Gods For-BEAR-ance With Bullies

By Patricia Backora

Armed with the Word of God, Patricia Backora comforts the oppressed and beats satans butt all the way to hell.

Gods For-BEAR-ance With Bullies

BY PATRICIA BACKORA
2010 All Rights Reserved

FIRST THE BAD NEWS: Where two or more bullies are gathered together in satans name to raise hell, there will satan be in the midst of them (flip side of Matt. 18:20). NOW FOR THE GOOD NEWS: Jesus Christ Came: TO SET AT LIBERTY THOSE WHO ARE BRUISED (Luke 4:18) Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you (Luke 10:19). Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief (Luke 9:24).

FOREWORD
Ive walked with God long enough to discover that there are seldom snap solutions to deeply-entrenched problems. Gods remedies are not like instant oatmeal. But they always work. This book is full of Scripture references. Scripture brought to life by the Spirit of God is the best medicine for the wounded soul. We are told in Proverbs 4:22 that Gods Word imparts life and health even to the body of those one who receives it in faith. So please meditate upon these Scriptures at your leisure to derive maximum benefit from my message. All quotations are taken from the King James Version of the Bible. This is my version of choice, because I believe it more accurately portrays the true intent of the ancient writers, and has not been biased by todays popular political correctness. A few archaic words have been paraphrased for the benefit of those unused to this version. I have spent years in intensive study of the Word of God, assisted by the ever-present Holy Spirit. He has given me a strong desire to learn more about the fathomless Love of God. Most of you would not be reading this book now if you were not being affected by bullying, either directly or indirectly. My heart goes out to you. Ive been there. There has been much publicity about bullying here in the United Kingdom. I experienced it where I grew up in America. Hatred knows no national boundaries. At present, the whole world lies in wickedness (I John 5:19). What is a bully? I believe he is a hateful, malicious, mentally warped sinner utterly incapable of genuine love. He projects himself as the god of his own turf, but harbors subconscious insecurities about himself; thus feeling the need to degrade others in order to avoid sinking to the bottom of the societal heap. Ironically, I was spurred on to seek Gods answers by the very one who had incited bullies to harass me: none other than the devil himself. He kept on dredging up memories of all those cruel bullies, just to torment me. Finally I said, Ive had enough! Lord, make all this backfire on satan. Make him wish hed never gone out of his way to make an enemy out of me. Then the Lord showed me it was time to tell my story, and to share all the secrets of victory Ive learned as a Christian survivor of bullying. Ive always said, The Lord gives the devil just enough rope to hang himself with. I am a spiritual freedom fighter, a rebel against satans status quo. Where it concerns fighting the devil and his evil works, Ive taken off my gloves. My words are not always nice, but they are true, and they are necessary. Even bullies need to be reached with the Love of God, but sometimes love must be firm. Jonathan Edwards, an early American fire-and-brimstone preacher, saved more souls by scaring them into heaven with Gods unspin-doctored truth than he could have saved by following the politically correct route: gift-wrapping the Gospel in syrupy, nostrings-attached love and glossing over Gods warning of eternal damnation upon unrepentant sinners. This book is very comprehensive. It details the devastating spiritual and emotional damage I suffered from bullying, which was aggravated by observing the lives of hypocritical nominal churchgoers. I expose the heart of the typical bully, and his motives for wanting to hurt you. Most importantly, I reveal how to secure Gods help, place yourself under His continual protection, and remain there. If only Id had access to these precious truths back in the 60s, I could have lived under the shelter of the Almighty (Psalms 91:1) rather than under the dark cloud of demonic oppression.

Im going to forewarn you: Dont waste time reading my book if youre not tough enough to take the truth! I do not pander to political correctness. I answer only to God and His Word. This book is not for the faint-hearted. Im not a sour lemon Christian. I love laughter and humor. I wish I could smile all the time because it feels better than getting mad. Other things Ive enjoyed writing because some topics can be addressed from a light-hearted perspective. But bullying is different. It is a foretaste of the torments of hell, a place where all hope is forever abandoned. This project was so serious it took dogged dedication to tackle it. How could it be otherwise when the subject matter is so grim? I was only able to soldier on with this project because the Presence and power of the Lord was there to make my heart bright with hope. And, admittedly, my anger against this problem helped keep me motivated. Most kids will banter with each other and engage in light teasing from time to time. But mean, premeditated abuse of another human being isnt a kiddie game. Theres nothing good that can be salvaged out of bullying. Bullying is a profoundly destructive, damnable crime against humanity, calculated to physically or emotionally cripple some other human being. The same spirit of satan which incites murders and torture is also behind bullying. This book is not for pantywaists who cringe from the dirt of the battlefield. It offers comfort and joy and peace in Christ, but it is not for those looking for a soothing, flowery devotional to help them nod off to sleep. Its a spiritual combat manual for those who arent going to be kicked around by satan any longer! I might be a woman, but the women of God dont get a deferment from the war against the devil just because of their gender. I talk tough. I pull no punches about my own bullying experience or the anger with which I attack this social evil. So if you think its a sin to get mad about sin youd better just go read some other book. I took my gloves off a long time ago. May you truly encounter God as you read this book. God bless you. Patricia Backora

Open Letter to Hog Pen High

Burning Bear: Painting by Patricia Backora

Hogpen High (You are NOT dear to me!!!): Forty-odd years ago I was too scared and downtrodden to whimper a protest, but Im not gonna leave this earth till I speak my piece. So here goes: Im hacked off at you! I remember the big flashing marquis sign near the entrance of your school bragging about your ball game victories. How bout THIS cheer, based on the compliment paid me by one of your stupidest students: Andy Idiott? (name fictitious, character real). SOO-EY! SOO-EY! Were the champion Slimeball Team! Suck on mud and throw spitballs! Give em hell, you grimy Hogs! Grunt! Grunt! Strut your stuff! Trample girls, youre tough enough! Oink Oink! Score more points! Youre the Hog Pen Bully Boys!

You profess to be a fully accredited high school, teaching students a well-rounded /curriculum. How about adding Common Courtesy 101? Maybe you cant, because of severe underfunding. You must be bankrupt financially as well as morally. True to my expectation, you issued me no apology in response to my letter. Id thought that after nearly half a century, youd be surprised to get a long-overdue complaint about the apathy you demonstrated toward all the abuse I received at YOUR School of Hard knocks! I wish I could travel back in time and preach that wimpy school principal a good, scorching sermon about his CRIMINAL NEGLECT in failing to curb bullying at his school. He said the violence I suffered on the bus wasnt their problem because it occurred off school grounds. Well, I wouldnt have been on that blasted bus to begin with if I hadnt had to go to YOUR school! There was not one iota of compassion or human empathy shown by that spineless worm! Trashy, ill-bred kids bent on raising hell could act just like they wanted without fear of any serious consequences. To be fair, a FEW of the kids at your school were okay. A very few expressed sympathy for me, but they couldnt do much else to help. Bullies and other lowlife called the shots at Hog Pen High. That school must have had at least one born-again Christian in every class. Theyd swear up and down they loved Jesus so long as no popular kid could hear them. But no one ever had the guts to shout their love for Jesus from the rooftops and do as HE would have done: defend the defenseless and take a bold stand against evil. NOT one of those respectable kids ever waged a campaign against school bullying (thank God it wasnt them, eh?). VIOLENT bullies might be in the minority, but it takes only a few bad apples to spoil school and turn it into a hog pen of abuse. Those subhuman hogs heaped their filthy hatred and nastiness on me everyday knowing I couldnt escape. Venomous snakes whispered vile insults into the ear of dominant bully pals they hoped to impress. Shes got maggots, shes dumb, tee hee hee. Ever so softly, knowing I was nearby and could JUST hear them, but Teacher couldnt. And if I said anything, it would be my word against theirs. Yellow dog COWARDS! If they hated my guts so much why not holler it loud enough for the teacher to hear? Because like all rats, all they want to do is cover their own tails and look out for Number One. What kind of pig sty dump of a school refuses to teach basic decency and manners to its students?

Where was the adult supervision when I sat in the cafeteria that first awful day? I had said NOTHING to anybody, just sat quietly minding my own business, waiting to get started with the school year. Then out of the clear blue a bunch of grotesque jackasses swooped through the doors, yelling out my last name (twisted into an insult), jumping up and down, pointing and laughing at me and trying to get the whole cafeteria to persecute me. Maybe Id ACCIDENTALLY told some stray soul my last name, which wasnt the same as everybody elses. Dont EVER tell a living, breathing soul your last name unless its Smith or Jones. Especially not in the Deep South, which once was very racist and xenophobic. You can be white as buttermilk but if you dont have a WASP (White Anglo Saxon Prostestant) last name and WASP hair, the wasps and the bees will sting you. So I learned the hard way that from the very outset troublemakers send undercover talent scouts will circulate at the beginning of the first school day to choose the unlucky soul who will be THE social outcast and eternal target of their abuse. So its best to just walk away if some smiling clone asks what your last name is. Theyre not trying to make friends with you. Theyre sizing you up for the kill. Breathe one word and before you know it, youre an instant celebrity just because youve got a strange last name or your hair isnt like everybody elses. Rumors and gossip spread like wild fire because garbage mouths cant mind their own business and cant be happy unless they heap * * * *on somebody else. Stupid, ignorant racist bigots will give you hell if you have a unique last name all your own, or if your hair aint fine as corn silk. On several occasions some skinny scumbag darted across the school courtyard and verbally assaulted me while I was peacefully and quietly making my way to the next class. He was a gangly rattlesnake, about six-foot six and couldnt have weighed much more than a hundred pounds. Mike Crappe, Esq. (name fictitious) was a garden hose that sprayed verbal sewage. Like every other bully on campus, Mike knew MY name, but Id never even had the pleasure of meeting him. I talked to some girl in the bathroom who helped Mikes Math teacher grade papers. She told me his name. She complained to Mikes teacher about his abuse. The teacher warned Mike to lay off, but his warning had no teeth in it so Mean Mike had nothing to lose by hurting me again. He only threw the teachers warning back in my face. Bullies arent satisfied with hurting you once. Theyve gotta come back to rip your wounds back open time and time and time again. Like ugly vultures bullies return to scavenge off the dead souls theyve killed. No wonder they deserve eternal hell! They show no mercy, so they deserve none! Mike Crappe, Esq. was one of your star math students, an aristocratic snob that probably couldnt even count both of his two warped brain cells. I have more respect for dog poop on the street than I had for him, because at least you can fertilize crops with it. Mike was a total waste of space. I didnt know that sack of sin from Adam, but he called me foul names making fun of my full figure and naturally curly hair. I stood there scratching my Anti-Establishment wig trying to figure out an appropriate insult to come back at Mike Crappe with. Mike vanished like intestinal exhaust fumes before I could adequately express my appreciation for his verbal gas attack. The Viet Cong couldnt have been meaner, but thats the kind of foul human vermin YOUR pigpen school churned out!

Mike must have thought he was as cute as a movie star, but his Coke bottle granny glasses must have been out of focus. (I think the REAL Brad Pitt can afford contact lenses, Mike!) Any girl would have died to get Mike Crappes tapeworm figure and shoe-brush horsehair coiffure. But Spider Mikes face would have cracked a mirror (Ill spare you the disgusting description). I hope that snotty snake ended up with a pot belly the size of the State of Texas and a bad case of piles to keep him from running away from his other bullying victims so fast. That would serve him right. Pity any woman who married that creepy crawlie and reproduced his kind to spread more spiritual disease on Planet Earth. Partly thanks to this lovely gentleman, I developed a mild eating disorder in my late teens and got to where I was terrified of food (though youd never guess it now, since people brag on my cookin). But who gives a flying fig what lowlife worms think of you or your looks. Mike was nothing but hot air and bones, but hell be WORM FOOD in hell because satans worms love to feed off foul gas. Since thats Mikes destiny (if he dies without Christ) his opinion doesnt carry much weight with me. The worst of the (physical) bullying happened on the bus, but the weapon used was made at YOUR school!!! Butch (name fictitious) was so mean you could see the hatred and fierceness of satan in his eyes. He made his club in YOUR woodworking class, a class funded by the government, like all the other cl(*****) at your nitwit school. All year long Butch abused me with soggy spitballs, threatened me with a knife, rubber bands, the rawest insults. One day he hit me on the back of the head with his big club. One girl, who had the face of a pit bull, yelled hit her again! I was so frozen with fear I couldnt move, even to defend myself. By the way, that snotty, disgusting bitch insulted me every day with allegations I had lice. If Butch HAD hit me a second time, most likely Id either be in a wheelchair or dead and I wouldnt be writing this now. May the LORD reward that sleazy Jezebel according to her works (Matt.16:27). Rev.2:23: And I (Jesus) will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works. Who ARE the children of the wicked? Those who take pride in their evil parents works and copy them in their own lives. In Matt.23:30-33 Christ lambastes some Pharisees who say they wouldnt have committed murder like their forefathers. Instead of denouncing what their ancestors did, these wicked men clung to their evil ways. They plotted Jesus crucifixion and later martyred His followers. Christ calls them a brood of snakes and plainly said they were the children of satan, not Gods children (John 8:44). In Revelation, Jesus promises that the children of satan will inherit eternal death as their ultimate reward, not life. Butchs assault with the club was the very last straw. Now Im an extremely softnatured and patient individual, far more than I should be sometimes. I always look for the best in people, but sometimes it just aint there. Some individuals are so hardened in evil heres no hope for them. I went to the police, and Butch and his dad ended up coming over to our house. Butchs dad asked me if I wanted him to beat him in front of my family. I actually felt sorry for the creep and said no, even though God and I werent on speaking terms at the time. Butch said sorry and even grinned and tickled my baby sister under the chin like a nice boy. One or two others on the bus also apologized. But a couple weeks later, yeah, you guessed it! Bullies HATE peace (Psalms 120:7) and boredom set in so they started bothering me again. In desperation, I tried riding the one other school bus, knowing it would drop

me off at least a mile further from my house and Id have to walk in all kinds of weather. Surprisingly, I had no problems on that bus, but the damage had already been done. My self-esteem was in the toilet. After all the brainwashing shoved down my throat and enforced by terror, I surrendered to the Establishment by admitting that naturally curly hair is one of the two unforgivable sins and straightened it. Weighing a few pounds more than society approved of was the other mortal sin. Unless you looked like Toothpick Barbie you were garbage. So I starved over the summer and lost 30 pounds, but I was too emotionally drained to go back to go the same old Hog Pen Devils Den even though I was beautiful. I doubt it would have made Butch or Mike Crappe treat me any better. I could have done a total fast till I made myself a rake and they would still have used that same obscene insult fat to put me back in my place. Once a victim, ALWAYS a victim. Even to this day I resent the fact I was driven out before I could achieve one of the things Id looked forward to since I was old enough to go to school: getting my high school diploma. I had to finish high school in an adult class when I turned 18, still struggling with a mild eating disorder and obsessed with keeping my hair slick and straight. Curl Free was my passport to respectability back then, and I had a phobia of getting my hair damp in the rain. Curly hair represented rejection and shame. I was afraid to even accept a Life Saver from anyone, or eat a Popsicle with my best friend, who was much larger. I was terrified of looking like her, though she had a fun personality. But starving yourself to stay a size 7 and struggling to keep shiny, limp hair is lying to yourself about how God made you. Thats as foolish as a white guy toasting his hide in a tanning booth to convince the whole wide world hes really a black dude. Contrary to the crap rammed down our throats by the mass media, we arent ALL meant to look like Arnold Schwarzenneggar and Kate Moss. I noticed a few fat school children being interviewed on TV and being asked, What do you think needs changing about you? Or, What could you do to make your life better? Yet another generation of kids is being brainwashed to feel ugly and inadequate because theyve got a bit of flesh on their bones! If you aint skinny you dont deserve decent treatment or happiness, and there must be something wrong with you if you dont have a body phobia like all other normal girls and women! Why isnt society just as obsessed about changing whats on the inside of people? How about a world where people are kinder, more considerate and loving? Not one word about that. That kid should have eaten a chocolate bar in front of the interviewer as a sheer act of defiance against todays warped Fashion, Diet and Beauty Industries. How reassuring to know youll have plenty of friends so long as your hair is straight and you look like a fashion model. What kind of friendship is that when no one loves the real you, just the phony, plastic imitation you? Normally I think its downright impolite and conceited to brag on yourself, but at this moment its an antidote of sorts for all the pig swill that was rammed down my throat at Hogpen High. I went to Junior College and actually made the only A in English 101. How many of my numbskull enemies could have done that? How many of those vicious vultures can draw and paint like I do? Bullies cant create anything beautiful or useful. All they do is destroy the beauty all around them and take a dump on everything thats pure and lovely. How many of my former foes know how to write a book, or even a short article? How many of them know how to preach a scorching sermon against sin? Fact is, I did pretty good without your damned dummy diploma!

If he hadnt gone back to his old ways, I would have closed the book on Butchs horrible sins, just like God does for us when we SINCERELY repent. But Butch and his buddies REPENTED OF THEIR REPENTANCE. Theres a lot of sanctimonious drivel about Christians needing to pass out automatic forgiveness like popcorn to every criminal who takes a dump on them, even if that criminal refuses to be sorry for what he/shes done. Now look at it this way: if you ask God to forgive you for cheating on your wife and a few days later go out and whoop it up in a whorehouse, how do you think God feels toward you then? Should the guys wife continue to turn the other cheek and forgive or just walk out? What if that cheating rat said, Nyah! Nyah! God! I didnt REALLY mean my repentance and theres not a damn thing you can do about it!!! Are we greater than God, that we should forgive such lowlifes who will NEVER, ever, in a million years, be sorry for what theyve done? The thing to do in such a case is not to wreak our own vengeance, but to count on God to do it (Rom.12:19). Still, theres a measure of earthly justice some seek. When you cant get some kind of justice in a criminal court, theres always the possibility of a civil lawsuit. Fact is, I should have SUED the pants off Hogpen High for the teachers failure to ask why a mean-looking roughneck kid was carving a big club under his instruction, and on school grounds. In principle, thats no different from allowing kids to build homemade guns to threaten other kids with. Butch probably got an A for that project because the teacher couldnt see past the end of his pointy, numbskull nose and thought Butch was inventing a new type of bowling pin. This was your schools comprehensive anti-bullying policy: Just ignore the weak whimpers made by that whiny victim of bullying and maybe shell just slink away and quit demanding justice! Just bury your head in the sand to pretend nothing is wrong, cause we gotta keep things nicey-nice! Dont try to change the foul atmosphere here, because, as Darwin said, its the survival of the fittest and the rejects at the bottom of the heap can just go to hell! Just pass the buck and dont make waves! I was given absolutely NO counseling on how to get legal help to fight the bullies on the bus. No skin off the principals nose that my basic human rights were DAILY being violated and my spirit crushed by beasts on the school bus and cruel bullies AT school! I wish Id had the know-how and the clout to sue the bus company that took no action against the monster who hit me with that club and threatened me with other weapons. But back then, I was just a kid, broken in spirit, who didnt even know HOW to complain! Well, now I DO know how to complain! Its spelled S-C-R-E-A-M! Soft-spoken, gentle people get nowhere in this shark pool of a world! Victims gain nothing but more pain by turning the other cheek to soggy spitballs over and over and over again. Those whose human rights have been trampled upon must make all the noise they can! I have dedicated the rest of my life to waging war against the works of satan, and that includes bullying! Some people dont believe in satan, but Ive seen him in the face of bullies who went to your school. May God repay them for ALL the evil they did to me (2 Tim.4:14; Rev.20:12-13). I just found out that American schools are getting tougher with bullying. When serious fights erupt or kids are threatened with violence, the cops are called. That just shows that you can only hide a rotting problem under a rug for so long before its putrid stench drives you to do something to solve it. Too bad the cops didnt keep order in schools (and on buses) when I was going to YOUR school! In Biology class the only seat available was at the very front, with two enemies directly behind me.

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One day, after I set my books down and before I was seated, they fired a pointed projectile into a thick book so hard that it tore through it with great force. What if Id been sitting down, or if it had gone into my body? Think about it. Not to mention all the tacks those two dimwits put into my chair. I wished Id been strong enough to JUST WALK OUT!!! Legally, I could have quit school at 16, but my parents wouldnt have liked that much. What happens to teenagers who quit school? The end up at some burger joint, or worse! But if the bullying had gotten much worse, it wouldnt have just been emotionally damaging, it would have been life-threatening to stay there. What would I have done, had I been a stronger individual with the God-given dignity and proper self-esteem I possess today, later in life? Perhaps the script could have been written this way, had I been brave enough to make a stand for my own right to be treated with human dignity: 1. 2. 3. 4. I walk toward my seat in Biology (the only kid with a private table in a classroom of two-seater tables). Just before I sit down a pencil rams through a thick textbook Id just set down on the table (imagine the sheer force this took from whatever was used to fire it!!!). As usual, Im both shaken and furious, disgusted by a world where evildoers KNOW they can get away with it. I could tell the teacher, but no, it wouldnt do a damn bit of good and the smirking boys sitting behind me know it. Instead of sitting down and fuming, I make my stand. Biting my tongue, I calmly and wordlessly pick the book up with the pencil still rammed in it. This time I JUST WALK OUT, for the very last time. Thatll be the last cheap laugh anybody at Hogpen High will EVER get out of me! I stand up straight, head held up high and march straight to the principals office, knowing Im over 16 and the law cant force me to stay in that torture chamber any longer. I ruminate over those sad years when I was younger and COULDNT run away, how the teachers blamed the victim instead of the perpetrator, and they would have beaten me half to death with a holey paddle if Id dared to defend myself as a younger adolescent. Knowing I wont be breaking any law by walking out in protest, I go up to that principal (or assistant principal) and SHOW him the book with the fat pencil still rammed in it. I tell him that could have been my back (or even my eye) punctured by the high-speed missile instead of the book. Remembering the hear no evil, see no evil sleepy indifference of those pathetic characters, the conversation would most likely have gone like this:

5.

6.

Mr. Taylor (name fictitious, as usual), I need to have a word with youNOW! Hey, girl, you show some respect. Dont you dare approach me with that tone of voice. The bell hasnt even rung yet. Who gave you permission to leave class? Do you have a permission slip? Dont need it no more, Im leaving! Wanna know why? (I show him the book). Mr. Taylor squinches his eyes and looks closer at the book, but doesnt seem bent out of shape about it. Hey, who did this?

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Andy Idiott and Rick La Burp! Theyve been hassling me ever since school started. That class has two-seater work tables instead of desks, but it has an odd number of students, so Im the one stuck at the front of the room sitting with MY back to those scum bags, getting tacks in my seat and tiny paper wads thrown at me every single day. Those yellow dog cowards are so chicken they attack me behind my back. And theyre way too chicken to throw bigger paper wads at me when the teachers there. Mr. Taylor slowly shakes his head. Well, I dont know if we can do much about it. Its your word against theirs. Now you see here, Mr. Taylor, God didnt create me to be treated like a sack of garbage day in and day out! How would YOU like it if you got treated like that by teachers and staff when you came to work every day? What if the janitor called YOU a pus bucket? Id complain to the school board and disciplinary action would be taken against them, but hey, thats none of your business. When somebody shoots missiles at me from behind my back and puts tacks in my chair, it IS my business! And why should YOU be protected from being treated like garbage if its okay for other people to torture ME? Because youre just a student and Im an adult, thats why. And just for acting so disrespectful toward school authority, Im going to suspend you for two weeks. Go right ahead, suit yourself. Im history. Any kid who goes to Hog Pen High takes their life in their own hands, both on school grounds and on the bus going home. Did you know my house is three miles away, and theres no sidewalks to walk home on, Mr. Taylor? Sometimes its way too cold and rainy to walk home that far. But the other option is far worse. Im too scared to ride with that bus full of psychos anymore. Lately Butch has been threatening me with a knife. He yawns and flips through a pile of papers on the counter. Sorry, but that bus isnt on school grounds so its not our problem. Same old sorry story, Mr. Taylor. Pass the buck! I wouldnt even be riding that stinking bus if I didnt have to go to Hog Pen High. Well, cant you ride a bike here? On what? Theres no sidewalks between here and there, for goodness sake. What if a great big 18-wheeler ran over me in the rain? Youre not supposed to be riding a bike on the walk anyway. And if somebody runs their truck into you out on that busy road, thats THEIR problem, not ours. Im really getting steamed by now. Mr. Taylor, do you go to church? Sure I do. Doesnt every respectable Southerner go to church on Sunday? what does that have to do with the price of tea in China? Do you think Jesus would turn a blind eye to bullying in this school? But

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Sure He would. Turn the other cheek. Pray for those who persecute you. Now, at the risk of boring you, Mr. Taylor, Im going to ask you again: What would you do if the janitor called you a big bag of pus or said you had maggots? Id see to it that he was fired so he couldnt ever bother me again. Lets take this one step further, Mr. Taylor. What if you had a teenage daughter going to school here, and bullies treated her the same way they treat me? Id expel those trashy kids, no questions asked. So why is it MY cheek youre always trying to turn, Mr. Taylor, and not your own? Why do you think Jesus loves YOUR family, but to hell with somebody elses kids? He stands there, tongue-tied. Exasperated, I say: By the time I get to be about 60, Mr. Taylor, people are gonna start raising hell about human rights violations. Then Im going to make as much hell for bullies as they made for me. Day and night Ill pray for God to pay back those creeps who tortured me and never repented of it. And if you dont change your attitude toward me, a daughter of God, youll fry in hell someday, Mr. Taylor, you and every other adult who turned a blind eye while others hurt me. He looks mad. Im going to call your parents, young lady. Go right ahead, Mr. Taylor. Ive walked into a worse lions den every single day, just by coming here and being treated like dog dirt. You can call me a quitter, but Im proud that I lasted as long as I did in your hog pen of a school. And I dont know any adult whod put up with the same abuse Ive had to take for so many months and years, do you? Ill just get my GED later on. Youll never get very far in life, he sniffs. Oh, yes I will. You see if I dont. Someday theyll pass human rights legislation and laws against hate crimes. And when that glorious day comes, Ill urge every parent of every bullied kid in the nation to use such laws to protect their own kids, and even to sue the pants off schools for allowing their kids to be hurt at schools like Hog Pen High. Im sure theres loads of money-hungry lawyers out there whod love to sue some school system for tolerating flagrant civil rights violations and for loco parentis negligence. Mr. Taylor scratches his head. Whats a locust parent anyway? Loco parentis means in place of the parent. While kids are at school, those who teach and supervise them act as substitute parents responsible for the health and safety of the student, not just their education. If any childs health or safety is jeopardized by failure of school officials to provide a safe learning environment, that school is wide open to being sued. Well, we dont do things that way here, he says dully. Hey, are you sure youre only a 16-year-old kid? This time ou didnt roll over and shut up when the other kids picked on you.

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And I never will, Mr. Taylor. Not ever again. As long as I live, Im gonna raise a big stink about bullying in schools. Just the other day I got hit with a club on the bus, and you said it was none of your concern. Now sometimes all you can do is grit your teeth and let the insults fly your way. But if any kid suffers threats of physical violence, nobody on the face of Gods green earth has got the right to force that poor kid to hang around and take it. NO ONE has the right to break someone elses Rainbow of Peace. Most civilized nations have LAWS against torture, or at least they will in the future. Any factory or office worker would sue, go on strike or protest if their boss turned a blind eye to verbal or physical assaults happening everyday on HIS premises. Why should innocent school kids be given less protection than adults at work? Why should so many bullying victims be driven to suicide by bullies who are handed a blank check to do what they want by apathetic school officials? Whenever bullying ends in tragedy, the best way to cover your blessed assurance is to say lessons will be learned from this (they never are) and its time to move on. Yes, Mr. Taylor, kids at YOUR school made me hate life itself. Such creeps would not be tolerated in any decent workplace. When abuse becomes unbearable its time to protest with your feet and

And furthermore, Mr. Taylor, as soon as I turn 18 Im gonna apply for Legal Aid and get Bubba Blake the famous Peoples Lawyer, to sue to pants off this school for the physical and emotional abuse I suffered while you were assistant principal here. When I go to the movies, Mr. Taylor, I expect to PAY for the entertainment I get. Those bullies got lots of fun out of me, but this time its gonna cost somebody. I dont entertain NOBODY for free. Any yellow dog that takes a bite out of my hide PAYS for it, and Almighty God will see to that. ****** Yep, thats what I shoulda done way back in the late 60s. But Id been marinated in so much dog doo-doo, I actually wondered if I had any human rights at all. I sent your lousy school a letter to try to pry an apology out of you, but youre way too cowardly to email or write me back. Maybe the head honchos who ran Hog Pen High in 1967-1968 have retired or gone to that big teachers lounge in the sky, but an old wrong has never been righted. I was publicly humiliated and a public apology should have been made to me. My theory is logical enough: Youre scared witless that if I hear from you well sue. But what could I gain by suing you this far down the road? As I said before, you possess absolutely nothing of value, materially or spiritually. I

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know compensation is due me for the unjust suffering I was subjected to, but I might as well squeeze blood out of the proverbial turnip! I was a person who enjoyed learning, but I was forced to quit because my shredded nerves could take no more. The very spirit of Hog Pen High is repugnant to me. I wouldnt pay two cents for one of your smelly sheepskins. To put it nicely, I wouldnt even use it for toilet paper. If one were to arrive in the mail from you tomorrow, I would just toss it in the trash! Just be glad that I dont name and shame personal enemies in my writings. I have to laugh when I remember the pride your school took in its honors societies. What a sick joke! To me, your school was an outpost of hell, presided over by a powderpuff principal too chicken to get tough with those punks who came to school just to stir up trouble. You condoned criminals by looking the other way. Even now, forty-odd years later, youre still as spineless as ever. You have made it quite clear that you possess neither honor nor decency. Jesus calls things what they are, and so do I. Jesus called evil people swine, snakes, fools and dogs. Bullies are all four of these things and more. Any school which tolerates bullying and denies victims their right to learn in peace is an abomination to a God of Love. I never want to see Hog Pen High again! Schools never do learn, do they? Bullying aint kid stuff! Its a HATE CRIME and a VIOLATION OF BASIC HUMAN RIGHTS AND CIVIL LIBERTIES!! My civil rights were trampled upon at YOUR school! Talk about life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness! Bullies at YOUR school robbed me of the right to learn and work in peace. The bully robs his victim of the ability to reach his or her fullest potential as a human being. The bully deprives his victim of the liberty to walk the halls or ride the school bus without fear of molestation. Bullies robbed me of the pursuit of happiness, by destroying my ability to even BE happy. DAILY bullies threatened my well-being. They snuffed out the vitality of my soul, reducing my life to mere existence. Memories of bullying caused me years of flashbacks and nightmares. If you plant bad seeds, they grow, even if you have a change of heart later. America, along with many other countries, is reaping a bitter harvest in its public schools for its earlier refusal to enforce minimal standards of discipline of unruly students. Even your teachers tremble in fear of actual physical violence from the offspring of those who were treated leniently (or ignored altogether) when they were young. Armed guards patrol the corridors of Americas public schools, thanks to the yawning indifference of school administrators and legal catch-22s which grant underage hellions immunity from punishment that fits the crime. Gone is the day when bullying was done on the sly, and only a few unfortunate students were ever subjected to it. Now the bullies are even boldly attacking authority figures, who for many years said by standing idly by and looking the other way: I couldnt care less! One angry old Bear http://waronbullying.tripod.com

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HOG PEN HIGH Painting by Patricia Backora CHAPTER ONE MY DESCENT INTO HELL It was my very first day at Hog Pen High. Home room for several grades would be held in the cafeteria. I was chatting with a few younger girls from the seventh and eighth grades. Maybe Id said too much earlier to the wrong person. But I couldnt have concealed my dark secret much longer anyway. Not unless I chose to lie about it. My descent into hell began with a bang, much like a cyclone rages through a sleepy little village and razes it in seconds. Bullies have infrared radar eyes which miss nothing, and bloodhound noses which can sniff out fresh new opportunities for being mean. The first day or two of the new school term is critical to the reputation of the Top Dog of the bully pack. His buddies, the subordinate bullies who follow his example, are counting on him to find someone to kick around for the duration of the school year. His enjoyable task is to scan the homogenous high school crowd and pinpoint a victim, someone who deviates ever so subtly from the accepted standards of the Cult of Cool, that whimsical religion embraced by the vast majority of teenagers. Someone has enrolled in the School of Hard Knocks, to learn the sordid Law of the High School Jungle: You have to sell your soul to be popular, but all you

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have to do to make plenty of enemies is just be there. Someones Wonder Years are about to be turned into their Wounded Years. Id already violated one of the many taboos of those bigoted times. I possessed a surname of non-Anglo-Saxon ethnicity. The more ones name deviated from Smith or Jones, the more likely it was that a few cranks would suspect him of being an atheist or Communist subversive. My ancestors certainly did not arrive on the Mayflower. Nor were we in the upper strata of local society, hobnobbing with the families of bankers or doctors (who were the upper-crust in my home town). We had a strange name of French origin, its spelling modified to conform to the English language. C......! C......! cried a gang of leaping, whirling lunatics whod burst into the cafeteria for the express purpose of castigating me for my unpardonable sin. I saw faces twisted in devilish leers. Raucous voices screamed: Stay away! Youre UGLY! We don't want your cooties! I looked no worse than anyone else, though I wasnt a Baywatch babe with a washboard rib cage and thin pins. But being singled out for special abuse hurt. My jaws tensed. I shook with involuntary sobs. Why, oh why, didnt I have a tougher hide? Why couldnt I turn off my feelings like a light? Damn those stupid tears! Shed for those yapping dogs to lap up! It only takes a spark to start a forest fire. And how quickly it spreads. The most insignificant thing will incite a bully to designate YOU as his target, and incite others to wage relentless psychological warfare against you to keep him in cheap thrills. Perhaps its your last name. Or, you wear braces. It could be anything, even a pair of shoes the bully disapproves of. He especially dotes on major-league foibles, such as being full-figured in a society which worships skeletal kick-boxers with silicone chests. Man, its cool to be cruel, and youre a dweeb if youre sweet. But whatever his asinine excuse, the bully has got a lotta hate to give and hes just gotta loosen his load of nastiness on SOMEBODY! Hes just gotta scan the crowd and pick SOMEONE out. Once he zeros in on his prey, he latches onto him/her like a pit bull terrier; and thereafter, its party time for the devil who drives him. Dont kid yourself. He wouldnt buzz off even if you changed your name to J. P. Cool, lost 80% of your body weight, riddled your face with rings, or yanked out your own braces. Only the power of God can deliver you from satans power, once hes drawn a bead on you. Believe me, Ive been around for half a century, and I have learned that truth thoroughly. Many a night Id lay awake wondering if I was put on earth just to learn that people are capable of great evil, and just to learn how to hurt. I had done nothing, said nothing out of the ordinary to anyone. Yet my reputation was already shot to hell. Like a brushfire the damage spread, far beyond my control. The tongue of the sinner is an unfathomable evil, set on fire by hell itself (James 3:5). No matter how friendly I tried to be, regardless of what I would or wouldnt do or say, I was already marked as an outcast. Throughout those eternal months in hell I would feel the tight noose of icy cold fear tightening about my neck. My natural psychosomatic fight or flight response to danger would be suppressed, as I did time in a prison I could neither flee from nor triumph over. I remember looking up at the birds in the sky and wishing I could fly away from danger just like them. Instinctively I know it is wrong to throw a bunch of people together day in and day out who may not even like each other. Even animal shelters dont lock Rottweilers and kittens up in the same cages! Lots of bullying victims are downright ashamed to complain about verbal abuse. But is it any less of a sin in Gods sight to bruise the immaterial, everlasting part of a person, his soul, than to batter his body? Even great saints of the Bible complained about vicious verbal abuse heaped on them by their enemies.

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Job, who was covered head to foot in boils and recently bereaved of all his children, thought verbal abuse was worth complaining about. He says in Job 30:1: But now they that are younger than I have me in derision. Let me tell you, its bad enough to get bad-mouthed by people your own age. But how humiliating, when youre several times older than some sassy punk of thirteen who verbally harasses you on the street. Youve lived a long life and fought many hard battles. Youve earned a bit of respect, just for weathering this warped world for so many decades. Youve still got toothmarks in your soul from where dogs bit you a long time ago. Then this little punkster and his sidekick in a backwards baseball cap point and laugh at you, dancing ever so slowly toward you, daring you to run, just cause youre outnumbered. Ignore them and they just harass you more till they get a rise out of you. My, but he devil loves this type of situation. Not only has he gotten your tormentor to sin, youre tempted to sin by hating them or returning their compliments. Aw , you might say, youre being too sensitive. Its only verbal abuse. So long as noses and bones arent broken, so what? How blind people can be, especially those who zealously preach the importance of saving eternal souls from hellfire! I say souls need to be healed here and now, not just in the future. Verbal abuse, supposedly mild kid stuff, is satans way of poisoning the soul. Scripture calls him that old serpent the Devil (Rev. 12:9; 20:2). A serpent is a snake, and satan is a most poisonous one. He fills peoples tongues with his venom. James 3:5-8 speaks of the evils of the tongue. It is set on fire by hell. It is full of deadly poison. What does the tongue of the abusive individual poison but the soul of his victim? Consider the deadly cocktail of emotions which spring from a daily dose of verbal poison: 1. Fear There is always the possibility that verbal abuse will escalate into physical assault. And even if it doesnt, its very imtimidating to see your personal reputation ripped to shreds. 2. Shame Your self-esteem is demolished. It hurts to become the school scapegoat. Even if you dont deserve the abuse you feel stigmatized and want to crawl into a hole and hide. 3. Anger There is understandable anger toward the perpetrators who launch these vicious attacks because God put within each of us a longing for dignity and justice. 4. Hate Bullying can destroy the victim spiritually as well as socially, emotionally and physically. If the abuse persists, and more wounds are inflicted before old ones have a chance to heal, anger against injustice can degenerate into bitter hatred of the perpetrators, much to the devils delight. 5. Helplessness What torture it is, being a kid trapped in a hopeless, no-win situation like school. Your fight-or-flight instinct, built into all higher forms of life, is suppressed. You cant fight the crowd hostile to you, and you cant quit school. So shame, fear and frustration eat away at you daily. I felt like I was being held captive in hell, both at school and on the bus. 6. Depression Proverbs 15:15 says: All the days of the afflicted are evil. Even on weekends or other good days, I knew it was only a temporary break from the ongoing school battle, and a cloud always hung over my head. I genuinely hated being alive in this world. 7. Self-loathing The bullies pumped so much poison into my ears I even began to hate myself for being bully bait. I felt so low I began to wonder if the bullies really did have some God-given right to be mean to me. When I looked in the mirror, I saw only a frightened freak with frizzy hair. Thats what those nasty kids did to destroy my soul. Thats what God had to deliver me from. Still think bullying is only a harmless little kiddie game?

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The Prophet Elisha didnt take too kindly to verbal abuse. In II Kings 2:23-24 the local populace has heard about the translation of Elishas mentor the Prophet Elijah, who has just been taken up into heaven in a chariot of fire. But a gang of teenagers thought it was funny and decided to razz poor Elisha about the miraculous ascension of his teacher . Just like todays bullies will suddenly spring out out the bushes to harass you, they came against Elisha, who was walking alone. Ever notice? Youre far more likely to be seen as a soft target and accosted if youre walking by yourself. Taking a walk, a pleasant form of exercise, becomes an ordeal as your anxious eyes scan both sides of the streets. And if more than two teenagers are gathered together, you duck around the corner to take a different route to the store, so they wont see you and harass you. Bullies never fight fair. Theyre so cowardly they prefer to run in packs and chase one lone victim. Evidently they thought Gods taking up of Elijah was funny, so they said: Go up, you bald head. Go up. Teenage punksters, the same then as now. Elisha saw red. Not only were these stupid jackasses showing disrespect for a prophet of God and deriding him for a physical trait he couldnt help, they were mocking a most holy miracle of God: the translation of a saint into heaven. Elisha didnt just shrug his shoulders and say: Kids will be kids. He turned around and cursed them in the Name of the Lord. Just like those kids emerged out of nowhere to vex Elijah, bears charged out of the forest to teach them a lesson on proper manners. Thats for-BEAR-ance, Old Testament style. King David, Israels most valiant warrior, had many close calls with death, but he didnt take verbal abuse lightly. Psalms 140:3 says it well: They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent; adders poison is under their lips. Selah. You dont disregard a snake bite just cause its a tiny one. A vicious tongue is a syringe of poison, and it takes a miracle of God to protect us from its effects. The Prophet Jeremiah suffered some incredible physical persecution. He was starved, beaten, and imprisoned down in a well shaft. But he still thought verbal abuse worth complaining about. Adults bullied on the job can complain to superiors and even sue for damages. Women have the right to report bosses and co-workers who sexually harass them, not just with pats on the backside but salacious words behind their back. If work is hell, adults can go look for another job. They can leave and look for a more decent working environment. So why do the most defenseless members of our society--children, have to be at the mercy of those who hate them and are hell-bent on their destruction? Why isnt school bullying seen as the crime it is? I remember these song lyrics: Bless the beasts and the children. They have no voice, they have no choice. Reassurance? I got lots of that every day: Reassurance that what I was going through wasnt normal, and I wasnt either. Something must be wrong with me, why else would I be singled out for systematic abuse? Unsympathetic adults arent much help to a victimized child. Poor little kids who get picked on day after day after day are told to stop being a crybaby, grow up, and take it like a man, stand up for yourself and fight back, and, the most irritating: quit feeling sorry for yourself, people are dying horrible deaths all over the world. Well, being bullied is daily death! Even the great Apostle Paul said: I die daily ( I Cor. 15:31, 2 Cor. 11:23). Death takes many ugly forms, not just the final beat of your heart. Every single school day without exception death was dealt to my poor soul by the servants of satan. People have often asked me why I cant just let it go after so many years. I dont hand out cheap forgiveness like popcorn to the unrepentant. I wouldnt give my enemies the satisfaction of knowing I begged God to forgive their ugly, unrepentant souls and let them off the hook without their ever having to confess their crimes against me to Him. God doesnt remove guilt for sin without

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repentance. It would be sheer injustice if the Great Judge of all the Earth let them into heaven boasting they got free entertainment out of me and never had to repent, and God did nothing about it because Hes an old softie, and I didnt mean that much to Him anyway. Cheap forgiveness without repentance I cant do, and neither does God. I cant bring myself to trivialize all those years of pain and humiliation as if they were nothing! As for this business of making the victim feel like pond scum for feeling too wounded to automatically forgive their abuser, its mighty easy to be a good sport about somebody elses pain when youve never once walked a few feet in their shoes. Christians, especially, are prone to expecting victims to automatically forgive without any repentance from the offender. They shame and condemn people who are unable to feel all warm and fuzzy toward those whove wrecked their lives. While self-righteous religious folks refuse to try and understand what the traumatized victim is going through, they heap truckloads of sympathy on the abuser. The poor bully just needs a hug and a cookie. He might not have gotten enough candy when he was a toddler so thats why he and his big brave gang pushed some handicapped kid down the stairs. Their ultimate arm-twister is Jesus said He wouldnt forgive you if you didnt forgive others. But where do you see the word unconditional or unconditionally in the Bible passages they quote?

Jesus took a dim view of people refusing to forgive others who ask for forgiveness. But He didnt advocate lawlessness in society. Nor did He suggest that any Christian society should allow violent criminals to run rampant like cockroaches. He repeatedly warned about hell and of the necessity to repent to avoid going there. FORGIVENESS IS A GIFT! Its something you offer someone else of your own free will, not something that is forced out of you with threats. I have compared

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bullying to emotional rape because of the way a bully tears open his victims soul to expose it to satanic abuse and inject hatred into it. Whenever religious people threaten victims with eternal damnation for inability to forgive a violent unrepentant abuser, its the same as being violated all over again. A rape victim has her dignity and bodily integrity brutally stolen from her, at knifepoint. When someone tries to FORCE forgiveness out of the victim (bullying is a violent CRIME against a persons body or soul), its not enough theyve had their dignity, peace, health and self-worth wrenched away. Now their spiritual peace and hope in Gods justice are being taken away by telling them God dont do justice anymore because all Hes interested in is mercy. What victims cannot give willingly is being forced from them through censure or threats: perfunctory, superficial forgiveness of an unrepented-of sin, something God Himself doesnt do. The victim feels like the perpetrator. Its like being brutalized all over again. I find it odd that so many Christians pressure abused people to automatically forgive the unrepentant while at the same time being pro-war. Theyll offer unquestioning support to any war the government feels like fighting against folks that never attacked their own country, no questions asked. If you wear a uniform you dont have to forgive offenses that havent even been proven to have been committed. What is Gods own attitude toward forgiveness? Is repentance a prerequisite? Ezekiel 18:21: But IF the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die. 22 All his transgressions that he hath committed, they shall not be mentioned unto him: in his righteousness that he hath done he shall live. 27 Again, WHEN THE WICKED MAN TURNETH AWAY from his wickedness that he hath committed, and doeth that which is lawful and right, he shall save his soul alive. 28 BECAUSE HE CONSIDERETH, AND TURNETH AWAY from all his transgressions that he hath committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die. God promises life to repentant offenders. But He isnt satisfied with just an insincere Im sorry. He expects the sinner to TURN AWAY from his sin. The word repent comes from a Latin word which means to TURN AWAY FROM. If you turn away from continuing down the road to death, youll do something positive as well by starting down the road to life. A couple of kids on the bus said Im sorry (when it was in their interest to do so). But within a couple weeks they picked on me again. God does NOT promise unrepentant sinners eternal life. You cant get to Houston by stubbornly staying on the road to Alaska and then blame God for where you end up! A lot of sinners are roasting in hell today because they didnt TURN AWAY FROM sin and go Gods Way by trusting in Christ as Lord and Savior in true repentance. To add insult to injury, I was often blamed for bringing the bullying on myself! Ridiculing a bullied child for complaining about it is the most despicable double standard I ever heard of! Adults suffering on-the-job abuse sure wouldnt blame themselves for the problem or make other excuses for their tormentors. They would fight for their civil rights! Blaming the victim? Talk about kicking somebody when theyre down! And as for stand up for yourself, even a big kid with a black belt in karate would have a hard time fighting off a whole busload of attackers! Christs suffering on the Cross was terrible beyond comprehension. Jesus suffered for the sins of the world. But even His sufferings on the Cross came to an end after six hours. Christ died and gave up His spirit to the Father. But bullied

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children, even Christian victims of bullying, are expected to patiently endure endless harassment and torture not just for six hours, but for six months, six years, perhaps longer! Prolonged bullying makes you wish youd just hurry up and finish the process of dying, just like a rape victim suffering through the aftermath. Is your child stronger than Jesus Christ Himself, that his/her sufferings should never end? The lame excuse adults and authority figures give for allowing bullying is that it builds character. Tell that to the inmates of Abu Ghraib prison, who suffered humiliation and bullying daily from U.S. soldiers (who hailed from a Christian country, by the way!). Did they torture those poor Muslim prisoners just to build their character, or to destroy them inside? What would Jesus think of Camp Gitmo, where brown people have been HELD WITHOUT CHARGE AND TRIAL all these many years, without any opportunity to prove their innocence in a court of law? Does God excuse the jailers just because theyre in the majority and their skin is a socially acceptable color? One tired old copout is: There must be something wrong with YOU! Why else would so many people want to bully you? Right and wrong isnt decided by majority opinion. Gods Kingdom of righteousness is NOT a democracy! Might as well ask Jesus why everybody takes His Holy Name in vain. Is something wrong with Jesus that makes all those nasty sinners treat Him with such contempt and snicker about Him? Ever hear anybody use Buddha or Hare Krishnas name as a swear word? Thousands of ethnic groups on Planet Earth believed in lots of different gods. But if somebody hits their thumb with a hammer theyll pick on Jesus and His Father each and every time. Just because somebody zeroes in on you doesnt transfer the guilt onto you for being the target. The number of two-legged dogs whove taken bites out of me throughout my long lifetime would probably fill a football stadium. But you might as well tell a girl whos been raped by a thousand men: That many men cant be wrong, do you think youre the only one whos right? Unlike people, God doesnt whitewash evil just because its the popular thing to do. God didnt side with the vicious crowd who demanded that Pilate crucify Jesus. God didnt say something must be wrong with Jesus just because His enemies outnumbered Him a million to one. God didnt tell old Noah to join the crowd at the local whorehouse just because he was the only guy who had any scruples left. Stand on your own two feet and defend yourself. Its grossly unfair to put such a heavy burden upon a lone child outnumbered by foes, expecting that one to fight single-handedly the war being waged against him or her without any intervention from parents and school staff, who take on the job of substitute parents during school hours. God holds parents responsible not only for providing for that child, but for doing everything they can to raise him in a secure environment. Any decent shepherd will fend off the wolves attacking his flock. The gentle sheep arent responsible for protecting themselves from the sharp teeth of wolves and mountain lions, the shepherd is! To shame the victim for being unable to fight off a crowd of attackers is grossly unfair. What if it were YOU under attack? A lot of people take better care of their own dogs than their own kids. Whats more, its unfair to put such a heavy burden upon a lone child, expecting that one to fight single-handedly the war being waged against him or her without any intervention from you, both parents and school staff, who take on the job of substitute parents during school hours. God holds parents responsible not only for providing for that child, but for doing everything they can to raise him in a secure environment. Any decent shepherd will fend off the wolves attacking his flock. The gentle sheep arent responsible for protecting themselves from the sharp teeth of wolves and mountain lions, the shepherd is! To shame the victim for being unable to fight off a crowd of attackers is grossly unfair. What if it were YOU under attack?

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Reproach (criticism) hath broken mine heart; and I am full of heaviness (depression); and I looked for some to take pity, but there was none; and for comforters, but I found none (Psalms 69:20). Parents and teachers, put yourself in the shoes of the frightened child who came into this world a trusting, smiling infant and has already been stripped of his ability to love and trust others! Stop blaming the victim! How many trillions of times do I have to hammer this home? Bullying is ALWAYS the bullys fault! And the fault of whoever or whatever molded his spiritual development. Period. Just like domestic violence is always the fault of the perpetrator, even when some longsuffering wives protest: I must have driven him to it. Never excuse the crimes of a malicious sinner who walks in the ways of his father satan, instigator of all the worlds wickedness. If bullies cant be rehabilitated, restrained or expelled, schools arent much safer than a kiddie pool infested with sharks. Schools are even getting dangerous for teachers nowadays, with so many of them being verbally abused and threatened with violence. Teachers, who despair of their right to a safe working environment, are either quitting the profession or seeking medical help for ravaged nerves. If school is a dangerous place, its nothing but a necessary evil. How about this far-fetched, futuristic alternative? School bullying (and teacher trauma) would become a thing of the past if schools could be dispensed with altogether and a computer with educational software could be installed in every home. That way kids could just stay home and learn. But thats unrealistic, isnt it? The computer would have to be advanced enough to babysit while the parents are at work! Even if super computers could take over most teaching duties, youd still need to gather the kids in a big study hall to do their own individual lessons under the supervision of at least one educated adult who could monitor the room to keep warring factions apart. Even so the bully could still select victims and attack them en route to lessons. All the bottled-up fear of the years caused problems in life I had to overcome through the Power of God. It left its mark on me: an aversion towards noisy crowds of kids and teenagers, and a reluctance to mix a lot with people. Instead of fulfilling my potential and becoming a soft-spoken secretary, I, who was forged in the fires of adversity, ended up a militant voice declaring Gods anger at the wickedness of this world and warning of His impending judgment on sinners. Estranged From God_Why? In my dismal world, God was dead, and churchgoing bullies drove more nails in His coffin. I saw Him as a passive mascot Who presided over cold, dead, country-club church buildings. His crowd of Christians would drop by to say hello to Him once a week on Sundays, drone dead hymns, and yawn at deader sermons. Finally theyd stampede out the church and leave Him behind till next week. Joyfully theyd hurry home in their fancy cars to go devour their Sunday roasts. The supreme irony is that Id received Christ in church as a child, after attending alone out of curiosity. Also, Id briefly attended church in my early teens. But the churches Id visited only subscribed to PART of the truth taught by the original apostles. They could tell you how to get saved. Otherwise, it was life as usual. Glorious manifestations of Gods sweet Presence and Power were reserved strictly for the afterlife. The vital doctrines pertaining to the Holy Ghost Baptism were unacknowledged or rejected outright by these conservative churches. There are noted evangelists in America who preach with polished eloquence. They strive to gather souls into Gods Kingdom. Yet they downplay, explain away, misinterpret, or sidestep those Scriptures which exhort us to seek the Baptism of the

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Holy Spirit. Salvation from sin and that unique Baptism are lumped together as one and the same experience. Notice in Luke 22:31-32. Jesus and His original disciples were gathered in the Upper Room for the Last Supper, just prior to His trial and crucifixion. Jesus was about to warn Peter that he would deny Him three times. He says: Simon, Simon, listen. Satan has desired to have you. He wants to sift you like wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith will not fail: and WHEN YOU ARE CONVERTED (born again spiritually) ,strengthen your brothers. The disciples had walked with Jesus for at least three years, but they had not yet been born again. Jesus had not yet offered up His life as an atonement for their sins. For some 40 days after His resurrection from the dead, Jesus continued to make appearances to His followers in His immortal resurrected body. In the days immediately following Jesus execution, His eleven disciples (Judas had committed suicide), were hiding in a locked room, petrified that those same Jewish leaders whod just murdered Jesus were out gunning for them. They were surprised when Jesus suddenly materialized before them without going through the door. He could do this because his wonderful resurrected body was not hindered by the laws of nature, or time and space. He showed the disciples the marks left in His hands by the nails, and the deep scar left by the spear which had been hurled through his side. Having satisfied His men that He was indeed the risen Savior Who possessed a body of flesh and bone, and not a mere apparition, he gave them the commission to preach the Gospel. Then He breathed upon His disciples and said, Receive ye the Holy Ghost (John 20: 23). At that moment, they were converted, for the Holy Spirit had entered their hearts by faith and imparted eternal life to life men who had been spiritually dead ( see Ephesians 2:1). Ten days before the Jewish Feast of Pentecost, Jesus gave parting instructions to His disciples, just before His ascension into heaven: It is written that Christ must suffer and rise from the dead the third day: and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be preached in His Name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are all witnesses of these things. Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but you must first wait in the city of Jerusalem until you have received power from above (Luke 24:46-49). Jesus had earlier breathed His Holy Spirit into their hearts to impart salvation to them, but He would not dispatch them to the mission field until they had first received the Baptism (total immersion into) the Holy Spirit. I will explore this in greater detail in the chapter: SEEK THE BAPTISM. What a pity that many church groups would rather adhere to established church traditions than be equipped with spiritual power to overcome satan, their deadly enemy. Incidentally, my use of the lower case s is deliberate. By faith I see satan as God sees him_cut down to size by Jesus victory on Calvary. In my eyes he is lower than a dirty cockroach, and unworthy to have his name capitalized. During my rotten high school years, I lived in utter ignorance of Christs living Presence. I related to Him only a historical figure Who was irrelevant to my troubled life. I was so broken inside I even hated God for giving me the frizzy hair kids teased me for. If TV is to be believed, youre a subhuman mutant unless your hair shines like a plate glass mirror, your limbs look like toothpicks, your eyes are as huge as a hoot owls, and your cheeks are as hollow as the Grand Canyon. If you aren't a starving stop sign with big boobs and a flat fanny, you're a fat monster. As for your hair, the blonder the better. Frizzy hair of all colors gets more bad press than leprosy. Im old enough to remember when shampoo commercials merely promised squeaky clean hair without tears. Todays vitamin-packed emulsions allegedly transform your frizzies into a shimmery sheet of silk, such a psychedelic light show that'll outshine

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the sun. Yeah, right! Funny, your hair is allowed to soak up nutrients Babylon forbids you to eat. Well-fed, fat hair hanging on a hollow, hungry face! Besides weather-proof, mirror-gloss hair, you just gotta look like a garden hose. Just imagine, a womans been on the Death Diet so long her dog drags her out to the back yard to bury her! Even a gal whos had a big passel of kids is expected to look like an eight-year-old, even if it means lifelong fasting. Except shes gotta keep up a respectable front for Romeo with silicone shots. Get this: Not only does the Fashion Industry save lots of loot by farming out the manufacture of clothing to starving third-world nations, it saves a fortune on material too. Size zeros all the rage now! And if you REALLY want to be a mean, lean sex machine, confine your food intake to lettuce leaves and starve yourself down to size double zero! Pity the high school girl who orders more than a skimpy salad at lunch time! True, there is a big obesity problem in the United States, but women tend to be tiny in the Far East. But big bucks still need to be made by Babylon. So some new oppressive beauty ideal had to be invented over there to oppress women (and men!). Not weight, but height, something once written off as unchangeable! In China, a girl designed by God to be petite must grow physically, not just vocationally, to reach the top in the business world, or her prospects in life will be small. That means surgery to artificially stretch her leg bones. Ugh! Painful recuperation follows each phase of the process, and sometimes it takes more than one op to reach the top of your growing potential. But, hey. whats the big deal with being a little on the short side? Every time I fly coach I feel sorry for long-legged folks! For sure, beauty standards are more bizarre than ever. All hail to consumer conformity. Beauty has become an obscene weapon in the hands of the Establishment to oppress women and keep them in their place as lookalike sex dispensers gangbanged out of the same plastic mold. God, Who values us all as individuals, loves variety in His creation. But the bully loves variety for a different reason. It gives him an excuse to target people who are different. If you looked just like all the other 2000 kids on campus, it would be more of a challenge to single a victim out! Beware of being yourself. Youd better hop and bop like EVERYBODY ELSE, show off a perfect bod with a pierced navel, and have the same heat-processed hair as EVERYBODY ELSE. Youd better love the same canned music EVERYBODY ELSE does, or you wont be cool! If youre just a clone of every other kid on campus, of course youre gonna have boatloads of friends, cause cool kids love only themselves, and the image of themselves they can see in you! Its in their interest to like you. If they rejected you and your lookalike values gangbanged off Babylons one-size-fitsall press, they would only be rejecting themselves. Who they are is dictated by Babylon.

SOCIETY IS SCARED OF ITS OWN CHILDREN How true, this prophecy in Isaiah 3:5: And the people shall be oppressed, every one by another, and every one by his neighbour: the child shall behave himself proudly against the ancient (elderly), and the base (dishonorable) against the honorable. And in verse 12: As for my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them (KJV). It was almost as if Isaiah could see into the future down to our day. Men have grown weaker and more passive while women have grown stronger and more aggressive. In many churches, women easily outnumber the men because

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their husbands are snoozing on the couch in front of the TV watching football. Too many men are abdicating their position as priests over their own homes and delegating all the responsibility for the children's spiritual training to their wives. And as for the worsening state of child behavior in society, today even the smallest kids are telling parents and teachers where to get off. In parts of the UK, many vulnerable people have become virtual prisoners in their own homes, huddling behind their doors in fear of feral youths who go around tearing up everybody else's property. Many elderly residents of housing projects don't even like to walk one block to the convenience store because of the gangs of hooded youths who congregate around the doorways. They act like they own the place. They verbally harass passers-by. Gangs of yellow belly scumbags insult older women they dont even know, just to get a laugh. Young hoodlums vandalize parked cars and tear up bus shelters. They rip up phone booths and break the glass in bus shelters. Some beautiful new playground equipment got burnt up by teenage hoodlums. The small children cried because of the loss. But the teenage punksters knew there wasnt a snowballs chance in hell theyd ever be made to pay for the destruction. If you're walking alone, they point and tease and laugh at you, daring you to say something back. Even the tiniest children know and use the foulest language imaginable. Paul describes our wild, rebellious generation to a tee in II Timothy Chapter 3. Briefly I'll comment on the passage. VERSE 1 THIS know also, that in the last days perilous (dangerous) times shall come.***** A climate of terror has gripped the earth as never before. ***The Bible says that in the last days men's hearts shall fail them for fear (Luke 21:26). VERSE 2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,*****Have you ever before seen such a preoccupation with "self"? In some cases, affluent parents put their own self-fulfillment ahead of their own children's spiritual training. It is far more important to society to pressure couples to labor long and hard to pay for a fine home, a fancy new car or a designer wardrobe than to free up one parent to spend adequate time at home to raise the children to know the Lord. VERSE 3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent (lacking self-control), fierce, despisers of those that are good,*****Here is one reason why Christian kids have such a rough time in secular high school. It just ain't cool to be a Christian and stand up for love and righteousness. Vicious sinners despise good people. When a fellow student is being brutalized by fierce bullies, it is rare for anyone, even a believer, to defend the victim and speak out against the evil of bullying. Why? The peer pressure is on. Nobody likes to stick out like a sore thumb and go against the flow, not even most religious people. It's cool to be cruel. VERSE 4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;*****All the popular movie action heroes act like they're the next best thing to God, and in watching them, kids live out their own fantasies through them. What kid is going to look up to a super hero who confesses that without God he is nothing, and gives God the glory for the victory? That's very uncool, and such a motion picture would go bust at the box office. The pursuit of pleasure has become a billiondollar business worldwide, as untold millions party hard on their way to hell. VERSE 5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.***** In certain places churches are essentially little different from fancy country clubs. Oh, the devil doesn't mind churches so long as they don't stem the

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tide of evil in the community. When a churchgoing child's religious training is devoid of the power and love of the Risen Christ, he is much more apt to conform to the prevailing darkness at school and just join the crowd. School bullying is reaching epidemic proportions because discipline is outdated in public schools. With no consequences to fear, juvenile delinquents feel free to boldly do the devil's dirty work for him. Today even teachers are being attacked, both verbally and physically. Many suffer such psychological distress from uncontrollable pupils they finally give up and leave the profession. For them, school is nothing but a zoo packed with wild animal kids. One TV "child developmental expert" gives advice on child-raising. You are told never to "smack" (spank) your children, just hold them to restrain them till the tantrum is over. Then you are supposed to send the child to a special place for "time-out" till he or she is ready to behave and apologize for the rude behavior. That advice is to be applied even to the most aggressive, foul-mouthed brats. I was horrified to watch four-and-five-year olds curse at their mother and call her degrading names when they didn't get their way. One little boy hit and kicked his mom repeatedly while his stupefied daddy watched. I would have faced a whirlwind of wrath if I'd dared treat any adult that way when I was a kid. One TV show depicts weepy, helpless, parents who stand helplessly by as their own kids viciously insult them and trash the house for good measure. But oh, no, there's no such thing as bad children, only inadequate parents. Mom and Dad are forbidden to lay a hand on verbally abusive kids to correct them. One day I saw a tantrum-throwing brat at the mall who plainly did not want to go grocery shopping with his father. The father pinned the boy's flailing arms to his side as they went along. Helplessly the beleaguered man pleaded with his son to behave and quiet down. The boy's legs dragged the floor as his dad half-carried him toward the supermarket. What made my mouth hang open in shock was this: The kid couldn't have been younger than ten. He wasn't much shorter than his dad. He looked almost as tall as myself! What an outlandish sight, a pre-teen kicking up a whiny fuss like a tiny toddler going through his terrible two's! Society might be sliding down to hell in a supermarket cart because it has rejected the Word of God, but everyday reality is getting to be more bizarre than fiction! Only problem with holding a supermarket-trashing toddler to restrain him instead of giving him a quick swat on the seat is this: What do you do when the kid no longer looks up to you, but has stretched out so much his feet drags the floor and you break your back just trying to pick all 160 pounds of him up? If a sixteen-yearold has never learned respect for authority, he would only laugh if you told him to go sit in a corner. If you tried to ground him, he'd just hop into his car and drive off laughing. Once your feisty little toddler is well into his teens, he's big and strong enough to hog-tie you and invite the whole gang over for a beer party. Bud Gives Old Dad The Business Just imagine Bud Jr. interacting with Big Bud, his dad. In the first scenario Big Bud puts into practice the diplomacy hes learned at his local parenting class. Big Bud to Bud Jr.: I hate to sound critical, but your room is a bit unhygenic and malodorous. Pretty please, Bud Jr., wont you rectify the situation? Come, show me how creative we can be in applying the old elbow grease. Ill even go fetch the Ajax for you, to lend you a hand.

