The Kingdom Leadership Institute

A Biblical Response to Tyranny

2011-09-15T19:50:00.003-05:00

Hear Rev. Rusty Thomas exegeses the Scriptures as it pertains to tyranny and the response of Christians. Listen to his September 8th interview with Pat Necerato of Go, Stand, Speak Ministries. The topic was, "Should Christians Stand Up Against the Evils of Society with the Gospel?"

A Message to America

2011-09-07T22:55:00.000-05:00

This prophetic word was given last year at the World Trade Center, on the anniversary of September 11th. It is a message all America should hear.

Dividing Line Radio Program

2011-06-08T10:29:00.002-05:00

Rusty was privileged to be on Dividing Line, a radio program hosted by Bill and Ruth Darr. Dividing Line is on the Truth in Focus Internet Radio station in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Bill and Ruth are pro-life veterans, having been in “the battle for life” since 1990. Countless women have made the choice to not abort their babies as a result of their efforts. Rusty spoke on his recent article, Seeking the Blessing. The interview gave Rusty the opportunity to speak on the principles of godly leadership. Life is not a playground. It is a war zone─a clash of worldviews competing for the souls of men and the destiny of nations. Our nation is backslidden and our Christian faith is under increasing attack. Click here and scroll down to listen to Rusty speak on Seeking the Blessing to strengthen your faith in the midst of persecution.

The Biblical Role of Men and Women

2011-04-22T13:11:00.003-05:00

A special thanks to "Chaps," Gordon James Klingenschmitt, for preparing the way for a radio interview with hosts Barbara Moore and Wayne Wood, Christian historians of wonderful caliber. Chaps is the former U.S. Navy Chaplain who made national headlines when he took a stand for the rights of military chaplains to pray publicly in "Jesus" name. The interview was on City on a Hill radio program. The interview explored the Biblical role of men and women. Rev. Thomas applied the Word of God to our modern, feminized culture and exhorted Christians to return to God's design for the family.

The promotion for the interview read:

Hear interview with Rusty Lee Thomas author of the Kingdom Leadership Institute Manual. Get inspired by his perspectives along with Barbara Moore and Wayne Wood (historians). There is nothing like God's best for the role of men and women but today we have so wrecked havoc in society because we have ignored God's plans. This amazing interview we hope will inspire men and women the world over to remember the One who loves him best and realize God's ways are the best ways for right and joy-filled relationships. After all, God did not even withhold His one and only Son to show us His amazing love and grace. And just think--you are invited to come boldly to His throne of grace.

Click here to listen to the podcast then scroll down to April 18, 2011.

Seeking the Blessing

2011-04-15T15:20:00.002-05:00

Seeking the Blessing in the Midst of a Perverse and Crooked Nation was originally published on Elijah Ministries website. In it, Rev. Thomas reminds the church of her forgotten and neglected blessings: the blessing of rebuking the wicked, the blessing of turning, the blessing of persecution, the blessing of children, and the blessing of blessing. We pray it will be a source of encouragement to street preachers, biblical families, and Christian witnesses everywhere. Click here to read the article.

Lower Magistrate Doctrine

2011-03-03T21:47:00.001-06:00

As promised, I will attempt to lay out the case biblically and historically for Christian men, under the blessing of God, to take up arms in defense of life, liberty, and property. Our Founding Fathers thought a time could come when such an action would be not only necessary, but also righteous. Thomas Jefferson expected it as a necessary reoccurrence. He stated, "The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.” Given this reality, what are the principles that would facilitate the use of force by patriots against tyrants? Is there a bottom line that once crossed demands a righteous call to arms?

The Problem

Our nation is set on a dangerous course. Our freedom of speech, freedom to practice religion, freedom of the press (fairness doctrine), and a host of other freedoms hang in the balance, even as I write. We are therefore duty bound to restrain our passions in order to think biblically, principally, governmentally, and jurisdictionally as we approach this sobering topic.

The situation we face as Americans is not trivial. It is extremely weighty. What we are facing as a nation dwarfs our individual concerns. Civil government has become the chief robber and the greatest threat to our liberty. As we suffer economically, it is estimated that 2/3rds of the government's budget is spent on social programs that have no Constitutional basis.

The centralization of power has brought us to tyranny. Government creates many of our problems by violating their jurisdictions, and then clamors for more power to "fix" their abuses.

We have for years suffered from communist indoctrination, with cultural Marxism flourishing in our public schools and colleges. This infiltration is responsible for destroying the faith of eight-five percent of our Christian young, who now walk in goose step with the enemies of the cross.

Our government is systematically censoring and expunging Biblical Christianity from any place of influence in our beleaguered land. Left unchallenged, our nation stands on the verge of making true Christianity an enemy of the state.

With the election of Obama, government by emergency is in full swing. Obama's former chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, rejoiced over the "opportunities" the present crisis offered. He stated, "You never want a serious crisis to go to waste. What I mean by that is it's an opportunity to do things that you think you could not do before. This is an opportunity."

The opportunity Emanuel spoke of is exploiting our nation's woes to implement the Marxist, socialistic agenda of Barack Obama. With the election of Obama, it appears the time has come for cultural Marxism to move from our classrooms to change our system of government. Remember, Obama's goal of "spreading the wealth," as expressed to "Joe the Plumber?”

For years, Barack Obama sat in a "church" that preached black liberation theology. Jeremiah Wright, the pastor of the church, considered James Cone, the founder of this Marxist religion of racial hatred, as his mentor. The following statement by Cone defines black liberation theology and its core premise:

Black theology refuses to accept a God who is not identified totally with the goals of the black community. If God is not for us and against white people, then he is a murderer, and we had better kill him. The task of black theology is to kill Gods who do not belong to the black community. . . . Black theology will accept only the love of God, which participates in the destruction of the white enemy. What we need is the divine love as expressed in Black Power, which is the power of black people to destroy their oppressors here and now by any means at their disposal. Unless God is participating in this holy activity, we must reject his love.

For twenty years, this racist theology has framed Barack Obama's religious and political worldviews. The election of Barack Obama, in many ways, is the culmination of Marxist efforts. Historically, Marxism has always viewed Christianity as its main competitor for men's souls, loyalties, and allegiances. Therefore, the influence of Christianity must be eradicated from the public life of our nation to further their Communistic agenda. It is this sad reality, which forces us to deal with the question of force in defense of what we hold near and dear to us as Christians in America.

Thinking Governmentally

Let us look at the proper roles of government through the lens of God's Word. Governments have proper jurisdictions. Jurisdiction is authority or the range of legal authority. In addition, there are different forms of government. The four basic governments are self-government, family government, church government, and civil government.

As men, it is vital for us to think governmentally in order to act principally. For instance, the basis of self-government, which leads to true liberty, is the Word of God. As individuals, the only way to place the proper restraints upon our sinful lusts, proud passions, and evil desires, and become truly free is by being transformed by the Word of God and the power of the Holy Spirit.

The Apostle Paul taught, "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works (2 Timothy 3:16, 17).” Without the Word of God, men and nations take the path of least resistance. This inevitably reinforces our inherent corruption, which leads to anarchy and ultimately to tyranny.

The basis for God's authority in the family is the rod. The father, in particular, has the awesome responsibility to equate his children with the notion that disobedience and rebellion leads to pains in this life and the life to come. Proverbs, God's book of wisdom, repeats this admonishment throughout its narrative.

God's Word states, "He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes" (Proverbs 13:24). "Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him" (Proverbs 22:15). Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die. Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell" (Proverbs 23:13-14). "The rod and reproof give wisdom: but a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame" (Proverbs 29:15).

The symbol for God's authority in His church is the keys to the Kingdom. Jesus stated, "And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven (Matthew 16:19).” Many in the church mistake this passage of Scripture as a teaching on prayer. This is not a call to pray or to some special prayer formula, but a teaching on church discipline. The keys granted by Christ are the authority of church leaders to excommunicate church members who are engage in known sin and refuse to repent.

Keys lock and unlock doors. The binding and loosing Jesus speaks of is permitting people into God's church based upon repentance and true saving faith, or banning them if they seek to corrupt God's church through refusing to repent of known sin. In fact, the Apostle Paul went so far as to command church leaders to turn over a rebellious member in unspeakable sin to Satan for the destruction of his flesh, to the end that his soul might be saved (1 Corinthians 5:5).

The symbol of God's authority in civil government is the sword. Romans 13:1-4 establishes this truth. God's Word states:

Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same: For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.

Truly, it is this jurisdictional understanding that gave birth to the Lower Magistrate Doctrine. Notice that only civil authorities are ordained with a sword. Individuals and the church are not. This is why violence can never spring from these sources. The sword is an instrument of death, a lawful coercive force to exercise wrath against evil doers. Its divine purpose is to establish justice, safety, and order in society.

As Christians, we are to obey lawful civil authority as an ordinance of God. But what happens when lawful authority moves from being a "minister of God" to a willing dupe of Satan that terrorizes the people they are sworn to protect and serve?

