Volume 18 Issue 8 - August 2003

OUR TENTH ARROW

"Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate." (Psalm 127:3-5)

About every year and a half or so, the Lord blesses our family with more children. That pattern was broken with the advent of our ninth child, Jeremiah "Flip" Thomas. He is now twenty months old and normally Liz would be pregnant about a year after a child is born. Eight months have passed since that expected time and the normal progression of pregnancy in the Thomas Nation was obviously interrupted. Liz and I began to wonder if God had closed the womb and determined that nine children would be our lot in this fleeting life.

Our wondering ended right after our national event in Charlotte, NC. Liz began to experience that "funny" feeling. She has that "feeling" at least once a month so we’ve learned to quell our excitement. This time, however, the "feeling" did not go away and in fact, grew in intensity. We rushed out to purchase a pregnancy test and lo and behold our tenth arrow is conceived and is now being fearfully and wonderfully made in the sanctuary of my wife’s womb. We praise the Lord for blessing our household with yet another arrow to raise for His service.

LET’S ROLL-MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA

On September 11th, in the year of our Lord 2001, three fathers aboard a hijacked plane decided to rush a band of Christ-hating zealots. These fathers refused to sit idly by while the Islamic enemies of America sought to use another plane as a weapon against us. In so doing, they probably saved a national landmark and many more American lives. "Let’s roll" became the clarion call for these faithful fathers and men of God.

It is time once again for the call of "Let’s Roll" to be sounded to Christian men throughout America. Faithful men are challenged to come join the battle in Montgomery, Alabama. The battle centers on who is Lord, the state or God, and whose laws are the standard by which men are to live, God’s law or man’s law. Christ-hating zealots that are foes within our own American household are attempting to remove the Ten Commandments from the public life of our nation. Gratefully, we have a man of God who is the Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice, Roy Moore, who will not bend the knee nor kiss the image of this unjust ruling.

We must stand with Judge Roy Moore! If there is an attempt to remove the Ten Commandments at the Alabama Supreme Court, we must join with our brothers and sisters from all over America and come to Montgomery, Alabama. We cannot not sit idly by while God's standard for all of life (the Ten Commandments) is being assaulted by gangsters in power and lawbreakers making the rules. We must defend that which defends our life, liberty, and our future.

Though these commandments are written in granite, they are also written in the heart of every man. A government may attempt, by force, to remove the granite stone that sits in the rotunda of the Alabama State Supreme Court but it cannot remove the law written in the hearts of all men. We, Operation Rescue/Operation Save America, are calling all Law-abiding men of God to stand with Judge Roy Moore and keep the law of God in the face of the rebellious tyrants who sit on the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals.

Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore vowed to keep a 2½ ton granite monument depicting the Ten Commandments in the rotunda of the judiciary building in Montgomery, in defiance of a federal appeals court order to have the testimonial removed.

"We must defend our rights and preserve our constitution," Moore told reporters. "For the federal courts to adopt the agenda of the ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) and to remove the knowledge of God and morality from our lives is wrong."

Church, it is indeed wrong! Now is the time, this is the place, and we are the people that must act. We must not let another opportunity pass before we decide to enter the fray for the souls of men, the lives of our children, and the future of America. We can no longer allow the enemies of the cross to remove every last vestige of our godly heritage and turn our nation into hell, life without God (Psalm 9:17). Future generations are counting on our obedience to champion the good, resist the evil, to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with our God (Micah 6:8).

I’ve personally talked with Brother Rick Scarborough, who is heading up the "Restore The Commandments Rally." He is doing a magnificent job in preparing the way of the Lord to visit Montgomery. I’M LEAVING SOON TO JOIN HIM AND THOUSANDS OF FELLOW CHRISTIANS FROM AROUND AMERICA ON THE STEPS OF THE ALABAMA STATE SUPREME COURT BUILDING ON SATURDAY, AUGUST 16, 2003 AT 10:00 AM.

