1). Paul teaches the supreme authority is Almighty God and human governments are delegated authorities established by Him for His glory and our benefit. Therefore, they owe their allegiance to Him if they are to exercise lawful authority.    

If man is tempted to reject these Biblical truths, they can only fall back on two failed and disastrous options. The civil government or the individual is sovereign and the source of law. Is it not true that many Americans today consider the State as sovereign? This is why many thoughtlessly look to Washington D.C. as the source of all law, power and authority in the universe. I hate to burst this idolatrous bubble, but the Sovereign Lord of the universe was not born in Washington, D.C., He was born in Bethlehem. 

Historically, when man believes civil government is the ultimate authority, the ultimate power, and the ultimate source of law inevitably nations degenerate into “isms,” Communism, Fascism, or Nazism, just to name a few. These tyrannies have paved the way for terrible atrocities. If earthly government is the highest authority with no accountability to its Creator, it can easily be tempted to exploit and harm the very ones it claims to serve. This, in a nutshell, reveals much of mankind’s bloody history.

The second option, which we see increasingly manifesting in America today, is the sovereignty of the individual. If God is not sovereign and the civil government is not sovereign, then men resort back to the lie in the garden. The individual is left to construct his own “truth.” Men define for themselves what is good and evil apart from God’s objective truth. Thus, they become a law and god unto themselves. The consequences to this fallen condition are anarchy, chaos, and confusion.   

In the Old Testament, after God with His own finger wrote the Ten Commandments, He instructed Israel, “One law and one manner shall be for you, and for the stranger that sojournes with you (Numbers 15:16).” Clearly, God’s law/word was established as the standard by which the Hebrews and the foreigner in Israel were to live by. Moreover, God rose up prophets like Jonah and sent them to pagan nations to warn them to repent or expect His wrath. By what standard did He sanction these actions? By the same law/word He gave to Israel. These pagan nations were violating the Holy Commandments of God and God held them accountable.

In the New Testament, the Lawgiver became flesh and declared, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God (Matthew 4:4).” Notice He did not say Christians, believers, or my followers. He said man, generic; the whole human race is subject to God’s law/word. How do we know this is true? Jesus stated, “He that rejects me, and receives not my words, has one that judges him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day (John 12:48).”

Roe vs. Wade is an example of men seeking to establish law apart from God’s revelation. It is a legal decree that violates God’s law, which states, “Thou shalt not kill (murder).” Roe vs. Wade decriminalized the murder of innocent babies made in the image of God. The Supreme Court, a court that did not fear God or man, vainly sought to remove the basis of law from God’s fixed moral standards and opted for an evolutionary view of law instead.

It is this mentality that seeks to change the Constitution of America into a living, evolving document that breaks the chains, which once restrained the Federal beast from devouring our liberties. To them, law like men, are evolving. Law is not God’s eternal rules for living set in stone; it has a more fluid quality that follows the path of political expediency. It is this path of least resistance that makes both men and rivers crooked. Roe vs. Wade is humanistic man seeking to make straight what God has called crooked.

Roe vs. Wade is America’s version of law, which finds its roots in the pagan Roman Empire. Back then, it was the father who had the authority under paterfamilias to determine whether or not children lived or died. If the child did not find favor with his dad, he was sentenced to the infanticide wall and left to the elements and beasts. It was Christians back then who rescued these precious infants and raised them in the faith. If any of you reading this article are seeking to save babies at abortion mills today, you are walking in this same grand rescue tradition established by the early Church.

Today, under Roe vs. Wade, it is the mother who holds the power of life and death when it comes to her children. If she wants the baby, thumbs up, if she doesn’t want the baby, thumbs down. America, with a straight face, pretends this is law. When laws are based upon the mere whims of men or women, nations become lawless. This places law keepers in a precarious situation. Why is the case? Simply put, in the days of lawlessness, those who keep the law, become the outlaw!

