Volume 19 Issue 2 - Feb 2004 BIBLICAL WORLDVIEW OF FAMILY "Blessed is every one that feareth the Lord; that walketh in his ways. For thou shalt eat the labour of thine hands: happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee. Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine by the sides of thine house: thy children like olive plants round about thy table. Behold, that thus shall the man be blessed that feareth the Lord. The Lord shall bless thee out of Zion: and thou shalt see the good of Jerusalem all the days of thy life. Yea, thou shalt see thy children's children, and peace upon Israel." (Psalm 128:1-6) Since our last newsletter was released, a few concerned friends contacted me about our plans to walk across America, especially at it relates to my family. Liz is due to have our tenth child on March 15th, and I must leave to start our walk by March 1st. Naturally, they were concerned about me leaving at such a crucial time in my family’s history. To help answer the concerns, I decided this month’s newsletter will be dedicated to the Biblical worldview of family. Prayerfully, it will Scripturally answer all concerns and relieve any doubts about my judgment and care for my family. Before sin entered into man’s history, God established family as His chosen government in the earth. The crown of God’s creation, Adam and Eve, were introduced by God and then to celebrate, God gave them in marriage. Right from the beginning, God’s priority of family was established. It is to be the building block of every human endeavor. It is the best social compact for welfare, education, vocation, and retirement known to man. The state can’t replace family, the culture can’t redefine family, and the church should defend and help to equip the family. The formula of Scripture starts with the family and as it goes, so goes the church, and as goes the church, so goes your nation. In so many ways our nation and some of the church have lost the vital understanding of the God-ordained family. Many of our ideas and practices concerning family are derived from the Spirit of the Age and the philosophies of men that are quite contrary to Biblical truth. Many Christians suffer divorce, unruly children, and alienation in the home because we are neglecting God’s plan for family. In exchange, we embrace the world’s ways concerning family and consequently, hence we are reaping the world’s results. This is true, whether or not Christians go to church, pray, read the Bible, or pay tithes. God has His word, His will, and where most Christians fail, He has His ways. Psalm 103:7 declares, "He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel." Moses knew God’s ways and as a result, Israel was benefited by God’s intervening and miraculous acts. Obviously, it is implied that without Moses understanding, obeying, and following God’s ways, it is doubtful that Israel would have experienced God’s acts. God has been merciful to Liz and I as it relates to family. When we got married, we tied the knot as most couples do for the obvious reasons and benefits. Man longs for companionship, fulfillment, and long term meaning in this vain, fleeting life. Marriage seemed like a good means to achieve such ends. After the initial romance wanes, however, couples are faced with the reality of building a life together and if the couple are Christian, prayerfully, they want to do it in a manner that will glorify their Lord. Our first year of marriage was a little rocky like most. We had no problem being one physically and spiritually, but becoming one mentally and becoming one as to the order of God in the home, ah, there was the rub! Liz and I had no preparation, no teaching, and no background whatsoever to draw upon as it related to God’s view of family and how that view was supposed to impact every area of our life. We talked very little about children. If we did, it was the typical view of children, which was, we will have about two, one boy and one girl. They will be our little bookends for the glory of God. We continued our marriage in much ignorance for about a year. After that year was up, God began to break our hearts about abortion. Step by step and revelation by revelation, God was calling us into the battle to rescue the lives of the babies made in His image. As God exposed the wicked agenda of the abortion industry, imagine our horror, when we realized that most of our own thinking and practice as a married couple did not proceed from the Bible, but from the blueprints of hell found at Planned Parenthood. We practiced birth control, we were going to have a small family, and if we did have children, what was wrong with other people or systems educating them in our stead? Thank God, He loved us enough to not allow us to stay in our ignorance, but lovingly, He began to convict us with His word and our lives began the process of conforming to God’s plan for family. We came off birth control, based on the teaching of Psalm 127:3-5, "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." As well as the teaching in Malachi 2:15, "And did not he make one? Yet had he the residue of the spirit. And wherefore one? That he might seek a godly seed. Therefore take heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously against the wife of his youth." As a result, I now sit around my house surrounded by nine and soon to be ten loving, respectful, and for the most part obedient children. Liz and I are blessed, just like the Scriptures promised. God opened our eyes to the responsibility of parents in the education of their young. Biblically, it is the parents, not the state or the church, that is to be the primary educators of the young. God calls children His gifts and He is somewhat particular how we treat His gifts, especially when it comes to the awesome responsibility of raising up those arrows to be straight, strong, and true for the King and the advancement of His Kingdom. In fact, God compares children to His Kingdom (Mark 10:14). The Lord used Deuteronomy 6:4-9 to convict us about the importance of home education, "Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates." According to this passage, loving God is the greatest commandment, while home education is the greatest application of that commandment. In fact, later on in Deuteronomy, God through Moses challenged the children of Israel never to be tempted to think that parents educating their young is a vain thing. He said, " (Deuteronomy 32:45-47) "For it is not a vain thing for you; because it is your life. Liz and I, through these passages, discovered life’s meaning according to the Creator of the universe. It is simply to get married, have as many children that God blesses you with, and home educate them in the fear and admonishment of the Lord. As a father and as my traveling schedule permits, I teach my children 3 hours a day. We study the Bible, history, principles, philosophy, American Christian history, ethics, logic, and host of other subjects. Our children are being equipped for the four main areas that will bless their lives. They are taught the Biblical worldview of being a son or daughter, sister or brother, husband or wife, and father or mother for the glory of God. Our boys are taught honor, duty, and chivalry, while our daughters are taught modesty, nurture, and virtue. Our boys are being raised to be faithful, loving Patriarchs while our daughters are being raised to fulfill Titus 2: 3-5, "The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed." Most of these Biblical truths are passed by Christians today. It is foreign to most of them. In their minds, God forbid if they had a lot of children. Foolishness! Men as Patriarchs ruling well the family? Tyranny! Wives submit and obey their husbands in the Lord? Madness! Children educated in the home? Nonsense! Women be keepers at home? Outrageous! And yet, God declares if these things be not so, our disobedience blasphemes the word of God. Blasphemy may not mean much in today’s moral cesspool, but it is a serious charge in the heart and mind of God. How many well-meaning Christians today are blaspheming the word of God by choosing careers, materialism, feminism, and the Spirit of the Age over against God’s revealed word on the role of a man, the role of a woman, marriage, and family? There is more that can be mentioned when it comes to the importance of family, but this has to suffice for now. Liz and I are seriously committed to God’s vision and mission for family. We have sacrificed much to obey God’s word in this area of our lives together. However, as important as family is to God, it must never replace Him or become an idol that is worshipped. Jesus warned in Luke 14:26, "If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple." I know many Christians question this seemingly strict criteria, when it comes to being a disciple of Jesus Christ. What does He mean by hating father and mother, especially, when the same Lord in the Old Testament commanded men to honor their father and mother? Is He contradicting Himself? By no means, it is simply a matter of priority. Our love, commitment, honor, and obedience to Christ should make every other relationship become pale in comparison. Our love for family should appear as hate when it comes to loving our Lord. Back in Jesus’ time, the God-ordained family was so strong that Jesus knew if someone publicly confessed Him as Lord, that person’s greatest foes would arise from his own household (Matthew 10:36). Many parents and children were disowned, betrayed, and turned into the anti-Christ authorities by their own families for simply converting to Christianity. The Lord knowing the severe testing many would face from within their own family challenged His people to remain true unto Him as His disciple. This was a major part of the cross they were called to bear for His name’s sake and the Gospel. They were to give and forsake all for the cause of Christ and for the advancement of the Gospel of the Kingdom. Jesus said, "For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it." The Apostle Peter once questioned the Lord concerning these matters and confessed, "Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore?" (Matthew 19:27b) Jesus replied with a personal promise for the Apostles and then made this profound statement, "And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life." (Matthew 19:29) According to the word of the Lord, there may be times when men are called to leave the family to obey God’s call, vision, and mission. It is their sacred duty and it must be fulfilled. The Lord of the family does not, in those circumstances, accuse that man of abandonment or neglect. Brothers and sisters, I know there are those who, under the guise of serving the Lord, can quote these Scriptures as a facade to cover their irresponsibilities. I humbly submit to you, that is not true in our case. A woman from our church, a good friend, rebuked me to Liz, when she found out about the Walk. In fact, she was irate. Liz assured her that she was at peace. The next day, our friend was reading the Gospels when she came across this passage, "It came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest. And Jesus said unto him, "Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head. And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God." Immediately, our friend saw from the Scriptures that I was following the Lord and she at once had peace about our family. We have men that have left families, loved ones, and their children to fight terrorism abroad. Would we dare accuse them of abandoning their families? No! We consider them valiant men, fulfilling their duty. And yet, when men of God are called to fight the domestic terrorism, we somehow believe these men are irresponsible. One can be a good soldier in the U.S. Army and leave his family, but can one be a good soldier of the Lord and do the same? Biblically, that premise