First Principle: We Must Remain Law Keepers

First, when the laws of men conflict with the laws of God, the church is duty bound to obey God rather than men (Acts 5:29). In the midst of tyranny, we are to trust God and continue to do good, even though this may be considered a crime in a tyrannical state. Just because the government becomes a lawbreaker, however, does not mean the church is alleviated from the responsibility to keep the law.

Having stated this, there is still a legitimate question that requires a genuine answer. Is it ever lawful for Christians or citizens of good will to take up arms to defend themselves from the destructive tyranny of magistrates? I believe the answer is yes, but certain preconditions and principles must be adhered to before any such action can be taken. Primarily, all legal remedies must be exhausted before considering armed resistance.

Second Principle: We Must Exhaust all Legal Remedies

Patrick Henry, in his famous "Give me Liberty or Give me Death" speech, articulated this important principle. He stated:

Sir, we have done everything that could be done to avert the storm which is now coming on. We have petitioned; we have remonstrated; we have supplicated; we have prostrated ourselves before the throne, and have implored its interposition to arrest the tyrannical hands of the ministry and Parliament. Our petitions have been slighted; our remonstrances have produced additional violence and insult; our supplications have been disregarded; and we have been spurned, with contempt, from the foot of the throne!

In vain, after these things, may we indulge the fond hope of peace and reconciliation. There is no longer any room for hope. If we wish to be free-if we mean to preserve inviolate those inestimable privileges for which we have been so long contending-if we mean not basely to abandon the noble struggle in which we have been so long engaged, and which we have pledged ourselves never to abandon until the glorious object of our contest shall be obtained-we must fight! I repeat it, sir, we must fight! An appeal to arms and to the God of hosts is all that is left us!

Our Founding Fathers exercised all lawful remedies. Their efforts were met with increased oppression. Eventually, lower magistrates in America voted to take up arms against the tyranny of the higher magistrate, the king of England. In the Declaration of Independence, they stated clearly that governments should not be changed or abolished over "light and transient causes.” But after a "long train of abuses," which is "designed to produce an oppressive authoritarian state," "it is the right, it is the duty, to throw off such government and to provide new Guards for their future security."

In this, the spirit of Lex Rex, the law is king, taught by Reverend Samuel Rutherford resisted the tyranny of the so-called "divine rights of kings.” Our Founding Fathers were guided by other lights as well, such as, the Christian philosopher, John Locke and the Reformers, such as, John Knox of Scotland. They therefore elected representatives from each state and by way of the Declaration of Independence announced to the world and at that time, the world's greatest power, England that America would become a free and independent nation amongst the nations of the earth.

They proceeded to list twenty-seven grievances for separation from England. What gave them the moral authority to claim such independence? Our Founding Fathers looked to the "laws of nature and nature's God." This creates a huge dilemma for us today. For if there is no existence of God, as humanistic America vainly believes today, then there is no higher law in which to appeal. Thus in the cases of civil tyranny, there is no higher authority to invoke against despots that seek to replace the sovereignty of God in the lives of its citizens. If this principle is not true, then America is a rogue nation that remains in rebellion to its lawful authority, England.

Third Principle: There must be a Lower Magistrate

Our Founding Fathers did not take up arms, however, until the lower magistrates in America resisted the tyranny enforced by England. Since only magistrates are ordained with the sword, to resist the tyranny of a higher magistrate, the lower magistrates must make a stand in defense of life, liberty, and property. Then and only then will the God of the Bible bless the efforts of Christian men joining with lawful authorities ordained with the sword to take up arms. Clearly, our Founding Fathers rested their case upon this truth. At the end of the Declaration, these words are found, "And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor."

The closest we have been to this situation, in recent times, happened in Alabama a few years back. The enemies of the cross went after Judge Roy Moore and his display of the Ten Commandments. It created quite a stir and media circus. Eventually, the Governor of Alabama stepped into the fray and warned the god-haters that if anyone dared try to remove the Ten Commandment plaque from Judge Moore's courtroom, they would do so "staring down the barrels of M-16s.”

Governor Fob James was prepared to call the Alabama State Troopers and the Alabama National Guard to protect the Ten Commandments and Judge Roy Moore's freedom to display them. Apparently, President Clinton found out and called to confront Governor James. He told him that he would federalize the Alabama Guard, if Governor James used them to defend freedom. If I remember correctly, Mr. James told President Clinton directly, "You do what you got to do and I'll do what I got to do."

At that point, if push came to shove, I believe every liberty loving Christian man in this nation could have gathered, armed, and defended freedom along side the Alabama State Troopers and the Alabama National Guard. A lower magistrate, in this case Governor Fob James, was prepared to resist the tyranny of a higher magistrate, President Clinton.

Lastly, American Christians have not exercised all lawful means against the tyrannical direction our nation has been heading for years. Most Christians do not even vote, let alone stand for righteousness in the public square. But if the time comes, when legal remedies are exhausted and flight or protest becomes impossible, keep your eyes open for a lower magistrate who determines "enough is enough" and makes a principled stand in defense of life, liberty, and property.

If God would seem fit to bless America with such courageous, godly statesmen, the taking up of arms becomes possible once again. Christian men in good conscience before God could then join in the holy cause of freedom.

Remember as well that the second Amendment was not so Americans could join the NRA or for hunters to shoot ducks. Our Founding Fathers established it as the last check and balance against governmental tyranny.

Moreover, may what was stated in the first American Revolution ring true for our future. Samuel Adams, the Father of the American Revolution, declared after the fight for liberty was won, "We have this day restored the Sovereign to whom all men ought to be obedient. He reigns in heaven and from the rising to the setting of the sun, let His kingdom come."

No king, but King Jesus and may God be pleased to deliver us from evil once again! Amen and amen!

The Prophetic Call of the Church

2011-03-01T06:19:00.000-06:00

“Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience (James 5:10).”

The book of James is an interesting and controversial book. The German Reformer, Martin Luther, viewed it as “chaff amongst the wheat.” To the mind of Mr. Luther, Brother James drew too heavily from the wisdom of God’s Law. Perhaps, he thought this New Testament epistle was more suited for the Old Testament, rather than the New. Regardless, he thought James lifted up the Law of God to the point that it cast too great a shadow over the grace of God to suit his theological tastes. To Mr. Luther, this constituted “chaff amongst the wheat.”

BACKGROUND

Most scholars agree the epistle of James was written by the step-brother of our dear Lord. If so, clearly, he had a privileged position to observe our Lord not only based upon His public persona, but by being brought up in the same home. Apparently, he was not always a fan of his big brother. He participated in the family taunt to provoke Jesus to go the Feast in Jerusalem, knowing full well that there were enemies seeking our Lord’s death (John 7:1-9). I imagine living with “Mr. Perfect” had the potential to produce a dangerous jealousy.

Thankfully, James grew older and became wiser. He eventually came to understand the true nature of his elder brother. He was God in the flesh. Through the years, James rose in prominence. In the church and throughout Jerusalem, he was known as James the Just: The Safeguard of the People. He was also called Camel Knees.

One day the city fathers of Jerusalem came with a request. They asked James to climb up to the pinnacle of the Temple and address the city. They hoped James would help quell the rumors that were circulating concerning the teaching and preaching of Jesus Christ. James honored their request and took his position high above the gathering crowds. He then proceeded to assure everyone there that everything they had heard about his elder brother concerning the Gospel of the Kingdom was absolutely true. He was indeed the promised Messiah. Obviously, this message was not received anon with joy by those who asked James to “set the record straight.”

Betrayed by the truth, the city fathers called to those near the brave man of God. “Throw him down,” they cried. James hit the ground with a thud. Amazingly, the great fall did not kill him. Living up to his name, Camel Knees, he rolled over on his knees, presumably to pray for his persecutors like Jesus and Stephen before him (Luke 23:34; Acts 7:60). The frenzied crowd at this point took up stones to pelt him to death. The barrage of stones failed in their deadly mission. One can only presume God desired the people to hear more of James’ prayers for them. Finally, a fuller, who makes cloth bulkier by dampening and beating it, smashed the man of God in the head with his iron instrument. James, the brother of Jesus, mercifully succumbed to death and received a martyr’s crown.

James is writing to “the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad.” These were Jewish Christians under the boot of religious and civil tyranny. His purpose was to reach from Jerusalem as a faithful elder of Christ to care for their souls and encourage them to press on in the faith. In our opening verse, James 5:10, he wraps up his epistle to encourage the fledgling church to draw strength, inspiration, and encouragement from the prophets who had gone before them. In other words, he was seeking to tie the church to the prophetic realm of Almighty God.

Where would he get such a notion? Perhaps, he paid attention to his brother’s famous Sermon on the Mount. Maybe the Beatitudes helped to lead him in this direction. Matthew 5:10-12 states:

Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

The connection our Lord is seeking to make here is irrefutable. Once again, the witness of God’s word seeks to bind the church to the prophets of old. In other words, the plight of the prophets would be similar to the plight experienced by God’s people. In other passages, Jesus declared, “Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city (Matthew 23:24).” He further warned the religious leaders of His day in a parable found in Matthew 21. He told them that the Kingdom would be taken from them and given to a nation worthy to bear the fruit thereof. All this was due to their rejection and mistreatment of the prophets and Himself (Matthew 21:33-46).

