THEN CAME RESURRECTION SUNDAY

Zechariah's flying scroll representing the curse.

THE FLYING SCROLL

The 5th chapter of Zechariah gives us a very good Scripture Picture of why Resurrection Sunday (Easter) had to take place. The prophet is given a look-see at the pandemic effects of Adam's and Eve's originating sin and, thus, the universal Fall of man, as recorded in Genesis 3. Zechariah was shown a flying scroll by an angel of God.

This was no ordinary scroll. It measured 30 feet by 15 feet.

That's huge. But even more than being very large, the flying scroll was described by the angel as "the curse that goes out over the face of the entire earth" (v. 3). The purpose of this curse is revealed: "I will send out the curse," says the LORD of hosts; "It shall enter the house of the thief and the house of the one who swears falsely by My name. It shall remain in the midst of his household and consume it with timber and stones' (v. 4).

THE UNIVERSAL CURSE

According to the prophet Zechariah,  this flying scroll -- the curse -- is sent out to hover over and follow every thief and every perjurer, or liar, throughout the world. Without Jesus we are all thieves and we are all perjurers. We are sinners. Tragically but in all honesty and truth, this flying scroll, this curse, continues to loom over and follow every individual who breaks God's laws and commandments.

FOUR HUNDRED YEARS OF SILENCE BY GOD

The very last word of the very last verse of the very last chapter of the very last book of the Old Testament is: C-U-R-S-E.

And [the Spirit in Elijah] will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to the fathers, lest I come and strike the earth with a curse. --Malachi 4:6

CURSE. The Hebrew word means "dedicated destruction and appointed doom." This very last word of the Old testament reveals the utter darkness and nothingness of the 400-years between Old and New Testaments. These four hundred years of complete silence by God is termed the dark Age, and with very good reason. Historians tell us that these 400 silent years produced nothing good for humanity. No new inventions. No new discoveries. No new ides, no new medicines, no new sciences, no new leases on life. Nothing but nothingness, hopelessness and meaninglessness.

All hope was gone. Then came the
"Prints of Peace" and Easter's Dawn.

THEN CAME EASTER'S DAWN

In 1945 the head of the team of physicists that supervised the creation of the first atomic bomb appeared before a congressional committee and was asked by the chairman if there was was type of defense against this weapon of mass destruction. "Certainly," the esteemed physicist replied. "And that is..."? the congressman asked with a note of impatience in his voice. The nuclear scientist looked across the hushed, expectant audience and softly answered, "Peace."

P-E-A-C-E. The direct opposite of C-U-R-S-E. For all who desire an end to the curse's flying scroll in their lives, Jesus has the answer: "Look at my hands" (John 20:24-29). This was Jesus' encouraging word to doubting Thomas, who insisted, "Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into His side, I will not believe [that He is risen from the dead]" (John 20:24-29, emphasis added).

But Jesus Christ did rise from the dead! And he did eventually show Thomas the print of the nails and the spear wound in His side. The Prince of Peace showed Thomas and all His disciples "the prints of peace!" This was quite enough for Thomas to joyfully cry out, "My Lord and My God!" (John 20:28).

Today, just like then, the Wonderful One, the Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting father and the Prince of Peace  invites all thieves and all perjurers --all sinners--to look at His nail-pierced hands and believe that He is the one who alone can destroy every person's flying scroll and reverse the curse: "Having made peace through the blood of His cross...Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a a curse for us" (Colossians 1:20; Galatians 3:13).

Happy Resurrection Sunday --or should I say "Sonday"! Glory to the King  of everything! --\O/

ALIVE AT 65

At age two I was the second born of nine children
to a loving and caring but poor Texas Coast mom and dad.

In two days I'll be 65. To be honest, I never thought I'd make it to 25. But because of God's amazing agape-love, not only will I be 65 on November 16th, three months later on February 9 I will celebrate 40 years as a born-again Christian, and one month later (March) I'll celebrate 40 years in prison, street and pulpit ministry.

At age 15 I  was an A student &
lettered in all school sports but was
also burglarizing homes and "rolling"
people at knife point.

At age 15 I knew my life was in a stormy and raging sea of unchecked anger and hatred. I had no idea whatsoever where my troubled life was going to take me. All I knew was that my life wasn't normal. And although I tried to be normal and appear normal, my life was in a shambles. Over one million youth and adults have heard my testimony, how Jesus Christ set this chemical and criminal captive free from a life of crime and time. Only Jesus could do such a thing.

