ENEMIES AT THE GATES
Just recently, I had the privilege of joining with good soldiers of Jesus Christ to minister at a conference in Missouri called “Shake the Nation.” The following message is what I delivered by the grace of God. It is called “Enemies at the Gates.” I pray it challenges, equips, and inspires in Jesus’ holy and precious name.
Before we tackle this crucial topic that concerns the enemy at the gates, let me first give a brief “State of the Union” address. America is in trouble. It appears we are going the way of every other nation that has shook their puny fist in the face of a Holy God. Good has become evil and evil has become good and this moral confusion is being codified into law.
As a result of this wretched condition, our nation is suffering from moral rot from within (abortion, homosexuality, pornography etc) and our enemies from without (Islam, Communism) smell our vulnerabilities. This has empowered their terroristic threats against us. Meanwhile, our nation’s leaders seem more concerned about the acquisition of political power rather than our nation’s welfare.
How did we arrive at this point in our nation’s history and why is the Church, for the most part, either ignorant or willfully ignorant to these huge challenges and harsh realities. How is it we continue with the status quo and a business as usual mentality when all that we treasure is in danger of being destroyed?
Lamentations 4:12,13 grants us some insight. It states, “The kings of the earth, and all the inhabitants of the world, would not have believed that the adversary and the enemy should have entered into the gates of Jerusalem. For the sins of her prophets, and the iniquities of her priests, that have shed the blood of the just in the midst of her.”
This passage is chalk full of revelation. First, God’s people had a promise granted to Abraham and His seed. Genesis 22:17 and 24:60 reveal that God destined His people to possess the gates of their enemies. The Apostle Paul declared that those who are in Christ are Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promise (Galatians 3:29).
Second, gates in the Bible represented a three-fold revelation of governmental authority. It was the seat of political authority, the seat of judicial authority, and the seat of commerce. The following verses reveal these truths. They are Dt. 16:18,19; 1 Kings 22:10; Dt. 17:5; 21:19; and 2 Kings 7:1.
Lastly, wickedness cannot rise to power, unless it first passes through the sins of God’s people. A corrupt church and a tyrannical state walk hand in hand. You can’t have one without the other. Biblically and historically this is true. Obviously, there were times when the church was sound and suffered persecution, but there have also been times when the church was reduced to being the propaganda machine to sanitize the evil of tyrants, oppressors, and dictators. We see this phenomenon today with the pursuit of the abortion industry and the homosexual agenda utilizing church heretics to legitimize what God calls abominations.
If this is God’s promise to His people how do we account for the condition of the gates in America today? What has happened to our citadels of justice and mercy that our Christian forbearers established for God’s glory and our benefit? Why are our institutions, government, laws, and power bases with each passing day manifesting an increasingly open hostility against Christianity? Why does our freedom of speech and freedom to practice religion stand in jeopardy? How have the enemies of the cross captured our gates, which they are now using against us? Unless we face these difficult questions and by God’s grace correctly answer them, there is not hope for our children’s future in the land of the free and the home of the brave.
First, this promise has not been taught to God’s people in the last several decades, so the faith to possess this blessing has been missing. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God (Romans 10:17). The mentality of the American Church has been “Why polish brass on a sinking ship and rearrange furniture in a burning house. America is dying, praise God, our redemption draws near.” Thus it became spiritual to abandon the gates to our enemies. We have practiced theological escapism, which has led to cultural corruption.
Second, it is part of God’s judgment upon a disobedient people. Just like in Jeremiah’s day, it was the sins of the priests and the iniquities of the prophets that paved the way for the wicked to capture the gates of Jerusalem. God warned in the curses section of Dt. 28 that part of His judgment upon those who disobey His commandments is they would be “distressed in the gates.” They would look for justice, but only find oppression. Those that hate them would rule over them (Psalm 106:41).
Another reason is we lack the bold, godly leadership and vision it takes to march back through the wicked condition of our gates and reclaim them for righteousness. We must be reminded once again that it is righteousness that exalts a nation, sin is a reproach for any people (Proverbs 14:34). Proverbs 29:2 states, “When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn.”
It takes courage, sacrifice, and conflict to possess the gates of our enemies. A Dutch pastor who died in one of Hitler’s concentration camps stated that in order to save the world, we must of necessity come into conflict with it. The American church bribed by the American culture recoils from this noble battle for the souls of men, the lives of our children, and the future of our nation. Thus we have ended up like the children of Ephraim who being armed and carrying bows we’ve turned back in the day of battle (Psalm 78:9). Instead of running to the roar of the enemy, we have chosen the path of least resistance, which makes both men and rivers crooked.
Another reason is the Church has lost its flavor. We no longer put difference between the holy and profane, the clean and the unclean. We have lost our holy distinction in the world. Most Christians in America have a good confession of Christ in the church, but in our thinking and lifestyles, we have become more akin to functional pagans, rather than Biblical Christians. Jesus warned His people, “Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.”