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Bud Jr. knows hes three inches higher than his dad. He sneers down at him as if he were pond scum and says: "Shove off, you old $*&@! Its MY room!" Big Bud loses his rag: "Shut up, you stupid punk! Im the one who pays the rent to keep this roof over your head, so I get to make the rules. And if you dont like it you can pack up all your stinking clothes in a garbage bag and go can go sleep in the gutter!" Bud Jr. glares at him and goes up to his room, cursing. Big Bud is a lost sinner. Hes physically too small to discipline Bud Jr. His status as breadwinner of the home is the only weapon he has at his disposal. Bud Jr. gave in to avoid being thrown out into the street, but the air is supercharged with hostility and tension. How would Big Bud have handled the crisis had he been a Christian? Big Bud to Bud Jr., who is fresh from school.: "Son, I dont want to sound unkind, but I can smell your track shoes and sweat shirts all the way down here. Please go straighten your room. Bud Jr.: "($%@#! off, you old *%&$#! Its MY room!" Big Bud: "Hey, where did you learn THAT kind of talk? You didnt learn it from me!" Bud Jr.: "None of your &%#$@ business. Shut up!" Big Bud, calmly: "Son, it may be your room, but the Lord has placed me in authority over this home as its head, and I am to be respected. Now you apologize to me and then Ill decide your punishment for swearing at me." Bud Jr.: "&$#*&!! Im sick of the way youre always shoving religion down my throat. Dont ever preach at me again, you little worm." Big Bud applies a bit of tough love: "Son, go pack your things. If you cant abide by my rules, you cant stay here anymore! I wont have you acting that way around little Ruthie and Jamie." Bud Jr.: "Fine, Ill stay with Gary Bradley. His dads real cool. He lets Gary drive his car and drink out of his liquor cabinet." Big Bud: "If you go over there, you'll STILL be under my rules, because I hold legal jurisdiction over you. You take one sip out of Mr. Bradley's liquor cabinet and I'll swear out a warrant on him for serving liquor to a minor." Bud Jr.: "Christians aren't supposed to get anybody into trouble!" Big Bud: "All I know is, son, if you don't apologize right now to your dad and take your punishment like a man, you be in big trouble with MY Dad, because I'm gonna tell him all about you and ask Him to deal with you Himself in ways that I can't. In the Bible, God always assigns the hardest cases of judgment to the highest authorities. And if you think I'M hard on you, you ain't seen nothin yet." Bud Jr. doesn't shout hallelujah but mumbles an apology. He accepts a six-month sentence of curtailed social life and extra household chores, along with a can of Ajax.

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Rights And Responsibilities Go Hand-In-Hand Today, children claim the same rights as adults. If that's so, then adult responsibilities should go hand-in-hand with adult rights. One person's rights end where someone else's rights are trampled on. Delinquents should take the same consequences as adults would for defacing property and destroying someone elses car. No, not jail. That's a disgusting, degrading place, even for adults. I know this will never happen, but there ought to be Christian youth reformatories whose sole mission is to correct wayward youth. Such reform schools would feature mandatory instruction in the Bible and a disciplined lifestyle (lights out by two a.m., up by ten and no Nintendo). Punishment of punksters would be swift and certain. It would adhere to a set of firm, but humane guidelines. Even if corporal punishment were prohibited, other punishments could be meted out. How bout making trouble-makers shift a big sand pile from one end of the football field to the other, shovelful by shovelful? Or being assigned to six months latrine duty, scrubbing showers and toilets? Inmates would have a drill sergeant figure overseeing their rehabilitation, who would make them snap to attention and shout "YES, SIR!" In the ideal delinquent adademy, all junk food would be cut out. It only makes kids hyper. Instead, wholegrain bread, fresh fruit and vegetables would be served. Devotions would be read and chapel attendance required. Vigorous chores would be assigned to every able-bodied kid each day, rain or shine. The kids would be paid piecework wages, which would go toward compensating their victims for the damage they caused. Nothing like good old-fashioned physical work to wear out mischief makers so that they're too tired to create chaos. Demerits would be issued whenever trash was thrown around or fights started. Corporal punishment has a built-in problem in that some individuals find it hard to draw the line between what's reasonable and what isn't. If spanking isn't an option, there are other strict ways to discipline offenders who insist on being treated like adults. Those who break the rules of the camp's code of conduct would be isolated from the other inmates until they decided to buckle down and learn a few manners. And then, theres always a few dirty toilets and garbage cans to scrub. In certain countries it's illegal to tap your kid's Seat of Education to calm his histrionics when you refuse to buy him candy in the supermarket. And if your kid cusses you out for asking him to go to bed, think twice before fetching the fly swatter. Your child might be "taken into care", (put in a foster home) and you might never get him back (though some defeated parents might count that a blessing). Today's kids are legal experts. If they cause chaos in a neighborhood or assault the neighbors, they know their rights. If you use unreasonable physical force (open to interpretation) to protect yourself from burglars who have broken into your home to harm you or your family, it's YOU who are liable to get into trouble with the law! In poverty-ridden neighborhoods, kids feel its their right to set fire to a new car someone else has worked and sweated their guts out to earn. Wild teens often wear hoods to conceal their identity from surveillance cameras. But even if caught and tried, they usually get a slap-on-the-wrist sentence while the hapless property owner is left holding the bag for the damages. Many Christian parents have seen the light and are now home schooling their children to prevent them from picking up the bad habits of the "cool crowd" which calls the shots in secular high schools. These parents have invested far too much

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love and prayer in their precious children to allow them to be contaminated by morally bankrupt public schools. My heart goes out to poorer parents who MUST work full-time, and can't possibly afford to home-school or send their kids to private Christian academies. A No-Win Situation It's a vicious circle. The cost of living is way out of sight. Both parents in the majority of homes must work, not for luxuries, but to cover basic costs of existence. In the worst case scenario, a child is left to strangers to raise, and when he gets older, he virtually raises himself. Instead of one big happy family interacting around the dinner table, you have a teenager nuking a frozen burrito in the microwave if he bothers to eat at home at all. By the time he sees his parents, they're way too frazzled to interact much with him. All they want to do is collapse in front of the TV before getting ready to tackle yet another hard working day. The vacuum left by the parents absence must be filled. If the parents aren't there to instill basic moral values into their kids, who will? There's the TV, the Internet, the movies, and the kid's school pals. They don't know right from wrong either because no one was around to teach them. That's a big part of the reason so many kids are causing trouble today. They never were taught the reality of sin, or their need for salvation in Jesus Christ. The worst thing of all is, millions of mothers would love to be home with their children to raise them themselves, at least in their formative years. But this perverse economy demands that both parents must go out to work to provide the basics. And even those women who are lucky enough to be financially able to stay home with their children are made to feel ashamed for doing so. That's how little the tough job of parenting is valued by today's modern materialistic society! That's saying that it is of no importance to instill good character traits into the next generation, so that they become well-adjusted, loving adults! Even horse breeders and dog trainers are shown more respect than full-time mothers, just because they earn good money making their animals the best that they can be. The ugly truth is: Money doesn't just talk, it swears! In this fallen world money can buy you just about anything, even love and respect. And every worthwhile thing can be measured in dollars and cents! After all, you can't buy a BMW with love! The Perils Of Puppy Love Speaking of dog trainers, let's imagine this scenario: Roger, who lives alone and has just adopted a baby St. Bernard from the animal shelter, must go off on business for six months. Roger doesn't want to shell out hard cash to pay a qualified dog trainer to care for the puppy and train him in his absence. Instead, a kind neighbor will just drop by periodically to refill his food and water bowls. Then the man will simply leave the house and let the dog go about his business. Roger sincerely believes that firm training is psychologically harmful to animals as well as people. Freedom to do as one pleases is far better. Surely as the dog grows older he will automatically grow up to be a well-mannered pooch. Besides, the neighbor will leave the TV on for the dog to watch so he will learn proper social skills. Six months pass. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to guess what months of neglect have done to the dog. When Roger comes home, he is overpowered by the stench left by a dog who has never been paper-trained. All the stuffing has been ripped out of Roger's leather furniture. The dog has made mincemeat out of his moccasins. Every table lamp is in shards. Total devastation.

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Roger goes ballistic. He swats the 150-pound puppy with a copy of the Wall Street Journal. "Bad dog!" he scolds. He goes over to the TV and kicks it. "I blame YOU for corrupting my dog!" he shouts. "If only this stupid dog hadn't learned disorderly behavior from YOU instead of how to live together in harmony!" Roger orders his dog to sit. Instead, the dog jumps up on Roger and tries to grab the Twinkie out of his hand. When Roger tries to take it back, his "cute little puppy" bites him. A far-fetched scenario? Yes it is, because you would seldom, if ever, hear of such neglect on the part of a man who paid hundreds of dollars to buy a purebred St. Bernard. Most likely, the dog would have received the best of training and care because the owner had invested so much in him. Roger's St. Bernard has become a wild animal instead of a domesticated pet due to Roger's own indifference and refusal to make sacrifices to train him. A similar thing is happening to precious children worldwide, just because their parents are unwilling (or unable) to spend time with them to raise them in the fear of the Lord. And by the fear of the Lord, I mean reverential respect, not being so afraid of God that you're afraid to get to know Him and love Him. That dog had no reverential fear toward his owner because no one had been there to properly train the dog to know any better. So he reverted to his natural wild nature. Today in Britain a new phenomenon has arisen: what is referred to as "feral" (wild) children. Children of countless poor homes have been left to fend for themselves and figure out for themselves what is acceptable and what isn't. They are never taught about a Living Christ Who longs to transform their lives and show them a higher way to live. Christ has been kicked out of public schools except as a brief mention in courses like "Comparative Religions". According to this lost generation, anything goes, so long as it ain't you who gets hurt. Because they fear no consequences for breaking it, rebellious kids could care less about the Golden Rule: Do unto others and you would have them do unto you. Their only rule is: "If it feels good, do it." God wants parents to spend quality time (and as much quantity time as possible) with their children, and to teach them the solid truths of His Holy Word from an early age. As the sapling is bent, so grows the tree. In Ephesians 6:4, Paul seems to be cautioning fathers not to be harsh with their children as they properly train their children. The verse says: And ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath, but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Even though children need a proper spiritual upbringing, they must also be treated with loving consideration as fellow human beings. Ephesians 6:4: Proverbs 22:6 makes a rock-solid promise: Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it. A child raised in a Christian home might have his contrary moments as all kids do. But deep down he will know the truth, because he received it at your knee as a small child. And if such a child should ever stray from that truth, it behooves a godly parent to stand in the gap for him in trusting faith that he will eventually awaken to a close relationship with Jesus, Who is the Way, the Truth and the Life. Turned Off By Hypocrites It isnt just non-Christians who devote their lives to crass consumerism, to the spiritual detriment of their children. Nominal churchgoers also pledge allegiance to the god of materialism. Why? So they wont get ostracized by others they look up to. My, but religious folks amused my family. There was a gigantic church just across the street from us. It had several imposing Roman columns and took up half a city block. Id often wonder: Is God really impressed by all the big money which went into building that big castle? Does He really live there?

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On Sundays wed gawk out the windows and watch what I called the Peacock Parade. With studied gallantry, sharp-suited men in spit-and-polish shoes would exit their brand new cars and go open the doors for their wives, all resplendent in beauty-shop coiffures and fine fashions. Out the back seat tumbled two or three kids. The little girls, their shining tresses all ribboned and curled, invariably wore lacy, flowery dresses and black patent leather shoes with lacy socks. Even the most rambunctious little boys chafing in their little suits would remember that dreaded hickory Daddy could twist off the big oak tree in the churchyard. So theyd put on their finest Sunday manners and walk sedately beside their fathers. Hand in hand, the picture-perfect family would smile sweetly and make their grand entrance into the awesome temple which would have been the envy of Julius Caesar. I remember my dad grinning and saying, How much would those folks love Jesus if they had to go to church wearing burlap sacks and driving an old junk car? Spying out the window, hed observed more than one heated spat taking place in those fancy cars. But once husband and wife got out to greet their church friends, theyd smile like angels, as if on cue. After all, they were people of good breeding and must play the part, especially when they were in the public eye. Increasingly, I saw the shallowness of typical modern-day churchianity. It was just so much refined, pretty cotton candy that quickly dissolves to nothingness in your mouth. It was near impossible to get my dad to set foot in a church. All his supervisors were fine upstanding members of the most popular denominations. But their manner of life belied their profession of faith in Christ. One of the few exceptions was Red, one of Dads buddies at work. This man, Dad said, had once gotten down on his knees in front of a belligerent enemy, and prayed for him, rather than seeking vengeance. Red pastored a small country church, one which boasted neither refined manners nor Roman columns. One Sunday Dad took me out there to hear him preach. No soft-spun beating around the bush with that man. Red believed in forgiveness, but he still knew a fiery hell awaited unrepentant sinners. Red could preach a roofraising sermon on hellfire and brimstone that kept people from dozing off. Dad said, I cant go with all that screaming. But at least Red wasnt a hypocrite, and his sermons were much more thrilling than the airbrushed fluff which passes for gospel preaching today. Sadly, my dad got turned off by his pretentious church-going bosses, although he was friends with one man who walked his talk. Its a shame that hypocrites claim to represent the humble Christ of the Bible. Dad knew religious folks who worshipped their WASP Jesus on Sunday, but badmouthed black folks on Monday. How ironic that most of those fine churches had foreign mission boards intent on reaching darkest Africa for Jesus! And it would have mortified all those gentlefolk to learn that Jesus was not a right-wing WASP, at all, but a Jew whose teachings were so revolutionary they rattled the Establishment of His day. One family friend, a minister and piano dealer, often bragged about his shady business dealings. He just couldnt show Dad the Light. At work, Dads supervisors would come by and watch him toiling away at his manual labor and say, C....., if only youd join the RIGHT clubs, go to the RIGHT parties to meet the RIGHT people, and join the RIGHT church, youd get promoted to a nice desk position in a hurry, and your life could be so much NICER! So, church was merely a means to an end. Before daily devotions in public schools were outlawed by the U.S. Supreme Court (and for a while thereafter), a brief Scripture passage would be read and the Lords Prayer recited by a student volunteer ( I never did volunteer). Id just scowl and sit in the back of the room as the others rose and bowed their heads. I thought, What a waste of time! If God exists at all, He isnt impacting THEIR lives very much.

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Most of these kids hate blacks, and even the Ku klux Klan claims to be Christian! I, who had been saved at the age of twelve, had grown so hostile toward religion I even admired Madalyn Murray OHair, the woman who fought to take prayer out of the schools. I knew that most of those kids were forced to go to church every Sunday at the right denominations (in each locality one would be more acceptable than the other). The idea was this: Warm a padded pew for two hours on Sunday, and God will look the other way as you raise hell the rest of the week. Those hypocrites saw salvation as a one-dose inoculation against going to hell. Once-saved-always-saved was their passport to an easy life of unbridled compromise with this world of sin. I recall a crowd of kids spilling out of school on that fateful November afternoon in 1963. Theyd just heard some news that really made their day. President Kennedy had just been shot. The delirious cheering rose up to heaven and grieved the heart of God. Why were they so happy? Because they hated blacks, and Kennedy had treated them like real human beings. So I reasoned, How can I possibly believe God is good when all those churchgoers act like the devil? Care must be taken by preachers to ensure that ALL conversions are genuine, that people have not responded to altar calls out of peer pressure. A superficial decision for Christ is NOT the same as deep, daily surrender, accompanied by the washing of regeneration (newness of life) and renewing of the Holy Ghost spoken of in Titus 3:5 . Salvation is contingent upon repentance toward God and faith toward the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 20:21). This is an individual experience. No one is ever automatically saved by being brought up in church, or christened as an infant! Even genuine believers can fall away from Christ unto perdition. I recall one young Christian brother back in the early 70s, during the height of the Jesus Revolution. He was full of zeal and raring to go for Jesus. He married a deeply spiritual woman who was utterly devoted to him. In his middle years he repaid her by turning from Christ and adopting such an indecent lifestyle she had no choice but to divorce him. The happy-go-lucky reprobate took off like a shot, leaving his poor wife with three kids to raise on her own. She didnt receive a dime from that bum. Perhaps once-saved-always-saved emboldened him to behave like this. He had been an avid student of the Bible in his youth. He must have overlooked I Timothy 5:8: But if anyone doesnt provide for his own family, especially those of his own house, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. Now I believe that eternal security in Christ hinges upon four principles. For easier recollection, I suggest you remember the acronym LORD.

Love Him 1. A believer must WANT to remain under the covering of the Blood of Jesus. It is possible to cast off your own faith (see I Timothy 5:12). The apostle Peter warns: For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and are once again entangled in them and overcome by them, the end of those people is worse than the beginning. For it would have been better for them NOT to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they had known it, to turn from Gods holy commandment. But it has happened to them just as the proverb says: The dog has returned to his own vomit, and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mud (II Peter 2: 20-22). Jesus says in John 14:15: If ye love me keep My Commandments. And again, in verse 23: If a man love me, he will keep my words.

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Obey Him
2. So long as the believer walks in an attitude of reverent dependence upon Christ and obedience to His Lordship, and is careful not to turn the grace of God into a license to commit sin, he remains justified by faith and acceptable to God the Father. We stand by faith, and must not provoke Him. For if God didnt spare the natural branches (unbelieving Israel), take heed to your ways, lest he also not spare you. Consider the goodness and the severity of God: on those who apostatized, severity.; but toward you, goodness, IF you continue in His goodness: otherwise you also shall be CUT OFF (Romans 11:21-22). Jesus says in Revelation 3:5: He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments; AND I WILL NOT BLOT HIS NAME OUT OF THE BOOK OF LIFE, but I will acknowledge his name before the Father and His angels. The clear inference here is that it impossible to have your name blotted out of His Book if you repudiate His Lordship over your life and make the things of this world your god. This is rebellion and idolatry, the two things which, unrepented of, will take a believer out from under the covering of the Blood of Christ. When that happens, God sees our sins instead of the righteousness of Christ.

Remain in Christ by Faith 3. In order to maintain our spiritual lives, we must remain in Christ, everconscious that He is our only goodness. In John chapter 15, Christ is likened to a grape vine, and his disciples to branches. If we refuse to submit to His Lordship, turn away from Him, and cut off communication with Him, the precious sap of His Life no longer flows into our innermost being to nourish us, and we wither (see John 15:6). So long as an infant receives milk from its mother, it will live and grow. It it stops eating, it dies. For optimum spiritual health the soul must be nourished on Gods Word, the Bible. Only then can grow into the likeness of Christ (Romans 8:29). God already sees true believers as righteous in Christ, although the unperfected soul of the believer is still growing in grace and maturing in the knowledge if Him (II Peter 3:18).

Daily Check in with God

4. Daily touch base with God. Repent of all known sins or bad attitudes, as soon as God alerts your conscience to them. While we still live in our mortal body, we all, at times, sin and fall short of the Glory of God. Even after conversion it is imperative to daily abide in an attitude of repentant faith. Notice in I John I: 8-9: If WE (John includes himself here) say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the Truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Unconditional eternal security is indeed a shaky doctrine. Romans 12:2 admonishes every believer: Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed (into Christs likeness) by the renewing of your mind. This is the daily process of the sanctification of the soul. The soul must be cultivated like a garden. You dont get a good harvest by tossing a few seeds onto a patch of dirt and forgetting to weed and water it. In Philippians 2:12-13, the apostle Paul says: Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God Who is working in you according to His own good pleasure.

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Passive Bullying-Satans Cold War

Evidently those kids at my school had never had these unpopular truths expounded to them from their lukewarm church pulpits. If they did hear them, they either didnt sink in or the power to live by these principles was absent from their souls. II Timothy 3:5 declares that in the latter days religious people will possess a form of godliness, but will reject the power of true godliness (that of the Holy Spirit). Having benefited little from the anemic preaching at their churches, the kids made conformity to the cool crowd their real religion. Apathetic churchgoers, as well as aggressive bullies, are driven solely by the need to be liked by the right people. Keeping quiet and doing nothing to befriend bullied students is always the safest policy to follow. So I was subjected to passive, as well as active bullying. Kids find it safest to go with the flow and not to make waves. But even sewage goes with the flow down into the toilet. Compromisers who fear men rather than God will not only make waves, theyll land in hell and make a big splash, rejected by God as cowards forever (Rev.21:8). The goals of passive bullying: 1.To make the school scapegoat feel unwanted and abnormal. 2. To rob him of affirmation as a worthwhile person, 3. To rip away his veil of basic human dignity by exposing him to glaring scorn. For me, it took the form of deliberate petty meanness. At lunch time, almost no one would condescend to sit with me. I usually munched my peanut butter sandwich alone. In gym class, I was always the last one chosen for teams. Now I know I surf the Web instead of the waves, but there were others just as unathletic as myself. In Art Class (my favorite), one boy would whisper out loud to his friend about how I must have the mange and must be full of maggots. Hed sneer at me out the corner of his serpentine eyes. Bad Billy just went on and on, inspecting me like a piece of diseased meat, even slamming me for the way I walked. He knocked me as being an example of looking graceful. His sarcastic comment reflected the popular prejudice against any girl who wasnt a tiny doll with toothpick arms. Billys lanky, goofy sidekick was less malicious, but he went along with his vicious buddy, just because he idolized him and wanted his approval. That snake Billy was one to talk about grace. He lacked the only kind of grace that could get him into heaven, the Grace of God. I detested high school, though I got good grades. I wouldnt relive my teens for all of Bill Gates billions. I wish I could purge a few ugly faces out of my memory, just like I can flush sewage down the toilet. One advantage of being a bit older is Im that much closer to meeting my Lord face-to-face and asking Him why so much evil is permitted in this world. I hated school assemblies, regardless of their content. I had to attend, or my absence would have been reported. Id always sit at the end of a row and slump down in the dark, wishing I could make myself invisible. Only one other girl (a genius I.Q.) would ever deign to sit with me. Everyone else gave me plenty of room, some tittering and saying, Theres a seat over there! Tiny paper wads would fly in my direction, just small enough to annoy me without getting the teachers attention. Only one girl ever admitted to being a Christian and tried to walk her talk. But I

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knew that in the Bible Belt, it was a statistical improbability that only one born-again Christian attended Hog Pen High. Nominal Christians, like unbelievers, live for the moment, and only when they get real old or contract a terminal illness will they reflect upon their duties toward their Creator. How many professing Christian teenagers have got the guts to actually live out the love of Jesus Christ when popularity with their peer group is on the line? I honestly feel for kids of today, the way theyre forever under pressure to conform to every indecent trend the devil sends along, and nothing is ever right or wrong, its only how you look at things. High school is a much worse place to be now than when I served time in one, because now teachers and principals are too scared to even scold rotten punks who make their own lives a misery. Theyre afraid of getting sued for bringing an alleged troublemaker to book for allegedly threatening some alleged harm to some alleged victim. Mustnt ever quash the bullys constitutional right to express himself. You might even get fired if your personal belief system isnt warm and fuzzy enough to let him off with a sweet smile. My heart goes out to every Christian student who is making a courageous stand for Christ in todays godless secular schools, which are often little more than dumping grounds for undisciplined, neglected kids. Its tough to mean business for Jesus when you have to mix every day with hard, hostile peers. Christian nonconformists are rare. I admire these unsung heroes for being on the front lines every school day and defending godliness in an ungodly environment. Although I sure dont miss my teenage years, the way satans servants singled me out to sacrifice to their god of hatred! I know it cant be easy to be a lone light in the midst of gross darkness. It is a miracle of Gods grace, that the light within you can go on burning when satans vast army threatens to snuff it out. Christian teenager, Im proud of you. Shine for Jesus. I know the pressures on, but dare to be different. Jesus wasnt ashamed to die for you. Let Christ live His Life in and through you. Your life is the only Bible some of your peers will ever read. Be a courageous soldier of righteousness. Dont ever hide your light under a basket (Matt. 5:15-16). You have no reason to be embarrassed for being a believer. Its the sinner who ought to be ashamed. Do what Jesus would do. Spread the good news of His Love. If you see your Christian brother or sister getting discouraged, be a bright candle for Christ and help to rekindle that other candle which feels like its about to go out. Make somebody else feel like a valuable human being, especially someone whose heart is broken by rejection. You could make a lasting, loyal friend who will one day fellowship with you in the Paradise of God. If youre thankful for Jesus love, just pass it on.

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CHAPTER TWO STEAL, KILL, AND DESTROY Ill begin this section with a poem I wrote as a tribute to my rotten school years, because I feel it reflects the sad experience of countless other victims of bullying. Satan is going to be named and shamed aplenty in this chapter. Hog Pen High At four I learned to love At fourteen I was taught to hate All trust was burned away from me Like wax melts in a flame. Why is it that when the hormones rage And boxy bodies begin to change That tiny tongues sharpen to rattlesnake fangs And victims are dealt such deadly pain? At four a girl asked, with a wondering smile, Did your mom make this cake for you? At fourteen a girl asked, with a catty smile, Did your mom fix your hair for you? At five a girl said, Come on, let's play At fifteen a girl said, oooh! Stay away from me! At five some boy said: Play tag with me! At fifteen he said: Drop dead, you're ugly! At six I got in a pillow fight At sixteen I was threatened with a knife By a mad dog bully on the bus Who satan taught to swear and cuss. At six I got lots of valentines A bite of candy and playtime rhymes At sixteen I got tacks on my chair And racist remarks about my hair At six we'd all join up to play But sixteen was a different day The School of Hard Knocks Broke my heart on the rocks As hurt hardened into hate Hog Pen High, you wished Id die And never rise again But Christ has breathed new life in me

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And remembered all your sins. Bitter Hog Pen, gall to drink Driving kids up to the brink Of walking wounded suicide Turning off their lights inside Darkening dawn to endless night Lean, leggy dolls with shimmery hair Waltzed on by without a care While I was trashed from the very first day As a human being wanna-be The bullies gathered for their feast And made a sacrifice out of me Offered to satan their overlord Who taught them all his tricks of scorn. Kids convene to git their sick kicks As gross gas is passed from the mouth of pigs In that inhuman zoo where satan reigns Over brutal brains that all think the same. Verbal vomit out the other end Of satans lookalike thinkalike friends Pond scum recruits to join his brave troops That gang up on one in a war they cant lose. Groupthink rules the roost in that zoo Dont do whats right, just do whats cool Gods in heaven but were in this school Ya gotta be cruel, or well be cruel to YOU! The bravest and brightest will shine as stars But dumb yellow dogs growl, snap and bark At lonely, helpless, frightened souls Judgment delayed makes yellow dogs bold. Hog Pen High, satan's university A place where the devil confers degrees In meanness, snobbery and cruelty They'd murdered the loving child in me. When Jesus sent His Spirit in He revived the happy child within He kindled the hope of a happier day When all God's kids learn His loving ways.

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Satans Strategy
In many primitive societies, human sacrifice was practiced to appease the bloodlust of a wide assortment of gods. Psalms 106:37 says of certain Jews who had fallen into idolatry: They sacrificed their sons and daughters to devils. These people had forsaken God, so their fear of crossing the false gods of Canaan was greater than their fear of the God Who had delivered them from bondage in Egypt. They also knew the fickleness of the weather, and how quickly famine could strike if their crops failed. Having cast away their trust in the Lord, they also feared their soldiers would fall in battle if they were attacked. Besides, they reasoned, if they had a god they could see with their own two eyes and did sacrifice to him, maybe theyd find it easier to believe he could be of assistance. If satan cant be worshipped as himself, hell gladly accept worship through an intermediary. Today, most people in Western societies are too sophisticated to worship idols of wood or stone. But they have been conditioned by the mass media to adulate rock stars, movie heroes or even themselves. Money is king. By their example, parents teach their kids to pay homage to the gospel of materialism. If it feels good, do it is the gospel of the entertainment industry. Above all, you must look out for Number One. These current standards seem innocuous, compared to immolating an infant on the altar of Molech. But satan still demands human sacrifices. Hes determined to exact his pound of flesh. Most of satans followers are too discreet to grab a gun and blow someone away. So much of the time, the devil settles for inflicting emotional or physical torture on his victims. If you have been redeemed by Christ, you are no longer under the jurisdiction of the prince of this present evil world, as he is called in Scripture. Bullies are controlled by this evil entity. Ephesians 2:1-3 says: He has raised you to newness of life, you who were dead in trespasses and sins; In which you walked after the manner of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air (satan), the spirit who even now works in the children of disobedience: Among whom we also all lived according to the lusts of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, just like others. Satan is the cruelest of oppressors. A believer in Christ has the right NOT to be the designated victim of the devils flunkies who are lost and going to hell. Bullying begins with the deliberate, often capricious selection of a target. Beware of violating the Law of Conformity. Besides being bony, a girl must conform to an acceptable height range. Pity her if shes under five-foot-two or over five-foot-ten. Like odd-sized apples in supermarkets, unique individuals are destined for disposal. Cosmetic dissent is an unforgivable sin, punishable by bullying. One major difference between elementary school and the higher grades is the tendency of kids (and some teachers) to call students by their last names. Admittedly, thats one way kids are prepared for the icy formality of the adult workplace, where theyre just a number. But its easier to dehumanize another person if you stop thinking of them as Beth, Mark or Mary, etc., real people cherished by their friends and families. It gives a bully devilish delight to twist a victims last name into an insult, especially if the name rhymes with something disgusting. Bullies dont see their victim as a precious soul made in Gods own image. Instead, the bully uses his victim as a handy toilet where he deposits his inner filth.

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Even if satan stops short of putting his victim in the grave, hell at least incite his devotees to cripple the spirit of that person with a campaign of verbal or physical abuse. A cat gets a bigger buzz out of slowly torturing a mouse to death than it does by killing it outright. The little furball feels like a powerful lion when he does that. Ive lost count of the news stories Ive read of kids who ended up dead because of bullies. Theyre casualties of war. A war waged by aggressors who know they cant lose; criminal lowlifes who fear no retribution. Why? You cant pull up the tares without hurting the wheat. If a kid tells the teacher, like I did, he only makes more enemies. Part of the hell of being bullied is you are all alone in it. A small child can usually go unashamedly to his parents for comfort when he suffers the slightest discomfort. They wish only the best for him or her. Whenever he draws a pretty picture for them they heap praise on him and just enjoy their child. But as the child grows older he is expected to lean on me, myself, and I in preparation for that grim day he is assigned his place in a cruel pecking order of some high school barnyard. Instead of praise and affirmation a vulnerable child encounters a world which desires only his humiliation and harm. If he trips into a mud puddle on the way to school and must present a ruined science project to the teacher, he meets with scorn instead of sympathy. His wonder years are his blunder years. A teenager is at that awkward stage of life where he isnt old enough to vote, yet he is too much of a kid to have a say in what kind of environment he must be marinated in day in and day out. He is too young to drink, because its bad for him. But day after day after endless day he is expected to swallow abuse which can hound him to the grave in the form of flashbacks and a ruined self-image which might cripple his future career prospects out in that real world which bullying has prepared him so well for. Many parents expect their kids to stand on their own two feet because high school is basic training for real life, and mom and dad cant always be there to drive the big bad wolf away. Problem is, while youre struggling to stay on your own two feet, your enemies have many more feet to stand on and they can knock you off yours anytime they feel like it. If me, myself and I are not enough of a bulwark against their hostility, tough luck, kid. Time and again I experienced nothing but indifference when I reported bullying (even physical bullying) to teachers. But one teacher went ballistic when I drew a few disjointed lines on a piece of paper that suggested the curves of a womans body. That same respectable, church-going teacher who turned a blind eye to the abuse I suffered, thought I was committing a soul-damning sin by drawing that doodle! She thought it was no big deal what other kids did to hurt me. But she threatened to have me expelled for one stupid drawing. Its okay to condone the destruction of someone elses soul but my, weve gotta crack down on a drawing! Those who could have intervened to help me only heaped criticism and blame on my head every single day. The bullies had so much fun because the teacher was on their side. Authority figures who ENABLE bullying to go on through turning a blind eye to it, or by persecuting victims, deserve to suffer the same shame and humiliation themselves. God is just. In His own time, on Judgment Day He will hand out fair paychecks to all those who gave their blessing to bullying. Isaiah 3:11: Woe unto the wicked! it shall be ill with him: for the reward of his hands shall be given him. People tell me, Dont you think some of those bullies have grown up to be better people? It happened so long ago.

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Nowhere in the Bible do I read that time washes away sins. And their personal self-improvement doesnt undo the harm theyve done in someone elses life. King David became a better person after he committed adultery and murder. But the man he schemed to have killed was still dead. David was sorry. But he still had to reap the awful fruits of his sins. Part of the reason God was so hard on him, I think, was because David had enjoyed spiritual privileges and enlightenment many others never had in their lives, and he knew the sins he committed were gross and horrible. Many, if not most of the kids who bothered me were churchgoers (very few in the Old South didnt go to church). Their pastors must have taught them the difference between right and wrong. When I was growing up, the good old King James Bible was the ONLY authority in mainstream churches. There was even a lot of preaching on hell you just dont hear anymore. Those kids who hurt me KNEW what they were doing. They called me a communist because I had a foreign-sounding last name. They thought their churchgoing would get them to heaven, and it was okay to live like the devil and still swear allegiance every morning to Jesus Christ and the American flag. Their phoniness stunk in the nostrils of a Holy God. Indifferent Authority Figures ENABLE Bullying Bullying thrives in this part of the world because its politically incorrect to discipline trouble-makers. One girl was found dead of a drug overdose in bed. Why? Because she conformed too well. She had the willowy figure and the long shiny hair every girl wants...and she was hated for it at school. Ya just gotta keep the rules of this sick society, but ya gotta walk on eggs while youre doin it! For those who havent already lost their soul by the ninth grade high school is a gateway to hell. These days the torture can start even earlier. One child began to be bullied in school at the tender age of five. The abuse continued for five eternal years. The boy ended up in the hospital because of passive parents who had faith that underneath it all, human nature is basically good and their child could rise above the abuse and emerge triumphant through endless patience. Limp-wristed school administrators took no action to expel the guilty pupils. The parents refused to take their child out of school, reasoning that if they did, it would mean the bullies had won! I dont know if such tolerance springs from the Britons national tradition of genteel manners, but blood-thirsty bullies arent due such courtesies! Parents of bullies often sow the seeds of satans character in their own children. One news story reported a case of arson committed by a school bullys parents against the family of her victim. Not content to abuse another girl at school, the bully persecuted her at home. The bullys evil mother egged her husband on to pour gasoline through the mail slot of the home of their daughters victim. Then he set it on fire. The bullied girl was badly burned in the attack, but her parents perished in the fire. Film footage had been taken of the bullys dad filling up his gas can at the local service station. A jury tried the bully and her parents. The parents were found guilty of murder and the girl of manslaughter. Theyll probably get out of jail n just a few years, though. Maybe theyll even laugh it off. After all, every kind of entertainment has its price! But their real punishment will begin either during the worldwide Tribulation of the outpouring of the wrath of God, or when death takes each of them. It is then they will face the Great Judge of all the Earth and be sentenced to a far more horrible fire than they used to destroy an innocent family. Bullying is no kiddie game. THE SPIRIT OF BULLYING IS THE SPIRIT OF MURDER, and all murderers shall have their part in the Lake of Fire (Rev.21:8)!!! Whats more important, protecting your child from a dangerous school environment, or forcing him to rise above every abuse cruel bullies hit him with? Parent, how would you feel if you were the one who had to suffer in a war zone for

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five long years, day in and day out, vastly outnumbered by your foes and unable to defend yourself? How can any sane adult rationalize doing that to a mere child? I wouldnt treat a dog like that! THATS CHILD ABUSE!! Why does the same sick scenario of victim suicide take place over and over again? Because politically correct school authorities fantasize that if they close their eyes to a particular ongoing case, itll come out in the wash. It makes me heartsick and mad as a hornet! Over and over again I see heartbroken parents appear on the TV News weeping that their child has been driven to suicide after years of mental and physical torture. Seek the Path of Peace with humans, but remember, some people dont WANT peace! Do more than get sad about bullying. GET MAD!!! DONT BURY THE HATCHET ANYMORE! JESUS DID NOT COME TO BRING PEACE ON EARTH, BUT A SWORD! (Matt. 10:34; Luke 12:49). RIGHTEOUSNESS CAN NEVER MAKE PEACE WITH WICKEDNESS! GO ON THE WARPATH WITH SATAN! HE IS KILLING DEFENSELESS KIDS! YE THAT LOVE THE LORD, HATE EVIL! (Psalms 97: 10). CHRISTIANS, BE SOLDIERS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS! FIGHT BACK!!! TEAR DOWN SATANS KINGDOM! WALK IN DIGNITY AS A CHILD OF GOD! CRY OUT UNTO GOD TO BE YOUR DEFENSE! DONT TAKE THE DEVILS DIARRHEA ANYMORE! GOD IS NOT A MARSHMALLOW!!! HES A LAMB, BUT HES A LION WHEN HE HAS TO BE!!! GOD WILL BREAK THE OPPRESSOR IN PIECES (Psalms 50:22; 72:4)! HIS MERCY IS GREAT TOWARD SORRY SINNERS, BUT HIS PATIENCE WITH IMPENITENT PUNKS IS NOT INFINITE!!! DONT BEG THE AUTHORITIES TO DEAL WITH THE BULLIES ANYMORE! TELL THEM!!!! ITS NOT OPEN TO DEBATE! I DONT KNOW THE MEANING OF NO!!! WE CAN SETTLE THIS THE EASY WAY, OR WE CAN GO ROUND AND ROUND THE HARD WAY! ITS NOT AN OPTION! IF YOU GIVE ME ANY MORE MEALY-MOUTHED EXCUSES ILL CONTACT MY LOCAL REPRESENTATIVE! ILL MARCH ALL THE WAY TO THE GOVERNORS OFFICE IF I HAVE TO! ILL WHIP UP THE BIGGEST FIRESTORM OF PROTEST THIS NATION HAS EVER SEEN! ILL GO TO THE PRESS! ILL HOLD A SITIN! ILL CAMPAIGN ON THE AIR! Ill STAY ON YOUR CASE AND IN YOUR FACE AS LONG AS IT TAKES! ILL FIGHT A NON-VIOLENT, AGGRESSIVE WAR FOR MY CHILD TILL I DROP DEAD IN MY TRACKS! ILL NOT ONLY MAKE WAVES, ILL CREATE A TSUNAMI TILL YOU GET OFF YOUR LAZY DUFF AND DECLARE THIS SCHOOL A BULLY-FREE ZONE! IM TAKING MY KID OUT OF YOUR SCHOOL TILL YOU GET YOUR ACT TOGETHER ! BUT IN THE MEANTIME HE (OR SHE) WILL GET A DECENT EDUCATION AT HOME (OR OTHER ALTERNATIVE OPTION) IN A SECURE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT! TO HELL WITH YOUR LAME EXCUSES! DONT TELL ME THERES NOTHING YOU CAN DO!!! THATS A LOAD OF COP-OUT CRAP AND YOU KNOW IT!!! THATS MY CHILD WERE DISCUSSING, NOT YOURS! DONT YOU DARE MESS WITH ME!!! Praise the Lord, Im just getting warmed up now. I can just hear it now: Tone it down, Pat. The first rule of being a Christian is always smile and bear with problems sweetly and, above all, be nice. Some will remind me that Jesus said: Father, forgive them, for (BECAUSE) they know not what they do. But He also gave the wicked Pharasees a good verbal kicking because they were destroying other souls! Hardened punks and corroded creeps KNOW theyre doing wrong and do it because they dont think theyre gonna get their comeuppance. Dont punch anybodys lights out, but get violent with the devil! Until our enemies reject their final opportunity for repentance and are finally consigned to hell we have to love them in this Age of Grace. But we dont have to love the devil who drives them! Take advantage of any legal rights you have in waging an orderly, non-violent, non-stop campaign against bullying in your community. Get mad

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enough to lobby for anti-bullying laws and for expulsion of bullies from schools, and for tougher laws to be passed against young offenders. Above all, get mad enough to plead with God to protect His own and punish the wicked so theyll wake up before they roast in hell with satan and his demons for all eternity. God is merciful, but He isnt a mouse! Our God is a consuming Fire (Heb. 10:30-31; 12:29). Necessary retribution is Gods domain (Nahum 1:2-3; Romans 12:19; II Thes. 1:7-9). Day and night, the war against bullying needs to be waged on the spiritual front and the secular front. People of God, weve got to win this war against the oppression of satan! Day after day after endless day frightened children put their neck in the noose by going back to a den of lions while their elders tell them to grow up and rise above it. Godly gentleness can easily degenerate into moral timidity and passivity. Even a wild animal will fight fiercely to protect its own offspring. Its high time Christians came out of their closets and took their gloves off to deal with the devil and his evil works! Throughout history people who couldnt live by the rules of civilized society have been banished from communities and nations when they refused to change their ways. The incorrigible bully, like a festering cancer, needs to be excised out of society for the sake of all the other kids whose education is being ruined and whose life is being made a living hell by his nastiness. Doubtful cases call for caution, but: WHEN THERES NO ROOM FOR DOUBT THROW THE BULLY OUT!!! Even the Bible backs me up. Proverbs 22:10 says: Cast out the scorner (ridiculer), and contention shall go out; yea, strife (fighting) and reproach (slandering) shall cease. ITS HIGH TIME BULLIES GOT THROWN OUT of schools and workplaces, and any other place they make people miserable!!! Too many teachers and principals insist its the victims responsibility to change to prevent the bullying. Bullies count on getting away with it. They just love to see their victim victimized for being victims. Bullies inflict the initial damage, then its perpetuated by dim-witted authority figures who blame the victim for being bully bait and hold the victim responsible for persuading the bully to leave them alone! What a load of ****! Kids who go to school to cause others pain should be at the receiving end of pain...a constructive kind. Hardened bullies have forfeited the right to free public education by abusing the privilege of going to school with civilized people. I know its against the law to swing the Board of Education anymore, but bullies should suffer the pain of expulsion. One sad case of expulsion happened in the Bible. The patriarch Abraham had two sons, one by his legal wife and the other by his concubine, or servant wife. Sarah, unable to have children, had a surrogate son by Hagar, her slave girl. When Ishmael was about thirteen, Isaac was born to aged Sarah. Ishmael persecuted his tiny little brother at his weaning party (Gen.21:9; Gal.4:29). Scripture is scant on details, but Ishmaels hostility probably resulted from jealousy. Before Isaacs birth, Ishmael had been Abrahams heir. But now he had been supplanted by some new kid on the block! Sarah nipped the situation in the bud before Hagars son could pose a serious threat to her sons safety. Abraham had to banish his older son and concubine from the camp to keep peace in his family (theres been war going on between the descendants of these two sons for 4,000 years ever since!). Bullies who refuse to mend their ways must be denied access to fresh victims. The government should set up special delinquent schools for expelled bullies who still want to get educated. Put em to work to earn the education they might have had for free. Our streets are fouled by their garbage. Set em to work cleaning the streets,

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scrubbing off grafitti, doing landscaping. Then those unholy terrors will be too worn out to get into so much trouble! Teenage terrors have no compunctions against mugging a ninety-year-old granny to grab her handbag, but would they be so brave if a 240-pound, 6-foot-six Marine drill sergeant took them on? It would be ideal if reform schools were staffed with such sergeants (in between other wars) They would straighten out punkster boys (girls would be trained by female staff). The kids would be taken on scenic nature hikes in the wilds (not in L.A.). They would be taught survival skills so they dont have to survive on some old ladys bus fare anymore. And if they gave any lip, the drill sergeant would make them haul a pile of rocks up the mountain slope. The kids would learn teamwork. They would learn to work with other people without fighting. And if moving rockpiles didnt tame the wild beasts, they would do time out in the brig (without Playboy Magazines to read while theyre sitting in the corner). All kidding aside, I expect a lot of kid-glove softies will call me a meanie for saying tough problems call for tough measures. Maybe it would be cruel and unusual punishment to banish those yellow dogs to Devils Island. But banishing dangerous incorrigibles from law-abiding society is Biblical, even New Testament. In I Corinthians Chapter 5 Paul instructs church members to disfellowship wicked members who refuse to repent. Why? To prevent reprobates from infecting the rest of the church with sexual sins, dishonesty, drunkenness, etc. Violent behavior is every bit as bad as these sins. One bad bully can easily escalate to a gang of criminals who make school sheer hell for others and keep them from learning. Putting a kid through public school didnt used to be so bad, but its getting to be the next worst thing to hell. From the age of five the indoctrination starts. Youve gotta have this, youve gotta act this way, respond to people that way. And if you dont, the bullies are watching you, and youll be next. Well before a child reaches puberty hes had a warped sex education on TV and on the playground, and hes pressured to be among the first to lose his virginity (which hes brainwashed into thinking is a dread disease) and it doesnt matter who takes his or her virtue, just so long as they can say theyve done it. My heart truly goes out to Christian parents who are trying to raise their children to live decently in this filthy hellhole of a world, one that could make Sodom blush. Good, decent Christians dont want the world to rob their little children of their innocence. I hope and pray the Rapture of the Church occurs before another generation of newborn babies has time to be born and grow into adolescence! Or worse yet, old age. Pity the elderly too. I was saddened to read of the tragic death of an 86-year old Englishman. For two long years he had been subjected to fiendish psychological torment by a gang of teenage vermin. His crime? He was blind, as well as elderly. Satan incites bullies to despise and abuse the defenseless. Demon-driven kids threw rocks at the old mans house and called him names. They put obstacles in his yard to make him trip whenever he went outside for a stroll. Even if they had done nothing worse, they would still have deserved Gods punishment. Leviticus 19:14 warns against cursing the deaf, or placing stumblingblocks before the blind. Deuteronomy 27:18 says: Cursed is he who makes the blind to wander out of the way. Those foul devils are under a curse! Not only did their victim have to bear the heartache of blindness, but his tormentors made his life hell. In due course they will reap what they have sown. And no, God wont let them off just cause they were under 18 when they killed the old guy! God is not a politically correct, limp-wristed powderpuff politician! Emboldened by the lack of consequences for their earlier harassment, those creeps converged on the old guy as he began his daily walk to the corner market.

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According to two teenage witnesses, they encircled him with their mountain bikes, called him foul names and made obscene gestures. After he waved his cane at them and told them to go away, a boy kicked him in the leg and made him fall. One girl told the boy to stop. His reply? I cant. This is too much fun! Its cool to be cruel. The inquest was inconclusive. There was, they said, no substantial evidence to link the bullying with the mans death. His many relatives were enraged that those devils had gone unpunished. I find it baffling that more wasnt done to protect the poor man from the bullies during the two years they carried out their hate campaign against him. Perhaps surveillance cameras could have been installed on his property to glean evidence to use against the delinquents. Had he been wealthy, he could have had his own personal bodyguard or lived in a gated community dotted with mansions nestled in a floral paradise. What a shame satans servants have the upper hand. Society is at the mercy of incorrigible youth nurtured on a diet of Hollywood sewage. Todays dimwitted policy is to just let kids trash the neighborhood any old way they please. The killers are just impressionable babies, after all, the poor little sweetie pies. A bit of discipline or a term at a youth brat camp would only damage their precious little psyches for life. Heaven forbid that you should subject them to a day in court. And dont surround yourself with guard dogs to ward them off. You could get sued for defending yourself against those cute little cuddlies who are only expressing their individuality! Hogwash! Those scumbags who drove that poor old man to his death are firstdegree murderers, plain and simple. They, like the cat torturing the mouse, killed him by inches. Just because it was fun, and wouldnt cost them much even if they got caught. A few months behind bars is a bargain price for such a high. But Ive got news for those thugs. Almighty God has already condemned those sacks of sin to the Lake of Fire! And believe me, not even the slickest lawyer could shorten Gods sentence! Most people think that if there is a future judgment, that our guilt or innocence before God will be established then and there. But Scripture shows that the awful Judgment Day of sinners will only ratify what was already established in their lifetimes. John 3:18 warns that sinners are already condemned to perdition because of their rebellion against God and rejection of His Son. Bullies try to pack as much deviltry into life as possible before they must finally stand before God for judgment. Basically people arent sinners because they sin, but they sin because they are born sinners. I believe there must exist a mean gene or cruelty chromosome which was passed on by Adam and Eve to taint the souls of all mankind. God is Love, so to rebel against Him is to choose hatred. Those kids are probably gloating over getting away with it even now, but theyre more blind than their victim was. Too blind to see they are sitting on the death row where all unrepentant sinners are consigned. Only the Blood of Jesus can reprieve a condemned sinner from his date with eternal death in hell. And I wouldnt bet one nickel theyll ever be saved unless theyre exposed to a little tough love. Years ago, if a brat raised hell in a supermarket, his parents would smack his bottom once or twice to quiet him down. Today, kids must be given free rein to express their feelings, even if they ransack the potato chip aisle and rip open every bag. Sometimes a kids screams will reach a blood-curdling pitch before his passive parents pick him up to try to calm him. Theyre afraid to do anything to cross the little tyrant, even appear angry. Theyre scared stiff theyll be arrested for child abuse if they give him a quick swat on his Seat of Education. What are the fruits of permissive child rearing? In a word: anarchy. Where there is no restraint, chaos reigns, whether in society at large or in the home. In England, youth crime is endemic. Gangs of kids as young as ten boldly torment elderly people in quiet neighborhoods, shouting insults and

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hurling bricks through windows, fully expecting to get away with it. One 62-year-old lady died from the prolonged stress she was subjected to by little thugs. Surprisingly, they were rounded up and indicted for manslaughter. Had they been younger than ten, they would have been incapable of committing a crime. I stick faithfully to the King James Version of the Bible, for its God-given answers have not been revised to conform to this politically correct age. I want to hear what God really has to say about unruly youth. Ill give you an example. The Prophet Isaiah warned Gods people of the consequences of falling away from God as a society. Isaiah 3:5 states: And the people shall be oppressed, every one by another, and every one by his neighbor. The child shall behave himself proudly against the ancient, and the base (vile person) against the honorable (KJV). The Good News Bible reads: Everyone will take advantage of everyone else. Young people will not respect their elders, and worthless people will not respect their superiors. The two versions differ greatly in their rendering of verse 12: As for My people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them (KJV). Good News reads instead: Moneylenders oppress My people, and their creditors cheat them. I put more credence in the first translation. Thats very significant to me, the wide discrepancy between the two renderings of the same verse. The second translation smells strongly of mistranslation to appease the politically correct crowd. Deliberately altering Holy Writ to conform to the ethos of the times is a serious sin (Rev. 22:18-19). Today, teachers and parents are oppressed by foul-mouthed, vicious brats they are forbidden to discipline, or even sternly reprimand. As for the second part of the verse, I do know that a man who rebels against Gods divinely ordained order for the home is more apt to be dominated by a strong-willed woman willing to fill the vacuum of authority. It is politically incorrect to cite that Scripture which declares that women shall rule over them as one of the tragedies of modern society, but whenever a man refuses to shoulder his responsibilities as a strong father-figure, he automatically creates confusion in the minds of his sons, who ought to learn from him what true masculinity is. Nothing is sadder to see than a wimpy, hen-pecked father who lets his wife (or his childs buddies) bear the entire burden of teaching values to the kids. Or worse yet, a man so unstable that he trades partners (it used to be wives!) in for newer models as regularly as he shops for new cars. Most pathetic of all, I believe, is the young stud who begets babies like a corn popper; children he has not intention of supporting, leaving their poor mothers to cope however they can. This is doubly difficult for a woman who doesnt know Christ. How sad, to read about kids who dont know how to interact in a civilized way with others because they were raised with no spiritual guidance. Childrens souls must be cultivated with the principles of Gods Word if parents want them to grow up to be loving, decent, considerate adults. You cant just wish for potatoes to sprout up in your patch. You must seed it, weed it, and water it, and keep pests away before youll be rewarded with the desired crop. If you dont cultivate the character of your child the devil surely will. Deprived of decent role models, and alienated from older males, young boys learn all about masculinity out on the street. Firm discipline in homes and schools is outdated. It is now considered a violation of the civil rights of children. In todays wimpy world, there are no absolutes. Growing up I watched innocuous shows like Lassie and Leave it to Beaver. Cheesy by todays standards, but at least oldfashioned TV moms looked and acted like mothers instead of wannabe 10-year olds stud-hunting in halter tops and hot pants. In the good ol days the most shocking thing a kid would see is Beaver agonizing over whether to fess up to some lie he told his cookie-baking mom. But today kids are treated to trash TV, with its endless images of immorality, perversion, family breakups, nudity and bloody violence. And if

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they get bored with TV, their computer games are on standby to gratify their appetite for sadism, blood, lust and murder. Reality TV shows are dirtier than ever before. God wants everyone to know that He is going to judge the greedy producers of film violence and His wrath will one day fall upon all who have made their fortune by corrupting entire generations of youth. Demonically-inspired entertainment teaches kids that it is fun to torture and kill. The blood of dead victims of bullying is on the hands of peddlers and producers of pretend violence! It is the job of the Holy Spirit to convince people of their sins, and their need for a Redeemer. Id say that more than ever before in all the sordid history of mankind, He faces a formidable challenge, and He really has His work cut out for Him. I certainly cant deprogram hardened sinners brainwashed by Babylon! Whenever a sinner discovers hes a sinner in these darkened days, it is always a miraculous act of the Spirit of Grace. After all, this is a world where right and wrong no longer exists, and if it feels good, it IS good! How can people be sorry for their sins when satan has convinced them that sin is an outdated myth? Jesus calls the devil a thief and a liar. The thief comes only to steal, kill, and destroy. I (Jesus) have come to give them abundant life (John 10:10). Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it (John 8:44). The bully is hooked on the lie of satan, his god. Hed rather be a hammer than a nail, a hard-fisted, aggressive Mr. Cool who always gets what he wants at everyone elses expense. All the school bully knows is that hes young, hard-muscled, and popular with his circle of like-minded buddies. The female bully glories in her own transitory beauty, deluding herself that her perverse fun will go on forever. She thinks her skeletal body studded with rings and tattoos will always be her passport to love, that shell never be thrust into a situation where shell begin to reap the cruelty and rejection shes sown in other peoples hearts and lives. Undetected by the human eye, the devil patrols the school corridors, grinning broadly. He knows that God intends to cast him into the Lake of Fire at the end of time, but will resist God to the end and try to thwart his fate. But just in case he fails, why not have some company in hell for all eternity? Multitudes of nasty bullies have already volunteered. Truly, a heaven where love reigns supreme would be a far worse torture to them. I KNOW satan is real! I encountered him daily on the school bus. His spirit glared at me through the malignant eyes of Butch, a vicious boy who snarled threats at me. At that time in my life, I had no training in Biblical truths whatsoever, no knowledge of demonic possession. But when I looked into those green eyes which burned like coals, I sensed the presence of satan very strongly. I thought, He cant be human. Theres no reason for him to hate me like that. I dont even know him. Id had absolutely no teaching on the reality of demons, but it struck me how much his face seemed to be that of a demon from hell. Butchs abuse was no lightweight, giggly teasing, but the bloodcurdling threats of a rabid dog. Id sit in the front of the bus, cowering, as volleys of soggy spitwads assailed me from the back. They splattered the glass partition between the front side seat and the door. The driver was a callous old man who couldnt have cared less those bums were raising hell on his bus and trashing it. It was my complaints that bugged him. No matter that Butch threatened to put out my eyes with a slingshot, and waved a big knife in my face. My nerves were shredded, and I suffered such panic attacks that I felt immobilized and didnt know how best to defend myself. It was too far to walk home, several miles across town and no sidewalks.]

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Finally that vicious monster hit me on the head with a club hed made in woodworking class. One snotty bitch yelled, Hit her again! Waves of impotent rage and hatred mingled with the shock of that blow. Had he hit the wrong part of my skull, I could have been killed or disabled. If he had taken that nasty little fiends advice and hit me a second, lethal blow, both of them would very likely have gotten off scot-free in any earthly court of law. BUT THEY WOULD HAVE GONE TO HELL AS MURDERERS! What kind of trashy parents could have raised their kids to be such crappy criminals, without one iota of human decency and compassion? God looks on the intent of the heart. That evil girl would have loved for him to hit me with the club again and kill me. If she never repented of this wickedness, SHE STILL HAS THE ROTTEN HEART OF A MURDERER! Time does not wash away guilt. Only the Blood of Jesus can do that. I saw that same vile spirit of satan in that horrible creatures face. She was so mean-looking a Rottweiller would have run away from her. She got in a kicking match with Butch because he provoked her once on the bus, but they were true soul mates. Memories of her make my skin crawl. She often shrieked, Ooh! C.....! Get away! Youve got lice! If she has not repented since then, I know her sins are recorded in that book out of which all rebels against God will be judged according to their works when they stand before Gods Great White Throne of Judgment. Sin cannot be forgiven by God without repentance and acceptance of His atonement for sin in Christ Jesus. No meanness of any kind will be permitted to enter Gods City of Love. If the sinner refuses to part with his/her sin, that one will be shut out, excluded from the Presence of a God Who cannot tolerate impurity of heart. A lot of todays Christians have a sweeter attitude toward impenitent sinners than God Himself does. The only thing they get upset about is other Christians rebuking the wicked. But what is Gods REAL attitude toward sinners? The Bible teaches you to love even your enemies, but Scripture also declares God hates "all workers of iniquity" (Ps. 5:5). "The Lord abhors (deeply hates) the bloodthirsty and deceitful man" (Psalms 5:6). There are 6 things "the Lord hates," including "a heart that devises wicked plans...a false witness who speaks lies, and one who sows discord among brethren" (Prov. 6:16-19). God also hates the wicked and the one who loves violence (Psalms 11:5). Bullies adore violence, so it follows that God hates the hardened bully who refuses to repent of his sins. Pray for Gods help to overcome the raw resentment that inevitably comes from being abused, and steer clear of satans traps. It is our prerogative to join God in hating the devil and his evil works, and hating the wicked deeds of the wicked. But only God has the right to hate people if He so wills. Hatred is the hottest and most explosive of all emotions, and when handled irresponsibly, its like having a monkeys finger on the nucular trigger. At least in this lifetime, it should never be directed at people by other people. Pray for God to protect you from the temptation to feel a nucular hatred toward other mortal humans which is bound to come from being badly abused. Channel your strong hatred of your bad experience into something constructive, like lifting up others whom the devil has ground underfoot. If hating people is ever necessary, only God should do it, because He alone is without sin and wise enough to act rightly and justly. Surrender all bad feelings to God and pray for His love, while being cautious and wary toward those who arent worthy of your trust. Remember that your battle is not with flesh and blood, but with the devil (Eph. 6:12). If you feel any compassion or tenderness at all toward your enemy, that is the power of Christ at work within you, and not any virtue inherent in your own corrupt human nature. Bullies will FINALLY get their comeuppance, when perfect justice is dispensed by the Righteous Judge of all the earth. And I saw a Great White Throne, and Him who sat upon it, from Whose face the earth and the heavens fled away; and there was no

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place they could go. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the Book of Life: and the dead were judged by those things which were recorded in the books, according to their deeds (Revelation 20: 11-12). Back in the 60s everybody said: Tell it like it is. I believe in calling things what they are. The assistant principal was a spineless, sniveling powder puff. He would take no action against the bully on the bus. Out of his jurisdiction, he said, for it was off the school grounds. In desperation I went to the police to report the assault. The boys father wasnt too thrilled with getting a visit from the cops. After hed threatened Butch with a beating, the abuse ceased_at least temporarily, until Bully Withdrawal Syndrome began to set in. Evidently, bullying gives the bully a rush like crack cocaine. It would not be too long before tiny paperwads would fly in my direction again, then much nastier spitwads. Just like the devil. Hell start out with tiny projectiles, thrown ever so subtly. When he knows he can get away with it, hell escalate the conflict with more menacing missiles. One son of a preacher apologized to me, probably after his dad laid into him with a belt. It doesnt enhance a preachers image to have a subordinate bully as a son! I remember one spineless rattlesnake who said something like this: Im sorry it has to be this way for you, C- - - , but I really dont have any choice. So he kept up with his hog calls and tacks in the chair routine. The Bible teaches that there really isnt much you have to do to qualify for a home in hell: Matt.5:21: Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment. Verse 22: But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause (reason) shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca (worthless) shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire. Those who pick fights and start wars are in danger of terrible judgment from God. And God wont buy some bullys whiny alibi that if hed been nicer he would have lost all his friends. Tough beans! God doesnt let spineless crybaby cowards into heaven (Rev.21:8). Jesus suffered for doing right, even to the death of the Cross. Any decent person, male or female, ought to be man enough to make a U-Turn and go the other way when the rest of the herd is stampeding to hell. Calling a lonely, frightened girl a hog is just as bad as, if not worse, than calling her worthless or a fool. Bullies do the devils work but payday is on its way. Bitten By an Ugly Dog One of satans favorite servants was Mike Crappe, a lowlife creep who swooped on me from out of nowhere. As in most other cases, Id never even met him before, much less said anything to him. He informed me that I was a fat bastard. Well, next to that coat hanger, ANYBODY was heavy. For good measure, he threw in a bonus: pus bucket. Well, Mike had no room to talk. His evil heart was full of the same nasty devils diarrhea that spouted out of his mouth. If that satanic fiend ever married some poor woman, pity her or any kids they might have had. Just the idea that any woman could fall in love with that vicious jackass, or that he could pass on his own twisted values to the next generation. Unfortunate is the woman who gave birth to and raised such a sack of sin who went around belching toxic waste out of his mouth to poison others with.

