Volume 18 Issue 11 - November 2003 YOU HAVE COME INTO THE KINGDOM FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS! "Then Mordecai commanded to answer Esther, Think not with thyself that thou shalt escape in the king's house, more than all the Jews. For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father's house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?" (Esther 4:13,14) There are certain realities that you and I had no control over. We did not determine what epoch of time we would be born in. We did not determine who our parents would be. We did not determine the nation of our citizenship. We did not determine our gender, the color of our hair, and the list could go on. Suffice it to say that we also did not determine the time that you and I would come into the Kingdom. All we know is it is for such a time as this. The burden upon us is to assess what manner of time is it that God drew us into His Kingdom. Jesus said to His generation, "You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the sign of the times." Today the Church faces a similar dilemma. We have eyes, but are we truly understanding the "sign of the times?" Not in some "end time" formula, but as it relates to the pathetic state of affairs in our nation and what that portends for the future of our children and our grandchildren. The great need of the hour is for the Church to be like the children of Issachar, who were men who understood the times and knew what Israel should do. We desperately need the pastoral and Christian leadership to determine what we should do in our time to enhance and advance God‘s Kingdom in the midst of this perverse and crooked generation. In Esther’s time, she came into the Kingdom under the ominous threat of extermination. The dangerous situation she and the Jews were facing was a death sentence, "And the letters were sent by posts into all the king's provinces, to destroy, to kill, and to cause to perish, all Jews, both young and old, little children and women, in one day, even upon the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar, and to take the spoil of them for a prey." (Esther 3:13) Though we Christians in America are not quite there yet, the last several decades have brought with it disturbing rulings from the high courts of our land. Dreadful decisions that have defied the authority of God, trashed His Holy Laws, sought to remove His knowledge from the public life of our nation, and has codified evil into law. It is these rulings that have fueled the fires of open and unabashed hostility against Biblical Christianity in America. Thus Christians are mocked in American entertainment and vilified in the press. They are forbidding freedom of speech in schools and in our government, if they dare mention the name of Jesus or present His word in the market place of ideas. Politicians, law enforcement, and all those who serve in public office must deny their faith and the principles of God’s Word in order to keep their jobs or be promoted by an increasingly anti-Christ government. If that is not true, then you need to talk to Chief Justice Roy Moore and General Boykin to get a reality check up. Both of them have stood up to publicly acknowledge their faith and to speak on the burning issues of the day, expressing God’s truth, and our nation wants to tar and feather them and run them out on a rail. While we were in Washington DC, conducting the Ecclesiastical Court to hold the Supreme Court in contempt of God’s Court, this ugly reality was affirmed right before our very eyes. One bright and beautiful Sunday morning, we awoke early to have an OSA Church service at the Washington Monument. The Lord blessed us with a man, an actor, who portrays George Washington in full colonial dress to minister to us at the monument. At first, there was some difficulty with the Monument Police at the size of our crowd. To their credit, they worked with us without much of a fuss. But all heck broke loose when the character playing George Washington opened his Bible to speak. The Park Police came running over and these were the first words out of their mouth, "You have an open Bible, you cannot be here. Get behind those flags." It was not, "You have a gun, a knife, or a box cutter. Get behind those flags." No, it was that dangerous book that couldn’t be near this monument. The tragic irony of this was beyond belief. Here was a man attempting to honor the faith of George Washington. He was presenting the Father of our Country’s prayers and beliefs in our Lord Jesus Christ at the very monument that supposedly seeks to honor him as well. This man was then threatened with arrest and was banished along with all of us from the monument. We were flabbergasted and distressed. Folks, who for the first time were joining with OSA, stood dumbfounded. Many hearts were broken and some were filled with righteous indignation. Just another reminder, that Biblical Christians in America are increasingly becoming patriots with no country. The question before us that must be answered is, what should our response be in light of this judicial tyranny that has created this flagrant hostility against Christianity? Perhaps Esther can help us. "Go gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish." (Esther 4:16) Yes, there was a call to fast and though it is not stated, I imagine the condemned Jews were praying fervently. Biblically, fasting and prayer are mighty weapons in our spiritual armory. For many it is a lost discipline in the church. (Matthew 6:16) This may be a contributing factor to the weakened state in the church to fight evil. Isaiah the prophet grants us insight to the power of fasting in the battle for the souls of men, the lives of our children, and the future of our nation, "Is not this the fast that I have chosen? To loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?" (Isaiah 58:6) Our Lord verifies this truth when we are engaged in battling the forces of darkness, "Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting." (Matthew 