This accounts for some of the incredible injustices on display today in our nation today. On the one hand, a peaceful, Christian Pro-life pastor, Flip Benham was recently found guilty of “stalking” an abortionist. The case presented the abortionist as a sympathetic hero and the man of God seeking to save human life as a criminal. On the other hand, Casey Anthony was just found not-guilty for killing her two year old daughter, Caylee. People are outraged at these verdicts and rightly so.

But what should we expect when an entire generation succumbs to the Roe vs. Wade mentality? It has taught our nation, if we cannot handle our problems and take responsibility for our actions, then kill it. Now we stand in awkward amazement that our culture manifests the lessons we were taught by man’s attempt to make “law.” C. S. Lewis stated this ill-fated situation the best. He wrote, “We make men without chests and expect of them virtue and enterprise. We laugh at honor and are shocked to find traitors in our midst. We castrate and then bid the geldings to be fruitful.”   

Sir William Blackstone who wrote the Commentaries on the Laws of England stated, “Upon these two foundations, the law of nature (the eternal laws of good and evil) and the law of revelation (found only in the Scriptures), depend all human laws.  That is to say, no human laws should be allowed to contradict these.”

Historically, men once understood that the source and authority of law was divinely connected to Almighty God. In the modern times, however, men have made laws that are no laws at all. Any law that legalizes that which God considers an abomination Psalms 94:20 asks a critical question, “Shall the throne of iniquity have fellowship with you, which frames mischief by a law?

Clearly, Roe vs. Wade framed mischief by law. Under the color of law, it has destroyed one third of an entire generation. I’ll conclude this message with a short prayer that comes from Psalm 119, which is a tribute to God’s law. The Psalmist prayed “It is time for you, LORD, to work: for they have made void your law (Psalm 119:126).” And the saints said, AMEN!

After a week in court, yesterday was the final day of Brother Flip’s trial. The day began with what we hoped to be God’s intervention. We noticed that one of the jurors during my swearing in to testify on Flip’s behalf responded favorably to the oath of “So Help Me God.” She was an elderly black woman who nodded “amen.” She was at the time an alternate juror. Yesterday, one of the jurors did not report for duty and she replaced juror number 7. Our hopes were dashed a few hours later; however, as the jury unanimously rendered a verdict of guilty against brother Flip.

Closing Arguments of the Defense

Mr. Romain, Flip’s attorney, shined the brightest in his closing arguments. He took the statute, which is a bad law (arbitrary and subjective) and broke down the specific language, held it up to the light of testimony of both sides, and we thought did an able job in debunking the state’s case.

At one point, he asked a powerful question, “Where is Dr. Harris?” His picture was on the flyer. His house and office were visited. Why was he not here feigning that he was terrorized by the big, bad, bogey man, Rev. Flip Benham? He also pointed out that there were 4 abortionists altogether that were visited during our leadership meeting back in February 2010. Where are the other three abortionists? Apparently, they did not “feel” stalked by Rev. Benham.

Part of the statute speaks of “harassing on more than one occasion.” The legal terms that describe harass are “torment, terrorize, and terrify.” Mr. Romain asked the jury if they believed Mr. Flood experienced these emotions in response to our outreaches. He proved that Mr. Flood did not respond in a manner that would constitute harassment. Mr. Romain used some of these following statements and questions to prove his points. Others are my own to demonstrate more clearly the collusion between the city of Charlotte and the abortion industry to remove brother Flip from the streets.

Mr. Flood didn’t call the police or 911 when he knew we were knocking on the door of his home, while his wife and daughter were there. Why didn’t he rush home to protect his family? Why did he stay at the abortion mill and kill more babies till the close of his daily business? A man that “feels” this kind of trauma for his own safety and that of his family and does nothing to immediately to protect them, what kind of man is this? Well, he is an abortionist and the truth is he is not afraid of brother Flip. He is mad at him. Detective Harris, the intelligence office and personal friend of Mr. Flood (who has stalked brother Flip since 2003), concocted trumped up charges after the fact. What was their purpose? They wanted to make brother Flip pay for the “crime” of exposing Mr. Flood’s “unfruitful works of darkness” as the Bible commands (Ephesians 5:11).

