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God is Going Back to School: Flip responds to criticism by Independence High School student

God is Going Back to School: Flip responds to criticism by Independence High School student

Dear Operation Save America,

My name is Megan Hilliard. I am a student at Independence High School and a Student Leader for CyC (Committed young Christians) at Independence . I am e-mailing you because of a situation that as occurred at Independence this week. On Monday, April 18, 2005 I was pulling into the school and all of a sudden I saw a big replica of the Ten Commandments and many signs that stated "Jesus is the Standard." Your people were getting in front of cars slowing down traffic and handing out flyers. I did not get any that day but I thought that it was a great thing.

Then after I got inside the school, people from all around the school were coming up to me and other members blaming us for cruel comments stated in the pamphlet and the mean comments made to students from the people in front of the school. All day yesterday we were getting blamed for the comments. Since you all have come rats have been happening all over the school. After school I went onto your web site and pulled off a copy of the pamphlet that you all have been giving out. I started reading it and I couldn't believe what you had placed in there. You are calling people dirty, murderers, sinners, and much more. You can't do that.

I am a Christian and I know that we are all sinners but the great thing is you can be saved by forgiveness. You are judging people and you are not supposed to do that. It is in the Bible. You all are going the wrong way about this. You are pushing people away by scaring them and that is not how God wants us to handle these issues. I know you are doing this for a good cause but the way you are going about it is all wrong. I feel it in my heart that God asked me to write this to you. Let me tell you something.

Two weeks ago Independence lost a great football player. He was a strong believer in Christ. He died two weeks ago from a heart problem. I went to his memorial held on Saturday. The memorial was great because Devin had lived for Christ so much and everyone saw it that at the end of the memorial the pastor asked a question. Now let me tell you the memorial was out side in our stadium and the stands were packed tight. The pastor asked the audience to close their eyes and raise their hands if they wanted to live a life for Christ like Devin did. The whole entire stadium stood to their feet and went down onto the football field and each and everyone of them took Jesus into their hearts. I can tell you I have never seen God move that way in my school before. But, now it is all gone because people are walking away because of what your people are doing. Please understand what God is trying to say through me.

Sincerely,

Megan Hilliard

Dear Megan,

You have made some pretty harsh “judgments” about us, but you are required by Scripture to do so. It is very important for you to “test the spirits to see whether they are from God…” 1 John 4:1. Apparently you did not receive the second pamphlet we gave the students on Tuesday of last week, “Do Not Judge.” If you had you would have seen that we are called by Jesus to make judgments. We must discern between that which is evil and that which is good. You have made a judgment about us and you have made it clear that, in your judgment, we are hurting the cause of Christ.

Unfortunately, you may not have taken enough time to make a proper judgment. If you examined pamphlets we passed out, you would find that they are filled with Scriptures that are as contextually accurate as we could portray them. We are far from perfect, but we did our very best to represent the heart and the Word of our Lord to the students. Megan, we would never call any person “dirty.” That word is not in any of the brochures we brought to Independence High School . Was there a reason for your over-exaggeration? Did you just want to make a point at the expense of the truth? Megan, we were not getting out in front of cars – if they stopped, we gave them a brochure, but that was the extent of it. We never said a bad thing to the students other than “Jesus loves you,” though several of them had choice words and gestures for us. Many, many parents and students, on the other hand, thanked us for being there and doing what we were doing.

But you are mad aren't you? We didn't share the Gospel the way you feel is right (isn't that another judgment)? You said that many of the people who raised their hands saying they wanted to live for Christ at Devon's Memorial Service are now walking away from Jesus as a result of what we did last week. Is that really true Megan, or are you just making it up as you go? If they did [in fact] walk away from Jesus because they were irritated and angry at our representation of the Gospel, perhaps they really didn't mean what they said at the Memorial Service, and were giving in to the peer pressure and emotion of the moment.

If one truly loves Jesus, he must be willing to lay his life down for Him. How about you Megan? Are you willing to lay your reputation down for a defense of the Gospel of Christ? Jesus is very judgmental and very intolerant of sin. There are many students in your school who believe that one can be a practicing homosexual and a Christian at the same time. There are many in your school who believe that Islam and Christianity are just two different ways to the same God. There are many students in your school who believe that one can believe in abortion and be a Christian. What do you say about these things Megan?

The kids are coming to you and asking these kinds of questions. They did not do this before we came. Perhaps you might want to use this as a tremendous opportunity for you to share the Gospel of Christ boldly, and contend for the faith.

There were over forty of us from different churches in the Charlotte area who, for over a period of five days, brought the Gospel of Christ right to the doorstep of Independence High School . It wasn't because we didn't have anything better to do that we came. It was because God so loved each of the students at your school that He sent a few foolish Christians to remind those in Independence High of His love for them.

We love you too Megan!

In Christian love,

Flip