Jesus as Prophet

In Matthew 16:13-15, Jesus asked two profound questions. God’s word states:

When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?

It is interesting to observe the view of Jesus by the people of His day. They related His ministry to the prophets of old. All the men mentioned were bold, righteous men of God. They were rough, tough and hard to bluff in their service to the Lord. Apparently, there was something in our Lord’s manner, perhaps, it was the fire in His eyes or the thunder of His voice that reminded the people that someone like Elijah, Jeremiah, or John the Baptist was in their midst. We know Jesus confronted Israel’s evil just like Elijah (1 Kings 18; Matthew 23). He wept over the city of Jerusalem like Jeremiah (Jeremiah 9:1; Luke 19:41). He even warned the Jews not to trust in being the physical seed of Abraham as the basis for their salvation like John the Baptist (Matthew 3:9; John 8:39).

Besides this, remember how Jesus defined John the Baptist? He asked the people:

What went ye out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind? But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? behold, they that wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses. But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet.

Jesus reminded people of John the Baptist. This view was so strong that Herod the tetrarch erroneously believed Jesus was John the Baptist raised from the dead (Matthew 14:1, 2). Obviously, this view of Christ is conspicuously absent in the modern day church and the corrupt culture we have failed to impact. Most folks today view Jesus as an effeminate guru that wouldn’t harm a flea and His bloody cross as a good citizenship award. The civil and religious leaders of His day knew otherwise.

Obviously, this modern view of our Lord is a far cry from the people of Jesus’ day. And whether consciously aware of it or not, the people back then were adding their amen to a prophecy given by Moses. God promised to raise up a prophet similar to him. Acts 3:22, 23 records:

For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you. And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people.

The Nature of the Prophetic Call

Jeremiah 23:22 states, “But if they had stood in my counsel, (false prophets) and had caused my people to hear my words, then they should have turned them from their evil way, and from the evil of their doings.” The prophetic realm is the realm of reformation. It is a call to reform our ways, thinking, and behavior that is out of step with God’s righteous and holy character. Mankind tends to forget and go astray. God, in His faithfulness, raises up prophetic witnesses to bring us back into remembrance. He faithfully calls us back to the ancient paths we abandoned to our own demise (Jeremiah 6:16). The New Testament counterpart to this divine calling would be our Lord’s admonishment for the church to be salt and light in our perverse and corrupt world. Ultimately, this call is to protect people from the idolatry and immorality, which invokes God’s wrath upon disobedient men and nations (Deuteronomy 28).

Parable of the World’s Hill

To illustrate the importance of prophetic ministries in our day, consider this modern day parable. I call it the Parable of the World’s Hill. It seeks to distinguish the difference between mercy ministries and prophetic ministries in our crooked nation.

Picture, if you will, the world as a hill. The masses of the world gather at the top and by their foolish, sinful behavior cast themselves headlong off the cliff. At the bottom, some of the Church waits for the inevitable thud. Thankfully, a mercy ministry ambulance picks them up and whisks them away. Christians then work feverishly to try to piece back together again the broken lives impacted by the fall.

Prophetic ministries, however, make an extra effort to climb up to the top of the hill and place itself between the foolish, sinful behavior and plead with the world, “DON’T JUMP.” Prophetic ministries seek to intervene before the world mangles itself by hurling their lives against the reality of God and His moral commandments.

A good example of this difference is the battle against the culture of death fueled by abortion. Thank God for post-abortive, mercy ministries that help women cope with the aftermath of the grievous sin and crime they committed against their own offspring. Prophetic ministries seek to intervene in order to spare men, women, and children the horrors of abortion. Thus, the more we have prophetic ministries, the less we have need of mercy ministries. Both are important, however, when it comes to serving our Lord and loving others in His name.

As a wise man once said, “An ounce of prevention is worth more than a pound of cure,” especially, when it comes to the many issues in this life mankind will inevitably experience. Whereas mercy ministries seek to provide a cure after mayhem and disaster strike, prophetic ministries seek to prevent disaster from happening in the first place. Mercy ministries bind the wounds, while prophetic ministries seek to prevent the wounds. In other words, it is better to avoid disobedience, idolatry, and immorality, which devastates lives and ruins nations. How will men and nations know what is the source of their calamity? God raises up and sends forth prophetic witnesses.

Typically, the world will not manifest bulging veins and secular denunciations if the church exercises mercy ministries. In fact, the world may even render reluctant praise towards those in the church who feed the poor or clothe the naked. On the other hand, the world and even segments of the church will bear “tooth and claw” and howl against those who have the courage to “stand in the counsel of the Lord to turn them from their evil way, and from the evil of their doings.” This situation is responsible for the majority of the church supporting mercy ministries while distancing itself from prophetic ministries. Our nation is bearing the fruit of this lopsided emphasis by the American church, which seeks to sever the tie between us and the prophets of old, our Lord and the Apostles sought to establish.

Conclusion

Lastly, in order for the church to be effective in the prophetic call, we must get over the suffering and death issues. As Christians, we must get use to the idea that we will suffer for two reasons. We will suffer for doing what is right and we will suffer for doing what is wrong. The wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). There is a connection between sin and suffering. In fact, Peter taught, “Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin (1 Peter 4:1).” The Psalmist would concur, “Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word (Psalm 119:67).”

If we suffer for being a true Christian, however, God’s Spirit and glory rests upon us and is working for us an eternal weight of glory (1 Peter 4:14; 2 Corinthians 4:17). Revelation 12:11 sums up the prophetic call to the church to defeat Satan and evil, God’s word declares, “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.” So be it!

A Spiritual and Moral Attack that Hurt America

2011-02-28T20:59:00.001-06:00

The following is Rev. Rusty Thomas's response to an article entitled, A Political Attack that Hurts Women, by Felicia Chase Goodman, CEO of Planned Parenthood of Central Texas.

Click here to watch as Rusty pleads the cause of the fatherless at a Planned Parenthood in Florida.

“The first one to plead his cause seems right, until his neighbor comes and examines him” (Proverbs 18:17).

The Planned Parenthood abortion empire must be feeling a little vulnerable in these days of economic collapse facing our nation. Like most organizations on the government dole, they expect the gravy train to continue forever, no matter how many lives are ill affected by their demand for more tax dollars. Case in point is the recent comments by Felicia Chase Goodman, CEO of Planned Parenthood of Central Texas.

Goodman is concerned that the defunding of Planned Parenthood will leave women without basic care. She proceeds to list the various services that Planned Parenthood provides: cancer screenings, contraception, HIV testing, STD testing, treatment and annual exams. If this were all that Planned Parenthood was involved in, except in the case of contraception, I would be the first to commend them for promoting the Christian ideal of relieving suffering in this poor-fallen world. Conspicuously missing from Goodman’s list, however, is the practice of child-sacrifice, the shedding of innocent blood, which they euphemistically call abortion.

In stating this support, I would still be inclined to question Planned Parenthood’s socialistic expectations. Why should taxpayers, through the government dole, be forced to provide these services? Especially, when a majority of Americans are mortified by the criminal acts committed by the leading advocate and provider of abortion in the world. According to Walter Williams, economist at George Mason University, “Two-thirds to three-quarters of it (the government budget) is for purposes of benevolence.” In other words, most of our government budget has no Constitutional basis for these expenditures. This violation of “Enumerated Powers,” however, does not seem to alarm our bloated, inefficient government. It does not seem to convince them to abandon the Marxist, redistribution of wealth schemes taxing Americans to death. Nor does Planned Parenthood seem bothered that the average American citizen is suffering economically to keep their abortion business in the black.

Whether or not anyone wants to admit it, our nation is facing a show down between the producers in America versus the entitlement mentality that ill affects a large segment of our population. Political party systems that have handed out government goodies for years in order to increase their political power are swiftly facing their day of reckoning. America’s binge with loose fiscal policies is proving untenable. Our government is going broke by trying to play “God” for far too many of Americans. Margaret Thatcher, former Prime Minister of England stated it best, “Socialism works, till you run out of other people’s money.” America is learning this lesson the hard way.

Tragically, not all that glitters at Planned Parenthood is gold. In an article entitled, A Political Attack that Hurts Women, Goodman unashamedly admits, “Planned Parenthood does more than any other U.S. organization to encourage the use of contraception.” She bears this statement as a badge of honor. No small wonder why. Before Margaret Sanger, the patron saint of the abortion industry, changed the name of the organization to Planned Parenthood, it was known as The Birth Control League.

One of the reasons Margaret Sanger started The Birth Control League is discovered by this quote, “[Our objective is] unlimited sexual gratification without the burden of unwanted children.” She desired a world where mankind could experience all the pleasures of sex with no responsibility. Under her tutelage, the sexual act could be divorced from marital procreation. In fact, she stated, “The marriage bed is the most degenerate influence in the social order.” Thus, it appears that sexuality, to her, could be reduced to a mere act of recreation and the person who dies with the most conquests wins her hedonistic prize. Faye Wattleton, a former president of Planned Parenthood, concurs, “We re not going to be an organization promoting celibacy or chastity.” If this be true, then what exactly, are they teaching our children in their sex education classes with our tax dollars?

