Norma McCorvey's ("Roe v Wade") First Church Experience as a Believer - DR. JIM GARLOW/SKYLINE CHURCH, SAN DIEGO

Pastor Flip Benham baptizes Norma McCorvey on Aug. 8, 1995. (Courtesy)

Norma McCorvey's First Church Experience as a Believer

 2/18/2017 DR. JIM GARLOW/SKYLINE CHURCH, SAN DIEGO   chariSMa news

Norma McCorvey, the "Jane Roe" of the infamous Roe v. Wade case—Henry Wade was District Attorney in Dallas, TX at the time—that decriminalized the killing of pre-born babies (and with its companion case, Doe v. Bolton, allowed the killing to continue right through the third trimester), died Saturday, Feb. 18, 2017, at age 69.

It has been often noted that this case was built on a lie. Equally well known is the fact that McCorvey felt very "used" by the radical feminists at whose urging she was thrust into the national limelight. She would later explain that she never actually had an abortion and admitted the case was the "biggest mistake of her life."

But there is more—much more—to the story. And that is McCorvey's first encounter with Christians after her conversion. 

History will remember her as "Jane Roe." But eternity will forever know her as Norma McCorvey, a child of God. Why? Because she made a commitment to Christ more than two decades ago. While that fact is fairly well known, I would like to shed some additional light on her conversion and the first few days after that.

McCorvey worked in Dallas out of a pro-abortion office. Pastor Flip Benham, leader of Operation Rescue Dallas at the time, worked nearby in a pro-life office. Through that, McCorvey met Flip. Although they were polar opposites on the abortion issue, Flip demonstrated the love of Christ to her.

Flip was then and still is one of the greatest preacher/prophets in America. He is likely one of the boldest, most courageous persons I have ever met. He is fearless. But he is tender and loving. His Bible is worn out by its constant use, and he pleads with fellow Christians to read it through a minimum of once a year. His celebrity sons—Jason and David (known for being cut from a national TV show for their stand for traditional, biblical marriage)—have followed their dad as a role model and have read the entire Bible through a minimum of once a year since they were young teens.

McCorvey was stunned at Flip's gentle, Christ-like love. She thought pro-lifers were, in accordance with pro-abortion reports, hateful and mean. What she encountered was the love of Jesus. Flip—who always carries a big Bible—began tenderly to share the Word with her. As a result, she received Jesus as Savior for her sins and became "a new creature" in the summer of 1995 and was baptized Aug. 8.

Flip had been a Free Methodist (not to be confused with the liberal United Methodist denomination) pastor, but he was not at that time pastoring a church. Since Flip and I were extremely close friends, he invited McCorvey to the church I was pastoring.

The first church she attended—just a few days after she became a believer—was Metroplex Chapel (Church of the Nazarene), located in Euless, Texas, in the heart of the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area.

But what happened that day was almost as profound as her conversion. She was afraid to come to the church as she did not know how Christians might respond to her, given her identification with abortion. She arrived at the church building but was too fearful to come in. She drove around the parking lot several times trying to get the courage to get out of her car. She was afraid of what people might say to her or even do to her.

Finally, she saw Flip standing on the church steps looking for her. She trusted him, so she parked her car and came to Flip. He escorted her into the church. She sat with Flip during the service. I still recall exactly where they sat that Sunday, off to my left from my view from the platform, about two-thirds of the way to the back of the church.

With her and Flip's permission, I introduced her at the end of the service, telling the congregation that "Jane Roe" of Roe v. Wade had come to Christ and had experienced forgiveness for her sins. I explained that she was present in the auditorium. I asked her to stand. She did. The crowd erupted in an extended standing ovation. McCorvey was shocked. She did not expect that.

After the service ended, nearly the entire church congregation formed an extremely long line to give her a hug and welcome her into the family of God. It was a profoundly moving and tender moment. Norma McCorvey, the "Jane Roe" of the infamous Roe v. Wade case had not only experienced the love and forgiveness of Jesus. She had now experienced the love and forgiveness of the body of Christ—the church. It was an exhilarating day for us all.