Already in prison for two years,
just two months later I would
accept Jesus as my Savior!

Only God could use a place like prison as the proving ground that would transform a wretched man into a brand new creation in Christ Jesus, as well as be the place where the Holy Spirit would teach me and equip me with everything I would ever need to become an on-fire for the Lord prison, street and pulpit evangelist.

At age 25--the age I really thought I'd never make it to--I accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior and Lord, and the rest is His-story. And what a story it has been thus far!

Jeanette and I were married in Las
Vegas on  a beautiful and  sunny
Valentine's Day in 1976.

At age 28 I met Jeanette, the love of my life, at the Assembly of God church I attended after being released from prison. She sang in the choir and I was now working at Bakersfield Teen Challenge as its Drug Prevention & Intervention Coordinator. On February 14, 1976 Jeanette and I were married. Shortly thereafter I became the Associate Director of Kern County Teen Challenge. In 2013 Jeanette and I will celebrate 37 years of marriage. Believe me, unless the LORD had built my life, my ministry, our marriage and our family, none of this would have been possible.

San Francisco Teen Challenge
is a men's 12-month rehab center.

At age 35 I became the Executive Director of San Francisco Teen Challenge. In my wildest dreams I would have never in the world thought I'd be sitting behind a desk inside the Mission District of such a majestic and beautiful city as San Francisco and coming home each night to a beautiful wife and three wonderful children. But just think about it: a lifelong Dallas Cowboy fan  living smack dab in the middle of San Francisco 49ers turf. :)

In 1982 Jeanette and I founded Teen Scene, Inc. and focused our ministry on drug prevention, intervention and postvention rather than drug rehabilitation. Living in the Bay area for fourteen years before returning to Bakersfield in 1992, our small but potent ministry became well-known throughout northern, southern and central California as a "one man army against drugs."

The 60-pound, 10-foot by 5 foot
"God's Plus Sign"

From this successful grass roots drug education and prevention ministry, several affiliated ministries and outreaches have sprung up, including the one most people associate me with now. Walk The Cross is now in its seventh year.

Two days from now and if the LORD tarries, I will celebrate my 65th birthday by walking the 60-pound, 10 foot by 5 foot wooden cross--God's Plus Sign to the world!--throughout one of Bakersfield's 60 or so official neighborhoods. On November 16 I will greet a whole lot of individuals with a friendly wave, a sincere smile and a personal greeting, share Jesus with many, and pray for youth and adults as they come out of their homes or stop as they drive by in their vehicles. 

If the LORD tarries, I look forward to
walking the cross many more years.

On the day that I never thought I'd celebrate, much less live to, I will also enjoy the presence of  a loving and dedicated wife, three of four children (oldest lives in Texas) who have grown up to become amazing individuals and three of our grandchildren (five also live in Texas). And, as if that isn't enough, I get to celebrate Jesus and what he has done for me with all my spirit, heart and soul.

Glory to the King of kings and Lord of lords. \O/   --Street Evangelist Tom Alexander

A MINISTRY NOTE OF SINCERE APPRECIATION

25,000 youth & adults have accepted
Jesus as their Savior  through Teen Scene,
Walk The Cross, Bakersfield Street Church,
GangBusters, Nope To Dope, Run From Guns,
Church on The Streets & Pray USA.

"I'm alive / I'm on fire / And my spirit burns with desire / You set me alive /...I want to thank You / thank You / Thank You" (lyrics from Newsboys lead singer's solo hit, "Alive"). As I celebrate my 65th birthday on November 16th, I cannot ever forget just how wonderful God was to me at age 25, when he rescued me from a very deep and dark pit and then put a new song in my heart and mouth (Psalm 40). And, for almost 40 years He has allowed me to serve Him as a street evangelist. In His grace I hope to serve Him for many, many more years.

For these 40 years I've never had to charge for the weddings I officiated, the one million kids I spoke to in public schools about the dangers of drug use, the individual and family counseling I provided, or any other ministry service. That's amazing. But this happened because of dear friends who have supported our ministry these past 40 years. Perhaps you'd like to contribute to our ministry. If so, why not give a gift of $65, not to celebrate my birthday, but to help underwrite this ministry at a unique time in my life.