17:21) Like I stated before, to a large segment of the church, the call to solemn assemblies, fasting, and prayer is an outdated mode of spirituality that doesn’t fit very well in the new positive and upbeat Christianity being advocated today. To the small remnant that does still see its value, many of them will not follow through with godly action. To them, the very act of intercession itself represents the sum total of their obedience. As a result, we replace obedience to God’s clear commands with prayer. There are times, however, when God told His leaders, prophets, and priests to get up off your knees and DO SOMETHING! (Exodus 14:15,16, Isaiah 1:15-17) Surely, an ounce of obedience is worth more to God than a pound of prayer. Another problem stems from our limited understanding of the term intercession. Though it begins with prayer, intercession certainly does not end there. It is simply the launching pad for intervention. Notice this truth in Isaiah 59:14-17, "And judgment is turned away backward, and justice standeth afar off: for truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter. Yea, truth faileth; and he that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey: and the Lord saw it, and it displeased him that there was no judgment. And he saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor: therefore his arm brought salvation unto him; and his righteousness, it sustained him. For he put on righteousness as a breastplate, and an helmet of salvation upon his head; and he put on the garments of vengeance for clothing, and was clad with zeal as a cloke." Our Lord, very much aware of the horrific conditions that had transpired on earth, wondered why there was no man that was intervening to change this deplorable situation. At last, He Himself arose and clothed Himself with the armor of God and fought against the tyranny, injustice, and oppression that was destroying the crown jewel of His creation, mankind. Just imagine if He stayed in heaven and just talked about it with the Father and never actually came to give His life as a ransom for many. Where would you and I be today? Thankfully, Esther did not stop at prayer either, but proceeded to do something like all good intercessors. She mustered the courage to overcome her fears of suffering and death to intervene on the behalf of her condemned people. Her battle cry was, "If I perish, I perish." If the Church has any hope of turning this mess around in America, we too have to deal with and overcome the suffering issue and the death issue. We will suffer for two reasons, for doing what is right and doing what is wrong. We suffer for doing what is wrong as a consequence of our sins, but if we suffer as a Christian for doing what is right when the world says it is wrong, the Spirit of our God and His glory rests upon us (1 Peter 4:12-14). We overcome the enemy by the blood of the lamb, the word of our testimony, and do not love our lives unto the death (Revelation 12:11). I believe there are other important aspects that must come forth from the Church in America in this desperate hour as well. We need to repent. (Lamentations 4:12,13) Before we can remove the speck of judicial tyranny from the courts of our land, we must first seek to remove the plank of the Church’s disobedience from our eyes. The truth is, you cannot have civil tyranny without an apostate church. Wickedness cannot come to power to capture the gates of the land, unless it first pass through the sins of the Church. We must resist! Proverbs 28:4 states, "They that forsake the law praise the wicked: but such as keep the law contend with them." Look what has happened as our nation has rejected the law of God as the standard by which men are to live. What lifestyles are being praised, protected by law, and lifted up as an example of American diversity? Which lifestyles are beginning to be condemned and punished? James 4:7 declares, "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." We must put on the whole armor of God and wrestle with principalities, powers, and the rulers of the darkness of this world. (Ephesians 6:10-18) Keeping in mind that the powers of darkness are not floating around in the second heaven somewhere, but according to Ephesians 2:2, the Prince of the power of the air is now working in the sons of disobedience. And though we are not called to wrestle against flesh and blood, we must still realize that it is in flesh and blood that the powers of darkness have access to unleash hell upon this earth. They must be resisted, if we love them and those whom Christ died to redeem. Finally, Ephesians 5:11 commands, "And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them." This means we ourselves must not participate in the dominant evils of the land. We must be a separated and consecrated people unto the Lord. Some of the Church would readily agree, but as a whole, we have failed miserably to expose evil and shine the light of truth in the darkness. Let’s end this awkward peace with evil. The Church must follow in the footsteps of our Lord and follow the example of Esther, if the hostility in America against Christianity is going to end. We must fast, pray, repent, resist, understand the value of redemptive suffering, be pure, and shine the light of truth in the pagan darkness of America’s soul. And may the Lord grant us the same deliverance He granted Esther and the Jews in days of old. Keep storming the gates! Elijah Ministries Luke 1:17 "To make ready a people prepared for the Lord." PRESS RELEASE 10/22/03 THE CULTURE OF DEATH SUFFERS A DEFEAT!!! "O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?" (1 Corinthians 15:55) "In a momentous and miraculous way, Terri Schiavo has been spared a horrifying death at the hands of court system run amuck by the culture of death," stated Rev. Rusty Lee Thomas of Elijah Ministries. Invoking a law rushed through the Legislature earlier yesterday, Gov. Jeb Bush ordered the feeding tube