Septembetr 2002 Newsletter

September 2002

We prayed, we fasted, we prepared, and we believed that God was going to do a mighty work in Dallas, Texas, this summer. He did! When all of you converged in the Name of Jesus Christ to our prosperous, yet very forgetful city, God began to repair the exposed places in the wall. Yes, theology had become biography in the streets of Dallas and, in a city surrounded by huge, evangelical mega-churches (Tony Evans, Chuck Swindoll, T.D. Jakes, Jack Graham, and many others), God raised up an army to storm the gates of hell. Yes, you came in the boldness of Christ, and the devil fled in terror (he knows his time is short). More than thirty babies were saved from a savage death the week you were here. Twenty-two folks were snatched out of the hands of the devil and gave their hearts to Christ. Hundreds of thousands in the Metroplex received the witness that Jesus Christ is Lord and that abortion is murder, homosexuality is sin, and Islam is a lie!

You won the grudging respect of the Dallas Police Department's "Tactical Unit" and the FBI. They were with us wherever we went, and saluted us when we left to go home. This was a high honor. They saw your good deeds and gave praise to your Father in heaven (Mt 5:16). They realized that you were a people who act with integrity. When you said you were going to do something, you did it. You were a truthful witness!

You became a "living parable" to the city where Roe v. Wade began in 1969. Far better than the "Infant Born Alive Act," you represented the very heart of God when you signed the Emancipation Proclamation for Unborn Children on Monday, July 14, in downtown Dallas. Hundreds of people signed it, including passers by who were impacted to the very core by the Spirit of God moving in the city. Mothers were crying and repenting over secret sins long past. The Liberty Bell was rung by every signee proclaiming "Liberty for the Captives." The sound of the 2,200 lb. replica of our nation's bell reverberated for the voice of unborn children throughout the downtown area.

A word about the "Infant Born Alive Act": The devil himself would have signed this bill into law. That's right! If he knew he could shut the mouths of Christians by giving us this little pro-life morsel, and could take our eyes off of the little baby boys and girls he is killing in the womb, he'd be happy to sign on. Note: Not even Planned Parenthood, NARAL, NAF, ACLU, etc., went after this one. This act, signed by President Bush into law, is no victory for the pro-life movement. It is a sign of how politically weak and irrelevant we have become. "… they do not plead the case of the fatherless to win it…." Jeremiah 5:28.

But we are not weak and irrelevant when we allow the theology of the Church of Jesus Christ to become biography in the streets. This is where the battle is being won! On Thursday, July 18, you held the funeral service for pre-born babies killed by abortion, two specifically were named Noel and Josiah. The city of Dallas was once again confronted with the horror of abortion. Again, hundreds of people participated and even more passers by viewed the children. Now open weeping was heard and utter shock was displayed on the faces of young students who viewed the results of an abortion. Even the most battle-worn of us were, again, startled into asking ourselves, "How could we have allowed this to go on for so long?" Many of us repented again before God and man of our own responsibility for failing to love our neighbor as ourselves. In so doing we were expressing the truth that we have failed to love God with our whole heart. This too was a very sobering move of our Lord's Spirit.

You threw the Dallas County court system and city jail into an uproar when you read through the entire Bible on Tuesday (Word & Warfare). Although the Bible was read at 18 different "gates of hell" in the city that day, it had never been read aloud at the place where people were going to court and being led off to jail. The guards were shocked when you actually read from God's Word on their front doorstep. Five people were saved right there, at the Frank Crowley court building and the Lew Steritt Jail entrance. They tried to intimidate you and stop you but you kept reading from the Word that brings life out of death.

God raised up a man from within the Frank Crowley Justice Center to help you complete your Bible reading and, as a result, his chief docked him two days pay. He thought it was a small price to pay to stand for his Lord Jesus. God bless him, and God bless you!

Those in the abortion industry were in a tizzy. They could not believe that anyone would treat the murder of children in such a disrespectful way - like showing pictures of what an abortion does. They could not believe that anyone would report their cover-up of adult child molesters taking young 14- and 15-year-old girls to have an abortion. They could not believe the boldness of Christians taking the Gospel of Christ right to the doors of their killing chambers. Yes, they could not believe that you were actually acting as if abortion were murder.