You can make your gift out to either Teen Scene, Inc. or Walk The Cross. Our mailing address is: Teen Scene/Walk The Cross, Box 10551, Bakersfield, CA 93389. E-mail address is: Tom@WalkTheCross.com

THIS GANG THANG

                                                                                                                  PART ONE

Youngster, Gunster Gangster. A Growing
Problem  In Our Nation.

By definition a gang is a group of individuals who associate with one another for social or criminal reasons. As the definition implies, there are basically two types of groups: individuals who come together to do good or positive things, and individuals who hang out together to do bad or negative things. An example of a good group is a team of baseball, softball, basketball, soccer or football players representing their school, community or region. Another example of a good group is a club. Chess clubs, computer clubs, drama clubs, glee clubs and youth-recreation clubs are just a few of these types of good clubs.

An example of a bad group is a band of youth and/or adults who join together to commit crimes or physically fight with other similar groups. This type of group is referred to as a street gang.

BELONGERS ARE EVERYWHERE

Concerned parents don't need to know everything about gangs to be successful in keeping their children out of gangs. The most important thing to know about gangs is that they really do exist. Perhaps the most important statement that can be made about gangs is:

Gangs exist not so much in the eyes of the beholder as in the eyes of the belonger.

Belongers are everywhere. And they are getting younger and younger. Because kids as young as seven are joining gangs, there is a real possibility that your child will eventually meet or interact with gang members attending his or her school. With this in mind, let's look at the four primary types of gangs and why they exist.

THE FOUR PRIMARY TYPES OF GANGS

Although there are some 31,000 street and youth gangs nationwide, there are basically four types of gangs. These four types of gangs are:

1. INNER CITY GANGS.

These are the most numerous of the four types of gangs, and they are the ones that receive most of our attention. More often than not, these types of youth and street gangs are involved in some form of criminal or antisocial activity, including drug dealing, robbery, murder, illicit gun sales, vandalism and extortion. There are typically four types of inner city street gangs.

     Turf Gangs.
These are inner city gangs which vie, or fight, for territories, of which other gangs are forbidden to enter under threat of bodily harm, including murder. In a real sense, turf gangs are a criminal form of neighborhood watch groups.

     Drug Gangs.

Because turf gangs grow tired of fighting each other and eventually get bored with scribbling over each other's graffiti -- but mostly because there is much money to be made from dealing drugs -- territorial gangs quickly transform into drug gangs. Drug gangs are the most ruthless, deadly and powerful of all street gangs. They are also the fastest growing group.

     Racial Or Ethnic Gangs.

These are inner city gangs which are formed around one's skin color or ethnic or cultural background. These inner city gangs may also claim territory, but to a smaller degree or size than turf gangs.

     Tagbanger, Tag Bragger And Wallbanger Gangs.

These are small- to medium-size groups of "taggers" (kids or young adults who band together in a "crew" for the express purpose of painting gang graffiti), but who are also involved in other forms of criminal behavior, including robbery, extortion and even murder. Tagbangers are gangbangers who like to scribble or "tag brag" their own gang symbols and signs over a rival gang's "can-writing" (graffiti) as a sign of disrespect or turf takeover.

2. SUBURBAN GANGS.

Youth in affluent or middle-class suburban and rural areas start and/or join these copycat versions of inner city gangs as a way to appear novel, cool or hard-core, as a way to protect themselves from other gangs, or as a way to be defiant and rebellious. They may or may not be into drug dealing or the thug life mentality, but they do mimic the behavior of the turf, racial and tagbanger gangs, cliques, sets and posses of the inner city to some degree. Vandalism and tagging (scribbling graffiti on walls, buildings, signs and sidewalks) are two of the more familiar behaviors of suburban gangs.

3. HATE GANGS.

In recent years, youth and adult hate gangs have resurfaced in this nation. Skinheads are the best known type of hate gang, and they are usually violent against anyone they choose to hate. Skinheads are not just skinheads anymore. They also wear spiked hairdos, Mohawks or tightly cropped cuts. These types of youth gangs usually spring up when the economy is bad and people are looking for someone to blame, especially those who are of a different race or color. Youth gangs are usually affiliated with adult supremacist groups to some degree.

4. OCCULT OR SATANIC GANGS.

These gangs, or groups of individuals, are usually middle- to upper-class kids who become involved with satanic devices and activities and occultic phenomenon associated with death and destruction. Abused youth are the ones most commonly lured into these types of toxic youth gangs. Due to a growing interest in New Age and eastern religions, occultic and satanic gangs are on the increase in this nation.