McCorvey would later say in a television ad, "You read about me in history books, but now I am dedicated to spreading the truth about preserving the dignity of all human life from natural conception to natural death."

During the first half of her life, she was on the wrong side of history.  But that changed when she repented of her sins.  She joined "the right side of history." But more importantly, she now enjoys the right side of eternity. 

Dr. Jim Garlow is pastor of Skyline Church in the San Diego, California, area. His latest book is Well Versed: Biblical Answers to Today's Tough Issues.

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Zadok, Christian Churches and the LGBT Split - JASON AND DAVID BENHAM CHARISMA NEWS

A supporter of same-sex marriage waves a rainbow flag during a rally outside the Legislative Yuan in Taipei, Taiwan. (REUTERS/Tyrone Siu)

Zadok, Christian Churches and the LGBT Split

 11/29/2016 JASON AND DAVID BENHAM  CHARISMA NEWS

An interesting separation is taking place in the Christian community today over homosexuality and gay marriage. One leader opposes. Another affirm. Yet most just sit silent.

But not for long.

The agenda to impose participation and celebration of the gay lifestyle—and all the expressive events surrounding it—is more aggressive than ever before. It has steamrolled through the spheres of culture (education, media, business, government, etc.) and now it has the church ("the last man standing") in its crosshairs.

Why? Because the church is the "pillar and foundation of the truth" (1 Tim. 3:15c).

The good news is, these attacks are revealing which Christian leaders truly walk in the presence of God and which simply enjoy a platform for Him.

But regardless, no matter how much care and concern true believers have for homosexuals as precious image-bearers of God, the agenda to eliminate Christian witness on sexual morality will take no prisoners.

Now more than ever before in our lifetimes, those holding to a moral, biblical orthodoxy must prepare for a bold stand. Will the radical agenda to transform America—and the entire Western world—topple two millennia of Christian teaching on marriage and sexuality?

Not if the Zadok priesthood has anything to do with it.

So who the heck is Zadok, and what does he have to do with sexuality and gay marriage?

It sounds random, but it's truly profound. Hear us out on this.

In the time of Israel's captivity in Babylon (605-535 B.C.), God gave Ezekiel the prophet a message for His people, explaining the many reasons their nation was destroyed and the people were taken captive. The main reason above all the rest was they had weak priests who refused to stand against the evil of their time and lead the people to truth.

Listen to what God said to Ezekiel: "Her priests have violated My law and have profaned My holy things. They have made no distinction between the holy and profane, nor have they shown the difference between the unclean and the clean" (Ezek. 22:26a).

The priests refused to tell the truth about right and wrong, so the people went astray. The "church" wasn't being the church. Her leaders refused to clearly distinguish between God's way and the world's. They mixed the holy and the profane. Maybe they didn't want to come across as "bigoted" or "hateful." Who knows?

Now enter Zadok and his descendants. He was a godly priest who was faithful during the time of rebellion under King David, while the other priests simply went along with the cultural current of the day (1 Kings 1-2). As a result, God blessed Zadok and his sons for toeing the line.

Ezekiel prophesied of these "sons of Zadok"—a remnant of priests within the priesthood who spoke truth to the people. These guys were the ones in the middle of all the other priests who stood up and spoke the word of God clearly, leading the people toward the truth instead of away from it. No matter how strong the influence of culture was upon them, the sons of Zadok remained—and would remain—steadfast, teaching the way of God in truth.

"But for the Levitical priests, the sons of Zadok, who kept the charge of My sanctuary when the sons of Israel went astray from Me, they shall come near to Me to minister to Me. ... They shall teach My people the difference between the holy and the profane, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean" (Ezek. 44:15a, 23).

The Zadok priests made clear, moral judgments about right and wrong, while other priests clouded the truth and refused to show the way of righteousness. (As former baseball players, we'd call all these other priests R.O.Y.s—which means the "rest of y'all." In baseball, fans pay to see the stars play while the R.O.Y.s simply make the game happen.)