The praising, praying, proclaiming Church of Jesus Christ is simply too much for the devil and his culture of death. He is over matched by the One who will one day crush his head under our feet. When, oh when, will we stop waiting for politicians to get it right, and get it right ourselves? Abortion will come to an end in our city, and in our nation, when the Church of Jesus Christ makes up her mind it will come to an end, and not one second sooner. If the great evangelical churches in the city of Dallas made up their collective minds that they would not sit idly by while little children die, how long do you think it would take for abortion to cease?

The homosexual "churches" of the area were stunned when you came to their houses of iniquity to share the love of Christ with them. Because of the silence of the church, they had become convinced that one could be a practicing homosexual and a Christian at the same time. You, however, proclaimed that homosexuality was a sin that leads to the death of those participating in that behavior, and death to a nation that approves of it. You obliterated the fact that the Dallas City Council had recently approved a bill attempting to legitimize homosexuality in this city. In weighing their decision the council members made much of their "christianity" and quoted the Bible often. Where do you suppose they got the idea that homosexuality and Christianity go hand in hand? One guess.

"A truthful witness saves lives, but a false witness is deceitful." Proverbs 14:25. By and large we, the Church of Jesus Christ in Dallas, have presented a false witness to those lost in the homosexual "churches" of our area. We have given them a pass. In an effort to appear compassionate and tolerant, we have been willing to allow our neighbor, enslaved by the sin of homosexuality, to die in his sin believing that Jesus will save him from an eternity in hell. You presented a truthful witness to the large homosexual community in Dallas and young men and women will be saved as a result of your witness. You loved them enough to bring the truth right to the gates of these "synagogues of satan." Yes, a truthful witness saves lives.

John Reyes and several from Calvary Hill and Redeemed Community Church are continuing the ministry you began this July. They are going to the youth meetings at the homosexual "churches" bringing the Gospel of Christ with them. Young people from middle schools and high schools around the city, struggling with their own sexual identity, are coming here looking for answers. They are looking for love in all the wrong places. Before they enter, however, John and the team are there to present the TRUTH in LOVE right at the gates of hell. Many of the adult homosexuals try to block the Gospel message with their inane and foul bantering, but John has reported many positive responses from the kids.

Your ministry at another gate of hell, the local mosque, proved quite effective and very insightful. As you well know, the leveling of all religions to one, where we all worship the same God with different names and in different ways, has been ratcheted up 100% since 9-11. With the help of our "born-again" President, Islam has been raised to the same level as Christianity. Of course, this is an absolute denial of the Gospel of Christ.

So we took the battle to the streets with large banners, signs, and brochures. Our desire was to encourage Christians to stand up for Jesus without being ashamed of who He is. He is God and apart from Him there is no other! It is true that Muslims believe that Jesus was a prophet, born of a virgin, and that He is coming back again, but they do not believe Him to be God. They do not believe that He was crucified on a cross and died, and they do not believe He was raised from the dead. The apostle Paul said it best: "And if Christ has not been raised (from the dead), your faith is futile; you are still in your sins." 1 Cor 15:17.

Islam is a blatant attack on the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Yet, we found that we were far more welcomed by the Muslims than by our Christian brothers and sisters who have a Bible church across the street from the mosque. The pastor of the Bible church, who rents his parking lot to the Muslims, wanted to make sure that he was not perceived as being intolerant to his Muslim neighbors, so he threw us off his parking lot. The assistant pastor even pushed one of the young Yoder girls off of the grass. The Muslims, on the other hand, invited us to park on their private parking lot, and invited us into their mosque for a tour. In order to appear tolerant, both religions, one true and the other false, are attempting to accommodate one another, little realizing that to swear allegiance to one is to declare war on the other. It can't possibly be done!

As for homosexuality, Islam, and abortion and what they have in common, it is important to note that they are three different colored gloves covering the same fist. Abortion is a crimson glove (stained with the blood of our pre-born children). Homosexuality is a pink glove (stained with the blood of young men and women given over to their own lust, and the blood of nations that approve of such behavior). Islam is a black glove (stained with the blood of Christians, Jews, and anyone else who dares disagree with the false "god" Allah and his demon-possessed prophet Muhammed). Three different colored gloves, yet the same fist. It is the fist of him who robs, kills, and destroys. That's right, I'm talking about the devil himself! It is his fist!

