Here are gentle Christians in the square (middle of downtown Charlotte) bringing heaven down while all hell is breaking loose in the city government, federal government, media, and police department. For eight successive days, the city of Charlotte experienced a witness of the Gospel of Christ that literally turned it upside down (or right side up) in Jesus' Name. This is what happens when Christians dare to allow the theology of the church house to become biography in the streets.

The Charlotte Police Department attempted to intimidate and harass at every turn. Not only did they arrest Flip without warning before the event even started, they were busy stirring up the community against an active Christian witness in the streets. The First Baptist Church in downtown Charlotte made sure we had water and allowed us to park in their parking lot. For that kindness, they received a phone call from the police that was meant to make them suspicious. Then the Charlotte Observer’s Faith and Religion column excoriated First Baptist for “aiding and abetting” Operation Save America.

It seemed the police were busy on every front. This statement was found in a press release issued by the Muslim Community in Charlotte as they rallied together those who “value tolerance and diversity” in opposition to us: An e-mail to Muslim community leaders from the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department stated: "...much of (Operation Save America's) rhetoric is extremely inflammatory, and there is always the potential for individual members to carry their actions to an extreme." How absurd and how inflammatory! The City of Charlotte had hosted a gay pride festival a month earlier without this kind of rhetoric from the police.

Here is our response in a press release issued Tuesday, July 15, 2003:

How long will you waiver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal be God, follow him. (1 Kings 18:21)

While the city of Charlotte is free to align itself with the enemies of the Lord Jesus under the banner of tolerance, it is not free to deter the severe consequences that will come as a result of her decision.

With the accusations of extremism against Operation Rescue/Operation Save America, the city of Charlotte, its police department, and its city manager, have made a decision to choose abortion, homosexuality, and Islam over Christianity. Who is more extreme? People praying for the souls of men, the lives of children, and the future of America, or those who rip babies apart in their mother’s wombs. Who is more extreme? People proclaiming the transforming message of the Gospel of Christ, or those who promote homosexual sodomy. Who is more extreme? Christians who advocate love toward their enemies, or those who advocate conversion by force or death, i.e. Islamic Jihad.

Charlotte can purchase a false “peace” by touting “diversity and tolerance,” but lies, death, and destruction are included in the package. Our message is true and motivated by the love of Jesus Christ. Apart from Him, there is no peace. History will confirm this to be so!

Day one focused on alerting the sleeping Church that there is a battle being waged outside the church house doors. "Lift up your heads, O you gates; be lifted up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in." Psalm 24:7

We went to two evangelical churches on Sunday, July 13, 2003. One was Forest Hills Presbyterian Church and the other was Silver Mount Baptist Church. Silver Mount is a predominantly black Church located one mile north of the abortion mill. Forest Hills is a predominantly white, wealthy, “seeker friendly” church that is located four miles south of the abortion mill.

We were greeted warmly and with shock at Silver Mount. Most were totally unaware that there was an abortion mill just down the street. They thanked us for being there and welcomed us into the worship service. Pastor Lincoln Lee came out to greet us and asked us to join the congregation. He then asked Ronnie Wallace to lead us in prayer. We passed out every piece of literature we had. It was a wonderful time.

Contrast this to our reception at Forest Hills Presbyterian Church. It was the difference between night and day. Those at Forest Hills were greatly concerned about their own sensitivities being upset by seeing the graphic pictures. They did not want to know about the murder taking place just a few miles down the road – “they just came to praise the Lord!” They did, however, busy themselves writing e-mails and calling into a local Christian radio talk show expressing their utter disdain with our “methodology.”

It appears that content has been replaced by form at Forest Hills Presbyterian. “Don’t tell me about the child killing happening down the street, just use good form when you speak to my delicate psyche.”

When OSA sidewalk counselors and prayer team arrived at A Preferred Woman Clinic, Monday morning at 7:00am, they found it closed. Two police vehicles and a carload of abortion supporters guarded the parking lot. The morning overpass team and the morning mosque team went out before daybreak. At 10:00am, the teams met at Marshall Park for a downtown proclamation. This was the starting point for the parade. Downtown businesses got a first hand look at pictures of aborted babies as they were carried around the center of the city. A Justice for the Babies display was set up in the middle of downtown where everyone converges for lunch. Preachers powerfully proclaimed the gospel over the sound system at this location all week.

