Volume 17 Issue 8 - August 2002

A CHURCH A TIME LIKE THIS DEMANDS!

"Thus says the Lord; ‘Stand in the ways and see, and ask for the old paths, where the good ways is, and walk in it; Then you will find rest for your souls...’" (Jeremiah 6:16)

A remnant of the Church came to Dallas for OSA’s national event and stormed the Gates of Hell. Surely those gates were lifted up and the King of Glory visited Dallas. We demonstrated the truth at the abortion mills, the homosexual churches, a Mosque, and throughout the highways and byways of Dallas. Literally tens of thousands saw the Gospel in action, children were spared the horrors of abortion and souls came to the saving grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. Though we are all spent physically and mentally, our spirits are soaring knowing we poured out our lives in service to our King.

The following article is the message the Lord gave me for our OSA national event in Dallas. It was preached Thursday night, July 18th, 2002.

I’d like to start my remarks this evening by stating Operation Save America is not a pro-life activist organization. (I know, Shock, Dismay, and even Surprise!) We are a Gospel/Kingdom ministry whose ultimate goal is not the overturning of Roe vs. Wade, but the repentance of the Church of Jesus Christ in America. We are believing, praying, and working for a full-blown reformation on the scale of the classical reformers of the 16th century. The word reformation means to "return to form." The opposite of reformation is apostasy. Apostasy means to leave one God ordained position in exchange for a position that is out of harmony with God’s will. It is like an illegitimate divorce. Man is one state honoring the covenant and then he finds himself in a state of covenant-breaking. Reformation is a divine call back to the position or form that man abandoned either through disobedience, deception, or neglect.

In Jeremiah 6:16-19, the prophet gave this call of reformation to Israel at a time she had descended to a deplorable state of idolatry. Though Israel never completely abandoned temple and Jehovah worship, she did however assimilate the Spirit of the Age and mingled with the idols of pagan nations. Basically, she drew nigh to God with her lips, but her heart was far from the Lord her God. It is much like today’s Christian youth in America. Their bodies may be in our churches, but their hearts and minds belong to the humanistic temples we call public schools and a wicked MTV youth pop culture. The statistics bear out this reality. 75 % of Christian youth, raised in Christian homes and go to Christian churches will lose their faith by the their first year in college. What other entity would put up with that kind of failure rate? And yet the Church in America continues with business as usual and maintains the status quo at the expense of our posterity.

Obviously the need for reformation is crucial if this trend is to be reversed. The Church in America seems to be enamored with this notion of God doing a "new thing." How many have heard that message preached? Many times however, the new thing that God is doing is not new to Him, nor to history or even new Biblically. It is new to us because we tend to forget as finite creatures. Typically, the "new thing" God is doing is calling His people back to the ancient paths where the right ways to dwell are found. One of the great struggles between God and man is not just the fact that God is holy and we are sinful, but that we keep forgetting and God has to keep reminding us of truths we have let slip to our own demise.

On October 31st, 1517 a courageous monk by the name of Martin Luther nailed his 95 Thesis to the Castle Church in Wittenberg. The Reformation that was started 150 years prior with the Bright Morning Star of the Reformation, John Wycliffe, now took off in earnest. Though I do not have 95 Thesis’ to post on this Church, I do want to present a three-fold vision and mission that will prayerfully inspire a Church a time like this demands.

Brothers and sisters, we live in a time when the Church in America has surrendered the crown-rights of King Jesus to the enemies of the cross. We have relinquished God’s law as the standard by which man is to live, and we have turned the blessed Gospel of the Kingdom into a seeker-friendly, feminized, economic enterprise. Our priority seems to be man’s happiness instead of God’s righteousness. We have a god who listens to man’s commands and obeys, but not a God who commands and we listen and obey. We have a Church that craves God’s promises, but rejects God’s nature, sacrificial love. Brethren, these things ought not to be! We need a Church that no longer shadow boxes with an enemy that has come to kill, steal, and destroy. We need a Church a time like this demands that when she swings she hits something.