Keeping with our baseball analogy, the Zadok priests were the stars, while all the other priests were just the R.O.Y.s

But (and that's a big but), the R.O.Y. priests were still part of the game. Check out how these guys continued to serve in the temple, but God clearly distinguished the Zadok priests above the rest:

"He said to me, 'This chamber that faces south is for the priests who have charge of the temple. The chamber that faces north is for the priests who have charge of the altar. These are the sons of Zadok among the sons of Levi, who come near to the Lord to minister to Him'" (Ezek. 40:45-46).

The R.O.Y. priests got the platform, but the Zadok priests got the presence. Though the R.O.Y. priests still served in the temple, they had to keep their distance. But the Zadok priests were able to draw near to God—because they remained faithful to Him and His ways during times of rebellion.

Today, New Testament believers are called to be a remnant of priests.

"But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession, so that you may declare the goodness of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light" (1 Pet. 2:9).

The question is, which priest are we, and which one do we want to be?

Will we be a Zadok priesthood—those who shine the clear light of God's truth into a darkened world that desperately needs Him? O will be just be like the R.O.Y. priests—those who refuse to teach others the difference between the holy and the profane?

The radical LGBT agenda is forcing the choice.

So as the separation in the Christian community continues, it will be much easier to see difference between "priests" who've chosen a platform and those who've chosen God's presence. {eoe}

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The Radical Left's Demonic Agenda to Experiment on Our Kids - JASON AND DAVID BENHAM CHARISMA NEWS

What are your kids learning now that they've gone back to school? (US Department of Education)

The Radical Left's Demonic Agenda to Experiment on Our Kids

8/16/2016 JASON AND DAVID BENHAM  CHARISMA NEWS

Last week, we spoke at the Charlotte Mecklenburg School system's board meeting as it discussed the upcoming "gender unicorn." Because so many concerned parents showed up to speak, our time was narrowed from three minutes to one.

David wrote his speech, but he had to shrink it to 50 seconds.

The bottom line is, these bathroom policies—and laws in other states—have little to do with the emotional struggle of the transgender community, but everything to do with a political revolution of the radical left.

The following is David's speech, with his video at the end:

My name is David Benham. I'm a concerned father of five children, and as a business owner, I'm an employer to parents of many more kids in and around the Charlotte Metro area.

I came here tonight to plead with you not to use our children—our future—as social experiments. I'm asking you not to let our kids become pawns in the hands of radical, sexual revolutionaries who don't care about them, you, me or anyone but themselves.

Their main target is to eliminate any and all moral standards. This allows those pushing the agenda to rebuild society in man's image—not God's—with government as the ultimate giver (and taker) of our rights.

The apostle Paul talked about this destructive pattern in Romans 1, where he said, "Professing to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals ..."

Needless to say, when I saw the "gender unicorn" for the first time in our teacher's manual, I was blown away. It was as if this verse of scripture came to life right before my very eyes, but for all the wrong reasons.

This fury little animal is dedicated to capturing the imaginations of our children and forcing their participation in the radical, sexual revolution. Looking like Barney with a horn, the "gender unicorn" is nothing more than a clinched fist dedicated not only to eliminating moral standards, but also the rights of privacy and protection for all our children.

At first, those pushing the sexual revolution wanted acceptance. Then they asked for appreciation. Then they demanded celebration. And, today, they seek to force our participation.

By voting to move forward with the new CMS policies—though they are on hold for a time—you have chosen to join this radical revolution, with our children on the front lines. This is simply unacceptable.

After reading several of the new policies I thought to myself ...

Should our daughters be forced to sleep in the same room as boys during overnight school activities?

Should parents really be kept out of gender conversations between their children and teachers even though evidence shows up to 80 percent of children lose transgender feelings over time and that gender transitions can result in regret, further confusion and health risks?

While we seek to accommodate those who truly struggle with gender confusion, it's logically absurd to flip the entire system of standards upside-down.

We don't allow children to spit on the walls simply because they feel like it. No, we have standards in place for cleanliness. How much more should we have standards in place for safety?

