October 2001 Newsletter

October 2001 Newsletter

Many of us are struggling through the events of these past weeks, looking for wisdom from above so that we might be like the "… men of Issachar, who understood the times and knew what Israel should do…" (1 Chronicles 12:32). I hope you have been reading along in the Bible Reading Schedule with us because, since that fateful Tuesday, September 11, 2001, we have been treated to a running commentary from God Himself about what is happening to our nation. Our Bible reading began that fateful Tuesday morning in Isaiah 21-23. Finish reading Isaiah and begin with us this month in Jeremiah and see the insight our heavenly Father will pour into your heart concerning these unprecedented attacks upon America.

AMERICA - THIS IS YOUR THIRD AND FINAL WARNING!
Press Release issued by OSA 9-11-01

The horrific attack on America this morning was no coincidence. Reminiscent of accounts in the Old Testament when God used prophets to warn nations of their wicked ways, America has been given its own warnings over the years for the shedding of innocent blood. The most recent national rebuke took place this past weekend when a prophetic word was spoken at the White House for the ears of President George W. Bush on Saturday, September 8, 2001.

Rev. Flip Benham and 18 other pro-life pastors and leaders from across the nation gathered in the nation's capital to bring prophetic warning, that if we continue to sow bloodshed in the womb, we would reap it in ever increasing horror in our streets.

Standing in front of the White House, praying, and bringing prophetic utterance, these gentle Christians were threatened with arrest. They refused to move, and instead continued to pray for the mercy of God on our nation. As they were given their third and final warning, Rev. Benham spoke these words: "No, America! This is your third and final warning!" Then he read from Deuteronomy 32:25: "In the street the sword will make them childless; in their homes terror will reign. Young men and women will perish, infants and gray-haired men."

"The Supreme Court of the United States of America declared that children in their mother's womb were not fully human and therefore were not entitled to the full protection of the laws of our land," said Rev. Benham. "Because of this open rebellion and blatant disregard for the law of God and for life, our nation is suffering under the remedial judgments of God Himself. Blood is coursing down the corridors of our schools, homes, workplaces, and streets. Because we have not hated bloodshed, bloodshed is now pursuing us." (Ezekiel 35:6).

The astounding and incomprehensible events of this morning are one more sign of the judgment of God upon our nation. We have turned our back on God and we are now reaping the horrible consequences of our error. The President of the United States of America asked this morning for "a moment of silence" to remember those in harm's way. There was not one mention of crying out to the only One who can save us - Jesus Christ!

What has happened to us? We Christians have been silent long enough! If we do not return to the God of our fathers we will continue to reap the whirlwind of our own foolishness.

THE MOVE TO A ONE WORLD CHURCH

Are you sick and tired of these ecumenical, diversity laden, multi-national, multi-denominational, multi-cultural public displays and gatherings for prayer? All gods tolerated here. If you have a problem with that, then you are the problem. Have you noticed the amazing absence of the Name of Jesus? Have you noticed that among many of the great evangelical leaders of our day, when they had an opportunity to mention His Name, did not?

Earlier this year the focal point for our nation's National Day of Prayer was at the White House. For the first time in eight years the nation's prayer meeting was taking place at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. This certainly seemed like progress. James and Shirley Dobson were there, along with Adrian Rogers and many other luminaries in the evangelical world. George and Laura Bush were also in attendance. Yes, Christians who loved God's Word were finally in the White House.

There was, however, not one mention of Jesus' Name during the entire service. Adrian Rogers, who always mentions the Name of Jesus, did not do it this time. Neither did Billy Graham whom, though not in attendance, wrote a prayer for Rev. Rogers to read. George W. Bush did not mention His name either. Why not?

We are moving closer and closer to a One World Church. Every "god" must be tolerated these days, no matter how perverse, with the exception of one. Buddha, Allah, the "god" in the breeze, the "god" in the tree, the "god" in me, et al., are all welcomed into our nation's prayers. But if one dares mention the Name of Jesus, he had better watch out! All hell is guaranteed to break loose. Why? Because Jesus is God and apart from Him there is no other. He is absolutely intolerant of all other gods. Jesus is a sword that divides. We are either for Him or against Him.

On Friday, September 14, our President called the nation to a day of "prayer and reflection." In our nation's Capital in Washington, D.C., there was a gathering of our national leaders who were led in prayer by an Islamic priest, an Orthodox Jew, and a United Methodist pastor who acknowledged Allah and all the other gods of the universe. It was an abomination. The Name of our Lord Jesus was conspicuously left out by all - the President and even Rev. Billy Graham. I was sickened as I realized that our house was no longer founded upon the rock of Jesus Christ. How far we have fallen and we don't even realize it. "You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked." (Revelation 3:17).

