ORN July Newsletter 1995

June 19, 1995

Precious brothers and sisters,

On Tuesday, June 13th, Carlotta Fondrin took up her position at the Family Planning Clinic in Bakersfield, California. Carlotta was standing firm for her Lord and His children when a car pulled up with a young couple in it. The young man dropped the young lady off and drove out the driveway. Carlotta tried to give him some literature. He breathed some expletives and then pulled a gun on her. She backed away very frightened. He drove off. Carlotta called the police and they found the man at his home. He showed the police the gun, which turned out to be a pellet gun. He was not arrested.

Tim Palmquist, the pro-life leader in Bakersfield, went to the police station with his wife and children to ascertain why this man was not arrested. He asked for the police report and was refused because his name was not on the report. He then made it clear that there was a double standard being applied by the Bakersfield police. One for those who represent Jesus and life and one for those who profit from death. The District Attorney in Bakersfield had often stated that people who counsel for life at abortion mills should expect mistreatment because abortion is such a "volatile" issue.

The next thing Tim knew, the policeman had gone from around the counter and grabbed him. He threw him down on his face and handcuffed him. Tim asked, "Why are you doing this?" The policeman said, "You have a pen in your hand and you were making stabbing motions." Those of us who know Tim Palmquist know how utterly absurd this is.

Tim is presently in the Bakersfield Jail being held on $25,000 bail. He has been charged with: Assault with a Deadly Weapon on an Officer, Disturbing the Peace, and Resisting Arrest. Tim said, "This puts new meaning to the pen being mightier than the sword." Lawyers from the American Family Association are poised and ready to help Tim and Terry in this diabolical miscarriage of justice.

God bless you Tim, Terry, Carlotta and all of the precious saints in Bakersfield. God will turn to good what the enemy means for your evil. Take your positions. Stand Firm. See God's deliverance and write it down for posterity.

Should it surprise any of us that a government, which first abandoned children in the womb, has now abandoned Christians peacefully bringing the Gospel to women in crisis pregnancies? A government which will not protect the defenseless cannot be expected to protect anyone except itself.

WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT FROM GOD'S LIVING WORD

Surrounded by Moabites, Ammonites, and Meunites, King Jehoshaphat turned to the only one who could save his nation. This is his prayer: "For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you," (2 Chron 20:12). He didn't labor. He didn't spin. He didn't strategize. He didn't consult the logistical engineers. He simply called the men of Judah to bring their wives and children and stand before the Lord. Whom better to turn to?

God spoke to His king and His people through the prophet Jahaziel, "Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours but God's...You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you," (2 Chron 20:15-17).

The battle you and I are engaged in for the lives of our Lord's precious image bearers is not our own. We didn't pick this fight. It began in heaven, moved to the garden when satan and his angels were cast down and continues raging on earth to this day. It is a battle between two world views -- the seed of the serpent vs. the seed of the woman. Whose laws shall reign? It is a question required to be answered in each generation.

We have an answer. Jesus Christ is the King of kings. He cannot be mocked because He is God and He has spoken. The battle has already been won. He has disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them by triumphing over them on the cross. He is the answer and it is our privilege to proclaim His victory.

We take our positions.
We stand firm.
We see His victory.
We record what He has done.

LISTEN TO WHAT GOD HAS BEEN DOING:

-More good news in New Orleans. In his monthly Pastor's meeting this June, Mayor Marc Morial of New Orleans, had his Police Chief reveal a remarkable statistic. The murder rate in New Orleans fell 50% in the month of April and 17% in the month of May. This has never happened before. The murder capital of our nation is being tamed by the mighty Spirit of God. Remember, Pastor Bill Shanks predicted that if murder would be stopped in the womb, as it was for seven glorious days in April, the spirit of murder would be bound in the streets. This is exactly what happened. Though the mills have reopened, brother Bill reports that the number of Christians taking their positions in the streets and standing firm is up while the number of abortions is down. The battle is the Lord's.

- In Buffalo, Bob Behn reported that the 11% drop in abortions in his city since the "Spring of Life" campaign in 1992 translates into approximately 2,500 babies that have been saved. We pray that these 2,500 precious children will grow up to be mighty men and women of God, learning, doing, and teaching future generations the fear of the Lord. The battle is the Lord's.