We don't allow a student to defecate in the trashcan because the stalls make him feel claustrophobic, do we? No, we have standards in place for everyone and make exceptions for the extreme.

What about the girls who simply feel unsafe or uncomfortable sharing the bathroom with boys—do their feelings matter?

Maybe you think we're being extreme here, but are we? Last year, if we wrote about a horned, Barney-like creature pushing the sexual revolution on our kids, you'd say we were extreme. So we've entered new territory as a nation, as unbelievable as it may seem.

The good news is that God says if we know the truth – the truth will make us free.

So here's the truth we cannot forget: The real issue here is not the emotional struggle of the transgender community, but a political revolution of the radical left.

Because David didn't get a chance to read this to the school board, he pitched these notes and went off the cuff for 50 seconds. Check out the video of what he said.

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Benham Brothers Offer Inspiring Prophetic Message for the Nations - JASON AND DAVID BENHAM CHARISMA NEWS

A view shows the crowd gathering near a makeshift memorial on the Promenade des Anglais during a minute of silence on the third day of national mourning to pay tribute to victims of the truck attack along the Promenade des Anglais on Bastille Day that killed scores and injured as many in Nice, France. (REUTERS/Eric Gaillard)

Benham Brothers Offer Inspiring Prophetic Message for the Nations

7/19/2016 JASON AND DAVID BENHAM  CHARISMA NEWS

Last week was another tough week across the globe. The carnage of unprecedented violence continued in the streets from Nice, France, to Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Evil continues to rise.

We really need God's help today—more than ever before. The only problem is most nations reject the true God, or anything remotely associated with Him. They don't want His rule or His ways; and, as a result, the blessing of God's protection has been lifted.

Psalms 2 has a prophetic message for the nations of the earth today—especially for America:

"Why do the nations rage, and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against His anointed, saying, 'Let us tear off their bonds and cast away their ropes from us." ... Now then, you kings, be wise; be admonished, you judges of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear; tremble with trepidation! Kiss the son, lest He become angry, and you perish in the way, for His wrath kindles in a flash. Blessed are all who seek refuge in Him" (Ps. 2:1-3, 10-12).

Take heed, China. You fight against God by removing crosses from your land and imprisoning pastors who stand against your tyrannical regime. Pay attention to the increase of Christianity in your land and allow it to flourish. You will be blessed if you do!

Take heed, Russia. You stand in the way of God's blessing and the freedom He brings by forcing Christians to get permission from the state to share the faith. Don't stiffen your neck like the communists of old and rage against God-given individual freedom—you're only fighting against the Lord!

Take heed, Iran. You invite God's anger by seeking to destroy Israel and murdering innocent people through your state-sponsored terror machine. You're simply another glove covering the fist of Satan— from Haman to Hitler to Hamas. Kiss the Son (Jesus), lest Haman's fate be yours as well.

Take heed, all of Europe. You invite violence by prostrating yourselves before Islam and minimizing Christian influence in the culture. Your political correctness has emboldened radical jihadists to continue their bloodthirsty holy rage against what they perceive to be Christianity (Western civilization and individual freedom). To them, your freedom is a great Satan. Turn to the only God who can save you in your greatest time of need.

And take heed, America! Our nation has asked God to leave—throwing Him out of our schools, media and government—and now we spit in His face, slaughtering our unborn, redefining marriage and prosecuting the faithful. We're calling evil good and good evil, while Christians, who know the truth that sets people free, sit out for fear of being ridiculed or falsely accused.

The world needs to pay attention to God's word as it speaks plainly to the issues of our day. It's time to stop conspiring against Him and start crying out to Him! God is the only cure to the violence filling the earth.

Centuries ago, the Lord spoke to Israel through the prophet Amos, and His message sums it up for the nations of the earth today:

"Seek good and not evil, so that you may live; then the Lord, the God of Hosts, will truly be with you, as you claim. Hate evil and love good, and establish justice at the gate. It may then be that the Lord God of Hosts will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph" (Amos 5:14-15).

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