You see, the battle we fight is not just about abortion, homosexuality, and Islam. These are but tragic manifestations of a much larger conflict that has been raging throughout the pages of the Bible and history since the devil's rebellion in heaven and his appearance in the Garden. It is a battle over "who is Lord" and "whose laws reign." It is a battle over two world views, "the seed of the woman" verses "the seed of the serpent." It is a battle that requires every man to choose - life or death!

Abortion has proved that we are willing to kill for sex, and AIDS has proved that we are willing to die for it. We made our choice, and a culture of death prevails in our nation today. We, the Church of Jesus Christ, have allowed the God of Life (Jesus) to be dethroned. We have allowed Him to be replaced with the god of death (the devil). The death chant, "my rights, my body, my choice, my thing" has replaced God's call, "…You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body." I Corinthians 6:19-20. Abortion and homosexuality are simply different manifestations of the devil's murderous plan, but they cover the same fist!

Another manifestation of this demonic fist, is the false, yet "religious," spirit that nailed Jesus to the cross. It has shown its murderous self in countless false religions before and after Jesus' crucifixion. The devil is very religious. He knows the Holy Scripture and can even quote it. Yes, "religion" is one of his favorite disguises. False religion, however, brings in its wake the culture of death. The sacrifice of children, adults, and the killing of millions in the name of some false god have been its fare. That is why we must not remain silent in the face of Islam!

There has been no more deadly a false religion than Islam. In every nation where Islam has become the predominant religion, death and despair await all who will not bow to Muhammed. Freedom and individual liberty are always casualties. Death reigns. Why? "Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom." 2 Corinthians 3:17.

There can be no freedom, no liberty, apart from the Spirit of the Lord. Jesus is the Spirit who brings life and liberty. There is no other! The culture of death cannot coexist with Him. Islam brings with it only death. It was birthed in the pit of hell to steal many from the truth and ultimately bring their destruction.

As with abortion and homosexuality, Islam is a different glove covering the same murderous fist. It is the devil himself who inspired and continues to inspire this false religion, bringing men and women whom God loves into horrific bondage and murder.

So when we fight the battle for the lives of pre-born baby boys and girls, we are always reminded that we are engaged in a Gospel battle and that, "The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." 2 Corinthians 10:4-5.

Every stronghold, every false ideology, everything that sets itself up against the knowledge of God must be torn down and totally destroyed (charem). There is no middle ground here - no room for compromise! We must destroy these lies because we love our neighbor and desire for him to come to a knowledge of the only one who can save his soul, Jesus Christ. Abortion can't save, it leads only to death. Homosexuality can't save, it leads only to death. Islam can't save, it leads only to death. They are, all three, lies birthed in the pit of hell to bring death.

We are a Gospel people! How one fights the battle is determined by what one perceives the battle to be. We don't go to abortion mills so that the lives of little baby boys and girls may be saved, or that abortion may be brought to an end. As noble an endeavor as that is, it is not the reason we go. We go to bring the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the gates of hell, knowing that, once there, the Author of Life will bring out of the culture of death, life! Jesus conquered death - it is our duty and privilege to proclaim that victory.

When we do, voiceless children are given a voice and many are saved from a savage death. Mothers and fathers who feel they have no choice turn to Christ and find a hope and a reason for living. Instead of running away from Him, they run right into Him. Abortionists, clinic workers, and many antagonistic to the Gospel of Christ find themselves surrendering to the claims of Christ because a Christian was there at the very gates of hell.

We believe that abortion, far from being a political issue, is preeminently a Gospel issue. It is a battle over "who is Lord" and "whose laws reign." If this be true, then the battle for the lives of these voiceless children will never be won in Washington, D.C., until it is first won by the mighty Church of Jesus Christ storming the gates of hell. We have been promised that the gates of hell cannot prevail against the church. They will, however, forever prevail against the Congress, the President, the Senate, and the Supreme Court.

We must stop expecting them to fight our battles for us. It is said that politics is the "art of compromise." The Gospel of Christ, however, is not up for negotiation. There can be no compromise when it comes to any one of the issues mentioned above for they are simply different colored gloves camouflaging the same fist. It is the fist of the devil. We must take this battle to the streets in the Name of Jesus Christ and win it there before we can ever expect to win the battle in Washington, D.C. We are the ones called to crush the head of Satan - no one else!

Keep storming the gates and thank you for blessing us in Dallas,

Flip Benham
Director