Mr. Romain also brought up the fact that the timing of the charges against Flip is suspicious. If Mr. Flood was so scared, why did he wait two weeks afterwards to swear out a warrant for Flip’s arrest? One would assume that if felt threatened, he would immediately rush to protect his family and business. He did not. Why, and this my opinion, because it took 2 weeks to sit down with his detective friend and figure out a way to charge Flip with a crime.

During my testimony, it was also revealed that I and about 10 others were with Flip every step of the way. We did the same exact things. Why was he charged and we were not? Could this be selective enforcement? If this is the law and we all participated in the same activity, then why is he guilty and the rest remain innocent? Mr. Romain believes the powers that be conspired “to cut off the head.” The purpose is to chill First Amendment rights and to frighten Christians to remain silent and inactive while the Devil kills, steals, and destroys.

Towards the close of Mr. Romain’s arguments, he compared the 2 flyers submitted as evidence. One was a flyer posted back in 1993 in Wichita, Kansas that called for the murder of the infamous abortionist, George Tiller. The state took this flyer to convince the jury that OSA’s flyer was similar and was hoping the same fate awaited Mr. Flood. Mr. Romain pointed out the distinct difference between the 2 flyers. One called for the death of Tiller, the other called for Mr. Flood’s repentance. One highlighted Hitler, while the other emphasized Jesus Christ. One called for violence, while ours called for prayer.

Mr. Romain concluded his arguments by quoting the Star Spangle Banner. At the end of our national anthem, as he quoted the “land of the free,” he ran through the court room and passed out flyers. When he quoted “the home of the brave,” he put his hands out to be arrested for merely exercising his First Amendment rights. It was a powerful and inspiring close.

The Closing Arguments of the State

The prosecuting attorney was a sharp young lady, who for the most part, made the case against brother Flip. In my opinion, she blew it on 2 occasions, when she crossed examined Flip and in her closing arguments. Flip did great job in defending the Gospel witness at the gates of hell. He lifted up the name of the Lord and was able to denounce violence and reveal that all he sought by his actions was Mr. Flood’s conversion to Christ. Once saved, he believed that Mr. Flood would quit killing babies and use his skill and talents to promote life and health, instead of death and destruction.

The prosecuting attorney also went through the statute of stalking in her closing arguments. This time, however, to demonstrate that Brother Flip’s actions fulfilled the definitions of stalking. She asked, “What was Mr. Flood to think when he saw the “wanted” poster?” Of course, she deemphasized “Wanted by Christ to stop killing babies.”

Next, she proceeded to throw Mr. Harris under the bus. According to her, the reason why Mr. Harris wasn’t there is because Mr. Flood was brave. You can reach your own conclusion why the other abortionist didn’t come forward. She, in essence, suggested that he was a coward who feared Brother Flip to the point he chose to run from this case. If this prosecutor ever failed as an attorney, she has a bright career opportunity with the main stream press. Her spin of the facts were spectacular to behold.

In fact, to prove Brother Flip stalked Mr. Flood, she relied on the fact that Flip never met him until the last court trial. Excuse me, but how can you stalk someone without having any personal dealings with them. She went on to compare Flip as a hunter that doesn’t want its prey to know it is being stalked. It was all a part of Flip’s elaborate plan to strike fear in the heart of Mr. Flood.

Later, she held up the posters and with a shrill voice loudly proclaimed, “Mr. Benham is calling for the death of Mr. Flood.” At this point, I groaned, but thought that was such an outrageous claim, surely, the jurors would see through this lie. Sorry to report that they didn’t. Obviously, at this point in the case, she moved from a charge of stalking to now accusing Flip to conspiring to murder Mr. Flood. Of course, there is nothing in Flip’s history, actions or writings that would ever lead a sane person to believe such nonsense. Welcome to America’s version of Alice in Wonderland.”

