Volume 15 Issue 8 - August 2000

WACO FOR JESUS, PROCLAMATION

Official Proclamation of Racial Reconciliation

On Saturday, July 29th, starting at 7 am and continuing through 10 pm, the Church in Waco came out from our buildings to make Jesus visible to our community. The Salt indeed came out of the shaker and the Light out from under the bushel. The Gospel of the Kingdom was not only powerfully preached, but was also demonstrated as the Church in Waco lived out their faith in the streets of our city, fulfilling what my good friend Flip Benham calls, “making our theology become biography in the streets.”

12 hours of intercession, prayers, repentance, weeping, and proclamations rang throughout Indian Spring Park to the God of heaven. 12 Leadership Churches took ownership and responsibility for the sins that are defiling our nation and offending the holiness of God. Many opportunities to witness God’s great salvation went forth as one homeless man surrendered his life to the Lordship of Christ and was immediately taken in by a Christian ministry. This ministry “just happened” to specialize in taking in the homeless to disciple them to become productive citizens in God’s Kingdom. God is good!

The “Salt and Light” rally was awesome! Brothers and Sisters from several Churches comprised a city-wide choir. Black, Hispanic, and White Christians sang their hearts out for the glory of God. It rocked the park and all those present. From there, the entire gathering lined up behind church floats to march around the “Seat of Authority” of Waco as we sang to our city, “Behold, your God, your King, and your Savior!” Every step we took was a declaration of the Crown-Rights of King Jesus over our city. The event ended with a solemn Proclamation, (see page 2) confession of sin, and prayers of repentance.

“Healing the sins of the past to forge relationships to advance the Kingdom of God for the future!”

Whereas:

God is no respecter of persons (Acts 10:34). He freely expresses His divine love to all mankind, regardless of race, ethnicity or color. Through the supreme sacrifice of His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, on a cruel cross, He deliberately broke down the middle wall of partition that has separated the races of men (Ephesians 2:14). Our great God and King has also called a people out of every tribe, kindred, and tongue to be His kingdom of priests and kings in the earth (Revelation 5:9). In the salvation of Christ, there is no longer Jew nor Greek, no racial divisions, but one new creature in Christ Jesus our Lord, thus making peace (Galatians 3:28).

Whereas:

Jesus gave us His commandment that we should love one another just as He loved us (John 15:12). Jesus taught by example, word, and deed that the true mark of Christian discipleship is to reflect God’s love to the brethren (John 13:35). Jesus prayed to make us one, in order for the world to believe that the Father sent Him to redeem mankind from sin, death, hell, and the grave (John 17:21).

Whereas:

Satan, the enemy of God and deceiver of mankind has utilized evil schemes to exploit the sinful nature of fallen men. He seeks to incite ignorance, hatred, strife, exclusion, and prejudice to defile the hearts of men. He employs hostility against one’s color, race, and ethnicity to divide and conquer men, fully aware of the warning of Scripture “that a house divided cannot stand (Matthew 12:25).” He comes as a wolf in sheep’s clothing that even under the guise of stopping racism has exploited racism for corrupt political, legal, and financial gain.

Whereas:

Though the Church is responsible before God to champion the truths of His Word and the principles of His Kingdom, we humbly confess that we have failed in that responsibility. Instead of leading the way to be an answer to racism, we have in many ways assimilated the “Spirit of the Age” and have participated in the furtherance of this offence against God and this sin against our brethren. Thus the House of God has been breached, producing the spoiled fruit of hatred, envy, jealousy, competition, bitterness, mistrust, unforgiveness, exclusion, and illegitimate separation.

Therefore, we, the Shepherds of the Church in Waco, as committed believers in our Lord Jesus Christ, clearly instructed by God’s word and moved by His Spirit, do now take ownership and responsibility for this grievous sin of racism and all its subsequent evil fruit. With broken and contrite hearts, we humble ourselves before the majestic throne of God and in a spirit of repentance seek to repair the breach in God’s House.

By God’s grace, we publicly acknowledge and confess our participation, either complicit or complacent, in this blight and scourge that has contaminated God’s people. By God’s Spirit, we completely renounce and utterly reject that which has illegitimately divided us as God’s people. Together, we seek the forgiveness of God and the forgiveness of our brethren who have suffered under the heavy affliction of racism, exclusion, ill treatment, and persecution.

In the presence of our Heavenly Father and before these witnesses, we now pledge our mutual love, respect, forgiveness, and commitment to pursue racial reconciliation amongst God’s people. As we do, we trust and believe that God will indeed see our commitment, hear our prayers of repentance and bring healing to the sins of the past. Trusting as well that God will forge God-honoring relationships among the different races that make up His Church to advance the Kingdom of God in our city and beyond in Jesus’ Holy Name!