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Am I going too far in my description of bullies? I doubt it. People who die in their sin are no better than dog dung in the sight of God. Nothing is more tragic than a life lived in open rebellion against Christ and His love, only to be on the receiving end of Gods wrath forever and ever. When such evil, violent, hateful sinners die, instead of being lovingly carried to heaven by angels, they are hauled away like garbage to be burned (John 15:6). What was Gods attitude toward His own enemies in the Bible? I Kings 14:10: Therefore, behold, I will bring evil upon the house of Jeroboam, and will cut off from Jeroboam him that pisseth against the wall, and him that is shut up and left in Israel, and will take away the remnant of the house of Jeroboam, as a man taketh away dung, till it be all gone. 11 Him that dieth of Jeroboam in the city shall the dogs eat; and him that dieth in the field shall the fowls of the air eat: for the LORD hath spoken it. Jeremiah.16:1:The word of the LORD came also unto me, saying, Verse 2: Thou shalt not take thee a wife, neither shalt thou have sons or daughters in this place. Verse 3: For thus saith the LORD concerning the sons and concerning the daughters that are born in this place, and concerning their mothers that bare them, and concerning their fathers that begat them in this land; Verse 4: They shall die of grievous deaths; they shall not be lamented; neither shall they be buried; but they shall be as dung upon the face of the earth: and they shall be consumed by the sword, and by famine; and their carcases shall be meat for the fowls of heaven, and for the beasts of the earth. Is it a sin to use unflattering terms to describe nasty, evil brutes? Jesus called hardened, unrepentant sinners names when the occasion called for it! Jesus called King Herod a fox (Luke 13:32). Christ warned His people not to waste their precious spiritual treasures on dogs and swine (hogs)(Matt.7:6). Surely Jesus didnt have the four-legged variety in mind here, because nobody in their right mind would toss a Bible into a literal pig pen! If you want to be like Jesus in every way, confront cruel people with the utter rottenness of their souls, in order that they are forced to face the fact theyre dead in sin and on their way to hell. Any honest doctor will tell an alcoholic hes embalming his own brain and ought to lay off the happy sauce. Evil oppressors dont need coddling. They need loving discipline in the form of being told the truth about what horrible sinners they are in the eyes of God. Because if they dont shape up, Gods gonna ship em out to the Lake of Fire someday! If something walks like a duck, quacks like a duck and looks like a duck, its probably okay to call it a duck! Jesus did preach love, patience and forgiveness. Jesus was tender-hearted toward repentant sinners who acknowledged their need of His help. Jesus even showed compassion toward His executioners. But was He ALWAYS sugary sweet in His attitude toward cruel, abusive people? Just read Matthew Chapter 23 where Jesus interacts with some shifty religious leaders who were plotting to put Him to death. Verse 33 in particular stands out: Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell? Here Jesus is comparing the exalted religious leaders of His own society to poisonous snakes! These were men who deliberately led people astray for power and greedy gain. Men who robbed widows houses and poisoned peoples minds against the truth Jesus preached. My King James Bible says those shady characters were in danger of being damned to hell. Other more modern versions substitute the softer word condemnation. But it doesnt change the fate

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of Jesus enemies. Those of them who didnt repent arent floating in the clouds of Glory strumming harps today. Theyre frying in a devils hell. I had my share of rattlesnakes snapping at me for offending the standards of Western societys sexist boy toy culture. The less you looked like Toothpick Barbie, the more likely you were to get bullied. And I broke another law of the late 60s as well. My hair wasnt a slick and shiny, shimmery, curtain of mirror-glossy glory that like everybody elses. It was wiry, and the hot, humid climate didnt help much. I wish curves and curls would come back into fashion, to make life easier for todays teenage girls. But it would have been nice to have had silicone gels and magic straightening guns in my teenage years! The shorter I wore my hair the more it frizzed. Mean Mikes own crew cut looked like a horsehair shoe brush, but he razzed me about how I must have stuck my finger in a light socket. Mike was built like a spider (or was that a garden hose?) and any vanity queen at that school would have died to get his figure. But Mike had a rotten heart controlled by ugly demons of hate as all bullies do. Beauty is as beauty DOES!!! Im only human. Many a time Ive thought of that toothpick tarantula and hoped he got a big beer gut later in life, just to learn him a little Humility 101! Any physical feature which didnt conform to the typical WASP stereotype aroused the suspicions of bullies about the purity of your racial heritage. Butch called me the N-word because of my anti-Establishment hair. Know what? Ever since I moved over to this side of the Big Pond, Ive seen quite a few indigenous English and Irish people whose hair is just like mine. Could be I forgot a history lesson in elementary school: Only straight-haired strains of the white race made it to the New World to chase the American dream? Thats what ignorant racists would have you think! So what if my curly hair was a symptom of the unforgivable sin...possibly being only 99.9 % white! Now even if God was the one Who put white supremacists in charge of the world, He probably regrets it, just like He regretted making mankind before He sent the Great Flood. To be blunt, the white race has caused more hell on earth than all other races put together, especially rich white males! Its white multinationals who have ruined the environment and exploited all colors of poor working people throughout the earth. The Bible says that those who are entrusted with greater blessings are held to a higher standard of judgment. This could mean that people of any color whatever whom God allows to lord it over all the rest are ultimately responsible to Him for whether they use their position to help or harm others. But based on the historical record, wealthy white males have got little reason to think theyre doing God a favor by strutting proudly in His presence! On a lighter note, I have reason to think Im at least 1/64 honest Injun, and I do go on the warpath against bullying, dont I! But at least I only pound on paper! Its Gods job to mete out punishment to the unrepentant. In the early 60s, lots of girls with droopy straight hair would tease it into knots to get the same anti-gravity look mine had. On sunny weekends, the riverside would be crowded with pink bodies toasting to a delectable brown. Bigots are inconsistent as well as loud-mouthed. I wasnt all that huge, but Butch the Beast tormented me over my size. Because of monsters like him Id resorted to nervous eating as my only comfort. Satan oppressed me at home as well as at school, making my sleep fitful. I read occult literature as an escape. I dreamed of developing psychic powers so I could empower myself against a hostile world. I almost wished the end of the world would hurry up and get here just to get peoples eyes off me. I suffered from stressinduced acne, which further ruined my self-image. I did not look like those teenyweeny plastic dolls on TV sitcoms, and I was never allowed to forget it. I dreaded each dawning day. I used to think that if Id been skinny as a rake and magically

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made my hair soft and limp Id have been left alone in peace. But even if you CAN count every rib and blind your boyfriend with the highlights bouncing off your shiny hair, a determined devil who cant find fault with your sexy looks will find some other damnable excuse to destroy you! Satan has a nasty counterfeit for most everything God does. God chooses some people for honor and others for dishonor (Romans 9:20-23), for not all will accept Christ. Whos to say the devil doesnt also choose people for dishonor by bigots in his own kingdom of darkness? I believe that even if Id walked back into that high school after dieting down to skin and bones, I still would have been chosen by satan for humiliation and destruction. The devil will not set his captives free for the price of a box of Curl Free, or for the price of a three-month fast. Only the power of the Spirit of God can deliver a teenager from fear of the devils crowd, and spiritual warfare needs to be waged on the victims behalf. I felt like I was in a war zone, under fire each and every day, running a gauntlet of assaults on my soul. If theyd shipped me over to Viet Nam I couldnt have suffered worse hatred from unearned enemies. Daily I was assailed by the fiery darts of satan (see Ephesians 6:16). Only the power of the Holy Ghost has restored my ability to feel any love for other people whatsoever. All my violated heart could feel before my Baptism in the Spirit was the raw, rankling bitterness of a wounded war veteran. If I seem to be angry now, it is a righteous anger against the boldness of bullies who STILL serve satan without fear of punishment. My anger is nothing compared to what it used to be! Im mad enough to want to see an end to satans reign on earth. I honestly dont know how anyone can war against the destroyer of souls without strongly hating him and his evil works! Bullying destroys a persons confidence, peace and emotional health. Sometimes it leaves lasting physical damage. In my case it did severe spiritual damage. Before my high school years, I had a salvation experience at a church which does not teach the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. I felt fine for a few days, but no one was able to teach me how to discern the workings of satan and conduct spiritual warfare against his evil works. No one at that church taught the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, which brings a deeper dimension of relationship with God, and empowers a Christians life. Self-effort failed. I was Biblically illiterate at the time and so I did not know how to wage spiritual warfare by using the Word of God. Even though I had repented of my sins as a child, I wandered in spiritual ignorance and the powers of satan made mincemeat out of me. Being in high school was a den of lions for me. I crumbled apart inside. Day and night I wished that those who hurt me would end up crying themselves. I hated their guts. I fantasized about being a superhero who had the power to really make them suffer and squash them like cockroaches. Bullying destroys spiritually, not just emotionally and physically! If someone who had actually been born again (not yet Spirit-filled) was capable of the most horrible feelings of hatred toward tormentors, just imagine how bullying must affect someone who never had been told about the Savior! Those who have been victimized by persistent, systematic bullying carry shrapnel in their souls, well into their adult years. Ill give you a clue why: Doo doo sticks! Mucky memories remain, and you have to cast them down in the power of the Holy Spirit (2 Cor. 10:3-5).The devil loves to use these memories to wear away at you and make you relive your scenes of humiliation over and over again. Just about any insult or aggressive behavior of others is enough to cause what I call a triggered regression response of the nervous system and memory, where all the bad emotional sensations and memories of yesteryear come flooding back on a tidal wave to wash away your feelings of self-esteem. People who dont share your history of being bullied just dont understand. Things they can easily brush off set you off inside. Theyll say things like: That

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happened 40 years ago. Just forget it. But if you wander in an old WWII battlefield and stumble on an old land mine, it can still set off an explosion! Bullies plant land mines in the souls of their victims! They do their dirty work and walk away free, grinning, patting themselves on the back for destroying someones soul, if not their body. Time alone does not tame a land mine. Time does not heal anything. Ive had a very real sinus condition for years on end and time has not healed that. Maybe God wants to demonstrate that His strength is made perfect in my weakness, even in my emotional fragility. Unless God Himself pulls you out of the pit of rekindled bad feelings, they can persist for days or even weeks. Those old memories are like fragile scar tissue that is easily torn back open. Daily I must depend on Gods power to fend off the enemys lies. Hed ride me so much about my early life I was ready to write off all my years up to 1970 as so much smelly garbage. But God showed me those were wilderness years I traveled through to get to the glorious ones, much like pioneers traveled through the perils of Death Valley to reach green and pleasant California. It helps to remind yourself youre a survivor and if you are a child of God, your end will be glorious. If the devil keeps needling you, say to him: The Lord rebuke you, you dirty liar! Youre ALREADY damned to hell! MY God says you are the father of lies and theres NO truth in you! I dont want or need the approval of your yesmen! The Beauty of the Lord God is in me and upon Me and His Spirit of Glory dwells within me. My destiny is to reign with Christ My Redeemer in a New Heaven and a New Earth. Your destiny is to be destroyed in hell, where you will be bullied throughout all eternity by those who once worshipped and served you. Yeah, I did one hell of a long stint in the Valley of Death. And if there were any justice in this world, Id be paid plenty for the way protracted emotional abuse wrecked my personal confidence. This made me people-shy, so that I always avoided taking any job which called for close interaction or competition with people. Despite my native intelligence, I definitely would not work in the business world, where people must ruthlessly fight for their place in the pecking order. When economic necessity forced this homemaker out into the workaday world, I opted for cleaning houses or service jobs where I was not in the public eye. Once my husband and I had our own restaurant, the main advantage was I didnt have to take abuse from cranky customers and be tempted to quit, a luxury I simply could not afford! Believe me, satan isnt content to flatten you. Years after the original attack, he might try to harass you with flashbacks at unexpected moments. Im not going to say everything is rosy after you encounter God, because we still live in enemy territory, this fallen world. I still have to call upon God for deliverance when the devil rides me about those ruined years. Unless I draw upon the Power of God I suffer feelings akin to post-traumatic stress; milder than what most war veterans experience, but still very real, something I should have received court-awarded damages for. I retaliate by reminding satan that I am Gods dear child, and I am destined for Glory. The devils destiny is Gods trash incinerator_the Lake of Fire. God is FURIOUS With Unrepentant Sinners! Contrary to popular religious belief, the Bible emphatically states that there are certain categories of people the Lord does NOT love! Here is some of what Scripture has to say about Gods true attitude toward hardened, unrepentant sinners. Some archaic phrases are clarified in parentheses. Deuteronomy 25:16: For all that do such things, AND ALL THAT DO UNRIGHTEOUSLY, are an abomination (hateful thing) unto the Lord thy God.

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Deut.32:22: For a fire is kindled in mine anger, and shall burn unto the lowest hell, and shall consume the earth with her increase, and set on fire the foundations of the mountains. VERSE 23: I will heap mischiefs (disasters) upon them; I will spend mine arrows upon them. Psalms 5:6: Thou shalt destroy them that seek leasing (those who lie): the Lord will abhor (strongly hate) the bloody and deceitful man. Psalms 11:5: The LORD trieth the righteous: but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth. Verse 6: Upon the wicked he shall rain snares (Heb.: a burning storm), fire and brimstone, and an horrible tempest (storm): this shall be the portion of their cup. Psalms 7:11: God judgeth the righteous (Heb. God is a righteous Judge), and God is angry with the wicked every day. Verse 12: If he (the sinner) turn not (repent) he (God) will whet (sharpen) his sword; he hath bent his bow, and made it ready. Verse 13: He hath also prepared for him the instruments of death; he ordaineth his arrows against the persecutors (pursuers).***David, the one who wrote this, was being hunted down by King Saul, who was so jealous of David he wanted to kill him. Psalms 55:23: But thou, O God, shall bring them down into the pit of destruction (hell): bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their days; but I will trust in thee. Proverbs 6:16: These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: Verse 17: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, Verse 18: An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, Verse 19: A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.***Notice, God doesnt just hate the lies and the discord committed by sinners in this verse. God says He hates the sinner! Isaiah 51:20: Thy sons have fainted, they lie at the head of all the streets (street corners), as a wild bull in a net: they are full of the fury of the Lord, the rebuke of thy God. Isaiah 59:18: According to their deeds, accordingly he (God) will repay fury to his adversaries; recompense (retribution) to his enemies; to the islands (far-off coastlands) he will repay recompense. Isaiah 66:15: For, behold, the LORD will come with fire, and with his chariots like a whirlwind, to render his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire. Verse 16: For by fire and by his sword will the LORD plead with all flesh: and the slain of the LORD shall be many. Jeremiah 7:20: Therefore, thus saith the LORD GOD, behold, mine anger and my fury shall be poured out upon this place, upon man, and upon beast, and upon the trees of the field, and upon the fruit of the ground; and it shall burn, and shall not be quenched. Jere.21:5: And I myself will fight against you with an outstretched hand and with a strong arm, even in anger, and in fury, and in great wrath. Verse 12: O House of David, thus saith the LORD; Execute judgment in the morning, and deliver (rescue) him that is spoiled (robbed) out of the hand of the oppressor, lest my fury go out like fire, and burn that none can quench it, because of the evil of your doings (deeds). Jere.25:15: For thus saith the Lord God of Israel unto me, take the wine cup of this fury at my hand, and cause all the nations to whom I send thee, to drink it. Jere.30:23: Behold, the whirlwind of the LORD goeth forth with fury, a continuing whirlwind: it shall fall with pain upon the head of the wicked.

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Verse 24: The fierce anger of the Lord shall not return (relent), until he have done it, and untlil he have performed the intents of his heart: in the latter days ye shall consider it. Ezekiel 5:13: Thus shall mine anger be accomplished, and I will cause my fury to rest upon them, and I will be comforted: and they shall know that I the Lord have spoken it in my zeal, when I have accomplished my fury in them. Ezekiel 24:13: In thy filthiness is lewdness: because I have purged (cleansed) thee, and thou wast not purged, thou shalt not be purged from thy filthiness any more, till I have caused my fury to rest upon thee. Ezekiel 36:18: Wherefore I poured my fury upon them for the blood that they have shed upon the land, and for their idols wherewith they had polluted it. Nahum 1:2: The LORD is jealous, and the LORD revengeth; the LORD revengeth, and is furious; the LORD will take vengeance on his adversaries, and he reserveth wrath for his enemies. Verse 6: Who can stand before his indignation (fierce anger)? And who can abide in the fierceness of his anger? His fury is poured out like fire, and the rocks are thrown down by him. Malachi 4:1: For behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble (straw destined for the fire): and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of Hosts, that it shall neither leave them root nor branch. Galatians 5:10b: he that troubleth you shall bear his judgment, whosoever he be. Verse 12: I would they were even cut off, which trouble you. I Peter 3:12: For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and His ears are open to their prayers: but THE FACE OF THE LORD IS AGAINST THEM THAT DO EVIL. But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned (Hebrews 6:8) Synopsis of Additional Wrath Scriptures (References Only) The Psalmist David was confident that God would fight to defend him and would punish sinners. (Psalms 2:4-5, verses 9 and 12; 11:5; 37:12-15; 45:3-7; 72:4; 89:20-23; 97:10). God ceases to care about unrepentant sinners and actually mocks them when calamity strikes them (Psalms 2:4; 37: 13; Prov. 1:24-32). God takes vengeance on arrogant sinners. He will punish the world for its wickedness (Isaiah 13:6-11; 49: 25-26; 63:3-6; 66:24; Malachi 4:1). God will take no pity on sinners he punishes (Ezekiel 5:11; 7:4; 8:18). God has appointed a day to pour out His fierce wrath on sinful mankind (Zeph. 2:13; Romans 2: 5-6). Gods oppressed people are precious to Him and He will avenge them (Zech. 2:8; Luke 18: 3-7; Romans 12:19; Rev. 6:10; 18:20; 19:2). Jesus Himself will consign the wicked to hell fire! (Matt. 13: 40-42; 18:6-9; 25:41). Hell is a horrible place to spend eternity (Mark 9:42-48; Luke 16:19-31; Jude 14, 15). Jesus will execute those who refuse to acknowledge Him as Lord ( Luke 19:37). Unrepentant sinners ALREADY condemned to hell (John 3:18)! Hardened unbelievers are ALREADY appointed to be on the receiving end of Gods wrath (Romans 9:22; I Peter 2:8).

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Those who reject Christ are to be accursed (I Cor. 16: 22; Heb. 6:8). God will take flaming vengeance on sinners (Micah 4: 1; II Thes. 1:7-9; II Peter 3:7; Rev. 20: 7-10). Gods fury will be poured out on the earth during the Tribulation (Rev. 2:6,26-27; 5:5; 6: 1,11:18; 14: 10,19-20; 16:6; 19:11-18; 20:11-15; 21:8). Jesus hates satans works and came to destroy them (I John 3:8; Rev. 2:6). Where it concerns unrepentant Sinners, does Jesus just forgive and forget? No! As the Righteous Judge, Jesus calls sinners to account. Matt. 23: 35-36; Luke 19:27; Rev. 6: 15-17; 18: 4-6, 20, 24; 20: 11-15; Rev. 2:23; 6: 15-17 Christ Himself is the Judge of Living and Dead. John 5:22; Acts 10:42; 17:31; I Peter 4: 3-5; Rev. 19: 11-18 God Compares the Wicked to Dogs, Hogs and Deadly Snakes! Ezekiel 34:25 And I will make with them a covenant of peace, and will cause the evil beasts to cease out of the land, and they shall dwell safely in the wilderness, and sleep in the woods.****While an angry bear or cougar might make camping in the woods scary for a lone woman, the two-legged variety of wild beast is what scares her the most. Just walking down a city street in the dark is intimidating to most women and children. Imagine pitching your tent in a park, knowing some drunk might try to hit on you as you camped out there! But the day will come, thank God, when He will rid this earth of belligerent beasts and people will be able to safely stroll city streets or rural areas any time of the day or night. I consider bullies to be mean-tempered, yellow (cowardly) dogs who barely pass for human beings. Is it a sin to call a vicious, cowardly, cruel creature a dog? Did JESUS ever call anybody a dog? Matthew 7:6 Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine (hogs), lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend (tear) you. Is Jesus speaking here of four-legged dogs and hogs? I doubt it. Both the dog and the hog were considered unclean creatures by the Jews (Lev.11:7; Deut.23:18). Those who refuse to let Jesus wash their sins away and give them a new heart are unclean in Gods sight, and are spiritual dogs and hogs. The ancient Jews, proud of their status as Gods chosen people, compared the Gentiles to "dogs." When a Canaanite woman asked Jesus to cast demons out of her daughter, Jesus said to her in Matt. 15:26-28: "It is not meet (appropriate) to take the childrens bread and to cast it to DOGS." Actually the Greek word used in this context is kunarion, meaning a puppy, or little dog. But Jesus called this poor woman a dog nonetheless. In this context Jesus is testing this womans faith to see how she will respond, and she humbly replied that she was seeking only the crumbs which fell from her Masters table. Jesus rewarded her faith with a miracle. Now if Jesus called a humble, submissive Gentile a dog, what must He think of sinners who detest Him so much they refuse to repent of being bullies, violent criminals, and blood-thirsty war mongers? Another place where God calls certain humans dogs is found in Isaiah Chapter 56: Verse 10: His watchmen are blind: they are all ignorant, they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber.* * *Here God rebukes the spiritual overseers of Israel for their lack of vigilance and laziness, and their failure to

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deliver Gods warnings to the people. They are compared to watchdogs which refuse to bark. Verse 11: Yea, they are greedy dogs which can never have enough, and they are shepherds which cannot understand: they all look to their own way, every one for his gain, from his quarter.* * *This verse aptly describes modern greedy preachers who are blind to the true Word of God and make a money racket out of religion. What did Jesus call His worst enemies, the hypocritical religious leaders of His own nation? O generation of vipers (poisonous snakes), how can ye, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh (Matt. 12:34). Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell (Matt.23:33)?***Far from mollycoddling these wicked men, Jesus called them deadly snakes who were headed for the damnation of hell. Modern Bible versions substitute the softer word condemnation for damnation in this verse. Jesus taught believers to love and bless their enemies. In the sense that we can do what is just and right toward them, and be kind toward them, we can show love, just like the Father feeds all His creatures. We can bless them by praying theyll repent and be saved. But it would be wrong to pray that a bully got richer so he could use his money to buy more weapons to hurt others with. As for love itself, theres a difference between the brotherly love Christians ought to show toward one another and the way we relate to sinners. Jesus Himself said that our blessing of peace will not abide on those who are not of a peaceful nature (Luke 10:5-6). John, the apostle of love, warned believers not to accept the wrong kind of people into their home or to bless unbelievers as they set out on their journey (2 John 1:10). Paul the apostle affirms the truth of a pagan proverb in Titus 1:12, which calls an entire nation liars, evil beasts, and slow bellies. Talk about political incorrectness! How many Christians are way too loving to call a sinner a sinner? Love people as the Lord leads, but love some of them at a safe distance. Embrace a snake and youll feel his fangs! Jesus asks believers to show love toward enemies by feeding them. But you dont have to go into a lions cage to feed it. Throw his cat chow through the bars so you wont end up on his dinner menu! The Antichrist is referred to as the Beast (Rev.16:13; 19:20). In Phil.3:2 Paul issues a warning to church members: Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision (those who preach circumcision).***Do you really think Paul was warning people to beware of the labrador retriever running loose in their alleyway? Nonsense! Far more dangerous were the two-legged pitbulls they would encounter in life. In II Peter 2:22 Peter speaks of the dog who returns to his vomit and the sow (female hog) who was washed to her wallowing in the mire (of sin).***Surely Peter wasnt worried about regurgitating bird dogs and the bathing habits of some Gentiles bacon supply! Far from building bridges with those who turn their back on Christ, Peter, a consecrated apostle of Christ, refers to these people as dogs and hogs! According to Strongs Concordance, this usage of the word for dogs is taken from Greek: kuon. When used metaphorically, dogs are ungodly humans with impure minds behaving in immoral ways which will exclude them from the New Jerusalem. For without (outside Gods Kingdom) are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie (Rev.22:15).

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The Cry of a Desperate, Persecuted Man Selected Verses From Psalms Chapter 22 With Commentary Psalms 22:11: Be not far from me; for trouble is near; for there is none to help.****Ever feel like the whole wide world was against you and no one understood you or cared to help you in your hour of trouble? The Psalmist David suffered such anxiety and desperation. In I Samuel 26:20 David declares that he feels like a flea being pursued by a mighty king, or a partridge being hunted in the mountains. King Saul, with his royal hatchet men in tow, and powerfully armed, persecuted and hunted for the life of his frightened son-in-law. Why? Because the insecure king feared he might lose his throne to a far better man. Deep down, bullies know they are rotten to the core, so they want to cut others down. Verse 12 Many bulls have compassed (surrounded) me: Strong bulls of bashan have beset (overwhelmed) me around.*****The word bully sounds a lot like bull, doesnt it? Ask any cowboy what would happen to a greenhorn who got thrown into a bullpen with a bunch of wild horses or bulls that havent been broken yet. Anyone who couldnt subdue the wild beasts would be trampled underfoot. When a cowboy breaks a horse, he doesnt hurt it. He works with the animal to tame it, in order to bring it under control so that it submits willingly to authority and becomes a useful creature instead of a destructive one. Behaviorally speaking, bullies are ferocious wild animals who go out to break others to bits emotionally, socially or physically. They remind me of wild apes who fight to be king of the jungle by throwing their crap at the designated outcast among them. It takes YEARS to get the smell of that abuse off your soul, if you ever get it off at all. Any dirt farmer from the hills of Alabama will tell you, **it stinks and it sticks! Verse 13 They gaped upon me with their mouths, as a ravening (seeking prey) and a roaring lion.*****Bullies have big mouths that love to gape (open wide) just like a menacing lion will open its mouth wide to roar to paralyze its prey with fear. Then the lion rips up the weaker creature with its big scary mouth. Much of mankinds wickedness proceeds from his mouth, which he uses to destroy his fellow man. Dogs bite, and so do bullies. Verse 14: I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels.*****When extreme fear of violence overtakes you, you feel like your guts are going into meltdown! You feel doomed because you can neither flee the situation nor adequately fight it. A deadly cocktail of hopelessness, shame, and despair overpowers you. Verse 15: My strength is dried up like a potsherd (pottery shard); and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and thou hast brought me into the dust of death.*****Bullying is a living death which shatters your inner strength to resist the evil. I have known some pretty scary situations where my mouth went dry as dust. Like David fleeing his enemies in the wilderness, I have felt like a dust dweller, a helpless flea who was there only to be trampled upon. Verse 16: For dogs have compassed (surrounded) me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet.*****This verse is one of many in the Psalms which prophesy of the sufferings of Christ Himself. Notice, the words dogs and wicked occur in the same context. Evil, violent men are lower than dogs. They gather in packs to close in on their prey and surround their victim to destroy him. In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus was surrounded by enemies

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armed with weapons (Matt.26:47). He was surrounded by evil, scheming religious leaders intent on His destruction (Matt.26:57-68). Roman soldiers surrounded him to mock and abuse him (Matt.27:27-31). They did this fearlessly, because Jesus was outnumbered and because they feared no immediate punishment from God. Verse 17: I may tell (can count) all my bones: they look and stare upon me.*****The ruthless Romans used a flagrum to beat condemned prisoners with. This horrible instrument of torture was like a cat of nine tails tipped with heavy lead pellets. A flagrum could easily shred the flesh of any victim unlucky enough to be on its receiving end. Jesus was so badly beaten the flesh was ripped off His ribs, and they were easily visible. Bullies are dogs who go on the attack to destroy someone, then they turn into bloodthirsty vultures who will rip the walking dead to shreds, either emotionally or physically. Verse 18 They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture (gambled for my clothes).*****The wicked Romans were not content to torture and mock Christ, beat Him to a bloody pulp and nail Him to a cross. They shot dice to see who would get His humble garments, His only earthly possessions, as He hung naked on a cross, suspended between heaven and earth. Bullies rob you of every last trace of your dignity and leave you emotionally naked, exposed to scorn and bleeding inside. Verse 19: But be not thou far from me, O Lord: O my strength, haste thee to help me.*****As Christ was being killed, His enemies and their father the devil seemed to have the upper hand. But Jesus suffering and death were allowed by God to pay for our redemption from sin. Christ trusted that God would judge righteously (I Pet. 2:22). Verse 20: Deliver my soul from the sword, my darling (Heb. yachiyd, only son) from the power of the dog.*****Gods only-begotten Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, fell under the power of the dog, or wicked man, for a while, until His mission to offer Himself as a Sacrifice for sin was accomplished. But satan could not keep Jesus in the grave. Christ rose in power and glory, and lives forevermore, seated in glory at the right hand of God the Father (Heb.10:12-14). And He awaits the day that all His enemies will be put under His feet (Psalms 110:1; Acts 2:33-35). Verse 21: Save me from the lions mouth: for thou hast heard me from the horns of the unicorns (wild bulls).*****The proud lion opens its mouth wide to roar and to rip its prey with its sharp fangs. Bullies never do seem to shut up, do they? They use their cruel mouths for the destruction of others. A wild bull is proud of his big, pointy horns, and they make him feel superior to the rest. . A bull uses his horns to stab his competitors, and generally to throw his weight around to show whos boss. A human bully is like that. He might go around flashing a big stash of cash, or threatening others with weapons or his own personal army of subordinate bullies. But even the cruelest oppressor or dictator on earth will one day die and stand before God, Who wont be so impressed by how cool he is. Other Cries for Help From Psalms (With Commentary) Psalms 25:19: Consider mine enemies; for they are many; and they hate me with cruel hatred.

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Psalms 69:1: Save me, O God; for the waters are come in unto my soul. Verse 2: I sink in deep mire, where there is no standing: I am come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me* * * * * *Bullies make damn sure you cant keep your head above water, because theyre always flushing your head down an emotional toilet bowl, if they arent doing it literally! Verse 3: I am weary of my crying: my throat is dried: mine eyes fail while I wait for my God* * * * *Bullies will make you cry so much theres no tears left. Verse 4: They that hate me without a cause (reason) are more than the hairs of mine head * * * * What do you have to do to make more enemies than you can count: ZILCH! Zero! Nothing! Nada! Just be there! Second part of verse 4: : they that would destroy me, being mine enemies wrongfully, are mighty: then I restored that which I took not away* * * * *You, the victim, end up being blamed for the bullying yourself, or paying the price for having to endure it, through shattered self-confidence, nightmares, depression, flashbacks, etc.). Isaiah 51:12-13: I, even I, am he that comforteth you: who art thou, that thou shouldst be afraid of a man that shall die, and of the son of man, that shall be made as grass; And forgettest the Lord thy Maker, that hath stretched forth the heavens, and laid the foundations of the earth; and hast feared continually every day because of the fury of the oppressor, as if he were ready to destroy? And where is the fury of the oppressor? This is the ultimate fate of satan, father of all bullies: Isaiah 14: 15: Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit. Verse 16: They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms;**** Imagine that same devil who caused all the wars, sin, crime and heartbreak in the earth humbled by God and cut down to size so that he is now the laughingstock of the universe! What marvelous justice that would be, dispensed by Almighty God! Verse 17 That made the earth as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof; that opened not the house of his prisoners?****Satan is the architect of every war and environmental disaster in the history of mankind, and he has kept multitudes bound in sin and bound in chains of fear of the power of darkness. Ezekiel 28:16 By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: Therefore I will cast thee out as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire.*****Lives have been snuffed out in the ruthless quest for riches and gain. Babylons wicked merchandise has perverted the minds of youth to glorify violence in video games and various computer pastimes. Satan, who once occupied the position of covering cherub before the Throne of God, will be cast out of the heavenly places and destroyed. Verse 17: Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of they brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee.*****Satan, formerly Lucifer, the most beautiful of the angels, got so proud of his looks it corrupted his wisdom. He became arrogant and rebellious toward God. But someday God will humiliate him in front of the kings of the earth.

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Verse 18: Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities (sins); by the iniquity of thy traffick (buying and selling); therefore I will bring a fire from the midst of thee, and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee.*****Satan has his own perverted system of religion which has been corrupted by materialism and greed. He is destined to be reduced to ashes in the sight of all. Verse 19: All they that know thee among the people shall be astonished at thee: thou shalt be a terror, and never shalt thou be any more.***All who behold satans doom will be terrified at the prospect of sharing his fate. Someday satan will be rendered totally helpless. The final destruction of satan will occur after Christ has ruled Planet Earth for one thousand years, and satan is temporarily released from his prison to test the loyalty of mankind one final time. Revelation 20:1: And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand: Verse 2: And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent which is the devil, and satan, and bound him a thousand years. Verse 3: And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled (expire): and after that he must be loosed a little season. What a blessed, glorious period that will be for mankind! People will walk the streets free of the fear of crime! During that wonderful Reign of Christ on earth, it will be the sinner, not the righteous person who will be the odd one out! Revelation 20:6: Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.*** Ruling with Christ is the destiny of all who exercise repentance toward God and faith in Christ. Hallelujah! Isaiah 14:7 says it wonderfully: The whole earth is at rest, and is quiet: they break forth into singing. ****No one can say the earth is at rest today, with hundreds of wars raging all at once, crime statistics up, and the cutthroat competition in the workplace, etc. But when the Prince of Peace returns to reign, peace will reign in all of nature and a restful quietness will prevail in the earth. Isaiah 55: 12: For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.***All of creation will rejoice about being freed from the bondage of corruption it knew during the long reign of satan on earth (Rom.8:20-21). Revelation 20:7: And when the thousand years satan shall be loosed out of his prison, Verse 8: And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. ****Notice, after one thousand years of paradise on earth, the devil still has no problem of finding mortal sinners to volunteer for his army of rebellion against Gods perfect government. Some people just arent satisfied with a

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perfect, restful environment and the goodness of a gracious, merciful God. Bullies hate peace and cant stand to see others happy. Satan-One Dastardly Daddy The Hebrews had a highly descriptive name for one of the chief devils: Beelzebub, the lord of flies. Pesky insects, by their tireless persistence, wear you down. They swarm around you, buzzing and waiting for you to relax your guard, so they can zero in and bite you. Bullies are the same way. Even verbal bullying withers the soul of a person by inches. Jesus couldnt have put it more succinctly when He addressed some Jewish religious leaders who saw the truth His teachings, yet refused to accept them: YOU ARE OF YOUR FATHER THE DEVIL, and the lusts of your father you will fulfill. He was a murderer from the beginning, and did not live in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks of his own; for he is a liar, and the father of lies. Which one of you can justly accuse me of sin? And if Im telling the truth, why wont you believe me? He who is of God will heed Gods words. You refuse to heed His words because you are not of God (John 8:44-47). No one who truly belongs to Christ can pledge allegiance to a swarm of bullies. There is a malignant spirit at work in the world, at war with the Spirit of Christ, Who is Love Incarnate. By their fruits you shall know them, He says in Matthew 7:20. The fruits of the bullys life reflect the nature of his father satan: steal, kill, and destroy. Satan incites the wicked to rob others, to engage in extortion, even to wage wars in order to satisfy that demonic drive to conquer less aggressive souls and prey on them. Christ has courageous soldiers who stand for righteousness, but the devils troops are a cowardly pack of dogs. My dad used to tell me, Dont ever act scared around a strange dog. They can smell fear. Sure enough, bullies could discern that I sensed their meanness. My subconscious, cringing body language gave me away. Like all wild beasts, bullies can detect fear. Bullies brandish all the trappings of warfare: knives, guns, iron fists. But they dont enjoy fighting unless theres no pain in it for them. Six big, strapping youths pitted against one skinny nerd is hardly a fair match. But the devil doesnt fight fair; he fights dirty. Through daily anxiety on the bus, and verbal intimidation at school, satan was trying to kill me by degrees, and harden my heart against a God Who supposedly presided over the religious country clubs many of my enemies families belonged to. Later, when I learned to tell the difference between truth and hypocrisy, I realized that it is an insult to Christ to call loveless entities by His name. You must, in your own mind, divorce bigoted hypocrites from the Christ of the Bible! I John 3:15 says: Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. My tormentors gloated over my deterioration. I seldom smiled. The carefree giggle of a young girl was unknown to me. Life was a grim ordeal. I was at war, struggling for mere survival, as I daily drew fire from snipers for the crime of just being me. I slinked into the shadows, fearful of being spotted and teased. Bullies are always looking for something of Gods creation to destroy, some quarry to hound to death. Recently I looked at a photo of myself at seventeen. I honestly dont appear much younger in that picture than I do today. Now, the Holy Spirit in me causes my eyes to shine with joy. But back then, my face was blotchy from stress, and my eyes had the terrified look of a deer running away from a hunter. Before I began writing for the Lord, I had several dreams of lingering around my old high school, as if there were unfinished business to attend to. The multi-colored buildings of Hog Pen High came into view. A feeling of revulsion would sweep over me, and Id run like mad to escape that vast campus. Id never quite make it to the

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edge, when I realized I was trapped there because there was no way to get home. No other address on earth is more loathsome to me than 666 Lucifer Lane. Satans Motive Why does Satan incite bullying in the first place? Why does he persecute the elderly, the bald, the poor, the short, the tall, the plain-faced and odd-sized individual? I believe the answer stems from satans own origins. Before his fall, he was the most beautiful of heavenly angels. His original name was Lucifer, or day star. In Ezekiel 28: 12-15, God makes a lamentation over the demonic king of Tyrus, the fallen angel Lucifer. Thus says the Lord God, `you were once an example of perfection, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty. God goes on to describe all the beautiful precious stones which once adorned this entity. In verse 14 He says: You are the anointed cherub (of exceedingly high rank in the presence of God). I have ordained it to be so. You were upon the holy mountain of God; you have walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. You were perfect in all your ways till wickedness was found in you. How great is your fall from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How are you cut down to the ground, you who once weakened the nations! For you have said in your heart, I will ascend into heaven. I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will also sit upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I WILL BE LIKE THE MOST HIGH (Isaiah 14: 12-14). Notice all the arrogant I wills in that passage. The ungodly love to make pompous boasts. In verse 15 God pronounces Lucifers ultimate doom: You shall yet be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit. God promises that all who are haughty will be brought low. He says in Isaiah 13:11: And I will punish the world for its evil, and the wicked for their sins; and I will bring an end to the arrogance of proud souls, and subdue the haughty oppressor. Evidently Lucifer had occupied the highest position in heavens hierarchy of angels. But instead of being thankful to God for his beauty and exalted office, his attitude began to sour toward his Creator. Lucifer s ego swelled up because of his dazzling beauty. He considered the humble material God had formed Adam from. Quite possibly Lucifer knew that Gods ultimate goal in creating mankind in His own image was to eventually grant him authority over all created things (see Hebrews 2: 6-8). Verse 8 indicates that some things are now under the dominion of man, but not yet all. Adam was given dominion over the earth. In order to qualify for eternal life and rule over all creation with Christ, he had to first be subjected to a period of probation, to test his loyalty to Gods authority. Lucifer chafed at the thought that a man formed of clay would one day rule over him. He did not trust the loving wisdom of God, Who does all things well. He didnt agree with Gods plan one bit. So Lucifer decided to recruit a gang and fight to defend his turf. He mapped out his own strategy for seizing Gods Throne and usurping the government of Gods universe. He rallied his troops and led a mass rebellion in heaven. He would try to dethrone Almighty God. Many theologians believe that one-third of the heavenly host sided with satan in that conflict. This belief is probably based on Revelation 12:4, which describes how the symbolic red dragon (satan) drew one-third of the stars down from heaven with his tail and cast them to the earth. During the Great Tribulation, all Lucifers demons will be cast down from

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the heavenly places to the earth, following a battle with Archangel Michael and his army (see Revelation 12:7-9). Lucifers coup military failed. Stripped of his exalted position, he and his angels were exiled from heaven, in anticipation of that distant day when they would be consigned to the Lake of Fire for eternal torment. Divested of his original sinless nature, Lucifer became a loathsome, warped monster whose sole motive was revenge against Almighty God. He became known as satan (Hebrew for adversary). The most tragic story of betrayal is recorded is recorded in the third chapter of Genesis. Satan achieved the fall of Adam and Eve by beguiling the couple into sampling the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, the one tree of the Garden which God had reserved strictly for Himself. God had said, The day you eat of that tree, you die. Once theyd eaten, the guilty couple died spiritually. They fell from their original state of innocence. Harmony with God and enjoyment of His immediate Presence was replaced with dread of His great Holiness, and fear of His retribution for their act of rebellion. A gradual process of physical deterioration ensued. Adam died physically at the age of 930, within one of God s millennial days; to Him, 1000 years is as one day (II Peter 3:8). Compelled only by divine love, Christ would, many centuries later, come to earth to offer Himself as Gods sinless Sacrifice for sin in order to obtain salvation for repentant sinners (John 3:16; Romans 5:8-9). The destiny of redeemed children of God is to reign with Christ in His eternal Kingdom. The devil resents this, and scorns the descendants of Adam who dwell in imperfect bodies of flesh and blood. He uses his own human children to inflict torment on all those who are vulnerable, both saved and unsaved. Bullies comprise one of the many channels through which satan vents his spite against the Creator. They conform to the ugly nature of their father satan. II Timothy 3:1-5 records all the components of fallen human behavior which are trendy in these last days of Gods patience with this wicked world: Know this also, that in the last days dangerous times shall come. For men shall be self-centered, greedy, boastful, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, breakers of treaties, perjurious, promiscuous, fierce, DESPISERS OF THOSE WHO ARE GOOD (bullies detest gentle, sensitive souls, whether they profess Christ or not), traitors, arrogant, conceited, lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God. This passage is a perfect description of a TV-jaded generation which has been taught not to have scruples about anything, that nothing is wrong so long as you dont get caught. Bullies are one putrid fruit of this morally bankrupt generation. Terminal Bullying-The Road to Suicide One sinner destroyeth much good (Eccl.7:18b) I could easily have committed suicide to escape the monsters who fired the devils doo doo at me day in and day out. Only the thinnest veneer of restraint kept me from going over the edge. One boy said: C....., if I looked like you Id kill myself. I glared at that monster, thinking: I wont give you the satisfaction! No matter how long it takes, even if it takes the rest of my life, Ill win in the end! No doubt he would have thrown a wild beer bash if Id blown myself up in the gym. The Hog Pen Ragsheet would have sported a headline in 3-inch type: C..... ERADICATED!, I was hated so much. I honestly felt it was my anger that gave me the will to go on living. I didnt want to give my stinking enemies the thrill of victory.

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And within me I heard a faint voice, the all-but-forgotten vestige of a brief salvation encounter which never had the chance to blossom or grow. It seemed to say, very faintly through the deafening din of battle: Hang in there, Pat. Youll survive somehow. Someday youll emerge triumphant over all of this. As I reflect upon the many undeserved words of hate fired at me my response is: Mr. Devil, you must have left your brains behind when they kicked you out of heaven. Jesus outsmarted you by allowing you to crucify Him in order to give me eternal life and assure your future destruction. Even before I became acquainted with the God of Love and Perfect Wisdom, I knew that this world, so alienated from His goodness, was utterly without hope; for it has rejected the Prince of Peace and chosen the prince of darkness. Some people cant triumph. The saddest story I ever read was of a young suicide victim. She was just a small child. She was bullied at school to the point of madness. When the Christmas holidays came, she found blissful respite. But when school was about to resume, she grew panicky. She pleaded with her mother not to send her back to that torture chamber school. Her mother thought she was exaggerating the difficulty and wouldnt listen to her plea. Before she hanged herself in her bedroom, the little girl left her mother a note: I hate you, Mom. How chilling. Doubtless, that poor child had never heard of the love of Jesus. Certainly not in her godless secular school. Her little being had cried out for love, but all shed ever learned in school was how to be afraid and how to hate. My blood always boils when I read of such tragedies caused by the cruelty of others. There is a righteous variety of anger, as well as a sinful kind. Righteous anger should lead to sensible actions, and Spirit-inspired prayers to the All-wise God Who alone judges the souls of men righteously. Rash courses of action should be avoided. There are times when God takes vengeance against unrepentant sinners, but that is His prerogative, not ours. If more righteous indignation over evil existed in this world instead of passive acceptance, what a difference it would make to mankind! It is a heartrending tragedy when a victims ingrained survival instinct is overpowered by the urge to escape a hostile world. Compelled by law or circumstances to remain captive in school and tough it out, the victim is subjected to daily ambushes, teasing, vandalism of personal property, and any perverse tortures which wimpy school officials will tolerate. The very soul of the victim feels squeezed between a rock and a hard place. Finally, death seems to be the only honorable route of escape. School, a chamber of horrors, has now become an execution chamber for a rejected soul. When people arent strong enough to survive bullying and end up taking their own lives, their blood is on the bullys hands. The tormentor is a murderer, just as much as if he had blown his victim away with an AK-47. The laws of this world might excuse him, and chalk it up to happenstance. The bully might even get a buzz out of the tragedy, and feel more macho for pushing somebody else into a premature grave. He may grin triumphantly just like a genocidal Nazi, knowing that hes wrung every last possible tear out of his prey. Smugly smiling, he boasts he got away with it. One British school neglected to protect a girl from long-term, systematic bullying. When she could take no more, she made a suicide pact with a friend, who survived it. But the girl didnt. Unsurprisingly, the court absolved the school of any blame for the girls death. But God holds that wimpy school and her tormentors responsible for the blood of that girl, even if she died by her own hand. The seeds of death were sown in her soul by the bullies. No wonder theres such a bullying epidemic. Even if a bully kills his victim, he might get a laughable sentence because of diminished responsibility. And hell pat himself on the back for getting a cheap thrill in exchange for a years probation, max.

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The very latest craze in the UK is happy slapping. A yob (young & obnoxious) will go up to a complete stranger on the bus and assault him or her while his friends record the incident for transmitting and viewing on their cell phones. They might wear a baseball cap with a hood so surveillance cameras cant catch them. But God knows who they are and their day of judgment is at hand. Today hellfire and damnation is taboo sermon material in modern churches, though Jesus said much more about hell than heaven in the Bible. Instead, a costfree, downy-soft love is being pushed from the pulpit, one which glosses over Gods role as judge of the wicked. According to Ezekiel 13:22, God not only rebukes false prophets who condemn the innocent, but those who promise the wicked theyll getaway with it, thus encouraging them to go on being wicked. Sinners have no incentive to repent of their wicked ways if they think Gods got nothing against them. But God keeps accurate records in heaven. No computerized accounting program can approach His pinpoint accuracy. Not even one bird falls to the ground unnoticed by His ever-vigilant eyes (see Matthew 10:29-31). Human beings are of infinitely more value to Him; for His own image, though tarnished in mankind through Adams fall, is indelibly stamped upon each human soul. Sinners, especially rich or popular ones, might altogether escape the consequences of sin in this world. But Gods keeping track of all their dirty deeds. There is no statute of limitations on His justice, however long in coming it might be. One day sinners will fearfully bend the knee to their Great Judge, Who would have become their loving Savior had they repented. Vengeance upon the unrepentant is Gods prerogative, and He will surely repay (Deuteronomy 32:35; Romans 12:19). Some will say its a bit extreme or even un-Christlike to label bullies as murderers, and Im being way too hard on them, or, heaven forbid, judgmental. But why is it that the seriousness of the sin of terminal bullying is downplayed by softhearted religious sentimentalists? Why are Christians so eager to make sinners feel good about themselves, while neglecting to warn them of the terrible wrath of God? Ill tell you just a little of how deadly serious terminal bullying is in the sight of God. Anyone with eyes to see will admit that if you throw even a tiny pebble in a pond, there are widespread ripples. Fish are frightened from the spot. Maybe birds are started from their nests when they hear the sound of the rock splashing the water. Ill cite an imaginary scenario, which Im certain has occurred countless times. To begin with, all have sinned and come short of Gods glory, bullies and victims alike (Rom.3:23). The wages of sin is death (Rom.6:23). Granted, all die physically, whether theyre saints or sinners, but spiritual death and ultimate consignment to hell is the fate of those who dont accept Christ as Savior. Rhonda begins life as a loving, smiling baby, who brings happiness to her friends and family. Oh, she goes through her terrible twos just like most other kids, but before she starts school Rhonda is content with simple pleasures of life. A piece of candy, a hug, drawing pictures for her parents who dote on her. Rhonda feels joy and wonderment in the sight of a new litter of puppies or the sweet singing of the birds. Rhonda enjoys learning and asking questions. Rhonda loves to meet people who come to the house to visit her parents. In short, Rhonda is a very happy little girl who loves life. Rhonda doesnt fare too badly in elementary school. But shortly after starting junior high, her dad gets sick and loses his job. Rhondas mother cannot work because she has two small children to care for at home, and cant afford day care. And someone has to nurse Rhondas sick dad. So money is very tight. At the vulnerable age of twelve Rhonda must buy most of her clothes at the thrift shop, including her shoes. Rhonda cant have all the electronic toys and C.D.s her

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classmates prize. She cant go out with them to fun parks unless somebody treats her. One day the pebble gets thrown into the pond. A rather timid classmate has mentioned to Rhonda that she ought to come to Christ. But Rhonda doesnt really understand. Shes like green fruit not yet ripe enough to be harvested by a soul winner. Rhonda needs more time to think it over. Right after that encounter, a classmate makes fun of Rhondas second-hand winter coat. The bully calls Rhonda a smelly rag bag. Remembering how much her parents had to sacrifice to buy her that second-hand coat, Rhonda doesnt take the taunt quietly. Before long the circle of bullies zeroing in on Rhonda widens. Rhonda resents it, and the madder she gets, the meaner the bullies get. Rhonda complains to her parents, who tell her to stand up for herself and quit being a crybaby. Her teachers try to humor her into rising above the abuse. Finally a boy stomps on her toes while a girl grabs Rhondas books and throws them across the street. Rhonda rants angrily against any god who would let all this bad stuff happen to her. The student who witnessed to Rhonda pleads with her to just be more patient and understanding toward the bullies, and try to look for good in them, because theres good in all people, even the worst of them. Rhonda ought to just be meek and turn the other cheek. Her Christian classmate doesnt want to go out on a limb and say that God is able to fight on Rhondas behalf against the devil oppressing her. So Rhonda is advised not to get bent out of shape about the abuse because after she dies a better life will be hers if only she will trust Christ for salvation. The well-meaning churchgoer, who has been raised to believe this, says God helps those who help themselves, and miracles are done away with. Besides, God is way up there in heaven, so He really cant do much about making Rhondas life any better. So Rhonda isnt much impressed by what her church friend has to offer. In her most miserable moments she yells at God and swears that she hates Him for letting others hurt her. One day a boy tells Rhonda that she ought to put herself out of her own misery because shed always be nothing but poor Ragbag Rhonda. So guess what Rhonda does? Rhonda helps herself in the only way she knows how. This green fruit never had a chance to ripen so it could be harvested into the Kingdom of God. Rhonda takes that evil scumbags adviceand a bottle of pain killers washed down with alcohol. Of course her death makes the news for a day or two and the school cries crocodile tears, pretending to be scandalized that it could ever happen here. All the teachers blame Rhonda for being a misfit who should have had a thicker hide. But what gives people the notion that emotional pain is imaginary and unreal? The principal pontificates on the need to learn lessons from this tragedy so well be able to move on from here. But any lessons learned will soon be forgotten as Rhondas tormentors congratulate themselves for a job well done and go look for someone else to hound to their grave. Mission accomplished. What is the end result of this sick scenario? Victim or bully, any person who rejects Christ and hates God ends up in hell. If God had been glorified as being a great Deliverer (II Sam.22:2; Psalms 18:2), Rhonda might have lived to accept Christ and find peace with Him, but her probationary period on earth was cut drastically short by evil bullies, and particularly the nasty boy who advised her to commit suicide. Think of it. Rhonda might have met a wonderful Christian man someday and raised a family who grew up to love her. Children who would have given birth to succeeding generations of people who might have brought glory to Gods name and brought joy to His heart. But oh, no, God was robbed of all that by bullies! Bullies who not only killed Rhondas body but pushed her poor soul into a deeper hell. Terminal bullying has everlasting consequences, not just temporary ones. So dont tell me Im being too harsh when I criticize evil bullies. The wonder is that its

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still possible for God to forgive bullies who are like the ones in this hypothetical story. The miracle is that God would allow such people into the very heaven they denied Rhonda! God may be merciful but He is not mocked.

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CHAPTER THREE THE TRUTH SHALL SET YOU FREE The Altar of Babylon The veteran bully is not content to spout verbal diarrhea at you, or even punch your lights out. His real aim is to enslave your mind with fear, to be the one who dominates what he considers to be his own turf. Hes out to foist his own hang-ups on you, and deny you the right to be you! God wants to expose the devils labyrinth of lies. You need to be aware of the bullys ingrained prejudices, so that the next time he ridicules you for falling short of his values, youll have the inner strength not to absorb his derision into your sensitive soul. If you hear a lie repeated often enough, chances are youll begin to believe it. The devil takes advantage of this flaw of human nature. He even counterfeits the things of God and makes you think the worlds perverse standards of success are GODS standards! Romans 10:17 says: Faith comes by hearing the Word of God. By constantly feeding on Gods promises in His Word and meditating upon them, our faith grows and God shares His thoughts with us. We develop a more godly perception of ourselves, of God, and the world. Our prayers get results, and joy fills our hearts (John 16:24). Conversely, Satan has his own program of religious training. In the Western world, materialism is the religion of the vast majority who are either lukewarm toward Christ or profess no religious belief at all. Seeking adulation, they devote their entire lives to the acquisition of more and more luxury goods, or pay big bucks to attain to that drop-dead gorgeous look. Millions have been brainwashed to serve the idol of self. Eagerly they lay their money on the Altar of Babylon. In this book, Babylon is a symbolic name for the Big Money System which dominates this present world, doing its behind-the-scenes dirty work of manipulating the trends and mores of society. Babylons sole motivation is to maximize its already outlandish profits. The super-rich multi-nationals who comprise Babylon are oblivious to the moral decay and heartbreak caused by the insidious indoctrination of movies, television, and other forms of mass marketing. To put it succinctly: You, as a consumer, mean nothing to them, except as a means to an end! In generations past, products were developed in response to genuine consumer needs. Consumer demand usually precipitated product research and development. Consumers themselves decided what was to be put on the market. Today, manufacturing concerns have mutated into multi-national corporations, expanding their tentacles around the globe and ruling it in all but name . They decide what they want to produce, and simply persuade the consumer that he or she desperately needs their often environmentally deleterious, frivolous, or morally corrupt output. We shall pick Babylon apart and examine it in great detail, to expose the shallowness of the standard people fearfully adhere to, lest they fall prey to bullying. Well examine some of the ways in which conformity to Babylon is enforced upon society (particularly young consumers vulnerable to peer pressure). One cultural obsession, which is probably the heaviest yoke Western society lays upon the necks of females, will be the focus of my in-depth analysis:

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Fat is an F Word Obscene language is one tactic satan uses to degrade the human soul. I felt the most bitter hatred a human can feel toward Mike Crappe, for the devil had used him to hurl a three-letter word at me which is every bit as nasty as the four-letter kind. Mike Crappe contributed to a mild eating disorder I later developed. The enemy succeeded not only in wounding me, but getting me to shout the dirtiest insult I knew back at him. I got mad when he seemed not to have heard it, and ran off laughing. But that isnt Gods way to fight the devil. If God doesnt enable you to battle against your unseen enemy His way, the devil will always win. No worse insult can be fired against a modern girl than fat. You could call her stupid, tacky, or even a slut; but still, that loathsome obscenity fat withers her heart as no other word can. If a boy friend gets mad at his girl and wants to floor her without laying a finger on her, all he has to do is call her fat, even if shes built like a rake. Why do I consider the word fat one of the most vicious words in the English language? When you make a girl feel like a huge, ugly, clumsy monster, you destroy something precious within her soul, that part of her which cries out to be loved and cherished as a beautiful person. Every little girl dreams of being the fair princess who is so graceful and angelic she floats away on a breeze of love as the dance music plays. She wont share that fairyland fantasy with just anyone because it would only draw ridicule in the grey, gritty, dog-eat-dog world of reality. Ridicule of a vulnerable, self-conscious, lonely girl is emotional rape, plain and simple. A bully slashes his way through the tender tissue of that girls soul to loosen his load of venom. Then, like the savage dog he is, he shreds her soul with his fangs and urinates on it to leave his mark, leaving her broken, bruised, bitter and shattered. It takes the power of Almighty God to cleanse the stink of the bully off her violated soul, wrap that girl up in His Love and say: Youre worth so much to Me I died to save you and raise your crushed soul back to life. A word is more than just a word. The context in which it is used is what makes it good, bad, or indifferent. Cruel words are lethal poison to sensitive souls. What connotations does todays detestable culture attach to the insult fat? What is the bully really saying when he aims it at you? 1. You are unworthy of love. Little girls are initiated into the glamor culture when they read fairy tale books. The sweet, innocent heroine is always depicted as being a mere slip of a girl with large, luminous eyes, barely-there arms and perfect hair. The wicked stepsisters have big, crooked noses, big-boned bodies and wide feet, so they dont bag the handsome prince. In high school, the tiny waif gets rewarded for her dieting by snagging the powerful football hunk. Girls who dont keep themselves gaunt are far more susceptible to bullying. 2. You are ugly and ungainly. Being small = being graceful. A foxy womans face must be fox-shaped. No ethnic variations allowed. Period. A round face offends the fashion police. Only a tiny, waiflike face with huge doe eyes makes it big in Hollywood. And if a womans schnozz is too big, its time to downsize. Just drop by your friendly plastic surgeon (through the back door, of course),and Dr. Buzzsaw will gladly sculpt a more socially acceptable mug (or beef up your war chest) for a song. 3. You are unfeminine and subhuman. I matured more quickly than most other girls in my class, although I was just average height. This made me appear wider

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than the others. I certainly didnt look like a weak little girl. So I got called quite a few unflattering names by big-mouthed bigots. 4. You are unworthy of basic human dignity. Political correctness doesnt object to size discrimination. Only thin people have feelings. Solidly built people are emotionless mountains of lard. Theyre thick-skinned, just like elephants, so its OK to point out that theyve put on weight over the holidays (as if they need reminding!) Theyre jolly like Santa Claus, theyll just laugh along with you. But the bully knows hes hurting you when he ridicules your size or shape. Hed just as soon step on you as a cockroach. 5. You weigh more than society approves of so youre too fat to fornicate. The fashion and diet industries rake in big bucks by creating insecurities in people for differing from THEIR unattainable beauty standard. If you dont have shimmery hair, a straight nose, pearly white teeth and a bony body nobodys gonna wanna f*** you, plain and simple. Big business banks on peer pressure making people feel like last years oatmeal. Even if somebody gets hurt, oh what the hell? 6. Any girl who isnt built like a stop sign is a pile of garbage. Conform or die trying! 7. Youd be tiny if you didnt eat like a pig, so you must BE one! Selfexplanatory. A bullys logic, and the justification for the last acceptable bastion of political incorrectness: size discrimination. The Phallus Fixation I was listening to Talk Radio one night, and the guest speaker was a relationships expert counseling people online. One woman who called in said her husband had left her after 28 years of marriage, and remarried, but the woman was unable to move on with her life (go look for another lover). Why had this ladys marriage ended? The couple had drifted apart, with each person immersed in their own activities. She had been busy with the children, while he was busy with his business. The counselor almost immediately brought up the subject of weight and how important it was to lose weight to be attractive to men. Over the years, the woman had put on less than 30 pounds, but the relationships counselor, knowing nothing about the basic health of the woman or what her individual nutritional requirements might be, immediately advised her to cut out all sweets, bread, potatoes, sugar and cheese. Anything, it seems, that had the capacity to satisfy hunger. Little is left except low-cal foods that consist mostly of water, such as fruits or certain veggies. Thats a virtual fast! Eliminating whole food groups and severely restricting calories constitutes a crash diet, but thats the fastest way to turn your body into a man magnet. Its perfectly okay to suffer on a nutrient-starved, miserable diet, because sex is far more important than health. Only when this lady reached her target goal did she have the confidence to go out and find herself some brand new swinging stud. Why, shed feel like a teenager again, picking up guys at bars and trying them on like a new pair of shoes. Your local magazine rack teaches you that a womans body is valuable only as a playground for male plumbing. A slender pencil case for his convenience. And theres endless smutty ads online and on magazine racks about how a man can keep on growing the only part of his body that gains him any respect in this perverse world.

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On the cover of almost every womans magazine the main topic is diet, diet DIEt! A close second in importance is how to have ever more exciting sex. Reduced to bare bones truth, the current dieting craze isnt really about improving health, quality of life or longevity. Thats just the devils smokescreen. Its primarily about preparing a womans body for sex, sex and more sex. Women sweat their guts out in gyms to turn female curves into a lean, mean machine. Teenage girls and women of all ages are daily bombarded with this great glad news: Stay skinny or no one will want to - - - - you! Gone are the days when the wholesome girl next door went with a nice young man to the movies or a pizza parlor, and then said goodnight, and thank you for the wonderful evening. The innocent, demure slenderella who waits for her charming prince to marry her and set up a home with her is a myth of the past. Now, its strictly about getting laid as often as you can, and with as many hot hunks as you can. Sweat and starve is a tiny price to pay for snagging the best beefcake in town. Deadly Doctrines of Todays Dieting Culture 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Sex is the main purpose of life. Dieting is a womans basic training for fornication. Woman is nothing but a boy toy, a slender pencil case for male pleasure. Only skinny women are worthy of self-esteem. Only skinny women are worthy of love. Sex is the only satisfaction allowed a starving woman. Getting and staying skinny is worth risking death for. The skinniest girls snag the sexiest guys.

The Christian should not conform to the grungy mindset of a world alienated from God. The body of the Christian believer is not to be for fornication, but to glorify the Lord, as the Temple of His Spirit (I Cor.6:13; I Cor.3:16; II Cor.6:16). The Vanishing Princess The more the Vanishing Princess subtracts from herself, the more she adds to her prestige, and the less likely she is to be excommunicated from the Cult of Cool. Food, the bodys most basic need, becomes her mortal enemy. Her skimpy intake is eaten in secret, away from the scrutiny of her peers. Western societys war on female nutrition is harmful (and sometimes fatal) at any stage of life; but particularly so in teenage girls, whose bodies are still developing and require extra nutrients for maturation. A recent study showed that one million people in Britain are anorexic. Thats about one in every sixty. And fifteen per cent of those anorexia cases lead to death. Thats 150,000 dead people, the size of a small city, sacrificed to the Establishments perverted diet and fashion industries! My anorectic brother hastened his own death by taking food sparingly like medicine. The heady thrill of thinness costs only vitality and health. Is making others envy you and shower you with praise worth an early grave? I read on the Internet about one ditsy celebrity who found the perfect way to humiliate women who werent anorectic. She sent out party invitations to all her female acquaintances. Only the invitation specified that any gal over 100 pounds would not be admitted to her party. A big scale would be waiting outside the door to weigh all her arriving guests! Crazy isnt it? I wonder if any of those gals took off their stilettos and furs before they got on the scale? What did the refreshments at that party consist of, anyway? Celery sticks and mineral water? What did all those

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skinny cats talk about? What else would they discuss but lifes three weightiest issues: hair, clothes and weight? Poor thing, Brigitte gained four pounds since last year. Too bad she couldnt make it tonight. Yeah! her friend giggles. Shes up to 102 now, so how is she ever gonna get laid? There is such extreme pressure in modern Western society for all females to be skinny that many high school and college age girls ignore their need for nourishment. Genuine hunger is artificially eliminated with chemical appetite suppressants (a billion-dollar-a year industry). Many willingly sacrifice their own health and stamina in order to conform to an illusive beauty ideal promoted by Babylon via the mass media. Unlike men, women of all ages are under intense pressure to dress scantily, to put themselves on display to a competitive, sexobsessed world. Ive seen many diet ads where the woman shows off her starving body to lure some macho male, like a hard-won trophy. One commercial for a fatfree, plasticized treat shows a woman wearing a wide-open blouse. She wanted the whole wide world to know her food adds not one single calorie, and you can play the marimba on her rib cage. Some girls would literally die to get a long, lean, hard, boyish bod, though many men admit they prefer curves on their women. Why does a skinny chick feel obligated to bare her bony bod and toothpick arms? Seems like its mostly women who show off all their wares at the meat market, much like slaves at Southern slave auctions would show massa their teeth and muscles. But men dont have to show lots of flesh at parties! At the typical high society function youll notice a preponderance of plunging necklines, bare female arms and shoulders, and sometimes backs. But the men are trussed up to their necks in black penguin suits. Ever wonder why theres a double standard? Evidently the self-worth of women is all tied up in showing the world what lookers they are. Men are allowed to draw their inner security from what they do outside the bedroom. Their own selfesteem comes from many sources, not just their looks. In the action adventure film, its always the woman who strips her clothes off for the male hero who saves Planet Earth from its date with doomsday. What else is a woman good for? A few are waking up and actually rebelling against Babylons ham-fisted hunger manifesto. A 200-pound girl won a singing contest on TV. She confessed that shed been bullied for her weight as a school kid. What vindication she must have felt when millions of TV viewers voted for her! I know such an honor is no match for the remedy Christ can provide a wounded soul, but the fact she won showed that even unbelievers are getting sick of being pushed around by promoters of narcissism and anorexia; Babylons rich kingpins who rake in billions by promoting concentration camp chic. The young teen fears that her brawny hunk will find a skinnier chick to go out with. She fears that even a negligible weight gain will make her the butt of jokes. Eating is, therefore, an act of shame which could result in rejection. Seems like the only time its okay for a woman on TV to enjoy food is as part of sexual foreplay, i.e. seductively licking whipped cream off Romeos bod to arouse him. The womans body is viewed as nothing but a sex toy. If you eat, you might get fat and Mr. Lean, Mean Machine wont want to play with you. The world values the female body only as a vehicle of fornication, but the Christian woman should see her own body as a Temple of the Holy Spirit (I Cor. 6:13). The college freshman fears that if she doesnt look like a supermodel shell be blackballed from getting into a prestigious sorority. An aging female celebrity might starve herself down to a double-digit weight so Romeo wont stray. The career

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woman fears the possible subtraction of points from her interview score for appearance when she competes with skinnier bodies. Its a womans body interviewers focus on, not her brain. Even in our age of equal opportunity, youth and glamor often impress potential employers far more than experience and skill. After all, they want prospective patrons to associate glamor with their business. Fear. The driving motivation behind conformity to the tyrannical edicts of Babylon. This never-ending emphasis on perpetual youth and emaciation generates untold billions for Big Business. Mother wants to look like a kid again. So she spends thousands of dollars on a complete plastic surgery rehaul. Her teenage daughter scarfs down diet pills, because shes afraid she wont get laid before shes twenty. Men used to be under far less pressure to be thin, but I read thats changing now. The fashion and diet industries have made so much moolah from the thinness racket, they know theres more to be made by also making males ashamed of their own bodies. My poor brother suffered from anorexia long before anyone knew guys could get it too. He died of cancer, but your chances of survival are mighty slim when youre as skinny as a gumstick. Products, Not People Before the 60s, when television began to dictate the mores of society (and Twiggy emerged as the only beauty ideal), there wasnt undue emphasis on dieting or thinness. Only obviously obese people thought about it very much. Young girls on TV tended to be slender, but curvy. Once upon a time a beautiful girl had a bit of meat on her bones. As years passed female actresses tended to look more like hawk-faced boys. Its their prerogative. But the problem is the way so many people venerate the mass media. They think: If I saw it on TV, its just gotta true! So everybody has just gotta get their eyebrows riddled with rings and their belly buttons perforated. The entertainment industry sets the standards all other females are expected by society to emulate, even pre-adolescent girls. One example of TVs power to mold the mind: I read about how a soap opera star was beaten to a pulp by some thugs who didnt like what his character did on TV. People of this generation have, as a rule, fed on countless thousands of hours of television violence. To them TV is the gospel truth. Some people are so dependent on televised propaganda that if TV were taken from them, they would feel that they had lost their only spiritual compass. Perhaps the driver of a certain car considered Hollywood his spiritual compass. His bumper sticker read: I DONT BRAKE FOR FAT CHICKS! Just what was it that had instilled such hostility in that deadhead? Maybe his mom lost her latest partner (husbands are passe) when she stopped starving the meat off her ribs. Maybe the drivers old man was a porn junkie. Maybe he had been babysat by TV skin flicks before he even he got out of diapers. But TV had never taught him this fundamental law of the universe: What goes around comes around. The meanness you sow in life, youll reap after death. Every human being, however humble, bears the logo of his Creator. When you call Gods handiwork garbage, you dont endear yourself to Him. And if you dont brake for Jesus and turn, youll burn. A bony body will get you into a modeling agency, but not into heaven. The door to hell opens wide to an ugly, unsanctified soul. But you never hear those truths on TV. Through TV (and the movies), Babylon has orchestrated this societal trend (it didnt just appear out of nowhere!) which pressures and shames women into knocking diet dope down their necks and nibbling fake diet food in order to compete

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with characters in Fantasy Land. As the Establishment cuts women down to size, big bucks fill the coffers of the greedy fat cat Multi-nationals. Several methods are used to increase their market base (which is crucial to net profit margin):

The 5 Ps of Consumer Control 1. Promote your lucrative ideology. Indoctrinate women with feelings of inadequacy via Hollywood stereotypes. Make normal women and girl feel theyre NOT OK. 2. Plant subtle fears via TV commercials. Always associate diet products with sex. Bring on a big stud to reward the woman whos been good and lost weight with promise of sweets under the sheets. Its implication: That salivating hot hunk wont hook up with you if you DONT swallow their rhetoric and buy their products. 3. Pump up a persons egotistical desire to own a status symbol (something which is costly or difficult to obtain or keep! ) That status symbol, for a media-indoctrinated woman, is a hairpin figure few others can flaunt. 4. Propagate a new generation of consumers. Brainwash little girls. How? (See no. 5). 5. Push your product with big media hype. Advertise and market sexy lingerie and makeup for 8-to-10-year-olds (the Tween-age look). clothes,

Presto! The beginning of a lifelong obsession with staying stick-thin! The skimpier the outfit, the less material used in its manufacture, and the fatter the profit margin for the fat cat Multi-national fashion industry. Remember, a size 2 (or was that size 00) sells for just as much as a size 8, and slaves in third-world countries who earn fifty cents a day can churn those teenyweeny doll clothes out twice as fast! A Man to DIET For T Bullies are brainwashed clones. They help enforce the twisted standards of Babylon, making other nameless, faceless entities wealthier in the process. Full-figured females are among their favorite targets. Pity the poor girl who blossoms out at age 11 or 12! Fat bullying, ironically, sometimes occurs between supposed friends or lovers. I remember one sweet girl whod just had her first child. She had not gained excessive weight during her pregnancy. But instead of being thankful that mother and child were both doing well, her husband immediately began to carp about how her figure had not immediately sprung back to its former shape. What a shabby way to treat someone who has just risked her life to bring a child into the world! At a time in her life when she needed her mans reassurance the most, he griped for weeks on end about her extra girth and about how she just wasnt the same. She was reduced to tears.