reinserted to supply what every human being needs to live, food and water. The bill designed to save the life of Terri Schiavo was passed by both houses of the Florida Congress. Gov. Bush then signed it into law and issued the order immediately to halt the starvation and dehydration of an innocent woman condemned to death. "This is a victory for life, not just Terri’s life, but how one views life in our nation. It is a wonderful affirmation that has been missing since the infamous Decision of Roe vs. Wade that spawned the Culture of Death in the first place. Perhaps Terri’s highly publicized battle for life signals America’s long, cruel, illicit love affair with death will mercifully end soon. Perhaps the pagan lie that advocates the "quality of life" philosophy with its long train of abuses, such as, abortion, euthanasia, and assisted suicide is going the way of every other murderous tyranny. And perhaps a new dawn that advocates the Biblical understanding of the "sacredness of life" will emerge to lead America back to our first and most fundamental right granted to us by our Creator, the right to life," declared Rev. Thomas. BIBLICAL WORLDVIEW OF CIVIL GOVERNMENT "Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God." (Romans 13:1) 1) Where is the first mention of the establishment of civil government found in the Bible? Answer: Genesis 9:6, From creation to the flood sixteen hundred years passed without civil government in the earth. In Genesis 6, the word of God describes the deplorable condition of man without the legitimate restraint of civil government upon the avarice of man, which results in crime, "And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. And the Lord said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them." 2) What was God’s purpose for establishing civil government and as a result what is now the sacred trust of civil government? Answer: Genesis 9:6 states, "Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man." The highest priority and that which gives civil government its ultimate legitimacy is they are called of God to protect innocent life and to stop the shedding of innocent blood. Our Founding Fathers held this view. Thomas Jefferson stated, "The care of human life and happiness, and not their destruction, is the first and only object of good government." 3) Why is it important Biblically for civil government to exercise righteous force to deter the shedding of innocent blood? Answer: The Bible teaches in Genesis 4 and Rev. 6 that when innocent blood is shed, it cries out for vengeance from the blood stained ground and rises into the ears of a Holy and Just God (Genesis 4:10 & Rev. 6:9,10). It pollutes and defiles the land (Numbers 35:33). It dries up God’s forgiveness for a nation (2 Kings 24:3,4). It provokes God to anger against His own people and His abhorrence is manifest by those who hate God’s people rule over God’s people (Psalm 106:37-42). Unpunished bloodshed will unleash a spirit of violence and murder that will savage a nation (Hosea 4:1-6).-"Bloodshed touches bloodshed, it breaks out." If we do not hate bloodshed, bloodshed will pursue us (Ezekiel 35:6). The bottom line is, if civil government does not put to death those who commit capital murder and sheds the blood of the innocent, God Himself will judge this sin against Him and this crime against humanity. National sin will bring national calamity. 4) How does this Biblical teaching conform to the 6th Commandment, "Thou shalt not kill?" Answer: The Hebrew word kill in the 6th Commandment is called ratsach, which means properly, to dash in pieces, i.e. kill (a human being), especially to murder: --put to death, kill, (man-)slay(-er), murder(-er). Thou shalt not kill in the Hebrew means thou shalt not murder. The prohibition is against those who with malice and forethought would take the life of another, thereby forfeiting their own. There are four acceptable forms of killing that God will not prosecute for the shedding of blood. 1) Capital crime, especially murder, deserves capital punishment (Numbers 35:16,31). 2) Accidental death (Dt. 19:5) 3) Self-defense and the doctrine of justifiable homicide (Exodus 22:2). 4) Soldiers in a Just War (Dt. 20:1-4). Principles of Just War There are seven principles or criteria for the Just War doctrine. The first five principles apply as a nation is "on the way to war" (jus ad bellum) and the final two apply to military forces "in the midst of war" (jus in bello). Briefly, they are as follows: Just cause--All aggression is condemned in just war theory. Participation in the war in question must be prompted by a just cause or defensive cause. No war of unprovoked aggression can ever be justified. Only defensive war is legitimate. Just intention (right intention)--The war in question must have a just intention, that is, its intent must be to secure a fair peace for all parties involved. Therefore, revenge, conquest, economic gain, and ideological supremacy are not legitimate motives for going to war. There must be a belief that ultimately greater good than harm will result from the war. Last resort--The war in question must be engaged in only as a last resort. Other means of resolution such as diplomacy and economic pressure must have been exhausted. Formal declaration--The war in question must be initiated with a formal declaration by properly constituted authorities. Only governments can declare war, not individuals, terrorist organizations, mercenaries, or militias. Limited objectives--The war in question must be characterized by limited objectives. This means that securing peace is the goal and purpose of going to war. The war must be waged in such a way that once peace is attainable, hostilities cease. Complete destruction of a nation's political institutions or economic institutions is an improper objective. Proportionate means--Combatant forces of the opposition forces may not be subjected to greater harm than is necessary to secure victory and peace. The types of weapons and amount of force used must be limited to only what is needed to repel the aggression, deter future attacks, and secure a just peace. Therefore, total or unlimited warfare is inappropriate. ("You don't burn down the barn to roast the pig.") Noncombatant immunity--Military forces must respect individuals and groups not participating in the conflict and must abstain from attacking them. Since only governments can declare war, only governmental forces or agents are legitimate targets. This means that prisoners of war, civilians, and casualties are immune from intentional attacks. 