Volume 15 Issue 5 - May 2000 PATRICK HENRY, THE TRUMPET, SOUNDS AGAIN
A couple of weeks ago, I was awakened at two in the morning with a shot of inspiration. The thought came to me to revisit inspirational speeches of the past and revise them to make them more relevant for today. The purpose was to allow those who had gone before us a platform to speak to the Church and to our nation once again. To allow men like Patrick Henry, who was the trumpet of the first American Revolution, to have the opportunity to address the burning issues that we as Christians and Americans are currently facing. Little did I realize at the time, Flip Benham was working with a pastor by the name of David Vaughn in St. Louis on our national event. Pastor Vaughn wrote a book on Patrick Henry called “Give Me Liberty.” The “coincidence” leads me to believe that our Lord is orchestrating this message to help prepare His way in St. Louis during our national event in July. Flip is going to pass out this revised message to the pastors in St. Louis at a pastor’s meeting that he will address soon. I did my best to maintain the thought patterns of Patrick Henry. The ultimate purpose, though, was to update them, so the courage, inspiration, and challenge that was first spoken by this godly statesman would be made available to a new crop of Christian American patriots. May the Lord anoint this message to inspire you to go further up and into His Kingdom. May He use it to continue to fan the flames of the “Gentle Revolution” that is so needed to restore America to our Lord and to the destiny He has ordained.
Brethren, it is natural for man to indulge in the illusions of hope. We are apt to shut our eyes against painful truths, and just be content with Church business as usual while our nation plummets into the very bowels of Hell. Is this the part of wise, godly, righteous men, engaged in a great and arduous struggle for liberty? Are we disposed to be of the numbers of those who, having eyes, see not, and, having ears, hear not, the things which so concern our temporal salvation in America? For my part, whatever anguish of spirit it may cost, I am willing to know the whole truth, to know the worst, and to provide for it. I have but two lamps that guide my feet; the first is the Word of God and the second is the lamp of history. I know of no way of judging the future but by the past. And judging by the past, I wish to know what is on the horizon that can possibly justify any hope that the direction of this nation will change, if we continue to follow the course of the last several decades. Tell me, you who would dare to trust the kisses of an Enemy, instead of believing those who would wound you with the truth. How is it that we have not discerned the spell that has been cast over us? A spell that has produced a stupor amongst God’s people. Christians who continue to sound retreat at the encroachment of this Wolf in Sheep’s clothing that comes as an Angel of Light. This crafty adversary who promotes peace, love, and tolerance on the one hand, all the while plotting war against the Church on the other hand. What solace can we find in this precarious state? Peace, peace, is surely upon the lip, but destruction is raging in his heart, against you and your beloved children. Like Paul of old, I ask you now, who has bewitched you that you should not see and obey the truth? Who has bribed the Church into silence and inaction? What fleeting comfort and ease are we still willing to cling to at the expense of our children’s future? Brethren, the path of least resistance offered by this Enemy makes both rivers and men crooked. We would do well to remember that. Can we continue to trust in that which has proven to be a snare to our feet and to the soul of our nation? Trust it not, men and women of God! Suffer not yourselves to be betrayed with this deceitful kiss.
We need to ask ourselves some hard questions as dark clouds are gathering over the land of liberty. Ask yourselves, "Why was the knowledge of God removed from the public life of our nation and do we now, to our horror, see the blood of our children coursing down the corridors of our schools? Why has our nation chosen to "protect" our children from God and now have to replace Him with metal detectors, condoms, and police officers? Why does our government violate its sacred trust by refusing to end the shedding of innocent blood and to protect life by allowing the America holocaust of abortion to continue with impunity? Why does it seem the Church is sheepishly going into the closet, while the homosexuals are boldly coming out of the closet and are committing unspeakable acts on the streets of America? Why is the Church more concerned about nickels and noses than we are about the sick condition of the Church and the deplorable state of our culture? Why are our young bored to tears with the Church and addicted to the Spirit of the Age? Why is the Church that is supposed to be the "Pillar and Ground of Truth" riddled with divorce, filled with unruly sexually promiscuous children, and hiding hands that are stained with the blood of the innocent through the godless practice of abortion. Why is evil being codified into "law" and we are being subject to wicked rulers under our watch? Why has assaults against Christianity, the very fount of the American experiment in liberty become the only permissible "Hate Crime?" Why is it, we refuse to see the chains of debauchery, injustice, bondage, and oppression that are being forged about us, even as I speak? There is no longer any room for ignorance and denial! If we wish to be free again from this wicked nonsense, if we desire repentance, revival, and reformation to visit our spoiled, wicked nation once again, we must work, believe, and