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How selfish of him. Thats the kind of love a woman can well do without. Mr. Hunk means: If you really loved me, youd stop eating for me. And youd still keep a decent chest measurement (the only area of a womans body permitted to have any meat on it). Hes also saying between the lines: A strong, mature woman makes me feel insecure. I need a wispy waif hanging onto my arm for support, a tiny little girl who makes me feel big, and picks at her salad in order to appear feminine. I need a plastic doll to play with in bed. Your full-fledged personhood makes me feel inadequate as a man. Why dont you decrease so I can increase? Thats the core philosophy of abusive individuals, especially dominant bullies. Flagrant intimidation is resorted to by the more forceful person in order to get what he wants. If Romeo runs off, its ALWAYS the womans fault, and usually because she put on a couple of pounds. She must diminish herself for him and forfeit the pleasure of eating, exchanging it for the hollowness of perpetual hunger. Society demands no corresponding sacrifice of the male. A man scarfing down a huge power lunch with beer feels no guilt, but a salad a day will go a long way for a career woman who must go home to her other job. Thats just the way it is. After all, a few greedy, uncharitable men possess most of the power (and the money), so they call the shots, and make the rules of the Establishment. I honestly believe that one of the most perverse games people play is to find ways to deny others the legitimate enjoyments of life. Its all about control, plain and simple. Despotic rulers have always reserved the greatest pleasures for themselves, and gotten a rush from suppressing the peasants enjoyment of life. The domineering male is a control freak who wants the female to derive all her pleasure strictly from him alone. Visions of Romeos disapproving frown is the most effective lock on a womans refrigerator. What a heady feeling power is. The school bully might not even need that lunch money he extorts from the other kid. But he gloats over the discomfort caused when his victim must stop eating to stop the teasing. The bullys goal is to shrivel the soul of his victim, who is desperately trying to shrivel the size of her body. The bullys aim is to make him/her feel inferior. The bully strips his victim of all dignity. Thus the abuser compensates for subconscious feelings of inferiority. He even succeeds in projecting himself as a god others are expected to fear and defer to. A Warped Perspective African babies are starving. Palestinian refugees get their food supplies cut off. Poor children in India often end up as slaves in sweatshops, poorly fed, exhausted, and abused. Not too long ago Russians were also desperate for decent food, for the shelves of their stores were frequently empty. One elderly woman appeared on TV, crying because she was hungry. She wasnt elated because no rich foods were available to ruin her figure. After living overseas five years, I flew back to America to see my dying father. It pained my heart to go to the nursing home and see him lying in that sick bed. He had once been a very robust man, and now he was wasting slowly away because it was no longer possible for him to eat. I recalled how rapidly my brother died of cancer because his body was wasted by anorexia. Later, I went grocery shopping with my mother, and was amazed by all the new luxury foods which had been introduced since I left. I counted twelve flavors of baking chips. There were strange new breakfast cereals in futuristic designs and colors. I thought, How weird! All this fussy, fancy food for jaded palates, and half the American population looking for ways to avoid eating it, because of the media-driven thinness craze! Its a bit strange, isnt it? One moment youll see a sexy siren

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sensuously licking a chocolate bar in a TV commercial; in the next, another scantilyclad woman will be pushing diet products. Its mind manipulation. Sex sells. Recently I pondered these things, and the Lord spoke to my heart: Pat, the day will come when food will become scarce in nations where it is now taken for granted because of its great variety and abundance. Women, as well as men, will forget beauty standards. Survival will be their foremost concern. They will strive to keep what flesh they have, rather than lament that they have it. We are on this earth only a short time. God is far more concerned about the shape of your soul than your thighs. In the end we must answer to God, not the fashion police. Big Money is the enemy of every godly person left on this planet. Babylons opinion carries little weight with someone who rebels against the devils idealogy. My goals are immeasurably higher than Babylons. I didnt choose to be in this cruel vain world, but Im here solely to serve God in a self-serving society. Demonic Origin of Thinness Craze Satan is the master puppeteer, pulling the strings of this fallen world. Consumers are, effectively, being remodeled to fit the products promoted by Babylon, for these products need to be matched up with paying consumers. As Old Bill Shakespeare might say: All the worlds a corporation. Weight-loss programs, drugs, and prepackaged meals need to be sold to as many people, for as long a time, as possible. An unrealistic, hard to maintain weight goal will ensure that the customer keeps on coming back to spend hard-earned dollars. From a scientific perspective, human beings are nothing but bioplasmic gel bags which metabolize nutrients, assimilate oxygen, exhale carbon dioxide, and reproduce more of their own species before cellular degeneration takes its final toll in physical death. Women go to great lengths to fool others into thinking theyre still in the bloom of youth. Theyll even go under the plastic surgeons knife to pretend theyre sixteen instead of sixty. Teenage girls gorge themselves and barf into a bucket to retain a shape that suggests they NEVER assimilate nutrients into their depleted gel bag (now a bone bag). The closer to death fashion-conscious women drive their bony bodies, the more right society grants them to live life to the fullest! As their outward form shrivels, their unseen soul swells up in pride of meeting the expectations of their peer group. Ironically, a scrawny woman looks OLDER when shes no longer a spring chicken. Her skin has more of a tendency to wrinkle and sag. If its pathetic for a 24-year-old to starve back down to the body size of an 8-year-old kid, its downright ridiculous for a 60-year-old grandmother to try this. And even if she succeeds in starving away her own grown-up hips and breasts, her control freak partner might find other non-weight-related issues to browbeat her about. Such as her roadmap spider veins, her nicotine-yellowed teeth, or deep wrinkles which resulted from years of yo-yo dieting, stress and poor nutrition. Frankly, theres something perverted about a man who wishes his wife or girl friend would forever look like a pre-teen child. Maybe hes afraid of strong women who tackle life with confidence in their own self-worth. Some sexist macho males who control the self-esteem of body-conscious women cant see past their own sagging beer gut. That which originates from satan always brings oppression. It is a sensation of anxiety or heaviness in your soul, the crushing fear of a slave under the overseers whip. I knew such fear when I was a downtrodden teenager determined to starve myself thin over the summer months, just so Id look glamorous enough to earn a new school year free of bullying. Id starve all day long (with a resulting crash in blood sugar), than eat a sensible dinner. I had absolutely no life in my body till meal time, as I punished my own body for the bullying Id suffered the year before.

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A few hours after my only meal, the hunger came crashing back. I was so fearful of gaining weight that I wouldnt accept even a Life Saver or Popsicle from anyone. I was still haunted by the leering face of Butch, and the cruel taunts of Mike Crappe. I would have developed full-blown anorexia if my war with the bathroom scale had escalated. At least I relented enough to add a bowl of cereal to my daily diet. As it turned out, I didnt take my new figure (and straightened hair) back to Hog Pen High. Chances are, my self-improvement program would have been in vain. Even if I had turned myself into a Popsicle Stick with shimmering showers of golden hair like Ive seen on so many sham shampoo commercials, the bullies would have found some other garbagey excuse to pick on me. Why? Because my name was already ruined by bullies, and I was ALREADY the devils designated victim. Take it from a gal whos fought that old cockroach for ages, you cant starve satan off your back. All the hair gel on earth cant make your life smoother. Instead, I went to Vocational Rehab because my nerves were in shreds. When I turned 18, I finished high school in an adult class. I earned my diploma in record time. Why do I believe satan is the ultimate mastermind behind the dieting obsession which oppresses women of the Western world? The devil appeared to Eve in the Garden of Eden and promised her a new status of godlikeness if only shed disobey God and eat the forbidden fruit. And the snake said to the woman, It isnt really true that youll die. God knows that in the same day you eat from this tree, youll gain in understanding, and youll become like gods, able to discern between good and evil (Genesis 3:5). When God meted out punishment to Adam and Eve, the snake was also judged, for it had served as a vehicle for satan to approach and tempt Eve. It would , henceforth, crawl on its belly and eat dust. Moreover, a descendant of the woman (Christ) would one day come into the world and bruise satans head (his authority), and the tempter would bruise Christs heel. This prophecy was fulfilled when a nail was driven through Christs feet at His crucifixion. Satan knows the days of his kingdom are numbered because of his devastating defeat at Calvary. Christ has redeemed multitudes of souls from hell because of His death, burial and resurrection. Believers in Christ are no longer under his dominion. Colossians I:13 speaks of God the Father: Who has delivered us from the power of darkness, and has translated us into the Kingdom of His dear Son. The fulfillment of Gods ancient edict against satan greatly embittered him against all mankind, especially the female sex. Millions of abused women and girls all over the world testify to this. The devil used Slobby Milosevich to authorize the rape and torture of thousands of Bosnian women. Milosevichs trial dragged on forever. But any retribution he could suffer here will be nothing compared to the real punishment meted out by Almighty God in the afterlife. Satan used the Taliban to subject half of Afghanistans population, its women, to a never-ending hell of repression and fear. One poor woman, unaccompanied by a male relative, was beaten because she ventured outside her home to take her sick child to a doctor! I pray that the Lord will judge the cowardly bullies who perpetrated those atrocities because they expected to get away with it. The perverts of Sodom suffered divine vengeance even in this world, and they were surely no worse than those thugs. Ecclesiastes 8:11 says: Because punishment upon evildoers is not meted out speedily, people are fully intent on committing wickedness. But judgment delayed is not justice denied. The laughter of those oppressors will turn to terror when they face an angry God. Part of the devils revenge on womankind is to warp its image. Satan hates true femininity. The sight of a truly feminine woman baking cookies or reading Bible stories to her kids sickens satan. Hed much rather transform her into a swaggering drag queen with a Mohawk haircut. Satan adores the latest look, a

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pierced-all-over waif with sharp shoulder blades, topped by a shrunken face and spiked hair. If a size 00 hangs loosely on her frame, shes really got something to shout about. When I see such spectres depicted in the tabloids, Im not surprised, for the world is going to get even more bizarre before the Coming of the Lord. The latest look in Hollywood is the pin-thin, or lollipop look. It seems that the more successful female sitcom stars become, the more they resort to severe dieting or liposuction to make themselves resemble a Popsicle stick on heels topped with a toolarge head. And the woman always denies having an eating disorder. I read that one rail-thin actress got ticked off when her co-star lost four dress sizes and supplanted her as the thinnest actress on the show. Not to be upstaged, she got extra help from a personal trainer to help her lose the remaining meat on her bones. She regained her status as the tiniest doll on the show. Thinness is now the main standard by which catty high school girls gauge each others value! Oppressed by images of hungry Hollywood babes in G-strings, todays statusseeking female faces constant pressure in her peer group to declare her own body a flesh-free zone. Her caloric intake would hardly sustain an infant. Yet she wonders: Why am I so flat in front? Ill lose my lover if I dont do something about it. Another customer for the silicone surgeons. The poor thing. The media has scrapped Gods original balanced design of a womans body. Now a young girl must look like a STOP sign, or the bullies wont stop. Bullies (especially other girls) might torment her mercilessly if her body doesnt obey this cruel edict of Babylon. But then again, female bullies might target a gaunt girl if she is considered TOO beautiful, and is snagging all the best hunks. Despite your compliance with cultural standards, you can never be absolutely sure youve bully-proofed yourself. Gods help is urgently needed to protect you from people whose favorite fun is hurting others. The devil resorts to a variation of the same lie he used on Eve in the Garden. In both cases, satan appeals to a human longing to augment ones status in the world. His original lie: Eat, and youll gain in glory and prestige. Now for the flip side: DONT eat, and youll be a princess on a pedestal, held in high esteem because of your self-control. Theres nothing to fear but flesh itself. You must vanquish that enemy on your bones. If you dont go along with me, youll pay the price! The devils threat: If you do eat, youll lose the esteem of the Cool Crowd and youll be a social outcast. Satan is the author of eating disorders and resulting ill health and death. Hes so clever, he can even peddle deadly habits as heavenly virtues. He rewards anorectics with feelings of supremacy and euphoria, which is a counterfeit of the Joy of the Lord. Believe me, seeing those scale numbers drop can give you a bigger buzz than sweet cherry wine. It can even drown out your bodys cries of hunger. But its really a demonic thrill that compels anorectics to stick to their diet. But when the euphoria of weight loss no longer silences hunger, the devil pulls another trick out of his bag. Like laboratory rats, his victims are caged up in a prison of fear. Cruel experiments have been done on lab rats to see if fear of pain can override natural hunger and prevent the rat from eating. Every time the rat approaches the food it gets an electric shock. If it cannot overcome its fear of pain and eat, it dies. A woman who buys a candy bar is afraid someone will give her a stare which says: you dont need that. Popular girls are afraid to use their lunch break to actually eat a meal. It is far more cool to sip diet sodas and ridicule the slop the dweebs are scarfing down. Comradely laughter can calm collective hunger pangs. Misery loves company. Starving females are being cattle-prodded by a callous culture, to the extent theyll risk brain damage and even death to avoid the censure of others.

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I read an article in a magazine which shocked me. It told how anorexics have their own web sites, where they promote anorexia as a healthy lifestyle, and seek converts to their suicidal religion. Skeletal, deathlike spectres haunt the pages of such sites. Yes, I truly believe female emaciation is now a religion, instituted by the Prince of Darkness himself. I call it the Gospel of Thin, and it is not politically incorrect to cram this religion down everybodys throat (thindoctrinate them!) Satan enforces this obsession in a sick society through bullying, mostly psychological intimidation. Most of his cults devotees are women, and perpetual fasting is his chief sacrament. Most religions have a salvation motif. Fasting (or bingeing and purging), along with punishing exercise are the means of achieving the salvation of an ego damaged by the devil. Once when I got (temporarily) skinny on a crash diet, the devil started playing games with my mind, making me think Id been born again to a new life and I was invincible. I felt high. I sang my own praises, and secretly looked down on others who had no self-control. Id fought the Battle of the Bulge, but I was a spiritual casualty of it. I was obsessed with bandaging my bruised ego. Its sheer psychological abuse to cram this oppressive beauty ideal down the throat of somebody who is not naturally thin. Its Big Brother intrusion to force cosmetic conformity onto free individuals. Mean-spirited thindoctrination of people who have achieved a measure of self-acceptance is the last acceptable bastion of bigotry. There might be winners in the Battle of the Bulge, but it has its casualties too. My brother Adam might be alive today if he hadnt tried to feel better about himself by denying himself basic nutrition. The Vanishing Princess is forever paying an imaginary debt to an allpervasive, exploitative Establishment, a chauvinistic system which robs her of the dignity of self- determination as a rational individual. Its paid in the currency of her own flesh, diminishing herself in the shadow of that overbearing world she so idolizes and fears. Never is she allowed to rest assured that she has fully satisfied the demands of a sick society. Satan is a cruel taskmaster to all his captives. One woman said it best: Slim is a nice place to be, but the rents too high. Weight loss is sometimes desirable, especially when life or health is at risk. But the Gospel of Thin is one of the cardinal edicts of Babylon, with glossy selfimprovement magazines serving as its Bible. True salvation comes from Christ alone, and brings Him exaltation. But the devils salvation is spiritual bondage, and only furthers his ministry of steal, kill, and destroy. Jesus came to deliver all who are oppressed by the devil (Acts 10:38). The Truth is the only antidote for the destructive rhetoric of Babylon, or any other territory presided over by satan. When problems would come into my life and I felt overwhelmed, I would call my friend Brother Bob for advice and prayer. He often ministered this scripture to me: You shall know the Truth, and the Truth shall make you free (John 8:32). Knowing the unveiled facts behind the ideology of this perverse world fortifies us with truth. Jesus is the Truth Incarnate, the One Who sets satans prisoners free. He says in John 14:6: I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No man can approach God the Father except through Me. Our only concern should be how Jesus evaluates us. The perverted fashion (ways) of this world shall pass away( I Corinthians 7:31 ). If we know Christ and walk in His Law of Love, our lives will be filled with His goodness, and others will be blessed. Maybe its not entirely bad that I wasnt created a slender reed bending every which way the wind blows. Having suffered myself, I can genuinely feel compassion for everyone who has been kicked around by slaves of the devils Establishment. Remember the Womens Movement of the 60s? I dont buy everything the feminists taught, but I do identify with their rebellion against societys oppression of women through the sexist glamour culture. Bras were burned during protests, but

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most women cant dispense with them and ought to burn the REAL symbol of female oppression: their diet books! I wont suggest literal burning, as there might be safety risks. But I do suggest that women who have been pressured by society to be skinnier gather together to hold a GOD MADE ME BEAUTIFUL party where yummy pastries and coffee are served instead of carrot sticks and mineral water. At the height of the party, there would be a diet disposal ceremony where everyones diet books are dumped into a big black garbage bag before being shipped off to the local recycling center. Dieting makes women miserable. But if you feel the need to eat more sensibly, the best way to do that is to just eat whenever youre genuinely hungry, and (most of the time) eat NATURAL (fresh, when possible) foods the way God created them, keeping cooking fats and rich sauces to a minimum. If staying full is a problem, unbuttered popcorn, salad vegetables and sauerkraut can safely be munched in large quantities to compensate for smaller portions of calorie-rich food. But remember this: God ALREADY sees you as beautiful and special, whatever your size! Freedom works both ways. You might like certain advances in beauty technology. I enjoy my ceramic hair straightener, as it helps restore soft texture and shine to my hair after washing makes it go crazy. But if you want to defy fashion and wear your hair in its natural state, condition it well after shampooing, then either air dry your hair or GENTLY blow dry. Hot rollers can give you a smoother, more structured curl if thats what you want. A light dab of olive oil or petroleum jelly helps remedy brittle hair texture and lubricates dry ends. Whatever you choose to do with your God-given hair, be true to yourself, even if youre the only curly-head in the crowd! Sisters, lets all REBEL against Babylon! Ignore celebrity trend setters who starve to size 0 and pay a fortune to get lookalike limp hair. Our self-worth isnt some twodigit number on a scale, sunken cheekbones, or droopy hair! Weve all got a right to be the intelligent, dignified, beautiful women and girls God created us to be. And His idea of beauty may not necessarily be the same as Hollywoods!

Labels: The Insignia of Babylon

Self-worth carries a high price tag in Babylon. The Bible says every man walks in a vain show (Psalms 39:6). Im reminded here of fashion catwalks. Better yet, of some high society debutante cotillion where a fresh graduate from charm school celebrates her coming out by dancing daintily in her designer gown to impress the Moneyed Establishment. The term vain show as used in Psalms 39:6 means meaningless illusion. FOR THE MOMENT, the high society debutante feels like the whole world revolves around her because shes coiffured and costumed fancily enough to take her pick of the ballroom princes. Why, shes so graceful she can even walk balancing a pile of phone books on her head. But the glory shes basking in right now is is only a meaningless illusion, just a vain show shes putting on to please other people who hold the purse strings to her life. When she closes her eyes at night 50 years from now she could very well wonder: Is this all there is? I might have charmed that corporate kingpin off his feet and (temporarily) married him, but what have I done with my life which will matter for eternity? Shallow conformists live only in the NOW. Money and the status it brings are the king makers of Babylon. If you pay a lot for your duds, you must be a high earner (or the child of one). The high earner has a higher status job, and by implication, is smarter or better-looking, and more worthy of esteem. Thats the way the world thinks. In the American public school system, there are no school uniforms, as such. But the Cool Crowd does enforce its own dress code. Usually its the higher-priced

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brands which are in vogue. Why are so many of the most sought-after labels in such high demand, and so expensive? Certain jeans commercials are sexually suggestive. One features a willowy girl bending over, stretching her backside taut. Its similar to conditioning rats to salivate in a laboratory. The goal of the commercial is to train young men to associate that brand of jeans with sex, their reason for breathing. Sales skyrocket, cause if you dont wear their label you wont get laid. Many kids nag their already overstretched parents to find the money to buy the hottest brands of jeans, sportswear, and accessories. All too often its just the label the kid is after. Equally well-made clothes (minus the big labels) can often be obtained from bargain outlets, but teenagers must wear visible proof that they arent poor. Often the teenagers insistence on big brands or styles doesnt reflect his own true taste. Hes just scared to death of not conforming, afraid hell be pigeon-holed as a poor dweeb. He wouldnt be caught dead shopping at a discount store. His rep would be ruined, and he might even get singled out for bullying. My kid sister said that when she was in high school, it was clothes that determined a girls social status. She and I are almost a generation apart. I dont remember clothing brands being so religiously enforced when I was in school, but labels are now the passport to popularity. It doesnt take a genius to see the superficiality of relationships founded on clothing preference. I cant believe people are that shallow. They buy Babylons pre-packaged personality rather than dare to develop as an individual. How reassuring to know that so long as my tastes are the same as yours, so long as I never dare deviate from the collective opinion, and so long as I can afford the finer things of life, youll be my friend forever, and be there when I need you. Hogwash! Id rather lean on a loose floorboard! Next to thinness, affluence seems to be the biggest prerequisite for females seeking acceptance. Newsstands are filled with magazines featuring wispy women on the covers wearing expensive jewelry and designer clothes. Usually the agenda of the periodical is self-improvement (i.e. conforming to the tastes of the Establishment in order to attain higher status [and higher earnings] in this world). This is Gods way of self-improvement: Do not depend on outward things such as hair styles, jewelry or fine clothing to constitute your true comeliness. It should, rather, spring from inner qualities which never deteriorate, such as a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God (I Peter 3:3-4). How contrary Gods ways are to those of the world! Bullies of both sexes are typically brash, boastful, shallow tyrants who detest gentle, thoughtful souls. I suspect that the prevalence of aggressive self-centeredness in society largely springs from fear that being conciliatory and considerate of others leads to vulnerability and victimization. It can enrage a bully to spot another kid wearing status clothing he himself cannot afford. He reasons: Who does that retard think HE is? He doesnt deserve that stuff. He thinks hes better than our gang. Ill show HIM whos boss around here! Conditioned by Hollywood to believe that human life is cheap, the bully might actually murder the other boy to relieve him of his designer jacket and Adidas running shoes. I watched an account of one such tragic incident on the news, though I dont remember which brand got stolen. Today a kid can endanger himself just by wearing gangsta apparel. Gangs of bullies have an animal-like instinct for defending their own turf. Like Cain, they are extremely volatile and need little stimulus to resort to violence. Babylon profits from coercive peer pressure among the young, who slavishly sport the same slick clothes. Pricey clothing is typically produced in third-world sweatshops whose slaves are paid subsistence wages. And the high price tag may

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not even reflect the quality or the durability of the garment. The consumer sacrifices much to show off that label (often sewn on the outside for that very purpose), and its really a mark of allegiance to Babylon, and his passport to prestige.

The Garment of Salvation

I will greatly rejoice in the Lord. My soul shall be joyful in my God; for He has clothed me with the Garments of Salvation. He has covered me with the Robe of Righteousness, as a bridegroom bedecks himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorns herself with jewels (Isaiah 61:10). The teenager or yuppie (young, upwardly mobile professional) with the biggest and trendiest collection of designer wear garners great emulation from peers and associates. After all, clothes make the man (or woman). Prestige carries a high price tag. In Gods economy, Jesus paid for our acceptance into His Body of believers. We enter into His Kingdom strictly through the grace of God, not through our status in this world (Ephesians 1:6). You can wear the finest $1000 suits to church, or do all your shopping at the Snob Emporium. You can sparkle with Tiffany diamonds from head to toe. But if you appear before God without the white garment of Christs righteousness, you will be excluded from the greatest social function of all time and eternity_the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. This present evil world pales into insignificance in the light of His eternal Kingdom, which is soon to be ushered into the temporal realm, even as it now exists in the celestial world. Jesus is about to return to take His loved ones to be united with Him in spiritual marriage. This event is called the Rapture of the Church, or the Translation of the Saints. This will be an event wonderful beyond comprehension, for we who know Christ shall be with Him forever (see I Thessalonians 4: 13-17). I expound further on this topic of the Rapture in my teaching novel: Tough Love in Christs Millennium, available online from Publish America. The Marriage Supper of the Lamb will be held in heaven. Revelation 19:7-9 says: Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to God: for the marriage of the Lamb is now taking place, and His Bride (the Church) has made herself ready. It was granted to her that she should be attired in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of the saints. Blessed are those who are called to the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. These are the true sayings of God. Matthew 22: 1-14 is a parable which likens God the Father to a king Who is preparing for the marriage of his son. The feast has already been prepared. Jesus promised His sorrowful disciples in John 14:2-3: In my Fathers House are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, you might be also. Thats what He has been doing ever since His ascension back to heaven. Heaven is a prepared place for a prepared people. Today, people from all walks of life are being invited to attend the Wedding Feast. God has, throughout the centuries, dispatched His servants to every corner of the globe to issue invitations. But many have given the security of their souls last priority. Worldly lusts and carnal loves are far too dear to these deluded souls. Gods messengers have suffered scorn and sometimes martyrdom in their quest to serve their Lord. In Matthew 22:7, God declares that the murderers of His servants will be destroyed by His angelic armies, and their cities burnt up. II Thessalonians

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1:7-8 proclaims that coming day of vengeance upon wicked, violent sinners: You who are troubled shall find rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall appear from heaven, attended by His mighty angels. In flaming fire He shall take vengeance on those who are alienated from God, and who do not obey the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. These shall be punished with everlasting destruction, cut off from the Presence of the Lord and from the Glory of His Power. The cream of society has, for the most part, paid scant heed to the Gospel of the Kingdom. Most of the Jewish leaders of Jesus day rejected Him outright as a blasphemer and deceiver. They had been hoping for a military genius who would fight to deliver them Roman occupation. Jesus plainly declared: My Kingdom is not of this world (John 18:36). Someday He shall rule this earth from sea to sea, but todays world order is hopelessly corrupt, earmarked for destruction. When He sits on the Throne in Jerusalem, He will not play by the rules of this present-day world Establishment. The Kings banqueting hall is finally going to be filled with all sorts of people. Only those who were saved by grace through faith in Christ Jesus will be present. A few will try to sneak in without wearing the Garment of Salvation. God doesnt care whether you are short or tall, homely or comely. But He does insist on proper spiritual attire. The parable relates that one fellow refused to accept the white wedding garment offered to him. This is not the capricious conformity of the world. The white Garment of Christs Salvation is the life preserver of a soul drowning in its own sins. When rebuked by the King for this breach of etiquette, the culprit could not utter two words in his own defense. Unclad in the righteousness of Christ, his sins were laid bare before his Sovereign. The man was summarily bound hand and foot and cast into outer darkness. People fear to flout the standards of their respective cliques, but how much more should they fear offending a Holy God.

Picked-over Prospects
In many Eastern cultures, including the one Jesus grew up in, the elderly have traditionally been held in high esteem. They should be spoken to gently, as Paul instructs the young church leader Timothy in I Timothy 5:1. They should be venerated for all the hindsight wisdom gained throughout a long lifetime of experience. Not so in this glamor-obsessed world. Babylon is always shooting for the burgeoning youth market. All that matters is money. Babylons manifesto: He who dies with the most toys wins! High-powered professionals bemoan the stresses of office politics. An ambitious yuppie must take off the mitts and fight dirty to beat others for juicy promotions, and thats triply true if shes a woman, especially if shes perceived as a nurturing type. Any Christian involved in the business world really does need the strength and wisdom of God to keep from being sucked into its sordid side. Once an embattled office exec reports for work she must put on a persona not her own; one aggressive enough to win the War of Office Politics. For nine whole hours she must suppress her feminine, nurturing side. She must play Captain Iron Pants to prove she can pilot her own ship, even if she hasnt gotten that promotion yet. She must treat all her opponents like ignorant lackeys. She must carry her head higher than anyone else. If shes on the short side she must bark louder than all the rest. If the Top Brass reprimands her she must betray no emotion. She must never, ever wear her feelings on her sleeve. And above all things, she must minimize her own shortcomings and maximize those of her colleagues. In the boardroom, she

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must be quick to return fire. However bloodied and bruised, she must affect perfect poise and give no quarter in the fight for dominance. When Ms. Clout gets home, she takes off her Iron Mask along with her suit jacket and high heels, those sexist torture racks shes expected to wear as part of her power struggle to the top. Where did that migraine come from? Maybe she cracked her skull trying to bust through the glass ceiling. Sighing, she soaks her aching toes in a massage tub, then soothes her computer-glazed eyes with cucumber slices. For just a few hours she is free to be who she really is. If only she can remember who or what she once was. The next morning Ms. Clout puts on her professional face along with her impeccable makeup. If her colors clash the other gals will have her for lunch behind her back. Come to think of it, that seems to be all those perpetual dieters ever consume_each other. Maybe that other woman will even get revenge for Ms. Clouts catty comments about her wardrobe. Why do I have to be such a bitch to get to the top? she wonders. Even if I do win this Rat Race, Im still a rat. At job interviews, appearance speaks louder than experience. An interviewee is looked over like a slab of meat, to see if he or she looks the part of an office fixture. Just like an ancient king might choose the prettiest girls in the land for his harem. If an aspirant is over 40, the odds are stacked against her. All the interviewer notices are cosmetic deficiencies: the prospects love handles, her stray grays, those fine lines around her eyes, her sagging jawline. Older interviewees are often culled out quickly in favor of kids fresh out of college with far less ability. A typical white-collar job interview is more like a beauty contest than an objective appraisal of professional skills. And if your face and bod are past their sell-by date, forget it. Imagine a 45-year-old business exec who knows shes competing with girls the age of her youngest daughter. The plum prize: being head of data systems management. Id say thats one cerebral job, but could be performed even by a sharp-witted 80-year-old granny with the know-how. The nervous interviewee, Thelma, is not only over the hill, shes afflicted by flyaway frizzies, flat-chest-itis, love handles, and spider veins. Worst of all, she wears glasses. To her horror, at least three bony beauties with flawless faces have just left the interviewers office ahead of her. Thelma is intellectually gifted. She passed her IT courses with flying colors. She even holds two Masters Degrees. Why, she could do the job in her sleep. But mentally, shes chewing her nails. Throughout the interview her interrogators eyes rake over her body. If only Thelma had worn a padded bra. If only she hadnt dressed the same way she did for her first interview 25 years ago, in a severe black suit relieved only by tiny pearl earrings. Her competitors looked like they were aspiring pop stars by comparison. In this laser copy world she sticks out like a sore thumb. The fact Thelma gives competent replies to all questions pertaining to job performance is irrelevant. All she can think is: If only my face wasnt so round. Better suck in my cheeks. Do I look fat in this? He can see my worry lines. If only Id worn more concealer. After all, Im no spring chicken. The stiff suit behind the desk seems cold and aloof, even bored and unimpressed with Thelmas exhaustive computer prowess. Questions about Thelmas health follow. Why, Im fine, she replies. Younger employees in peak physical condition (skinnier) are a better insurance risk, he lets her know. But hell surely call her back and thanks for stopping by. Of course he never does. Thelma is a victim of both Body Bigotry and Ageism.

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The 20-year-old babe who landed the job barely knows how to type. She cant even switch on a computer, but the aging boss likes what he sees. He assures her shes got "loads of potential" and time to "grow into the position". Why is this mighty kingpin bestowing such favor upon a beauty queen who cant even do the job yet? To make him feel younger, thats why. His thinking processes are fired by his hormones, and this sweet young thing had better submit to his subtle bullying and do her "job", or shell be fired. A corporate kingpin might fear getting the ax because his cosmetic deterioration isnt "good for the company image." So intent are modern corporations on maintaining an image of "new blood" that valuable older employees face an ultimatum_get hair replacement therapy and/or cosmetic surgery (at company expense), or risk being displaced by some fresh-faced kid. Babylon is beginning to oppress men in ways previously known only to women. All the big action heroes in movies are tall, cool, iron-fisted hunks with bedroom eyes. Those heart-throbs on TV soaps resemble Greek gods. These stereotypes feed satans lie that its not OK to be what God made you. In the business world, people must "sell themselves" to attain to the "good life", much like slaves in an ancient marketplace would strive to "sell themselves" to benevolent-looking masters who might save them from having to work in some salt mine. Ancient slave girls were often compelled to wear their hair short, lest their beauty surpass that of their mistresses. Their austere garments also reflected their subservience. To show submissiveness toward superiors, women feel pressured to cut their hair for job interviews. Though if you choose to wear your hair longer and take proper care of it, it is a thing of beauty. When hair of whatever length is worn by a woman to reflect her femininity it even enhances her spirituality. It is given by God to a woman to serve as a covering (I Cor. 11:15). Women also feel obligated to wear high heels when interviewing for a well-paid job. That is sex discrimination, plain and simple. Men dont have to suffer in those torture racks. Face it. Any heel higher than an inch or two throws the body off balance and is bound to cause corns, bunions, or hammertoes. Obligatory short hair and high heels is all about sacrificing individuality and comfort to gratify the moneyed Establishment. Standardized appearance, not ability or intelligence, seems to be nine-tenths of what it takes to land a plum job in Babylons meat market, rather than being relegated to some factory or burger emporium. And theres money to be made from forcing everyone to look the same. Barring premature death, everyone ages. People are browbeaten by fear of cosmetic flaws and intimidated by work colleagues over this, even by their own boob tubes at home. Babylons insatiable appetite for money drives multitudes of insecure people to cast their dollars into the illusory Fountain of Youth, to avoid being picked over by imperious bigwigs who restrict the little guys right to self-esteem; tinpot tyrants who hold his hopes of material affluence in their hands. Babylon sure has warped the psyche of society!

Institutionalized Ethnic Prejudice

Reportedly, black or Asian people are much more likely to be pulled over by traffic cops than white blonds in business attire. People with dark features wearing colorful attire get more scrutiny at airports than a blond in a business suit. So if you want to get through security quickly, wear your hair in a blond butch and look like youre on your way to Wall Street! Prejudice works both ways. Many blonds rightly resent being stereotyped by interviewers. Beautiful women worry that once their looks fade, no one will want to

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love them or even hire them. In the mad rush for mass conformity, peoples interior treasures are disregarded, and their human dignity is denigrated. For all the fancy talk about equality, the stereotypical WASP still holds the monopoly on "respectability" in this warped world. Suits and ties+blue eyes+ short (preferably blonde) hair+a briefcase and cell phone=saintliness. Despite the fact the worlds vilest criminals masquerade as the good guy by wearing sharp suits. So they get away with it. After all, theyre a cut above the throwaway peasants they exploit in the Third World. Just a glut of Third World slaves dying from squalor and hunger as their countries are bombed and plundered by the Multi-national Imperialist bullies pulling the strings of puppet governments.

Gods Kind of Man

King David knew what it felt like to be picked over. Highly gifted in music and poetry, this deeply devout man became ancient Israels greatest king. Any Hollywood talent scout would have ignored him. Why? David was extremely intelligent, and was wholesomely handsome. But he was no towering Terminator. Compared to his elder brothers, he was small of stature, and probably slight of build. He was weighed in the scales of human prejudice and found wanting. In II Samuel 24:1-7 David sneaked up on his worst adversary without being heard. A big, muscle-bound beefcake never could have done that. Davids long road to the throne began as a boy in Bethlehem. He spent long days and nights out in the open air tending his fathers sheep. A humble, common, everyday task, performed by lots of boys in the ancient Near East. The one who dirties his hands plugging away at the same unglamorous tasks day-in-and-day-out is often belittled by those who have "made it" in life. But by ministering to those dull, sleepy-eyed sheep, David was learning faithfulness to duty and courage, traits seldom acquired by rich celebs who open doors with just a smile. In I Samuel 17: 34-36, David tells King Saul of his battles with wild animals who attacked his flock. David was no sumo wrestler, but His God was big enough to give him the victory and terminate Goliath. The believer in Christ meekly accepts that God alone is his Strength and glories in the Lord. Some time before that fateful encounter with Saul, Davids father Jesse had gotten a surprise visit from the prophet Samuel. God was going to replace Saul, who didnt like taking orders from God. Samuel was to anoint a new king from among Jesses sons. It never occurred to Jesse to invite David to the interview. Seven sons of Jesse filed past Samuel, one by one. I Samuel 16: 6-7 gives one of the greatest insights into how God evaluates us as individuals: When they had assembled, Samuel looked at Eliab and thought, Surely the man standing here in the Lords Presence is the one He has chosen. But the Lord said to Samuel: Pay no attention to his good looks or his tall stature, for I have disqualified him; for I do not see people as man does. Man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart. David was Jesses youngest, smallest son. Most likely thats why he wasnt called in from the pasture, and the sheep placed in the care of a servant in his absence. Only after all the other seven candidates had been rejected did Samuel ask Jesse: "Are all your sons here?" Sheepishly, Jesse acknowledged Davids existence. He was summarily sent for. Verse 12 says of David: He was a handsome, healthy young man, with beautiful eyes. If your heart is attune with God, it will show in your eyes, for the eyes are the window of the soul. In like manner, you will see the rancor of the devil in the face of the bully.

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The Lord commanded Samuel to anoint David with oil, as all new kings were. From that day forward, the Oil of the Holy Spirits Presence rested upon Davids life in a special way. Hollywood profits from the perpetual myth of the muscle-bound commando who can kick-box his way through a gauntlet of armed thugs in rapid-clip time, then mow down a fleet of bombers with an AK-47, escaping with barely a ruffled hair. Frustrated by its own inadequacy, the warped human psyche lives vicariously through the trendiest super- hero. Real-life actors on the stage of life are expected to at least look like warrior princesses or bedroom hunks, and to wear an air of pushy bravado. Its the transparent person who cannot mask the hurt in his eyes, the person whos inept at playing societys perverse little games who often ends up as a victim in this cutthroat world. Through many lonely days of political persecution and exile, through many bitter battles, and even as he endured the treachery of phony friends, Davids confidence rested only in the Lord. He didnt rest on his laurels as a war hero or boast that he was unsinkable. Many of Davids most anguished prayers are recorded in the Book of Psalms. In chapter 25, verses 1-2 David pleads with God: I Lift up my soul unto You, O Lord. Ive put my trust in You. Please dont let my enemies put me to shame. In time, the Lord exalted His faithful servant to rule over all Israel, and gave him rest round about from all his enemies (II Samuel 7:1). Davids life was pleasing to God because he thirsted continually for the Lords fellowship, even as a deer longs for a brook of fresh water (see Psalms 42:1-2). In spite of Davids human shortcomings, he was a God-centered man. This desire of his heart to maintain a close walk with his God was the standard by which all other kings of his dynasty would be judged. God was so pleased with Davids reign that He chose him to be an ancestor of His Son Jesus Christ, Whose Kingdom shall never end. In Revelation 21:16, He speaks in vision to the apostle John saying: I am the Root and Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star. David the man of great spiritual stature will once again rule over all twelve tribes of Israel during Christs glorious Kingdom Age. Along with all other redeemed saints, he will be resurrected to once again execute the will of God in this earth (see Hosea 3:5; Jeremiah 30:9; Ezekiel 34:23-24). Under David, the twelve apostles will rule over one tribe each (Matthew 19:28; Luke 22: 28-30). All will rule under Christ the King, the Supreme Potentate over all the earth. Throughout the time I worked on my special novel, and even now, a special sense of the Presence and peace of God rests upon me. As I concluded this work, a profound assurance swept through my soul on a wave of joy: You also shall reign with Me. I had known already that the saints shall reign with Christ, having received this Scriptural teaching from various Full Gospel churches. Now this truth is as real to me as the blood flowing through my veins. What does this have to do with to the subject of bullying? Everything. This divine revelation has greatly remedied the residual effects left in my soul by years of bullying as a child, as well as later trauma I suffered from the betrayal of false friends. Although I dont affect the mannerisms of royalty, or have much money, Im a princess in the eyes of my Heavenly Father, Who has promised me a position in His coming Kingdom Age. And I wont have to grow aggressive claws, chop off my hair or don masculine clothing in order to qualify for this job, as women seeking prestigious careers in todays Establishment are expected to do! Truly, the truth will set you free. Often there are many chains binding us from the past, and they must be cut loose from us one by one. What a wonderful reward is in store for all who truly own Christ as Lord in this world. Those who overcome

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the downward pull of this present evil dispensation, and let Christ live His loving Life through them shall reign with Him forever (Revelation 3:21). Bullies have the opposite mindset. They like this world just the way it is. Its the biggest and toughest who get the respect. The devil is lord of the bully. Bullies battle even among themselves to establish the pecking order in the gang, just like wild dogs fight it out till the losers tuck tail and slink away. The weaker ones, the subordinate bullies, serve the dominant bully as their king. These fawning friends cower in the shadow of their lords brutality, their hero-worship of him mingled with fear of falling out of his favor and ending up as victims themselves. Even the affection the bully seems to have for his friends is really thinly veiled intimidation. False love is a self-centered fixation on another person whose values are essentially your own. A bullys friend is only a servile automaton who has renounced the right to his own soul. He is a captive of satan. He feels like the dominant bully owns him, and he must sacrifice his own identity and view the world only through his masters eyes. A dominant bullys buddies must always dance to his tune, or he ends up turning on them. They are merely his yes-men, slaves to salve his own insatiable ego. A loud-mouthed bully is the despot of his own little domain. He is worshipped for his swaggering machismo and shiny toys. But deep down, he knows that he lacks enduring qualities as a person, and hates to be shown up for the shallow, insecure being he really is. In order to appease the dominant bully, his lackey discards every vestige of human decency. He may not even dislike his victim. But in order to save his own skin, or receive praises from his overlord, hell shove a disabled kid down the stairs, or ridicule someone in a tragic situation. This is an example of the cowardice which ends in horrific punishment in the world to come (see Revelation 21:8). The bully calls his victim a loser. But he will end up the biggest loser of all. **** Psalms 57:20: But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt. Ezekiel 8:18: Therefore will I also deal in fury: mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity: and though they cry in mine eyes with a loud voice, yet will I not hear them. Matt.13:41: The Son of Man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity (commit wickedness); VERSE 42: And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Rev.14:10: The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God; which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation (wrath); and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb.

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CHAPTER FOUR SEEK THE HOLY SPIRIT AND HIS POWER A Fresh Encounter With God It felt like escaping from Devils Island. Hog Pen High was just an ugly memory. I could just earn my diploma in a night class and then go on to community college. Most importantly, I could lower my guard a little and think about things other than dodging spitwads and insults. For the first time in years I could breathe easy. I still didnt feel alive spiritually, but at least I was free from that devils den of tortures. A friend invited me to go out with her church youth group to sing songs at nursing homes and the TB sanatorium. I had nothing better to do, so I went. An elderly master sergeant in the Gospel Garrison took us out to sing twice a week. It was rather fun singing time-worn hymns about Jesus, and chatting with the patients out in the hallway. Before we left, wed always offer up a prayer for their well-being. I kept myself busy, going places and looking for answers in life. But something was missing. I attended services at the Gospel Garrison. I tried to feel close to God, but I felt dead inside. Up to that time, I had been reading supermarket tabloids and playing with the Ouija board to try to satisfy the spiritual need in my life. At church, I listened to the sermons and sang the songs, but a vital sense of the Presence of God was missing. As I had done in my earlier years, I went up to the altar repeatedly to rededicate my life to the Lord in a vain effort to rekindle that spark of joy Id known at the moment of my conversion. I did not go out every day and commit earth-shaking sins, but neither did I feel that Id made any spiritual progress. I considered God to be a Great General in the sky struggling to defend His Kingdom against the onslaughts of an equally powerful enemy. Believers were primarily soldiers God needed to go out and fight satan, because He and His angels couldnt do the job all alone. It is true that His people are called to fight the good fight of faith, yet my concept of God was altogether negative. I pictured Him as a Giant in the sky wielding a big club, just waiting for me to make Him mad enough to use it on me. I believe that misconception originated from the days Id been bullied. Its very easy to blame God for all the evil in the world. I had yet to learn that God is not like the unmerciful, hard-hearted creatures who had left me with inner scars. Some knowledge He reserves strictly for Himself, at least in this present dispensation of time. I honestly dont know why the devil is allowed to cause so much wrack and ruin in this world. But God has put faith in my heart to believe that He is working out His own purposes, even as the devil has his final fling in this sin-cursed earth before his confinement in the Great Abyss. It is imperative that each individual know the essential victory truths in contained the Word of God, and keep himself by faith under the Shadow of the Almighty, where there is divine protection from evil. It wasnt long before two other girls joined our little singing group. What struck me about them was the remarkable brilliance of their eyes. They shone with peace and the love of God. The smiles of Joan and Lottie had an intensity Id never seen before. The life of God radiated from their faces. Even if you dont think youre much to look at, the Holy Spirit will give you a beautiful countenance, because of the beauty of Christ within you. Passing years might age you outwardly, but a youthful vitality will remain in your eyes. The two girls knew they differed with the master sergeant on the doctrine of the second blessing, which was rejected by the Gospel Garrison. Joan and Lottie did not preach to us about it, they just enjoyed being with us. The Lord used the off-

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hand comment of a young boy to trigger the series of events which led to my liberation from the devils bondage. He came up to the car I was sitting in and said, Dont visit Joan and Lotties church. They speak in tongues. My natural curiosity was kindled. This I had to see for myself. The next time those two girls sang with us, I asked them to pick me up and take me to visit their church at the next Sunday service. They must have been praying for God to reveal His purposes for singing with the Gospel Garrison, and they were delighted that I had asked. Sunday, June 21, 1970, was to be my date with destiny, the day I would encounter the powerful Presence of the living God. My mind was made up even before we reached the church. I was a real chatterbox as we all drove down the highway, so full of questions and so hungry for a fresh visitation from God. That day is forever etched into my memory, even what I wore. I wore a light blue Western-style shirt, a brown-and-yellow plaid skirt, a Timex watch and brown loafers. On my head hung my prize possession, and my biggest concession to Babylon: Dark brown silky genuine human hair fastened to my head with a black headband, cascading down my back. A passport to WASP respectability, which cost me only $35! Joan and Lottie were calmer personalities than I was. They smiled at my enthusiasm for their answers to my many questions. I could hardly contain my excitement at the adventure which I sensed was in store for me. Once we arrived, I felt right at home in the informality of the setting, and the warm smiles of the pastor and his family. Our tiny group sat around in a small circle of chairs in the back room, for the sanctuary was still under construction. Brother Letson was pleasantly surprised to hear how eager I was to receive the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. Usually, people are more reticent, and it takes God more time to persuade them to take this big step in their lives. Brother Letson said it would be best if he preached on the Baptism first, so I would gain a fuller understanding of what this Blessing entailed. Nobody told me that I would experience any particular sensation. Before they all laid their hands on the top of my head to pray for me, I thought, Great. Im making a new agreement with God. Ill just take what He has to offer, go home, and maybe my outlook on life just might improve. Maybe this will work, where rededicating my life countless times didnt. I had been told that speaking in unknown tongues was the most common sign of having received the Baptism, according to Acts 2:4. Brother Letson encouraged me to raise my hands and praise the Lord with any syllables which came to mind, as a step of faith. I repeated a simple prayer, and everyone joined in, praising the Lord in the prayer languages of the Spirit. Brother Letson said, Relax, Pat. Just breathe Him in. I inhaled deeply. Then came a glorious sensation like spiritual lightning. In Acts 2:3, the early disciples experienced a similar phenomenon when tongues of fire appeared to rest above each of their heads. I had received the Fire of the Spirit, spoken of by John the Baptist in Matthew 3:11: I indeed baptize you with water, as a sign of your repentance, but He Who comes after me (Jesus) is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to carry. He, (Jesus) shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with Fire. At conversion, God the Father baptizes (immerses) a repentant sinner into Christ, making him one of His children by faith (see Romans 6:3; Galatians 3:27). Another believer, usually a minister, baptizes his body in water as a public testimony that he has died to the old life. When he is raised up out of the water, it is a sign that he has been raised to newness of life with Christ. It is indeed possible to be truly born again, without ever partaking of that precious third baptism into the Holy Spirit. Here are two cases in point:

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When the disciples in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the Word of God, they sent Peter and John to them. When they arrived, they prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost. For He had not yet descended upon any of them; they had only been baptized in the Name of the Lord Jesus. Then the disciples laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit (Acts 8:14-17). Many religious folks scoff at the idea that the Spirit (and His accompanying gifts) are still being poured out on believers today. But in Acts 2:38-39 Peter says: Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, AND TO ALL THAT ARE AFAR OFF, EVEN AS MANY AS THE LORD OUR GOD SHALL CALL. Have you repented and been born again? Has God called you to be one of His own? If so, then according to the Apostle Peter himself, you qualify for receiving the Gift of the Holy Ghost. Peter put no expiration date on this precious Promise of God! While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul traveled through the interior of the province and arrived in Ephesus. Finding certain disciples there (notice, they were ALREADY disciples) he asked them: Have you received the Holy Spirit since you believed? (Acts 19:2). They replied, We have not even heard that there IS a Holy Spirit. Paul asked them: What kind of baptism did you receive, then? They replied, Johns baptism. Paul said ,John truly baptized with the baptism of repentance, teaching the people to believe in the One Who would come after him; that is, Jesus Christ. When they heard this, they were baptized in the Name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them; and they spoke with tongues, and prophesied (Acts 19:1-6). Not everyone has the type of same experience I had. Many people receive the Spirit with a quiet joy. Others claim to feel little or no emotion at their Baptism. My infilling with the Holy Ghost swept down upon me in ardent waves of divine Glory, inundating a soul which had suffered cruelty from so many bullies. What followed was entirely unplanned on my part, and as I reflect upon it now, it seems miraculous that such a shy person as myself could react the way I did. No one had told me to do this. At first I uttered what sounded like baby talk. Then the words acquired a new fluency and beauty. My voice began to take on a musical rhythm, and I was lost in my own lovely song of praise. At the time, I knew only English words, but the words sounded like Latin. In that golden moment, I felt like my whole being was filled with pure light, that I was on the threshold of heaven, and my earthly surroundings seemed unreal. Everyone rejoiced with me. At length my singing ceased. I was surprised to hear the pastor utter these words: My daughter, you have praised Me. After the service I asked Joan and Lottie about the words hed spoken. I learned that this was an example of prophecy, one of the manifestations of the Holy Spirit. God can use people to proclaim His own words of love, fresh from His Throne Room (Examples of this are shared in this book). I was deeply moved by this first brief message from my loving Heavenly Father. Just to realize that I really was His own cherished child, and no longer felt myself a cringing slave who was scared of making Him mad. I, who had been treated like trash all through high school, was at last feeling like a worthwhile person!

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The Waters of Refreshing

John 4: 7-14 Whats the difference between living as one barely saved from going to hell, and going on after conversion to receive the Baptism into the Holy Spirit? Its the difference between taking that first drink of water out of the Well of Salvation (our initial conversion experience) and being wholly immersed in the flow of the mighty River of God. To be saved we must enter through the Door, Who is Christ (John 10:7). Some are content to linger at the entrance, satisfied that they are safely inside the Ark of Salvation. But many desire more than mere fire insurance. They want to more fully enter into the manifold riches of their salvation. In my case, it was a matter of life and death. I had left Hog Pen High, but I needed all the precious resources which could only be imparted by the Holy Spirit. Because I had dabbled a bit in the occult, I also needed His deliverance from powers of darkness which still tried to oppress me. That wonderful joy which filled my being was not some frill I could survive without. For years on end, unhappiness had been shoved down my throat by my enemies. The joy of the Holy Ghost was a healing balm, His love an antidote for the poison of hate injected by vicious tongues. The wounded soul must draw water from the Well of Salvation, for God alone is his Defender. Behold, God is my Savior; I will trust in Him, and not be afraid. For the Lord God is my Strength and my Song; He has saved me. Therefore you will joyfully draw water out of the Well of Salvation (Isaiah 12:2-3). Jesus says in John 7:38: He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, Out of his innermost being shall flow rivers of living water. There is a drinking of the Water of the Spirit, and there is also the overflow experience of the Holy Ghost Baptism. Both are necessary for victory over the devil , and provided for through the Atonement of Christ on Calvary.

Jesus: The Water of Life

John 4:1-30 Wearily the woman trudged to the well, the hot sun beating down upon her head. It was noon. There were cooler hours of the day to go draw water. But that was when everyone else usually made the trek from the city of Sychar to fill their jugs. The troubled Samaritan had good reason to avoid all the other women. The well was their favorite place to congregate to exchange the latest village gossip. She herself was the most notorious news topic. The mere mention of her name would always evoke either scorn or derision from more virtuous villagers, who prided themselves on never breaking the rules of respectability. Oh, how great it would be, she thought, to have water piped into her home, just like wealthy Romans in luxurious villas. But Sychar was just a backwater village of a conquered province of the Roman Empire. And she felt like a nobody, fit only to function as some mans pretty plaything. When her partners tired of her, they simply discarded her and went on with their jaded lives. Men were like that. Curiously enough, scorn was never heaped upon THEM; no matter that it was impossible for a woman to carry on a scandalous love affair without the eager cooperation of a predatory male. Ill go to my grave before I meet a decent man who doesnt think only with his loins, she muttered to herself. I wish I could just hide myself away, and didnt have to go out for ANYTHING! Those silly old hens, always spying on me when I go to the market place for food, or to the well for water...

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Then she saw Him. A man, she thought. Never mind. Hes quite alone. Better to encounter a man than another woman. People problems teach a downtrodden person to be more observant than others. There was something about His appearance or clothing which tipped the lady off. Hes a Jew, she realized. Well, I dont care. This is OUR well, even if a Jew IS sitting on its edge! Back in those days, Jews and Samaritans shunned one another. The Samaritan people were descendants of those Israelites who remained in that region after the Assyrians invaded the Holy land hundreds of years before, carrying away many of their brethren into captivity. This remnant had intermarried with their conquerors and produced mixed offspring. Moreover, they had developed their own religion based on the first five Books of Moses. Samaritans were heartily despised by fullblooded Jews for their ancestry, and for religious differences. The two peoples had no social dealings with one another. One notable exception was the Good Samaritan spoken of by Jesus in Luke 10:30-37. Thats about as low as I can get, she thought. A despised outcast of a despised, outcast people. Strange. Hes a Jew, but hes actually smiling at me. There was something different about the smile of this Man. Oh yes, she had received plenty of bedroom smiles from men before; that lustful leer which responds to a good figure and is spoiling for action. But His was more like the smile of an innocent little child who had never been initiated into the stratagems of the Games People Play. Jesus was much more tactful and sensitive than most preachers are. Indeed, the average preacher would have approached her by immediately zeroing in on her sin problem. Talk about scaring away the very fish youre trying to catch! Jesus knew this womans sex life was a wicked mess, that she probably had even used sex as a substitute for genuine love denied her by others. But He was also wiser than any modern-day theologian or psychologist. He realized that she had been shunned by respectable society, had been made to feel unneeded and unwanted, except for her bedroom skills. Jesus first words to her would serve to meet a very practical need in His own life, and, more importantly, help restore this womans feeling of selfworth; that realization that she had something of value to give to another. In a thirst-parched voice Jesus began His life-changing sermon: Please give Me a drink from your pitcher. She was shocked by His request. Not only had He requested a favor from a Samaritan, but a woman! In the ancient Near East, men and women did not normally converse with one another in public, the customs were so straitlaced. Moreover, Jews would not eat or drink from containers used by Samaritans, for they were considered ritually unclean. The woman replied, How is it that You, a Jew, are asking me, a Samaritan woman, for a drink? Dont you know that the Jews have nothing to do with the Samaritans? Jesus ignored the womans objection. Whatever her nationality, she was a human being, and He would die on the Cross to redeem any descendant of Adam willing to own Him as Lord. He got right to the point: If only you knew how great the Gift of God is, and Who it is asking you for a drink, you would have asked Him, and He would have given you Living Water. Eyes wide with wonderment, she brought a minor detail to His attention: Sir, the well is deep, and You have no bucket to lower into the well shaft. How, then, do You propose to get this living water You speak of? The old ethnic contention resurfaced with her next question: Are You greater than our ancestor Jacob, who gave us this well, and drank from it himself, along with all his children and cattle ?

