October 1999 Newsletter

October 1999

JOHN REYES BEGINS SIX MONTH JAIL SENTENCE AUGUST 31, 1999

Several friends gathered with Christian martyr (witness) John Reyes, a senior at Liberty University, as he began serving a six-month sentence in jail for trespassing at E.C. Glass High School on November 10, 1997. John helped organize over 300 Liberty University students to bring the Gospel of Christ to the kids in E.C. Glass High School. Five young students gave their hearts to Christ that day. For this heinous crime John was tried and found guilty of being a real Christian.

John is a first-time offender who has never broken a law. Nevertheless, Judge Richard S. Miller of Lynchburg, Virginia found him guilty of trespassing and sentenced him to the maximum of one year in jail with six months suspended. This was a misdemeanor offense! Never in the history of Judge Miller's court, has a first-time misdemeanor offender ever been given hard time without possibility of probation or work release. John is in jail for what he believes, not for what he did.

John Reyes is considered the most dangerous young man in the city of Lynchburg. The reason he is dangerous is because he is proclaiming that there is another King - a King whose name is Jesus.

Just a cursory overview of Judge Miller's sentencing record makes obvious the animus toward John and the Jesus he serves. According to Miller's sentence, John would have been better off selling crack cocaine to students entering the high school than proclaiming Jesus to them.

John spoke eloquently for Christ on the steps of the courthouse where he was sentenced on August 30, 1999. Surrounded by several friends from Liberty University, kids from the youth group he ministered to this summer, local pastors, and the Lynchburg Police, John shared his resolve to follow Christ no matter the cost. John's pastor, Rev. Richard Knodle, spoke powerfully on John's behalf and held the city of Lynchburg accountable before God for this absurd sentence.

At this writing John has already led six men to Christ. He is doing nightly Bible studies and preaching on Sunday mornings. The Light of the World has entered the Lynchburg City Jail through the life of our brother John. Pray for him and pray for the repentance of the officials responsible for this travesty of justice. Pray for the kids at E.C. Glass High School who are not allowed to have the lifesaving knowledge of Jesus Christ enter their hallways. There is more freedom to preach Christ in the Lynchburg City Jail than there is in E.C. Glass High School.

Write and support John:

Letters:
John D. Reyes
L.A.D.C.
P.O. Box 6018
Lynchburg, VA 24504

Donations:
Grace Orthodox Presbyterian Church
1021 Federal Street
Lynchburg, VA 24504

THE BATTLE BETWEEN TWO SEEDS RAGES IN DAYTON, OHIO

After spending several days in Dayton, Ohio with the saints who are being unjustly brought to trial, I realized once again that we do not war against flesh and blood but against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. There is not a doubt that the United States Department of Justice is being used by the enemy to censor the Gospel of Jesus Christ at child-killing centers.

The recent revelations about what really happened in Waco, Texas, in March of 1993 demonstrate clearly that the Department of Justice knows how to lie, lie often, and cover it up well. Just a few years ago, it launched a multi-million dollar investigation in an attempt to fabricate a pro-life conspiracy to blow-up abortion mills and shoot abortionists. Ms. Reno placed federal marshals at several abortion mills for over a year to gather data. The investigation was a bust. There was not one shred of evidence of a conspiracy. There were no convictions. Thousands of man-hours and millions of dollars in taxpayer money went down the shoot in a witch-hunt to frame those who love Christ and His children.

Undeterred by the findings in her first investigation, Ms. Reno has appointed yet another task force to find her imagined pro-life conspiracy. Coupled with this, we have the Department of Justice spending hundreds of thousands of dollars and thousands of man-hours filing two civil FACE lawsuits against Operation Rescue in Dayton, Ohio and Washington, D.C.

If anyone is wondering why the Justice Department is not prosecuting child pornographers, drug dealers, gamblers, gun carriers, etc., it is because it is spending most of its time and money prosecuting and persecuting Christians who are living out their faith at child-killing centers.

MISTRIAL IN DAYTON

On September 13, 1999, Federal Judge Walter Rice declared a mistrial in the Justice Department's federal lawsuit against Operation Rescue and five named defendants. "God sent confusion into the ranks of the Justice Department attorneys." said Rick Nelson, attorney for Rusty Thomas, Jim Anderson, Flip Benham, and Operation Rescue. "We give all praise and glory to Jesus Christ, but the battle is not over. They are going to press this issue until the Christian witness is totally silenced at abortion mills."

Rick Nelson, Tom Condit, and David Langdon are the courageous attorneys of record defending those who are bringing the Gospel of Christ to the gates of hell (the local abortion mill). They are doing it at no cost to the defendants but at great sacrifice to themselves and their families. Judge Rice kept them in Dayton for almost three weeks, at their own personal expense, while the Department of Justice muddled through its pathetic case at taxpayer expense. The vaunted United States Department of Justice spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to persecute and prosecute Christianity only to return to Washington, D.C., with its tail between its legs and a mistrial. How absurd!

Pharoah's officials pleaded with him, "How long will this man be a snare to us? Let the people go, so that they may worship the Lord their God. Do you not yet realize that Egypt is ruined?" Exodus 10:7. Pharoah, in his insane zeal to destroy God's people, paid no attention to his advisors and was destroyed. In the same way, Adolf Hitler's generals pleaded with him that Germany was in ruins and that continuing the war was insane, yet a demonic presence drove him to destruction.