I’ll be sticking around after the rally to guard the monument and to stand with other brothers who will peaceably lay down their lives to preserve the Ten Commandments in Montgomery. Please pray for us!

NATIONAL EVENT SUMMARY

Day One, Who Is My Neighbor? Jeremiah 7:1-10

On Sunday, July 13th, 2003, we focused on alerting the sleeping Church that there is a battle being waged, but it is outside the church house doors. Large banners, live baby signs, and aborted baby signs greeted churchgoers at several locations. Operation Rescue/Operation Save America reminded the Church of her responsibility to speak for those who cannot speak for themselves, to rescue those unjustly sentenced to death, to defend the fatherless, and to rid the innocent from the hand of the wicked. We brought the gospel of truth, light, and love to Charlotte, NC congregations. Sadly, many learned of the brutal fate of little unborn boys and girls in their neighborhood and were still not convinced that they were their brother’s keeper.

That evening, we held our Solemn Assembly based on Joel 2:15-17, "Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly: Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts: let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her closet. Let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare thy people, O LORD, and give not thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them: wherefore should they say among the people, Where is their God?" Our desire was to set the proper tone of humility, repentance, and righteous resolve as we mobilized the Church for battle. We wanted to make sure we dealt ruthlessly with the log in our own evil eye, before we dealt with the speck, the evil in the eye of our culture.

There were six sins we acknowledged, took ownership of, and begged God to forgive. They were: Our failure to end the holocaust in America; The compromise, apathy, and syncretism of the Church of Jesus Christ; The failure of men of God to fight the battle and to live out God’s purposes for their lives; The fear of man and a man-pleasing spirit; The squandering of our costly, godly, heritage; The failure to lift up God’s Law as the standard that is binding upon all men, at all times, and in every nation.

Day Two, The March and Emancipation Proclamation

On Monday morning, three different OSA teams took the Gospel of the Kingdom to the streets. One went to the abortion mill, one went to the mosque, and the banner team literally went to the highways and byways of Charlotte. Tens of thousands were exposed to the hard truth that abortion murders innocent children made in the image of God. There were five different banners that asked "What Kind of Nation?," "What Kind of City?," "What Kind of Church?" "What Kind of Man," "Would Do This?" The last banner showed the pictures of Malachi, the aborted baby, who though dead still spoke volumes to the citizens of Charlotte.

At 10:00 a.m. the teams converged at Marshall Park for the downtown march. This was the starting point for the parade. We went forth with the high praises of God on our lips and a two edged sword in our hands (Psalm 149:6-9). Downtown business people got a first hand look at pictures of aborted babies as they were carried around the city center. A Justice for the Babies display was set up at the town square next to a fountain that was a favorite place for office workers during lunchtime break. Anointed street preachers from all over America "gave them Heaven" every single day while we were there.

We marched back to Marshall Park for the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. Flip privileged me to read the Proclamation aloud and then pastors, elders, brothers and sisters present signed it. For those who are interested in having a copy of the Emancipation to sign go to our national website www.operationsaveamerica.org.

Day Three, Word In Warfare

"Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints." (Ephesians 6:16-18)

Just after dawn Tuesday morning, OSA participants fanned out all over Charlotte for the Word in Warfare outreach. We took up the sword of the Spirit and the entire Bible was read at 10 different locations throughout the city. This was coordinated by Chet Gallagher. Pastor Chet, who introduced us to this concept several years ago, invites others to experience the Word of God in corporate, spiritual warfare in their own communities. Pastor Chet's web site is www.wordinwarfare.com. It is currently under construction, but should be ready soon to help you apply God’s word to the culture at large.

A baby's life was saved during Word in Warfare at the Preferred Woman's abortuary, located in the Arnold Palmer Center. Two young ladies were able to talk to a young couple before they drove into the parking lot. Folks on hand drove this family to the office of Dr. Matt Harrison, one of Charlotte's prolife physicians that has committed to providing free care to women who choose life. Praise God!

