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/