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Again Jesus refused to waste time on pointless debate. He said, Whoever drinks water from this well shall thirst again. But he who drinks the Water which I am able to give him shall never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will be in his innermost being a wellspring of eternal life. The woman still did not get Jesus point. She was delighted to think that after one drink of Jesus water, she need never again make the daily trip to the well in order to sustain the life of her mortal body. It would be terrific, not to have to lug that heavy water jar on her shoulder in the heat, or endure the stares of gossips coming and going on water runs. Sir she pleaded, give me this special water, so Ill never be thirsty again, or have to come back to this well to get water. Jesus introduced a prickly subject: Go, get your husband and bring him back here. Her frank admission: I havent exactly got a husband. Divine revelation was at work in Jesus life, for He was God incarnate, as well as being full of the Spirit of God. The woman was startled to hear Him say: Youve spoken the truth. Youve been married to five different men, and the man youre living with now isnt really your husband. Sir, replied the woman, I believe You must be a Prophet. For some reason the woman seemed to want to divert Jesus focus from her personal life by dredging up an old dispute. She found it so much more comfortable to just talk about religion in general. Our Samaritan ancestors worshipped on this mountain, but you Jews say that Jerusalem is the only place where God ought to be worshipped. Jesus refused to play into her hands by getting into a heated religious controversy. He said, Woman, believe Me. The time is coming when people will neither worship God on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You Samaritans dont really know what youre worshipping. We Jews know Who we worship; for salvation comes through the Jews. Indeed, God had chosen to have His Son be born into the Jewish nation. The Samaritan woman would have to accept Christ, even in His Jewishness, in order to be saved. Jesus continued, The hour is coming, and is already here, that true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth; for the Father is seeking such worshippers. God is a Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth. In saying this, Jesus showed the woman that worship had much more to do with spiritual reality than physical location. The woman replied, I know the Messiah is coming, and when He comes, He will tell us everything. Jesus plainly told her: I am He. Talk about perfect timing. His band of disciples arrived, bearing provisions purchased in the village. They were surprised to find their Master engaged in lively discourse with a woman. But they knew better than to take Him to task for it; He must have His reasons. Nevertheless, His followers had been puzzled by more than one thing that day. Usually the Jews would take an alternate route to travel between Judea and Galilee, just to avoid contact with the hated Samaritans. And in no case would a Jew engage any Samaritan, male or female, in friendly conversation. In fact, observant Jews of first-century Palestine never socialized with non-Jews of any type, with the exception of converts. The disciples were baffled. Why had Jesus led them into Samaria, just so He could minister to one heathen woman? How refreshing the Lord Jesus is! He has a habit of breaking out of all the little boxes stodgy religious folk try to cram Him into. Its people He cares about, not petty traditions which keep His Light from shining as it was meant to in this dark world. He even cared about this woman who didnt fit into the category of being respectable, and worth cultivating as a friend. Reader, dont ever give up on Jesus,

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even if some of the churches youve been to have cold-shouldered you for failing to blend in with the wallpaper (i.e. arriving clean-shaven and formally attired, bringing along a picture-perfect family, inserting a big check into the offering bag, and above all, keeping your exuberance in check). Jesus violated most of those rules too, but I put far more credence in what he says than in what imperfect people say. Jesus won that troubled lady over because He didnt represent the status quo. The woman got so excited she left her waterpot behind at the well. It would only slow her down as she raced back to the village to tell all her friends (exclusively male) that shed met the long-awaited Messiah. In short order she returned, followed by a contingent of men who wanted to meet this mysterious Man Who had shown the notorious woman that He already knew the secrets of her life. The village men invited Jesus to stay in town a couple of days and impart the Words of Life to them, for they believed in their hearts that He was indeed the Promised One Whom God had sent to bring salvation to the world. Nothing satisfies the longings of the soul except the Presence of Jesus Christ. Earthly friends will fail you. Indeed, you feel like youre walking on a tightrope most of the time, worried that you wont succeed at the little games which make them want to stay friends with you; just knowing that the day you fall short of your friends expectations and they feel they are no longer getting their due from you, theyll either turn on you or freeze you out. When I was in high school, I envied the popular kids: the statuesque blond with the silken tresses and spindly legs; the geniuses who showed off their musical or artistic talents and snagged the big brass trophies. Nobody dared pick on the school idols. But thats just it. People are merely acting out roles chosen for them by others. Even the boisterous laughter of the teenager has uneasy undertones. For the moment, he feels accepted, but people know they are always on probation with each other, and cant really count on the longevity of love. There is subtle blackmail in every relationship built on the flimsy foundation of human selfishness: If you quit giving me what I want, were through! There is pressure in every secular high school to belong to the right clubs, make the cheerleading squad, be a big football jock, to accomplish something to justify your existence (although it definitely isnt cool to get good grades while everyone else is struggling). The leader of the Glam Girls Clique presiding over the VIP table in the lunch room realizes her position is precarious. Once she fails to supply her giggling chums with juicy gossip about whatever friend happens to be absent from the table that day; once the quantity and quality (smuttiness) of that gossip diminishes, she courts the likelihood of being demoted, and talked about herself. The boys arent much better. Theyre willing to befriend any obliging beauty who confines herself to the role of boytoy. But were she to withhold her favors, theyd cease to be her friends. Deep down in the heart of the teen idol is the nagging fear that someone will uncover the real person beneath the facade. The bottom line is this: Babylons devotees tend to be users. A plain girl is used as the butt of jokes by vicious bullies, to break the monotony of the long school day. Cosmetically perfect females are sought after for cheap sex. And kids use each other as stepping stones to climb into cooler cliques. When the disciples saw Jesus talking to the woman at the well, all they saw was a Samaritan woman, an occupant of the lowest rung of humanity. All the villagers saw in her was a sexual adventuress. Jesus saw a person worth relating to, one who had the potential to become a child of God through faith in Him. He already knew everything about her. She didnt have to throw up defenses. Thats why I love Jesus so much, because of the revelation of what He is really like. I can relax in His Presence, knowing that even my faults are covered by His atoning Blood. As a redeemed individual, you dont have to feel like youre

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constantly sitting on eggs when youre communing with the Lord. You are free to love Him as He really is, and He is free to love you; for being a God of faith, He sees you as already perfected in His Son. A River of Healing Ezekiel 47: 1-12 Psalms 46:4 speaks of the River of God: There is a river, whose streams shall bring joy to the city of God, to the holy Tabernacles of the Most High. We who have the Holy Spirit dwelling in us are His Tabernacles (I Corinthians 3:16). There is nothing so wonderful as being refreshed by that Living Water. The prophet Ezekiel was shown a vision of the glorious Temple which Christ shall occupy during His 1000-year Reign. Rivers of life-giving water will issue from His Temple in Jerusalem. Ezekiel 47:1-12 describes the wonderful attributes of this divine watercourse. The further along Ezekiel waded in Gods River, the deeper it got. We need, by faith, to dwell in the depths of the River of the Spirit, for there is much-needed healing there. There is power in the Spirit of God. Verse 8 speaks of the east country of Palestine, which has always been dry, barren desert country. At present that territory must be artificially irrigated from a scarce water supply before vegetation can grow there. Sometimes the abuse and hurts of life drain us of vitality, and make us feel like a dead, dry, lifeless shell. When the scathing heat of battle withers the soul like the merciless desert sun, its virtually impossible for you to blossom as a person. It takes a miracle to heal such deep-seated hurts. The Lord turns Ezekiels attention to the Dead Sea. This is a huge lake to the southeast of Israel which, at present, can support no life at all. It is overloaded with salt, because while it receives water from the Jordan River, it has no outlet. One of the greatest hurts of being rejected is that no one wants to receive the love you have to give. You have no outlet for expressing the qualities that make you unique. It makes you feel dead inside. Not even human love is enough to restore such a wounded heart. It takes the River of the Life of God within. The salty Dead Sea will someday be changed into a body of life-giving fresh water. We read in verses 8-10: These waters issue out toward the east country and go down into the desert, flowing onward till they reach the (Dead) Sea. As these waters enter the Sea, the waters of the Sea shall be healed. And it shall be, that every living thing which comes into contact with the Water shall live. There shall be a very great multitude of fish, because of the waters which come to heal the Dead Sea; and wherever the River comes, there will be life. I believe this substantiates my belief that this wonder will take place during the millennial Reign of Christ on earth, rather than occurring in heaven. There are no bodies of water in heaven which require healing, for all the waters there already impart blessing from the Throne of God. Truly this blessed River typifies the Lord Jesus Christ, Who alone is the Way, the Truth, and the LIFE. In Jeremiah 17:13, Almighty God calls Himself the Fountain of Living Waters. It is He Who will be the source of that literal River which will proceed from His earthly Throne in Jerusalem. I have learned to appropriate the benefits of the Kingdom even now, by faith. I always look to Him to refresh my spirit, to impart guidance and wisdom for daily living, and to give me love far more genuine than was withheld during my high school days. A dear minister friend of ours, Brother George, often encouraged his flock by quoting verses 7-8: Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord (not people!), and whose hope is in Him. For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, which spreads out her roots by the River, and shall not worry when hot weather comes, but its leaves shall stay green. It shall not worry in the years of drought; neither shall it

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cease to yield fruit. This corrupt world really puts the heat on us all sometimes. But if we stay close to the River, God promises us provision and protection, even when people all around us are worrying. In verse 12 we read of the Lords provision for His people during the Kingdom Age: On either side of the River, on both banks, fruit trees will grow, whose leaves shall not wither away; neither shall the supply of fruit be exhausted. A different crop of fruit will be brought forth every month, because of the waters (of the River). The fruit will provide food, and the leaves will be used for medicine. Notice, one benefit is medicine. The resurrected saints will, at that time, already possess their incorruptible immortal bodies. So, obviously, it must be the mortal saints who will benefit from this product of those trees. Many centuries later, the apostle John received a similar vision. In Revelation 22:1-2 he writes: And He showed me a pure River of the Water of Life, clear as crystal, flowing out from the Throne of God and the Lamb. In the middle of the city street, and on either side of the river, was the Tree of Life, which bore twelve varieties of fruit, and yielded its fruit every month. The leaves of this tree were for the healing of the nations. Dear reader, it has taken me many years to realize these precious truths. The only place I, as a survivor of bullying belong, is to be planted beside the River of Life. Unkind people will not contribute to your feeling of self-worth. Their malicious tongues minister only death, and the fruits of their lives are bitter and destructive. The fruit of the Spirit is life-giving and restoring. You must depend upon the Spirit of God to impart healing to both body and soul, and to water the parched areas of your being with the sweet love of Jesus. By faith ask the Heavenly Father to pour into you that same miraculous healing power which will be released to mortal humans who will partake of those blessed leaves during the millennial Kingdom. All our healing was provided for through the merits of Christs sacrifice on the Cross, which is the Tree of Redemption.

Just Ask the Father

In Matthew 7: 7-11, Jesus gives us an insight into the generous nature of our Heavenly Father. Ask, and it shall be given to you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and the door shall be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; and he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks shall the door be opened. What man is among you, who, if his son asks you for bread, would receive a stone from you instead? Or, if he should ask for a fish, would receive a snake from you? If you, then, being sinful, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask Him? This same discourse is also related from Lukes perspective. Jesus names one specific Blessing we ought to receive from the Father. If human fathers would not be so depraved as to give evil things to their children who petition them for good things, surely we can trust God to be true to His promises and to His loving nature and meet the deepest needs of our lives. In Luke 11:13 Jesus promises the greatest Blessing of all: If you then, being sinful, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask them? God is the Giver of every good and perfect gift ( James 1:17). He baptized me into the Holy Spirit when I asked Him, having heard and believed the Scriptures shared with me by Joan and Lottie and the pastor. Since my Baptism, He has given me some of the nine gifts of the Spirit listed in I Corinthians 12:8-10. He will do the same for any Spirit-baptized believer Who asks Him. We may be assailed by visible foes in this world, but they are but the puppets of the evil forces of darkness orchestrating their words and actions. When we are

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armed with the anointing of the Holy Spirit, we are much more able to ward off their insults, and even to rightly influence our adversaries. if these poor captives of satan refuse to respond to the light which God shows them, they are the ones to be pitied. The Refuge of Christ How blessed, to belong to the Lord. God is our Refuge and Strength, a very present Help in trouble (Psalms 46:1). My concerns are now His concerns, and He is a Friend Who sticks closer than any brother. It is so wonderful, being able to bring all my cares and problems to Him. What sweet deliverance, knowing that satan has no legal right to attack me, knowing I have the right to call upon the Lord to fight my battles for me. If I were offered the choice, I would probably go home to heaven where everything is founded on holiness and love. but I know God has me down here for a reason, and while Im here I daily look to Him for protection in this evil world. Those who are converted and know their rights in Christ also know that God is their Defense. If you are ready to sever ties with this present world of darkness and become a citizen of the Kingdom of Heaven, reach out to God with all your heart, and pray after this manner: Dear Lord Jesus, this present evil world holds no attraction for me. I have known rejection and abuse, and many sad days where I have felt so all alone. At times I have even dismissed the idea of religion as so much hot air. But You arent a religion; Youre a wonderful, loving Savior Who wants to have me as your special friend. You have given me a glimpse of the beauty and glory of Your loving nature. Imperfect humans, whatever they profess to be, have often let me down, but You are altogether lovely. You go out of Your way to seek those whom this world despises. You raise up the poor from the dirt and exalt them to be princes in Your kingdom. This world has called me ugly, but You call me beautiful, and have searched through the darkness for me. At this time, dear Lord Jesus, I want to respond to that sweet love You are extending to me. I want to love You in return, now and forever. Im not just saying this because I need a stronger Being to fight on my behalf, but because I want to be set free from all the garbage which this lying world has foisted upon me from my earliest youth. I know that I, even as a victim, have also learned some ugly lessons on how to live, from TV, the movies, and other bad influences. There have been times when I have harbored ill will toward others and ( confess any other sins you can remember). I ask You to please accept me as one of Your own children. Forgive and wash away every sin, and every bad influence I have absorbed from this evil world. I now acknowledge You as my Lord, and know that God in heaven is My Father, upon Whom I may cast every care, and turn to for help in time of need. Amen. Pray for the Baptism When you, as a born-again believer in Christ, feel ready to receive the Baptism of the Holy Ghost, offer a sincere petition to your loving Heavenly Father from your heart. If you are quite unsure what to say, you might pattern your own prayer after this one: O Gracious Heavenly Father. I thank You for the kindness You have already shown. You were faithful to deliver me from the kingdom of this present evil world, and make me one of Your own dear children. I now know Christ as my Redeemer, and

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am gathered safely into Your Kingdom of Light. I thank you for restoring my shattered sense of self-worth. I thank You for the unspeakably great price You paid for me, and that You so highly value my soul. If You are for me, who can be against me? Heavenly Father, I take You at Your Word. I need to be fortified by the power of Your Holy Spirit, to have His Presence residing in me in all of His fullness. I need the wisdom and the strength which the Spirit imparts to Your people in this world. I need His comfort, His refreshing in my thirsty soul. I need the reality of the everpresent Christ-life manifesting itself through my life. Please, dear Father, send me this wonderful Comforter which Jesus promised His disciples. Even bestow upon me a prayer language which I can use to express the deepest needs of my heart to you, for earthly words cannot always convey these things adequately. Human wisdom falls short of Your wisdom, and from now on I want to be led by You and grow spiritually as I learn to walk in Your ways. Give me the the power not to harbor animosity toward those who have wounded me in the past. Help me to love even the unlovely, for I know I cannot do this in human strength. Grant me Your peace, power, and protection, for You have promised in Your Word that no weapon or words that are formed against me shall prosper. I ask all these kindnesses in the Name of Jesus, the One Who shed His Blood on Calvary to redeem me. Amen. Some of you older people might be reading this book because you were bullied in school years ago. Youre still trying to cope with the pain of your past experiences, and are looking for answers which will finally bring peace to your soul. If so, I urge you to meditate on this prayer, and adapt it to your own particular needs as you offer your own petition up to God:

A Prayer for the Healing of Old Hurts

Dear Lord Jesus, long ago vicious enemies waged war against my soul. They trampled all over it, and left deep scars. I find it difficult to love or trust others. Fear of rejection dogs my footsteps at work or in other situations where I must mix with people. My sleep has suffered, and even my perspective on life has been warped, for my mind is tormented by bad memories that keep creeping up. Sometimes I cant help being angry at all the injustice in this wretched world. I have tried to rise above those memories. Ive made every effort to reason the pain away, but to no avail. I know that time alone does not heal all wounds, and only a miracle will heal the damage done to my soul. It is written in Scripture that You bore our sorrows and carried our griefs. It is also written that You came to destroy the works of the devil. This lingering hurt and resulting depression are works of satan, the evil fruits of the hurt others inflicted on me so long ago. As a result of the lies satan spoke through those people, I have had to battle against the feeling that I am unlovely and unworthy of love. I have felt oppressed by the insidious brainwashing of the mass media. I am tired of comparing myself unfavorably to beauty standards set by the entertainment industry, and still remember how those ideals of the devil were used as a weapon against me in my youth. Please, Lord Jesus, have compassion on me. I am so very weak. People who have suffered long-term abuse are tempted to reflect upon old enemies with rage and resentment. Please forgive me. When satan launches heavy attacks on me, it makes me feel so dead inside. You know it only takes a tiny spark of provocation to cause all those horrible memories to return in full force. When that happens, I feel like Im reliving the whole awful scene again. Please apply the Power of Your own

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shed Blood to my troubled soul. Let the healing power of the Holy Ghost surge through my inner being. I ask that You would grant me a miracle of healing every bit as real as that received by Lazarus, whom you raised from death. For I know, dear Lord Jesus, that You can make me just as whole as I would have been, had I not endured those long years of abuse. And You would be raising to life a part of me that has long been dead. I also realize that healings are often gradual rather than instantaneous. Again, I know that time alone does not heal, but I do ask You that with the passage of time I would see a fading of the scars left upon my psyche, until they disappear altogether. Let the glad day come when I can no longer recall so vividly those wretched years, and my emotional state is just as peaceful as that of a person whose life has been free of bullying. Perhaps my peace will be even greater than that of one who has always received abundant love in this world. For I know, dear Lord, that people who have not been forced to cast themselves upon Your care tend to rely on their multitude of friends to be their bulwark in time of trouble. And people dont always stick with each other through thick or thin. They are not nearly so strong or trustworthy as You. I ask that every day, You would remind Me of all the evidences, great or small, that You do indeed love me. Let Your dear Spirit remind me of Scriptures You have shared with me about your love and great faithfulness. Bring to my mind Your Biblical promises of protection, healing, and power over the devil. Make them come alive to My very spirit. Cause me to come into contact with those who are full of Your no-nonsense Love, who will be a help to me in my walk with Christ, rather than a hindrance. Grant me wisdom to know who to confide in, and how much to confide in them, for I know I mustnt rely too heavily on imperfect people. Cause compensation to come into my life for all the harm satan has done. He has stolen much from me, and it is only right that I should recover my losses. You have even promised to bruise the devil under the feet of believers in Christ. I ask that You would repay him in kind for what he has done to hurt me, and cause my Christian testimony to be so effective that it wreaks great destruction upon his Kingdom of Darkness. May Your Holy Kingdom prevail over all. Amen.

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CHAPTER FIVE BATTLING A VICIOUS ENEMY Satan, Prince of the Power of the Air Many picture the devil as a grinning cartoon character with horns and a goatee beard. Or, as a beer-guzzling king on a fiery throne ordering lost souls to shovel coal and keep the blast furnaces going. They suppose satan is confined in hell with lost sinners during this present age, and his government and military complex are located in hell. Nothing could be further from the truth. Satans headquarters is here on this earth (Job 1:7; I Pet.5:8). But Scripture promises that satan WILL be confined to the Bottomless Pit during the 1000-year Reign of Christ on earth (Rev. 20:1-3). What glorious, glorious rest that shall be for a world tempted and tormented by his activities for 6000 long years! At the end of Christs Reign satan will finally be cast forever into the Lake of Fire, never to perpetrate evil in Gods universe again (Rev. 20:7-10). But at the present time satan operates as the Prince of the Power of the Air (Eph. 2:2). His evil power saturates the very atmosphere of this present-day world.

The Law of the Jungle and Cop-Out Cops

Who sets the trends in todays society? It certainly isnt the consecrated believer! All around you, you see and hear of godlessness, corruption in government, pedophiles fearlessly hunting children, recreational sex with all comers, perversion, pornography, warfare, and cutthroat competition in the workplace and in school. Whoever ends up on the bottom of the pile gets thrown to the lions to be eaten up. Kids have to kiss other kids backsides and conform to the ways of evil to avoid being bullied. Anyone who dares to be decent is thought to be a relic of a bygone era, or a bigot with a few screws loose. Why is it the sexually immoral, vain sinner who sets the trends in society? Because satan is the god of this present-day world (II Cor. 4:4). He blinds people to the Truth of the Gospel. He blinds them to the awful fate awaiting those who reject Christ as Savior. As Creator, God actually owns this planet, but satan is lord of todays evil world system which opposes all that is holy and good. Satan is the ruler who dispatches demons to go tempt some teenager to film a vicious attack on his cell phone and transmit the flick all over the Internet. Its the devil who rules over that high school where the Word of God has been banned. He laughs whenever a bully gets off with a gentle warning after nicking a fellow student with a knife. Just recently there has been a spate of news stories in the UK about pretend police officers community support officers who refused to step in and rescue elderly people being beaten up by gangs of youths. Three teenage girls ganged up on a defenseless 55-year-old man. They kicked him, punched him and beat him on the head with a stick till he ended up in the hospital in critical condition. Those Keystone Cops couldnt do anything because they werent authorized by their superiors to do it. Funny how theres always plenty of police around when drivers exceed the speed limit, though. Hell will be full of hate-filled teenagers who never learned the fear of God from their beer-swilling, partying parents.

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The Christians Defense Against satans Wicked Forces

(Commentary on Ephesians Chapter 6) Ultimately it is the devil, much more than the bully, who is out to destroy you. The bully is sold out to satan, his lord and master. Even those who have never heard of Jesus and His teachings on love are without excuse. Man is created in Gods image (Gen.1:26; James 3:9). Like a broken mirror, that image of God within man has been distorted because of sin, but people are still endowed by their Creator with an instinctive knowledge of right and wrong (Romans 2:14). Even pagan cultures have laws against stealing and murder. The problem is not a lack of knowledge of right and wrong, but fallen mans inherent sin nature which rebels against Gods ways of goodness and love. God the Father freely reveals His love and kindness through His provision for all mankind in the blessings of creation (Romans 1:20). Yet the bully is unholy and unthankful. He repays the God who gives him life by destroying other lives which God has made. Our primary battle is against the devil who controls the bully. Ephesians 6:10-18 gives us a picture of the armor worn by a Roman soldier of Pauls day. It can be likened to our spiritual defense against satan. Ephesians 6:10: Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.******We must resist satan in Gods strength, not our own, and we must go everywhere only in His strength, even as David did (Psalms 71:16). . God is our refuge and strength, and He is a very present help in time of trouble (Psalms 46:1). Ephesians 6:11: Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.******God provides a complete suit of spiritual armor for His warriors. Every piece of it must be worn and in place. Remember, satan is a wily snake who is forever looking for an opening to slither into your life to do damage. Ephesians 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. ******A bully is flesh and blood, and he will someday die and face his Maker. Spiritual warfare must be waged against the demonic forces controlling him. Scripture indicates that there are varying ranks in satans kingdom of darkness. Colossians 1:16 speaks of thrones, dominions, principalities and powers. I believe that demons are territorial and spirits of bullying and violence are more predominant in certain areas of the earth than others. For example, while murder occurs in every part of earth, some countries have markedly higher per capita murder rates than others (example: South Africa is among the very worst). Rebuke satan in the power of the Spirit and plead the blood of Jesus over your workplace or school, even over the bus you ride home! In such situations you have no control over what characters will be in the background of your life. Ephesians 6:13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.*****The devil wants above all things to knock you off your feet spiritually and get you under HIS feet! But we dont belong under satans feet. He belongs under OUR feet (Romans 16:20). Psalms 91:13 promises: Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder (poisonous snake): the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet. The devil is a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour (I Pet.5:8). He is called the serpent in Revelation 12:9 and 20:2. Once we have listened carefully to the Lord and done all He has directed us to do, we are to stand in confidence that He will undertake for us.

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Ephesians 6:14 Stand, therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness. ******The ancient Roman soldier wore a sort of utility belt which held his weapons so he could have easy access to them. That same belt also held the rest of his armor together. When we know the truth of Gods Word and are living in the light of Gods truth about our salvation and position in Christ Jesus, we are spiritually strong and the weapons of the Spirit are readily accessible to us. We who believe in Christ are justified and made righteous through His Blood. The devil has no right to sick his flunkies on us to harm or destroy us. We have the right to intreat the Father to send angels to fight satan on our behalf, just as Christ might have done if He had not chosen to die to pay the price of our sins (Matt.26:53). Stand your ground and tell the devil where to go. Regardless of your looks or lack of popularity, you are extremely valuable to God and you must walk in the truth of that. Unless we are girded with Gods truth, everything else falls apart and the devil has a much easier time attacking us. Ephesians 6:15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel of Peace. *****The Gospel of Peace with God through Christ is our firm foundation upon which we stand. When God made peace with us through the Blood of Christs Cross (Col.1:20) and accepted us into His beloved family, He lifted us up from the dirt pile we were once in. If you are a believer in Christ, you should always be prepared to share the Gospel with any unbeliever who is willing to listen. Who knows but the most unlikely person might melt under the convicting power of the Holy Spirit, repent of his or her sins, and receive Christ as Savior? II Timothy 2:25 tells us to gently instruct those who oppose themselves, and it is God Who must give them repentance . We cant make a bully feel sorry for his sins. We cant make him want to walk in the way of peace. God must give that one the ability to repent. When bullies oppose others in violence and cruelty, they are also opposing themselves by acting against their own well-being. They are steering themselves toward a devils hell. If a bully really did love himself hed want to ensure his eternal survival by accepting the peace God offers through Christ, wouldnt he? Ephesians 6:16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.******A Roman soldiers shield was coated with thick, durable materials packed so tightly together that no weapon could penetrate it. The soldier could even fireproof his shield by soaking it in water before battle. Then, if a flaming arrow came at him, the water-soaked covering would immediately quench the enemys fire. Within a true believer in Christ dwells the Living Water, the Holy Spirit (John 7:38). When the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit shall raise up a standard against him (Isa.59:19). I know all about fiery darts. They go right for your heart, that tender part of you which is so easily broken. The heart is the treasure chest of your soul (Daniel 7:28; Luke 1:66; 2:19, 51). The bully will pour out his grimiest filth upon your soul, ridiculing all that makes you a unique individual. The bully knows that time is on his side and he will either drive you out of school or use school to destroy you. Only the power of God can save you. The Holy Spirit is well able to prevail against the wicked spirits of the air which are engineering a bullying campaign against you. The Word of God is a powerful agent to cleanse away the foul atmosphere of demonic activity around you, and it is beneficial for the soul (John 15:3; Eph.5:26). In Matthew 4:1-10 satan fires fiery darts of temptation at Jesus, and Jesus quenches those darts with the water of the Word of God. In verse 11 satan gives up for awhile and leaves Jesus alone. Next time satan tries to weigh you down with yucky feelings

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of worry and worthlessness, use the written Word of God to call him a liar. The battle against unseen spirits of the air must be won before outward victories can come. Bullying often involves physical abuse but I view it also as the rape of the soul. Bullying is breaking and entering into a victims soul to destroy it. The vile bully denies that person all the dignity of being created in the image and likeness of God. What fiery devastation is caused to a young girls self-esteem when she is advised to go kill herself because shes ugly and worthless! Arm yourself with faith in Gods Word. If satan is attacking your self-esteem, read Ephesians Chapter One. Believe with all your heart that God chose you before the foundation of the earth to be accepted in the Beloved. Cherish this divine revelation of how precious you are to God, so precious that He sent His own sweet Son to earth to be bullied and killed to save you from satans power. That alone should be enough spiritual water to quench the fiery dart of a vicious tongue. Ephesians 6:17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.*******Speaking of salvation and its implications, A parallel passage in the Old Testament is found in Isaiah 59: 16-19: Isaiah 59: 16 And he (God) saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor; therefore his arm brought salvation unto him; and his righteousness, it sustained him. VERSE 17 For he put on righteousness as a breastplate, and an helmet of salvation upon his head; and he put on the garments of vengeance for clothing, and was clad with zeal as a cloak. *****In this future phase of Gods plan for Planet Earth, God is finished with being patient with evil men. Now a holy zeal to take vengeance upon sinners characterizes His actions (Isaiah 1:24; II Thes. 2:8-12). VERSE 18 According to their deeds, accordingly he will repay fury to his adversaries, recompense to his enemies; to the islands (habitable coastlands) he will repay recompense. VERSE 19 So shall they fear the name of the LORD from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall raise up a standard against him. Salvation is the key word in this passage. In Isaiahs day Israel was in a state of idolatry and moral decay. No intercessor was found to hold back Gods wrath from falling upon a crime-ridden society where mens feet were swift to shed innocent blood (Isa.59:7). But sometimes judgment must fall first before the evils of society can be corrected. Some Christians think that having your personal sins forgiven and not having to go to hell after you die constitutes the entirety of Gods salvation. But God wants to save us in the here and now, not just later. In the future He will even save the entire earth (Habakkuk 2:14). In verse 16 the Hebrew word yasha is used for the kind of salvation brought by the mighty arm of the Lord. Arm (Heb. Zeroa) refers to the help, power and strength of Gods mighty arm. According to Strongs Concordance, yasha means to deliver, or to help. This word is also associated with Gods role as Defender and Avenger. God avenges wrongs suffered by His people (Psalms 18:47; Luke 18:7; Rom.12:19; I Thes.4:6; Rev.6:10). I Thessalonians 5:8: But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.

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Verse 9: For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ. We who believe in Christ are already spiritually saved through faith in His blood atonement (Rom.3:25-26). So what salvation are we still hoping for? The completion of our salvation in the redemption of our natural bodies to immortality (Rom.8:23). This will occur at the Resurrection of the Righteous when Jesus returns. We who believe are not appointed to wrath (the outpouring of Gods wrath in the Great Tribulation) but to obtain salvation. Christs coming for us will bring us the completion of our salvation (Heb.9:28). Our destiny is to be perfected into the likeness of Christ (I John 3:2). The bullys destiny is to spend eternity separated from God. The bully has no peace in his soul so he wants to deny others peace. He strives to fill his victims head with thoughts of fear and self-loathing. Even as a rapist can physically infect his victim with the AIDS virus, a bully can spiritually infect a person with demonic attack. The devil controlling the bully aims to put a spirit of fear and terror upon those too weak to fight back. Even after I left high school, I needed deliverance from feelings of terror, depression and inferiority. The helmet of salvation is needed for protection against wicked spirits at work in this world. Awareness of Christs great salvation should fill our minds and protect them, even as a helmet protects the head of soldiers in battle. What should be the main activity of those engaged in spiritual warfare? Prayer in the Spirit. Ephesians 6:18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints. ******The word supplication (Gr.deesis) refers to making a petition, or asking God for a specific request. Make your prayers specific. If you need angels to battle satan on your behalf, ask God to send as many as it takes to get the job done. Jesus Himself said to Simon Peter, as His enemies came to arrest Him: Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels (Matt.26:53)? If it hadnt been Jesus purpose to suffer and die for our sakes, He could have been saved by thousands of angels! When you feel like youre in any danger, pray for God to send these invisible ministering spirits to help you (Heb.1:14). Never pray to an angel, for that would be idolatry. Pray to God to send them to earth to help you, and encamp round about you (Psalms 34:7). Praying in the Spirit refers to prayers originating from the Spirit within you, prayers which transcend the limits of your natural intellectual powers or understanding. Romans 8:26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities (weaknesses): for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Verse 27: And he that searcheth the hearts (God) knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. Thats where our prayer language kicks in. Our imperfect vocabulary and sketchy knowledge of a situation is bypassed by Prayer in the Spirit. The Holy Spirit is omnipresent throughout the earth. His understanding is infinite (Psalms 147:5). He knows where satan is about to attack and what all his dirty tactics are. He can pray to God the Father through you either in wordless groanings from within or through the prayer language. I Corinthians 14:2 For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries. Many oppose speaking in tongues because people cant understand what is being said. But when a Christian prays in tongues in the privacy of his prayer

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closet, he is praying mysteries unto God, not unto men, about things beyond the understanding of the mortal mind. Verse 14: For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful. A persons spirit is separate from his intellect. A bornagain human spirit has the ability to reach out to God for help. Verse 15: What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also. We see in the above verses that praying in the Spirit is the same as praying in the tongues of the spirit. It is also needful to pray in the understanding whenever you clearly discern a need in your life and can identify yourself what it is. Other times you will feel troubled by some burden on your soul but cant quite put your finger on it to identify what the problem is. It is then that your prayer language is a direct link to the heart of our all-wise, all-knowing God. Be continually in an attitude of prayer (I Thes.5:17). Especially in times of stress, danger, or sorrow. When times are good, pray prayers of thanksgiving to God for His faithful deliverance and provision of your needs, and pray for others and their needs. And dont forget to pray for the salvation of your enemies!

Television: satans Propaganda Machine

Rushed off their feet all day and often working overtime, pressured parents are tempted to turn to the worlds cheapest babysitter: TV. In exchange for a few cents worth of electricity, their kids get a comprehensive education from satan, Prince of the Power of the Air, who saturates the airwaves with his teachings: 1. People are disposable. On sitcoms and soaps, Romeo has wrung every last ounce of pleasure from his last lover, and has found a more luscious tart. 2. Women have no value except as sex toys. In TV shows, the leading man cant work alongside a pretty woman without wanting to grope her . 3. He who out-cusses his opponent wins. Real men (and liberated women) use the F-Word in every sentence. 4. If its on TV, youve gotta have it. Kids from low-income families resent not owning the electronic toys, cars, and cool clothes flaunted by upper-crust adolescents on TV. 5. Its only wrong if you get caught. Kids on TV usually keep a cool, dead conscience if accused of wrongdoing. Only if the evidence is stacked against them do they break a sweat. 6. Always spin-doctor the truth away to bluff your way out of trouble. Lots of crafty politicians keep their jobs that way. Kids admire the celebrity criminal whos got an inexhaustible supply of aces up his sleeve. When confronted by authority figures, bullies spin their web of deceit and manage to convince investigators that the paraplegic pushed his own wheelchair down the stairs, or deliberately bloodied his own nose just to get them into trouble.

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7. Nice guys finish last. Only after the nerd has pumped iron and built up enough muscles to beat his love rival to a pulp does he get the girl, and the show has a happy ending. 8. Never suppress your anger. If somebody hacks you off, take a swing at him, or blow up his car (preferably with him sitting in it). 9. Violence is a fun sport, and guns are glamorous accessories. Kids go for bionic biceps and futuristic weaponry. Their android gods grin with glee as people and planes are nuked to subatomic particles. A bullys sweetest fanstasy is to grow from a common garden-variety playground punk into a real ganglord armed with an AK47. The possibilities are endless. Hey, just think of those big massacres in U.S. high schools weve heard about. Guns can be had for a song by anyone, anywhere, in America. It just makes good business sense for the gun lobby to keep those pinko liberals from slapping restrictions on the sale of firearms. Profit must always come first! Hey, whats a little blood? Gives the landscape a bit of color! 10. Your god can be anything you want him (or her) to be! (usually indulgent, indifferent, and inobtrusive). A popular cartoon show features a gang of foulmouthed brats whose shenanigans are eulogized by a wishy-washy Jesus. A chewing gum commercial mimics an evangelistic service. One movie produced back in the 80s depicts God as a cigar-chewing old codger who dispenses street-wise advice for making your own way in life. Little wonder the Fear of the Lord is outmoded, and bullies have no fear of facing His judgment. Gods highest will is tender love even toward enemies. But if youre too emotionally battered to have sweet feelings toward such people, I believe it is far better to just pray for them from a great distance (both emotional and geographical, if possible), even if you feel completely detached from them emotionally. Sometimes God has had to completely deaden my feelings toward the worst people I have known, so at least I wouldnt feel bad about them. Just commit your adversaries to the Lord. He alone can love the unlovely. Refrain from provoking your enemies, and stay well away from them unless God specifically directs you to approach them with the Good News of Salvation. While life remains, there is always a possibility that sinners might be saved from damnation. Spiritual Defenses Against Emotional Abuse Every last one of us have done stupid things in our lifetimes and lived to regret it. Sometimes our mistakes irritate others and we end up with egg all over our face. But nothing hurts more than having someone else ridicule you for your miscalculation or mistake, or kick you when youre down. People love to gain a chokehold on others. For example, I have known even Christians to gloat over the fact Brother so-and-so owes them money, or they are in no position to repay a huge favor done on their behalf. Beware of bullying somebody who is in any way indebted to you and cant immediately pay you back. Dont ever oppress a fellow human being who is beholden to you for any reason and cant easily escape your abuse. Poverty-stricken employees who cant easily throw down their tools and quit would also fall into this category. By refusing to be gracious toward vulnerable people and beating their debt out of their emotional hide, youre storing up trouble, not treasures, for yourself in Gods account book! If you ever fall from your own high horse and need mercy yourself, then you may discover it wont be

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there for you and youll reap the same shabby treatment you dished out to somebody else! In Matthew 18: 23-35 we read a tragic tale of a servant who owed his king a debt worth millions of dollars. Faced with the prospect of having everything he owned sold to pay the debt, including his family, the debtor begged the king for mercy. The heart of the king was so touched he forgave his servant the gigantic debt. Verse 28 relates that this same servant then went out and found a fellow servant who owed him a debt which amounted to chicken feed. He grabs this guy around the throat and says: Pay up or else! The poor debtor begged him for time to settle the debt, but he received no mercy. The unmerciful debtor, who had been forgiven a debt he couldnt have paid back in a lifetime, inflicted upon his fellow servant the fate he himself had escaped: He had the poor fellow cast into prison until he finished paying off his tiny debt. When the king was told about this cruelty, he called the cruel man into his presence and said: You wicked servant, I forgave you all that debt just because you asked me to do it. Verse 34 says he delivered him to the tormentors, till the debt was satisfied. A professing believer who refuses to show grace toward another Christian delivers his brother to the tormentors to collect on a tiny debt. Long forgotten is the joyful gratitude that believer once felt toward His own Redeemer for forgiving him or her the vast debt of sin and releasing them from the penalty of sin, which is eternal hell. Instead, the ungrateful Christian repays his own kings kindness by bringing his own fellow-servant into captivity to the torments of satan. Especially when the offender claims to be a believer in Christ. A graceless, mean-spirited hypocrite who names the name of Christ but collaborates with satan does far worse damage to Christs Kingdom than any unbeliever. Such a reprobate opens the door for satan to attack a fellow Christian with depression and selfloathing. Dont ever kick others when they are down, or the day will probably come when you yourself are stuck in a similar messy situation. Then youll pray your heart out to God, only to find that the heavens are shut up like a brass shield against your prayers, and God doesnt seem to be listening. The cruelty you sow, youll surely reap. Bullying Others With the Silent Treatment The SILENT TREATMENT is a tactic of satan to put a spirit of heaviness on others. I believe evil spirits are responsible for many bouts of severe depression, although some definitely have medical causes. I Samuel 16:14-16 relates how King Saul was troubled by a spirit of depression. When someone gives you gives you an icy rebuke for some real or imagined wrong and then does the silent treatment, theyre giving the devil a stronghold in your life to oppress you, and thats tantamount to witchcraft. Ive been the victim of the silent treatment more than once, and invariably it creates a heaviness in me which I have had to drive away with Prayer in the Spirit. At work, the silent treatment is considered much more civilized than screaming at somebody and throwing a plate at them. The silent treatment might be inflicted by a friend or associate who feels youve wronged or shortchanged them in some way, although you may not have meant to. Nothing is more frustrating than to know someone is freezing you out, either to manipulate you to get something out of you, or to punish you psychologically. You smile your cheeriest smile and try to build bridges, but you are rebuffed. You do your best to made amends for any mistakes youve made, only to be informed that your efforts are unneeded. Your inquiries

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about the welfare of the other person are rewarded with an icy sniff, and you feel like a whipped puppy. And the devil laughs. Satan savors every cold war going on in the world almost as much as those hot wars that are ripping the planet apart. It is time for warfare in the Spirit to fend off the ugly attacks of his spirits of darkness. Pray the Word of God as you come across portions of it that apply to your situation. You will feel strengthened inside as the Holy Spirit breathes life into that liberating Scripture and sets you free by His power. A Prayer for Victory Over the Silent Treatment Dear Heavenly Father, the attitude of...(name the person) has brought heaviness upon my soul, a feeling of alienation and grief. This is the work of the devil, the author of all the sick People Games being played in the world today. Satan has found an open door to harass me and make me feel lousy. I havent been able to laugh it off or ignore it, either. The Bible says we war not against flesh and blood, but against the powers of wickedness at work in this world. Your ministry is one of reconciliation; first to reconcile people with You, and then with each other. Deliberately putting heaviness on another soul is a bullying tactic of satan, not a ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ. Please, dear Father. I pray that Your powerful Holy Spirit will assign warring angels to do battle against those spirits of wickedness which are weighing my soul down with grief, and attacking my life. I pray that those angels will encamp round about me, and deliver me from all trouble. I pray that even if loneliness is a consequence of this silent treatment by one person or by many, that this vicious weapon theyre using against me will lose its sting. I pray I will no longer feel lonely, but will be wrapped up in the warmth of Your loving arms. I pray that You will set a cheerful spiritual feast before me in the midst of this wilderness I find myself in. Make all the blessings of Psalms Chapter 23 mine. I pray that You will be very near and dear to me. Even to the extent that where my antagonists expect to see me looking miserable, instead there will be a glow of transparent joy on my countenance, and a spring in my step. Those who oppress me feel insecure unless they are surrounded by an army of mean-spirited comrades But even if all I have is You in this world, I am far more blessed than they are. I pray that whether those inflicting the psychological attack are unconverted or born again, that you will somehow show them that by playing the devils games, they have been taken captive by him and need Your deliverance. Give me the power to love and not to hate. Help my enemy to come to repentance through Christ. Help me to send out an olive branch of friendship while having the good sense not to hang around where Im clearly not welcome. And though I might be eager to normalize relations with an estranged person, give me the strength never to compromise what is right in order to win back their approval. In the Name of Jesus, through Whom we ever triumph. Amen . Nucular Hatred: Aim it Against satan and Injustice, Not People The Bible teaches you to love even your enemies, but Scripture also warns that God hates "all workers of iniquity" (Ps. 5:5). "The Lord abhors (deeply hates) the bloodthirsty and deceitful man" (Psalms 5:6). There are 6 things "the Lord hates," including "a heart that devises wicked plans...a false witness who speaks lies, and one who sows discord among brethren" (Prov. 6:16-19). God also hates the wicked and the one who loves violence (Psalms 11:5). Forgiveness passed out casually like free popcorn to the unrepentant makes a mockery of the whole meaning of

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forgiveness. Forgiveness is a two-way transaction. Even in the case of fellow Christians who deliberately hurt you, the Lord Jesus says IF thy brother repent, forgive him (Luke 17:3). Notice, Christ uses the word brother. Contrary to the humanistic doctrine of the brotherhood of all men, lowlife bullies are NOT our brothers. Bullies belong to a different family than we as Christians do. SATAN is their daddy (John 8:44). Like father, like son. God is our father. In order for someone to be your brother, you must have the same parents. If you know Christ as Savior and God is your father, that bully is no more your brother than the devil is your father. Unless he knows not what hes doing as in the case of Jesus ignorant executioners, he is guilty of a grievous sin in the sight of God and open wide to His judgment, and there is no room for true forgiveness. All you can do is turn the bully over to the Righteous Judge of all the Earth and pray that hell come to repentance. My Bible says that some people were created to have the wrath of God poured out on them, in order that God might be glorified in the way He executes judgment on them. Thats the only purpose God has for the existence of these evil entities who are destined for everlasting hell. Unrepentant sinners are walking dead men. This earth is the only heaven theyll ever know, while this earth is the only hell the Christian will ever know. Bullies and other evil people are vessels (containers) of wrath prepared for destruction by God (Rom.9:22). The LORD hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil (Prov.16:4). Notice, the wicked, including all evil bullies, have been created by God for the purpose of meeting their destiny in spending eternity in a devils hell. Christ said man was not made for the Sabbath Day, but the Sabbath for man (Mark 2:27). People arent usually made by God for the benefit of some day. Instead, God creates days for OUR benefit, to give us time to get things done. But here you have an example of certain people being created to be kindling wood to feed the judgment fires of a certain day, or historical period, the terrible day of the wrath of Almighty God. God did not create the wicked for eternal life and blessing, but for damnation, shame and everlasting disgrace (Daniel 12:2). The saints in heaven praise God that ALL things have been created for Gods pleasure (Rev.4:11). Even the bully who hates Gods guts and curses Him will be forced to bring honor and glory to God by being the palette upon which God paints a perfect picture of divine justice. Here are a few quotes from one of Jonathan Edwards most hard-hitting sermons: Wicked Men Useful in Their Destruction Only: The saints in glory will know, concerning the damned in hell, that God never loved them, but that He hates them, and (they) will be forever hated of God.* * * Awesome. Contrary to the God loves everybody soft soap being pushed from pulpits today, God actually HATES certain people, and He NEVER, EVER, loved these people destined for eternal destruction. Why? Because God knows ahead of time who will end up rejecting Jesus and continuing in rebellion against Him. Even before theyd been born or had any chance to do good or evil, God loved Jacob but hated his twin brother Esau (Rom.9:11-13). Edwards gives another noble (but painful) purpose for the existence of wicked men: The vengeance inflicted on many of the wicked will be a manifestation of Gods love to the saints. One way whereby God shows His love to the saints is by destroying their enemies.* * * *Honestly now, how many 21st century preachers are man enough to preach like this? They dont have the guts! Instead, modern preachers usually wimp out of teaching the subject of divine justice. Powderpuff pastors tell their parishioners that God loves even the most hardened, wicked criminals just as much as His own children, and it is a sin to even harbor the idea that God could ever entertain the idea of evening the score with the wicked. Consider Christians fed to the lions 2000 years ago. God shows how much He loves and

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values these martyrs by destroying their unrepentant persecutors in the Book of Revelation. Edwards quotes I Cor.3:21-22 which promises that ALL things belong to the believer, including Paul himself, the world, life and death. Edwards goes on to say: Here the apostle teaches, that all things in the world to come, or in the future and eternal world, are the saints: not only life, but death: men, and angels, and devils, heaven and hell, are theirs, to contribute to their joy and happiness. Therefore the damned and their misery, their sufferings and the wrath of God poured out upon them, will be an occasion of joy to them. If there were any thing whatsoever that did not contribute to their joy, but caused grief, then there would be something which would not be theirs. * * * * The evil bully or persecutor is actually the property of Gods children, and the torment in hell the bully will someday suffer will only serve to bring glory to God and praise from the saints in heaven for Gods perfect justice. Bullies adore violence, so it follows that God hates the hardened bully who refuses to repent of his sins. Pray for Gods help to overcome the raw resentment that inevitably comes from being abused, and steer clear of satans traps. It is our prerogative to join God in hating the devil and his evil works, and hating the wicked deeds of the wicked. Only God has the right to hate people if He so wills. Hatred is the hottest and most explosive of all emotions, and when handled irresponsibly, its like a monkey having his finger on the nucular trigger, and the monkey cant even spell the word correctly, much less understand that this particular weapon shouldnt even be detonated against fellow human beings. At least in this imperfect mortal lifetime, hatred should never be aimed at people by other people. Someday well know for sure whos capable of repentance and who isnt but whos to say your own rotten enemy might not end up soundly converted to Christ one of these days? Pray for God to protect you from the temptation to feel HBomb hatred toward other mortal humans which is bound to come from being badly abused. Instead of hating nasty people, channel your strong hatred of your bad experience into something constructive, like lifting up others whom the devil has ground underfoot. If hating people is ever necessary, only God should do it, because He alone is without sin and wise enough to act rightly and justly. Surrender all bad feelings to God and pray for His love, while being cautious and wary toward those who arent worthy of your trust. Remember that your battle is not with flesh and blood, but with the devil (Eph. 6:12). If you feel any compassion or tenderness at all toward your enemy, that is the power of Christ at work within you, and not any virtue inherent in your own fallen human nature.

Historical Examples Cited

One reason I have always found witnessing for Christ a daunting task is this: People who knew some perverse historical facts would dredge them up to argue with me. Throughout the centuries, the Holy Name of Christ has been besmirched by vain hypocrites and charlatans who have waged imperial wars in His Name. The Crusaders sallied forth in the Name of Christ, brandishing bloody swords, determined to butcher as many Jews and Arabs as necessary to rescue the Holy Land from infidels. Plundering and looting their way through Europe on the way to Palestine, they left a trail of blood in their wake. Gods honor had to be defended at all costs. Gold and treasure for their rulers was just icing on the cake. They were worse than sea pirates, for they dared to dedicate their deeds to Christ. Christopher Columbus discovered (and looted) America for God (or was it gold?). Chapter One of A Peoples History of the United States shatters the saintly myth of Columbus taught to millions of American school children. It relates how vast

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numbers of Indians on the island of Hispanolia were tortured and enslaved by Columbus men. They toiled under brutal conditions, digging scarce gold out of the hillsides. Most of those poor Indians died of exhaustion, torture, hunger or sickness. So why do we honor that genocidal imperialist every October? Why not go a step further, and canonize Adolf Hitler? Why dont we eulogize other brutal dictators? I cant deny that millions of villains have pinned the label of Christ on themselves to justify their evil deeds. Oppressors in high places would, if they were able, be the ones to parcel out the eternal riches, even as they have cornered all the treasures of earth. They would even consign the poor to subsisting off the crumbs beneath the Table of the Lord. If they could, they would even bar heaven to those who are humble in heart. They forget that Christ said: Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth (Matt.5:4). Christ does not belong to the cruel, the proud and the arrogant. It takes God-given discernment to disassociate Jesus from heartless hypocrites. Considering Im so thoroughly disgusted with the world as it is now, my faith in Christ is a miracle.

How to Get the Victory Over satanic Oppression

1. Repent of all known sin. In John 14:30 Jesus declared: the prince of this world (satan) cometh, and hath nothing in hath nothing in me. Satan could not accuse Christ before the Father, for He was innocent of sin. Therefore satan could not claim any squatters rights in Jesus soul or in His life. Where it concerns examining your own heart and repenting of sin keep short accounts with God. 2. Submit to God and resist the devil, armed with the assurance that if God has forgiven your sins and you are in Christ, the evil one has no squatters rights in your life either. 3. Plead the Blood of Jesus over yourself and everything which affects you (Rev. 12:11). As a Blood-washed believer in Christ you are no longer a citizen of satans filthy kingdom. You belong to Christ and satan has no legal right to wreak havoc with your nerves or touch anything you have. The devil hates the Blood of Jesus. Why? Jesus shed His precious Blood to strip satan of his power to enforce death in the lives of Gods people (Heb. 2:14). Declare yourself under the protection of the Blood of Christ. Resist satans every effort to inject the poison of death into your soul, either through ugly memories, ugly circumstances or ugly people. 4. Pray in the Spirit. Bullying is a mighty stronghold of satan, the primary oppressor in your life. It is a structure he built which needs to be torn down in your life if youre affected by it. Just as people try to build up a network of friends to be there for them in time of need, satan oversees a hierarchy of evil spirits who orchestrate situations to harm you even as he directs his human slaves to do his dirty work. Gross wickedness of any kind is primarily a spiritual struggle against unseen powers of darkness (Eph. 6: 12). Depend not on your own limited human understanding as you pray for Gods intervention, but on the perfect understanding of the Spirit of God within you (Rom. 8:26-27) Who makes intercession for the saints according to the perfect will of God. In the case of a Spirit-baptized believer this involves use of the prayer language (I Cor. 14:2), where the Spirit speaks mysteries beyond the grasp of the human intellect. Far better to enlist the help of the Spirit of God against a spiritual enemy than to try to war against satan on your own. 5. Pray for God to dispatch warrior angels into your situation. In 2 Kings chapter 19 King Hezekiah of Judah finds himself surrounded by fierce foes.

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6. Commit your enemies into Gods Hands, and see it as His responsibility to deal with them, not yours. If there is no repentance and continued animosity on their part, so that divine vengeance is called for, He will repay (Rom. 12:19). 7. If experience has taught you that a sarcastic, acid-tongued friend will never change his or her bullying ways, it might be best for you to put that friendship on ice, at least until the offender has been transformed by the Holy Spirit into a more Christlike individual. If this seems to be too harsh, remember that by hanging around them you are opening yourself up to their bad influence, and you are continually being tempted to hurt them back in some way, and you are constantly being pressured to conform to their way of thinking. Scripture exhorts us not to be conformed to this world (Rom.12:2). The only trend setter God wants us to conform to is His precious Son (Rom.8:29). Sinners set todays trends for fashion and life philosophy, But Christ is setting the trend for the glorious world to come. Sinner celebrities set the trend for a lost, doomed, and damned world culture on its way to hell. Some Christians act more like satan than Jesus in their relationships with one another. When that happens dont hang around to breathe in their spiritual germs. Even the early church was admonished to disfellowship other believers who persisted in unrepented-of sin (I Cor. 5:11). They werent even to eat with them. There is a time to embrace, but there is also a time to go your separate ways (Eccl. 3:5). Healing of the inner man (or woman) is often debunked as being occultic, because the very concept has led some to stray from sound Biblical truth into New Age philosophies and practices. For example, the practice of seeing Gods unmanifested answers by faith (Hebrews 11:13) can easily degenerate into occultic meditation and visualization. Confessing the promises of God as Biblical heroes of faith did can easily lapse into endless chanting, a form of brainwashing. But our soul does need healing sometimes. It is just as real as our arm or our leg. The soul is just as vulnerable to injury as the body. Our soul is the part of us which survives death. The Lord restores our soul (Psalms 23: 3. Souls, not just bodies, get damaged by bullying, sometimes for years, often for life. We are fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalms 139:14). We are a much higher form of life than a dog or a cat. We are made in the image of God (Gen. 1:26-27; James 3:9). When a bully calls a girl a gorilla, he is insulting the image of God within her and will not be held blameless by the Righteous Judge of all the earth. Christ within me is my greatest Treasure. My perishable body is Gods Treasure Box. (I Cor.3:16; 2 Cor.6:16; 4:7). My spirit is made on spirit with Christ by faith (I Cor.6:17). As I reflect upon how God has exalted me in making me one of His dear children and sending his own Holy Spirit to dwell in my heart by faith, that is excellent medicine to soothe away those bad memories of verbal abuse.

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CHAPTER SIX GOD IS OUR DEFENSE As the Psalmist David was being hunted like a rabbit in the wilderness, God was His only protection from the forces of King Saul, his angry, jealous father-in-law. David prayed: Deliver me, O LORD, from mine enemies: I flee unto thee to hide me (Psalms 143:9). Notes in the margin of my Bible indicate that what the Psalmist is saying is this: Hide me with thee. Pray that God Himself will stand between you and your enemies, and you will be kept securely beneath the shelter of His wings. Those who have trusted Christ as Savior are spiritually hidden with Christ in God. Once you have done taken all the practical steps God has shown you to do, and prayed to God in the power of the Spirit; once you have claimed in prayer the promises of the Word of God which are relevant to your situation, stand in complete rest and confidence that God will send His answer (Eph.6:13). After God poured out His plagues upon the Egyptians and forced Pharaoh to let the Children of Israel go, Pharaoh changed his mind. He wanted his slaves back. Pharaoh chased the Israelites to the edge of the Red Sea with his army, who were expertly armed and driving swift chariots. The Israelites found themselves caught between the Red Sea (some scholars believe it was really the Sea of Reeds) and Pharaohs army. They could run no further. The Israelites were caught between the proverbial rock and a hard place. But God was their Rock Who delivered them and got them past the hard place. He told Moses to stretch his rod over the waters. Through Moses, God said to them, in Exodus 14:13-14: Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you today; for the Egyptians, whom ye shall see today, ye shall see them again no more forever. The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace. Gods salvation includes much more than being saved from sin and its eternal consequences. God wants to save you from all the destructions of satan, as He did for the Israelites. God wants to fight all your battles and be your Deliverer. Jesus instructs us to pray for God to deliver us from evil (Matt.6:13). Psalms 106:8: Nevertheless he (God) saved them (the Israelites) for his names sake, that he might make his mighty power to be known.* * *God parted the waters to enable the Israelites to pass over to dry land. But he brought those same waters down upon their Egyptian pursuers to drown them. God is well able to deal with bullies to humble and deter them. God can catch the bully in his own trap. Psalms 7:15: He made a pit and digged it, and is fallen into the ditch which he made. Verse 16: His mischief shall return upon his own head, and his violent dealing shall return upon his own pate (crown of the head).* * *If your oppressor is hard-hearted and will not listen to reason, and especially if he poses a danger to your safety, be sure to claim this promise from the Word of God! Some people never come to repentance until the Lord chastises them through adversity. Psalm 94:10: He that chastiseth the heathen, shall he not correct (discipline)? He that teacheth man knowledge, shall he not know?* * * Verse 13 declares that a pit will be dug for the wicked. Verse 22: But the LORD is my defense; and my God is the Rock of my refuge. Vers 23: And he shall bring upon them (the Psalmists enemies) their own iniquity, and shall cut them off in their wickedness; yea, the LORD our God shall cut them off.* * *You could pray that God will cut your enemy off from whatever gives him or

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her power to harm or threaten you. You want them to come to Christ, but now it is very important that God humble them enough to take away their power over you. Psalms 8:15: The heathen are sunk down in the pit that they made: in the net which they hid is their own foot taken.* * *Pray that your enemy will be defeated by their own traps and unable to bother you anymore. Psalms 107:20: He sent his word and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.* * *Stand upon every promise of protection written in Gods Word. Believe that the Lord will save you from every destruction of the enemy and heal the damage already done in your life. Commentary on Psalm 91 Psalms 91 is one of my very favorite chapters in the Bible. Where I went to church, we even learned to sing it. Psalms 91:1 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.* * *The only truly safe place to be in this world is to nestle beneath the wings of Almighty God. Jesus said something comparable in Matthew 23:37 where he laments over Jerusalem and says that He had longed so much to protect them like a hen gathers her chicks under her wings to keep them safe. Pray always that God will keep you safe and secure under the shadow of the Almighty. Verse 2: I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God, in Him will I trust.* * *Take refuge in Gods love for you. Only His opinion of you matters. Let Him be your strength. Ask Him to stand between you and your enemies and be your mighty fortress. Verse 3: Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare (trap) of the fowler (bird hunter) and from the noisome (harmful) pestilence (plague).* * *Claim God Almighty as your own personal Deliverer. It isnt a sin to want to be saved from danger. Even Jesus Himself escaped from enemies. The Baby Jesus was protected from the wrath of King Herod (Matt.2:13-14). Jesus escaped an angry crowd who was about to shove Him off a cliff (Luke 4:29-30). Jesus was kept safe from harm until the time came for Him to die for our sins. Jesus is our perfect Example. So why shouldnt we also desire to escape from our enemies? Verse 4: He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.* * *God wants to hide us under His wings like a mother hen. When we know Gods truth and hold fast to it in faith, it shields our hearts from the fiery darts of the enemy. Not only do we have the shield of Gods truth, but we have the truth as buckler, which is a smaller shield used to fend off blows in hand-to-hand combat. Sometimes missiles are sent against us from a distance, and we need a big shield to fend them off. But when the enemy gets in your face, skillful use of the Word of God, like a buckler shield, can fend off the blows of satan. Verse 5: Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; * * *Stand on this promise made by God Himself. I have read accounts of angels of God guarding the homes of missionaries from attack. Ask God to assign a 24-hour-a-day body guard of angels to watch over you.

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Verse 6: Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.* * *Those of us who belong to Christ have a right not to have our lives laid waste by the enemys destructions. Verse 7: A thousand shall fall by thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh (near) thee.* * *I didnt make this promise, GOD did! He is actually promising here, that even if people all around us are falling as victims, the danger wont come near us! Pray for the Holy Spirit to give you faith in your heart to claim this Scripture as your very own. Remember, Jesus Himself did not fall into satans hands until the time came for Him to suffer for our sins. Surely the Father would never demand harder suffering of us than befell His own Son. Verse 8: Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.* * *God promises here that you will live to see evildoers get what they deserve (let God take care of that). God promises in Romans 12:19: Vengeance is mine, I will repay. Verse 9: Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the Most High, thy habitation (dwelling place); Verse 10: There shall no evil befall thee (happen to you); neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.* * *Jesus Himself taught His disciples to pray this to the Father: Lead us not into temptation (hard testing) but deliver us from evil (Matt.6:13). Abide in the presence of God through continual prayer and meditation on His Word and trust in His power to shield you. Verse 11: For he shall give His angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.* * *Claim this promise from God. Pray that wherever you go, His angels will not only watch over you, but will prepare your path by subduing all your enemies. Verse 12: They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.* * *You can claim this verse not only when youre walking somewhere, but in case there might be hazards out on the road when youre driving. Verse 13: Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder (poisonous snake): the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.* * *The lion, the adder (serpent), and the dragon are all used metaphorically in the Bible of satan (I Pet.5:8; Rev.12:3,9). By faith in Gods Word and confession the power of the blood of Jesus we can bruise him underfoot. Wicked spirits controlling human enemies can be battled against in the spiritual realm. As for physically fighting human bullies, leave that solely to God (unless youre being attacked yourself and have no other choice than to use the MINIMUM required physical force (stomp on a toe or knee in the groin) to enable you to break free of the attacker(s) and run away. Chances are, if one of those cowards suffers, the others will be distracted by his yell of pain. If youre surrounded by a crowd of attackers, offer a silent prayer to God to temporarily blind or distract them so you can get away (see Gen.19:11). Carry a piercingly loud personal alarm, or SCREAM as loud as you can, in the ears of the attackers if theyre that close. Dont mind looking like a chicken by running away! Dont hang around to argue with them to protect your dignity. Just get away as fast as possible! They might laugh at you, but its better than a beating. Especially for women who must often walk alone in dangerous areas, and anyone in actual physical danger, training in basic self-defense might be an option (many

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community centers offer self-defense seminars). There is some controversy surrounding martial arts training, which is steeped in Far Eastern mysticism. Verse 14: Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.* * *Those who set their love upon the God of Scripture and His Son Jesus can rightly claim this verse as their own. Trust God to set you in a high place of safety above the trouble and turmoil of this life. Verse 15: He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honour him.* * *There is no guarantee you wont be in trouble again if you trust God, but He will be wherever you are, even in the middle of a messy situation. Joseph got sold to slave traders by his own brothers. God was even with Joseph in slavery, and in prison (Gen.39:3,31). And after Joseph unjustly suffered, God exalted Joseph to be the second highest ruler in Egypt (Gen.41:3745). All because Joseph honored God even in his misery. Verse 16: With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.* * *God is able to give us lives sufficiently long enough to fulfill our calling. He is able to save us not only from sin and its penalty, but save us from the perils of the devil and his evil angels. Some Thoughts on Psalm 94 Verse 1: O LORD God, to whom vengeance belongeth; O God, to whom vengeance belongeth, shew (show) thyself.* * *Here the Psalmist seems to be saying: God, where ARE you? Justice is needed here! So show Yourself! Verse 2: Lift up thyself, thou judge of the earth: render a reward to the proud (arrogant).* * *Feeling immune from having to pay for sin makes sinners arrogant and eager to commit more crime. The Psalmist pleads with the Judge of All the Earth to repay the arrogant sinner in kind for the evil he has done. Verse 3: LORD, how long shall the wicked, how long shall the wicked triumph?* * *Many times Ive asked God that question myself. Every news story I hear about murderous bullies boasting about how they got off lightly sounds like a victory for satan. Lord, I plead, hasten the day when judgment and justice will be done in this fallen world. Surely the Judge of all the Earth shall do right (Gen.18:25). Verse 4: How long shall they utter and speak hard things? And all the workers of iniquity (wickedness) boast themselves?* * *How long before God silences the boasts of the workers of darkness? Come, Lord Jesus! Verse 5: They break in pieces thy people, O LORD, and afflict thine heritage.* * *The Psalmist cries out to God because Israel is being abused by foreign enemies. Verse 6: They slay the widow and the stranger, and murder the fatherless.* * *Cowardly oppressors prefer to attack the most vulnerable groups first because they like an easy victory. Verse 7: Yet they say, the LORD shall not see, neither shall the God of Jacob regard it.* * *Bullies must know that SOMEONE created them, but they dont think God notices what theyre doing because nothing stands in their way. But all theyre doing

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is treasuring up (storing up) wrath to be poured out upon them by an angry Judge (Rom.2:5). Payday might be long in coming, but the more dirty deeds are recorded, the fatter the paycheck! Verse 13 warns that a pit is being dug for the wicked by Almighty God. I believe that God is able to trap the wicked in the here and now, but a far worse pit awaits them after death, the pit of hell. In Numbers 16:30-33 a living family is swallowed up alive into the pit as punishment for trying to start a rebellion against Moses. The Psalmist asks who will rise up in his defense. In verse 18 he declares that Gods mercy held him up when his foot slipped. God is his refuge and his defense against unjust judges (verse 22). Verse 23: And he shall bring upon them their own iniquity, and shall cut them off in their own wickedness; yea, the LORD our GOD shall cut them off.* * *The Judge of All the Earth shall bring swift retribution upon lying wicked men. Warrior Angels The chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands of angels: the Lord is among them, as in Sinai, in the Holy Place (Psalms 68:17). God Almighty is attended by a glorious entourage of ministering spirits who go forth to serve Him. Angels also look after the well-being of His children, who are joint-heirs with Christ Jesus. The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them (Psalms 34:7). The Hebrew word for encampeth is chaneh, which means to pitch a tent, or dwelling place. Ask God to set up a celestial army bivouacs around you. How wonderful, to have heavenly hosts camping out in your own home and workplace, or wherever you go! Consecrate your own home to the Lord, that unseen angels will always feel welcome there. I have to chuckle about this, since my present home is so small that if you get more than three people in the place you feel crowded! Hebrews 1:14: Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation? When Jesus was being arrested by His enemies, Peter tried to defend Him by using a sword. Jesus responded by telling Peter His Father was perfectly able to send more than twelve legions of to His defense (Matt. 26:53). In the time of Caesar Augustus, one legion of men equaled 6826. Jesus could have been rescued by roughly 82,000 angels! But it wasnt in the purpose of the Father to save His own beloved Son from the death of the Cross, because His divinely preordained plain was to die to save US! Ask the Father to dispatch a contingent of mighty angels to fight against your foes in such a way that they are weakened and hindered from harming you, but are still spared to give them opportunity to be converted to Christ. In the Old Testament, the enemies of the righteous would often have been killed by any angels sent by God to defend His own. Jesus teaches His people to love their enemies. But those who threaten your peace or safety must be warred against in the realm of the Spirit, and restrained through the power of God. In 2 Kings chapters 18 and 19 the nation of Judah is repeatedly oppressed by foreign invaders who demand tribute (just like a school bully who takes your lunch money). The situation begins with Shalmanezer king of Assyria invading the northern Kingdom of Israel, which was comprised of ten of the Twelve tribes of Israel (Judah

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consisted of the remaining two). Israel had earlier seceded from Judah, the dominant tribe from which David and his dynasty of kings sprung. Some of Judahs kings were godly, but ALL of Israels kings were rotten eggs. Israel had stopped going to Jerusalem, capital of Judah, to worship at the Temple according to Gods commandment. Instead, the northern Ten Tribes fell into idolatry, and God had to judge this kingdom. In the days of Hezekiah, King of Judah, the rival nation Israel was carried away captive by Shalmanezer, who took them to Assyria. The nation of Judah had some bad kings, but Hezekiah was one of their best. Hezekiah was a God-fearing man. He didnt deserve the troubles that came his way. Once idolatrous Israel was taken captive, Assyria set its sights on Judah, its smaller neighbor. Just like a bully to feel all pumped up with power after beating up the biggest kid on the block. Now it should be a piece of cake to beat up his smaller brother. Judahs cities were conquered and placed under tribute. Then Hezekiah worried that he might have done something to upset Sennacherib, the then king of Assyria. Hezekiah pleaded for mercy and promised to pay any tribute laid upon his nation. Many of Gods people are so weary of taking a stand against the devil that they find it easier to just let him rob them. The king of Assyria is a fitting picture of satan, oppressor of mens souls. Sennacherib demanded thirty talents of gold and three hundred talents of silver. I checked my Strongs Concordance for the value of gold and silver talents, then multiplied by the number of each type of talent demanded by Sennacherib. The combined value of the tribute was around $43,680,000 per year! Just for the privilege of being allowed to live in your own territory and go about your business unmolested! Hezekiah was so desperate he gave the king of Assyria all the silver in his house. When that wasnt enough, Hezekiah even stripped all of the gold and silver out of the Temple to pay his oppressors tribute. In the Old Testament, gold symbolizes the Glory of God (2 Kings 18:14-16). Silver represents Gods wisdom and the precious riches of His Word. The devil isnt content to steal your earthly happiness. He wants to ransack your spirit and soul as well. Satan wants to destroy the very Glory of God within you. He wants to rob you of the wisdom and strength you gain from the Word of God. Satan Satan rules over this evil world system, but God Himself owns the title deed to the earth (Psalms 50:12). Gods children are His heirs, and joint-heirs with Christ their Lord (Rom.8:17). But satan wants you to be his serf, laboring under a burden of fear so you can pay him rent wrenched out of your innermost being. The devil wants Christian believers to stop seeing themselves as heirs of God and to feel like helpless worms to be stepped on. In this present evil age, continual prayer must be offered up to God for His help to overcome the adversary of our souls. Sennacherib wasnt content with extorting protection money from Hezekiah. He wanted to steal the population of Judah, just like hed carried Israel away as slaves. Rabshakeh, Sennacheribs ambassador, pleads with the people of Judah to give up and submit to being taken captive. He says it wont be so bad, theyll enjoy a land full of good things to eat and drink (verse 32). In verses 33-35 Rabshakeh argues that other kings and nations appealed to their gods for help but it didnt do any good. In essence, Rabshakeh is inviting the Judahites to emigrate to his own nation and be assimilated into it. Join our gang and well stop beating you up! Like Rabshakeh, Satan will lie to you to wear down your resistance. He will cause you to think of others who sought supernatural help and it didnt come. The devil promises to stop hassling you if only youll pledge allegiance to him and follow the crowd to hell. Reminds me of that epic battle between Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader in Star Wars. If only Luke would turn to the dark side of the Force, Darth Vader will stop blasting him with his light saber and Luke will have a bright future to look forward to. Those who buy satans lie have sold their souls for a bag of

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peanuts. When all is said and done, the only thing you can take with you when you go is the treasure inside your heart. Where will the bullys buddies be when the stern Judge of all the Universe weighs his deeds and finds him wanting? Those who fail to make Christ their only Righteousness will be judged on the basis of their own works and be condemned for them. The devil knows this. As much as he hates us, he hates his own children enough to want them to burn with him in hell. King Hezekiah gave the people some very wise advice: Dont say a word back to the enemy (verse 36). The danger was that in so doing, their defenses would be lowered and they would end up negotiating with the enemy and end up giving in to Rabshakehs demands. In 2 Kings Chapter 19 Hezekiah goes to the Temple to seek Gods help. Hezekiah mourns over the blasphemy uttered by the enemy against the Living God. It isnt long before the prophet Isaiah comes on the scene to deliver Gods reply: Be not afraid of the words which thou hast heard, with which the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed me. Behold, I will send a blast upon him, and he shall hear a rumour, and shall return to his own land: and I will cause him to fall by the sword in his own land (verses 6-7). In verses 8-13 Hezekiah is once again tested. Will he believe Gods promise of deliverance or be intimidated by further threats from the enemy? Like all bullies, the devil doesnt give up easily. Once again Rahshakeh returns and taunts the King of Judah and his men about past victories won by the king of Assyria over various nations. The devil uses the same old tired tactics to wear out the saints of the Most High (Dan.7:25). Instead of panicking, Hezekiah returned to the Temple to consult with God over the enemys renewed threats. Hezekiah took the intimidating letter and spread it out before the Lord (verse 14). In verses 15-19 Hezekiah appealed to the God Who was powerful enough to create the heavens and the earth, that One Who dwelled between the cherubims (an exalted order of angels). Hezekiah appeals to Almighty God to hear what this idolatrous king is saying against Him. Once again the prophet Isaiah came by with an encouraging word from God. Gods nation was destined for victory and an overcoming remnant would be saved to return and take root again . But as for now, Gods promise was that no military tactic taken by the king of Assyria against Judah would be permitted to succeed. God would defend the City of Jerusalem for His own sake and for the sake of His servant David (verses 32-34). This promise brings to mind Gods promise: No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper, and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn (see Isaiah 54:17). Just ONE angel went out from the Lord and smote 185,000 Assyrians singlehandedly! Once Sennacherib returned to his own land, he went to worship his heathen gods, but got struck down by the real God as punishment for his blasphemous sins (verses 35-37). If you are in danger ask God to send a powerful warrior angel to fight on your behalf. God loves people, but when necessary He is a Man of War (Ex.15:3). He is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Malachi 3:6; Heb.13:8). If You re STILL Unsure About God Perhaps you still arent totally sure about Christ. You just want to be sure that His love is for real, that Hes true to His Word and wont let you down when push comes to shove. Ive received countless answers to prayer, some of them miraculous. My husband, daughter, and I have seen Gods power in action.