fervently pray. We must also fight and give God a reason to show mercy to a whorish nation that is literally begging for His judgment and wrath. I repeat it, brethren, we must fight! An appeal to the God of hosts and to the weapons of our warfare is all that is left to us. Awesome spiritual weapons that are not carnal, but are mighty through God to the pulling down of the Satanic strongholds that are defiling our beloved land. I repeat it again; this is all that is left to us! Our culture, the media, our government, and even those amongst our own ranks that are polluted with retreatist, escapist, and defeatist theology tell us that we are weak; unable to cope with so formidable an adversary and condition. But when shall we be stronger? Will it be the next week, or the next year? Will it be when the Christian faith is outlawed and the preaching of the Gospel shall be considered a "Hate Crime?" Shall we gather strength by irresolution and inaction? Shall we acquire the means of effectual resistance by lying supinely on our backs and hugging the delusive phantom of hope, until the enemies of the cross shall have bound us hand and foot? Brethren, we are not weak, if we make proper use of those means, which the God of Heaven has placed within our power as His Church. Has not our Master promised that the gates of hell shall not prevail against us, His Church? Thus millions of Christian people in America, armed in the holy cause of liberty and the Gospel of the Kingdom, are invincible by any force, which our Enemy can send against us. Besides, brethren, we do not fight this battle alone. In fact, the battle is the Lord’s who presides over the destinies of nations. He is our Victorious Champion who will rescue His people. That is why the battle, brethren, is not to the strong alone; it is to the vigilant, the active, and the brave. Remember that the courage that we need in this desperate hour is not the absence of fear, but doing what is right before our Holy God, in spite of our fears.
It is in vain, brethren, to extenuate the matter. The Church may long for peace, but we must remember this truth, when we found peace with God through Jesus Christ our Lord, we automatically declared war against the sin that rages from within, Satan, and an illegitimate world system that is in rebellion against God’s loving rule. So, why stand we here idle? Why maintain the status quo and business as usual mentality that has paved the way for the enemies of the cross to capture and pollute the gates of our nation? What do you desire? What kind of legacy and world do you wish to pass to your children? Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death! THE TRUE NATURE OF LOVE "One thing God has spoken, two things have I heard: that you, O God, are strong, and that you, O Lord are loving. Surely you will reward each person according to what he has done." (Psalm 62:11,12)There are many verses that faithfully represent God’s character. Scriptures that describe the awesome attributes of the true Sovereign of the Universe. These two verses tell us that though God is strong, He does not oppress us, because He is loving. They should also reveal that though God has tender mercies, He does judge mankind based upon the fact that He is just, strong, holy, and true. Due to to either bad theology, the absence of a Biblical worldview, or the lack of the whole council of God, the modern evangelical tends to separate and pit God’s attributes against one another, rather than see them as consistent, harmonious, and whole. This posture, unfortunately, has in many cases, contributed to the apparent impotence of the Church, the increased oppressiveness of the State, and the continual victimization of the weak in our deteriorating society. History is brutally clear on this matter. Whenever the Church misrepresents God’s character, becomes infected with heresies, and rejects the historical orthodoxy of Christianity, it always paves the way for civil tyranny and unspeakable atrocities. The bottom line is, an apostate Church always walks hand in hand with a corrupt oppressive State. You can not have one without the other. Thus we live in an age that tells us to be merciful one must negate and obliterate any sense of justice. On the other hand, there are those who cry out for justice that precludes mercy or any hope for reconciliation. Neither of these are consistent with the love of God, a love that is great in scope and comprehensive in nature. No! The love of God will refuse to look away from the inhumanity of man and the grievous harm that it produces. True love will boldly enter the breach between justice and mercy without denying either, and yet upholding both. This is a great mystery, but true nonetheless. Brethren, we must return to the understanding that God’s love, the nature of true love is not just invitational, but it is also based upon truth and revelation. It is inescapable that God’s love exposes the darkness within man. He convicts us of sin. He, with awesome strength also reveals His standards of righteousness contained within His Holy Laws and yet with tender mercies invites the heart of those who have broken His Laws to repent and be bathed in His wonderful forgiveness. Love which is the primary weapon against evil will tenaciously expose evil’s hardness, coldness, and cruelty without blinking an eye. It will refuse to relinquish the soul of evil men until that soul feels conviction, desires repentance, grieves over sin, and takes responsibility for the evil it has committed. That’s why the Church cannot merely proffer God’s love and forgiveness. The Love of God must first expose mankind’s bent on justifying ourselves, blaming others for our wretched condition, and feeling little or no sense of remorse for the sins we