Parents should not only be concerned that their child might feel pressure to join a street gang; they must also be on the alert and become alarmed if they sense or become aware that their son or daughter is being pressured to join a suburban, hate or occultic/satanic gang as well. The truth is, any of these four primary types of gangs can cause a family -- and other families as well -- much grief, pain, misery and mayhem.

**Watch for Part Two of  THIS GANG THANG in an upcoming Endless Easter article.This article is excerpted from KEEPING KIDS AWAY FROM DRUGS & OTHER FATAL ATTRACTIONS, a 300-page guidebook by Tom Alexander. A Soul Wars Publication**

RHEMATHERAPY: God's Healing Word

We Must Ask God To Send His Word And Heal Us Of
Our Afflictions, Sicknesses And Discomforts.

Rhematherapy is a word I coined many years ago after thoroughly studying, reading and meditating on Scriptures, verses and text related to the topic of divine healing, especially the eighth chapter of Matthew. Rhema is  the Greek word used in the New Testament to reveal and demonstrate Jesus Christ's intimate and personal concern for each individual who comes to Him for help.

Rhema simply means "a specific, personal and intimate statement, Scripture, verse or promise," and is in contrast to "Logos," the general term used to describe the entire Bible. The Bible -- all sixty-six books -- is the Logos of God: the complete revelation and expression of God's mind and thoughts as concerning mankind. Jesus Christ Himself is called the Logos of God, the full expression and utterance of who God is (John 1:1).

THE TWO-EDGED SWORD OF THE SPIRIT

This is the two-edged sword of the Spirit!

In contrast, individual Scriptures, verses and text from the Bible are exactly what the Bible calls each one: "The sword of the Spirit, which is the word (rhema) of God" (Ephesians 6:17). Thus, a rhema is a specific statement or individual Scripture, verse or text which the Holy Spirit brings to our remembrance from the Logos, or complete Bible, and which we utilize as a two-edged sword in time of need (Hebrews 4:12).

This is what the two-edged sword, or rhema, of the Spirit looks like: one sharp edge contains the "Thus says the LORD" rhemas spoken by God and recorded in the Old Testament, and the other sharp edge has the "It is written" rhemas spoken by the Lord Jesus Christ in the New Testament. The two-edged sword of the Spirit is the personal and intimate declarations spoken to individuals by God as revealed in both Old and New Testaments.

THE DIVINE THERAPY OF GOD

Our English word "therapy" is derived from the New Testament word therapeia, which means, "the treatment of ailments, diseases, sicknesses and maladies by medical or physical means. Rhematherapy is simply the combining of these two Greek words to express and explain how the Lord Jesus Christ heals individuals. The Lord of Shekinah (manifested) glory simply speaks an intimate, personal and specific word or statement to heal an individual of physical, mental or spiritual disorders, diseases and sicknesses.

RHEMATHERAPY: GOD'S HEALING AND HELPING WORD

The Sword of The Spirit Is The Word Of God.

One of the more familiar Scriptures which illustrates divine and biblical rhematherapy is found in Psalm 107:20: "[God] sent His word and healed them and delivered them from their destructions." This is exactly how God comforts and heals -- He sends His living, powerful, authoritative and intimate "Thus says the LORD"/"It is written" two-edged Word/Sword to heal, to help and to deliver.

One of the best known passages of Scripture demonstrating rhematherapy is recorded in Matthew 8:5-13, the story of the centurion soldier and his appeal to Jesus the living Word to heal his palsy-stricken servant.

When Jesus declared to the centurion, "I will come and heal him" (v. 7), the Resurrection and the Life dynamically illustrated a true-to-life "Scripture Picture" sketch to show us what divine rhematherapy is. In this verse, Christ's personal word or rhema is "I will come and heal him." This is what divine rhematherapy is -- a personal, intimate word of promise from the living Savior which is accomplished by action, performance and results.

In this same verse (v. 7), the Greek word for heal is therapeuo. Our English words therapy, therapeutic and therapist are derived from the root of this word. When Jesus declares, "I will," He is speaking rhema, or an intimate, personal and specific word of promise. When Christ also declares, "I will come and heal him," Jehovah-Rapha Incarnate is promising to openly demonstrate His "all authority" power, ability and might to heal and to help (Matthew 28:18).

