November 2004

November 2004

A “Lying Spirit” Manifests Itself in the Presidential Debates

The Presidential and Vice Presidential debates have been quite intriguing in this 2004 Presidential election year. In case you haven't noticed, something diabolical is going on. Yes, Kerry and Edwards seem to be on top of their game while President Bush and Vice President Cheney appear tired, frustrated, and exasperated. What is happening?

One needs to look beyond Mr. Kerry and Mr. Edwards to find the murderous spirit that is both motivating and speaking through them. I am not talking about James Carville and his minions. It's far worse than that. I am talking about a “lying spirit” brought to the fore by satan himself.

Unfortunately, neither Bush nor Cheney see the battle they fight for what it really is. They are being worn out and trampled to the ground by the continual barrage of lies, invectives, and accusations that flow from the mouths of Kerry and Edwards. This is a very visible manifestation of a “lying spirit.”

It was this same “lying spirit” that manifested itself through William Jefferson Clinton, when he told his wife, his daughter, his closest advisors, his Cabinet, and the entire nation, “I did not have sexual relations with that woman...” The unfortunate thing for Mr. Clinton was that he sincerely believed his own lie.

Psychologists call such behavior psychopathic. A person can lie, cheat, steal, or kill with no sense of remorse, guilt, or responsibility. God calls it something else: “…They perish because they refused to love the truth…For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie…” 2 Thessalonians 2:10-11. Mr. Clinton's aversion to the truth opened him up to a “lying spirit” and God Himself turned him over to it. It reduced him to fumbling over the parsing of the word “is” in front of special prosecutors.

His friend and co-conspirator Al Gore (the inventor of the Internet?) lied even when he didn't need to. He lied even when he knew he would be found out. He couldn't help himself. He was and is enslaved by a “lying spirit.” It reduced him to a quivering piece of lying flesh.

It is this “lying spirit” that Bush and Cheney have encountered in the debates. It is the same “lying spirit” that inhabited the shells of Pharoah, Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, Islamic terrorists, ad nauseam. This spirit first manifested itself on this earth through the person of satan who “…leads the whole world astray…” (Rev 12:9), and has wrought untold devastation upon this planet ever since. To this, the bloody pages of history and the Bible attest.

Mr. Bush and Mr. Cheney are involved in a cosmic battle of epic proportions and they know it not. If they could see beyond the thin veneer of this world and into the spiritual battle being played out before the very eyes of the world, they would fight with weapons that would bring victory. The “lying spirit,” however, has been around for millenia and eats guys like Bush and Cheney for a snack. They are no match for him.

Satan is out to annihilate anything or anyone that would get in the way of him becoming king. He hates mankind. His fury is unleashed upon those who stand upon the Word of God. He lusts for the blood of innocent children in the womb. This sacrifice is most satisfying to him for it involves so many people in the sin of murder. He is a liar and the father of all lies, and he is spewing his lies through the very articulate mouths of Kerry and Edwards.

Have you ever run into this “lying spirit”? If you have, you know this battle requires that you fight to the death. It can manifest itself in one of your teenage children. You catch them in whatever sin and you confront them with it. Immediately, if you are dealing with a “lying spirit,” you become the target of every invective and accusation imaginable. All hell breaks loose in the home. You are the one who is on trial. You are the one always picking on them. You are a self-righteous, judgmental, mean-spirited bigot. Sound familiar?

It's all you can do to weather the storm. You find yourself worn-out, befuddled, tired, and totally spent. The whole family gets slammed to the ground and anxiety and despair become the fare of the day. It makes you not want to confront that “spirit” again. Therein lies the danger.

This is where Bush and Cheney find themselves. They know that if they confront this spirit, all hell is going to break loose. There is a tendency to roll over and “just let the facts speak for themselves.” But facts alone are never able to “speak for themselves” if we are to come to the correct conclusion. They need help from the truth. Facts can and do lead us astray. Truth never will. To get to the truth, however, we must call on the Author of truth.

Kerry and Edwards are liars. Truth is their enemy. Therefore they must attack it at every juncture. Kerry opened himself up to the “lying spirit” right out of Vietnam and hasn't missed a lick since. Edwards is a trial lawyer – enough said. No matter how in control these guys appear to be, both have been turned over to a “lying spirit” by God Himself. They are liars and they believe their lies.

When a “lying spirit” is being confronted with truth or being exposed for what it really is, you had better believe that this spirit will find every skeleton in your closet. This is precisely what happened when Mr. Clinton was impeached by the Republican House and Senate. He blatantly violated his oath of office, yet he was not convicted. Why not?