As a minister and a student of history, it is clear that the introduction of birth control in America is what fueled the sexual revolution. Since its inception, what has been the fruit of the “free love” expression made possible by the “contraception invasion” of the 1960s? Simply put, all the calamities Goodman and Planned Parenthood seek to treat with more tax dollars. The problem is they never seem to want to connect the dots to what they espouse and the consequences they produce. They refuse to admit that it has been their promotion of sexual immorality and child sacrifice, which created the environment, which riddles human bodies with STDs, HIV, AIDS, and various forms of cancer that have exploded under their watch.

In this sense, Planned Parenthood acts like a drug rehabilitation center that supports the local crack house. They need people addicted to crack in order to justify the existence of their drug rehabilitation centers. Put another way, Planned Parenthood is like a dentist that encourages children to eat nothing but candy. The dentist is therefore assured that there will be many people who will experience “unwanted” cavities and desperately need his care.

Since the advent of contraception, so heralded by Goodman and Planned Parenthood, fornication, adultery, homosexuality, and other sexually deviant behaviors are off the charts. Child molestation, pornography, sexual human trafficking, and pedophilia have exploded as well. Does this concern Planned Parenthood and their push to peddle more birth control? Not in the least. For those who can stomach it, check out Lisa Rose’s Live Action sting operations. Her website exposes Planned Parenthood’s collusion with pimps, underage prostitutes, sex-slave traffickers, and statutory rapists. Tragically, when Planned Parenthood is informed of the ages of the children (14 and 15), they send the underage children back to their abusers unprotected. Without notifying the authorities, Planned Parenthood offers to kill the babies of these underage children and supply them with birth control. And who pays the tab for these atrocities? The American taxpayer.

Jesus taught:

Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them (Matthew 7:17-20).

Texans must understand this universal truth that has been demonstrated throughout mankind’s bloody and idolatrous history: Whenever pagan sexual immorality is accepted by nations, child sacrifice always follow in its wake to vainly remove the fruit of our sin. Planned Parenthood is a master organization that utilizes our tax dollars to make sure these evils persist.

Goodman and Planned Parenthood, as with all people who have an over inflated idea of themselves, believe that women’s health care will disappear unless Planned Parenthood is there to provide it. In her article, Goodman proceeds to list all the “good” Planned Parenthood does. As the case with all evil, one must highlight all the good in order to justify the evil one commits. In other words, there is always a “good reason” for those who are involved with evil.

This delusional syndrome is like an abuser who assures his victim over and over again that he beats her because he loves her. In fact, even Hitler believed he was performing a good service for mankind by ridding the world of “useless eaters.” In this instance, Planned Parenthood is like rat poisoning. Ninety percent of rat poison is “good” for the rat. It is just that ten percent that kills him.

According to Goodman’s hyperbole, womanhood will not survive without Planned Parenthood’s services. Goodman is making an absurd assertion. There are churches, hospitals, crisis pregnancy center, clinics, and many other charitable organizations that do not encourage sexual immorality and child killing that will help women to make the right choices in life, choices that lead to life and not death, blessing and not cursing (Deuteronomy 30:19). They will teach, love, mentor, and help guide women to avoid the many snares, pitfalls, and challenges that Planned Parenthood exploits to peddle their birth control and kill babies for profit.

Judging by Goodman’s last gasp for our tax dollars, mercifully, it appears that Planned Parenthood’s house of horrors may end soon in Texas. Planned Parenthood is going the way of every other oppressive regime in mankind’s bloody history. It is my sincere prayer that soon our tax dollars will no longer support the culture of death defiling our beloved land. May justice be led to victory and Planned Parenthood’s “wolf in sheep’s clothing” organization collapse like a house of cards in Jesus’s name!

The Declaration of Independence

2010-07-04T21:53:00.001-05:00

On July 4th each year, America celebrates Independence Day. By acknowledging our independence from England to become a separate and distinct nation in the earth, we also acknowledge our dependence upon Almighty God. John Adams, our second president declared:

The second day of July, 1776, will be the most memorable epoch in the history of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary Festival. It ought to be commemorated, as the Day of Deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forever.

John Adams considered the signing of the Declaration of Independence as a holy Day, not just a holiday.

Samuel Adams considered the father of the American Revolution, commenting on the signing of the Declaration, stated:

We have this day restored the Sovereign to Whom all men ought to be obedient. He reigns in heaven and from the rising to the setting of the sun, let His kingdom come.

This was not a revolution that just changed men to be ruled by other men. This was the fulfillment of the battle cry, "No king, but King Jesus!" It was in effect the pronouncement to the world that America would be One Nation under God. Ronald Reagan warned, "If we ever forget we are One Nation under God, we will become one nation gone under."

On November 20, 1772, in the section of The Rights of the Colonists entitled, "The Rights of the Colonist as Christians," Samuel Adams declared:

The right to freedom being the gift of God Almighty, the rights of the Colonists as Christians may best be understood by reading and carefully studying the institutions of The Great Law Giver and the Head of the Christian Church, which are to be found clearly written and promulgated in the New Testament.

In other words, our rights and responsibilities as Americans were first revealed in the Scriptures and later established into our Founding documents, the Declaration of Independence and Constitution. This is a notion rejected by many Americans today, but it is true history.

Another indication of this view comes from John Quincy Adams, our sixth president. In a speech 50 years after signing of the Declaration he stated:

Why is it that, next to the birthday of the Saviour of the World, your most joyous and most venerated festival returns on this day. Is it not that, in the chain of human events, the birthday of the nation is indissolubly linked with the birthday of the Savior? That it forms a leading event in the Progress of the Gospel dispensation? Is it not that the Declaration of Independence first organized the social compact on the foundation of the Redeemer's mission upon earth? That it laid the cornerstone of human government upon the first precepts of Christianity and gave to the world the first irrevocable pledge of the fulfillment of the prophecies announced directly from Heaven at the birth of the Saviour and predicted by the greatest of the Hebrew prophets 600 years before.

The Declaration acknowledges God Almighty in four different capacities. First, it acknowledges God as Lawgiver. It states, "To the laws of nature and nature's God." This appeal to higher law became the basis for Independence. To comprehend the magnitude of that particular phrase utilized by Thomas Jefferson, one must look to Sir William Blackstone who was the first one to coin it.

Sir William Blackstone was a renowned English jurist who wrote the highly influential work called, Commentaries on the Laws of England. Blackstone defined the laws of nature and of nature's God as:

Man, considered as a creature, must necessarily be subject to the laws of his Creator, for he is entirely a dependent being ... And, consequently, as man depends absolutely upon his Maker for everything, it is necessary that he should in all points conform to his Maker's will ... this will of his Maker is called the law of nature. These laws laid down by God are the eternal immutable laws of good and evil. This law of nature dictated by God Himself; is of course superior in obligation to any other. It is binding over all the globe, in all countries, and at all times: no human laws are of any validity if contrary to this... The doctrines thus delivered we call the revealed or divine law, and they are to be found in the Holy Scriptures ... {and} are found upon comparison to be really part of the original law of nature. Upon these two foundations, the law of nature and the law of revelation (Thomas Jefferson penned of nature's God as a substitute for the law of revelation) depend all human laws; that is to say, no human laws should be suffered to contradict these.

According to Blackstone, the inspiration behind the laws of nature and of nature's God, the creation itself testifies and teaches man there is a Supreme Designer that created the universe. The immutable laws contained within nature reveal a Creator that man is to be subject to by virtue of being a dependent creature. In this, Blackstone was in complete agreement with the Scriptures.

Romans 1:20 states:

For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse.

Psalms 19:1 affirms this truth, "The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork." But because man's reason is corrupted by sin, according to Blackstone and the Bible, the Lord did not leave revelation to chance; He made a direct appeal to mankind through what Blackstone called the law of revelation. The Ten Commandments, God's moral Law, was God's way of appealing to man objectively to confirm within man what he instinctively knows to be true, but because of sin man suppresses that truth and exchanges it for a lie. Therefore God sent His most perfect revelation of Himself to mankind via the second person of the Godhead, the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Bible teaches that Jesus is the expressed image of God (Hebrews 1:3). He is the Word of God made flesh. He is Emmanuel, which interpreted is, "God with us!" That is why Jesus could honestly say, "If you've seen me, you have seen the Father." In other words, Jesus was the visible manifestation of the invisible God. According to Blackstone, unless laws were based upon these two premises, they were not laws at all and "no human law should be suffered to contradict these."

Our Founding Fathers acknowledge God as Creator:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.

This was a radical departure from the Beast, pagan rule, centralized power, and divine rights of kings, which leads to statism and civil government as god mentality that threatens us today. No, according to our Declaration, rights come from God and it is government's duty to protect those rights.

This statement also rebukes two other notions modern America has embraced to our harm. First, our rights as Americans are not derived from evolution. Why? If evolution is true, nothing can be wrong. Why worry about truth or lies, tyranny or freedom, if evolution is true? Random selection and cosmic chance, which constantly evolve cannot provide a fix standard to judge anything. You can never reach sensible conclusions, if life is in a constant state of flux. It is like building a house on a foundation of shifting sand.