does pass muster in the Kingdom of God. I believe with all my heart that instead of detracting from my family, this walk across America will greatly enhance my family. Proverbs 14:26, " In the fear of the Lord is strong confidence: and his children shall have a place of refuge." This 10th child was conceived while defending the 10 Commandments in the public life of our nation. At this child’s birth, its father and two sisters will become a living parable carrying a prophetic message. Liz and I, Flip Benham, and our Pastor, John Wachsmann, are in complete agreement. And though we know the demand and sacrifice will be great upon us all, we have peace and pray the Lord’s will be done. Brethren, we covet your prayers as well. WALK ACROSS AMERICA "And God spake unto Israel in the visions of the night, and said, Jacob, Jacob. And he said, Here am I. And he said, I am God, the God of thy father: fear not to go down into Egypt; for I will there make of thee a great nation: I will go down with thee into Egypt; and I will also surely bring thee up again: and Joseph shall put his hand upon thine eyes." (Genesis 46:2-4) The Lord, knowing my struggle about my family, mercifully leaped off the pages of Holy Writ the comforting and confirming word that He spoke to Jacob, "Fear not to go...I will go down with you...and, "I will also surely bring thee up again." After a few grateful tears, I thanked the Lord for giving me strength to go on in obedience, regardless if well intentioned friends completely understand the demand and sacrifice that the Lord is requiring us at this critical stage in America’s history or not. At our Roe vs. Wade Memorial Service on January 18th, 2004 in Waco, we gave this statement at the press conference. Starting at the beginning of March, Flip Benham, National Director of Operation Rescue/Operation Save America and I, along with my two daughters, Shekinah and Destiny, a donkey, a white horse, an aborted baby, and a ministry team will walk across America as a living parable carrying a prophetic message to America. This marks our most ambitious effort, our greatest adventure, and most arduous task in service to our Lord Jesus Christ and the unborn made in His image. When words fail, as they have in the abortion wars, God speaks through parables. Every step of this 3000 mile journey, which will take 6 to 7 months, carries a prophetic word of warning to America. The killing of God’s babies in the womb must cease or we will face the increased judgment of a Holy God upon our sin-soaked and blood-stained land. When King Jesus rides a donkey, He comes in peace. God is merciful and He longs to be gracious to America. He desires to be our friend and great benefactor as He has in our history. However, our many sins and idolatry, such as abortion and sodomy, have grieved God’s Spirit and have removed His hand of protection from us. The constant threat of terrorism upon our own soil and the erosion of our liberties is clear evidence of God’s displeasure with America. When King Jesus rides a white horse, He does not come to bring peace, but to make war and bring judgment. America has chosen to kill her babies, now America must choose how she will respond to God's warning. The message is clear, America you must stop killing your children or prepare to meet thy God! America, do you want King Jesus to ride a donkey unto us or a white horse? Time is running out and we must decide. For if we persist in killing our children, behold, the white horse is coming and this is the name that is on its side, King of kings and Lord of lords! FLIP’S MESSAGE
CONNECTICUT REPORT "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) I just recently returned from the land of my childhood to be with OSA CT (Marilyn Carroll and Carmen Vazquez). It was a fruitful time in the Kingdom of God. The Lord opened many effectual doors of ministry. On Wednesday, January 21st, I preached a message at our opening rally entitled, "You Have Come Into The Kingdom For Such A Time As This!" The next day we held an Ecclesiastical Court at the Federal Court building in Bridegport. Several local pastors participated. That evening I preached at the OSA CT. home church. Friday, I spent time with some of my old friends. Saturday, we conducted a Roe vs. Wade Memorial Service. Four children were mercifully saved at the gates of hell. That night I preached again at the OSA CT. home church and concluded with a Sunday morning message. The messages were well received and the saints were challenged and encouraged to press on in Jesus' Holy and Mighty Name! The press asked me how I felt coming back to Bridgeport. I responded by saying, "It is great to return as an ambassador of Jesus Christ!" Before the Lord sent me to Connecticut to serve OSA CT from Jan. 21st-25th, this article was placed in the local paper. The local saints were amazed at the consistent and favorable coverage we received during our time together. About 15 pastors, including Flip and I, signed this document as a public testimony and for the public record. Our intent was to put the powers of darkness, the enemies of the cross, and the judicial tyrants on notice. If the law of men conflict with the law of God, it is our sacred duty to obey God. And by His grace, we will stand for the sovereignty of God and the supremacy of His law, regardless of the cost. THESE CLERGYMEN CHOOSE TO "Stand
Up For God"
The next newsletter in March will be released as we begin our great adventure of walking across America. Please keep my family, Flip’s family, and this entire mission covered in prayer. Your help is vital as we seek to be faithful to the Lord’s prophetic message to America and still care for our families. This is a Kingdom investment that will prayerfully bring about a Kingdom blessing for all who participate in prayer, labor, and financial support. The Lord richly bless you! 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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