-In what is becoming a common occurrence among child killing centers, another mill closed its doors May 27th. Reproductive Services in Corpus Christi, Texas, and a subsidiary of Nova Health Systems, has been killing children since 1978. It was the scene of several rescues and years of faithful sidewalk counseling. Rachael Vargas, the mill's director, was declared excommunicated from the Roman Catholic Church in 1990 by the Most Rev. Rene H. Gracida, Bishop of Corpus Christi. Ms. Vargas said, "We have been operating at a loss for months...we just could not keep up financially." The battle is the Lord's.

-The awesome power of the Gospel is manifesting itself daily in the lives of the workers at abortion mills throughout the nation. Many are coming to know Christ. They are willing to tell the truth about lies told, secrets covered up, and horrors experienced in the abortion industry. We are presently located right next door to the abortion mill where Norma McCorvey (aka Jane Roe) works. The court case that began in Dallas, Texas twenty-four years ago and became known as Roe vs. Wade on January 22, 1973 has swung full circle. Norma has become a very good friend of all of us here at ORN and would much rather be in this office than the one next door. She is not far from the kingdom. I attended church with her last week and she will be attending church with me this Sunday at David Wilkerson's Times Square Church in NYC. Please pray for Norma. The battle is the Lord's.

-On June 2, 1995 the INS granted more time to obtain asylum for the Chinese immigrants. This is a miracle! Eleven ladies and four husbands are leaving the federal prison in Bakersfield, California on Wednesday, June 28th for Caratas, Ecuador. Life Coalition International has already transferred the first payment for the immigrants' support to Quito, Ecuador. Our God is moving in the hearts of Congressmen who were literally stunned at the Christian response to the plight of the immigrants. House Bill 1561, which would grant asylum to anyone fleeing the atrocious "one child per family" policy of China, passed and is now on its way to the Senate. Through the diligent efforts of many God is moving powerfully on behalf of the Chinese immigrants seeking freedom from the oppressive policies of their native land. The battle is the Lord's.

-On Memorial Day Weekend twenty-three gentle warriors laid down their lives in front of a Los Angeles abortion mill and were arrested because they loved the lives of God's children more than their own. God Bless each one. The street in front of the mill was filled with pro-aborts, policemen, and Christians painting an unforgettable picture of the spiritual warfare presently savaging our nation. Joseph Foreman is the only one still in jail. Ostensibly, he is being detained because of his activities during a previous rescue. The battle is the Lord's.

-Enclosed you will find a brochure written by Judie Brown of the American Life League. We believe she has articulated well our Lord's position concerning His children. All of the children, every single one of them (including babies born with only a brain stem) are precious in His sight.

Suppose an enemy were to make you an offer. "You give me one little child born encephalic - he will probably live only a few hours anyway - and I won't allow one child to be aborted this coming year." Would you make the deal? Remember, if you don't deal, the enemy is going to blame you for the slaughter of 1.5 million children in the year 1996. What would you do?

Our answer: God has not given us the moral authority to bargain for the lives of His children. He hasn't given us that chip. He has commanded us to love them all, regardless of the circumstances of conception or handicap. It is only as we lay our lives down for the weak, the lame, the poor, the defenseless, the alien, that we find true meaning in life. Our lives were not given to us so that we could greedily go for all the gusto we can get. We were bought with a price. We are not our own, therefore, we glorify God with our bodies.

What do you say when the enemy says, "So you're going to allow all those children to die just because you're so hard headed and recalcitrant? What kind of a Christian are you?"

Our answer: It is not us that is killing children but you. We will not abandon one of them. We will not put ourselves in the place of God to determine which one lives and which one does not. We will simply lay our lives down and, by our actions say that we love them all. You don't have to read our lips -- read our lives.

We are continually reminded here at ORN that we are in distribution not in management. If there is any bargain to be made it is not with us. The battle is the Lord's.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

*Little Rock Arkansas July 13 -16, 1995. Please join us.

*Dallas, Texas August 11-12, 1995 (Ross Perot is bringing all the Presidential candidates together to discuss the issues. We want to ensure they deal with the issue of this century. Where one stands on this issue determines where one stands on everything else. Once or twice in a century an issue arises: so far reaching in its consequences and so deep in its foundations, that it requires every person to take a stand)

*All sidewalk counselors to meet in Birmingham, Alabama in mid October 1995.

*Life Line will, once again, be contacting many of you to switch your long distance service. Life Line has been a tremendous source of blessing to many ministries.

God bless you all.

In Christian love,

Flip