Secondly, our Founding Fathers believed in self-evident truth. This is anathema in today's society. We live in a post modern age, which believes there is no such reality as truth. So, America has turned to relativism, tolerance, diversity, and multiculturalism instead. Without truth, however, there is no basis for freedom, liberty, science, logic, and morality. All truth is God's truth and if we know and embrace truth, it has the power to liberate. This is the promise of Jesus, the belief of our Founding Fathers, and one we must act on today.

David Barton demonstrated recently that if politicians do not have this foundation right, they will be wrong on all other issues. If they do not defend the right to life, they are incorrect on both foreign and domestic issues.

Our Father's acknowledged Almighty God as "the Supreme Judge of the world." To hold public office before the Constitution most Colonies had to take an oath based upon a belief of future rewards and punishments. In other words, to justly rule amongst men they had to take an oath based upon the realization that God's justice would ultimately triumph in both time and eternity. They had to acknowledge that man, even if he escaped justice on earth, would ultimately be judged and held accountable in eternity. The thought being, if God did not judge sin and reward righteousness amongst men and nations, no incentives to guard against corruption and injustice exist.

Our Constitutional Fathers believed the same. George Mason, Father of the Bill of Rights stated:

Every master of slaves is born a petty tyrant. They bring the judgment of heaven upon a country. As nations cannot be rewarded or punished in the next world, they must be in this. By an inevitable chain of causes and effects, Providence punishes national sins, by national calamities.

This helps to explains the string of calamities that are striking America with increased intensity and frequency. Every idol America now looks to is being judged by a Holy God. Environmentalists that worship the earth are in a state of mourning as the oil continues to decimate their idol in the Gulf. The idolatry of worshipping the almighty dollar is being smashed as God is draining the wealth of our nation. In short, God will not be mocked. We have sowed to the wind and we are reaping the whirlwind.

They ended the Declaration with these immortal words, "And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor."

Brethren, those who signed this Declaration, in essence, signed their death warrant. It was considered an act of treason. In lawless times, those who keep the law are considered the outlaws. They ran their lap of the race and passed to us a legacy of freedom and a heritage of liberty.

The same forces of tyranny at work in their day are threatening us in our day. Foes within our American household and enemies from without seek our demise. Those who signed this document are dead and it is our turn now. It is time that we look to the same God they did and pledge our lives, fortunes, and sacred honor to secure a future and hope for our children and grandchildren so help us God!

Rusty's Radio Interviews

2010-03-17T03:23:00.001-05:00

Rusty was interviewed on American Family Radio's program, Today's Issues yesterday. To listen to the MP3 click here.

Today's Issues is heard on over 200 stations in 34 states. Rusty was blessed by the incredible opportunity to reach so many listeners and by the graciousness of the guest hosts, Ray Pritchard and Kathy Coats. Pitchard and Coats were filling in for Tim Wildmon and Marvin Sanders and did a fantastic, balanced job of vetting the Kingdom Leadership Institute Manual , asking pertinent questions that allowed Rusty to share the truth of the Gospel and the principles of godly leadership contained within his book. They even made reference to his recent press release comparing Obama to King George, an example of poor tyrannical leadership.

The morning before, while in California, Rusty was privileged to be interviewed by Rev. Jesse Lee Peterson, President and Founder of the Brotherhood of a New Destiny. BOND is dedicated to "rebuilding the family by rebuilding the man." Rev. Peterson reaches out to men and youth in major urban areas to help them overcome unbelief, hatred, and racism while rebuilding the traditional family and fostering moral values and positive, honest race relations. While on The Jesse Lee Peterson Radio Show, Rusty was given the perfect platform to share the book with an audience looking for the principles of kingdom leadership. To hear the March 15th podcast, click here.

Rusty thanks both radio programs for the opportunity, and especially thanks Rev. Jesse Lee Peterson and Ray Pritchard and Kathy Coats for their professionalism and inspiration in broadcasting.

Rusty's Television Interview

2010-02-24T03:42:00.004-06:00

Recently, Rusty was privileged to appear on Truth in History, a television program on Sky Angel. He spoke a powerful, four part message on the declension of our country. To watch the television segment entitled, "America's Downward Spiral," go to Truth in History.

To listen to the audio version of Truth in History ,

Second segment Truth in History

Third segment Truth in History

Fourth segment Truth in History

The Glorious Incarnation

2009-12-04T23:36:00.000-06:00

“Unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given: And the government shall be upon his shoulder. And His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6)

We are all familiar with the traditional Christmas hymn, "Joy to the World." But how many of us have stopped to consider its meaning.

Joy to the World, the Lord is come!
Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare Him room,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven, and Heaven, and nature sing.

Joy to the World, the Savior reigns!
Let men their songs employ;
While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat, repeat, the sounding joy.

No more let sins and sorrows grow,
Nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make His blessings flow
Far as the curse is found,
Far as the curse is found,
Far as, far as, the curse is found.

He rules the world with truth and grace,
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders, wonders, of His love.

Jesus came to earth as the King of Kings. That our King would die for us is the incomprehensible wonder of his love. But as the song indicates, Jesus Christ didn't just die for us. Our Saviour reigns. He rules "the world with truth and grace."

Miracles of miracles. The Creator of all came to earth as the most helpless of creation. His majesty and power was shrouded in the innocence and frailty of a human babe. We call this event, the glorious incarnation.

The glorious incarnation is a time when we celebrate Advent. Advent means the glory of the coming of the Lord, the dawning of God’s salvation light to a lost and darkened world. It celebrates the fulfillment of the many prophecies of the Old Testament concerning the birth of Messiah. It unfolds what had been hidden in times past. It announces from the roof tops that Emmanuel is finally here; God is actually with us and is amongst us. The Word was made flesh.

Christ’s birth breaks forth the divine into human history with unparalleled might and splendor. It introduces the supernatural into the natural, in the highest possible order. It sings from the heavens that the King is born, His Kingdom has invaded the earth, and the world will never be the same again. It makes the invisible God visible through the person of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. The glorious incarnation represents an undying faith that through patience and long suffering expects heaven’s visitation will manifest itself in the earth. His Kingdom has come and now we look to His will being done on earth as it is in heaven.

Jesus’ birth not only points to His miraculous entrance into this world, but it also affirms the sacredness of life, particularly the life in the womb. Almighty God humbled Himself and clothed Himself in a tent of human flesh. Jesus was once an embryo, a fetus, and a baby in the womb. Though His conception was supernatural, everything else concerning His development as a baby went according to nature. Thus He completely identifies with every person conceived and born of women in the history of the world.

The truth is, Jesus began His earthly pilgrimage when He was conceived by the Holy Ghost (Luke 1:31). It was at conception where the famous kenosis or "emptying" of Christ began. This "emptying" of course, did not divest Jesus of His deity, but He voluntarily restricted His preincarnate glory and prerogatives as God in order to humbly fulfill His Father’s will on earth. The bottom line is all of Christ’s deity and humanity were fully present at conception(which is why abortion is evil). Christ was no less God or human while in the womb.

May the revelation of Christmas burn bright in our hearts this holiday season. May it shine brighter than the artificial lights of the season and may it inspire our faith, increase our hope, and abound His love to us, our families, and to the world at large. "Joy to the world, the Lord has come! Let earth receive her King."

The Battlefront

2009-11-16T07:08:00.000-06:00

And the LORD God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done ? And the woman said , The serpent beguiled me , and I did eat . And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go , and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life: And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel (Genesis 3:14-15).

The war instigated by Satan in heaven was declared by God in the first book of the Bible. Addressing Satan after the Fall in the Garden, God said, "And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel" (Genesis 3:15). This war continues today, but the battlefront shifts in every generation. It is the same God, the same devil, same truth, same lie, and same heaven and hell, yet the front shifts.

For instance, if you were born 150 years ago, whether you liked it or not, believed in it or not, or participated in it or not, the battlefront of this war was slavery. God used a legal issue, state's rights versus federal power, to judge our nation concerning this grave moral evil. It cost America over six hundred thousand lives before we finally relented and and let the slaves go free. The battlefront was slavery.

The same holds true if you lived 232 years ago. Whether you liked it or not, believed in it or not, or participated in it or not, the battlefront of the war was tyranny versus liberty. Americans longed to be free from the despotism of England.

The battlefronts in America today are abortion and homosexuality. These are the roots of our trouble. Islam is the dangerous fruit. As evidenced in the Bible, God uses our enemies to chastise us and bring His judgment. No nation that ever killed its own babies and allowed homosexuality to flourish has survived to brag about it. These two sins threaten our national security.

It is imperative the people of God discern the battlefront in our generation. We must not only recognize it, we must run to the roar that proceeds from it. As the great reformer, Martin Luther wrote:

If I profess with the loudest voice and clearest exposition every portion of the truth of God except precisely that little point which the world and the Devil are at that moment attacking, I am not confessing Christ, however boldly I may be professing Christ. Where the battle rages, there the loyalty of the soldier is proved and to be steady on all the battlefield besides is mere flight and disgrace if he flinches at that one point.

As Christians, we flinch at abortion. We flinch at homosexuality. We flinch at the lie of Islam. We flinch at political correctness. We disgrace ourselves, our nation, and our God through our inaction. And our failure to engage the enemy on these fronts has caused God to unleash His judgment from heaven.