Both House and Senate were afraid. Just ask Henry Hyde or Bob Livingston. The extramarital affairs of both were exposed. These had been well-kept secrets for years, but when the “lying spirit” living in the shell of Bill Clinton was confronted, it immediately attacked. It deflected scrutiny from itself by exposing the secrets carefully closeted and hidden in the hearts of Hyde and Livingston. A “lying spirit” will do anything to divert attention from itself.

When one confronts a “lying spirit,” he must first remove the log from his own eye or else he will find himself fried in the fat of his own sin.

In a gunfight who would win – the wicked man or the righteous man? You decide.

“A wicked man puts up a bold front, but an upright man gives thought to his ways.” Proverbs 21:29. Wicked men always put up a bold front. There is no time for self-examination, only time to press on to “get what I want when I want it.” Lying is no problem for the wicked man. He has one thing in mind. If he has to lie to get it – so what! The ends justify the means in his world. Character (truth) is out the window and pragmatism and utilitarianism is in.

The righteous man is not like this. When some flaw is pointed out in him, he considers it as it relates to the Law of God. Truth in the inward man is essential for him. He has one thing in mind – pleasing God. The means to an end are far more important than the end itself, for the means he uses exhibit his faith in God. Therefore character (truth) is in, and pragmatism and utilitarianism are out.

So who would win the gunfight? The wicked man will win almost every time. He gives no thought to anything but his own life. He will kill whoever gets in his way. It doesn't matter to him if he has to lie and cheat to win. His primordial concern is self-preservation.

The righteous man, on the other hand, will lose almost every time. He will give thought to his ways and hope the other man will not draw his gun. He doesn't want to take another's life. This puts him at a distinct disadvantage that is difficult to overcome.

This is where we find ourselves in the Presidential debates. Kerry and Edwards will do and say anything to win. They are inhabited by a “lying spirit.” This spirit is articulate and clever and does not want to be exposed. It is a murderer, and is exasperating Bush and Cheney with its unbroken chain of lies, accusations, and vilifications.

The wicked man will always win the gunfight unless the righteous man realizes that he is not “…warring against flesh and blood but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” (Ephesians 5:12.)

This is my prayer for the President. He needs eyes that can perceive this battle and a desire birthed in his heart to fight and win it. Mr. President: “If you could truly see the battle that you are presently engaged in, you would draw this enemy no quarter. You would expose this “lying spirit” for who and what he really is and crush his murderous head with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Do not let him go because if he lives, he will kill. You must not deal with Kerry and Edwards with logic and reason alone. It is not enough. You are not smart enough and your advisors are not slick enough to overcome an enemy that has been in the lying business for centuries. He has devoured nations and kings and he will devour you. Remember who it is you are fighting.

The only way you will overcome the “ father of all lies” is to call upon the “Father and Author of all Truth.” He has a specific Name, Mr. President. That Name is Jesus. He is the one who overcame the devil on the cross and He is the only one who can overcome this “lying spirit” now.

It's time for you to pick up your cross and follow Jesus!

MORE SHOW THAN RELIGION Salisbury Post Opinion Piece

This article is another example of a “lying spirit” manifesting itself against those who would take the gospel to the public high schools. Rest assured that when you engage in the battle, this “lying spirit” will come at you. But know this: “We are more than conquerors through Him who loves us.” (Romans 8:37). And, we have been given every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms (Ephesians 1:3). We must not fight simply to survive, but we must engage in the “good fight” to win it!

In a previous existence, before he saw the light and became a celebrity in the anti-abortion movement, the Rev. Flip Benham was a saloon keeper in Kissimmee , Florida . If he changes careers again, here's betting he'll be a talk show host or a carnival barker.

Give the reverend his due. As the national leader of Operation Save America, the militant anti-abortion group formerly known as Operation Rescue, Benham has a flair for the theatrical – and the arrest sheet to prove it. That's obvious from the show he and fellow evangelist Scott Heldreth, from Kannapolis Truth Temple, staged outside Rowan High School several days last week. While Heldreth held forth over loudspeakers on the sinfulness of abortion, Islam, and homosexuality, Benham and a few other church members passed out brochures and tried to instruct students in the paths of righteousness, at least as they see it.

Actually, from the perception of many passersby, they weren't ministering to students so much as arguing that all but a chosen few were going to flunk their finals at the Pearly Gates. Think of it as the Cliff Notes version of sin and redemption, as rendered by P.T. Barnum.