To win the Presidency, George W. Bush did all he could to build a coalition of groups that would support him. He tried his level best not to offend anyone. To get his tax cut, George W. Bush did all he could to build a coalition behind him to support his views. To fund stem cell research, George W. Bush did all he could to not alienate the coalition (pro-life or pro-choice). To respond to the terrorist attacks on America, he is doing everything he can to build a coalition of governments. While asking for God's help in overcoming this enemy, he is building a coalition of religions and gods. He is the coalition king - learned it from his daddy.

To call our nation to prayer he attempted to build a coalition of "gods" that we could all pray to. From Allah to the God of the Jews - all were tolerated. The one exception of course was the God who most perfectly revealed Himself in the person of Jesus. He was mentioned once - and that only in a passing prayer! What has happened to us? What have we become? "Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain…" (Psalm 127:1).

BLESSED IS THE NATION WHOSE GOD IS THE LORD!

It was not a coalition of gods that brought our Pilgrim forefathers to this continent. It was not a coalition of settlers (Hindus, Muslims, and Christians) that brought the open Bible to the shores of this great land to establish a government based on the Law of God, and whose mission was to advance the Gospel of Christ. It was Jesus Christ Himself who brought the tiny Mayflower safely to the shores of this land, and it was the blessing of Jesus Christ Himself that made our nation great (a city set on a hill).

Our Pilgrim forefathers never tired of mentioning and praising His Name. Listen to this quote from the Old South Leaflets written on September 26, 1637, concerning the rules and precepts of Harvard College: "Let every student be plainly instructed, and earnestly pressed to consider well, the main end of his life and his studies is to know God and Jesus Christ which is eternal life (John 17:3) and therefore to lay Christ in the bottom as the only foundation of sound knowledge and learning…"

Our Founding Fathers never tired of mentioning and praising His Name. Patrick Henry declared: "It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded, not by religionists, but by Christians; not on religions, but on the Gospel of Jesus Christ. For this very reason peoples of other faiths have been afforded asylum, prosperity, and freedom of worship here."

Henry was right. It was precisely because our nation was founded upon the Rock of Christ that America became a haven of liberty and an asylum for so many of the persecuted and downtrodden of our world.

Just before the Revolutionary War, one of the Crown-appointed governors wrote back to England of the condition of the colonists and their resolve to fight: "If you ask an American, who is his master? He will tell you he has none, nor any governor but Jesus Christ." The war cry that spread throughout the thirteen colonies still resounds to this day: "No King but King Jesus!"

Yes, our Pilgrim forefathers and our Founding Fathers knew that it was to Jesus and Jesus alone that we owed allegiance. We Americans need to remember the Rock from which we were hewn. We need to stop apologizing for the Name of Christ and begin praising Him. He is God, and apart from Him there is no other!

LESSONS FROM GOD THROUGH JERRY FALWELL AND PAT ROBERTSON

On Thursday, September 13, 2001, Pat Robertson on the 700 Club interviewed Pastor Jerry Falwell concerning the terrorist attacks on America. Pat pointed out that America had removed God from schools, allowed abortion on demand, and pumped pornography into the world markets and then commented that "God Almighty has lifted His hand of protection from us."

Pastor Falwell agreed and said, "as terrible as it is, this attack could be miniscule if, in fact, God continues to lift the curtain and allow the enemies of America to give us probably what we deserve. The ACLU's got to take a lot of the blame for this. And, I know I'll here from them for this. But, throwing God out successfully with the help of the federal court system, throwing God out of the public square, out of the schools. The abortionists have got to bear some of the burden for this because God will not be mocked. And when we destroy 40 million little innocent babies, we make God mad. I really believe that the pagans, and the abortionists, and the feminists, and the gays and the lesbians who are actively trying to make that an alternate lifestyle, the ACLU, People for the American way - all of them who have tried to secularize America - I point the finger in their face and say, 'you helped this happen.'"

Pat agreed with Pastor Falwell and the interview ended with an earnest prayer for the families of the victims, and a plea for America to turn "to the Lord God." Pastor Falwell and Pat Robertson had finally put their finger on the truth of what God is saying to America. Pastor Falwell, however, had his finger pointed in the wrong direction - it should have been pointed at himself and at all who claim the Name of Christ. We are the ones who have allowed these sworn enemies of God to flourish in America. We didn't stand for Christ when we should have stood. We didn't resist the enemy when we should have resisted him. We didn't proclaim the Word of God when we should have shouted it from the housetops. We have failed America!