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The God I love and serve is very merciful. If you feel the need for Him to prove His love to you, why not taste and see that the Lord is good (Psalms 34:7-8). If satan is bullying you, pray this prayer out loud, speaking to Him from the depths of a sincere, seeking heart. Dont hurry through it, but meditate deeply upon it until the Peace of God fills your being, and calm returns to your troubled soul. Gods peace is a sure sign that your prayer has been answered. Dear God in heaven, Ive been burnt by so many people and have often felt that life itself is one bad trip going to nowhere. Perhaps Ive even gone so far as to question Your fairness in putting me on this earth in the first place. A world where Ive often felt unwanted and unneeded, and been betrayed even by people I thought were my friends. I still have my doubts. I cant pretend otherwise. But still, Im open to any proofs You could give me that You do care, and are both willing and able to deliver me from trouble. I feel insecure and threatened, Lord. I hate being taunted and stared at. At times, I feel that others intend very real harm against me. Please befriend me, even though Im still unsure about You. I do desperately want and need the intervention and protection of Your guardian angels. Please dispatch powerful warring angels to do battle against unseen entities of darkness which motivate others to want to hurt me. Not everyone will respond to words of kindness, for some are so hardened in heart that they are determined to have their perverse fun. Jesus prayed: Father, forgive them (His enemies), for they know not what they do. But hardened bullies know full well what they are doing! They commit crimes because they think they can get away with it, not because they have no inkling that their cruelty is wrong. I realize that Your very nature is love, but sometimes love has to be tough. So if it is necessary for my protection from physical harm, I ask You to take strong disciplinary action against my human foes. It is written in Your Word that You have authority to chastise the heathen. I do not want You to inflict permanent injury upon these dangerous enemies, but to punish them enough to strike the fear of God into their hearts, and to prevent them from posing any further threat to my safety. As for emotional attacks, I ask that You would remind me that the insults of others are built on the lies of the devil, because nothing satan says about me is ever Your truth, just destructive garbage. Satan is a liar, and no truth abides in him. I ask that You would be a Mighty Shield round about My soul, and to so undergird me with an awareness of my value to You, that nothing bullies say would have the power to faze me. If the bully gets so frustrated by my composure that he resorts to physical threats, I pray that You would arise to my defense and fight for me, even as you fought for Your Chosen People in the Bible. I ask that you would even render all enemies, human and demonic, powerless, Lord, and cause them to fall into any traps they set for me. I know the bully in my life could not even draw his next breath to threaten me with unless You permitted it, so I ask that you would take away his strength and influence over others. I ask You to break any power he has over me, and to render powerless all his evil alliesc. The bully acts like a kingpin immune to punishment, O Lord, but in Jesus Name I ask that You would hit him with Isaiah 14:5, which promises You will break the sceptre of the enemys power. And once they have fallen from power, please help me to leave them in Your hands, rather than fantasizing about revenge.

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It is written in Psalms that even if an whole army pits itself against me, I can trust in Your protection. Please, Lord. Every time I leave my house, let a contingent of angels go with me to act as my bodyguard. And set a cordon of guardian angels round about my dwelling place so Ill feel secure in my own home, safe from intruders who mean to rob or harm me. You are well able to do this. In the Old Testament, You defeated entire armies with just one warring angel. You protected Lot from a big gang of perverts who tried to break down his door so they could attack him. You will give me the confidence that You are able to handle even a gang of bullies. But at the same time, I will never deliberately seek a confrontation to put You to the test. Prudence is a virtue you impart to the wise. I pray that Your angels would contrive to keep those wicked ones out of my way, and hinder them from getting at me in the first place. Please put obstacles in their pathway to keep them from meeting up with me. Please, Lord, touch me with the power of Your Holy Spirit to heal any injuries Ive received, either physical or emotional. I even ask that anything stolen from me or destroyed by the bully would be fully restored. For it is written: For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. I ask You to prove Yourself to me as the Almighty, Ever Living God of the Universe Who restores the broken in heart, to be to me the Lord Who heals, and the Mighty Warrior God Who fights in defense of His people. Lord, You promised in I Corinthians 10:13 that You would make a way of escape from unbearable troubles. Lord, the bully gloats about my predicament. He brags that he/she/theyre invincible, and the boss/teacher/parent doesnt give a hoot what happens to me. He says theres nowhere I can run to get away. That hell hurt me worse tomorrow than he did today. Lord, I feel trapped. If there is no way out of this mess, please CREATE A WAY OF ESCAPE that wasnt there before. Please fight for me, even physically punishing my enemies Yourself if that would end the problem and keep me and others safe. If only You would do these things for me, Lord, I will be so grateful to You. I just need for You to make the first move, to prove that You really are my dearest Friend and will defend me. In Jesus Holy Name, amen. God: Avenger of All Unrighteousness We are to desire for justice done be done on unrepentant bullies. Not to satisfy some ungodly lust for revenge, but that God might be glorified in His role as the Supreme Judge of all the Earth. While its only human to feel furious with evil people, much of my discontent springs from this: Bad bullies do bad things in a world God created for good, and they laugh all the way to the Bank of Hell with precious things theyve stolen from their victims: basic human dignity, being able to reach out and love others, personal confidence, peace, emotional and physical health. The bully, who has not partaken of the nature of Christ, is already condemned to hell (John 3:18). Hell is the bullys home town, for he is from beneath (John 8:23), and will spend eternity there with satan, who is his father and instructor in wickedness. The bully in hell will not be pitied by God when the awful waves of His fearsome wrath relentlessly sweep over his damned soul. That is only fitting, for the bully had no pity on his victims while he lived on earth. The fact that the day to day crushing of the victims helpless soul was beyond endurance did not cause the bully to lighten his oppression in the least. God declares His enmity toward those who fill

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the land with violence (Ezekiel 8:17-18). God pronounces doom upon them: Therefore will I also deal in fury: mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity: and though they cry in mine ears with a loud voice, yet will I not hear them. Again in Ezekiel 9:9: Then said he unto me, The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is exceeding great, and the land is full of blood, and the city full of perverseness: for they say, The Lord hath forsaken the earth, and the Lord seeth not.***** The sinners depicted here fully expected to get away with it, because God was up in heaven minding His own business and they were down on the earth doing their dirty business unhindered. At least thats what they thought. God says theyre only fooling themselves. And as for me also, mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity, but I will recompense their way upon their own head. (verse 10). *****Thats the perfect justice of God. What you sow, you reap. Isaiah 51: 7 Hearken unto me, ye that know righteousness, the people in whose heart is my law; fear ye not the reproach of men, neither be ye afraid of their revilings. Verse 8: For the moth shall eat them up like a garment, and the worm shall eat them like wool: but my righteousness shall be for ever, and my salvation from generation to generation. Think of it. God will turn every snarling, evil, pitbull bully into WORM FOOD someday. Even if that devil dog goes around bragging that hes the most invincible gangster who ever terrorized your school bus, his end will be a gross one. Psalms Chapter 7 is the prayer of a desperate man who prays for God to save him from his enemies. His enemies are rending (tearing) his soul into pieces (verse 2). The Psalmist goes on to plead with God that he is unjustly being persecuted and has done nothing to provoke the attack. The persecuted man pleads with God to judge rightly and bring the wickedness of the wicked to an end. These verses, followed by my commentary, warn of the terrible judgment in store for violent evil men: Psalms 7: 11 God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day.***** God is no overindulgent grandpa sitting in the sky who turns a blind eye to sin. God can get boiling mad! God is angry with the wicked every single day. Psalms 7: 12 If he (the sinner) turn not, he (God) will whet his sword: he hath bent his bow, and made it ready. Jesus, Who many say would never allow any unrepentant sinner to go to hell says in Luke 13:3: Repent, or ye shall all likewise perish.Repent is derived from the Latin re+pentare, which means to turn again. Unless a sinner returns from his wicked way (Isaiah 55:7) God will whet (sharpen) His sword of judgment. Already He has bent his bow to shoot at the sinner hardened in impenitence and unbelief. Psalms 7: 13 He (God) hath prepared for him (the enemy) the instruments of death; he ordaineth his arrows against the persecutors.**** God has already prepared weapons of war to use against the persecutor. He has ordained (chosen) which arrows to draw from His quiver to fire from His bow of judgment. This concept of God preparing things for a purpose is Scriptural. God prepared something good, a shady shrub, to shield Jonah from the hot sun. But Jonah had a bad attitude in his life which needed to be corrected, so God also prepared a worm to eat that shrub

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(verse 7). But punishment is infinitely more painful than correction, because there is no hope for sinners who are sitting on Gods death row. Hell was prepared for the devil and his angels, but wicked men also shall go there (Matt.25:41). In that sad scene, sinners are sentenced to eternal hellfire for passive sins of refusing to give food to Christs hungry brethren, or to help them in other ways. How much angrier must God be with a gang of bullies who brutalize a defenseless child or old person!

Other Details of the Fate of the Wicked: Psalms 7: 14 He (the persecutor) made a pit and digged it, and is fallen into the ditch which he made. VERSE 15 His mischief shall return upon his own head, and his violent dealing shall come down upon his own pate (crown of his head). VERSE 16 closes Psalms Chapter 7 with praise toward God for the righteousness of these judgments. Wait a minute. Didnt Jesus instruct His disciples to bless them that persecute you in Matthew 5:44? Yes, He did, because lost sinners are possible candidates for salvation. But all sinners ultimately must be judged by God if they will not repent of their sins and by faith accept that Christ received Gods judgment of sin upon Himself. So much for todays politically correct concept of a benign grandfather in the sky who never gets mad at anybody, regardless of what they say or do. Some think that Christians are called to be good doormats for Jesus, and have no right to ask God for justice. Jesus Himself refutes that notion in Luke 18:1-8. A poor widow repeatedly appears before an unjust judge, pleading for him to defend her rights and take action against her adversary. The unjust judge would not bother to help her for a while, but she kept on coming. Finally, the judge got tired of listening to her pleas for justice and ruled in her favor. Notice, gentle Jesus calls this man an unjust judge. Why? Because of his refusal to avenge the widow. Does Jesus commend the unjust judge for withholding a judgment which might have caused discomfort or inconvenience to the womans enemy? No, Jesus never did call the judge a just man who was exercising godly love by withholding righteous judgment. Jesus called him an unjust judge. In the last two verses of that passage Jesus says this: And shall not God avenge His own elect, which cry day and night unto Him, though He bear long with them? I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of Man cometh, shall He find faith on the earth? Even the martyred saints in heaven long to see justice done. No, theyre not acting sinful by feeling this way. Saints in heaven are the spirits of just men made PERFECT (Heb.12:23). In Revelation 6:9-10 a company of departed souls has gathered under the Throne of God in heaven. They are martyrs, who were killed for their faithfulness to the Word of God and for their testimony of faith in Christ. They ask the Lord of Heaven, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? Their words shock not because there is something unjust about them, but because they are recorded in the New Testament, an era during which millions have obeyed Christs commandment to be patient, love enemies and pray for them. The Church Age has been a period of long patience and forbearance on Gods part as He has given mankind ample opportunity to repent and receive Christ as Savior.

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Perhaps even the martyr Stephen will be present in that company calling upon God to execute His perfect justice. If he is, it will most likely be because Stephen wants to see the honor of God vindicated in Gods righteous judgments against blasphemous sinners who have trampled the Name of Christ underfoot in this earth for such a long time. In Acts 7:60 Stephen prayed for God not to hold his murder against his enemies. What marvelous mercy manifested in Stephens life! But Stephen was no softie. Surrounded by a crowd of angry religious scholars, Stephen stood up to them with Gods truth. Before the mighty Sanhedrin he presented a historical dissertation on the giving of the Mosaic Law and the Israelites inability to faithfully keep it. Stephen concludes with verse 51-53: Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of Whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers: Who have received the Law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it. Stephen actually calls these eminent religious leaders murderers and betrayers of the only righteous Man Who ever walked this planet! Talk about chutzpah! Just think! These mean old persecutors in their long flowing robes and skull caps reading the prophets hour after hour, conveniently forgetting that some long-ago ancestor of theirs drove those same prophets out of town under a hail of flying stones! Well, poor Stephen got his share of stones that day. But he received a wonderful heros welcome in heaven. So wonderful was his joy he forgave his persecutors. And this begs a question: Time after time the Bible teaches that repentance and faith toward Christ are necessary to receive salvation. If Stephens persecutors died in unbelief, they surely are in hell today. At least one we know of, Saul of Tarsus, DID repent later and became Paul the Apostle. If Stephens persecutors were going to hell anyway because of refusal to accept Christs atonement, why did Stephen ask forgiveness for them? Because Christ forgave His own enemies from the cross, who knew not what they did, or were not aware of the horrible sinfulness of their actions. That was Gods grace in action. Also, Stephen might have had familial love for his own kinsmen according to the flesh, as Paul did (Rom.9:1-3). The Jewish nation has a sense of family connectedness largely lacking in the Gentile world. Besides that, Stephen manifested concern for his unconverted persecutors, hoping some of them would be saved. The best I can understand it is this way: Say there is a prisoner in jail who owes a million-dollar fine for releasing toxic chemicals into the atmosphere, chemicals so horrible a few people have died. Unless the fine is paid the prisoner will never be let out. A very rich man takes pity on the prisoner and offers to pay it in his place, but the judge says the rich man cannot do this without the permission of the prisoner. If the prisoner says yes, then the fine can be paid and the prisoner set free. But for some reason the prisoner hates the rich mans guts and refuses to give this man the satisfaction of doing something nice for him. Meanwhile, the prisoner also racks up a smaller fine for pushing dope in the jail. The prisoner has a brother who is able to pay the smaller fine but not the bigger fine. The prisoner hates his brother, but not as much as he hates the rich man who offered to get him out of jail. So the prisoner allows his brother to pay the fine for dope pushing. Why does the prisoners brother pay this fine, knowing it wont reduce the sentence the guilty man will ultimately serve? Because it is an act of love, and perhaps, the brother hopes, it may soften his brothers heart to repentance. Even if Stephen forgave his murderers for killing him, other unrepented-of sins could have doomed his persecutors to hell. Those of them who refused to repent went there because they committed the much more fatal sin of rejecting Jesus, Gods only Way of Salvation. Many hardened sinners absolutely will not allow Jesus to save them, because they hate Him so much!

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During the Great Tribulation, persecutors of believers will be branded with the Mark of the Beast (Rev.13:16-18). Whoever receives this mark will forever forfeit any hope of repentance (Rev.14:9-12). Then the battle lines will be clearly drawn and there will be no more fence-sitters vacillating between the kingdoms of God and satan. At that time the saints in heaven and on earth will KNOW there is no further possibility for persecutors to receive salvation, so they will have no qualms whatsoever about calling upon God to pour out judgment upon the wicked. Jesus gentle nature, the supreme delight of saints who have been transformed by His merciful grace, will no longer be available to people who finally choose to side with satan and go to hell. Those damned souls, who despised meekness as weakness, will be forever sealed in their sin. They will be so hardened they would crucify Him a second time if only they could. The Terrible Winepress of the Wrath of God Far from being forever meek and gentle toward sinners, God declares in Isaiah 63:3: I will tread them in mine anger, and will trample them in my fury, and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment (clothing).**** How chilling! One day Gods forbearance with sinners will end, and at Armageddon Christ will stain His own garments with the blood of those enemies of His who refused to have their sins cleansed away by His own blood! Lets look at the entire passage, with my personal comments and parallel verses from Revelation inserted. Isaiah 63:1 Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? This that is glorious in his apparel, traveling in the greatness of his strength? I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save?*****Who else is mighty to save but Jesus? He alone is our Savior. In this context Christ appears in dyed garments. But what color are these garments dyed, and with what are they dyed? Isaiah 63:2 Wherefore art thou red in thine apparel, and thine garments like him that treadeth in the winefat? Parallel verse: Revelation 19:13 And he (Jesus) was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called the Word of God. Isaiah 63:3 I have trodden the winepress alone, and of the people there was none with me: for I will tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury; and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment. Parallel verse: Revelation 19:15 And out of his (Jesus) mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. Isaiah 63:4 For the day of vengeance is in mine heart, and the year of my redeemed is come.******Think Jesus doesnt believe in taking vengeance on His enemies? The time for that is indeed coming. In Luke Chapter 19, Jesus, in the parable of the ten pounds, compares Himself to a king who went away to receive for himself a kingdom. He has returned to get an accounting of his servants stewardship. In verse 27 King orders His enemies to be executed in Luke 19:27: But these mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither and slay them before me. Isaiah 63:5 And I looked, and there was none to help; and I wondered that there was none to uphold: therefore my own arm brought salvation unto me; and my fury, it upheld me.

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Isaiah 63:6 And I will tread down the people in mine anger, and make them drunk in my fury, and I will bring down their strength to the earth.*****At Armageddon sinners are forced to drink of the wine of Gods fury. A parallel passage is Revelation 14:14-20, where unrepentant sinners are harvested by the angels and thrust into the terrible winepress of the wrath of God Almighty: Revelation 14:14 And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle. ****Jesus is referred to as the Son of man several times in the Gospel of Matthew (see Matt. 24:44). Rev.14:15 And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap; for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe. Verse 16 And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth, and the earth was reaped. Verse 17 And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle. Verse 18 And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe. Verse 19 And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. Verse 20 And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horses bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs (some 200 miles). Just reading these passages brings to mind a picture of the Lamb-turned-Lion Jesus, with indignation blazing in His eyes because mankind has finally rejected His offer of mercy and defiled His Fathers planet with sins too horrible to fathom. Notice, especially, God isnt merely irked by mankinds sin. He is so furious He is about to trample out the grapes of wrath until His garments are stained red. Many suppose that when Christ speaks of His vesture dipped in blood (Rev.19:13), He means only the blood He shed on Calvary for the sins of mankind. But this time it will be His enemies (Isaiah 63:3) blood on His clothes. Christ came the first time as the Lamb of God to save mankind, but the second time it will be as the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, to punish sinful mankind for their rejection of His mercy. On the Day of Judgment God will be so far from pitying the sinner He will actually LAUGH at the destruction which falls upon hardened, unrepentant sinners (Proverbs 1:24-chap.). God will actually laugh in mockery when calamity comes to the sinner who caused calamity in his lifetime. The same thing is reiterated in Psalms 2:4: He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision. Bullies might spend their entire lives laughing at God and His seeming indifference to their sin but God will turn the tables on them and have the last and longest laugh of all! Whatever a sinner sows he shall also reap (Galatians 6:7).

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Shocking scriptures, but I didnt make them up. Theyre right out of the Word of God. Jesus Christ, Who is One with the Father, will one day rejoice that His Father has been glorified in His perfect execution of judgment on the ungodly. This temporary dispensation of mercy does not mean that His nature has changed from one dispensation to the next. Jesus Christ the same, yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8). The best way I can reconcile the gentle Jesus with His future role as sooncoming Trampler of the Grapes of Wrath is this: the old carrot and stick approach. It seems God has put His stick on the shelf for awhile. During the 2000 years of the Church Age, mercy has rejoiced over judgment (James 2:13). God has tried to woo the souls of men to Himself by offering them the carrot (love and mercy). Throughout this long dispensation of Grace He has sent His rain of blessing on both the righteous and unrighteous (see Matt. 5:45). God has told His children to pray for their enemies and to love them (Matt. 5:44.). That really takes the power of the Holy Spirit, doesnt it? But what do you mean by "love"? There are times love must be tough. Love must take a stand against wickedness and stand for righteousness. If you see a teenage thug ripping the clothes off a frightened girl, you must do all in your power to protect her from being raped. And as for praying for a bully, what blessing should you pray on him? You should pray that God will save the bully, so he will know the blessing of forgiveness and eternal life through Jesus. But you dont have to pray the same type of blessing on him that you would on a Christian. You would pray that God gives your Christian friend an open door for service. But you dont have to pray for the bully to have an open door to get behind the driver's seat and steal someone's car. You dont have to pray that the bully will have a fun time serving satan. You dont have to pray some blessing on your enemy which would empower him to serve satan more effectively. You would ask God to bless your Christian friends business. but you dont have to pray that God will bless the bullys bullying business as he looks for more victims to terrorize. Sometimes God disciplines His own children for their own good, when they go astray or rebel. David was humble enough to write: It is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I might learn thy statutes (Psalms 119:71). And if discipline is good for people who serve the Lord, why on earth isnt it good enough for a wicked bully? Why should cruel sinners get preferential treatment if God expects responsible behavior from his own children? God just might need to use a little tough love on the bully to wake him up in case he gets hit by a bus and goes straight to hell. In one way or another the bully must learn not only about the sweetness of the love of Jesus, but about the awful judgment of God which shall fall upon all those who disregard that tender love and reject Christ. Jesus didnt go around soothing evil men to sleep with warm and fuzzy lullabyes. When Jesus fought against sin He pulled no punches. He said, Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish (Luke 13:3). God wants to save a vicious bullys soul, not shower him with Hersheys Kisses while hes mugging a defenseless old man. So far as this wicked planet is concerned, God has put His stick away for a time, but He has not thrown it out for good. A wise mother will focus on tender love but she is also realistic. She wishes with all her heart her love could always be happy and smiley. But sometimes her toddler will pitch such a fit she'll stop whatever else she's doing and get to the bottom of the problem before the conflict escalates. Thats tough love. The most rebellious lost souls wont respond to sweetness and gentleness only. God is about the go get His hickory stick out of the cupboard to give the nations a hard thrashing for turning Planet Earth into one big Sodom. Today God sends rain on both the just and the unjust (Matt.5:45). But when Christ reigns over all the earth He will no longer bless disobedient nations with rain (Zechariah 14: 17-19).

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Bullies: Receptacles of Gods Wrath

In their zeal to shout from the rooftops: "JESUS LOVES YOU!", politically correct preachers often overlook one very sobering truth. One which limited human understanding finds difficult to reconcile with a God of Love Who is supposed to be impartial in the way He dispenses mercy: Some people are predestined to be vessels (containers) of honor while others are vessels of destruction. It seems unspeakably unfair, but that's what the Bible says. The bully, like the Pharaoh who oppressed the Israelites, is a vessel of destruction, who treasures up (stores up) wrath which will fall full force upon his head on the Day of Gods wrath and judgment (Romans 1:18; 2:-9). Payday may be a very long time in coming to the bully, but every insult and every evil deed only guarantees him a fatter check from the heavenly Paymaster. On that dreadful day the sinner will find it no laughing matter to be a vessel of wrath destined for destruction. Gods only purpose for this container will be to fill it to overflowing with His terrible, fierce wrath, which shall burn like an oven until His enemies are totally consumed (Malachi 4:1). God will gather in the wheat and burn the chaff, which is useful only as kindling for the fire (Luke 3:17). Far better for a bully to dare to be different and repent, so he can become instead a vessel of honor fit for honorable use in the hand of the Master, someone Christ can fill to overflowing with His Spirit and all the treasures of His goodness and grace. Eternal treasures are lightly regarded by the cool crowd, but are the only ones which will last for eternity (Matt. 6:19-21). In Romans Chapter 9 Paul sets forth Pharaoh as an example of a man God chose before the foundation of the world to be a vessel of wrath destined for destruction (verse 22). Gods purpose for the existence of the vessel of wrath is that through executing righteous judgment upon the basest of sinners God might demonstrate the greatness of His mercy toward the vessels of honor. Once I made a patchwork quilt of many brightly colored squares. I sewed a black border around it, and because of the darkness of the border the colors looked that much more beautiful. It's hard to understand now, but in witnessing Gods severity toward impenitent sinners our own salvation from eternal damnation will appear that much sweeter to us and God will receive an abundance of grateful praises from us, His redeemed saints. In Romans 9:15, Paul reiterates Gods message to Moses in Exodus 33:19: I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.*** Mercy, compassion, and grace are Gods personal property and its His prerogative to decide how to dispense them, and to whom. I believe the same principle applies for the atoning Blood of Christ. Somebody still owns this priceless Commodity. That One is God the Father, Who received it when His Holy Son sprinkled it on the Mercy Seat in heaven as an atonement for our sins (Hebrews 9:12). Be careful of your attitude toward the precious Blood of Jesus! It is your red lifeline to eternal life, the only hope youll ever have of being allowed access to the Presence of a Holy God. Peter gives a solemn admonition to believers in II Peter 1:10: Give diligence to make your calling and election sure. For if ye do these things, ye shall never fall. The clear implication is it is possible to fall even after becoming a believer. How much more perilous is the position of the hardened bully who has only contempt for the things of righteousness! Predestination to eternal salvation is a deep mystery of God which only He fully fathoms. If it weren't in the Word of God, I would question predestination as being a valid doctrine, since at first glance it seems glaringly unfair. But God does have foreknowledge of who will receive Christ and who won't. On the one hand you have salvation offered freely to all mankind. And whoever receives Christ and faithfully

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follows Him into heaven is obviously one of Gods vessels of honor. But sinners who keep saying "no" to the gentle drawing of the Spirit of God will one day discover that He has ceased to deal with them about their need for redemption and has turned His back on them forever (Genesis 3:16). The hardest thing for me to comprehend is that God has a purpose even for the vessels of dishonor who reject His Son. It is a dreadful role to fill, with an awful reward vastly different from what the true believer in Christ will receive for his honorable life of service. What you sow you shall reap. A bully is only out to gratify his own powerlust and he sows lots of hurt. Apart from Christ, his greatest hope is that he has a crop failure at reaping time. Yet if a violent person is always shielded from the consequences of his actions, does he ever truly learn the fear of the Lord? Ezekiel 33:7-9 declares that the wicked are doomed unless the faithful watchman warns the wicked to turn from his wicked way. God tells his servant to "warn them from Me." God did not say: "Tell that bully Jesus loves him so much that He'll look the other way if he feels like stabbing the other kid in the corridor." No, the bully, like all other criminals, is in deep trouble unless he is brought to a repentant faith in Christ which leads to forsaking his wicked way. It might be politically incorrect to warn him of the judgment of hell, but you do him no favor by selling him soft soap religion which doesn't require repentance. Some say that since we are saved by grace and not through our own good works, there is nothing at all we can do to help ourselves, even to ask God to save us. There is a false teaching going around that one need not even pray for salvation, and all that is needed is silent assent in the heart to what Christ has done on our behalf. But in Acts 8:22, Peter rebukes Simon Magus and advises him to PRAY for Gods forgiveness. With our mouth confession is made unto salvation (Rom. 10:10), and the only excuse for omitting this step of salvation would be if a person were mute. The doctrine of passive assent even relieves the sinner of the responsibility to do his own repenting. The Son of God goes out to seek and to save that which was lost, but it was the Prodigal Son who went home to his father. In turning back, he repented. The word "repent" is an ACTION verb, not a mere sentiment. "Repent" comes from the Latin re+pentare, which means to "turn again". Repentance is an act of the will. WHOSOEVER WILL may come to the Fountain of Living Waters, Christ Jesus, and be born anew (Rev. 22:17). In this darkened era, the very notion of sin is questioned. But bullies will be forever lost and sealed in sin unless they learn that there is a sin they need to be forgiven of, and a hell they need to avoid. It behooves each person to act responsibly toward God on his own behalf, and by God's grace, to make his or her own calling and election sure. Pray for and Bless Those Who Curse You_ But Beware of Which Blessing You Pray Upon them What you sow you always reap. Praying for your enemies can best be described as praying that the Lord of the Harvest will give them a crop failure for the evil seeds they sowed instead of their having to reap the full consequences of their evil actions. But sometimes sinners will never learn that there is a hell to be feared unless they are allowed to suffer a little in this world. I have heard of cases where convicted murderers being led out of the courtroom have mocked the grieving relatives of their victims, especially when they got off lightly. Why should those hurting people pray that God will bless some son of satan with an easy life of bliss? Why pray for God to bless our enemies with more strength to hurt more people? Some people are so wicked they will only take their resources and use them as weapons of evil. Do we expect God to throw out the red carpet for creeps who boast that they are immune from retribution?

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The woman taken in adultery was forgiven by Jesus. As to what happened to her afterward, the Bible is silent. Perhaps her own husband never forgave her, but she at least escaped a negative harvest of stones reaped for sowing sin. But what if she had laughed all the way to the place of execution, boasting that even if she died for her adultery, if she had to do it all over again, she would still sleep with the other guy? I doubt Jesus would have intervened if shed had such a wicked attitude toward her own need for redemption from sin!

The Bullied Bird

Even in nature the law of sowing and reaping holds true, consistently, season after season. My mother wrote me about one woman who had to repair a section of the back of her house. There were gaps in the masonry that needed to be filled in with fresh cement. In one crevice she found a birds nest with baby chicks in it, waiting for their mother to bring them food. Some friends of hers were with her at the time. One of them pleaded with the woman to take the birds nest out first before she filled in the hole. Instead, she just plastered it in, covering up the baby birds and laughing as if it were a joke. The mother bird got back. The tiny creature scratched away at that spot for hours, struggling to get to her babies. The woman made fun of the bird, who must have felt grief as well as anxiety. I knew this woman personally. She had been very nice to me ever since Id known her, and she never would have bullied any human being. But she thought it was no big deal for an animal to suffer. God views it differently. In Old Testament Law He even makes provision for the humane treatment of animals. In Leviticus 22:28, people are forbidden to slaughter both the cow and her calves in one day. Deuteronomy 22:6-7 says that if we take the eggs from a birds nest to eat, we must let the mother bird go. If we treat animals humanely, we prolong our days upon the earth. The inference is clear: Cruelty, even toward animals, shortens your days upon the earth. Now if God is so concerned about animal welfare that He shortens the days of animal abusers, why shouldnt he be even more furious with those who abuse other human beings made in His own image? Right after her abuse of the bird the woman I spoke of began to suffer ill health. She got cancer and needed surgery for it. She lost her zest for life and didnt enjoy going out with her friends anymore. And someone reminded her: See? I told you youd get paid back for being cruel to that little bird.

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CHAPTER SEVEN The Rotten Seeds of Bullying Nothing springs up from the earth unless a seed was first planted, either by humans or by nature. Bullying doesnt just happen out of the clear blue sky. People bully, but ultimately bullying originates from satan, who plants seeds of hatred in the hearts of people. Parents plant seeds of prejudice in the hearts of their own children. They teach them to hate and persecute others of different ethnic origins. The devil uses television, radio, the Internet, and mass media culture to teach kids that violence is cool and its only wrong if you get caught. The Lord has His wheat field of responsive souls who will let His Word take root in their hearts and enter into eternal life. But the devil has his own crop of tares, wicked souls interspersed among the righteous. At present the Lord lets both grow together (Matt.13:30). But the day is fast approaching when God will order His angels to bind the wicked into bundles to throw into everlasting hell fire. Satans crop of violent, evil men will finally be dealt with once and for all. Satan has also sown tares of hurt in the hearts of wounded bullying victims. Its time for God to pull up the weeds of destruction out of peoples hearts and plant words of encouragement in them. Bullies live by the Law of the Jungle, where might is right and the meek are weak dead meat. Gangs gather to tear apart one lone victim, just like a pack of dogs proves how tough they are by ripping up a tiny kitten. Adults who force vulnerable children to attend schools where bullying is tolerated are literally throwing those poor kids to the lions with no one to defend them. Ever since Adams sin introduced death and disorder into Gods harmonious earth, the animal kingdom has been a dangerous place where you pay a high price for being weak. Tougher, bigger beasts get rewarded for being able to overpower gentle lambs. But does God reward human beings for acting worse than wild animals? Yes, but its a negative reward. Ezek.34:16: will seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick: but I will destroy the fat and the strong; I will feed them with judgment (divine punishment). God promises to heal and restore those of His people who are sick, hurting or scared away by bullies. But He promises only destruction to bullies who use their strength and resources to hurt others. Bullying is spiritual rape, the desecration of a human soul made in the image of God. I sensed satan living and working through Butch, who hated me like a mad dog and DAILY threatened me on the school bus, using the filthiest insults imaginable. He and his buddies reinforced fear into my life daily and repeatedly. This gave satans oppressing spirits an entrance into my life. I had to be set free from their control through prayer ministry. I hold Butch and many other hateful bullies responsible for bringing me under bondage to spirits of fear, oppression, and depression. Like a vile rapist forces his way into a helpless womans body, ripping it and tearing it as he goes, satans demons use bullies to FORCE their way into a victims soul and spirit area to damage it and take possession of it. Still think bullying is harmless kiddie stuff?

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The Lord of Hosts Shall Roar From On High Psalms 7:10-13; Chapter 22: 149:6-9; Isaiah 24:19-22 You're a survivor if you've come this far Though inside you feel all battered and scarred Because for you school just wasn't cool But God in His Love would say to you: I brought you through fire, flood and pain To help you learn to love again You felt like a desolate desert place A sun-scorched soul without any rain. You felt those fingers pointing at you Because it was cool to be mean and cruel You didn't have lots of glamor or money But I didn't think what they did was funny. You were put on a thorny pedestal To torment and mock with cruel cat-calls Outnumbered you dodged a hail of abuse Because it wasn't cool to care about you. Like a leper you were hated and shunned Made the butt of laughter and fun Pointedly picked to be the last When sides were chosen for balls and bats. But it was you I chose, not they They're just too proud to come in from the rain Turning their backs on the beckoning Ark Those wild dogs won't come To be saved by My Son They just chase their prey and bark. You broke their gang-banged beauty mold By being unique, by being you Incapable of shedding tears Those snakes injected the poison of fear With pointed, deadly devil's fangs They made you die to happy things They withered away your soul inside That pack of dogs took vicious bites. Protect me from the lion and the bear Cried the Psalmist, whom I saved from despair Deliver me from the ravening dog Be very near me when I call. Though ten thousand gather against me O Lord of Hosts, be my Victory Send warring angels of fire and light

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Against my foes take up the fight. Impede their progress on their dark path Let liars be caught in their own traps Deliver Thy darling from the lowest hell Redeem me out of the snare where I fell Out of this nightmare hell of a Pit Dug by my foes where in darkness I sit Forgotten by all but remembered by Thee Make haste to come deliver me. If they think I've forgotten they make a mistake For in wrath the earth itself I shall shake The blood of the slain, the martyr's pain I bring to the forefront of My docket again As I shout My displeasure from My Throne on High Ye are but men! In My wrath I shall cry Your land is defiled by innocent blood Again and again you've spurned My love. You've rejected the cleansing of My blood Again it is time for the cleansing flood To wash away every loathsome trace Of vile persecutors and their weapons of hate. My arrows are readied upon My bow Ordained against haters of God below To strike at the heart of My enemies Who will not allow Me to set them free From being slaves of satan My foe Who keeps the wicked beneath his control Rejecting life, they've chosen to die My Holy Word they taunt and despise. It isn't just you those bullies have bullied They've rejected My Son in word, thought and deed They've pledged allegiance to the devil below So into the Lake of Fire they'll go With all the evil seeds they've sown. But you who have nestled beneath My wings And fed on holy eternal things Shall shine as stars in heavenly places As all your scars My love erases.

Naked, Shamed and Exposed

One dream I had illustrates the trauma caused to a childs soul through teacher misunderstanding and/or bullying. In seventh grade, one teacher blamed ME for being bullied. My mother and I put together a plaster of Paris Social Studies project:

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a Roman Temple and a clay bust of Julius Caesar. Maybe the bust looked a bit comical, but the two of us had done our best with what we had. I had to carry everything to school with me on foot. I was unfortunate enough to stumble and drop the columned temple onto the sidewalk. I had to present the mess as was, since there was no time to salvage the situation. The teacher, Mrs. Barton, had no sense of humor. She shook her head and said, Some of us dont have much to give. She turned to another kid and said, but YOU were fortunate (in abilities, etc.). In that particular dream I was wearing the same thin nightgown I wore in bed. I was back in Mrs. Bartons Social Studies class, sitting at a desk. I looked around at the other kids who were all dressed up for school. Oddly enough, although American public school kids dont wear uniforms, the other kids wore uniforms which consisted of a tie, a sweater, and a couple more layers underneath. I keenly felt my own lack of clothing. There was only one whisper-thin layer between me and an evil-eyed world. I was afraid the teacher would notice this and announce my nakedness to the whole class. Hadnt teachers always done that to me before? Maybe theres a sweater I could wear to fool the teacher, I thought. I reached behind me, but there was no sweater draped over on the back of my desk. I remembered the ruined class project and woke up. The lack of protective clothing symbolizes the vulnerability I felt. I felt continually exposed to glaring, prying eyes of scorn. There was NOTHING to shield my heart from abuse. Everyone else was clad in basic human dignity. The sweater worn by the other kids symbolized the warm acceptance they all felt for each other. For them, school was a warm and fuzzy experience of normalcy. Their neatly pressed shirts symbolized a world orderly and nice, a smooth, wrinkle-free garment of conformity which never made waves. The tie spoke of being on a leash, being gagged and controlled by the status quo. The pastel, muted shades of the other kids clothes spoke of refusal to be bold in standing for the right, and a desire to fade into the crowd, whether the crowds opinion was right or wrong. The absence of a sweater on my chair back symbolized my vulnerability to foes behind my back. My own garment was pale blue, but it was so thin I felt like everybody could see my nakedness underneath. The washed-out color spoke of my soul, so drained of life and unable to boldly fight for survival. The thinness of my garment symbolized the transparency of my feelings, and the fact that all my weaknesses and imperfections, real or imagined, were open for all the world to see. Mrs. Bartons insensitive comments bruised self-esteem which was already down in the toilet. Another teacher who didnt like me much had also left her mark on my life. On the very first day of school Mrs. Hutton asked me some pointless questions I didnt have ready answers for. I felt like everybody was staring at me, hoping Id look stupid. The class laughed. A sudden, inexplicable terror seized my soul. I burst into tears. The teacher got mad and decided to take revenge on me for letting tears escape my eyes. She called my dad at work, and told him Id acted like a baby. Did that woman think Id PLANNED to let my eyes leak and make a spectacle of myself? I wouldnt have gone through that shame and embarrassment for a billion dollars! Parents, dont EVER just automatically take the word of an adult over that of your own child. Besides damaging your precious relationship with a family member who has been loyal to you in good times and bad, you are showing partiality toward an outsider who may not even like your child. Thats right. Some teachers will LOVE your kid, others could care less, and a very few might feel hostile toward him/her. Its teachers like that who need to learn a lesson in Compassion 101. And if they dont, the law of sowing and reaping could ensure that what goes around comes

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around (see Gal.6:7; Rev.13:10). People who abuse their position of authority to intimidate the friendless and the helpless will have to answer to God for it. Im no dummy. Ive got a good IQ. Ive turned into a fairly decent artist and writer. Despite the fact my third grade teacher, a hostile-looking woman, called me a stupid kid. But even if Id had an IQ of only 2, NOBODY, not even the President of the United States, has the right to scare little kids and call them stupid! EVERY person on earth has been given worth and potential by almighty God, and no one is ever a failure as long as they are faithful to do what God has called them to do. A lot of the time the failure rests with the teacher for writing off a kid whose personality type differs from theirs. If a teacher wants to intimidate the weak, he/she should quit teaching and become a bill collector! I sort of shrugged that teachers comment off. After all, adults sometimes got into bad moods, and at the time I didnt really think kids were full-fledged people who deserved respect. Im all for discipline of kids who deliberately misbehave. But hostility toward children who dont gel with the teacher is inexcusable. Thats no different from what goes on in many adult workplaces: A grumpy colleague is rubbed the wrong way by a cheerful type and sets out to wipe that smile off their face via psychological abuse or put-downs. My own daughter liked school better than I did. She made good friends throughout her school years and had no serious problems. And she was blessed with the ability to learn most any subject easily (even math, which I hated). She had some absolutely wonderful teachers. They appreciated the fact that she liked to befriend shy classmates and was very bright. But even if my daughter had been painfully shy like me, or even had learning difficulties, a powerful sermon would have been preached if any teacher had called her stupid or insulted her human dignity in any other way. If you get any complaint about your child, CALMLY listen to both sides before forming a judgment. Dont just automatically assume the teacher is always right, especially if you speak with them (or see them) long enough to wonder if a personality conflict might be the root of the problem. A crabby, sarcastic teacher may not like a mild-mannered child. It doesnt matter that the teacher is thirty years older than the child. Years alone do not confer worth or wisdom on a person (Eccl.4:13). It is wrong to have respect of persons in forming judgments in issues of right and wrong (Prov.24:23). I had committed no sin. I did not choose to suffer that sudden panic attack in seventh grade. Satan brought it on me, through manipulating the circumstances, and through a spirit of fear (2 Tim.1:7). But it was I, and no one else, who paid the penalty for a panic attack I couldnt control. For the rest of that year I was tagged as a reject. When I get to heaven, I will not only tell Jesus how much I love Him, I will also tell Him how much I hate the devil who sorely tempted and tried me on earth. Even there, I will continue to plead for Gods righteous vengeance to fall upon satan and his evil kingdom of darkness. Fear seizes hold of people like a vicious assailant. People dont choose to be afraid, anymore than they choose to get their legs shot off on the battlefield. Im reminded of the story of General Patton, who slapped an American soldier for cowardice. The poor guy had been shell-shocked out of his senses. Any guy whose rational faculties had been shorted out by involuntary head-to-toe tremors could hardly have been expected to shoot straight at the enemy and might have been more of a hindrance than a help in Pattons battle. But all Patton could see was the man didnt have a gaping chest wound or shattered limbs. Only his soul was shattered and that didnt count as being wounded. Even if there was a WILL to go out and kill Germans to please Patton, the noise and terror of the battlefield overpowered the soldier. Patton scolded the soldier for being a *&!*% coward, and said that if he didnt hurry up and get back to the battlefield, hed shoot him himself. Then Old Blood and Guts slapped him in front of everybody in the infirmary.

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Patton ordered this weeping, broken man to be sent back to the front lines where the battle was hottest. Kick somebody whos down. A good photo op for Patton, the mighty war hero. The same standard you hold others up to, will be used by God to judge you (Matt.7:1-2). Those who browbeat others for failure had better hope their own battles never surpass the limits of their own health, strength and courage. Hopefully, Old Blood and Guts never felt like jumping out of the frying pan into the fire himself. When a kid gets off on the wrong foot at the beginning of the school year, he/she feels ruined for good! Bullies are two-legged Pitbulls who need to sink their fangs into SOMEBODY. They NEVER let you live a bad first impression down, even if its somebody elses fault. I was (barely) born again at the time and had NO training in the Bible, and nobody to turn to for help. Naturally Id smolder with resentment when someone said something mean. Sometimes Id snap back, but generally Id keep my resentment bottled up inside (it accumulated). Those who unjustly hated me made the most of every excuse to torment me. The kids even poked fun at my handwriting when I wrote something on the blackboard. Over the years Ive experimented with different styles of writing, but my natural handwriting slants sharply to the right. It reminds me of a racer who runs leaning forward so he can reach the finish line quicker. I felt like I was getting nowhere, and I was nothing but a joke. Mrs. Barton would take points off in her grade book if your test papers werent properly signed. My grades went so far south they landed in hell. I was so depressed and scared I COULDNT learn, despite my high I.Q. Survival was all my brain cared about back then. Each day you didnt get your crummy test paper signed she subtracted two points from my already pitifully low score. All the months I suffered in her class NOT ONE offer of extra help or even one suspicion that I was too depressed to learn anything. Just mockery from her and indifference to what went on in her own class. If shes dead by now she probably found out how God graded HER, and the points He subtracted from HER score! Mrs. Barton even mocked the pictures I sketched to make my miserable day go by quicker. Certain kids wouldnt leave me alone and were continually picking at me. But I was the one whod get the blame. Toward the end of that miserable year I was finally put in isolation for most of the day in the library. I had to sit in a chair while some mean-looking teacher guarded me. A few kind girls stopped by to see me, but I felt so numb I hardly noticed their presence or responded to them. It felt like my soul faculties were shutting down one by one, in much the same way the functions of the body shut down before physical death. If my body couldnt escape that torture chamber called school, at least I could deaden my emotions, much like a bear hibernates to survive the long, harsh winter. I never told my parents how I spent those long days, parked in a chair and staring into space. After so many months of humiliation and ridicule for letting my hurt feelings leak out, I was AFRAID to feel emotions anymore, lest they be criticized by a hostile world. I felt absolutely dead inside, unable to love even kind people. The abuse had gone on so long I felt like any nice gesture was too little, too late. Gone were the days of jump ropes, dolls, and playground fun. Early adolescence was an initiation into the REAL world, where life was a sordid, scary, sick game of meanness and manipulation. Growing up immersed me in a war against unearned enemies who struggled to steal away from me basic human dignity. At twelve I was too welldeveloped for my height of five foot one. I felt like a broad-shouldered, clumsy oaf who didnt fit in anywhere and never should have been born. All I wanted was to be the happy, skinny kid I used to be, and for daily life to be uncomplicated and fun

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once more. If thats immaturity, I guess I was guilty of it. Suspicion became a part of my nature because I felt I could trust no one, much less love them. Reflecting on these things, I know what Jesus meant when He said it was necessary to become as a little child in order to enter into the Kingdom of God (Matt.18:3). Jesus didnt mean for adults to go out and skip rope. He meant that He values childlike honesty and simplicity in our relationship with God and others. If we tell someone we love them, it should be unfeigned (honest) love without underlying ulterior motive (I Pet.1:22). Teenagers learn a lot of people skills at school, how to play it cool to keep off the bottom of the heap and get respect from popular kids who get that way by being walking billboards for Western consumer culture. A girl will love the big football star...until his dad gets laid off and the boy cant even afford McDonalds anymore. A girl will buddy up to an unpopular girl, just to gain her confidence. Once it is discovered that the unpopular girl shops at K-Mart instead of Hiphop Boutique, the first girl breaks off the friendship and runs back to her real friends with fresh gossip and giggles. And the knives come out at the feast. Dont tell me Im making a mountain out of a molehill. Even the New Testament recognizes that nothing more serious than icy ostracism is a serious punishment. Jesus told His disciples to ostracize believers who refused to repent of sins committed against their brethren (Matt.18:17). What did Paul the apostle have to say about the use of ostracism? I Cor.5:11 But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat. What did Paul call this treatment, which was used to correct a man who slept with his own stepmother? 2 Cor.2:6: Sufficient to such a man is this PUNISHMENT, which was inflicted of many. Notice, Jesus did not say to beat up on a believer who sins against his brother. Paul did not say to throw rocks and spitballs at the adulterer. All they commanded was that the guilty reprobate be shunned. No one in the church was to socialize or to eat with them! In addition to the physical and verbal abuse I suffered unjustly, almost every day I sat at an empty lunch table, no one to talk to or enjoy life with. Kids went out of their way to make sure I had a whole row to myself during assembly. I was subjected to PUNISHMENT Id done nothing to earn, except to be a mildmannered individual who couldnt hide her fear well enough. Kids Id never done anything to hurt froze me out. They put me to an open shame. And what they sowed, theyll surely reap from Almighty God. On that terrible day of retribution theyll find out just how much God valued me! Big Bully Cain: A Harvest of Sin When Adam sold out to satan by disobeying Gods simple commandment, he got more than he bargained for. Eve was seduced by satan into eating the fruit first. I can picture Adam groaning in despair as what shed done sunk in. He knew that Eve was now doomed to die. Perhaps Eve sank to her knees begging Adam to partake also, so that she would not be alone in her exile from the Garden, driven out into the inclement world without his companionship. For whatever reason, Adam made a deliberate decision to disobey God by conforming to the contrary will of another

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human being. Thus he incurred an immeasurable loss for himself and for all his descendants. In the Garden there was harmony among all creatures and with their Creator. There was no warfare or death in that Paradise. All of Adams needs had been met there. Hed been free of all the hassles and hazards known to our world. But hed chosen to reject Gods rule over his life. In that moment of infamy, Adam traded the sinless nature of God in his soul for the nature of satan. The Bible declares : The heart of man is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked. Who can fathom it (Jeremiah 17:9)? Sin had introduced a previously unknown consciousness of nakedness and shame. I believe that prior to Adam and Eves sin, there had been such a glow of the Glory of God surrounding them that there was no awareness of nakedness. There must also have been a traumatic sense of having been stripped of innocence itself, and feeling exposed in their sinfulness before a Holy God. Steal, kill, and destroy. Satan had engineered Adam and Eves loss of fellowship with God in Eden. Hed already begun to kill their physical bodies. Untold destruction had been wrought in their psyches. The sin nature had embedded itself in the very genetic code of man, to be passed down through countless generations. Adam lived to witness the outworking of this hereditary sin nature when his son Abel became the worlds first homicide statistic, slain by his jealous brother Cain. The story is recorded in Genesis 4:1-15. Evidently sibling rivalry existed between these two young men, at least in Cains heart. Cain approached God in a spirit of competitiveness, while Abels attitude was one of contrite faith toward God. Blood sacrifice was what God required as an atonement for sin, for without the shedding of blood there can be no forgiveness of sin (Hebrews 10:28). Gods penalty for sin is death. The soul which sins shall die (Ezekiel 18:4b). Romans 6:23 says: The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. His own sinless soul was made an offering for sin on our behalf (see Isaiah 53:10). Had Christ committed even one sin during His lifetime on earth, He would have disqualified Himself from paying the penalty of our sins, and God could not justly have forgiven one sinner. It would yet be many centuries before Christ would come to earth to die for Abels sins. In Old Testament times, animal sacrifices were offered up as temporary symbolic substitutes, or, as one preacher put it, promissory notes until final payment for sin was made by Christ. These sacrifices were counted by God as acts of obedient faith, anticipating His appointed time when Christ Himself would die as the Lamb of God to take away the sin of the world (John 1:29). Cain must have heard these truths at the knee of Adam, his sadder but wiser father. But evidently Cain refused to take consolation in this mercy of the Lord. Most likely he rankled over the expulsion of his parents (and hence, himself) from the delights of Paradise. Humankind had been sentenced to a life of grueling toil, aging, sorrows of innumerable kinds, and eventual physical death. I can picture the cogitations of a mind like Cains: Who does my dad think HE is, teaching ME how to run MY life, after the way HE struck out? I could have kicked back and sipped cider under an apple tree all day! In any event, I wouldnt have had to toil like a mule day in and day out just to eat! Life sure is a drag, thanks to good old Dad. Ill placate God in my OWN way, not Dads. And if God doesnt like it...well, TOUGH! What a thorn Cain must have been in the hearts of his penitent parents. Surely the rebellious nature of their eldest son was a poignant reminder to them of the sorrow their own disobedience had brought to God. The treacherous Absalom would bring such anguish to his father King David many centuries later. Flashing his cheesiest smile, Cain brashly approached the stone altar he had erected. Proudly he brandished his gift to God, a conveniently bloodless heap of

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fresh farm produce hed cultivated from the cursed ground. My, he thought, wont God be thrilled with MY donation? Much more than Hell be with Abels! The very idea...presenting a pile of raw, bloody flesh to the Almighty! His finer sensibilities will surely be offended. Cain misread God, if hed bothered to try to understand Him at all. The faith of Abel is commended by God in Hebrews 11:4: By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he gained Gods assurance that he was righteous, God approving of his gifts; and by faith he, though dead, speaks. But God wasnt pleased with Cains self-styled offering, or his insubordination. It was Abel whod been obedient, humbly casting himself by faith upon the mercy of a Deity offended by sin. Abel entertained no delusions about the utter depravity of the human nature hed inherited from Adam, his father. He realized that only with Gods help could it be held in check. He knew that man, in spite of his best efforts, falls short of the Glory of God (see Romans 3: 23), and that sacrificial blood must be shed to cover his sin from Gods sight. Hard-hearted Cain couldnt have cared less. Like most people he considered himself no better or worse than any other human, hardly bad enough to merit Gods attention. He refused to see his sin nature in the light of Gods unfathomable Holiness. Unlike his brother Abel, Cain was not accounted by God as righteous. Cains sacrifice was an exercise in futility. God noticed how Cain glowered as the smoke from his offering refused to ascend heavenward, how the fire fizzled out no matter how much he fanned it and blew on it. Why are you so angry, Cain? And why that pout on your face? If only youd done what you were supposed to, you would have been accepted by Me. But because you disobeyed me, sin is even now lurking at your door. It wants to dominate you, but you must overcome it (Genesis 4:7). Cain seethed. He resented anybody, God included, telling him what to do. He refused to repent of his own perverseness, for his heart was hardened toward God. He didnt want any advice from the God he was supposedly sacrificing to. How dare God be so picky, He was lucky to get anything at all from cool Cain! Cain was determined to run his turf his own way. This headstrong young man couldnt stomach following the godly example of his younger brother. Far be it from him to obtain one of Abels choicest lambs to offer up as the blood sacrifice demanded by God. Cain was ticked off. Why didnt God appreciate this gorgeous pile of veggies, or all the sweaty toil that had gone into wresting his offering from the earth? Cains super-sized ego was deflated. Upstaged by his bratty little brother! Oh, the stinging humiliation of it all! The Top Dog must not lose face; this insult must not go unavenged. On the pretext that Cain wanted a private word with him, Abel was lured out to a secluded field, away from the eyes of his parents. But God saw everything. He witnessed the full savagery of the lethal blow dealt Abel by Cain, the first murderer. Soon Abel was lying in a pool of his own blood. Jealous rage turned to fear. Up until then, no human had ever died. Cain shook that lifeless form lying limply at his feet. He shouted at it. No response. What could be done now? His dad would go ballistic. He might even do the same to HIM if he found the grisly evidence. So Cain became the first undertaker and buried the body in a hastily excavated grave. The earth received Abels lifeless corpse. But his blood cried out to God, Who knows every sparrow that falls to the ground.

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In I John 3:12, the Holy Spirit gives the apostle John insight into Cains motive for the murder. This verse is included in a discourse on loving one another, Johns trademark teaching. John contrasts the malignant attitude of Cain with true Christian love. He instructs us to be:Not like Cain, who was of that wicked one (satan) and killed his brother. And why did he kill him? Because his own deeds were evil, while his brothers were righteous. Cain served the prince of darkness, as all bullies do. Abel had walked in the Light, and this Light had shown up the sinister workings of Cains soul. But Cains premeditated crime did not succeed in snuffing out the Light, or make his own burden of guilt weigh any less heavy upon him. Barely had Cain finished conducting Abels no-frills funeral when he heard an entreaty from heaven: Cain! Cain! Where is Abel, your brother? Ever a cool dude, Cain shrugged, How should I know? Am I my brothers keeper (Genesis 4:9)? But God was not to be put off. Cain! What have you done? I hear your brothers blood crying up to me from the ground, clamoring for vengeance. The very same earth which opened her mouth to receive your brother now abhors you. From now on, you will enjoy no success in farming. The earth will refuse to yield a crop to you. A homeless wanderer you will be upon the earth. Abel had become the first saint martyred for the sake of the Truth, as many millions in the future would be. His death was due to persecution for righteousness sake, rather than bullying for cosmetic shortcomings. God has, throughout the ages, permitted such martyrdoms to occur. This is a matter far different from being targeted because you wear a cheap brand of clothes. I believe that in all other cases, protection from physical harm can assuredly be sought for through the intervention of God. Cain manifested these traits of a typical bully: a vicious temper, a callous heart, contempt for authority figures, a driving need to be Top Dog. Now he had been reduced to being a homeless vagabond. For the remainder of his life Cain would wander and scavenge for his sustenance, always peeking over his shoulder and worrying that some younger, stronger punk would bump him off. Bullies are like that. These predators restlessly range, seeking approbation from some and victimizing others, always fighting any who could pose a challenge to their position as Leader of the Pack. Let the bully beware. It is a dangerous business to glorify the attributes of satan as being cool. We live in an amoral (frankly, immoral!) society. Nothings a sin, except bucking the trends. But God doesnt conform to this ugly world. He declares in Malachi 3:6: I am the Lord, I never change. In Gods court of law, terminal bullying carries a terminal penalty, with no time off for good behavior. But the fearful, and the unbelieving, and perverts, and MURDERERS, and the immoral, and practitioners of witchcraft, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their place in the lake which burns with fire and sulfur; this is the second death (Revelation 21:8).

Occultic Bondages
Leviticus 19:31; 20:27; Deuteronomy 18:9-14; Isaiah 8:19; Acts 16:16-18; Galatians 5:20;Revelation 21:8 Involvement in occult activities is one way satan gains access to a persons life. If the shadowy world of the occult didnt sometimes yield temporary relief from

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problems, it would have few devotees today. Although most people are ignorant of the actual power behind the occult, their ignorance does not protect them from ultimately having to pay the piper. The devil never dispenses his favors for free! Anyone who has ever won the lottery or won the heart of a lover through occultic practices has actually received the supernatural assistance of satans demons, and the devil considers that one to be in his debt! Although the powers of darkness have worked to bring temporal wealth and love to an individual, the enjoyment of those things will ultimately end in tragedy if Gods deliverance is not sought, and the person is not released from the power of satan, who is more ruthless than any gangster when its time to collect his fee. When King Saul felt overwhelmed by the vast forces of the Philistine armies, he sought Gods help, but God wasnt listening (I Sam.28:5-6). God had become Sauls enemy (I Sam.28:16). And no wonder, because not only had Saul stubbornly disobeyed Gods orders and tried to kill David, he massacred a whole city of priests who had given help to David (I Sam.22:11-19). Saul had everyone killed, including women, children, and newborn babies. After all the evil hed done, why should Saul have expected God to bail him out of his own mess? So Saul turned to a witch to try to conjure up the spirit of Samuel the prophet (I Sam.28:7-25). Saul got only a strong rebuke from Samuel, who was permitted by God to really appear to him. Samuel warned Saul that he and his sons would join him in the netherworld the very next day. That prediction came true (I Samuel chapter 31). Dabbling in the occult is strictly forbidden by the Word of God. Occultic practices iinclude: New Age philosophies such as medtation, visualization or affirmation, performed as a means to supposedly create your own reality in a god-like fashion; Fortune telling; Consultation with mediums (people who receive messages from evil spirits posing as departed friends or relatives of the client); Witchcraft, either black or white (God considers both equally bad); Divination, Astrology, Transcendental Meditation; Yoga Philosophies; ESP (Extra-sensory perception); The I Ching, Hypnosis, Tarot cards, Water witching, Consultation with Phone psychics, Palmistry; Eastern Religions, and any other quasi-religious practices which conflict with the clear teachings of Scripture.