When the Savior says, "I will," we can rest assured that a divine encounter is about to take place. When He prefaces this statement with "I will come and heal him (her)," His audience -- consisting of both believer and skeptic -- is about to witness a miracle, sign, wonder and amazement of divine healing, help and deliverance from the Great Physician Himself -- Dr. Jesus!

ENTERING GOD'S WORD INTO THE CONFLICT,

THE PROBLEM OR THE AFFLICTION

We Must Enter God's Word Into The
Conflict Or Problem For It To Win

In Matthew 8, rhematherapy is vividly displayed in six different situations, conflicts and afflictions: the cleansing of  a leper (vv. 1-4); the healing of the centurion's servant (vv. 5-13); the healing of Peter's mother-in-law (vv. 14-15); the healing of all who were sick or demon-possessed (vv. 16-18); the cessation of tempestuous winds and waves (vv. 23-27); and the casting out of evil spirits from demon-possessed men (vv. 28-34).

In the above situations as well as every other case recorded in the Bible where  Jesus healed individuals, the healing occurred because someone asked for His help. Here's the picture of what prayer -- the Asking, Seeking, Knocking kind of prayer encouraged by Jesus in Matthew 7:7 -- looks like in Heaven. It looks like incense going up before the altar of God (Psalm 141:2).

WHAT OUR PRAYERS LOOK LIKE IN HEAVEN

The Bible reveals that every time someone asks God for help in Jesus' name, a mighty angel takes that incense -- that prayer -- in his hands and mixes it with divine fire from the altar of God, and then flings it back to Earth as answered prayer in the form of spiritual thunder, lightning and earthquakes (Revelation 8:3-5). This text also reveals the complete cycle of prayer: (1) our in-the-name-of-Jesus prayers going up to God as incense; and (2) holy fire mingled with our incense coming back to us in the form of answered prayer.

Rhematherapy is simply entering God's Word -- His specific statements, Scriptures, verses -- into the problem, the conflict, the affliction, the trial or the concern. The rhema of God will always win when given the opportunity to compete. The major competing forces which hinder answers to prayer include: unbelief, continuing and habitual sin, worldly philosophies and mindsets, and Satanic resistance against God's answers (Daniel 10:12-21).

Rhematherpay takes place because (1) we pray specific verses and Scriptures; (2) divine fire from heaven falls; and (3) Jesus' "all authority, all Lordship power" prevails over everything in His Word's path! Glory to the King.   \O/

THE CROSS AND ABORTION

The Cross of Jesus Christ Is God's Plus Sign To Both
The Saved And  The Unsaved Sinner.

As I hoisted the 60-pound, ten-foot cross upright at the abortion mill's large Family Planning sign, a loud and angry voice filled the air. The father of one of the young girls who was already upstairs and waiting to have an abortion was vehemently cussing out a group of prolife women for attempting to get his daughter to change her mind about allowing her unborn's life to be terminated.

The man's enraged tirade was laced with F-bombs. If looks and words could kill, every one of the prolife women would have been mortally wounded. Only inches separated the women legally standing on the sidewalk from the angry dad, who was standing on a narrow grass partition separating the killing clinic's driveway from the sidewalk.

SUDDENLY I RECOGNIZED THE ENRAGED FATHER

This Is The Tract/Card I Hand Out
To Women At Abortion Clinics

I looked at the man. If he physically attacked the women, I could be there in an instant. Something was familiar about this man. Suddenly, I recognized him. He is a friend whom I hadn't seen for quite some time. I asked someone to hold the cross and then walked to where he was standing. I loudly called out his name and beckoned for him to come to where I was standing on the sidewalk.

He looked at me in surprised recognition, then shook his head. "Can't do it," he answered. "This is personal business." I called him by his family nickname. "Come here and let's sort this out together." He shook his head again. "Can't do. This is my business and no one else's."

I had never met his daughter. I called out his nickname again. "Don't do this now. Go get your daughter, and let's talk about this." "Can't do it," he answered again, walking away and joining a group of men who were also outside and waiting for their girlfriends/wives to have their abortions. I lovingly but firmly gave him several rational reasons to go get his daughter before it was too late. But he was bent on seeing this thing through.

After several minutes of softly but firmly pleading with him (and the other men as well) to not allow the abortionist to kill  his daughter's baby, I returned to the cross and began praying for his daughter, as well as the other women who would have an abortion this day and end the life of their innocent unborn. My heart especially ached for this Vietnam veteran and his young daughter.

ONE MONTH LATER

A Person Is A Person No Matter How Small!