The true culprit in all that is happening in our country today is the Church of Jesus Christ. That includes all of us, brothers and sisters! Pat Robertson, Jerry Falwell, Billy Graham, George W. Bush, Flip Benham, et al. We have sinned against God Himself. We have defiled His holy Name. We have ignored His continuous warnings and judgments. It is we that have done wickedly and it is only as we humbly return to our offended and loving God that He will hear from heaven, forgive our sin, and heal our land. We need God, who revealed Himself most perfectly in His Son Jesus Christ, to save America. We, His Church, are the only ones who can call upon His Name and move His heart to act.

What is the lesson we have learned from the Robertson - Falwell interview? When a man speaks the Word of God and it runs contrary to the world's flow, all hell is going to break loose - and break loose it did! Naturally, those groups that were named by pastor Falwell had a "hissy fit" that the judgmental and bigoted Christians were claiming that their "chosen" lifestyle might have anything to do with terrorist attacks. The national media, which has the theological depth of a pie tin, chimed in and began equating the fanatic terrorists Robertson and Falwell with those who smash airplanes into buildings filled with people.

Even friends of the two Christian leaders joined the fray. The first to jump all over them was the President of the United States of America through his media spokesperson Ari Fleischer. He said that the comments by Robertson and Falwell were irresponsible and did not reflect the position of many church leaders. The next to jump on the bandwagon was Rush Limbaugh, who mercilessly let them have it for thirty minutes on his national radio talk show. Limbaugh said that the only persons responsible for the heinous attack on America were the terrorists themselves. This ought to give you a pretty good idea of Rush Limbaugh's theological depth.

Conservatism truly is pretend salt. It looks like salt, acts like salt, seeks the friendship and vote of salt. But when the true test of taste comes, it is revealed for what it really is - a tasteless enabler of perdition! Conservatism and Christianity are not one in the same, for conservatism has never found a cause for which it is willing to die. Conservatism is Christianity's greatest enemy because it will never allow Christians to stand on God's Word. It is always seeking compromises. Conservatism showed its true colors in the response to the Robertson - Falwell interview.

The next lesson learned can be seen in a Letter to the Editor that appeared in the Dallas Morning News on September 18. This letter is reflective of several others. "Recent hate-filled events demonstrate how intolerant and perverted persons use religion as a shield to fool ordinary people to believe and do ungodly things. Tolerance is replaced by hatred … Last week we learned how horribly sinister and destructive these leaders can be, how many innocent lives ruined. Be alert. They come in many creeds and colors; they hide in many places. I know of two hiding places - the mountains of Afghanistan and behind the pulpits of Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson."

Equating Falwell and Robertson to the terrorists who flew airplanes into the buildings in New York City and Washington D.C. is exactly what the One World Religion desires. It wants to worship all gods - however one perceives them - and to be tolerant and reasonable above all else. Yes, the One World Religion has no place for fanatics like Osama Bin Laden and neither does it have a place for fanatics like Robertson and Falwell. The ubiquitous One World Religion has no place for that child born in a stable 2,000 years ago. Therefore His Name (JESUS) is not allowed in the conversation.

The final lesson learned is that one who speaks for and to God must make sure that He looks for the beam in his own eye before he gets the speck in his brother's eye. Pastor Falwell pointed to groups without first pointing to himself. He has since rescinded all of his statements and apologized so profusely that one wonders why. He had God's Word right, he just said it in the wrong way. The fear of man can cause even great men to buckle!

Beware my friends. There is an enemy far greater than the fanatic in the East. He knows what he is about and only God Himself can save us from him and enable us to crush his head under our feet.

Keep pressing the gates of hell in Jesus' Name,

Flip Benham
Director

FIVE ARRESTED IN WICHITA FOR SINGING PRAISES TO GOD

Five precious soldiers of the cross were arrested Friday, September 14, in Wichita for leading praise and worship on the public sidewalk outside George Tiller's mill. There were over two hundred saints at the mill the next Saturday morning. Give 'em heaven Wichita! Our prayers are with you!

Just a little note to touch your heart … Planned Parenthood has announced that it will honor those Americans killed in New York City and Washington, D.C. by offering free abortions to kill more young Americans from October 18-22, 2001. This wonderful offer will take place at the Hope(less) Clinic for Women in Granite City, Illinois. "… The kindest acts of the wicked are cruel." (Proverbs 12:10).