It was announced at the rally Monday night that A Preferred Woman abortuary opened later in the morning. A couple arrived and drove into the parking lot. The woman was crying because she had seen the gallery of images displayed on the sidewalk. One of the counselors noted this and called Dr. Danny Holland. He is a local physician who volunteers his time for abortion-minded women. He and Dr. Matt Harrison come to the mill on Saturdays to offer real medical help. This precious baby was saved and was the first of many during the week. Thank you, Jesus!

Just after dawn Tuesday morning, OSA participants fanned out all over Charlotte for Word in Warfare. The entire Bible was read at 15 different locations throughout the city. This was coordinated by Chet Gallagher who introduced us to this concept several years ago. A baby's life was saved during Word in Warfare at the abortion mill located in the Arnold Palmer Center. Two young ladies were able to talk to a young couple before they drove into the parking lot. Another Word in Warfare group read from the book of Isaiah at the Metropolitan Community Church (MCC). As was to be expected, the media was in abundance here. Members of MCC brought out donuts, sodas, and water to show their hospitality. We had more than donuts to give to them. We gave them Jesus!

Three overpasses displayed banners and signs all week. Truckers expressed their appreciation and agreement by waves and honks. Our banner team was 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."

On Thursday, we held a memorial service for two baby girls that were killed by abortion. They were given the names Sarah and Deborah. There were several women in the square that day that responded to the Lord’s mercy and found healing from their past abortions. “Those who look to Him are radiant. Their faces are never covered with shame.” Psalm 34:5

Then we watched in utter astonishment as history was being laid out in front of our eyes. On Friday, July 18, 2003 in Charlotte, North Carolina, Pastors and Christians stood outside the Federal Building to solemnly uphold the Law of God in an Ecclesiastical Court. After 50 years of the United States Supreme Court issuing anti-Christ opinions diametrically opposed to God’s Law and the Constitution, approximately 100 representatives of the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ publicly declared the Supreme Court to be in contempt of both.

The charges of high treason against God’s Law, the Constitution and the People on six counts were read starting with the 1962 Engle vs. Vitale opinion which ripped prayer out of our nation’s public schools. Five other Supreme Court opinions were cited with each being followed by God’s judicial penalties against the guilty parties.

Then Rusty Thomas read God’s sentence standing in front of six coffins, each with a ruling posted by name. After this, children presented torn copies of these six abominable Court opinions in pieces as covenant representatives of our prodigy mentioned in the Preamble to the Constitution and the heritage of the Lord, in Psalm 127:3. They placed the torn opinions in a fire-proof container to be publicly burned.

The saints in Charlotte declared that “from this day forth, we 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.”

When Rev. Flip Benham took a lighter and set fire to the torn paper copies of these six opinions, he did much more than break a simple city trash burning ordinance. Pastor Flip demonstrated his contempt for sin and an entire branch of government that has gone beyond usurping the role of God and declared sin to be good. The Charlotte Police Department stood over 100 officers strong knowing full well what was transpiring. When Flip put the flame to the paper representing the Supreme Courts’ war on Christianity, he set fire to their sacred cows they have aligned themselves with.

For this, they arrested Flip pulling him out of the arms of his youngest daughter. This is not about a city burning ordinance. OSA had applied for a permit to hold an Ecclesiastical Court at the federal building. The city of Charlotte and federal marshals obtained a court order restricting the Christians to the sidewalk. No, this is all about whose laws are supreme, God’s Law or man’s laws. This is about who is Lord.

If you are as sickened as we are by the infuriating and blaspheming decisions of the Supreme Court and are wondering what God fearing people can do -- here it is! An Ecclesiastical Court will be held at federal court houses in cities across this land on Thursday, September 25, 2003, at 11:30am. We need men of God to lead us out in as many cities as possible. Look up www.operationsaveamerica.org for details. You will also find what needs to be said in the enclosed brochure. Then, during the opening session of the Supreme Court of the United States of America on Monday, October 6, 2003, Christians from across the nation will gather at the steps of this court to hold it in contempt of the Court of Almighty God. Hotel accommodations are forth coming.

See you at the gates,
Flip