Our doorbell rang. I was home and inside my home office finishing up a newsletter on my computer. My wife answered the door. From my office window I recognized the young girl whose boyfriend lived next door to us. I could barely hear her soft voice. "Can I speak to your husband?" I heard her ask Jeanette. "My boyfriend lives next door." Jeanette invited her in and I came into the front room. "Hi," she shyly greeted me. "I think you know my father. You talked to him at the abortion clinic a few weeks ago."

Instantly I knew who she was, though I had never met her before. "Is your dad.......? (name left out on purpose). She nodded. I invited her into my office. As she sat down she began to cry. "I didn't want to do it...I was scared...My dad said it  would be OK...But it's not...I can't sleep...I can't eat...I have nightmares...Everywhere I go I break down and cry." She paused.

"Whenever I see a pregnant mom or a little baby,  I lose control...I think about killing myself...I'm sick all the time...I told my dad how I feel...He said it would go away...It hasn't and it won't...I don't know what to do." 

GOD'S LOVE IS GREATER THAN OUR GREATEST SIN

The Cross Of Jesus Christ Is Dysfunction Junction
To All Who Come To Jesus!

Let me tell you, this young girl shared a whole lot more than this. Without interrupting, I listened as this fragile and shattered young girl let it all out. Then I told her what I tell everyone: "It doesn't matter what you've done or where you've been. God forgives the greatest sin, if you ask Him to." Right then and there, this young girl asked God to forgive her for all her sins, including abortion, and accepted Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior. I wish you could have been there to see the difference the cross of Jesus made in her life as she acknowledged that Jesus had died on the cross for her sins.

We talked for a long time. She came for counseling once a week for a season. And today she is doing great...all because of God's amazing grace to all who come to Jesus. truly, the cross of Jesus Christ is DYSFUNCTION JUNCTION! And just as true, God is the great healer of hearts, souls, minds and lives.

THE CROSS AND THE STREET EVANGELIST

Street Evangelist Tom Alexander praying at abortion mill

There is so much more to this story. Apparently the young girl's dad told her that "Even that man with the large cross was there on that day!" For the past month, whenever she came to visit her boyfriend and his family, she saw the cross because we lived next door to him and his family. I keep the large cross leaning on a rack atop the cab and inside the truck bed even when I am home for all who pass by to see.

The young girl kept seeing the cross until she couldn't take it any longer. She had to speak with me. She quickly found out that the cross of Jesus Christ is God's Plus Sign! There isn't anything negative about the cross of Calvary. That day when this young girl rang our doorbell, she experienced the greatest gift of all: forgiveness of personal sins simply by asking God to forgive her and inviting Jesus Christ the Savior of the world into her life.

Glory to the King! \O/

THE CROSS AND THE WEDDING RING

He who finds a wife finds a good thing. --Proverbs 18:22

That good thing mentioned in the above Scripture isn't the wife. It's marriage. Marriage is the good thing God is talking about. A wife isn't a thing. A wife is the equal partner in the awesome and wonderful covenant called marriage between the living God, a man and a woman.

Because marriage between one man and one woman is the most important and most noble of institutions the Lord has ever created, it shouldn't come as a surprise that the Bible reveals God's divine blueprint and schematic for marriage. A blueprint is a detailed plan or design. A schematic is the structural diagram of that master plan.

Genesis 1:26-31 and 2:18-24 is the master blueprint, while Ephesians 5:22 through 6:4 is one of the structural schematics of harmonious marriage outlined in the Bible.

But what happens when the master plan or the structural schematic for marriage is altered? What happens when a husband or a wife attempts to break God's covenant of marriage between a man and a woman? What happens when a husband or a wife wants to end that covenant?

WITH THIS RING I THEE WED

In April 2006 as I was walking the 10-foot, 60-pound cross on a major road, a woman made a quick U-turn so she could talk to me about her failing marriage. Her husband had left her for another woman. She was crying and asked a lot of questions. She asked me to pray for her marriage, that her husband would come to his senses and return to her and her children.

I asked the Lord to dismantle the illicit affair, demolish the relationship and break her husband's hardened heart into pieces no matter what it took, so God could give him a brand new heart of flesh (Ezekiel 36:26-27). I also asked God to save the other woman's soul but to do whatever it took to pulverize and end the illicit affair.