Dont Ever Bully Yourself!

You, as a believer, are the apple of Gods eye. It is just as wrong to insult yourself as it is for a bully to do it. One day I got irked at myself for being careless at the stove. What an idiot I am, I murmured. Immediately I felt the anger of God directed at me, and I knew I had to repent. It was then I more fully realized just how highly He esteems me, and how precious I am to Him. I am His treasure, and I am to have a proper love even for myself.

Jobs Comforter Counselors

Even counselors are human. But insensitive, inept ones are nothing but Jobs comforters (check out the Book of Job if youre unfamiliar with the concept). Theyll try to assign the blame to you for having to suffer the trial of bullying in the first place. But dont buy that lie of satan, who can deceive even religious people. Dont ever let anybody convince you that YOURE to blame for the bullying! Unless you committed aggression against the bully first, thats untrue. Bullying is ALWAYS inexcusable! My full figure and frizzy hair did NOT make it OK to bully me! I recognize bullying as a problem originating not with flesh and blood, but with evil

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spirits of the air ( Ephesians 6) The devil is just as capable of singling out beautiful people, as well as plain people, for abuse. Only God knows how many high school beauty queens have been pressured to put out because why else would she wear heavy makeup and provocative clothes, etc. About 8 years after I fled high school I went to a minister and told him how horribly Id been treated in school, and about depression caused by bad memories. He asked me what I could have done to feel better about myself. I told him Id starved myself to lose weight after fleeing my high school, straightened my hair, plucked my eyebrows thin, ad nauseum. He asked: Why didnt you do that before? If Id had the guts, I would have told him what he was really saying was: Those bullies had every right to harass me because only skinny boy toys with spindly arms and sleek shiny hair have the right to self-respect in satans world! But I just went along with him because in my eyes, he was the Bible expert and was higher on Gods totem pole. Besides, hadnt he cleared a slot in his busy schedule to counsel me about my nightmares and flashbacks? I say this to every Christian woman who feels shes forever under the scrutiny of other churchgoers who have bought into the worlds lie and made it part of their gospel: Dont take it any more! Say to yourself and to others: I have a right to BE the person God made me, and in the Name of Jesus I REFUSE TO COME (or stay) UNDER BONDAGE TO BABYLONS ABOMINABLE BEAUTY INDUSTRY! IT DOES NOT BELONG IN THE HOUSE OF THE LORD! Beauty bias is sanctified sexism, plain and simple. I wish I had a nickel for every time some Christian told me I was sinning against the Lord because I still had to fight bad feelings that resurface every now and then, and still had to contend with old fears. Look at all the Lords done to bless you, they might say. Theres no excuse for the way you feel, Pat. Even the Bible says fear is a sin. Well, its a good idea to clarify what sort of fear God considers sinful. I believe the kind of fear that disgusts God the most is moral cowardice_refusing to stand for righteousness and defend the weak in a wicked world where good is called evil and evil is called good. Many days I went to school with knots in my stomach, braced for yet another battle. But at least I gritted my teeth and went to that stinking hellhole every day. The fear God counts as cowardice was committed against me day in and day out. Unless I found somebody willing to sit with me, there were 5 vacant chairs at my six-seater lunch table every single day. I lived in the Bible Belt, and conservatively speaking, at least 10% of the cafeteria crowd must have been born again. At least one or two in my P.E. class must have been born-again believers. God could not find anybody willing to thumb their nose at the Cult of Cool and dare to be seen eating lunch with me, or peep a protest when I was always the last to be chosen for teams. Sure, theyd go to some steamy jungle mission field and die for Jesus, but they wouldnt dare walk a few feet over to my table and enjoy my company. They might have professed Christ, but it was the devil pulling their strings at school! For the first time in my life I noticed an odd inconsistency in John Chapter 20. This is the story of men who have just witnessed the Miracle of the Ages and yet, their old fear still has a hold on them. Jesus has just been crucified by His enemies, and His bereaved disciples are petrified that the Jewish leaders who betrayed Christ to the Romans were out to get them, too. In verse 19 we read: Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. Notice. Jesus doesnt rip into those guys because theyre hiding behind locked doors. He doesnt disown them in disgust. He comes to bless them with His peace.

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In verse 22 He says: Receive ye the Holy Ghost. I believe that is the moment the disciples were spiritually born again, because in Acts Chapter Two they were filled with the Holy Ghost, the Blessing of the Baptism of the Holy Ghost. No one can be saved without the Presence of the Holy Ghost abiding in him, but there is a Second Blessing of the overflow of the Holy Ghost, which gives holy boldness and an anointing for power to serve Christ in this ungodly world. The shocker is in verse 26: And after eight days again His disciples were within (shut indoors) and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you. Despite getting a visit from Christ after His miraculous resurrection from the dead, those same disciples again secluded themselves behind locked doors for fear of the Jews! Once again, Jesus doesnt scold his men for being afraid to face their foes and for hiding. Instead He blesses them! If Christ had been like the rest of us, He might have gone over to pay Annas and Caiphas a visit and settled the score with those scoundrels for betraying Him to the Romans. If Christ had used the strength of His glorified body to punish his religious archenemies for fighting against His Kingdom and hindering so many from entering into Life Eternal, the disciples wouldnt have had to stay in hiding. The religious leaders would have been way too scared to mess with them ever again once Jesus finished dealing with them! A common misconception is that once weve received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, we should never again admit to being afraid. But even Jesus Himself felt what we feel, so He could have compassion on us (Luke 22:28; Heb.4:15). He wrestled with His own fears in the Garden of Gethsemane just prior to His Crucifixion. In Matthew 26:39 He pleads with His Father that if it be possible, to spare Him the bitter cup of suffering he must drink. Fear had to be conquered before Christ could offer up Himself for our sins. Jesus had been anointed by the Holy Spirit before His own earthly ministry (Mark 1:9-10). This Blessing did not put an immediate end to Christs conflicts and troubles; it empowered Him to engage in spiritual warfare against satan and ultimately defeat him. In Acts Chapter Two the disciples were filled with the Holy Ghost after tarrying for ten days in the Upper Room. Peter gained a new boldness in preaching the Resurrected Christ and warning sinners of Gods coming judgment. But that doesnt mean Peter never again felt afraid. In Acts Chapter 4 we find the apostles feeling intimidated because the enemies of Christ have just threatened them with bodily harm unless they stopped healing the sick and preaching Christ. In verses 23-31 they hold a prayer meeting, asking God for courage to continue preaching the Truth of the Gospel even in the face of enemy opposition. Once again they receive a fresh infilling of the Spirit, and renewed boldness. This tells me that waging warfare against the father of all bullies is a lifelong business. It is heartless and ignorant to accuse a trial-weary Christian of sin just because he admits he is still at war with a devil who tries to paralyze him with fear. God asks only that we avail ourselves of His power and courage to fight satan, not give in to him. Victims get chided for overreacting to verbal abuse. Some say it is harmless and you should just shrug it off. But its easy to be philosophical about somebody elses suffering, isnt it? Why is it that people take physical suffering seriously, but think emotional hurts are a figment of the imagination? Bullying, even protracted, severe verbal bullying and social ostracism, is emotional murder! Bullies destroy their victims ability to love and receive love. Suppose a political dissenter is kept in a cell and starved of food. He will feel acute hunger the first few days. But once the stomach gets used to being empty, the sensation of hunger might dull to the point where it is hardly noticeable anymore. The person still needs food, but what if he decides to just reconcile himself to the idea of dying and treats his deprivation of

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nourishment as a hunger strike to protest his ill treatment? Apathy toward food sets in as the hunger striker focuses on other things to keep his mind off eating. It is possible to starve to death by teaching yourself to think you no longer need food. The day comes when the jailer brings a huge plate of steak and eggs to the starving prisoner. The prisoner responds: Dont need it no more. A kid who has been stepped on, ridiculed, snubbed and ostracized for years will begin to deliberately shut others out, if only to protect himself. He has only learned that his overtures of friendship will only be thrown back in his face because hes got cooties. Get away! and Youve got the mange! finally take their toll to the point where the bullied individual begins to resign himself to permanent social starvation. It is even borne stoically. But it means a part of that person shrivels up and dies. Things which move others to laughter and smiles will leave him stony-faced and unresponsive, because he has been emotionally murdered by bullies. Worse yet, even when the teacher persuades the others to make positive moves to build bridges with that person, it might be too little too late, especially if the bullying victim is also estranged from God. After so many years of having the rug pulled out from under him to make him feel like an idiot, the bullied kid no longer trusts the motives of others. Loving and caring have died and only cold cynicism remains. Kids might be good as gold around the teacher. But watch out for comments passed outside the bathroom stall or out in the hallway when Teach aint lookin! One girl, Candy, laughed and joked with her friends just outside the bathroom stall I was in. Shes so dumb, I heard. I felt hurt, humiliated and angry. I had said nothing to her, and she had started it, knowing I was in the bathroom. I came out and used the only defense I had to turn the comment against her: At least I get good grades. Her answer: I can get a girl friend. And what kind of friends did Candy have, but foul-mouthed backstabbers like she was? I definitely was not blessed at the time and my life was a dark pit, but was Candy really better off than me? Sure Candy had more pals than I did, but how long would their friendship have lasted if shed developed a heart and a conscience? Words wound. Seemingly little things can kill. You used to get peanuts on the plane, but peanut allergy is taken so seriously now that they arent handed out by flight attendants anymore. Warnings are pasted on food packages that peanuts might be lurking inside. Just think of it. Just ONE teeny-weeny peanut can send some people into throes of agony or even cause death. And one cruel word too many can be the last straw for a kid whos sick of life. When was the last time somebody with a hypersensitivity to bee stings was rebuked for overreacting to a nasty sting? Most individuals find a bee sting a minor nuisance they can live with till it goes away after a few days. All theyve gotta put up with is a sore red spot on their arm, maybe even a slight swelling. But they can get on just fine with their daily lives. But you have the occasional individual who will swell up like a balloon and nearly die from a bee sting. Yet nobody finds fault with such allergy sufferers because they can see the harm thats done by the little bee. What annoys one person kills another. When a rattlesnake bites the puncture marks it leaves are very tiny. In and of themselves, those marks wouldnt be much worse than stabbing yourself with a sewing needle. But its the venom that does the snakes dirty work for him. As you watch the bite victim swell up, turn purple and lose consciousness, there is visible evidence of harm, so you wouldnt tell him to get a grip on himself and snap out of it. To those too blind to see, only the visible is real. But I know I am much more than flesh and blood. Long after this body is dust my spirit will live on and on. My soul will survive eternity, full of zeal for the things of God. Veterans of the High School of Hard Knocks are like that person hypersensitive to bee stings. Being torn down time and time and time again can make them people-

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shy and supersensitive to verbal poison injected into their eternal souls by satans kids. Satan is called a serpent (snake) in the Bible (Rev. 20:2). Jesus Himself called His own enemies vipers (Matt. 12:34). The viper is an extremely venomous snake, common in the Middle East. Like begets like. Bullies, satans children, are also deadly dispensers of hate. They speak with the tongues of vipers (Psalms 58: 3-4). The Psalmist declares that even from the womb the wicked are estranged from God. They do not belong to Him, and they are of their father the devil. The Bible says they are from beneath (John 8:23,44). How ludicrous, to suppose that the eternal soul of a person is less real than the body which shall die and return to the dust, and the hurts inflicted on it are inconsequential, just because a bleeding soul is not visible to the naked eye! Proverbs 11:9 declares that it is possible for someone to destroy his neighbor with his mouth! Words can heal and words can destroy! But how many smug pastors have told some hurting soul: Thats just your rebellious flesh nature reacting to nothing. Grow up! You know others in the world are suffering much worse persecution than you are! Repent of your bad attitude toward the tiny little trials God sends along for your own good! So the devils deadly snake bites, inflicted by his wicked children, are transformed into gifts of God, eh? Well, I have news for such Jobs comforters! I John 3: 8 tells me that Jesus came to DESTROY the works of the devil, not sanctify them! In Matthew 7:10 Jesus asks his followers whether any decent father would give his child a serpent if he prayed for a fish. If you get a serpent and your counselor insists that you give thanks for it instead of complaining about it, tell him your Heavenly Father isnt in the habit of sending you serpents (bullies), and when you get a gift, you should thank the appropriate giver! Whats more, you arent on speaking terms with satan, so why should you give thanks to him anyway? A counselor might try to get you to reason away the spiritual attack as if it were purely a mind over matter problem instead of a spiritual battle against the enemy. Ive tried it on myself, not to be boastful, but to neutralize the enemys venom and clear my sense of perspective after an enemy attack. Pat, Id say to myself (or others might tell me this) how many mean people have ever written a book? Lots of them cant even read! The Psalmist David was a very cerebral guy. He was a brave warrior, a poet, a first-class musician, and a natural-born leader of men. The young girls of Israel had sung his praises after he killed Goliath. David must have had a MENSA-level I.Q., and his enemies knew they didnt. David knew he was gifted and anointed by God. But he also had his moments of desperation. In I Samuel Chapter 25 a rich sheep rancher named Nabal insulted David when he asked for food to keep himself and his men from starving to death in the wilderness. What else could David do? Back then there wasnt a McDonalds on every street corner. If anybody deserved a free lunch David did. He had protected Nabals livestock from predators. He had restored the honor of Israel by risking his life to defeat the giant Goliath when everybody else was too chicken to come out of their tents. Not only did David have to flee from a paranoid king whod put a contract on his head, he had to hide out in a sun-baked desert with enemies on his tail and zilch to eat! Nabal called him a runaway slave who didnt deserve any of his precious food. Not even a drop of his H2O. The nerve of that grubby-fisted, penny-pinching Scrooge! David blew his cool. I dont know about you, Id freak out too if my blood sugar crashed from acute carb deprivation and somebody treated me like trash on top of it. Id probably get mad enough to strap on my sword like David did and go pry more hospitality out of Nabal. But thank God, somebody with some good sense came along and stopped David from making a big mistake that would have derailed his future: taking his own

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vengeance on crabby Nabal needlessly. Not only did Abigail, Nabals prudent wife, provide sweet fig cakes to restore Davids depleted body, she spoke sweet words of positive affirmation which restored Davids sense of self-worth as someone precious in the sight of God. There would be no wars on earth today if every world leader was as sane and sensible as Abigail! I dont really think God overlooks verbal sins. Like all others, He keeps a meticulous record of them. Did you know that children who cursed their parents could be put to death for it in ancient Israel? Exodus 21:17 says: He that curseth his father or his mother, shall surely be put to death. In the margins, that word curseth means to revile or scold harshly with bitterness and hostility. Leviticus 20:9 says: For every one that curseth his father or his mother shall surely (not maybe!) be put to death: he hath cursed his father or his mother; his blood shall be upon him. I can hear it now: Cool it, Pat, thats Old Testament. Jesus is way too sweet to endorse those barbaric standards. But turn over to the beginning verses of Matthew chapter 15. Jesus is rebuking a bunch of Pharisees who would rather honor their own man-made traditions than obey the commandment of God. The religious police are quibbling over whether people must wash their hands before they eat. But Jesus is far more concerned about a prevailing social problem of his day (and ours): Instead of using their money to properly care for their aging parents, people were pressured to fork over the dough to the religious leaders instead. But in verse 4 Jesus reminds them of how sinful it is to abuse your parents when He says: But God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and thy mother; and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death. One popular TV show features dysfunctional families, and their family storms are televised before the nation. The most horrible language imaginable is spewed at exhausted, frustrated parents by snotty kids who curse at them for asking them to straighten up their room, or turn their music down, or go to bed. The cringing, weepy mother is cursed and called a bitch (and sometimes worse). Dishes and punches get thrown by kids who know corporal punishment is against the law. Teenage terrors kick, bite and swear at father and mother while they trash the house. Id get tough with those little tearaways! Why should they be allowed to threaten the well-being of the rest of the family? If they were too old (and way too big) to pick up and carry into a time-out room, Id make a few phone calls and make other living arrangements for them till they stopped acting like wild beasts, and apologized and cleaned up the mess theyd made. You might feel like throwing an abusive youngster out of the house, especially if theyre endangering the safety of others. But it would be illegal and counterproductive to do that if the brat is still a minor, with nowhere else to go. The only option for kids who wont respond to a firm rebuke or receive prayer for Gods help might be to have trained professionals take responsibility for your unruly child. If you live in the U.S. you can search the Internet to find out about Christian homes for wayward youth, where the Word of God is taught and Biblical discipline is still legal (at least in some states). As a last resort you might have to hand them over to child welfare officials to protect yourself or your other children. But every step of the way submit to Christ and plead His Blood over your home, and soundly rebuke the devil in the Name of Jesus! Whatever is necessary to protect your home, pray for the guts to do it. You may hate to part with your troubled child for awhile, but your home must not be a chamber of horrors for everybody else in it! My daughter has never once in her life said she hated her parents. Not once has she ever hit us or cursed us, not at any stage of her blessed life. All her life she has gone out of her way to pour out love on us in countless ways. And, in case youre

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wondering, she always did this because she enjoyed it, not because she was scared not to! When she was small she would surprise us with little homemade cards telling us how dearly she loved her parents. Because she has been so good to her father and mother, she will reap Gods blessings (Exodus 20:12; Deut. 5:16; Eph. 6:1-3). When my daughter was in the first grade she received a super citizen award for befriending a little Laotian girl who had no other friends. But her greatest award is still to come. I believe that God will forever honor my daughter in heaven and on earth as a keeper of the Fifth commandment: Honor thy father and thy mother. Truly the Lord rewards you when you pray for His blessing and watchcare to be upon your son or your daughter, and that should start in the womb before they are born. Those who dont lean on the Lord to watch over their children and give them guidance in raising them must lean wholly upon themselves_and the arm of flesh can fail. God has shown a tremendous amount of forbearance with incorrigible young people, in granting them space to repent that was unheard of in ancient Israel. In His eyes their cruel disrespect is worthy of death. Rom.1:29 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, Verse 30: Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, DISOBEDIENT TO PARENTS, Verse 31: Without understanding, covenantbreakers, WITHOUT NATURAL AFFECTION, IMPLACABLE, UNMERCIFUL: Verse 32: Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them. Thats Gods honest opinion of whats going on today, though most think its a bit extreme. Still think verbal abuse of parents and others is just a nit-picking peccadillo? Some church counselors just smile and tell you youre overreacting, and its all your fault your kid is so terrible, because you dont always return love for the little tyrants abuse, even if he or she is bigger than you are!. All such critical counselors are is Jobs Comforters, spiritual butchers who think theyre chalking up brownie points with God by carving you into tiny little pieces. Why not ship your restless kids over to their quiet, tidy home for a sleepover? Those holier-than-thous would change their tune in a hurry, and their armchair religion would fold like a stack of cards! An insensitive counselor sees your cries of pain as sins to be laid to the charge of you, the victim, who needs to repent because you cant suffer in silence, much less give God thanks for your trial! No wonder so many hurting, alienated souls are ditching the insular, out-of-touch church as being irrelevant to their lives! With Jobs comforters for friends, who needs enemies? If a bullying victim or domestic violence victim cant confide in another Christian who understands his or her hurt, where on earth can they go to find a sympathetic ear? A fortune teller? A bar? Next time you go to a Christian counselor to help rebuild your shattered selfesteem, pick one who will pin the blame squarely where it belongs: on the bully and his father satan, not on you!

What Does GOD Think of You?

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Whose opinion matters anyway? That of your loving Heavenly Father or that of lost sinners whose minds are messed up by their father satan? You should put far more faith in what God the Holy Spirit has to say to you through inspired words of Scripture than the lies the devil speaks through the foul mouths of his children. If you have been born again by faith in the atoning Blood of Christ, you have gained mightily in status. You have been spiritually united to Jesus Himself by the power of the Holy Spirit. You have even been made one Spirit with Christ the Lord (I Cor. 6:17), and you are accepted in the Beloved (Eph. 1:6). And what does God have to say about Jesus, His Beloved, that Blessed One in Whom you have hidden yourself by faith? God the Father says in Matthew 3:17: This is My beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased. Well, its clear logic. If you have been accepted in the Beloved, you are part and parcel of that One in Whom the Father is well pleased. The whole wide world might thumb its nose at you because youre bald, or freckled or fat, but God your Heavenly Father is well pleased with you because youve got the only connections that count in His sight, that of being connected with Christ, with the Holy Spirit, and by adoption as His Son or daughter, with Him! When He looks down upon you from heaven, He beholds the perfection of His own Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

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CHAPTER EIGHT FOUR KEYS TO SPIRITUAL POWER Time and again I have gained victory in my life through four key truths. The first One mentioned breathes life and power into the other three and activates them.

KEY No.1. GODS HOLY SPIRIT: THE SPIRIT OF MIGHT In both Old and New Testaments, the anointing of the Spirit of God is likened to fire. Apart from the Spirit of God, the other keys to victory, wonderful though they are, would be like sticks of dynamite without the fire to empower them. Jeremiah said of Gods prophetic word: His word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones (Jere.20:9). Jeremiah felt Gods Word burn deep in his heart to the extent that keeping silent about it was impossible. In Matthew 3: 11 John the Baptist speaks of One Who would baptize the disciples with the Holy Ghost and fire. Interestingly, the next verse also promises that the wicked would be burnt up with fire unquenchable. Either we make friends with the Fire of God or it will, in the end, become our enemy. In Acts Chapter 2, the Holy Spirit descends upon the praying disciples, appearing as flames of fire. The Holy Spirit is able to take a naturally timid person like me and impart holy boldness in proclaiming the Truth, however unpopular it might be in todays world. That alone testifies to the mighty power of God working in those who take their eyes off their own inadequacy and focus instead on the power of Christ within them. Trying to live the Christian life without the power of the Holy Ghost is like trying to start your car without gasoline. Our faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God (I Cor. 2:5). Just before His ascension back to heaven Jesus promised His disciples in Acts 1:8: But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you. Inside the margin is a clarification of the translation from the Greek: The power of the Holy Ghost coming upon you. Power in this verse is taken from the Greek word Dunamis, the same word dynamite is taken from. Jesus did not qualify this promise by saying that after the death of the original apostles, you might still get the Holy Ghost Baptism but without the dynamite to do the good works! Lots of traditional churches reluctantly accept that people might get baptized in the Holy Ghost and speak in tongues, but they get mighty nervous when people want to see miracles from the Hand of God. That just doesnt gel very well with their sacrosanct manmade traditions! One day I met somebody who was on fire for Jesus WITHOUT the fire. A man stopped at the corner and got out of his car as I was walking home from the store. He claimed Jesus had told him to turn his car around and talk to me. He offered me a tract, but I said I was already a Christian. We got into a deep discussion and ended up disagreeing on some fundamental points. He debunked the Baptism of the Holy Spirit as a delusion. He said tongues was of the devil, and let me know he had repented of being in the Charismatic Movement. I told him God promised to pour out His Spirit upon all flesh in the Last Days, and I had received this Blessing more than thirty years before. He said the last days were in the days of the Apostles. Well, if these arent the last of the last days of satans rule on earth, then where else could we be on Gods time line? If anything, were much further into the last days than the original Apostles were! We certainly arent in the Millennial Age of Christs earthly Reign yet!

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2 Timothy 3:1: This know also, that in the last days perilous (dangerous) times shall come.* * *The worst criminals get away with it these days because there is a spirit of lawlessness in the earth. Modern man lives under the threat of thermonuclear warfare. Verse 2: For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous (greedy), boasters, proud (arrogant), blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy.* * *Check out any magazine newsstand and youll find out how self-obsessed and vain this modern culture is. People might have all they need, but they are encouraged to aim higher and covet better possessions than their neighbors have. Bullies disobey and detest their parents (and all authority figures). They curse God. Bullies never thank God for providing the air they breathe and the food they eat. Instead, they try to destroy other souls He has made. Verse 3: Without natural affection, trucebreakers (treaty breakers), false accusers, incontinent (promiscuous), fierce, despisers of those that are good,* * *Recently, a gang of teenage thugs ganged up on a helpless father of three and beat him to death in front of his daughter. The devils children are without human feeling. They lie about others to try to get them in trouble. They use others for cheap sex. They despise and persecute people who APPEAR to be good, whether they are Christians are not. Teenage tearaways promise to be good when theyre let out on bail, but go on to break their agreement and commit even worse crimes. Verse 4: Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God.* * *Bullies usually hate their parents so much theyd betray their own mother for a nickel. They live only for the gratification of their lusts. They think theyre cooler and better than everybody else around them. They abuse the Lords Name in filthy conversation. This passage proves that Paul was speaking of the Last Days as a future time from when he himself lived. If we arent in the Last Days, then where are we on Gods timeline? That confused guy thought we werent in the Last Days so God wasnt able to give us His Spirit of power anymore! He actually appealed to Scripture to try to persuade me to disown the greatest Blessing Id ever received since my conversion. He said that when that which is perfect is come, then the spiritual gifts will pass away. He also cited this one: Now we see through a glass darkly, but then face to face. When that which is perfect is come, then that which is part shall be done away (I Corinthians 13:10). But his notion of that which is perfect was foggy. All he did was mumble: Get out there and witness. Get out there and witness. Thats all they told me in church when I was a teenager. I felt no reality of Gods power or Presence, and God seemed to me to be only a far-away Being I paid lip service to on Sundays and Wednesday nights. It wasnt long before I lost all interest. God seemed dead and far away before I received the fullness of the Spirit. Despite the fact desperate prayer on my part saved my little brother from dying of a sudden meningitis attack. My Sunday School teacher did her best to keep me enthusiastic about church attendance, but my life was a bummer and will-power and promises to get on fire for Jesus always fell through.

Why I Know Gods Offer STILL Hasnt Expired!

Fellow believers, we need Gods spiritual power as never before. Only a person ignorant of the awful shape Planet Earth is in could ever truly think that that which

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is perfect has already come! Demons STILL infest the air all around us, inciting sinners to blaspheme and commit abominable sins. Little children and women are STILL afraid to walk city streets. People are STILL subject to sickness and premature death. Crime STILL goes unpunished. Wars STILL rage. Wicked men STILL suck off the misery of the poor. Crooks STILL infiltrate all society, even religious organizations. The devil STILL destroys innocent kids in bully-infested schools. Satan STILL deceives millions with a convenient, politically correct gospel, which is nothing more than a whimsical doctrine of love dispensing with Scriptural standards of morality. Satan STILL calls the shots in societal trends. Two thousand years of the Church Age has failed to stamp out sin and immorality in this world. We do NOT YET see Christ face-to-face, but rather, see Him through a glass darkly ( I Cor. 13: 12). Our understanding of Him and our service for Him is STILL imperfect, because we STILL dwell in perishable vessels of clay. We have NOT YET been perfected into the glorious image of Christ, nor attained to perfection of wisdom and power. Though heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ, we have NOT YET received our ultimate reward. Christ does NOT YET reign as King over this earth. He does NOT YET sit upon His father Davids Throne on Mount Zion, enforcing His righteous decrees. Rather, most of mankind STILL holds His Word in the basest contempt. This is a world at enmity with its Creator. I beg to differ, but if this present rotten world is the perfection Gods children are promised, and, as a result, God must divest me of weapons I badly need to fight the devil, then Im in BIG trouble! Jesus said in Mark 16: 17-18, just before ascending up to heaven: And these signs shall follow THEM THAT BELIEVE; In My Name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands upon the sick, and they shall recover. Notice. These signs shall follow THEM THAT BELIEVE. If this offer was to expire after the death of the last of the Twelve Apostles, surely Christ would have included that crucial clause in His will before His Ascension. But its a good thing for me He didnt! Saints, it makes no sense for a general to strip his army of their most effective weapons just when the enemy has brought out his deadliest nukes. This is an age of gross darkness, and I need every spiritual weapon I can get from God to win the victory.

Dont Throw the Baby Out With the Bath Water

How much wiser it is to receive Gods spiritual gifts and grow in the use of them, than to reject them in the name of denominational doctrine and to hobble the Life of Christ in you, and to be helpless in the face of enemy attack! Many have screwy notion that Jesus and the Holy Spirit are rivals for the affections of the saints, that if you seek the power of the Spirit and express love and gratitude to Him, youre neglecting the Son. But the goal of the Holy Spirit is ever to glorify the Son (John 16:13-14). No one thinks youre slighting the Son if you praise and adore the Father Who sent Him, so why should you fear to love the Holy Spirit? God is a Trinity. The Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost are all the same God. Love without power is feeble and little more than sweet sticky sentiment that cannot free satans captives. Its like trying to row a boat with only one oar. You just spin round and round in mad circles as you strive to sell an anemic, politically correct Gospel with intellectual arguments alone. More often than not, your listener is one

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tough customer who can present 10,000 reasons why he wont buy Jesus and why all Christians are hypocrites. Unquestioning acceptance of dead doctrine not only hobbles the saints but robs God of His Glory before an unbelieving world. Many want to give God a makeover to fit in with their respectable churchianity. They want to make Him a quiet mascot smiling down on nodding pew-warmers who stare hypnotically at a sleepy preacher, passive spectators who cant wait till the boring sermon is over so they can go out to eat.

Flawed Church Tradition Serves Men, Not God

Did Jesus offer of Holy Ghost power expire with the demise of the original apostles? Not one Scripture substantiates that false assumption. And nowhere does it say the offices of apostle, prophet, and teacher would be discontinued and only powerless pastors and anemic evangelists would remain to take up the slack! Anything which involves the supernatural side of God tends to be disparaged by nominal churches and hid beneath a bushel basket in hopes it will be forgotten about. It appears to me that a lot of church traditions serve the interests of men, not God. Limiters of God give lip service to a respectable Sunday god who has retired from the miracle business; a god who sits with folded hands looking on helplessly as people pray prayers they dont expect ever to see answered. But that isnt my God!

The Baptism of the Spirit: Christs Final Promise

Notice in Luke 22:31-32. Jesus and His original disciples were gathered in the Upper Room for the Last Supper, just prior to His trial and crucifixion. Jesus was about to warn Peter that he would deny Him three times. He says: Simon, Simon, listen. Satan has desired to have you. He wants to sift you like wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith will not fail: and WHEN YOU ARE CONVERTED (saved), strengthen your brethren. The disciples had walked with Jesus for at least three years, but they had not yet been born again. Jesus had not yet offered up His life as an atonement for their sins. For some 40 days after His resurrection from the dead, Jesus continued to make appearances to His followers in His immortal resurrected body. Immediately after Jesus execution, His eleven disciples (Judas had committed suicide), were hiding in a locked room, petrified that those same Jewish leaders whod just murdered Jesus were out gunning for them. They were surprised when Jesus suddenly materialized before them without going through the door. Now Christ could do this because His wonderful resurrected body was not hindered by the laws of nature, or time and space. He showed the disciples the marks left in His hands by the nails, and the deep scar left by the spear which had been thrust through his side. Having satisfied His men that He was indeed the risen Savior Who possessed a body of flesh and bone, and not a mere apparition, he gave them the commission to preach the Gospel. Then He breathed upon His disciples and said, Receive ye the Holy Ghost (John 20: 21-22). Which sparks a question: If Jesus breathed the Holy Spirit into His disciples at the time of their first encounter with Him after His Resurrection, then why this subsequent scenario: Ten days before the Jewish Feast of Pentecost and immediately before He went back to heaven, Christ gave parting instructions to His disciples: It is written that Christ must suffer and rise from the dead the third day: and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be preached in His Name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are all witnesses of these things. Behold, I

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send the Promise of My Father upon you; but you must first wait in the city of Jerusalem until you have received power from above (Luke 24:46-49). And again, in Acts Chapter 1 Christ says: Verse 4 And, being assembled together with them, (Christ) commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. Verse 5 For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. Verse 6 When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom again to Israel? Verse 7 And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. Verse 8 But YE SHALL RECEIVE POWER, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. Verse 9 And when he had spoken these things, while he beheld, he was taken up, and a cloud received him out of their sight. The very last words Christ uttered on this earth before being taken up to heaven was His promise to send us the Holy Spirit. I should think the thelogians who debunk the Baptism of the Spirit would agree that the final words of Christ on earth should carry at least as much weight as everything else he said during His ministry. And Jesus didnt restrict His promise to those disciples standing with Him on the Mount of Olives either, anymore than He limited salvation from sin to that particular group of disciples. Salvation, Water Baptisms and Holy Spirit Baptism If salvation and the Baptism of the Spirit were one and the same blessing, then it follows that throughout the forty days the Resurrected Christ walked among the disciples, they were still unconverted sinners, because they did not receive the Baptism of the Spirit until the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2:1-4. But this just cant be. Jesus had breathed the Holy Spirit into the hearts of the disciples immediately after His Resurrection, many days before His departure date. The Holy Spirit simply does not dwell in the hearts of unconverted individuals! His Presence in a heart sanctifies it. I firmly believe Jesus had earlier breathed His Holy Spirit into the hearts of His disciples to regenerate them spiritually to eternal life. When He did this, they were converted, for it was then the Holy Spirit entered their hearts by faith and imparted eternal life to men once spiritually dead ( see Ephesians 2:1). But Christ would not send his followers off to the mission field until they had first received the Baptism (total immersion into) the Holy Spirit, to empower them. This can be likened to a soldier being inducted into the army. Once he is sworn in, he knows his duty is to fight to defend his nation. When we enter the Kingdom of God by faith, we receive the status of soldiers of the Great King (2 Tim. 2:3-4). But a soldiers zeal is never enough to defeat an enemy stronger than himself. He needs weapons. The Baptism of the Holy Spirit empowers you, as a believer, to

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keep the Faith in an ungodly world and pray strong prayers in the Spirit which get the devil running when he dares to cross the Christ in you. If you dont receive the power and wisdom of the mighty Holy Ghost, youre a dead duck, waiting to be picked off on satans shooting range. Acts 8: 14-17 also bolsters my belief that salvation and the Baptism of the Spirit are two separate occurrences. It could hardly be plainer. Verse 14 Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John: Verse 15 Who, when they were come down, prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Ghost: Verse 16 (For as yet He (the Holy Ghost) was fallen upon NONE of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.) Verse 17 THEN laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost. By the time the apostles got to Samaria to check on the new believers who had received the Word of God, they had ALREADY BEEN WATER BAPTIZED in the Name of Jesus. Now, if salvation from sin and the Baptism in the Holy Ghost are synonymous terms and water baptism is the only baptism needful for believers, then why would the apostles have prayed for them to receive the Holy Ghost upon their arrival in Samaria? Whats more, if these people had been unconverted before the apostles prayed for them, then why on earth were they ALREADY water baptized in the Name of Jesus? It just isnt scriptural for people to be baptized to bear testimony to others that they are born again BEFORE the fact, is it? In Acts 19 Paul visits a group of disciples in Ephesus. By clear inference, they must be ALREADY saved to be Christian disciples! In verse 2 he asks them: have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, we have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost (KJV). Here we have the same paradox not common to powerless churches: The disciples, who had earlier received John the Baptists baptism unto repentance, had heard of Jesus, but not the Holy Ghost! Yet God in His mercy has already enabled them to believe in Christs saving power. This is implied in verse 4 where Paul says: John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people; that they should believe on him that should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus. Verse 5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Verse 6 And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; AND THEY SPAKE WITH TONGUES AND PROPHESIED. Notice, this particular group had ALREADY believed on Christ unto salvation. If any of them had died before the arrival of Paul, they would have doubtless gone straight to heaven. Though they had been baptized in water by John before Christs crucifixion, they received another water baptism as an outward testimony to men of their conversion to the risen Christ. Then Paul laid hands on them to receive the Baptism of the Holy Ghost, which enabled them to speak in tongues and prophesy. Tongues: Bypassing the Natural Mind to Access the Mind of the Spirit No other point of theology seems to pose more of a stumbling block to seekers of the Baptism of the Spirit than speaking in tongues. Why? Because speaking in tongues is an ability imparted by the Holy Spirit, Whose understanding is infinitely superior

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to human intellect. The fallible human mind falls far short of the Glory of God. Speaking in tongues bypasses the intellect altogether, and thus we do not know what we are praying when we exercise this gift. Tongues is a supernatural Gift of the Spirit, exercised at the will of the speaker as the Spirit provides the utterance (Acts 2:4). This heavenly speech is unintelligible to the speaker, but understood by God (I Cor. 14:14). People of great accomplishment or intellectual geniuses sometimes have a harder time receiving tongues because there is no room for human pride in the exercise of this gift. Its one example of that which is lightly esteemed in mens eyes confounding things highly esteemed in the sight of men (I Cor. 1: 25-29). Ironically, it is the very simplicity of moving in the Gift of Tongues which humbles human pride. Im one of those who didnt find human pride an obstacle in receiving tongues. I had been so badly treated in school there was no room to be proud of anything except the fact I had a cup with lots of room for God to fill up with more of Himself. When I received the Baptism at the tender age of 19, I was totally disgusted with the ways of the world. I loathed the idea of living out my life to impress a world full of phony entities who didnt care two cents about me anyway. My sights were set strictly on the things of Gods Eternal Kingdom. The day I received the Baptism of the Spirit was like heaven itself to me. After I prayed for the fullness of the Spirit I sang in tongues to praise the Lord Who offered me true dignity as a child of God, as one whom others had striven to rob of dignity. My soul was lifted up with unutterable joy. And my only regret was the Lord didnt also lift me up off my chair to be with Him in heaven. Any believer who knows he is dead to a dead world wants all the life God can pour into him or her. Benefits of Speaking in Tongues In Acts Chapter Two Spirit-baptized apostles spoke in foreign languages theyd never learned before and Jewish proselytes from all over the known world heard the wonderful works of God proclaimed in their own tongues. That is a miraculous phenomenon, rather than being the product of years of laborious language study! Even in that case, the believer does not understand what he is saying when speaking in tongues, because the content of the message is not governed by his intellect. The Gift of Tongues does not make it unnecessary for missionaries to study the native languages of the countries theyre being sent to, as a common UNDERSTOOD language is still essential for personal interaction. Tongues are of enormous benefit to the believers prayer life. In the natural realm, we are limited by our own intellect, insofar as expressing ourselves is concerned. But there are times our communion with God transcends the depth and range of our natural language and vocabulary. The ways of the Spirit are a deep mystery. As you pray in tongues He could be offering up a petition for some situation you know nothing about. Our natural minds are not always aware of matters which need praying for, either in our own lives or those of others. Except in the case of the Gift of Tongues with interpretation exercised in the Christian assembly, tongues are directed exclusively toward God, not men (I Cor. 14:2; verses 14-15). Whenever youre under attack, pray in the prayer language of the Spirit, out loud in the face of danger. Your enemies arent ashamed to make noise for the devil, so why should you feel self-conscious? Remind satan that he is defeated by Jesus blood and has no right to bother you. If you feel the devil making you worry, you could say something like this:

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Devil, in the Holy Name of Jesus I submit myself to God and His Word. I resist you in the power of the Holy Spirit. I command you to flee! Jesus defeated you 2,000 years ago on the Cross of Calvary. I take authority over you through the Blood of Jesus. Your destiny is the Lake of Fire, Gods garbage incinerator. My destiny is to rule with Christ in the world to come. You are a defeated foe. Jesus has already won the victory through His death, burial and resurrection. Jesus spoiled your principalities of darkness and triumphed over them openly in the sight of all the universe. You are a squatter, devil. Youve got no right to touch Gods property. Get out and dont ever bother me, my loved ones or anything we have ever again. If satan keeps coming back to hassle you, keep reasserting your right to be free (John 8:32,36). Pray for God to give His angels charge over you to keep you in all your ways, according to Psalms 91. Gods unseen army of angels are well able to fight for you to deliver you (Psalms 91:11). At times, I might feel a deep burden in my spirit and not even know what its about. It is then I will direct my heart heavenward and pray as the Spirit gives me utterance. I dont worry that I dont know exactly what Im saying, because the Holy Spirit knows better than I do what the Father needs to hear concerning a situation which may not even be at the forefront of my consciousness. The Spirit makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot even be uttered (Romans 8:26-27). Our understanding often fails, but the mind of the Spirit is always perfectly attune with the will of God. Thats part of the reason I disagreed with that fellow I met on the road when he insisted that the Gifts of the Spirit are done away because that which is perfect is already come and there was no further need for them. How absurd, to think our own natural knowledge and power to present accurately our petitions to the Father is as perfect as that of the Holy Spirit! One benefit of praying in tongues is that the inner man feels refreshed afterward, as if its just had a good spring cleaning. Often I have felt oppressed, discouraged or weary and a few minutes of praying in tongues has driven those feelings away. Isaiah 28:11-12 speaks of unknown tongues and the stubbornness of unbelievers who hear them: For with stammering lips and another tongue will he (God) speak to this people. To whom he said, this is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear. Thats great news for those who hesitate to pray in tongues privately or exercise the Gift of Tongues in church because it doesnt sound fluent enough. The world pokes fun at stammering or any kind of weakness whatever. But in Gods book, tongues can even come with stammering! Not only that, God delights in using weak things to confound things idolized by the world, so that there can be no room for pride or boasting (I Cor. 1:25-29). The devil trembles whenever Gods faithful people pray in the Spirit. It is then Gods power is released to tear down the devils strongholds of darkness and release his captives. Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the LORD of Hosts (Zech 4:6). KEY No. 2: THE SPIRIT OF GOD +THE WORD OF GOD The prophet Jeremiah called the Word of God a fire shut up in his bones (Jere. 20:9). Its one thing to have a head knowledge of Gods truth, but its quite another to feel the burning of Gods Spirit deep inside you. That holy anointing of Fire makes you to proclaim His message of judgment even when youd rather bury that unpopular message because the only thing people want to hear from God is that He loves everybody the same and would never send anybody, good or bad, to hell. But

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the God of the Bible is a consuming Fire (Hebrews 12:29). He is to be served with godly fear. That same Holy Fire which empowers Christians to testify to the power of Christ is also to be held in dread by the wicked and unbelievers, and if they refuse to reverence Him in this world they will be driven to their knees by fear of His terrible Majesty in the world to come. Every knee will eventually bow to Christ and say He is Lord, whether it be as personal Savior in this life or as personal judge in the next (Romans 14:11; Phil. 2:10). Time and again the Holy Spirit reminds me of Scripture verses which fortify me with faith in Gods faithfulness to provide something I need or to solve some problem. That is how He breathes life into otherwise dead Scripture passages and uses them to speak to me in time of need. Jesus promises His disciples in John 14:26: But the Comforter, Which is the Holy Ghost, Whom the Father will send in My Name, He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. *****The Holy Spirit is SO faithful to remind me of Scriptures Ive studied in the past to help me evaluate some of the new doctrines going around the church today. He reminds me of portions of Scripture which have direct bearing upon any problem or situation I may be facing. Jesus is the Way, the TRUTH, and the Life (John 14:6). If youre a Christian believer, only what Jesus says about you is the REAL truth! Jesus is the Living Word of God (John 1:1). What does the written expression of Gods Word have to say about you?

Scriptures to Fortify A Believer Against Insults

Lie no. 1: Youre UGLY! THE TRUTH: The Lord shall beautify the meek with salvation (Psalms 149:4). Let the Beauty of the Lord our God be upon us (Psalms 90:17). Lie no. 2: Youre WORTHLESS! THE TRUTH: And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of Hosts, in that day when I make up My jewels (literally: special treasure) [Malachi 4:17). Forasmuch as you know that you were not redeemed with corruptible things such as silver and gold...but with the precious Blood of Christ (I Peter 1: 18-19) Lie no. 3: Youre a NOBODY! THE TRUTH: Beloved, now are we the sons of God (I John 3:2). The Spirit Himself bears witness to our spirit, that we are the children of God; And if children, then heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ (Romans 8: 16-17). Lie no. 4: NOBODY WANTS ANYTHING TO DO WITH YOU!! THE TRUTH: The righteous shall compass me about, for You shall deal bountifully with me (Psalms 142:7). Wherefore, seeing we are compassed about with (surrounded by) so great a cloud of witnesses..(Heb.12:1). Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world (Matthew 20). I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you (John 14:18). Behold, I stand at the door and knock: If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come inside and dine with him, and he with Me ( Revelation 3:20). Christ is a friend Who sticks closer than a brother (Proverbs 18:24). Lie no. 5: IM RICH, AND YOURE POOR! HA HA HA! THE TRUTH: A little that a righteous man has is better than the riches of many wicked (Psalms 37: 16).

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Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to save them in the day of the Lords wrath (Zephaniah 1:18). Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moths and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal; But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, nor thieves break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also (Matthew 6:19-21). The meek shall inherit the earth, and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace ( Psalms 37:11; Matthew 5:5: see footnote1) ...To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, which is reserved in heaven for you (I Peter 1:4).. He who overcomes (the enemy) will inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he will be my son (Revelation 21:7). Lie no. 6: IM RICH ENOUGH TO SHOP THE BEST STORES, AND MY CLOTHES MAKE YOURS LOOK LIKE RAGS! (A favorite with girl bullies) THE TRUTH: Being puffed up with pride over a rich wardrobe isnt new. In Isaiah 3:16-24 God rebukes the fashion queens of Zion, who go traipsing about in seductive apparel, on the lookout for guys. Their seductive perfume attracts men like bees go for honey. Today the most alluring scents are those endorsed by top celebrities, and do they pack a walloping price!. Celebrity perfumes are so expensive you get just half an ounce in the smallest size (one tablespoon of product), and all the rest is just empty bottle! But these vain girls in Isaiah were splashing it on to show how desirable they were. Rich kids (and rich preachers) love to show off their fancy jewelry and accessories. In this passage God rebukes the girls for their mincing walk and wanton eyes. His judgment appears in verse 24: And it shall come to pass, instead of sweet smell there shall be stink; and instead of a girdle (sash) a rent (tear); and instead of well set hair baldness; and instead of a stomacher (jeweled bodice) a girding of sackcloth; and burning instead of beauty. The fashion of this world will pass away (I Corinthians 7:31). Woe unto you who are rich! For you have received your consolation (Luke 6:24). Listen now, you rich people, weep and lament because of the miseries that shall come upon you. Your riches have rotted, and your garments are motheaten. Your gold and silver are corroded, and their corrosion will be a witness against you, and will consume your flesh like fire. You have heaped up riches for the last days (James 5:1-2). Your life on earth has been one of pleasure and lust, and you have fattened yourselves for the day of slaughter (verse 5). Lie no. 7: YOUVE GOT A REPULSIVE BODY THE TRUTH: I will praise You; for I am awesomely and wonderfully made (Psalms 139:14). Know you not that you are the Temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you (I Corinthians 3:16)? ...Who (Jesus) shall change our vile (humble) bodies, and make them like His own glorious body, using the same power whereby He is able to bring all things under His rule (Philippians 3:21). Lie no. 8: YOUR REPUTATION WILL BE SHOT ALL TO HELL WHEN IM DONE! THE TRUTH: You will be protected from the scourge of the tongue, and need not fear when destruction comes (Job 5:21).

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You (God) will hide them in the Secret Place of Your Presence from the arrogance of men. You will shelter them in Your dwelling from the strife of tongues (Psalms 20). No weapon formed against you will prosper; and you will successfully condemn every accusing tongue. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness comes from Me, saith the Lord (Isaiah 54:17). Your enemies will be found to be liars (Deuteronomy 33:29b). Lie no. 9: (FROM RACISTS) IM PURE-BLOODED. YOURE A MONGREL! THE TRUTH: (God) has made of ONE BLOOD all nations of mankind to dwell on the face of the earth (Acts 17:26a) Lie no. 10: YOURE STUPID! THE TRUTH: But unto them who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God (I Corinthians I: 24). We (believers) have the mind of Christ (I Corinthians 2:16b). Lie no. 11: YOU WONT GET ANYWHERE IN LIFE! YOURE A LOSER! THE TRUTH: He who fears the Lord shall come forth of them all (Ecclesiastes 7:18b). Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest (Joshua 1:9). Lie no. 12: YOU ARENT NORMAL! THE TRUTH: So what? Noah wasnt considered normal by his peers either, but he alone survived the Flood, along with his family. God remains true to His own Holy nature and doesnt go with the flow of majority opinion. He sided with only eight people (I Peter 3:19-20). The rest of the world perished. Lie no. 13: SO WHOS GONNA STOP ME FROM TALKIN? THE TRUTH: God will. A false witness shall not go unpunished, and he who speaks lies shall perish (Proverbs 19:9). The lip of truth shall endure forever, but a lying tongue only lasts for a moment (Proverbs 12:19). Ive just cited a bakers dozen of the most commonly heard bylines of bullies. Loud, boastful, venemous, mean, agressive cowards who are a chip off the old block, their father satan. Pray for the inner might to withstand their malicious lies and for the faith to believe what the Word of God has to say about your position as one of His dear children. Gods written Word is to be the final authority in all matters of truth and morality, and that should settle it. Gods Word is forever settled in heaven (Psalms 119:89). That includes what God has to say about you or anything else. A bullys lying tongue will soon pass away and never be heard again except in hell. But the Word of God will last throughout all the ages of eternity (I Peter 1:25). Dont just read and memorize the Word, ask the Holy Spirit to breathe life into it both within your heart and outward in your circumstances, so that all things might work together for your good (Romans 8:28). Now is the time to allow God to begin a process of deep healing in your soul. The devil has done his worst to tear you down socially, mentally, intellectually, emotionally, and perhaps even physically. There is no better medicine for a wounded soul than the Word of God. Jesus said, You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free (John 8:32). The Word of God is activated by the Holy

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Spirit (I Corinthians 2:4-5). He Himself makes Gods Word come alive in our hearts in a way no human instructor can. It is futile to struggle to snap out of negative feelings toward yourself which bullies have drilled into you over a long period of time. Ive tried it, and believe me, it doesnt work. You couldnt, by mere exercise of positive thinking, cancel out an injury to a broken arm. Your soul, which has suffered innumerable injuries, is just as real. It is the part of you which lives forever. Only the power of God can heal a broken soul. Even Scripture possesses no power to heal apart from the ministry of the Spirit of God, Who is able to apply the balm of Gods truth to a heart shattered by lies. I feel that the Lord would have you to meditate on this prayer before we delve any further into this section: Oh Father of All Mercy, grant a miracle to that dear one who is reading this book. Let a holy anointing of Your Spirit be upon the Scriptures which I share, that the lies of the Evil One may be counteracted. Let Your Holy Truth even be an effective antidote for the vicious venom of that old serpent the devil, which was inflicted by many evil tongues. Heavenly Father, let your Spirit of Truth heal that precious hurting soul. O Lord Jesus, please stand as a barrier between the hurting person reading this and any traumatic memories satan tries to dredge up to torment him or her. Put an impassable barrier of Your redeeming Blood between that person and the destructive power of past injustices. Let the Spirit of the Living Christ Himself be a Mighty Shield to come between those dark memories and the soul which You are healing. Please, dear Lord, bring these Holy Scriptures to life, that they may even impart life to that one who has been denied the joy of living by adversaries. Let Your River of Life go forth to refresh the parched soul and revive it. For You Yourself have said in John 6:63: My words are spirit, and they are life. In Jesus Holy Name, amen. KEY No. 3: THE SPIRIT OF GOD + THE BLOOD OF JESUS Through some miraculous process understood only by God, the Holy Spirit applies the precious Blood of Jesus to the heart of repentant sinners to regenerate them spiritually, or bring about the new birth (Titus 3:5). As the Holy Spirit washes away sin with the Blood of Christ, old things pass away and all things become new (2 Cor.5:17). Conflict arises when the devil tries to rebuild old structures of fear, inadequacy and oppression torn down in a believer set free by Christ. Standing firm on the scriptural truth of who we are in Christ is a vital part of our spiritual warfare against satan. It is through the blood of Christ that we have access to a Holy God and can petition Him for help in time of need. Heb.10:19: Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, Verse 20: By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; Verse 21: And having an high priest over the house of God; Verse 22: Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. It is the blessed Holy Spirit within us who witnesses to our spirit that we are sons (and daughters) of the Great King and are counted worthy to enter His very Presence (Rom.8:16). Thus the Holy Spirit awakens to our spiritual understanding the efficacy of the sanctifying power of the Blood of the crucified Christ.

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We have the right to claim this precious truth: Through Christs substitutionary suffering and death on the Cross of Calvary, we are more than conquerors over the adversary of our soul (Rom.8:37). Jesus allowed Himself to be killed so that he might triumph over, and ultimately destroy, the devil. I John 3:8: He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. Heb.2:14: Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; Verse 15: And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. The bully is a psycho terrorist who serves satan the devil. The bully is an archenemy of God and His love. The bully is the carrier of a nasty spiritual disease, FEAR! He infects his poor victims with the the FEAR OF DEATH as he terrorizes them with fear of emotional or bodily harm. I nearly passed out from fear as Butch threatened to put my eyes out with a rubber band. His knife terrified me, and that miserable bus driver did NOTHING about it! Butch assaulted me with a club. Maybe I would have fought back if the whole bus hadnt been cheering him on. That bus driver was an old man when he allowed me to be DAILY physically and verbally assaulted on HIS bus. I just know that by now that old guy has passed on and had to answer to God for turning a blind eye to Butch. The bully keeps his victim in BONDAGE to fear each and every day the victim is forced into contact with him/her. I remember how much I hated school, which is tragic, because I have a natural love of learning which only blossomed after I left high school. I hated school because I saw it as being a PRISON OF FEAR!!! If it wasnt tacks in my chair or emotional bullying it was spitballs and shunning. Worst of all was the bus ride home. If I had been an office worker being threatened with a knife or a club, the authorities would have taken it seriously and it wouldnt have gone on for very long. Even if Id been spat on and verbally assaulted in the workplace I could have filed a lawsuit against the company for violation of my civil rights. I wish I could have sued somebody to get some small compensation for the misery I was subjected to, day in and day out! There is NO place for forgiveness where there is no repentance, especially when the System tolerated the crime. Back in 1968, American school kids had NO BASIC HUMAN RIGHTS! They had NO RIGHT to a secure learning environment. Chewing a wad of gum was a more serious offense than destroying a helpless girl. Bullying was treated like a rite of passage, a light-hearted joke, instead of the spiritually destructive evil it is. Maybe the System is cracking down a little bit harder now, but you know the old saying about the barn door being shut after the horse gets out. A HELL of a lot of damage has ALREADY been done, and evil fruits are being reaped in a generation even more morally decayed than the one I grew up in. Let all those who are entangled in an ongoing war with satan claim their RIGHT TO BE FREE of his prison of fear! Pray in the power of the Holy Ghost, pleading your blood-bought rights as a child of God! The Passover Lamb offered up by the Jews prefigured the Blood of Jesus shed for the sins of mankind. In Exodus 12:13 God promised the Israelites that when He saw the blood sprinkled on the lintels and doorposts of their homes, that the avenging angel would pass over them and none of them would die. If you are redeemed, God sees the precious Blood of Jesus

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sprinkled on the doorpost of your heart, beloved, and the avenging angel MUST pass over you and cannot destroy you. The whole world lies in wickedness because of sin (I John 5:19). Death first entered into this world because of sin (Rom.5:12). In Deuteronomy Chapter 28, God promised blessings of heath, peace and long life to those who would faithfully serve him. But in that same chapter, He also detailed the CURSES which would fall upon those who disobeyed Him. Of interest to this section are these selected verses, followed by my own comments: Verse 25: The LORD shall cause thee to be smitten before thine enemies: thou shalt go out one way against them, and flee seven ways before them: and shalt be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth.* * * * *When youre bullied and KNOW theres no way to win, all you want to do is flee to avoid an even worse bruising than youre getting. Verse 28: The LORD shall smite thee with madness, and blindness, and astonishment of heart:* * * * *What a battle it is to keep your sanity as your entire existence is subsumed in depression and fear! Youre so immersed in your personal cesspool of misery that youre blind to everything else. Verse 29: And thou shalt grope at noonday, as the blind gropeth in darkness, and thou shalt not prosper in thy ways: and thou shalt be only oppressed and spoiled evermore, and no man shall save thee.* * * * *In the choking thick blackness of my despair, I groped for answers but found none. Nothing I did helped my situation. Nothing I struggled to achieve soothed the hurt heaped upon me daily. NO ONE saved me from my persecutors. I had to suffer all alone, misunderstood, scorned and very vulnerable to attack. Verse 30: Thou shalt betroth a wife, and another man shall lie with her: thou shalt build an house, and thou shalt not dwell therein: thou shalt plant a vineyard, and shalt not gather the grapes thereof.* * * * *Talk about being on the bottom of the heap! Oppressed people work for the benefit of those who are mean and strong enough to take away the fruits of their labor. Verse 31: Thine ox shall be slain before thine eyes, and thou shalt not eat thereof: thine ass shall be violently taken away from before thy face, and shall not be restored to thee: thy sheep shall be given unto thine enemies, and thou shalt have none to rescue them.* * * * *The word violently conjures up the image of a street punk holding a knife to you and demanding your last ten bucks. Bullies VIOLENTLY steal away the human dignity and peace of another human being. The victim has no one to rescue him. Verse 32: Thy sons and thy daughters shall be given unto another people, and thine eyes shall look, and fail with longing for them all the day long: and there shall be no might in thine hand.* * * * *NO MIGHT (power) IN THINE HAND. That describes my own feelings so long ago. I had no power to escape school or the torments it brought me each and every day. No power to escape the acid drips eating away into my poor oppressed soul. Verse 33 The fruit of thy land, and all thy labours, shall a nation which thou knowest not eat up; and thou shalt be only oppressed and crushed alway:* * * * *Bullies are non-productive leeches who prey on others. Hardly a day went by that I didnt feel a crushing load of depression on my soul.

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Verse 34: So that thou shalt be mad for the sight of thine eyes which thou shalt see.* * * * *Just beholding all the cruelty everyday nearly drove me crazy. Only my anger kept me going, and my determination that one day I would triumph over those evil beasts. Verse 65: And among these nations shalt thou find no ease, neither shall the sole of thy foot have rest: but the LORD shall give thee there a trembling heart, and failing of eyes, and sorrow of mind: Verse 66: And thy life shall hang in doubt before thee; and thou shalt fear day and night, and shalt have none assurance of thy life:* * * * *Every day I worried that Butch would get even more aggressive and worried that I wouldnt make it through the school year without some severe injury. Verse 67: In the morning thou shalt say, Would God it were even! and at even thou shalt say, Would God it were morning! for the fear of thine heart wherewith thou shalt fear, and for the sight of thine eyes which thou shalt see.* * * * *That happened to me every day. I wished the miserable day would end and I could curl up in my warm, cozy bed. And I never stopped wishing my eternal night of darkness would end. I quoted just a small part of the terrible Curse of the Law God promised to Israelites who rebelled against His Word. Not one of us has lived up to Gods standards of righteousness perfectly. But Galatians 3:13 declares that Christ has redeemed us from the Curse of the Law by becoming a curse for us. Through the atoning death of Christ on the Cross, Gods justice was satisfied. We who believe no longer owe any penalty for our past sins and failures. The doom of the Law was nailed upon the tree, and we have been set free from this terrible curse for time and eternity. Many elements of the Curse of the Law are suffered by victims of bullying. Victims are crushed and oppressed always and have no rest for the sole of their foot. Theyre always running away, never feeling at ease or secure. Their enemies rob them, afflict them, and make life hell for them. Those redeemed by the blood of Jesus should NOT be suffering the Curse of the Law or anything like it. Ephesians 2:6 teaches that God has seated us with Christ in heavenly places. We dont belong under the feet of the devil or his disgusting followers! If youre being bullied at school or work, remind God that He has promised all His blood-bought children freedom from the Curse of the Law and all its oppressions. Satan has no right to enforce any kind of curse upon you. Plead the precious blood of Jesus. If you feel helpless and overwhelmed, even go so far as to ask your High Priest the Lord Jesus to intercede on your behalf to the Father for supernatural deliverance from all your enemies. Pray for Gods intervention, and as you stand in faith upon the promises of the Word of God, expect it! Meditate upon this prayer, and make it your own, or offer up a similar prayer as you feel led: Dear Heavenly Father, I thank You that your only Son Jesus died to set me free from the penalty of broken Law. I confess that I have been washed by the blood of the Lamb, Jesus Christ, and You behold me clad in His righteousness. I thank you that I am NOT under the Curse

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of broken Law and that Jesus died to set Me free. On the basis of Your own Word I claim the right to be free from any harassment and oppression the devil tries to put on me. Please intervene in my life and chase away my enemies. Please keep my heart and my mind in your peace. In Jesus Holy Name, amen. KEY No. 4: THE SPIRIT OF GOD + THE BLESSED NAME OF JESUS Jesus promised in John 14:13-14: And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it. Believers are given the power of attorney to use the Name of Jesus in making requests to God. That means we are given the legal right by God the Father to pray as if Jesus Himself were doing the actual praying. If we offer up any request which is in keeping with the Word of God and Spirit of Christ, we can rest assured that God the Father will put His stamp of approval on it and see that it comes to pass. Jesus has delegated authority to Christians on earth to act and speak in His Name (Mark 16:17). Its a little like the Vice President signing bills under the authority of the President, who is off in some foreign land and cant personally be there to handle the pen at the bill-signing ceremony himself. In Luke 10:19 Jesus says to His disciples: Behold, I give unto you power (Gk. exousia, authority) to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you. Serpents and scorpions are poisonous, stinging creatures which have the power to kill, like vicious bullies. Jesus gives His people authority over ALL the power of the enemy. Satan has no legal right in the sight of God to hurt those who believe in Christ. Believers are made one Spirit with Christ (I Cor.6:17). That is one reason we have legal right in the sight of God to use His Name in prayer. If you have deep down assurance in your spirit that your request is in harmony with the Word of God, you may present it to God the Father in perfect confidence. I John 5:14: And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us. Verse 15: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him. When you KNOW deep inside that God approves of your prayer, you may pray in the Name of Jesus, knowing that your petition will come to pass. Jesus came to heal the broken-hearted, to set the captives free, and to set at liberty those who are bruised (Luke 4:18). Who is more broken-hearted than a victim of bullying? Who is more bound by satan than a person who lives in daily fear of insult and violence? Who is more bruised than somebody who suffers repeated injuries with no time to heal? Pray for Jesus to set you free from satans power to bind and bruise you! Remind Jesus that part of His ministry is to destroy the works of the devil and set His people free from satans destructive power. Remind Him that on the basis of Luke 4:18 that your prayer for help is in accordance with His Word. Pray for God to send angels to bind the bullies and the wicked spirits driving them! Pray in the tongues of the Spirit for God to send His delivering power into your life. Pray as often as you can, in your heart if not always audibly (I Thes.5:17). In Acts 3:16 Peter tells wicked men that faith in the Name of Jesus has made a crippled man well. Bullies cripple the emotions and often the health of their victims. Put your faith in the blessed Name of Jesus to save and deliver you from the power

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of satan. Pray to your Heavenly Father for help, uttering that Holy Name in faith, presenting your petitions as the Holy Spirit leads you. Trust in the Name of Jesus (Matt.12:21). Romans 10:13 promises that whoever calls upon the Name of the Lord shall be saved. The word for saved as used here is derived from the Greek sozo, which means to deliver, or protect. Remind the Lord Jesus that you are calling upon His Name, and you believe He will deliver and protect you from dangers satan brings against you. Philippians 2:10 promises that EVERY created thing is destined to bow its knee to the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ. If bullies dont bend the knee to Jesus now in repentance and faith, someday they will someday do it in fear of the judgment coming upon them.