(Editors note) Waco for Jesus is considering taking out a full page Ad in the Waco Tribune to publish this Proclamation. The Ad would cost approximately $1,500.00. If you’re from Waco or even if you’re not, but would still desire to see this testimony of God’s word go forth in our city, then you can send a donation of any amount to March for Jesus, P.O. Box 3126, Waco, TX. 76707. Thanks!

OPERATION SAVE AMERICA: LEADERSHIP, A TIME LIKE THIS DEMANDS

The following is a summary of the message the Lord gave me to deliver in St. Louis at the OSA rally Monday, August 1st.

There are many crises facing America. Each of us could articulate a long litany of woes that are poisoning our beloved land; abortion, child sacrifice, the shedding of innocent blood, the perversity of the homosexual agenda, pornography spewing its filth through our TV’s and computers, the Socialistic Welfare State, Public Schools that have become Humanistic Temples that are raping the minds and plundering the hearts of our young, family breakdown, and a Church that has for the most part accommodated and even assimilated these travesties that are now digesting us. But the greatest crisis of all is the lack of true, godly, righteous, male leadership. In fact, these burning issues and wicked conditions point out that authentic Biblical manhood is missing in action and stand as an indictment that true, godly, male leadership has been neutered in America.

Brethren, we must discern the ramifications of this precarious situation. We must be called into remembrance that God judges and restores nations based upon leadership. This is true Biblically and confirmed historically. According to Isaiah 3, when a nation’s sayings and doings are against the Lord, one of the consequences is God removes the valiant man, sets aside the honorable man, and shuts the mouths of the true prophets and turns you over to weak, inept, wicked rulers. The culmination being, “children shall be your oppressors and women shall rule over you.” Unfortunately, America is so blinded by our defiant sins, we actually believe this is a sign of enlightenment and of being progressive. Little do we know that this condition is actually leading us further and further into God’s curse upon a spoiled, wicked, and whorish nation. The hard truth is, whenever a nation abandons Patriarchy for Feminism as a model of leadership, not only is that nation void of sound leadership, it is a harbinger of greater woe that will certainly befall the once great, “Land of the free and home of the brave.”

Now, in a time of crises, new leadership will emerge. The burning question is, will it be of the ilk that has led America to this pathetic state or will it be leaders a time like this demands? Leaders like Nehemiah of old, who asked the hard questions, surveyed the damage, wept and prayed for restoration, and gave his life to rebuild the ruins (Isaiah 58:12 & 61:4). Leaders who can truly discern and boldly declare the accurate State of the Union Address. Those who will properly assess the corrupt nature of our government, the sick condition of the Church, the wicked state of the culture, and will pour out their lives to reform them. But believe me, it will take some blood, sweat, and tears to accomplish that worthy goal of reformation. The question is, do we have the “right stuff” that is willing to pay the price to see it happen?

Yes! A price must be paid. For reformers were never accepted by their own generation. They were not given the “red carpet” treatment, unless that carpet was treated in their own blood. There are good reasons why prophets were stoned to death, why our Lord was murdered on a cruel cross, and why Christians have been martyred throughout the centuries. What is puzzling about this blatant persecution is the unexpected source from which it derives. Historically, a lot of resistance to change came from the apostate religious system who, thinking they were doing God service, persecuted the very ones that God sent to turn them back to Him. That is a great danger that we face here today with the Church in America, because of her lack of key discernment. For the truth is, if Christians do not perceive the true condition of the American system that has turned its back on God and trashed His holy laws, they will be a prey to the wiles of the Evil One. Satan will exploit and misapply their loyalties and allegiances that are perfectly appropriate when a system is established in righteousness, but when it is corrupted and Christians refuse to recognize that corruption, they unwittingly become the greatest persecutors of the reformers God has sent to change it. They will be filled with “righteous indignation” (or so they think) and will become like Ahab accusing Elijah, “Are you the troubler of Israel?” No! Elijah replied, “You are the troubler of Israel and the sins of your fathers!”

Secondly, we need leaders who will inspire people to do what they normally would not do; pick up the cross of Christ, deny yourself and follow hard after the Master. Our Lord, as usual, serves as an excellent example of this kind of leadership. He walked up to common men when He was not yet known nor famous in Israel, looked these men in the eye and said, “Follow me!” Each of them, without hesitation, left all and followed Him to a martyr’s death. Now that is serious leadership, my friend. There are also many great statesmen of the past who had the ability to inspire people to move beyond their own selfish concerns to give their last ounce of devotion to causes much greater than themselves. It is said of Winston Churchill that he “marshaled the English language and sent it into war.” The man opened his mouth and a vast army of men ran headlong into the very jaws of death. God give us men, leaders, a time like this demands!