I noticed that Mary (not her real name) didn't have her wedding ring on, and encouraged her to begin wearing it again, as a sign to the Lord and to her husband that she not only wanted the marriage to work, but that she also believed that God would save the marriage. She agreed, and I noticed an immediate and distinct difference on her countenance as she got back into her vehicle and sped off with a smile on her face (and her faith). I lifted my hands and thanked God for the opportunity to walk the cross and to pray long and hard for this distraught woman.

FLASH FORWARD TO SEPTEMBER 2007

This day is no different than others. Walking the cross on a major highway of the city, I continue to be amazed at all the people passing by in their vehicles and honking their horns and waving wildly as they drive by. I can't help but think that  this is what the ministry of Christianity is all about: presenting the cross of  Jesus Christ as God's plus sign to hurting humanity; proclaiming the name of Jesus Christ to everyone I pass by on the sidewalks; and praying in the name of Jesus Christ for those driving by in their vehicles and especially for those who come up to me and ask for prayer.

A voice breaks through my audible prayers. "Sir...sir, I've got something to tell you!" I look at and immediately recognize the woman who had made a U-turn on that major road back in April. I lowered the heavy cross from my shoulder and to the ground and say hi. "Do you remember me?" she asked. Of course I do. She smiles real big.

"Last year on Ashe Road you prayed for my marriage," she reminded me. "The one thing I remember you telling me was to put my wedding ring back on. So I did." She paused. "Every time my husband came to visit our daughter he'd look at my hand and ask why I was still wearing my wedding ring. I told him why and the other things you told me to say." She grinned. "After six months he broke off the relationship and asked me if I would have him back!"

Her face was beaming now. "He said that my continuing to wear the wedding ring he gave me when we were first married was the one thing that kept convicting him and making him feel so guilty." She began to cry. "Our marriage was saved and we love each other so much!"

"I've been looking for you for months. Every time I went out I'd scan the street on both sides in search of you and the cross." She paused. "And today...here you are! I can never thank you enough for encouraging me to continue wearing my wedding ring and for offering me so much hope when I first saw the cross." She began to cry again. "Thank you." We talked for a few minutes, then she left, a great big smile on her face...and her faith.

AN AMAZING UPDATE THE WEEK BEFORE CHRISTMAS 2011

The Sunday before this Christmas my wife Jeanette and I were shopping for groceries after enjoying a Christmas musical that our grandnieces were part of at their church. A woman tapped me on the shoulder. As I turned around, I recognized who it was. "Remember me?" Of course I did. 

Here she was again, a big smile on her face (and her faith). "Here you are in the same store at the same time we are. I wanted my daughter to meet the man who prayed so hard for me, my husband and our family." A smiling and beautiful young daughter extended her hand. "Hi," I greeted.

Of course we talked a good while, but then said our good-bye's. I gave them each the tract I hand out during Christmas: The Christmas Cross, which shares why I also walk the cross throughout the winter months and even (especially) on Christmas day. Sin, death and the devil don't take holidays. Christmas finds many people experiencing seasonal sadness and holiday hurt just like this family had gone through.

Jeanette and I continued to shop. Again, someone tapped my shoulder. It was Mary. She handed me a store gift card and said, "This is nothing compared to what you did for my family." I was surprised, but said thank you. We talked a few more minutes and she and her daughter went on their way.

I looked at Jeanette and smiled. Their gift meant a lot to us. But more than this, their living testimony meant everything to Jeanette and me. I was especially glad that Jeanette was with me to experience what happens often as I walk throughout the streets or even shop at stores. Smiling faces, smiling hearts, and smiling testimonies of what our awesome God can do--even (and especially) through such a simple thing as wearing a wedding ring even though  maybe you don't feel this will help.

GOD'S TRIANGLE OF LOVE AND THE LAW OF MARRIAGE

If you're struggling in your marriage, if your hope is eroding, and even if you're too angry at or hurt by your wandering spouse to even want to reconcile, please send for the free brochures I have on marriage and reconciliation, especially The Law of Marriage.

The illustration on the left shows what it takes for a husband and wife to get closer to each other, whether  or not their marriage is going good or is on its last leg. Can you figure out what the illustration is saying?

Simply, it takes both the husband and the wife to move up closer to God if they want to get closer to each other. This is the law of marriage. And it is also how God can turn a dying or unhappy marriage into a good thing!