May I recommend a three-fold vision that could produce a Church that instead of enabling America on the road to perdition can by God’s grace and intervention turn this mess around before it is too late. I believe it is absolutely vital for the Church to adapt a Patriarchal, Home Educated, Pro-life Church as the antidote to extract the poison that is slowly but surely killing this nation. We must create a new wine skin that can facilitate the new wine of change that is desperately needed.

Patriarchal Church

Let’s start with the notion of patriarchy. Listen to the comments on patriarchy from Weldon Hardenbrook in his excellent book Missing in Action: Vanishing Manhood in America. "Where did the role of fatherhood come from? The essence of fatherhood is best understood in one word, that Americans, even Christian Americans, have totally lost meaning of. A word against which all the enemies of God warred in attempt to secure its annihilation. A word that has been abused, trampled on, ignored and mocked by raging hyper-feminists and discarded by irresponsible, self-centered, hedonistic, males. A word so powerfully significant, and loaded that the feminized, peace-at-any-cost-boys religiously regulate it to the days of antiquity. A word that that has become unmentionable among its owners and exiled to the company of obscene four-lettered words in the minds of most male and female Americans. But whether we use this word or not, without its recovery, without its function being made known and its reality working in society, there is absolutely no clear positive way to redeem the male identity. This word can never be neutral. It was worn by the men of old from Abraham to David and it needs to belong to American men today. What is this awesome word that must be understood? This role that must be reclaimed? The word is PATRIARCHY. It is awesome because it is in the meaning of this word that fatherhood exists and the foundation of the male identity is supplied. The Biblical term patriarchy is derived from two words in the Greek language. ‘Patria’ is taken from the word pater, father, which means family; and ‘archy,’ which means, beginning, first in origin and to rule. A ‘patriarch’ is a family ruler. He is the man in charge."

Our nation has rejected the God-ordained model of leadership, patriarchy, for one that is cursed of God, the feminist movement, Isaiah 3:12 and Romans 1:24-32. The back lash of the feminization of our nation and church is many-fold. First, the scourge of abortion that has polluted and defiled our beloved land. The feminists promise women freedom of choice, only to liberate men to be predators to use and abuse women. Males get to sire many children, but raise none. The very thing the feminists supposedly hate. Secondly, they’ve successfully neutered authentic Biblical manhood. As a result, men either gravitate towards the passivity and irresponsibility of failed manhood, the inherent sin of Adam, or inspires them to become violent, abusive tyrants of women and children. Lastly, homosexuality will break out like a plague. This is the evil fruit produced in fatherless America that has embraced feminization as a solution. The Church must not only address this pathetic, pitiful state, but must return to training up men to be patriarchs who will lay down their lives to protect, defend, and provide for women and children.

The Church must invest in men like the Scottish Covenanters of old. One of the primary responsibilities of the Scottish pastor was to personally hold the fathers of his Church accountable to lead, train, instruct, guide, provide, and care for his family for the glory of God. Families worshipped together. They weren’t fragmented into age-segregated peer groups, such as, children’s church or youth groups. The fathers were trained by pastors to lead courageously with the word of God in the home, the church, and in their communities. It was this godly legacy from the Scots that produced the maritime principle of women and children first. It started with the Birkenhead and was highlighted in the Titanic as men perished at sea to protect women and children. This is the manly Christian virtue that must be reclaimed to break the shackles of the feminist movement, abortion, and homosexuality. The bottom line is, as goes the fathers, so goes the family, as goes the family, so goes the Church, and as goes the Church, so goes the nation.

Home Educated Church

Have we forgotten that most, if not all, of the child training Scriptures are addressed to fathers? Before the industrial revolution, ministers wrote child-rearing books and addressed them to the fathers as well. After the industrial revolution, ministers wrote to the mothers. Ministers would have to write to day-care centers and public schools to address child-rearing today. Unfortunately, both father and mother are out of the home and have given their precious arrows to be raised by strangers instead. The book of wisdom, Proverbs, is written from the perspective of a godly father to his children. Proverbs 23:26 states, "My son, give me your heart and let your eyes observe my ways." Our children’s hearts do not belong to the youth pastors of America. They don’t belong to the N.E.A. They don’t belong to the MTV youth pop culture. They belong to their fathers and its high time, men, we reclaim our children’s hearts from this perverse and crooked generation!. Men must wrest them back before they become arrows that are captured by the enemy of their souls. In Dt. 6:4-9, Moses declared the greatest commandment is to love God and the greatest application of that commandment is home education. In Dt. 32:44-46, Moses states this is not a vain pursuit, but it is our life. If Christians want to discover their life purpose study, believe, and act upon these Scriptures. This is your life in Christ, don’t miss it!