Day Four, Expose the Unfruitful Deeds of Darkness, Ephesians 5:11

The overpass team displayed the banners and signs again this morning. Truckers expressed their appreciation and agreement by waves and honks. All this week these signs have been the subject of local talk shows and letters to the editor. Comments have ranged from the usual, "How dare you allow children to see this!" to the reaction of a local physician who stated, "I am so ashamed that my colleagues [physicians who become abortionists] would engage in this kind of activity." Regardless, another baby was saved as gentle warriors of Christ lived out of their faith at the gates of hell.

It was on day four that we held a press conference to expose the complicity of the abortion industry for providing a safe haven for pedophiles who prey on our underaged children. We went to the very seat of political and judicial authority and cried out against this abomination. There were more police present than there were media. I personally passed out a video, brochure, cover letter from Flip, and a Gospel tract exposing the horrors of abortion to the mayor’s office, every city council member, every county commissioner, the police chief and the assistant chief of police, the Sheriff's Department, and the District Attorney’s office. They were all presented with conclusive evidence that the abortion industry is guilty of the biggest crime cover up in the history of the United States. They are now without excuse if they allow it to continue unchallenged by law enforcement. For those who may be interested in learning more about this campaign go to the Life Dynamic’s website at www.ldi.org.

Day Five, A Day of Mourning

Day five greeted us with a front page article that honestly described our mission as a "Battle For Souls." It was by far the most objective, balanced, article every written about us. Here is just a few excerpts to demonstrate how powerful the article was.

Homosexuality is a sin. Islam is a lie. Abortion is murder. The debate about the truth or falsehood of these beliefs, so hotly contested throughout the country as part of America’s culture wars, has come to Cabarrus County this week. Rev. Philip L. "Flip" Benham, OSA’s director, espouses a brand of Christianity that shuns compromise with other world views and dismisses what some participants in this week’s events call "comfort zone Christianity," a belief system that accepts God’s love without living by his commands. "The light that is to light the world has become a strange shade of gray," Benham said. "There is black and there is white. There is truth and there is lie. There is life and there is death." He said it is his duty as a Christian to tell people when they have not met God’s standard. "We are our brothers’ keeper. It hasn’t changed from the beginning to now," he said Sunday night.

"I would rather be divided by truth than united by error," Benham told a gathering of OSA members on Tuesday. At the theological core of the OSA’s intolerance for other belief systems is John 14:6, which is regularly cited at OSA events: "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the light: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." The consequence of that passage is the absolute rejection of all systems of thought and belief that do not acknowledge Jesus as the only road to salvation.

As its members gathered in Kannapolis to kick off this week’s protests and worship gatherings, Rusty Thomas, OSA’s assistant director, told them, "There’s a battle for the souls of men, the lives of children and the future of America." John Reyes, who runs the organization’s Dallas office, encouraged OSA’s followers to "take up the cross...and storm the gates of hell in this country." Chet Gallagher, a leader of OSA in California, told the audience, "We’re going to take the word of God into warfare." "Continued failure to battle for the Lord will bring even more devastation to America, which has already suffered a host of maladies, including AIDS, the Sept. 11 attacks, abortion and crime, because of the country’s departure from Christ," according to Benham.

To view the rest of the article go to www.operationsaveamerica.org. Day five also produced one of the most poignant, moving experiences of the entire event. Right in the city square, we held a memorial service for two deceased children who were murdered by abortion. Deborah and Sarah rested in two little white coffins under a protective canopy as men of God called out, pleading for repentance. The saints wept as a few people paused to look. Most people, however, just passed by, going about their activities of daily living, unconcerned about the plight of these little image-bearers of Christ. It most certainly takes a village to kill a child.