have committed against God and our fellow man. Finally, brethren, faith, God’s present reality, and hope, the anticipation of God for the future, are the bookends that enable the true nature of God’s love to stand in and change this evil, turbulent world. One cannot love this way, unless one is truly mindful of God’s faithfulness in the past and anticipates God’s redemptive goodness in the future. Any loss of faith or hope will put the true nature of love in jeopardy. Jesus warned the people of His generation of this clear and present danger. In Matthew 24:12, the Master declared, "And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold." The truth is, the more lawless America becomes, the more evil becomes committed to absorbing and devouring the souls of men with no regret or remorse. In evil’s attempt to fulfill the insatiable bloodlust that opens wide the jaws of hell, it will arrogantly raise its ugly head in defiance against all that is holy, just, and true. It will continue to despise God’s light and life. It will mock at the invitation to humbly receive the forgiveness that is readily available through Christ our Lord. Only the true nature of God’s love can enter that realm and return victorious with a soul set free and the power of evil vanquished in Jesus’ name. God grant me and His people that kind of love today. It is so desperately needed. Amen and Amen! ABORTION MILL CLOSESAnother one bites the dust! "You shall not be terrified of them; for the Lord your God, the great and awesome God, is among you. And the Lord your God will drive out those nations before you little by little; you will be unable to destroy them at once..." (Dt. 7:21,22a) Denton, TX has reason for great rejoicing. Their city has been freed from the sin of shedding the blood of the innocent. Mary Smith, the abortionist, has quit killing babies in Denton. An ad appeared in the Denton Record Chronicle explaining that the Denton Health Services for Women would close its doors May 1st, 2000. A woman called the clinic to verify the report and sure enough, they are no longer slaying God’s little image bearers. They are just cleaning up and closing down the baby butcher shop forever. Praise be to God! What an awesome victory for God’s people who stood in the gap and made up the hedge at the gates of hell in Denton. These Christians lived out their faith and were faithful instruments of our Lord to offer help to moms, the Gospel to sinners, and a major rebuke to demonic forces who were killing, stealing, and destroying God’s precious arrows. Please continue to pray for Mary Smith. Though she has shut down in Denton, she is continuing the wanton slaughter of the unborn in Dallas at the Fairmont abortion mill. Even if she quits altogether, her soul must be brought to repentance and her hands cleansed for the blood she has shed. Pray that God would shatter the darkness that grips her soul and that her heart would be open to receive the truth that will save her soul. UPDATE ON PLAY We have received a few encouraging notes from folks who witnessed and experienced Resurrection 2050, What About Now? Inez Hayes sent me an e-mail with these remarks,
Our Lord blessed and anointed both performances. One lady wrote and said that she experienced God’s presence throughout the entire production. Definitely a prayed answered by our faithful Lord. Altogether, there were sixteen souls that we know of that stood up publicly and openly confessed that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of the Father. I want to thank my Pastor, John Wachsmann, for the innovative idea and his support during the play. A special thanks to those who served as leaders, Bob and Joan Simonette, Willy and Tammy Biddy, Delisa Bailey, Teresa Kloss, Chuck Smith, and Keith and Karin Ashcraft. This play would not have been possible apart from your input and hard work. To the entire cast, a job well done. God blessed, broke and multiplied your efforts for His own glory. May you continue to bear eternal fruit as you labor in His Kingdom. YOUTH RALLY By the time you receive this month’s newsletter, I should be in Virginia, leading a pro-life youth rally. I’m scheduled to speak at two rallies, lead the young people to the gates of hell, their local death camp, and then preach for two churches. Please cover my family and I in prayer. Pray that God would use me to call the young people to join the "Gentle Revolution." and to rescue their generation in Jesus’ mighty name!DAYTON CASE Starting May, 15th, our infamous FACE trial will begin. Pray that God would use these proceedings to glorify Himself, rebuke this corrupt system that has violated their sacred trust, spare the lives of children, and save lost souls. Pray that God’s will be done, regardless of the outcome. For this trial is not about us, but about God’s purposes being fulfilled through frail vessels of clay.TRUTH TOUR Calling all concerned pro-life Christians in the Waco area to Church on the Rock at 4720 N. 19th St. for a Truth Tour Pro-life Rally. It will begin at 7pm, Tuesday, May 30th. Come support our brothers and sisters as they take the truth of the Gospel and abortion to the highways and byways of the state of Texas. Waco will be the opening rally that will kick off the state-wide tour. The next morning, we, the church of the living God, will gather the next morning at 1927 Columbus Ave. at the local Planned Parenthood death camp. Your participation is not only welcomed, it is needed. There will be anointed worship, ballet dances, and a powerful message entitled the "Abortion Violation." Please come and bring someone with you. I’m sure the lives of the children would say "thank you" if they only had a chance. IN KING JESUS’ SERVICE, Rusty Lee Thomas E-mail: elijahmin@ifriendly.com |