Pro-life Church

Finally, turn to Nehemiah 4:13,14, I’m convinced these two dynamics, patriarchy and home education, must be in place if the Church is to create the new wine skin that can raise up families who will fight the good fight of faith. One that will end the American holocaust once and for all. Nehemiah called families to go to the exposed areas to rebuild the walls that were torn down. Thus making God’s people vulnerable to the enemy’s assaults. Some Christian families refuse to enter the fray because of ignorance or denial. Most, however, are simply too busy propping up the bloody system that accommodates child-killing with their time, money, and children. We must be like our Pilgrim forefathers and mothers and withdraw from this corrupt system. We must remove our complicit and complacent support that ignorantly props up the kingdom of men that is in rebellion against God Almighty. We must adapt God’s system that will advance His Kingdom in the earth instead. The bottom line is, if we want Biblical results in America, we must come back to thinking and living Biblically. This is the Church a time like this demands and may the Reformation begin in Jesus’ Holy Name!

NORTH CAROLINA BOUND

We want to let you know what God is doing in our lives and where He is leading us. That's right, we're moving! The National OSA (Operation Save America) office is moving its headquarters to Concord, NC and we are following their lead. We will be continuing our family's ministry, Elijah Ministries, yet joining forces with Rev. Flip Benham and OSA. Our desire is to go further up and further in to accomplish more of the Kingdom work the Lord has destined for our lives.

The plan is to be near the main office so that Rusty will be able to serve Flip more effectively. The plan also includes assisting Flip in forming a church that we will work to see become a model of a Patriarchal, Home Educated, Pro-life church "a time like this demands." We are thinking of calling it the "American Reformation Church." As most of you know, our passion and call has been to see this nation turn back to being One Nation Under God. The Lord has taken us on a journey and shown us that all the outreach ministry we have done has produced some fruit in that direction. But the long-term reformation we are seeking will take Dads simply leading their families back to the Word of God, the family altar, and building their lives upon that foundation. In a word-Homeschooling. We feel it necessary to see a church set in place to exhort, encourage and help disciple families along this narrow path. And not only to homeschool, but once a strong system is in place that rebuilds the Christian family, then the Church would inspire parents to lead their families by example to "storm the gates of hell" together. We will call them to stand as families at the wall, and rebuild what the Enemies of the Cross have destroyed. "For when the foundations have been destroyed, what can the righteous do?" Psalm 11:3. Our blessed hope is to rebuild those righteous foundations and establish a church other cities would seek to emulate throughout America.

We will also be continuing the ministry of Kingdom Leadership Institute with a vision to build a KLI headquarters where young people can come to NC and go through the week-long session and also make available internships where they can serve in the OSA ministry for a season.

We do have some obligations to fulfill in Waco before moving. One being the building of Rachel's Park Memorial. If we are unable to finish the entire vision, we would continue to partner with Church on the Rock till it is completed. Our desire is to leave RPM in a condition that is easily maintained and effectively used to minister the Gospel to those who grieve from their past sins of abortion. Actually, the vision of Rachel's Park Memorial will be spreading. Using Waco's RPM as a prototype, we will work to spread this vision to every state in the union, Lord willing.

Another obligation we have is the selling of our home. Feel free to get the word out that there is a 5 bdr. 3 ba. home built for a large family on one acre of land in China Spring, TX. It is for sale by first owner! Please pray that we will be able to sell our home to the right family at the right price. We are sad about leaving all our friends and acquaintances in the Waco area, yet anticipate entering a new season of our lives as we seek to honor the Lord and leave a legacy for our family and this nation in the second half of our lives. We appreciate your prayers and continued financial support!

IN KING JESUS’ SERVICE,

Rusty Lee Thomas

E-mail: elijahmin@ifriendly.com  
Websites: http://mttu.com/elijahmin  http://www.rachelsparkmemorial.org