We have retreated from these battlefronts far to long. Church of God, gather your spiritual weapons and muster beneath the cross. Engage the enemy where the battle is fiercest and the fighting is heaviest. Fight this spiritual battle to give God a reason to show us mercy, even as our nation begs for His judgment. Arise to stop the advancement of lawlessness, lest God arise with flaming fire to take complete vengeance against our spoiled, wicked nation.

Birthed in Battle

2009-11-13T22:55:00.000-06:00

And he saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor : therefore his arm brought salvation unto him; and his righteousness, it sustained him. For he put on righteousness as a breastplate, and an helmet of salvation upon his head; and he put on the garments of vengeance for clothing, and was clad with zeal as a cloke. According to their deeds, accordingly he will repay, fury to his adversaries, recompence to his enemies; to the islands he will repay recompence (Isaiah 59:16-18).

In his classic sermon on the role of the church in society, The Church-Conservative and Aggressive, Charles Spurgeon compared the church to a city in need of defense. Rather then hire mercenaries from the world to fight her battles, Spurgeon exhorts, "In the name of the living God let the Church of Christ train her own citizens for the battle of Christ. Let her bring up her own young warriors for the defense and maintenance of the Truth."

The early church was birthed in battle. There were heresies from within and great persecutions from without. Their faith came at great cost. Yet still they persevered. These former Christians were very much "warriors for the defense and maintenance of the Truth."

In contrast, most modern Christians weren't told by the preacher that when they made peace with God through the merits of Jesus Christ, they declared war on an enemy. Most didn't sign up for a spiritual war when they gave their life to Christ. Many signed up to be blessed or to go to heaven when they die. Some signed up to be a better husband and father or wife and mother. Others signed up to obtain peace and prosperity. These are not bad things; just incomplete apart from the larger picture of God's redeeming work in and through mankind.

In my case, it didn't take long after tasting the goodness of God's salvation for me to realize that something or someone out there didn't like me. The war was on, as God began to call me from the playground of modern Christianity to the battleground of biblical Christianity.

And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon: and the dragon and his angels fought. But they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world: he was cast out to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him(Revelation 12:7-9).

From this passage of scripture, we glean the first sin was actually committed, not in the garden with Adam and Eve, but in heaven by Lucifer. It was there that the kingdom of God suffered the initial split. As a result, God banished Satan and his imps from heaven and confined them to planet Earth.

Don't you find it strange that God created and strategically placed innocent man in the same neighborhood with this sick, perverted, lying, murderer? Was God subjecting man to the wiles of this fallen angel as a cruel joke?

This mystery is revealed in the vision and mission of Jesus Christ. God became flesh and dwelt among us to defeat Satan. Isaiah tells us, it "displeased him that there was no judgment" (Isaiah 59:15).

Based upon this truth, I believe God chose to redeem man so that man could take the victory of Christ and defeat the enemy. The earth is the battleground and man upon it has a God-ordained destiny to repair the breach in God's kingdom in heaven before the world began.

Matthew 11:12 reads, "And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force"(Matthew 11:12). The violent take it by force.

The Church needs to remember we are in the battle of Christ. Then we must train our young men to be warriors again. Finally, we have no choice but to take the kingdom of heaven by force, through the power of Christ.

As Spurgeon said:

Let the Church of God, when her young men go forth to her battles, put her hand upon their shoulders and say, "Be strong, young man, be strong. Dishonor not the mother [Church] that bare you. But go forth and like the son of a Spartan mother, return not but in glory. Go forth to conquer or to die. Come back on your shield, or with it-a hero or a martyr."

You have been birthed for battle. Yet the weapons of your warfare are not carnal. They are mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds. Wield the sword of the spirit, which is the Word of God. Unsheathe your glorious Bible in the sin centers of America. Let the clash of blades, the furor of opposing worldviews, ring in your ear. Don't shrink back. You are mightier than the enemy arrayed against you, because you fight under the banner of the King of Kings. Go forth, gentle Christian. Conquer or die.

It's Your Turn Now

2009-11-11T02:05:00.001-06:00

Through the years, Elijah Ministries, the umbrella ministry for the Kingdom Leadership Institute, has been on the frontline and in the trenches in the spiritual and cultural battle for the souls of men and the destiny of America. It's an honor to serve the King of Kings. Yet suffering for the Lord is an honor no longer sought or recognized.

The idea of a church militant, of a conquering, battling church advancing the cause of Christ, has become a faded memory for most American Christians. Too often we compromise, concede, cater, and coddle in hopes of winning souls to Christ, instead of conquering evil that enslaves them. In America's present backslidden condition, it's prudent to recall the necessity of conflict.

Dr. Augustus Neander, in Memorial of a Christian Life wrote:

Christians [in history] rejoiced to consider themselves as the soldiers of God and Christ (milites Dei et Christi), against the hostile powers of darkness, against everything which appeared to them as belonging to the kingdom of Satan, against the services of sin and of false gods.

Dr. Neander was a church historian born in 1789. His works include the six volume classic, A General History of the Christian Religion and Church (first published in 1826) and History of the Planting and Training of the Christian Church by the Apostles (1832-1833). He also wrote the famous apologetic, Life of Christ (1837). His understanding of church history makes his remarks all the more compelling.

Dr. Neander wrote:

As the whole of life of the Christian, from the beginning to the end, is a conflict with the world and the powers of darkness, a conflict within and without, the kingdom of God in this world must appear as militant, and must make its way by conflict; so that often, in Holy Writ, the calling of the Christian is compared to that of the military life, and the Christian is represented as the soldier of his LORD.
This image was very clear and familiar to the first Christians. Though Christians, in later ages, may have been led to forget the nature of their calling as one of conflict, amidst the external tranquility and prosperity, yet in primitive times their entire outward condition served to remind them of the spiritual warfare; for the church found itself on all sides in conflict with the heathen world, and the public profession made by Christians compelled them to take a share in this conflict.

Christian men, it's time you took your share in this spiritual conflict. In World War I, when soldiers heard the whistle they knew it was time to rush over the top of the trench and charge the enemy. They knew it was time to die. Young men, The whistle has blown. It's time to die, so Christ can live and reign through you. Run to the roar of battle! The warrior's sword and shield has passed to you. It's your turn now.

The Battle Wages

2009-10-26T04:01:00.000-05:00

Life is not a playground. It is a war zone, a clash of worldviews competing for the souls of men and the destiny of nations. The battle of the ages is over who is Lord and whose laws will govern in the affairs of men. Will it be the King of Kings and Lord of Lords? Or will it be Caesar? Will we live under the flawed laws of men, which legalizes evil and ushers in subjugation? Or will we be governed by the holy, righteous laws of the Lawgiver, which births freedom and protects the very liberty Christ died to secure?

Fundamentally, the crisis of our time is a crisis of leadership. The Bible reveals God judges and restores nations based on leadership. By the leaders he raises up or removes, God curses and blesses nations. In light of this covenantal reality, the demand for godly, righteous leadership is upon us.

Our country was founded on Christ and on the tenets of Christianity. But she has forgotten who she is. Our blessed America is in declension. Our continual silence and inaction enables the powers of darkness to wreck havoc in our beleaguered land. America may not turn around in a decade, but with God's help, she may in a generation. We need spiritual warriors to advance God's kingdom. We need kingdom leaders to take back the gates of the land. We need kingdom leadership!

In this time of moral and spiritual crisis, new leaders are rising. The question is,will it be "sons of Barack Obama" or sons of God leading the charge into the future. Become a kingdom leader God can use. The gentle revolution is on. Will you join?

May God save America and no king but King Jesus!
Rev. Rusty Thomas
elijahmin.com

Media Room

2008-09-09T22:46:00.000-05:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

TYRANNY FROM THE WHITEHOUSE
Expert on Leadership Says Obama’s Style Reminiscent of King George

Waco, Texas—With 58 percent of Independent voters expressing a negative opinion of the federal government, a Waco area pastor and author of a new book on kingdom leadership principles says President Obama’s leadership style is reminiscent of the tyranny of King George. Citing recent polls from Gallup and the Pew Research Center, Rev. Rusty Lee Thomas, founder of the Kingdom Leadership Institute, claims, “In many ways, President Obama is acting more like King Obama.”

A CRISIS OF LEADERSHIP
An ABC News/Washington Post poll conducted by telephone August 13-17, 2009, found, “Views of the country's direction have soured; 55 percent say it's seriously off on the wrong track” while an August 12, USA Today/Gallup poll found 69 percent of Americans are “closely following news accounts of town hall meetings.” Commenting on the findings, Thomas said, “Fundamentally, the crisis of our time is one of leadership. This crisis is seen in our town hall meetings, the Tea Parties, talk radio, Third Parties, the debate over socialized health care, voter cynicism, and a general discontent. It is seen in President Obama’s drop in approval. All this speaks to a crisis of leadership.”