She also objected to the fact that the flyer stated, “They, (speaking of Dr. Flood and Harris) are involved in obstetrics, gynecology, and murder.” She considered this statement hateful to suggest that abortionists are murderers. During Flip’s testimony, he did not flinch nor hesitate to respond, “This is not hate, it is the truth.” (And people wonder why Flip coined the phrase, “Truth is hate to those who hate the truth.”

There were other points made, but not worth mentioning. Mercifully, she ended her rant that painted Mr. Flood as a sympathetic hero who helps women (read: by killing their children) and portrayed Flip as a menacing monster that must be found guilty. The jury bought into this line of reasoning, hook, line, and sinker.

The Judge’s Instructions

After closing arguments, the judge chimed in to instruct the jury on how the law was to be applied in this case. They were dismissed to deliberate. The jury contacted the judge with four requests. They were as follows. They requested a hard copy of the statute, the posters, the non-violent pledge of Operation Save America, and permission to eat lunch. We broke for lunch. The judge refused to grant them the statute, but permitted the posters and pledge to be sent back into the deliberation room.

The jury then requested the judge read to them the statute once again. They were marched back into the court room. He went over the same information. They went back into the jury room. About an half an hour later, they came back and rendered the verdict, GUILTY!

The Sentence

The judge sentenced Flip to 75 days in jail, suspended and 18 months of supervised probation. He is to have no contact with Mr. Flood. He cannot even mention him on the OSA website. No more flyers that name Flood. He cannot go near his residence. He has to stay 500 feet from his office and the 2 clinics where he applies his grisly trade. He has to pay $100.00 court cost. He has to pay the attorney’s fee. This last penalty will probably prove to be expensive.

Appeal

After the sentencing, we immediately filed for an appeal. Flip is hoping to recruit David Redding as his lawyer. This man served 12 years in Special Forces. He is a man’s man. He was the one God raised up to defend brother Flip from the frivolous injunction and lawsuit that the Hebron abortion mill filed against him. Mr. Redding crushed it and that is exactly what needs to happen in this case.

Brother Flip is resolved to go to jail, rather than submit to his banishment from his place of duty to love God and his neighbor, if this case is not overturned. Please continue to pray for him.

Personal Commentary

Though I did try to stick to the facts throughout this report, at times, I inserted personal thoughts. At this point, however, it is time to give full personal commentary. I hope as you have read this report, your heart hurts for the state of our nation. What has happened to the America mind? How can a man who rips babies apart in the womb become a hero and man who seeks to protect them be the criminal? Are we living in an alternative universe?

Tragically, this is one of the many consequences that are associated with bloodguilt. Our nation is defending the indefensible. The Scriptures testify:

For of a truth against your holy child Jesus, whom you have anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together, For to do whatever your hand and your counsel determined before to be done. And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant to your servants, that with all boldness they may speak your word, by stretching forth your hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of your holy child Jesus. And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spoke the word of God with boldness (Acts 4:27-31).

Notice that God held accountable “both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel” for the slaying of the “Just One.” In like manner, abortion is a national sin that has wrought national calamities. Part of these calamities is good has become evil and evil, good. All of us are either complicit or complacent when it comes to the American holocaust. Our nation is staggering under the weight of blood guilt.

Flip’s trial is merely adding to the evidence of God’s indictment against us. Human nature being what it is we think it “reasonable” to condemn a man like Flip in a case such as this. Why, because the alternative is too unthinkable to imagine. If he is innocent, then what does that mean? Could it be that our nation, the judge, the lawyers, the jurors, the church, the state and the citizenry of America immediately become suspect? This reality is completely unacceptable to the spell that has been cast over the American mind. Therefore, he must be found guilty. Otherwise, we are all guilty! Will America ever accept that verdict and repent? Only God knows (Ezekiel 37).