We need leaders who have personal integrity and godly character, those who rise above the immoral funk, reject the “Spirit of the Age,” and renounce the idols of the land in public duty and in private thinking. The importance of this cannot be underestimated. The spirit of the leader will always have a profound effect upon their followers. One just has to observe how the spirit of the warrior that was on King David turned 400 hundred men, whom the Bible tells us were in distress, discontented, and debtors into the most valiant warriors to ever hit the planet. Their exploits read like modern day comic heroes. How do we account for this transformation? The spirit that was on David eventually made its way to these men and they were changed. We also have a modern day example of this truth in America today. Do you think it is a coincidence that there is an unprecedented perverse spirit unleashed upon America, when you consider the spirit that emanates from our leader, Bill Clinton?

God grant us men who are endowed with courage, vision, and a Biblical worldview. The truth is, men are more inclined to follow courage, than mere titles. Courage in its rawest form is this; If we had to choose between our life and our faith, by God’s grace we would choose our faith. Courage is the willingness to live, fight, and die for what we believe, regardless of the cost and how unpopular it may be. Courage is not the absence of fear, but doing what is right in spite of our fears. We need leaders who have vision. Men who are steeped in the Scriptures and have a firm grasp of history, His-story. Men like King David who understood the importance of the continuum, the past, the present, and the future (Psalms 71:17,18). Leaders who think generationally. Men who understand that we will never know where we are going, lest we understand where we have been. Men who know the lessons of history that verify God’s Word. Who know the time honored truths and principles of the past and can apply them to the present, thus securing a godly future. We need leaders who hold unashamedly to a Biblical worldview. Leaders who think Biblically and refuse the political and religious correctness that has turned our minds to mush. Men who view the burning issues of the day through the grid of God’s Word and not their family background, their education, their ethnicity, nor their political party system. The bottom line is, only a Biblical worldview correctly defines reality, our origins, the universe, how it works, and how man should fit into it. Otherwise, man will hurl himself against God’s reality established in His moral laws and suffer the severe consequences.

We need leaders who stand for principle, what is right, instead of pragmatists who are only concerned about what works. Now standing for what is right may initially lose in a nation that is addicted to evil, but in the long term, it will prevail. For the God of heaven has promised us that a lying lip lasts for a moment, but the truth endures forever (Proverbs 12:19). Conversely, pragmatism, which is only concerned about what works, success, and achieving goals, regardless if it is right or wrong, may initially win in today's climate, but will only succeed ultimately in building America’s house on sinking sand. It will miserably fail in the long run. Finally, God give us leaders, a time like this demands. Men who will lead God’s people to the roar of the enemy, instead of retreating and shrinking back in the day of battle. Leaders who will rally God’s people to the gates of hell where the struggle for men’s souls, the lives of our children, and the future of our nation is being waged. For where the battle rages the most, there the good soldiers of King Jesus must be. All else is mere flight and disgrace.

I learned about my purpose in life (detailed on the KLI t-shirt). For the first time ever, I actually have a “battle plan,” or “marching orders,” to follow. Before I had a vague idea of purpose, but now I know I have a purpose. The KLI has revolutionized my life. No youth group activity or Sunday School classes have ever impacted me like this. I truly thank God for Rusty Thomas, the KLI, and the knowledge God has given me through this training. I have a path to walk, a Person to follow, and I will never turn back! I hope many others may find the same thing through the KLI.

THE PATRIARCH
By Doug Phillips

More noble than the valiant deeds of shining knights of yore,
More powerful than terran plights that make the rich man poor,
More kingly than an earthly throne or a lion with his pride,
Is he whose babes sleep well at night, sure Daddy will provide.

There is a spirit in this land, and Jezebel’s her name.
She’s calling you to leave your home for power, fun, and fame, 
She wants your wife, your children, too; she’ll never compromise,
Until your house is torn in two by listening to her lies.

But though a hundred thousand million men may fall prey to her lures,
And wives en masse leave home in search of more fulfilling chores,
Though preachers praise and friends embrace her pagan plan of death,
Stand strong and quit you like a man with every blessed breath.

Stand strong and rise, O man of God to meet this noble call.
The battle is not new you see, it’s been here since the Fall.
Your wife is your helpmeet, my friend, not another man’s,
So care for her and keep her far from Mistress Jezebel’s plans.

Protect, provide, and give to her your undivided life,
This is the dear one of your youth, your precious bride, your wife.
Rally to those tiny ones who trust you for their care,
A lifetime spent discipling them is a lifetime pure and rare.

For when they put their hand in yours and know a daddy’s love,
Your showing them a picture of the Father from above.
So look not to worldly goals of gain or for your liberty.
Look only into their sweet eyes to find your ministry.

Devote your heart and sacrifice and make your manly mark,
There is none so great as he who finds his call as PATRIARCH!

IN KING JESUS’ SERVICE,

Rusty Lee Thomas