TYRANNICAL LEADERSHIP
Citing the Obama Administration’s pro-abortion policies, support of the radical homosexual agenda, assault on the Federal Defense of Marriage Act, promotion of the “Fairness Doctrine” that targets conservative talk radio, and its attack on Christian liberties through the Hate Crimes bill as examples of tyranny, Thomas said, “Civil government is due our taxes, prayers, tribute, and submission to lawful authority. It is not due our faith, conscience, or thoughts. It has no divine right to regulate our faith, determine our beliefs, or punish our thoughts. The question Americans must now ask is what should our response be to this tyranny?”

KINGDOM LEADERSHIP
Thomas is the founder and director of the Kingdom Leadership Institute, a Christian parachurch organization that specializes in worldview training and Christ centered leadership. He hosts the popular KLI camp, a weeklong leadership program for youth. He is also the author of, The Kingdom Leadership Institute Manual, based on the Bible’s principles of leadership. The back cover to Thomas’ new book reads, “Life is not a playground. It is a war zone─a clash of ideas, philosophies, values, and worldviews. It is a violent struggle for the souls of men and the destiny of nations.” According to Thomas, the destiny of our republic is at stake. “During the tyranny of King George, the cry from the American colonies was, ‘No King but King Jesus!’ The fight for independence was over who was Lord and whose laws reigned. It is the same today. Will we bow and pledge our allegiance to King Obama or will we stand and affirm our allegiance to King Jesus? The demand for righteous kingdom leadership is upon us. “

Published by Tate Publishing and Enterprises, The Kingdom Leadership Institute Manual: Raising Up Leaders a Time Like This Demands identifies and equips the next generation of “righteous leaders.” The Kingdom Leadership Institute Manual addresses the crisis of leadership in post-election America from a biblical and historical standpoint. A perfect supplement to homeschool curriculums, for Bible study class, small groups, or individual study, it retails for $18.99 plus tax. For a complete listing of retail locations, book signings, book readings, and how to order your book on-line, visit Elijah Ministries online.

ABOUT ELIJAH MINISTRIES
Elijah Ministries is dedicated to imparting the biblical worldview necessary to advance the Kingdom of God on earth. It publishes a monthly newsletter and email updates on the current social-spiritual issues of the day. It works in partnership with other pro-family organizations to restore America to her Christian heritage. Founded in 1985 as a teaching ministry, Elijah Ministries has grown to include the Kingdom Leadership Institute, Rachel’s Park Memorial, and Reformation Weekend.
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FOR QUESTIONS REGARDING MEDIA RELEASE
Or to schedule an interview with Rev. Rusty Lee Thomas,
contact: Kendra Thomas, Administrative Assistant, Elijah Ministries
(254) 664-3881/ email: Kendramarian@yahoo.com
For more information on Elijah Ministries, visit our home page: Elijah Ministries

Book cover art

ENDORSEMENTS
“Rusty Thomas’s passionate voice cries in the wilderness of America. His message carries a clarion call that challenges our young to advance the Christian faith and the liberty it secures for our nation.”
William J. Federer, American Minute
Bestselling Author, America's God and Country Encyclopedia of Quotations

“My good friend Rusty Thomas doesn't just have a passion and a cause, for passion and cause’s sake. He has a passion and a cause to the see the kingdom of God advance on earth as it is in heaven, as Christ exhorts believers in the Great Commission. Rusty's work over the years standing at the very gates of hell proclaiming God's truth has been a beacon of hope in a culture bereft of the good news. Now, Rusty has assembled his wisdom and insights learned over all these years into book form to help encourage and equip the next generation to ‘take every thought captive to the obedience of Jesus Christ’ and ‘having done all to stand’ strong in the day of battle.”
Douglas W. Phillips, Esq.
President of Vision Forum, San Antonio, Texas

“Rusty Thomas’s KLI Manual is a great tool to help awaken our young people to take bold action on behalf of God's truth. I highly recommend it!"
Rev. Jesse Lee Peterson
Author, Scam: How the Black Leadership Exploits Black America
Founder and President, BOND, Los Angeles, California

“What does it mean to be a Christian? The Apostle Paul adjured us to have ‘the mind of Christ.’ Unfortunately, in today's culture too many of us don't think like Christians. Instead of Christians being the salt of the earth, we have allowed the world to become the salt of the church. It is time we began in earnest to teach our children how to think and act like Christians. No one addresses these issues better than my friend, Rusty Thomas. His new book, based on his work with young people in the Kingdom Leadership Institute, is sure to change the way our children view the world. He is on the cutting edge in the battle for the hearts and minds of Christian children.”
Coach Dave Daubenmire
Author, A Season Ordered By the Lord
Founder and President, Pass the Salt Ministries, Hebron, Ohio

“Today in America, we are engaged in a battle for the very heart and soul of our nation. There are no political remedies, economic bailouts, or educational solutions that will fix us. We are fighting against the devil himself, and the only way to overcome him is by the blood of the lamb, the word of our testimony, and by not loving our own lives so much as to shrink from death (Revelation 12:11). When one perceives the battle in this light, it will change the way he goes about his God-given task. What one perceives the battle to be will determine how he fights it. We serve the kingdom we see (John 5:19) and become like the god we worship (Jeremiah 2:5, Psalm 115:8). The manual you now have in your hands will enable you to see the battle for what it really is and then to fight and win by storming the gates of hell with the gospel of Christ. The gates of hell cannot prevail against the Church of Jesus Christ. My dear friend, Rusty, has learned this lesson well. He has lived it out himself and helped others to bring the theology of the church house into the streets of cities across our nation. He has witnessed firsthand the power of God to tear down the devil’s strongholds.”
Rev. Flip Benham
National Director, Operation Rescue/Operation Save America

RUSTY LEE THOMAS Father / Minister / Author

AUTHOR BIO
Founder and Director of Elijah Ministries, Rev. Rusty Lee Thomas is a nationally-recognized public speaker, author, radio guest, and founder of Elijah Ministries and the Kingdom Leadership Institute. He has appeared on American Family Radio’s program, Today’s Issues. His writing has appeared in publications around the world, and his work has been profiled in Vanity Fair, The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, and WorldNetDaily. He is a published columnist for Home School Digest.

A veteran pro-life leader, Rusty is the assistant director of Operation Rescue/Operation Save America. He is the founder and administrator of one of the first memorial parks to the unborn in the nation, Rachel’s Park Memorial. He is also as associate pastor to the Gospel of Life Ministries.

Thomas is the author of The Kingdom Leadership Institute Manual: Raising Up Leaders a Time Like This Demands, a spiritual “field manual” for winning the cultural battles of the day. He resides in Texas with his wife Kendra, thirteen home schooled children, and two grandchildren.

Author with family

INTERVIEW QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
o What are the three marks of Kingdom leadership?
The three marks are as follows: courage, biblical worldview, and vision. When it comes to courage, I remind the reader of two important truths. First, “Courage is not the absence of fear, but doing what is right in spite of our fears.” Second, “Courage, as a Christian virtue in its rawest form, is a willingness to die if necessary for the cause of Christ. In other words, if forced to choose between one’s life and one’s faith, true courage would inspire the choice of faith.” Christians must get over the suffering and death issues in order to effectually advance the cause of Christ in our poor-fallen world. The second attribute for a Kingdom leader is Biblical worldview. In other words, a leader must view the burning issues of the day through the grid of God’s word, rather than a humanistic standard. Many Christians in America are more influenced in their worldview by their family background, ethnicity, education, political party system, or other profound influences in their lives. The challenge is to hold up those influences to God’s word, if they agree, honor and cherish them, if they don’t, they must be disregarded. Only a Biblical worldview can help a leader successfully navigate through the challenges of life by fitting into God’s reality, rather than hurling themselves against it. The third virtue is vision. God’s word warns, “Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he” (Proverbs 29:18). Without vision from inspired leaders, people cast off restraint. They wander from God’s protective covering and end up in a moral freefall. They become spiritually and morally naked, which makes them vulnerable to enemies from within and from without. Jesus warned that a person can have perfectly functional eyes and yet not perceive reality. Leaders afflicted by this state, end up becoming the blind leading the blind. Thus both leader and follower wind up in a ditch.

o What was your primary goal in writing your book?
First, I felt an obligation to pass on to the next generation all the precious truths that I had learned fighting the battle for the souls of men, the lives of children, and the future of our nation. Secondly, the book was written to reform the church to restore America to its righteous foundations. The premise being: you cannot have a tyrannical state, without the church first veering from the truth and thus fail in its mission.

o Why did you choose the theme of Christian chivalry and knighthood?
Authentic manhood has been greatly damaged by the rise of feminism in America. It has helped to reinforce in the inherent weakness of men, which are passivity and irresponsibility. I chose the knighthood model to hopefully help men reclaim their masculine identity, manly responsibilities, and return to the male Christian ethic, which places women and children first. In other words, men are at their best laying down their lives for God, family, and country. The goal is to inspire men to move from being predators to becoming protectors, defenders, and proper coverings of women and children once again.

o In your book you mention, “The crisis of our time is one of leadership.” Explain. The underlying premise of the book is established upon this fundamental truth: God judges and restores nations based upon leadership. When the sayings and doings of a nation are against the Lord, the consequence is the nation is turned over to weak, inept, and wicked rulers. The culmination of this travesty is discovered in Isaiah 3:12, which states, “As for my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, they which lead thee cause thee to err, and destroy the way of thy paths.”