Day Six, Ecclesiastical Court

As the Memorial Service was the most moving, the Ecclesiastical Court was the most powerful experience of the entire event. Flip and I collaborated on writing this document. We went to the Federal Court House where we were greeted by Federal Marshals, the Police, the Fire Department, a helicopter overhead, and law enforcement agents on buildings all arrayed against families with children in strollers. It was surreal as it finally sank in that we were patriots with no country and to a large extent Christians with very little support from the Church. This is the document and the charges brought against the Supreme Court as men of God held them in contempt of God’s Court.

Ecclesiastical Court – Operation Save America, July 18, 2003

We, the Church of Jesus Christ, do on this 18th day of July, in the year of our Lord 2003, hold the Supreme Court of the United States of America in contempt of the Court of Almighty God. We hold it in contempt of the Court before whom every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. In so doing, we, by the authority of God’s Word and without reservation, pronounce this court dead to the Law of God, dead to the biblical heritage left to us by our Pilgrim Forefathers and our Founding Fathers, dead to the historical legacy of those who died to make us free, dead to the righteousness that comes from God alone, dead to the Constitution of the United States of America, and dead before the Court of Almighty God. It has spurned its biblical mandate to judge justly. This court has surrendered its constitutional responsibility. It has forfeited all moral authority. Therefore, we hold its decisions no longer relevant or binding upon us, our children, or our nation. "Those who forsake the law praise the wicked." (Proverbs 28:4)

Behold The Charges

"When a land falls into the hands of the wicked, He blindfolds its judges. If it is not He, then who is it?" (Job 9:24) We cite six Supreme Court Decisions that prove, beyond a reasonable doubt that the Supreme Court of the United States of America has become blind to the Law of God. "So justice is driven back, and righteousness stands at a distance; truth has stumbled in the streets, honesty cannot enter. Truth is nowhere to be found, and whoever shuns evil becomes a prey. The Lord looked and was displeased that there was no justice." (Isaiah 59:14-15) The lawlessness in our streets, the murder of our children, and the unprecedented violence encompassing our land are judgments from Almighty God Himself. Our nation is being turned into hell. Blood is coursing through the hallways of our schools, churches, work places, and streets. Natural disasters have become commonplace. Perversion parades its sin like Sodom as pornography spews its filth through our computers and TVs. Yet this court persists in codifying evil into law.

FIRST CHARGE: Engle vs. Vitale (1962). The Supreme Court silenced the prayers of our children in the public schools of America. The prayer targeted for destruction stated, "Almighty God, we acknowledge our dependence upon Thee, and we beg Thy blessings upon us, our parents, our teachers, and our country." Since this ruling, untold devastation has come upon our children, our families, our schools, and our nation.

GOD’S RULING: It is written: "But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung about his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea." (Matthew 18:6)

SECOND CHARGE: Abington vs. Schempp (1963). The Supreme Court removed the Bible from the education of our children in public schools. The knowledge of God was replaced with metal detectors, condoms, drugs, and violence of unprecedented magnitude.

GOD’S RULING: It is written: "You deserted the rock who fathered you; you forgot the God who gave you birth. The Lord saw this and rejected them … In the streets the sword will make them childless. In their homes terror will reign. Young men and young women will perish, infants and gray haired men." Deuteronomy 32:18-19a, 25. "Hear the word of the Lord, you children of Israel. For the Lord brings a charge against the inhabitants of the land: There is no truth or mercy or knowledge of God in the land. By swearing and lying, killing and stealing and committing adultery, they break all restraint, with bloodshed upon bloodshed." (Hosea 4:1-2)

THIRD CHARGE: Roe vs. Wade (1973). The Supreme Court removed the humanity and personhood of the unborn. With one stroke of a pen, the laws that once protected the most vulnerable among us were struck down and it became open season to kill precious babies in the wombs of their mothers. As a result, hell has enlarged its mouth to devour one-third of an entire generation of American citizens. America has committed domestic terrorism in the womb, and we are now reaping foreign terrorism in our streets. Our nation is defiled, and the innocent blood of our children cries out to God for vengeance.