I know these assessments are not easy to hear, but it is important that they be addressed. In the midst of this struggle for the gates of our land, however, there is a blessed hope. Jesus declared, “I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” In light of this message, I pray that this statement by our Lord will be seen in a more powerful light and with greater understanding of its serious ramifications for the Church and this poor-fallen world. Jesus purposely chose the word gates in declaring the triumph of His Church against evil. This was not to just take up room in His book. He was keenly aware of the Old Testament revelation of the gates as it relates to the New Covenant. Finally, Psalm 127:3-5 states, "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." Other translations state that our children will contend with our enemies at the gates and subdue them. Do Christians today consciously raise their children with this Kingdom vision? If not, why not? Let us pray that our children will indeed rise up to be mighty in the land and according to God's promise "POSSESS THE GATES OF THEIR ENEMIES!" LEADERSHIP MEETING Just returned from North Carolina to participate in Operation Rescue/Operation Save America's annual leadership meeting. It was a glorious time. It was a time to be reunited with brothers and sisters that have faithfully stormed the gates of hell for several years. Yes, we all showed signs of aging. There were more wrinkles, rounder bellies, less hair and what remained was swiftly turning gray. Yet, their spirits were still energized to fight the good fight of faith. Brother Flip Benham, National Director of OR/OSA, preached as his theme the concepts of Responsibility and Authority. In essence, the reason why the Church has lost its flavor and become irrelevant today is simply because we have not taken responsibility for our nation that has abandoned the God of our fathers, Jesus Christ. Thus we have abdicated our authority and enemies of the cross are leading America astray. Flip called upon fathers to be responsible at home to lead the family. He called upon Pastors and Christian leaders to faithfully lead their flocks as undershepherds and to return to being responsible for the gates of their cities. The premise being that as we take back our responsibilities from those who have replaced the role of family and the church, God would be pleased to restore His authority, presence and power to His people. Flip also cautioned the leaders to be aware of the Church's fascination of offering up strange fire to the Lord. He warned of those who seek signs and flock to dreams, visions, and prophetic words. Jesus stated, "But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas: For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth (Matthew 12:39,40)." Flip did not discount the Biblical reality of signs and wonders. He just wisely taught that they are supposed to follow the Church, rather than lead her. When they become something the Church seeks to lead, instead of coming in the wake of our obedience to God, the danger of deception increases many fold. On Saturday, we went to two abortion mills to pray, praise, and proclaim the everlasting Gospel of Jesus Christ. Something took place that day that I've never seen happen before. The entire security force quit and walked off the premises of the abortion mill. I've seen individual guards become convicted and leave, but never the entire staff. On arrival, I noticed two young black men patrolling the parking lot. I immediately began to preach to them and amazingly they came over to talk. They were informed of the abortion/racism connection and Planned Parenthood's black genocide agenda. We further discussed the curse of accepting blood money. Later brother Butch from MS gave them both a strong warning from the Lord. Clearly, conviction was mounting upon them. Finally, Coach Dave Daubenmire took it upon himself to not only curse the darkness, but to light a candle. He offered whatever the abortion mill was paying them that day, he would match it, if they quit and promised never to return. One of the men took him up on the offer. We prayed for him and before he left, he made mention that today was the first time he recognized how many of his black brothers and sisters were being wiped out by abortion. At least, 85 percent were black going into the abortion mill that day. A little while later, the other guard, the brother of the one that left, couldn't take it anymore and walked off the property to join us as well. The saints greatly rejoiced. He had worked there for three weeks without being paid. This is why he didn't want to leave immediately like his brother. God convinced him otherwise. All the time he worked there, he wouldn't call his mother. You see, she was a Christian that begged her son to flee from that den of iniquity. One of his first phone calls was to his mom. He also called someone to pick him up. They came and one of them was the third security guard. The pastors led him to the Lord. He quit as well. There were two babies saved that we know of and a few that turned away. All in all, it was a powerful time at the gates of hell. God plundered them. I come back charged and look forward to more opportunities in the future. Our next great adventure is to repair the damage done to Rachel's Park Memorial. Thanks for all your love, prayers, and support as we pour out our lives in God's service. RACHEL’S PARK MEMORIAL VANDALIZED Either late Friday evening or early morning Saturday, Feb. 2nd, Rachel’s Park Memorial was tragically vandalized. The perpetrator or perpetrators callously desecrated the hollowed grounds dedicated to the preborn babies lost to the sin and crime of abortion. Their instrument of choice was a vehicle, probably an SUV or Jeep. Two to three hundred crosses were destroyed out of the four thousand crosses that represent the four thousand children that die each and every day in America by the cruel act of abortion. Rachel’s Park Memorial was officially dedicated in the city of Waco on January 22nd, 2000 at Church on the Rock, 4720 N. 19th St. There are several features to the park that are designed to help post-abortive families grieve their loss and prayerfully find the forgiveness of God as they repent of their involvement in aborting their children. “Since our nation allows for the desecration and destruction of God’s little image-bearers, the pre-born children, one should not find it surprising when a memorial that honors their deaths are violated as well,” stated Rev. Rusty Lee Thomas, Founder and Director of Rachel’s Park Memorial. “I pray those who are responsible will be brought to justice, which will ultimately drive them to saving grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ our Lord.” The vehicle responsible probably suffered damage. The crosses were planted into the ground with steel rebar. If anyone has knowledge of an SUV or Jeep that needs repairs for tires or the undercarriage, please notify the Waco Police Department immediately at 750-7500. Thanks!
In the Spring of this year, Ben Stein goes for the jugular that supplies all the false ideology that fuels today's rebellion against God and truth. He is taking on the establishment enslaved by Darwinism and exposing not only its improbability, but its dangerous intellectual suicide that refuses to follow the evidence where it leads and that of course is back to God our Creator. This is going to be a huge hit against the strongholds that have captured our media, science, universities, and culture. The Gentle Revolution is hitting in earnest. Spread this announcement far and wide and support this film. Let the heavens roar, the earth quake, and hell hemorrhage in Jesus' holy name! For more info go to www.expelledthemovie.com. It’s not just a movie, it is a campaign. Check it out! IN KING JESUS’ SERVICE, Rusty, Kendra, and the Thomas Nation P.O. Box 3126 Voice: (254) 836-1037 Email: rusty@elijahmin.com |