o How would you describe President Obama’s leadership?
Obama is God’s man. The Lord placed him as President of the United States. Unfortunately, it is not for America’s welfare. He is a sign of God’s judgment and displeasure upon a nation that is gone a whoring after other gods and the vain philosophies of men. Obama is God’s ex-ray into the heart of our nation. He personifies the condition of our civil government that has betrayed their sacred truth by codifying evil into law and defending the indefensible, such as, the evil practices of abortion and homosexuality. He is also the Lord’s rebuke to His church that has drawn nigh to God with their lips, but their heart and obedience is far from Him. Obama claims to be a Christian and yet supports policies that violate the commandments of God. It is the height of hypocrisy and our Lord reserved his hottest anger and most biting criticism against it. America is being subject to tyranny and unjust laws as a consequence of our idolatry. Thus, Obama has become the head of a new idolatrous cult, otherwise known as the federal government.

o You also mention, “Life is not a playground. It is a war zone—a clash of worldviews competing for the souls of men and the destiny of nations.” Can you elaborate?
The battle that rages for the souls of men and the destiny of nations is described Biblically as a war between two seeds, the seed of the serpent and the seed of the woman. The seed of the serpent obeys the lies of the Evil One, which keeps them bound to their natural state, which is to be a law and god unto themselves. In other words, they live life based upon their terms, religious or otherwise, instead of the terms set forth by the God who created them and the Savior who died for them. The strategy of this camp for world domination is to adopt the failed agenda of the Tower of Babel, which is to reach into the heavens and vainly attempt to dethrone the God of heaven and earth and replace Him with totalitarian statism. This explains why all the “isms,” such as Communism, Socialism, and Nazism, which crush freedom and promote tyranny, all have as their foundational premises the vain philosophies of atheism and evolution. The seed of the woman, however, repents of being a covenant rebel, humbly bows before the majesty of God, and receives Christ’s salvation by faith and publicly declares, “not my will, but thine be done.” It is this seed line that underscores the vital nature of our Lord’s admonishment, “You must be born-again to enter or see the Kingdom of God.”

o Patriarchy is a dirty word in today’s culture yet you use the term often in your book. What is biblical patriarchy?
You cannot write a book on leadership and avoid the name or its implications for the family, church, and our culture. According to Weldon M. Hardenbrook, “The biblical term patriarchy is derived from two words in the Greek language. ‘Patria’ is taken from the word pater, father, which means family; and ‘archy,’ which means, beginning, first in origin and to rule. A ‘patriarch’ is a family ruler. He is the man in charge.” I not only agree with the definition, but also add my amen to Mr. Hardenbrook’s exhortation, “But whether we use this word (patriarchy) or not, without its recovery, without its function being made known and its reality working in society, there is absolutely no clear positive way to redeem the male identity.” This particular chapter challenges men to return to their God-ordained position, role, and function to restore divine order and the blessing it provides for women, children, and society.

o In keeping with that question, you also wrote a chapter on Biblical femininity. Can you briefly comment on this chapter?
The two main reasons for these chapters are to reveal the inherent weakness within men and women, which is ignored to the detriment of families and society. The other purpose was to point out the confusion generated by the misunderstanding between function and value as it pertains to women. As stated previously, the sin nature, which manifests in men, typically leads to passivity and irresponsibility. Men are typically passive when it comes to God’s righteousness and aggressive when it comes to wickedness. When the going gets tough and manhood is required, men tend to take off and become irresponsible. For women, the inherent weakness within them is to manipulate, control, and dominate men. The combination of passive males and dominating females has created the sexual confusion that is running rampant in this generation. In value, Christ loves us all the same. Men are not superior and women are not inferior when it comes to the salvation of the Lord. There is, however, a marked difference when it comes to function and the distinctive roles God established between men and women. The divine order is God is the head of Christ, Christ is the head of the man, and man is the head of the woman (1 Corinthians 11:3). I know our modern day era chafes against this revelation, but it is true nonetheless. Most of the dysfunction in our families can be traced to ignorance of the inherent weaknesses manifested through gender and violation of God’s order in the marriage covenant.

o In society we hear a lot about freedom─ “freedom of choice,” “freedom of sexual orientation,” “freedom from want.” In your book you define freedom differently. What is the correct definition of freedom?
Our Founding Fathers believed that there were two main enemies to freedom, licentiousness amongst the citizenry and tyranny in civil government. Both are manifesting under our watch. Biblically and historically in America, true freedom was not the allowance to do what we want to do, when we want to do it, and with whomever we want to do it with. Freedom in this case leads to anarchy, which unchecked leads to tyranny. The freedom they fought and died to secure is the freedom to do what is right. John Adams clearly stated, “Our Constitution was made for only a religious and moral people. It is entirely unsuitable for any other.” George Washington asserted that religion and morality were the firmest supports for liberty. Let not any man claim himself a patriot who would undermine them.

o You also explore the issue of education in your book. You look at it more from a jurisdictional perspective. Could you explain?
Education in the Latin means to “pour in and draw out.” When we examine the condition of our youth culture, I believe it is prudent to examine what is being poured into our children by the state-run schools and what is being drawn out. I believe many of our societal woes, such as, illiteracy, moral depravity, and loss of saving-faith that is running rampant in this generation can be traced back to government schools. Most believe, however, that the sources of failure in public education are due to lack of money or the need for better teachers. We have spent billions of dollars pursuing this course of action. Has the quality of education improved? Not hardly, and for one main reason, education at its core is not just a matter of money or teachers, it is a jurisdictional issue. In other words, nowhere in the Bible does God ordain the state to teach our young. Education does not fall within the parameters of their civil functions. The primary government responsible for the education of our children is family government. Parents and not the state are responsible before God to train up their children. When Americans submit their children to the state to educate in their stead, untold damage results: unruly children, parental despair, national calamity, and a major issue for the church, 85 % of Christian young people renounce their faith by their first year in college. What other business can remain solvent, if they failed 85 % of the time? And yet most of America and the church refuse to connect the dots between public education and the failure of our families, church, and nation.

o In your book, you describe your family. How many children do you have? Do you homeschool? What is life like with so many children?
I am a Kingdom man seeking to raise a Kingdom family for the glory of God. We have a multi-generational vision to advance God’s Kingdom in the earth. As a result, we have been blessed with 13 children. From the very beginning, we decided to homeschool our children based upon the teaching found in Deuteronomy 6, which states, “Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.” Based upon this passage I state in the book, “loving God is the greatest commandment and the greatest application of this commandment is home education.” Life in the Thomas Nation is never boring. There are many challenges in seeking to raise godly children in today’s world, but it also very rewarding when we see them fulfill what the Apostle John wrote, “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth (3 John 4).”

o How can people contact you? The best way to contact us is through our website Elijah Ministries.

TALKING POINTS
o The Bible teaches that when a nation forgets the law of God, God forgets our children (Hosea 4:6). As it stands, the American culture is influencing our children; they are not influencing the culture. Their bodies may be sitting in our church pews but their bodies and minds belong to the secular world.

o The Barna Research Group, a market research firm that focuses on faith and culture, reveals the Mosaic generation, those between the ages of eighteen and twenty-four, are “more than twice as likely as all other adults to engage in behaviors considered morally inappropriate by traditional standards. Their choices made even the Baby Boomers─never regarded as a paragon of traditional morality─look like moral pillars in comparison.” Traditional morality is dying.

o “Less than one-half of one percent…in the Mosaic generation have a biblical worldview.” The biblical worldview that framed our country is being dismantled. o And what about Christian young people? The Nehemiah Institute surveys Christian children in secular and Christian schools, comparing their worldviews. According to the Nehemiah Institute, eighty-five percent of youth from Christian homes who attend government schools do not embrace even a nominal biblical worldview.

o These same young people register on the worldview scale one step away from socialism. They register on the lower half of humanism, which is one step away from socialism.

o The majority of Christian youth who attend private Christian schools register in the top half of a humanistic worldview.

o Socialism is being erected on the ruins of freedom. The Obama Administration is merely enacting the “core values” that have been taught in our public schools and colleges for decades.

o President Obama is a product of a secularized America and a sign of God’s judgment. God judges and restores nations based upon leadership (Judges; Isaiah 3:12). Fundamentally, the crisis of our time is one of leadership.

SEGMENT IDEAS
o Interview Questions
o Life is Not a Playground: It is a War Zone
o Why President Obama is a Sign of God’s Judgment
o The Character of a Leader
o Three Marks of Kingdom Leadership
o The Mission of the Kingdom Leadership Institute

STORY ANGLES
o Quiverfull: The Trend Towards Larger Families and the Growth of Conservative Evangelical Christianity in America
o The Return of Biblical Patriarchy
o What Ever Happened to Operation Rescue? The Movement’s Leaders Now
o A Bakers Dozen: A Blended Family and a New Baby Makes Thirteen
o Beauty From Ashes: How Two Hurting Families Became a Testimony of God’s Redemptive Love
o What is the Kingdom Leadership Institute?