GOD’S RULING: It is written, "…Since you did not hate bloodshed, bloodshed will pursue you." (Ezekiel 35:6) "…My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge … because you have ignored the law of your God, I also will ignore your children. (Hosea 4:6)

FOURTH CHARGE: Stone vs. Graham (1980). The Supreme Court stripped the Ten Commandments from the walls of our public classrooms, removing the foundation upon which the moral, legal, and ethical freedoms of America rest. It declared, "If the posted copies of the Ten Commandments are to have any effect at all, it will be to induce the schoolchildren to read, meditate upon, perhaps to venerate and obey, the Commandments."

GOD’S RULING: It is written: "because they had not obeyed My laws but have rejected My decrees…I also gave them over to statutes that were not good and laws they could not live by." (Ezekiel 20:24-25)

FIFTH CHARGE: Planned Parenthood vs. Casey (1992). The Supreme Court reiterated the lie of the Serpent in the Garden (Genesis 3) that man can become as God. It declared that man can determine his own reality, standards, and meanings apart from the objective truth of Almighty God. In a joint majority opinion, Kennedy, O’Connor, and Souter said, "At the heart of liberty is the right to define one’s own concept of existence, of meaning of the universe, and the mystery of human life." With this statement the Supreme Court declared itself God, and discarded its historical reliance on a transcendent standard.

Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold lived out this newly created standard. They became a law and a god unto themselves as they walked into their high school in Columbine, Colorado and mercilessly murdered 13 of their peers and then committed suicide. Eric printed this statement on the internet before his murderous rampage, "My belief is that if I say something, it goes. I am the law, and if you don’t like it, you die…I feel no remorse, no sense of shame." (Washington Post, April 29th, 1999)

GOD’S RULING: It is written, "Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, He gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them." (Romans 1:28-32)

SIXTH CHARGE: Lawrence vs. Texas (2003). The Supreme Court ruled, on June 26, 2003, in Lawrence v. Texas that there is a constitutional right to homosexual sodomy. In one fell swoop, this court threw out God, His Law, over 4,000 years of history, and its own past precedent, to declare sodomy, in all of its perverse forms, a constitutional right in America

GOD’S RULING: It is written, "You shall not lie with a male as with a woman. It is an abomination." (Leviticus 18:22) "Those who forsake the law praise the wicked, but those who keep the law resist them." (Proverbs 28:4)

GOD’S SENTENCE Isaiah 1:21-24

"See how the faithful city has become a harlot! She once was full of justice; righteousness used to dwell in her – but now murderers! Your silver has become dross, your choice wine is diluted with water. Your rulers are rebels, companions of thieves; they all love bribes and chase after gifts. They do not defend the cause of the fatherless; the widows case does not come before them. Therefore the Lord says, the Lord of Hosts, the Mighty One of Israel, Ah, I will rid Myself of My adversaries, and take vengence on My enemies."

The Supreme Court of the United States of America has sinned against God in its rendering of these six decisions! Far from warning us not to sin against God and His Law, it has informed us with "new enlightenment" from a "living" Constitution that sodomy, like abortion before it, is now a good thing. This is high treason against both God and this nation. Yes, the Supreme Court of the United States of America has betrayed our God, our nation, our people, our children, and has invited the wrath of Almighty God to come upon us – all of us!

There is a call to the Federal Courts in cities throughtout America and to the Supreme Court of the United States of America, on September 25th, locally and October 6th, Nationally. See our national website at www.operationsaveamerica.org  for more details. For those brave Christians willing to resist the evil direction we are going in, please contact me at the numbers below. Thank you!

IN KING JESUS' SERVICE,

Rusty, Liz, and the Thomas Nation

Voice: (254) 836-1037
Fax: (254) 836-4092

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