South Rowan principal, Ron Turbyfill, got it right when he described it as “almost a circus-like atmosphere,” with Benham the master of ceremonies. It's a scene that he has orchestrated many times before – in Concord , in Charlotte and numerous other cities across the country. While Operation Save America once focused its tactics of confrontation and intimidation on abortion clinics, in recent years it has targeted high schools as fertile ground for its brand of combat evangelism.

Unfortunately, the scene at South Rowan will undoubtedly play out several more times around the country before Benham takes down the tent, clears the midway and moves on, having accomplished nothing more than disrupting the routine of students and school staff and alienating parents who don't care to have their children used as pawns in the so-called culture wars. Judging from calls to the Post , even parents sympathetic to Benham's pro-life message are outraged at having their children exposed to photos of aborted fetuses.

But Benham and Heldreth aren't concerned about traumatizing children, anymore than they're concerned about the potential repercussions of fueling homophobia when gay students too often are already subjected to ostracization and intimidation by their peers. And, since these brave evangelists alone have God's truth, they certainly aren't concerned about the backlash against students who follow faiths other than their own. Since such pagans are already condemned to the fiery pit, why not forment a little hell on earth for them, just as a prelude to the final fury?

This has little to do with saving souls or elevating the role of religion in public and private life. It's all about the performers at the center of the stage, the shouters behind the microphones, the moment in the spotlight. Well, let them have their fun – which is, we would duly note, fully protected by the First Amendment. Eventually, the show gets old. The crowds get bored. The circus moves on. Eventually, reason rules and people see the true light.

AN ANSWER TO THE SALISBURY POST

When all else fails, you can rest assured that the enemies of the Gospel of Christ will resort to argument ad hominem. that is, verbal attacks, no matter how outrageous, upon the character of those who bring the message. The Salisbury Post's obvious attempt to ignore and discredit the message brought to South Rowan High School by discrediting the messenger is a part and parcel of our Christian heritage.

Almost 2000 years ago, One who shined the light in the darkness – Who was and is the Light of the World – suffered the same disparagement and worse. Enemies of God called Him a companion of wine bibbers, gluttons, tax collectors, and sinners. When He brought His “circus” to the synagogue, all hell broke loose and all heaven came down. Those who followed Him picked up their crosses and shined the same light. Every disciple with the exception of one, John the Apostle, died a martyr's death as they brought the “circus” of the Gospel of Christ into the world. Yes, light shined, “ …but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.” John 3:19.

Throughout the pages of the Bible and the pages of history, those who have followed hard after Christ have been called every name imaginable. They have been maligned, derided, attacked, vilified, beaten, imprisoned, and executed with unspeakable and unimaginable hatred and vehemence. Yet the song of the Gospel continued on.

If we, who had the privilege of bringing the Gospel of Christ to the very gates of hell at South Rowan High School , cared about our reputation or worried about what was being said about us, we wouldn't have come. Our concern is not with us, but with the message we bring and the Savior we represent – the very thing this editorial overlooked. Truth was brought to South Rowan High School through the preaching of the Gospel of Christ. There were a number who gave their hearts to Christ. This outreach presented a platform for Christians within the school to share their faith. The brochures that were passed out dealt with E volution vs. C reation ; Homosexuality vs. Christianity; Life vs. Death ; and Jesus vs. All Other Religions.

The Salisbury Post stands upon the mantra of tolerance, yet it has proven itself to be the most intolerant of all. The final paragraph in the editorial makes the point. It believes itself to be the ultimate care taker of “truth and reason.” Therefore all “reasonable” people must agree. To do otherwise would simply be whistling into the wind, playing our lives for an audience to get attention, or bringing a circus into town.

There are those who hate Christianity and call their hatred an all-embracing love for all religions.

We believe the Bible to be the absolute Truth from God. We play our lives for an audience of One! Whether or not The Salisbury Post is pleased with us is a trivial matter compared to the future of the young lives in that high school.

Many have started the God is Going Back to School Campaign already. We will officially start in March of 2005. You may print off the brochures mentioned above directly from the web at www.operationsaveamerica.org. When we go to the schools, Jesus is lifted up in a powerful way. Classes are spent debating the evidence. Youth are challenged to live for the Lord. The lost come to know Jesus and those who know Him are emboldened to stand upon His Word. Rest assured all hell will break loose, but all heaven will come down!

Keep storming the gates - Flip