God's biblical blueprint and scriptural schematics for a happy marriage, an enduring marriage, a dying marriage or a recovering marriage is written in the Bible. Sometimes all that's necessary for God to restore and revitalize an all but dead marriage is a simple act of faith, such as continuing to act like you are married even if you don't feel like you are. Miracles still happen every day. The secret is to endure. This, too, is the law of marriage. Glory to the King!

Send all correspondence to: Tom Alexander, Box 10551, Bakersfield, CA 93389. E-mail: Tom@WalkTheCross.com

THE BIBLE: GOD'S DIVINE ROUTE 66

The Bible is designed to transform
the Christian into a crucified believer.

The Bible is God's go-to book for every life-question we have and every life-problem or life-situation we find ourselves going through. Written over a 2,000 year period by forty-four God-inspired writers, the Bible has one great theme embedded throughout the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments which comprise the living Word of God: Jesus Christ is King of kings, Lord of lords and God of gods.

Throughout the ages, men and women and boys and  girls have searched for answers and solutions to life's simple and complex problems by reading, studying and meditating on God's Word, the Bible. And they have found real answers, practical wisdom, genuine truth and divine help written within its 1,189 chapters, its 41,173 verses, and its 774,746 words.

THE PEOPLE OF THE GREAT BOOK

In my booklets The People  Of The Resurrection, Part I and II, I share sixteen spiritual truths that third day believers must live by. Truth #9 is: We Are The People Of The Great Book, Not The People Of The Great Science Fiction. There have been many counterfeit, false and science-fiction versions. There are countless look-a-likes, sound-a-likes and seems-a-likes. But there is only one Book that contains both ultimate and intimate truth. There is only one book written by God to man. Christians are the people of this great Book.

BASIC INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE LEAVING EARTH

Read all about it! It's in the Book!

The Bible, which many good folk call "The Good Book," is actually The God Book because it is the one and only true God's written communication to the world. The Bible contains everything that the living God wants to tell us for now--everything about Himself, His creations, His plan for man, and His instructions and guidelines to follow if we desire genuine truth, eternal hope, lasting peace, unfailing love and divine help. According to an anonymous writer of yesteryear, B-I-B-L-E actually stands for:

Basic
Instructions
Before
Leaving
Earth

WHAT SOME WELL-KNOW PEOPLE HAVE SAID ABOUT THE BIBLE

Other books are for our information.
This Book is for our transformation.

• George Washington. "It is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and the Bible."
• Abraham Lincoln. "Take all this Book upon reason that you can, and balance by faith, and you will live and die a better man."
• Thomas Jefferson. "I have always said, I always say, that the studious perusal of the Sacred Volume will make better citizens, better fathers, and better husbands."
• Daniel Webster. "The Bible is a book of faith, and a book of doctrines, and a book of morals, and a book of religion, of especial revelation from God."
• Sir Isaac Newton. "No sciences are better attested than the religion of the Bible."
• Douglas McArthur. " Believe me, sir, never a night goes by, be I ever so tired, but I read the Word of God before I go to bed."
• Patrick Henry. "There is a Book, the Bible, worth more than all others that were printed."
  

GOD'S HIGHWAY TO HEAVEN

God's divine GPS to help us get to Heaven

In mankind's spiritual and moral journey to find the one true God and eternal life, the only theological road or highway the living God has ever constructed for humans to safely and correctly travel down (or up) is the Bible. As mentioned previously, the Bible contains 66 God-inspired books. It is the living God's divinely paved and mandated Route 66--a Highway of Holiness that even the most simple and innocent can confidently and safely travel on:

A highway [the Bible] shall be there, and a road, and it shall be called the Highway of Holiness. The unclean [unbeliever] shall not pass over it, but it shall be for others. Whoever walks the road, although a fool, shall never go astray...The redeemed shall walk there. --Isaiah 35:8-9, emphasis added

This Highway of Holiness was completed in A.D. 95, after the book of Revelation was written. According to the one true God, there will never be other "lanes" or pathways added to this Canon of divine Scripture. Because this heavenly Route 66 is God-constructed, it will never have to be shut down for repairs or to fill in any potholes. Because it is all-inclusive and contains everything that God wants us to know about spiritual, eternal and moral truths, nothing new or improved is ever to be added to this only highway to Heaven.

Got questions? Need answers? Need directions and a divine GPS? Take a little journey down God's Highway to Heaven, the Bible. This divine Route 66 is the heavenly road God has given you and me that will take us to where He is. It is a road that even fools can travel in their quest to discover ultimate truth and genuine eternal life without ever getting lost.