5) In the New Testament, what is the role of civil government? Answer: Romans 13:1-4, These passages of Scripture teach that Almighty God is the supreme authority in the world and that civil government is a delegated authority under Him. Since God established and created civil government (Genesis 9:6) as a lesser legitimate authority in the earth, they are beholden to God in the performance of their duties. They are God’s ministers. The symbol of their authority is the sword. It is an instrument of force, coercion, and death (Capital Punishment). It is not a teaching instrument to indoctrinate our children in public schools, nor is it a spoon to feed the poor. These are not the ordained functions of civil government according to the Bible. Their sacred trust is to wield the sword righteously to punish evildoers (as God defines evil) and protect those who are good in God’s sight (as God defines good). These disclaimers are crucial, since our nation has rejected a Biblical worldview for a pagan one. As a result, good is suddenly evil and evil, good, i.e. abortion. 6) Does this Scripture teach that the Church of Jesus Christ is to give blind obedience to every and all governmental decrees? Answer: No! In context, this passage of Scripture is describing a civil government functioning as God intended. It is functioning as God’s minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil. This passage does not address civil government degenerating into tyranny, despotism, and oppression. Therefore, it is not a blanket endorsement demanding blind obedience to every and all decrees of civil government. Especially, when the government violates its sacred trust and begins to punish the righteous and protect the wicked, i.e. abortion and sodomy (Proverbs 17:15). 7) What does the Bible teach about submission to a tyrannical civil government? Answer: Both the Apostle Paul and the Apostle Peter called the Church to obey civil government (Romans 13:1-4, 1 Peter 2:13-17). Their teachings called Christians to never become lawbreakers or anarchists, but to Biblically submit to civil authority. And yet both Apostle Paul and Apostle Peter were martyred by the hands of civil government for disobeying them. Were the Apostles hypocrites? Is the Bible contradicting itself? No! As Christians we are still called to submit to civil authority, even if it becomes tyrannical. That submission, however, is to entrust oneself to God and continue to good, regardless of the penalty exacted by a tyrannical government (1 Peter 2:15,19,20). Our imprisonment or death will be God’s rebuke to a civil government that has become a law and god unto itself and prayerfully lead them back to their God ordained function. 8) What is the Biblical criteria for disobeying civil government through entrusting oneself to God and doing good? Answer: First, when innocent life is being condemned to death unjustly (Exodus 1:16,17). The command is clear, "Rescue those unjustly sentenced to death ..." (Proverbs 24:11,12) Secondly, when the law of man conflicts with the law of God, Christians must obey God rather than men (Acts 4:18-20). Both Blackstone and Martin Luther King Jr. verify these truths. According to Blackstone, "Man, considered as a creature, must necessarily be subject to the laws of his Creator, for he is entirely a dependent being....And, consequently, as man depends absolutely upon his Maker for everything, it is necessary that he should in all points conform to his Maker's will...this will of his Maker is called the law of nature…This law of nature, being coeval with mankind and dictated by God Himself, is of course superior in obligation to any other. It is binding over all the globe in all countries, and at all times: no human laws are of any validity, if contrary to this. The doctrines thus delivered we call the revealed or divine law, and they are to be found only in the Holy Scriptures…Upon these two foundations, the law of nature and the law of revelation (found only in Holy Scripture), depend all human laws; that is to say, no human laws should be suffered to contradict these." Martin Luther King Jr. gave this apologetic on law by stating, "...There are two types of law, just and unjust. I would be the first to advocate obeying just laws. One not only has a legal but a moral responsibility to obey just laws. Conversely, one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws. I would agree with St. Augustine that, ‘an unjust law is no law at all.’ Now, what is the difference between the two? How does one determine whether a law is just or unjust? A just law is a man-made code that squares with the moral law or the law of God. An unjust law is a code that is out of harmony with the moral law. To put it in the terms of St. Thomas Aquinas, ‘An unjust law is a human law that is not rooted in eternal law and natural law.’" Please pray for this apologetic on the Biblical worldview of civil government. A lawyer from Austin wants to swear me in as an expert in this field of study to help defend a Christian pro-lifer against the abortion industry. Pray that the judge would see its value and allow it in the court record. We love you and thanks for your prayers, labor, and financial support of this ministry. IN KING JESUS' SERVICE, Rusty, Liz, and the Thomas Nation P.O. Box 3126 Voice: (254) 836-1037 E-mail: elijahmin@ifriendly.com
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