The question must be asked of Janet Reno. How long will you continue this prosecution and persecution against God's people? Your entire Department of Justice is unraveling before your very eyes. Yet, like Pharoah and Hitler before you, you are insanely plunging on, totally devoid of reason. The Scripture is being fulfilled in you: "… He is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short."

The same spirit that inhabited the shell of Pharoah and Adolf Hitler now inhabits the shell of Janet Reno. Please pray for this poor woman who has been used by the devil to wreak havoc on the pro-life movement and is now being pummeled by him. She will surely be destroyed lest she repent and call on the Name of Jesus to rescue her from satan's merciless grasp. Jesus longs to save her. It is, however, her choice.

PRESSING THE GATES AT WICHITA STATE, SEPTEMBER 11-13, 1999

Donna Lippoldt, Sandy Boehr, and the Myers family (12 in all) enabled Operation Save America to bring the Gospel of Christ to the Wichita State campus. Elizabeth Myers, a student at WSU and a dynamic friend of Jesus, set up the event (sound system and all) right in the middle of the campus. We brought the graphic pictures of children killed by abortion, Gospel tracts, and an abiding love for our Lord. Needless to say, the reception was anything but quiet. The University decided to shut down our sound system, though rock bands have played there many times before during school hours. It was not how loud we were, it was the content of our message. We were proclaiming that there is another King, one called Jesus.

Undeterred by this temporary setback, we continued the Gospel proclamation. Hundreds of college students joined us, debated with us, fought for their point of view, and many found that we were their friends. They were confronted with a logic they had not heard on this politically correct campus. A student brought his own personal sound system and we plugged it in and turned it up. The battle raged for more than five hours as gentle Christians contended for the faith. It was an awesome experience!

One of the students worked at George Tiller's child-killing center. We confronted her with the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the horror of what she was doing. She called some of her friends to counter the Gospel proclamation. This only made it better because the kids were able to hear the absurdity of the arguments presented by the enemies of Christ. They were also exposed to the wisdom of those who love Him.

A LETTER FROM JOHN REYES IN LYNCHBURG CITY JAIL

"I will walk about in freedom, for I have sought out your precepts." Psalm 119:45. For the past few days here in the Lynchburg City Jail, I have heard many of the inmates discussing how they can't wait to be set free from this place. I don't blame them. These men long for freedom. It is always on their minds and being expressed in their words. The Lord has shown me in these days that my freedom rests in Him. As I look out the barred windows and see the razor wire surrounding the jail grounds, I can rejoice because I am free!

Some of the inmates here with me understand what I am talking about. These men are free, too! Yes, they are bound physically yet they understand their freedom is in Christ. I remind them that neither the present nor the future, nor height nor depth, nor anything else can separate us from the love of Christ (Rom 8:35-39). This is true freedom!

Those who don't know Christ here in jail will never be free until they meet the liberator - Jesus Christ. These men are slaves to their own passions and sin, just like you and I once were. Even if they were not behind bars they would still be prisoners awaiting a judgment and punishment far worse than the one they are currently experiencing.

I pray that these men will one day experience true freedom. I pray that they will come to understand what it means to be "free at last!" Many are very receptive to the message of being set free by Christ. We gather each day for Bible study. The men long for physical freedom while their hearts long to be set free from the bondage of sin that has held them captive most of their lives.

The God of freedom is here in the Lynchburg City Jail. He holds the key - ready to unlock bound hearts. He is moving here and doing great work! Already six young men have given their hearts to Christ. The Son is setting men free from death and I rejoice in God my Savior! Let Freedom Ring in Lynchburg City Jail.

THE CONSTITUTION PARTY

The newly named Constitution Party (formerly U.S. Taxpayers Party) held its national convention in St. Louis, Missouri, September 2-6, 1999. Howard Phillips and Joseph Sobran were nominated as Presidential and Vice Presidential candidates on the Constitution Party ticket.

On Friday, September 3, Howard Phillips conducted a press conference from the steps of the Old City Courthouse in St. Louis where Dred Scott was first tried. Dred was a black slave seeking his freedom, and this court recognized that freedom. Unfortunately, the Supreme Court of the United States of America overturned that decision, and in 1857 declared Dred Scott the property of his master. In essence, the Supreme Court denied the basic humanity of Dred. This of course is reminiscent of another Supreme Court decision in January 1973.

It was here that Howard Phillips read his Emancipation Proclamation for the unborn children. He vowed to bring an end to "legalized" abortion his first day in office as President.

If you are looking for a true statesman to support in this upcoming Presidential election, the Constitution Party is the one party that stands squarely upon the principles of God's Word. The preamble to the Constitution Party's platform:

We, the members of the Constitution Party, gratefully acknowledge the blessing of the Lord God as Creator, Preserver and Ruler of the Universe and of this Nation. We solemnly declare that the foundation of our political position and moving principle of our political activity is our full submission and unshakable faith in our Savior and Redeemer, our Lord Jesus Christ. We hereby appeal to Him for mercy, aid, comfort, guidance, and the protection of His Divine Providence as we work to restore and preserve this Nation as a government of the People, by the People, and for the People.

Keep pressing the gates in Jesus' Name,

Flip Benham
Director