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CHAPTER NINE THE TERRIBLE VENGEANCE OF ALMIGHTY GOD One Heartbeat Away From Hell Gen.4:11-12; Lev.26:11; Psalms 5:6; Eccl.8:8; Matt. 21:17-20; 25:41; Acts 5:5,9-10; Col.1:17; I John 3:12; Heb.12:16 People fail to consider that the same God Who breathed life into them in their mothers womb has the power to take that life away anytime He so chooses. God gives each one of you every breath you breathe. He upholds the entire expanse of the universe in His mighty Hands and not even one tiny sparrow ever falls to the earth without His noticing. How much more does He record every crime of violence, every murder, every theft, every episode of adultery and every act of cruelty! God created hell for the devil and his evil angels who rebelled against their Maker before the creation of Adam and Eve. He never intended for man to end up in hell. But after Adam sinned and cast the whole human race into a fallen condition, they needed a redeemer, Who God provided in the person of His dear Son the Lord Jesus. All who put their trust in Him in faith and repentance shall never perish, but have everlasting life (John 3:16). The flip side of the coin comes two verses later, in verse 18. He who does NOT believe is condemned already. Few preachers mention this verse anymore because they want to stay popular with Gods enemies. The hardened man of violence despises Gods Son because of His meekness and His gentleness. The bloodthirsty criminal shakes his fist in the face of divine love. He boasts that he is only in his teens or twenties and has a long way to go before he comes to the end of his natural strength. God could take out any person He created in just a moment of time. After Cain murdered his brother Abel God allowed him to go on living but he was as a walking dead man with no further possibility of being blessed among Gods righteous redeemed ones. Cain turned His back on Gods explicit instructions on offering up blood sacrifice as being the only accepted way into His Holy Presence (this was before the Cross ended any further need for animal sacrifices). Cain refused to offer up a lamb on his altar, and his sin nature was not dealt with. Instead of obtaining a lamb, he took the more convenient, easier way of offering up vegetable produce grown through his own hard work. Because he did not offer up the blood of an innocent animal, Cain could not reach God by faith in the coming Sacrifice of His Son. Instead, Cain was headstrong, arrogant, combative, and competitive. Competition among humans to excel over all others (the rat race) began with Cain. Abel wanted no part of Cains mean-spirited competition to become Top Dog in the world. He wanted only to be reconciled with His Maker. Cain despised his gentler, mild-mannered brother and killed him to settle the score for a perceived insult. God had actually dared to accept Abel and his sacrifice and reject Cains way of doing things. God allowed Cain to go on existing in the earth, but God could no longer bless him. He would wander from place to place, trying to be a big shot and suck off other peoples hard work. Why? Because Cain was now under a curse. Everything he tried to grow, everything he tried to make happen for him to get ahead would no longer work for him. Cain would win his way in the world only by passing himself off as a big somebody others should pay tribute to. Cain was the first bully in the human race. After he murdered Abel and realized he was in danger of being put to death by the LORD for it, his first thought was only for himself. No remorse for the brother hed put in an early grave. No tearing of his garment in sorrow and penitence. Only concern for himself. That is the way of the bully. Always selfish and mean, looking

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out for his own personal welfare ONLY. The hardened, vicious bully is incapable of tender compassion. Hard-hearted, wicked men despise Gods Holy Son for being patient, tender-hearted, gentle and compassionate, all the things they are not. All the traits they despise as being weak and wimpy. Violence is what the bully worships, and violence is the only thing he is willing to understand. Therefore he shall be at the receiving end of the violent wrath of his Creator. Fear is the only thing that will drive a bully to his knees. Not tenderhearted repentance toward God and faith toward Christ as Savior and Lord, but collapsing before his Creator in terror and abject fear. At the judgment of wicked men, hard-hearted bullies who never said sorry to anybody they ever hurt on earth will know sorrow of heart. Not the sorrow that leads to repentance and life eternal, but feeling sorry FOR THEMSELVES that they are about to be hurled into a far deeper pit of hellish anguish than they put their victims through. Boastful bullies are only ONE (1) heartbeat away from hell. Those who use Gods precious gift of life to blaspheme Him or destroy others made in His own image shall suffer everlasting disgrace and shame at the Final Judgment (Daniel 12:2). UNREPENTANT BULLIES WILL BE CLOTHED IN SHAME FOR ALL ETERNITY A servant of God sent me a prophecy (inspired message) that many enemies had cursed me in my youth but God would heap shame on their heads. That brings me peace, whereas forgiving the unrepentant didnt (forgiveness usually starts with Im sorry and its a two-way transaction, not a delusional head trip). Jesus forgave people who knew not what they did. But Jesus enemies KNEW NOT WHAT THEY DID, and a lot of Christians overlook that minor point. I dont feel sorry for unrepentant sinners who know what theyre doing but do it anyway because they know (think) they can get away with it. Psalms 35:26: Let mine adversaries be CLOTHED WITH SHAME, and let them cover themselves with their own confusion, as with a mantle. Psalms 109:29: Let mine adversaries (enemies) be CLOTHED WITH SHAME, and let them cover themselves with their own confusion, as with a mantle. These are the prayers of David, a saint after Gods own heart. No, God didnt send David to hell for unforgiveness. I know David is up there in heaven right now strumming his harp while his foes are shoveling coal down below. Note the contrast between these two verses taken from the same context: Psalms 132:16: I will also clothe her priests with salvation: and her saints shall shout aloud for joy. Verse 18: His (Davids) enemies will I clothe with shame: but upon himself shall his crown flourish. Christians are priests of the New Covenant (I Pet.2:5,9). We are also saints of God. Like Old Testament Israelite priests, God clothes us with the robe of salvation (see also Isaiah 61:10). God gives us a song in the night. As for our enemies, God clothes them with shame INSTEAD OF salvation. Does God give our enemies a song? Does He promise even to tenderly care for men of violence who wouldnt under any circumstances repent of their sins?

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Isaiah 65:13: Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, my servants shall eat, but ye shall be hungry: behold, my servants shall drink, but ye shall be thirsty: behold, my servants shall rejoice, but ye shall be ashamed: 14 Behold, my servants shall sing for joy of heart, but ye shall cry for sorrow of heart, and shall howl for vexation of spirit. God warns that those who hurt his servants will, at some point in time, lack even the basic necessities of life. Sometimes God does pour out His rain on saint and sinner alike, in hopes of softening their hearts with His kindness and leading them to repentance (Romans 2:4). Everything might seem to be peachy for them FOR NOW, but unrepentant sinners are NOT Gods own children. They have no right to claim any mercy or kindness from God apart from first turning to Christ in repentance and becoming part of His family. Sinners cant bank on God showing them infinite, unending patience and mercy. God promises the wicked crying and sorrow instead of joy and singing. God promises to turn that big bad scary bully into a thing of nought (a lightweight fluff you dont even notice anymore). Isaiah 41: 10: Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. 11 Behold, all they that were incensed against thee shall be ashamed and confounded: they shall be as nothing; and they that strive (fight) with thee shall perish. 12 Thou shalt seek them, and shalt not find them, even them that contended with thee: they that war against thee shall be as nothing, and as a thing of nought. Jere.20:11: But the LORD is with me as a mighty terrible one: therefore my persecutors shall stumble, and they shall not prevail: they shall be greatly ashamed; for they shall not prosper: their everlasting confusion shall never be forgotten. 12 But, O LORD of hosts, that triest the righteous, and seest the reins (inner parts) and the heart, let me see thy vengeance on them: for unto thee have I opened my cause. 13 Sing unto the LORD, praise ye the LORD: for he hath delivered the soul of the poor from the hand of evildoers. Jer.23:40: And I will bring an everlasting reproach upon you (those who rebel against God), and a perpetual shame, which shall not be forgotten. Dan.12:2: And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.* * * * Unrepentant bullies will receive shame and humiliation in a devils hell for all eternity INSTEAD OF eternal life with Christ. Obadiah 1:10: For thy violence against thy brother Jacob SHAME SHALL COVER THEE, and thou shalt be cut off for ever.* * * * God promises Jacobs persecutor only shame and permanent exile from His presence. Like burning napalm shame shall cling to damned souls forever.

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Psalms 35: An Appeal to God for Judgment and Justice

Psalms Chapter 35 is the heartrending prayer of a hunted man who is outnumbered and overwhelmed by anxiety. Davids father-in-law King Saul is out gunning for him, bent on destroying him. David despairs because of the superior might of the enemy and realizes that only God can help him survive. Psalms 35:1: Plead my cause, O LORD, with them that strive (fight) with me: fight against them that fight against me.* * *At first glance it appears that David is asking God to try to reason with his enemies, to see if there might be a peaceful resolution to a conflict he didnt start. And then, if they wont listen to reason and stop the war, God must fight for His servant to protect him. I looked up the word plead in the Strongs Concordance to see how it is used in this context. Plead is translated from the Hebrew word ruwb which means to contend with or to wrangle with. An even stronger Hebrew word for plead is found in Ezekiel 38: 22. This plead is translated from the shaphat, which means to vindicate or punish. In that passage the wicked territory of Gog decides to swoop down upon the nation of Israel, and God pleads with Gog by raining hailstones, fire, and brimstone upon Gog. ASK GOD TO FIGHT FOR YOU WHEN YOUR ENEMIES REFUSE TO LEAVE YOU ALONE IN PEACE. Not to harm them, but to hinder them from doing evil and to instill enough fear in their hearts that they will know that God is on YOUR side and against them. Only when sinners realize that God is actually their enemy will they awaken to their need for salvation (see Rom.8:7 and James.4:4). One big mistake evangelists make these days is to focus solely on the message that God loves everybody and never to mention that He is at war with those who hate Him (example: Ex.17:16). Peter said it best in Acts 10:35:in every nation that feareth him (God), and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.* * *It follows that those who hate righteousness and detest God are NOT accepted with him. To avoid offending anyone, preachers gloss over or ignore the crucial issues of sin and eternal judgment (Heb. 6:1-2). People cannot be saved to heaven until they are first saved from sin and its consequences. Bullies need to know that a holy God loves people but he hates sin, and unless a bully is willing to repent of (turn away from) and part with his filthy sins he cannot enter heaven. Slapping happy-face stickers on your car bumper just isnt good enough, where it concerns warning the wicked. God is a good God, but the devil is a bad devil, and those under satans power need to be made aware of their eternal peril. The devil isnt a joke. Hes the power behind the bully. The power of satan in him must be broken through earnest prayer and standing on the Word of God. Pray always for Gods hand of protection upon you and your loved ones. As a teenage I learned that prolonged verbal hostility can easily escalate into real physical violence. Psalms 35:2: Take hold of shield and buckler, and stand up for mine help. Verse 3: Draw out also the spear, and stop the way against them that persecute me: say unto my soul, I am thy salvation.* * *David pleads with God to arm Himself and make a stand to defend him. David asks God to stand in the enemys way to hinder him. Ask God to do this for you. God in Christ is your salvation (deliverance from destruction).

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Verse 4: Let them be confounded and put to shame that seek after my soul: let them be turned back and brought to confusion that devise my hurt.* * *Ask God to put all kinds of obstacles in your enemys way and to create chaos and confusion in the camp of your enemy. That would include enmity from the wicked spirits of darkness (see Eph.6:12) and from those they influence, your human foes. Verse 5: Let them be as chaff before the wind: and let the angel of the LORD chase them.* * *You can ask God to send warrior angels to chase both your demonic and human enemies. Spend a whole day in prayer if you must. Put all other activities on hold until you feel like youve prayed through. Pray until you feel a release in your soul that all is well and God will undertake for you in power. If you are filled with the Spirit, pray a good deal of the time in tongues of the Spirit (I Cor.14:2). I wish Id had this spiritual weapon of defense when I was a teenager under attack. Verse 6: Let their way be dark and slippery: and let the angel of the LORD persecute them.* * *Pray that the same God who makes your own way perfect (see Psalms 18:32) will cause your enemy to lose his/her footing as they race toward hell, just long enough to stop and wonder if theyre on the wrong path. In the case of a hardened, dangerous, belligerent bully who threatens your physical safety, pray earnestly that the mighty angel of the LORD will drive that one out of your life. Verse 7: For without cause have they hid for me their net in a pit, which without cause they have digged for my soul.* * *Without provocation bullies hate their victims so much they prepare traps for them to make them stumble into bad situations. That can take the form of a bully tripping a kid up and making him fall into a mud puddle. Or it can be more sinister, like luring a lone victim into a secluded place to work him over. Verse 8: Let destruction come upon him at unawares; and let his net that he hath hid catch himself; into that very destruction let him fall.* * *What you sow you reap (Gal.6:7). God will reward every man according to his deeds (Rom.2:6). In verses 9 and 10 David rejoices in Gods salvation and praises the Lord for defending him from a foe who is way too strong for him. Your enemy might be too strong for you, but he is NOT strong enough to whip Almighty God! In verse 11 David complains about false witnesses lying about him. In verse 12 he speaks of those who rewarded him evil for good to the spoiling (ransacking) of his soul. When you go out of your way to be a blessing to others but they turn around and do you dirty, you feel like youve really been violated. The Psalmist goes on to say that he even fasted and mourned for these people when they were sick. But it felt like his prayer for them never got through! Kind of reminds me of Jeremiah 14:11-12 where God instructs Jeremiah: Pray not for this people for their good. When they fast, I will not hear their cry; and when they offer burnt offering and an oblation (drink offering), I will not accept them: but I will consume them by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence. This is Old Testament scripture. But there is one verse in I John 5:16 with an implicit warning: If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it.* * *John here is speaking of your brother, or fellow believer. He speaks of a sin not unto death. It is as though John is reluctant to bring this point up and expresses it in the kindest way he knows how: There is a sin not unto death, and believing prayer can impart life to someone who

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repents of it. But there is also a sin unto death which is not helped by prayer. Now if a believer in Christ must walk before God in reverent fear and is scarcely saved (see I Pet.4:18), how much greater danger must the hardened sinner be in! Those David prayed for probably offended God to the point of no return. After David himself fell into deep trouble, those same people hed prayed and fasted for turned on him like lions. I always did say, you never know who your real friends are till youre at your lowest. David pleads for God to make things right and to vindicate him, so that his foes would not rejoice over him. In verse 26 he prays that his enemies would be clothed with shame. I cant much say that I blame him. Bullies go out of their way to heap shame on others. Maybe if they felt a little shame themselves they would realize how much it hurts! David knows how to express his fears and sorrows unto the Lord, but he balances the bad with the good by never forgetting to offer praises to God for what He has already done to help. David concludes Psalms 35 with praise for the Lord Who has pleasure in the prosperity (well-being) of His servant. David promises to speak of Gods righteousness and praise Him all the day long. When God answers your prayer, never forget to thank Him and exalt Him before those around you for being your great Helper and Deliverer. And never forget that all blessings are made possible by Christ, your Redeemer.

God: A Friend to Some, A Foe to Others

In his exile the Psalmist prayed: Deliver me, O Lord, from mine enemies: I flee unto thee to hide me (Psalms 143:9). And, in Psalms 57:1: Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me; for my soul trusteth in thee: yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast.* * *Nothing feels more secure than being sheltered beneath Gods wings. Jesus Himself lamented in Matt.23:37 that He would have gladly sheltered the people of Jerusalem under His wings, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings. But they rejected Him and He could not protect them. One popular delusion going around is that God loves everybody just the same, even hardened souls who finally reject Christ and His sacrifice on Calvary. But what does Scripture REALLY say? According to the Bible, the day will come when Gods patience will finally be exhausted and He will LAUGH AT the unrepentant wicked who face His terrible wrath. Bullies who laugh at the soul they drove to suicide through prolonged abuse will be laughed at by Somebody bigger and tougher than they are: Psalms 2:4: He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the LORD shall have them in derision. Psalms 37:12: The wicked plotteth against the just, and gnasheth upon him with his teeth. Verse 13: The LORD shall laugh at him: for he seeth that his day is coming. Verse 14: The wicked have drawn the sword, and have bent their bow, to cast down the poor and needy, and to slay (kill) such as be of upright conversation (behavior). Verse 15: Their sword shall enter into their own heart, and their bows shall be broken.* * * Trust in God that He will break ALL your enemies weapons! Psalms 59:8: But thou, O LORD, shall laugh at them; thou shalt have all the heathen (hardened sinners) in derision.

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Psalms 64:7: But God shall shoot at them with an arrow; suddenly shall they be wounded.* * *Can you imagine not only having GOD laugh at you but shooting at you with divine WMD? Now, if God is against you, who can be on your side (reverse of Rom.8:31)? Proverbs 1:26: I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh.* * *Remember the big bad bully who laughed at you and only hurt you more when you got scared and said, Please leave me alone? Well, somebody a whole lot bigger is gonna laugh at HIM if he doesnt hurry up and repent of his sins and accept Christ as Savior! What will be the glorious future of those who belong to Christ? Psalms 150:5: Let the saints be joyful in glory: let them sing aloud upon their beds. Verse 6: Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a two-edged sword in their hand; Verse 7: To execute vengeance upon the heathen, and punishments upon the people; Verse 8: To bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron; Verse 9: To execute upon them the judgment written: this honour have ALL his saints (past, present and future). Praise ye the LORD. Nowadays the Sword of the Spirit, the Word of God, is to be the only offensive weapon the Christian carries (see Eph.6: 17). The other equipment in the soldiers arsenal of Ephesians 6 is for defense against satans evil forces (the helmet, breastplate, shield, etc.). But one day all true believers raised or translated to immortality at the Rapture will return with Christ to earth to execute literal vengeance upon the wicked. Rev.19:11: And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. Verse 12: His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns, and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. Verse 13: And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood; and his name is called The Word of God. Verse 14: And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. Verse 15: And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. You may have been bullied by brutes who were controlled by satan. You may have felt like dirt under their feet. But if you belong to Christ, your future will be the diametrical opposite of your wretched past. You will assist the victorious Christ in His mop-up operation and help Him give the earth a fresh new start, free of evil beasts (Ezek.34:25). You will help Christ rule over the nations with a rod of iron. Christ Himself promises: Rev.2:26: He that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power (authority) over the nations: Verse 27: And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my father.

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Verse 28: And I will give him the morning star. This last verse is significant, for it reminds me of Isaiah 14:12: How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning (In the Hebrew it reads O day star)! How art thou cut down to the ground, which did weaken the nations. Succeeding verses describe Lucifer (the devils) rebellious attitude toward God, and how he hurt Planet Earth and opened not the house of his prisoners. In my worst days I felt imprisoned in a private hell I could neither triumph over nor flee from. The devil, satan, used to be Lucifer, son of the morning, or the day star. In the book of Revelation we overcomers are promoted to exalted office by being given the morning star. At the same time we see our old enemy the devil bound and put on death row for a thousand years before being cast into a Lake of Fire burning with brimstone (Rev.20:1-3, 7-10).

Will God EVER Avenge the Righteous?

Many verses Ive quoted out of the Old Testament. But many think gentle Jesus would never take vengeance on anyone, even hardened criminals. Yet none other than the Lord Jesus is soon to return from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on Gods enemies, and on those who refuse to obey His Gospel. These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the Presence of the Lord ( I Thes. 1:7-10). The bears will come out of the forest once again to consume wicked, violent men who mocked Gods offer of salvation in Christ and boasted they were out of the reach of all justice. Is God indifferent to the cries of persecuted Christians around the world who are being martyred for their faith by cowardly enemies of Christ? Did He ignore the dying cries of saints who were slain for their faith in Christ down through the ages? Will the Judge of all the earth ever do right by those who have been wronged? Surely He will! Deut. 32:35 To me belongeth vengeance and recompense; their foot shall slide in due time: for the day of their calamity is at hand, and the things that shall come upon them make haste. Verse 41: If I whet my glittering sword, and mine hand shall take hold on judgment; I will render vengeance to mine enemies, and will reward them that hate me. (Deut. 32:41). Verse 42: I will make mine arrows drunk with blood, and my sword shall devour flesh; and that with the blood of the slain and of the captives, from the beginning of revenges upon the enemy. Verse 43: Rejoice, O ye nations, with his people: for he will avenge the blood of his servants, and will render vengeance to his adversaries, and will be merciful unto his land, and to his people.* * *Notice, that at the very same time God showers wrath upon His enemies He shows mercy to His own people! How strange, rejoicing and divine vengeance in the same context. Gods avenging of his servants is to be a cause for giving Glory to God, rather than regret.

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Psalms 52:6: The righteous shall also see, and fear, and shall laugh at him (the wicked). Will Gods people ALWAYS have to bear PATIENTLY with the wicked? Psalms 58:10: The righteous shall rejoice when he seeth the vengeance: he shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked. Verse 11: So that a man may say, Verily there is a reward for the righteous: verily he is a God that judgeth in the earth. But surely these plain statements of Scripture about righteous people rejoicing in Gods judgment of the wicked couldnt possibly apply to the New Testament. Or could they? Compare to a New Testament Scripture which exhorts Gods people to rejoice over the destruction of a corrupt world system which had cruelly persecuted them and shed their blood in martyrdom. This judgment is yet future, due to take place before Christ assumes His rightful place as King over all the earth. Revelation 18:20: Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her. Notice, also, that both apostles and prophets join in the rejoicing. This would contradict the widely-held belief that while it was permissible for Old Testament saints to rejoice in Gods judgment upon their foes because they didnt know any better, persecuted New Testament believers should never desire to be vindicated by Gods righteous judgment upon their oppressors. Why do I believe it is righteous to desire justice? One reason lies in Revelation 6: 9-11. The souls of those martyred for their faith assemble beneath the altar of God in heaven crying out: How long, O Lord, Holy and True, dost thou not avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? Rather than finding fault with these holy martyrs for asking Him that question, God gives them white robes (which symbolize righteousness) and tells them they must rest a season until all those destined to be martyrs are likewise killed. Then Gods vengeance would be poured out upon wicked sinners on earth. In Revelation Chapter 18:20 both apostles and prophets are exhorted to glorify God for the perfect justice He has just poured out upon wicked Babylon, an evil world system which has shed the blood of the righteous. While prophets are found in both Old and New Testaments, the apostle is exclusively an office of the Church. The word apostle is derived from the Greek apostolos, which means an ambassador, or one sent forth in the service of Christ. Except for Christs original disciples, the Jewish nation did not evangelize the world to fulfill their calling to be a light unto the nations (Isaiah 49:6). Although they might have accepted converts to Judaism, Israelites mostly kept themselves to themselves until they were driven out of the Promised Land by conquerers. The apostle hails from the New Testament period. While Christians are duty-bound to love their persecutors in this present life because they could be candidates for salvation, it will not be their duty to love persecutors in the world to come. Jonathan Edwards, one of the greatest evangelists in American history, wrote two sermons that made me shiver when I studied them: Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God and The End of the Wicked Contemplated by the Righteous. In the latter sermon Edwards explicitly stated: It is now our duty to love all men, though they are wicked; but it will not be a duty to love wicked men hereafter. Christ, by many precepts in his word, hath made it our duty to love all

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men. We are commanded to love wicked men, and our enemies and persecutors. But this command doth not extend to the saints in glory, with respect to the damned in hell. At the time of the Apocalypse it will be fully manifest that the unrepentant who perish in the seal, bowl and vial judgments poured out of heaven by an angry God are vessels fitted to destruction (Romans 9:22). Then their only reason for existence will be this: to be receptacles of the fierce wrath of God poured into them, undiluted by mercy or restraint! Having allied themselves with the evil Antichrist of the Tribulation Period, they will have sold their souls to satan and will have no further opportunity or desire for redemption from sin. Instead, they will drink of the wine of the wrath of God in the presence of the angels and of Christ, the Lamb of God (Rev.14:9-11). More Scriptures Which Warn of the Fierceness of Gods Wrath Isaiah 13:11: And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity, and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible. Isaiah 26:20-21: Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast. For behold, the Lord cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain. Jeremiah 25:29: For lo, I begin to bring evil on this city which is called by my name, and should ye be utterly unpunished? Ye shall not be unpunished: for I will call for a sword upon all the inhabitants of the earth, saith the LORD of Hosts. Verse 30: Therefore prophesy thou against them all these words, and say unto them, The LORD shall roar from on high, and utter his voice from his holy habitation; he shall mightily roar upon his habitation; he shall give a shout, as they that tread the grapes, against all the inhabitants of the earth. Verse 31: A noise shall come even to the ends of the earth; for the LORD hath a controversy (dispute) with the nations, he will plead with all flesh; he will give them that are wicked to the sword, saith the LORD. Verse 32: Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Behold, evil shall go forth from nation to nation, and a great whirlwind shall be raised up from the coasts of the earth. (Could this be an ancient prophets description of a mushroom cloud nuclear blast? If so, it is indeed a prophecy for the future, since nuclear weapons have not been used in warfare since they destroyed Hiroshima and Nagasaki at the end of WWII. Verse 33: And the slain of the LORD shall be at that day from one end of the earth to the other end of the earth: they shall not be lamented, neither gathered, nor buried; they shall be dung upon the ground. Nahum 1: 2: God is jealous, and the LORD revengeth; the LORD revengeth, and is furious; the LORD will take vengeance on his adversaries, and he reserveth wrath for his enemies. * * *This, despite the fact the next verse declares that the LORD is slow to anger. Yet there is no contradiction. Gods long patience with this sinful planet is not infinite, and the day of judgment against ungodly mankind will come. Malachi 4:1: For behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be as stubble: and the day that cometh

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shall burn them up, saith the Lord of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch. Deut. 32: 39: See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god with me: I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and I heal: neither is there any that can deliver out of my hand. Verse 40: For I lift up my hand unto heaven and say, I live for ever. Verse 41: If I whet my glittering sword and my hand take hold on judgment; I will render vengeance to mine enemies, and will reward them that hate me.* * *Since bullies are estranged from Christ and they hate Gods attributes of love and mercy, and it follows that they also hate God Himself. Verse 42: I will make mine arrows drunk with blood, and my sword shall devour flesh; and that with the blood of the slain and of the captives, from the beginning of revenges upon the enemy. Verse 43: Rejoice, O ye nations with his people: for he will avenge the blood of his servants, and will render vengeance to his adversaries, and will be merciful to his land, and to his people. Parallel verse in New Testament: Revelation 18:20: Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her. Isaiah 11:4: But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked. Isaiah 63:1: Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? this is that is glorious in his apparel, travelling in the greatness of his strength? I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save. Verse 2: Wherefore art thou red in thine apparel, and thy garments like him that treadeth in the winefat? Verse 3: I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people there was none with me: for I will tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury; and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment. Verse 4: For the day of vengeance is in mine heart, and the year of my redeemed is come. Verse 5: And I looked, and there was none to help; and I wondered that there was none to uphold: therefore mine own arm brought salvation unto me, and my fury, it upheld me. verse 6: And I will tread down the people in mine anger, and make them drunk in my fury, and I will bring down their strength to the earth. Parallel Wrath Passages in New Testament Revelation 14:19: And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. Verse 20: And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs. Revelation 19:11: And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.

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Verse 12: His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. Verse 13: And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called the Word of God (see John 1:1 and I John I:1). Verse 14: And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. Verse 15: And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.* * *Notice, God is not just mildly annoyed with sinners, there is a FIERCENESS about his righteous wrath. At that time, the hour of mercy will be past, and lamblike forbearance will turn to forever-BEAR-ance! Verse 16: And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. Matt. 10:28: And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Luke 12:4: And I say unto you, my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. Verse 5: But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear. Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him. RELIGIOUS MYTH: JESUS IS WAY TOO NICE TO EVER GET MAD. Luke 19:27: But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither and slay them before me.* * *In this parable, Jesus, the sooncoming King, is typified by the nobleman who went away into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return. At His First Coming, Jesus came to give His life a ransom for many (Matt.20:28). When He comes again, it will be to reign as King upon Planet Earth until he has put ALL enemies, human or demonic, under his feet (I Cor.15:25). John 2:13: And the Jews Passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Verse 14: And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting: Verse 15: And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers money, and overthrew the tables; Verse 16: And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Fathers house an house of merchandise; Verse 17: And his disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up. Matt. 24:48: (Jesus speaking): But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My Lord delayeth His coming; Verse 49: and shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken; Verse 50: The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of. Verse 51: And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.* * *This passage certainly

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applies to greedy televangelists who devour widows houses like the religious rats in Matt.23:14. RELIGIOUS MYTH: JESUS LOVES SINNERS SO MUCH, HE WILL ALWAYS TURNS A BLIND EYE TO WRONGS DONE TO HIS FOLLOWERS, AND WILL CERTAINLY OVERLOOK SINS AGAINST HIMSELF. Matt. 25:41: Then shall he (Jesus) say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: Verse 42: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink. Verse 43: I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. Verse 44: Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? Verse 45: Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. Verse 46: And these shall go away unto everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal. RELIGIOUS MYTH: THE GOD OF WRATH AND JUDGMENT APPEARS NOWHERE IN THE NEW TESTAMENT. If, as we established earlier, Jesus and His Father are One and the same God, and have been since before the creation of the world, Who is going to pour out the just wrath of God upon unrepentant sinners in the Day of Judgment? JESUS! He says of Himself in John 5:22: FOR THE FATHER JUDGETH NO MAN, BUT HATH COMMITTED ALL JUDGMENT UNTO THE SON. 2 Thess. 1: 7: And to you who are troubled (persecuted) rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, Verse 8: In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Verse 9: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of His power; Verse 10: When He shall come to be glorified in His saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day. Rev. 6: 15: And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bond man, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; Verse 16 And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of Him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: Verse 17: For the great day of His wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand? Rev. 14:9: And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast (Antichrist) and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead or in his hand, Verse 10: The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; (note: This speaks of the vessels of

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wrath appointed to destruction) and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb (Jesus). Verse 11: And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.* * *Here is a prime example of how deadly it can be to follow the crowd. During the Great Tribulation, taking the Mark of the Beast will be the popular thing to do. But it will forever end any chance for repentance and be a one-way ticket to hell. Rev. 16: 1 And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth. Verse 2: And the first went, and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and upon them which worshipped his image. Verse 3: And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea, and it became as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea. Verse 4: And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters, and they became blood. Verse 5: And I heard the angel of the waters say, Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because thou hast judged thus. Verse 6: For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink, for they are worthy. Verse 7: And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments. (note: Remember, God the Father has committed ALL judgment unto His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, and those who will not let Him be their Savior will have Him preside as their Judge unto eternal damnation). Verse 8: And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire. Verse 9: And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory. Verse 10: And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness, and they gnawed their tongues for pain. Verse 11: And blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds. RELIGIOUS MYTH: CHRISTIANS WILL ALWAYS HAVE TO BEAR PATIENTLY WITH EVIL MEN NOW AND FOREVERMORE IN ORDER TO BE LIKE JESUS Rev. 2:26: And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: VERSE 27: And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father. Contrary to popular belief, Jesus is to be loved with proper reverence, not whimsical sentiment. Far better to let Him love you dearly as one of His very own cherished people than to be dealt with harshly later on as one of His enemies. Sinners act like they can come to Christ any old time they feel like it. But I believe that in each persons life theres an expiration date on Christs offer of salvation known only to Himself. As II Corinthians 6:2 says: For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold now is the day of salvation. This scripture is echoed in Isaiah 49:8: Thus saith the Lord, In an acceptable time have I heard thee, and in a day of salvation have I helped thee. If anybody thinks its his

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prerogative to decide which day of his life will be Gods chosen time to save him from sin and its penalty, thats the most dangerous form of Russian Roulette anybody can play. The stakes couldnt be higher: either life in heaven with Jesus or eternity in a devils hell. Hardly anybody ever stops to consider: Jesus shed His blood to save sinners, but that blood is still Gods property to do with as He pleases. It is only by sheer undeserved mercy that He decides to apply it to the heart of a repentant sinner to wash his heart whiter than snow. Its still HIS Blood. As High Priest of heaven, Jesus presides over the sprinkling of it to wash away sins committed by sinners and backsliders. So dont indulge in immorality, then assume you can always take a quick dip in the Blood to disinfect yourself after youve had your fun and things will be all right afterward. Thats reducing Gods grace to the same level as popping penicillins after a visit to the local cathouse. That attitude amounts to: Well, the nights over, Ive gotta go to my heavenly Blood bank to get an antidote for Go-tohell-itis. Just in case I get run over by a pickup truck before I go see my sweetie again. Now Im going to address a sticky question. Lots of people bank on Once-savedalways-saved. But dont bank on getting an easy antidote to sin and its consequences from Christs heavenly Blood Bank when you decide youre tired of one-night stands and all-night boozers. In I Samuel 3: 10-14 we read where God is so disgusted by the actions and attitude of a family of priests that He refuses to allow their sin of their house to be purged away by sacrifice ever again. Eli the high priests two wild sons treated the animal sacrifices of the Lord with contempt. They would violently seize the worshippers raw meat off the pot hooks just as it was about to be boiled according to instructions written in Exodus 29:31 and Leviticus 8:31. In that way they supplied raw meat to Eli so he could gratify his lust for roasted flesh. Quite possibly Elis son ran an illicit butcher business on the side. But their trespass against the Lord involved much more. It was a spiritual sin. In Old Testament times, offering animal sacrifices was an outward ritual which reflected faith in God as Redeemer from sin and its penalty. Old Testament sacrifices were sacred in the eyes of God, for they pointed toward Christs future, final Sacrifice of Himself. By profaning those temporary animal sacrifices those two bully-boys severed their only lifeline to eternal life. Phineas and Hophni were among those counted by God as vessels of wrath fitted unto destruction, spoken of in Romans 1: 21-28, predestined to eternal perdition (I Peter 2:8). God foreknew from the beginning that these two apostate priests would trample underfoot His Covenant of mercy and salvation, so God had no other choice but to consign them to being vessels of wrath, that He might to pour out into them the unmitigated mixture of His dread wrath on the awful Day of Judgment spoken of in Revelation 20:11-15. In that terrible day the books will be opened. Now there might have been other men named Phineas or Hophni throughout the centuries, but the Book of Life will be thoroughly searched for two particular men named Phineas and Hophni , who were sons of Eli, who ministered as High Priest during the Prophet Samuels youth. They will not be found written in the Book of Life and so they will meet the same fate as other reprobates who had been temporarily raised from the dead...straight out of hell, Gods death row for unrepentant sinners. Then they will land in their final destination, the Lake of Fire, to burn with their evil father satan forever and ever. Just recently there was a news story about two adult men who tormented a teenage boy by preventing him from getting out of a deep swimming hole. Whenever the poor youth attempted to climb out, the two men would throw rocks at him or hit him with sticks, forcing him back into the water. The teenager eventually drowned.

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Those two psychos got sentenced to a piddly 5-1/2 years in jail. Big deal, theyll probably be out again before you know it, looking for another cheap thrill. The courts anemic sentence was based on the supposition that it was just a bit of fun that went way too far. But unless that teenage boy knew Christ as Savior, this murder did far more than kill his body. His murderers decided that he would immediately have to meet the Judge of all the universe without further opportunity to make peace with Him. Murderous bullies who mock and scoff, thinking that if there IS a God Hes too cool to send them to a hot place like hell, ought to consider: Theyre literally playing with fire! It would take an infinite degree of mercy for God to grant such recreational killers repentance unto eternal life, seeing they closed someone elses window of opportunity for salvation. God is not mocked! Jesus did say, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. The word for means because. Christs killers didnt know what they were doing. Maybe there was a time long, long ago when a great many cruel people COULD have been moved to repentance through tender pity and kindness. But todays bullies are coldblooded reptiles, dead to God and dead to basic decency. We live in a day of desperate evil, when conscienceless creatures torture and kill just for the hell of it. Earth is about to enter the Tribulation Period, when profound darkness will enshroud the earth (Isa.60:2). Many modern sinners scoff at Gods tender mercy and fling it back into His face in utter contempt. Most likely, those evil murderers would be absolutely tickled to death if they knew theyd sent another soul to hell!

Why Has Christ Been So Merciful?

Jesus offered Himself as a Sacrificial Lamb, Who willingly took upon Himself the sins of the world. Isaiah 53:6 says: All we like sheep have gone astray. We have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all. Because Christ was suffering for our sins, He did not defend Himself. He could have called twelve legions of angels down from heaven to protect him (Matt. 26:53). Instead, He took our punishment. His disciples shared in His sufferings. For two thousand years Gods people have borne patiently with privations, persecutions and afflictions so that God could call sinners unto Himself by demonstrating His love through His people. In the coming Kingdom Age it will be Paradise on earth, even for mortal man. At that time no believer will ever have to suffer persecution. Those who commit wickedness will be executed by Christ Himself (Isa.11:4b). For those who love Him, Gods mercy endures forever. But Gods patience does not endure forever for sinners. Its stupid to take it for granted. In these final days before the appearing of Christ we see scoffers walking after their own lusts and sneering: Where is the promise of his coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation (2 Peter 3: 3-4). Because sentence against an evil work is not immediately executed, mens hearts are set on doing evil, endlessly (Ecclesiastes 8:11). And verse 12 says it is even possible those wicked people might live out long lives. The danger lies in taking Gods mercy for granted. He is under no obligation to show the same degree of forbearance toward one sinner as another. The youths who taunted Elisha got for-BEAR-ance instead! Today the Love of Jesus is the only aspect of His nature presented to lost sinners by many well-meaning evangelists. Dont get me wrong, we ALL need love, and nothing is greater than Gods love. But we do people no favor by modernizing Jesus to fit in with warm and fuzzy churchianity which emphasizes only His love. There is another, equally necessary, side to Jesus nature, which will be fully manifest in the soon-coming judgments of Revelation. It is not enough to mention the sweet love of

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Jesus and the heaven that awaits the redeemed. People need to be told that they expose themselves to the wrath of God by rejecting Christ, although that is a very unfashionable and very politically incorrect thing to do these days. God will not settle for partial obedience. Jude 23 says: And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5:11: Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men.

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CHAPTER TEN Part 1 Surviving in Satans World He Restoreth My Soul Psalms 23: 3 Throughout my hellish teenage years it was said to me: Girl, if you dont toughen up youll never survive in this world. True. Its not just healthy bodies and proper self-esteem that get destroyed by bullying. Many tender hearts grow as combathardened as clay baked in a furnace. A bright mind that would otherwise be busy learning happy, positive things becomes a personal Pentagon, forever gathering intelligence on the enemy, amassing stockpiles of clever comebacks to insults, beefing up defenses and drafting plans for surviving the next enemy attack. God uses real people to serve Him, not sheltered stained-glass relics. Even today I must rely on God to be strong where I am weak. It comes from being a survivor, I guess. I have a deep-seated fear of vulnerability. More than anything I fear appearing weak to satans crowd. Where I live now, teenagers think nothing of catcalling at strangers and trying to get an angry response from them. Thats happened to me before. When it does, a button inside me gets pushed and I suffer from what I term Triggered Response Syndrome. Immediately I am transported forty years back in time to my high school hell. It is then I once again confront Butch and Mike Crappe, and the anger and hate of that persecuted young girl hits me full force like a tidal wave. Thats my Achilles heel. More than anything I fear being tempted to hate another human being, however disgusting he is. It makes me cry to be put in that position. While others cry their eyes out through funerals I have sat dry-eyed through just about everything and learned to roll with the punches of a hardscrabble world, but the one arrow that penetrates my tough facade is human meanness. Only the miraculous power of God can pull satans arrows out of my hide and restore my joy and sense of self-worth after suffering a flashback. The earth and the fullness thereof is the Lords (Psalms 24:1). But this present evil world is under satans control (Luke 4:6; Gal.1:4).If this were a different world I would smile warmly at everyone I saw on the street, including teenagers. But most of them are way too cool for that. If you were to smile sweetly at a kid and say: Hello, how are you on Gods beautiful day? you might get a hard stare or nasty reply, especially if their friends are watching. Life in a world of scary entities makes you streetwise. You let your light shine, but like a spotlight you instinctively try to direct it toward those who will appreciate it, not trample upon it. You avoid eye contact when you spot a gang of youths hanging around the local convenience store. If you feel uneasy about whats just up ahead, you cross the street and take a different route. Instinctively you stiffen when you hear giggles behind you as you pass by. Then you ask yourself: Why must I constantly be on my guard, unable to share a nice word with those I automatically pigeonhole as off limits? Why do I feel combative much of the time, instead of peaceful, feminine and gentle? Right after I got filled with the Holy Spirit I was continually in a state of effortless joy and the smile seldom vanished from my face. But as years passed various trials of faith came which strained that joy. I suppose the worst thing satan used to try to discourage me was disillusionment about televangelists I used to support, only to find out what greedy wolves they were (for more info on that read http://banpreachergreed.tripod.com ). It hurt me whenever Id hear of Christians hurting other Christians. There were those stressful years following my

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husbands accident in 1984, when it was touch and go with his recovery from his leg injuries. There were stresses and aggravations at work, and worries about paying the rent on time. All these things took their toll on my emotions and life made me feel like a tarnished penny. After all the fun church activities of my early Christian years, and happy times of fellowship, battles against satan had to be fought. I learned that while I dwell in mortal flesh, the Christian life is no endless jubilee of joy, but a battle against a belligerent devil out to destroy everything good and decent. When I feel down I must do like the Psalmist David and be led by God to the still waters of calm, where He can restore my soul_and my joy of my salvation. God can wipe away the soot which accumulates on the soul from contending with such a heartless world as this. Alone in Gods Presence, I can be who I truly am_a joyful citizen of the Kingdom of God. A survivor of life who sings of all His wondrous mercies. In my joy and contentment I remember those who have found no Haven of Rest.

Psalms 64: A Prayer for Protection

David who was persecuted (hunted down for destruction) by King Saul, pours out his heart to his God, Who alone is able to preserve Davids life and avenge all the wrongs done to him. Psalms 64 is one of his many prayers for deliverance and justice. VERSE 1: Hear my voice, O God, in my prayer: preserve my life from fear of the enemy.* * * *David cried out to God to preserve him from fear of the enemy. Fear is one of satans deadliest weapons against a child of God. Fear of other people overwhelms the mind and destroys your faith in the the greatness of Almighty God. VERSE 2: Hide me from the secret counsel of the wicked, from the insurrection of the workers of iniquity.* * * Did you ever have the creepy feeling others are yakking about you behind cupped hands? You wonder what stupid insult theyre going to throw at you next, or what sick practical joke theyre going to play to make you look foolish. David prayed for God to hide him from the wicked plots of his enemies. Trust Him to do the same for you. VERSE 3: Who whet their tongue like a sword, and bend their bows to shoot their arrows, even bitter words.* * * * The tongue is an unruly evil, filled with deadly poison (James 3:6-8). David prayed for God to protect him from the power of his enemys bitter words. The remainder of this chapter speaks of the boldness of the wicked, who really dont expect any retribution to fall upon them. But God will suddenly shoot at them to wound them, and His righteous judgments will result in glory being given to Him as the Righteous Judge.

Fragmented Families
Mark 3:25 Thanks to the manipulation of the economy by the super-rich, the average cost of living is soaring way out of sight. In the 50s and 60s, one man working one fulltime job could adequately provide for his family. Mother was usually home to greet the kids when they got home from school. Shed give them some space but

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whenever they needed a listening ear, she was there for them with homemade cookies and companionship. No more. Now only a tiny percentage of American families fit that pattern. Only a few highly energetic women can muster the stamina to juggle a home and a highpowered career. But more typical is the woman overwhelmed by a monotonous, exhausting job (or two) who views her home as simply just another job to tackle on the fumes of her depleted strength. Guilt feelings arise from the involuntary resentment she feels when her partner (it used to be husband!) or children make demands on her few tranquil moments at home, for the maternal instinct is still there, conflicting with her need of rest. The demands of the rat race make it difficult for parents to exit from lifes treadmill and nurture their young. Regrettably some children are shifted from caregiver to caregiver, even in their formative years. This lack of stability cannot be beneficial to tiny children, who need to form close bonds with nurturers. Its just like taking a young plant and repotting it over and over in different soils. It cannot but be harmful. In these days of quickie divorce, the original family unit is often disbanded and a blended family formed by merging with the family of a new partner. Unfortunately, the adults romantic needs are often placed ahead of the best interests of the children involved. Ill-concealed hostility and rivalry sometimes exist between step relations, usually because the offspring of rival parents are resented. Such friction occasionally leads to vicious verbal or physical abuse of children by step parents, which in turn, motivates a rejected child to want to become an abusive tyrant himself in order to salve his battered ego; hence, a bully.

Take Decisive Action

I will contend with him that contendeth with thee, and I will save thy children (Isaiah 49:25). If your child is being victimized by dangerous school bullies, take him out of school at least until you are certain the immediate danger has passed! Not all children have the resilience to suffer persecution and physical danger for five whole days out of the week. Thats as scary as being locked up in the same cell with Jack the Ripper, or getting thrown into a den of hungry lions! I know there are truancy laws, but the government does not own your child. God does! He has given YOU the responsibility of protecting that child! I dont advocate anarchy, but the safety of your child must always take priority over pleasing government officials. Leave no legal stone unturned to do whats necessary to take your own, precious child out of harms way. He or she cannot learn in a torture chamber, and why should your child be scarred for life emotionally or physically from such abuse? Young people of my generation rebelled against being drafted to fight an unjust war. Rebel against bullying! You wouldnt stand for having to work every day in a torture chamber! Stand up for your own childs right to learn in a safe environment. JUST SPEAK OUT! And when that doesnt work and your child is still in danger, let your child JUST WALK OUT! of that dangerous school and go home or stay in another safe place till you get home from work. Criminal assault, be it physical or emotional, would not be tolerated if the principal were the target instead of some child. The perpetrators would get thrown out of school in a hurry! School officials who refuse to provide a SAFE learning environment for a vulnerable child have no right to force that child to stay there and take it day in and day out. Thats just as much a human rights violation as a prison warden tolerating rape in the shower stall! Take it from me, I endured years of having my self-image trashed by the grossest insults. It is literally emotional rape, committed against you over and over

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and over again, day in and day out! Nothing hurts more than to be a warm, friendly type with lots of love to share; love which is rejected by teenage peers who only pal around with kids who are too cool to have hearts and individual personalities. Sensitive people hurt more, so they make the best target for bulllies who hunt for some soul to destroy. My ability to love others was totally destroyed by prolonged abuse and only God was able to restore it. Adults smugly say: All those other kids cant be the ones who are wrong, while youre the only one whos right. Its your own fault for attracting the abuse. Yeah, right. You might as well tell a repeatedly raped woman: 5,000 satisfied rapists cant be wrong. The majority is always right. Its YOUR fault for being so pretty. The poor things, they cant help being attracted to you. Dog turds dont deserve respect just because theres ten thousand of them. I got tired of being told I was overreacting, and snap out of it by grownups who never would have tolerated the same treatment themselves for as long as I was forced to suffer it. When you accidentally touch a hot stove your hand instinctively springs back, so that the damage to your hand is limited. But being unable to leave a hell hole torture chamber school is like your hand being unable to escape the hot stove. Because youre unable to escape, the injury is only deepened and worsened from prolonged exposure to abuse. The longer a kid suffers severe bullying, the less likely he/she will be able to forget it or completely recover from it in later life. Romans 12:18 says: If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. Sometimes peaceful coexistence with all others around you is NOT possible, because while we want peace others want war (Psalms 120:7). Everybody expects a happy ending if you rise above the abuse and repay cruelty with kindness, but bullies dont always follow the script. Real life reality must courageously be faced by guardians or parents of the victim! I have read many accounts of parents who waited so patiently for their childs bullying problem to sort itself out that they waited until the second or third bad beating to do more than utter a feeble protest about the situation. Apologetically the parents wheedled with school officials to beg the bully to bestow upon their child the privilege of living in physical or emotional health. Talk about hate crimes and social injustice! It begins at an early age! Running in Shackles and Crash Landing Parents take great pride in their kids grades. Ive got a fairly high I.Q. But when youre in a pressure cooker of persecution day in and day out, your academic life goes down the toilet. It was my very first day of seventh grade. Out of the blue my homeroom teacher asked me some ridiculous question. My mind went totally blank and I could hardly choke out a reply. An awful terror crept over me and I got the shakes. I felt trapped. I began to cry when the rest of the class laughed at me. After school, the teacher called my dad at work and got him mad at me, so mad he didnt listen to anything I said. At the time that teacher had barely met me but she told him: That girl acts like a baby. All because Id had an INVOLUNTARY panic attack of bad nerves which made tears seep out of my eyes against my will! Parents, NEVER just take the word of an adult without first stopping to listen to hear the rest of the story from your child. Dont yell and refuse to listen to your childs side of the story. Just because the teacher is older doesnt mean theyre always right. I did nothing calculated to annoy that teacher. All I did was lose control of my tear ducts because a terrible sensation of fear and feeling trapped and humiliated overpowered me. It was the devil beginning a campaign of abuse against me that lasted many years. Id had few problems in elementary school, but from

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that day on, most of my school years would be hell. When I get to heaven and see the Lord face to face, I will remind Him to punish the foul evil spirits who inspired other kids to make that trouble for me! It only takes ONE bad first impression to ruin you for good! Kids carry a bad joke too far and never let you live it down. One boy liked to stomp on my toes. He and this evil-eyed girl grabbed my books after school and threw them in the street. My glee club went on a field trip to perform for some big wigs. Id practiced my heart out, but was asked to sit the performance out, along with one other girl. When we all went to a cafeteria to eat, I sat alone at my own little table, while some goofy girl grinned at me and kept saying: Fish good, Patricia? That was the same girl whod complimented me on my art work in sixth grade. But going up to seventh grade changes the whole ball game, doesnt it? A formerly friendly, likable girl became a big time operator. Ya just gotta put down the dweebs so youll look good in front of your fancy friends and climb satans social ladder! Oh, a few kids were kind, but I was afraid to reach out to anyone anymore, much less to show anybody trust. I just went numb as I let my tender side die to minimize my pain. The baddies in the bunch got me so upset my grades went all to hell. How can you help but mistrust a school dominated by bigots? To this day, I remember a big bunch of kids spilling down the front steps cheering wildly over JFKs assassination. But why not? No big loss to them! At the tender age of twelve I was already tempted to just check out of a world that made me sick. I ended up taking an entire year off from junior high and took nerve medication. The next school wasnt quite as horrible, though I always got picked last for team sports and I rode one school bus that was a nightmare. But it was Hog Pen High that left most of the bad memories as a zoo full of selfcentered bigots and ignoramuses. Its courses (except for Math) were easy, but I always managed to pass even that. But if other kids think youre easy to pick on, they wont be impressed by your good test grades. Once a target, always a target. Good grades matter today more than ever before. But asking a shell-shocked, depressed teenager to churn out all As and Bs is just like expecting a marathon runner to finish in first place with one ankle bound in an iron shackle. The ability might be there, but bullies have bound him with their chains of hatred. You might as well expect an Air Force pilot to make a picture-perfect landing in a battlefield after one of his wings has been shot off. Not only that, even the weather goes against him. It starts to hail, then a tornado rips off his other wing, sending the plane in a tailspin downward as lightning strikes the nose of the plane. Meanwhile, surface to air missiles keep blasting away at him from below. If the pilot ends up a casualty of war, after bravely toughing it out all alone, can he be blamed? Man, it sure does take guts to fight your battles all alone! The sheer irony is this: Many dads who used to be in the military wouldnt have hesitated to grab a gun and wage war against people whod never hurt anybody in their family. Man, those soldiers would storm Pork Chop Hill to fight some nameless, faceless foe of liberty (a favorite buzzword of war-mongering Christian politicians who insist THEIR oil is buried under somebody elses sand). But these same men are way too scared to pick up a phone and fight for their own child whos facing a REAL threat at school. It never would have occurred to some Marine sergeant to tell his countrymen to Grow up! Youre only imagining the Viet Cong are hiding under your bunk! They wont hurt you! Youre overreacting! No, all the politicians had to do was sell a big scare story and before long, these soldiers went over there to fight people who never came over here to hurt anyone. But after the war, once that same guys kid comes home with a ripped shirt and black eye (even if its a girl) the kids made to feel ashamed if they admit to being just a little bit scared!

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Just like a scared soldier charging the enemy on the battlefield, I forced myself to keep slogging on, through the muck and the mire of the sinful, foul environment of Hog Pen High. Lots of kids take a hard fall because they cant prevent the plane of their life crashing after both wings have been blasted apart. So their grades NEVER recover! Some kids cant learn at all in a torture chamber. Still, their parents yell at them for getting rotten report cards. Grow up! Youre acting like a soap opera! Crybaby! What if you were REALLY suffering! What if you didnt have food on your plate? Its all in your head! Get over it, or the men in white coats will take you away! You should be ashamed of yourself! Your brother (sister, etc,) doesnt suffer this embarrassment! You cant beat the system! Get real! Only an ostrich hides its eyes in the sand from reality. You might just as

ITS THE BULLY WHO SHOULD HIDE HIS FACE IN SHAME, NOT HIS VICTIMS!!!!! HELLO?
well hope terminal cancer will go away if you just ignore it! Parents, you brought your child into this world, and its YOUR duty to protect him, and to hell with namby-pamby politeness or political correctness! Any parent too scared to make tough choices for the sake of his child needs to pray for holy boldness! Any parent who refuses to fight to protect their own kids health or safety doesnt deserve to be a parent! If you think a pit bull terrier is fierce, it would be nothing compared to how this riled-up old bear would respond. First Id take that child out of school till the State either straightened the mess out immediately or assigned a big, beefy bodyguard to protect the child, including escorting my child to and from school. If they couldnt guarantee such protection, and I were forced to take MY child out of school and teach them at home to keep them from being pulverized, and the State gave me any guff about it, Id threaten to fight back with a Loco Parentis Lawsuit. Loco Parentis means in place of the parent. While YOUR kids at school (because the State forces you to send them there), teachers and school staff act as substitute parents with all the duties belonging to parents, including protecting the health and welfare of your child. Id say that if your kid comes home with cuts and bruises all over his face, a broken leg, teeth knocked out, and a shredded shirt, the State loused up its loco parentis duty. Im soft-spoken and mild-mannered to a fault, but this would be no time for politeness. Id set my phone on fire hollering and screaming to the newspapers and lawmakers. Id picket the local Board of Education till they fan Frankensteins fanny with a holey board to put the fear of God in him. Id keep writing e-mails, picketing, phoning, hollering and screaming all day, every day, till I raised a big enough stink to get the press on my side, and get lawmakers off their blessed assurances so theyll pass laws to take the schools back from the bullies running them. Parents, you can turn a blind eye to bullying if youre too wimpy to fight the battle. Its easy to go with the flow and do nothing in the face of gross evil. Even a dog turd can float downsteam effortlessly. You can bury your head like the ostrich and hope the passage of time will make it all come out in the wash. But the sad truth is this: You can choose not to act, but you cant choose the CONSEQUENCES of doing nothing to protect your child. And its YOUR precious child who will reap the whirlwind for your inaction. What are just a few of the consequences you can expect in that poor childs life as he/she gets older? 1. Flashbacks and nightmares. Hatred, abuse and hostility has been pounded into your childs soul for so long they feel like theyre trapped in a time warp because nothing was EVER resolved, and they have trouble moving on.

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2. Cries at the slightest provocation. Some stray comment or minor incident

can push the pain button in the childs soul because bad memories are triggered by something seemingly insignificant. This is similar to peanuts triggering deadly allergic reactions.

3. Hates social situations, prefers their own company. Bullies who

ostracized your child conditioned him/her to live their life alone and seek comfort only in themselves because they werent good enough to have friends. The tree grows the way the twig is bent. It would feel unnatural to that tree to be anything but a bent tree. Its possible to turn off any desire for friendship, because it hurts too much to desire things you know you can never have.

4. Finds it difficult to live independently as an adult. The human spirit is

strong and resilient, but can be broken if too many negative forces impact it for far too long. Too many people told your child he/she was dumb, clumsy, fat, stupid, weak, etc. If others psychologically or physically tortured your child over a long period of years and made him too insecure to make his own way in the world, place the blame squarely on your own shoulders for leaving that child in a negative, hostile shark pool school which ate away his precious soul like caustic acid till nothing was left.

5. Takes only menial jobs beneath his/her intelligence or ability. The

CONTINUAL wear and tear of being torn down for years with NO chance to take a rest and heal is the same as fracturing the same place on your leg day in and day out. Your body finally reaches the point where that part CANT heal anymore. Severe abuse protracted for many months or years is the equivalent of being in a noisy war zone and sustaining repeated internal injuries, even if the abuse is mainly verbal rather than physical. ITS THE EQIVALENT OF GETTING YOUR NUTS BLOWN OFF IN BATTLE. Whether the victim is male or female, bullying emasculates for life! I use that word because even a woman has a certain amount of male traits, such as ambition and drive for success. I visualize a magnificent stallion, his neck arched proudly, running like the wind. Then he gets castrated and hes never the same again. Oh, hes still a horse, but that fire and that magnificence within him is gone. Severe, protracted, malicious bullying makes it extremely unlikely that a victim will ever be a bigwig in the workplace or other social setting. An adult who struggles to get somewhere in life but was badly bullied as a child, was told thousands, if not millions, of times, that he/she would never amount to anything and nobody wanted them on their team in P.E. Every flaw or failure, both real and imaginary, was blown up 1000X and waved in their face. Even some sadistic teacher might have put them down. A street sweeper or janitor has far less chance of job failure and related stress than a doctor, lawyer, or data systems analyst. Bullying isnt a piddly little kiddie game. Its a spiritually destructive HATE CRIME which must be fought against, aggressively and non-stop. I know, the System IS stacked in favor of the criminal, and the problem seems invincible. Parents of juvenile thugs could care less your child has been hurt. They care only for their own kid and he (or she) can do no wrong. Their primary reason for loving their child is to them, he or she is an extension of themselves. Their offspring represents THEM at

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that school, and any reprimand he suffers reflects on THEM. The love of a sinner is very selfish indeed.

Seek Compensation to Aid Your Childs Recovery

Whenever school authorities dig in their heels and refuse to cooperate, do your utmost to avail yourself of any rights you have within the legal system. Get legal advice if necessary, to give you every possible leverage, to combat the foot-dragging of a system which is becoming more and more biased toward the rights of victimizers, rather than victims. If the bullying has given rise to medical or dental expenses, get legal aid or no-win-no-fee legal advice and sue the bullies parents or guardians to recoup expenses of treatment plus lawyers fees. You could check on the availability of Legal Aid programs in your community, if money is a problem. If the parents are cooperative, but plead for mercy because theyre too poor to pay, dont threaten to land them in jail, because the time might come you yourself might need for God to forgive your debts. Nevertheless, your child may need physical therapy, dental repairs or even reconstructive surgery because he was severely attacked by thugs. Why should your own family have to be wiped out financially by catastrophic medical expenses because of a criminals cruelty? It could be the school itself is just as much to blame for failure to provide a safe learning environment for your child. If so, take out a lawsuit against the school system to recover all damages incurred by their negligence. Theyre just as liable as your workplace would be if bosses refused to fire a foul-mouthed pervert who assaulted you on the premises. Common sense tells you: why should a child get less protection under the law than a full-grown adult? Kids under 18 are just as capable of committing horrific assaults as adults! If your childs injuries were inflicted on the bus because the driver refused to put the bully off, sue the bus system. Take some kind of positive action. Do the very thing I was too scared to do when I was a teenager: Make plenty of noise! Pull back the rug and expose the cockroaches underneath! Share your story with the local media (if they are sympathetic). If the local paper wont help, seek other outlets for airing your grievance. This could make a big difference to some other child if it became common knowledge that people are fed up with school bullying and will take it no more. Declare a war on bullying. Be a pillar in your community whos got principles hes willing to fight to defend. All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for decent people to do nothing. Compile any medical records or other available evidence requested by your attorney. Find witnesses and ask them to come forward. Maybe other kids have been bothered by the same bullies. It could be the bullies parents wont worry about their kids behavior until it hits them where it hurts the most, in the wallet! Thats a terrible thing to have to say, but lots of folks love their precious money more than anything else on earth!

Your Childs Enemies Need Gods TOUGH Love

Now dont tell me thats breaking Jesus command to love your enemies and pray for God to bless them. When Jesus said we had to love our enemies He didnt mean were supposed to bless their wicked ways and pray they would prosper in their wickedness. Jesus didnt mean we should pray that God would give them the means

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or strength to do even more harm! What I suggest is the same kind of tough love God uses on His own children sometimes. Remember Kind David in II Samuel Chapters 11 and 12? The sweet singer of Israel, he was called. One of the greatest saints of ancient Israel. The type whod always be first to file into church and last to leave. David not only sang in the choir, he directed it himself and composed the choirs repertoire. But what happened? Despite His devotion to God David stole Uriah the Hittites wife and then plotted his death. If Davids moral restoration hadnt involved tough love, the Prophet Nathan might have told him: Aw...thats all right, Your Majesty, no sweat, man. Jesus loves you anyway. It doesnt matter what you did, its all water under the bridge. And if Uriah were still here, hed just let it go. After all, hes in a far better place now, so maybe you did him a favor by bumping him off. Dont dwell on it. The Lord bless you real good, brother. David was forgiven but he didnt get off that easy. Lessons had to be learned so he got on the receiving end of Gods tough love. David reaped what he sowed, not because God is a meanie but because the integrity of Gods Holy Law had to be upheld. David was protected from the penalty of his sin: eternal death; but he wasnt spared the temporal consequences of his actions. Bullies, like everyone else, need to learn that life is not a computer game and actions have consequences. They need tough love, not a nod of one-size-fits-all acceptance. Bullies need to learn to be responsible and considerate members of society. Mollycoddling them in the Name of Jesus does them no favor. It does not prepare them for the probability they will go to hell to suffer Gods everlasting vengeance. Contrary to popular belief, the God of Love does not throw a blanket amnesty over all unrepentant evildoers, any more than He is behind the lenient sentencing of hardened bullies. Denial of Gods justice is denial of His Holiness, and the trivializing of sin, which is a stench in His nostrils! In Ezekiel 13:22 God denounces lying prophets who promise the wicked leniency. These popular prophets only strengthened the hands of the wicked to commit further wickedness by telling them God didnt much care what they did, so Hed let them off easy. When a gutter rat knows he aint got nothin to lose by staying what he is, hell only sink lower in the sewer of sin. Where it concerns protecting your loved ones, be a man (or very strong woman), not a wimpy mouse. Dont ever threaten violence or mayhem, but be very assertive ( I Cor. 16:13) Yell, scream if you must, theres no law against getting loud. Even God gets mad at evil and raises His voice against it (Isaiah 42:13; 58:1; Jeremiah 6:11; Nahum 1:2; Zephaniah 2:3) A woman must be as iron-willed as a man in times of crisis! Dont be too chicken to peep a protest!

Some Practical Suggestions

If possible, switch your child to another school to give him/her a fresh start. After the first week or so, get some feedback from his teachers, who can point out any problems. Take any practical measures needed to nip any new problem in the bud before it spirals out of control. If your child is ready for such a thing, get him involved in one or more wholesome extra-curricular activities of his choice, e.g. music or drama club, where he might cultivate solid friendships by working in a group setting with others toward the same worthwhile goal. If your child has any pals or friendly acquaintances in his class, encourage the cultivation of these relationships. You could ask your child to invite a couple of other kids over for a sleepover, barbeque or other happy event.

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If you have switched your child to a new school and he is happy there, dont even THINK of sending him back to the old one! One mother I read about had her severely bullied son transferred to a new school where things went just fine. Then she remembered he would only end up going to the same high school with his former tormentors. So she switched him back in hopes hed eventually make friends with the bullies. But the bullies saw this as weak capitulation. Instead of a beating the poor kid, this time they blinded him in an attack! And what justice was meted out to the ringleader? A piddly two years probation! I can picture that young criminal patting himself on the back for pulling that off! If keeping your child in school jeopardizes his safety, by all means his safety must come first, even before a conventional education. Remember, God has entrusted YOU, not some government, with this precious life you brought into the world! If you have the resources and time (especially if youre a two-parent family who can manage on one income) consider tutoring your child at home. If both of you must work, perhaps you could do this in the evening. Thats not timidity, thats common sense. Any smart general will resort to a tactical retreat until he gets reinforcements and can face the enemy again. And consider this: Is the soul any less real than the body? Protecting a childs wounded heart is no different from keeping the weight off a broken leg. Victims of verbal abuse cant just snap out of it. They need time to heal. In the worst-case scenario, school officials might look the other way and pretend not to notice their school is a breeding ground for bullies. But dont buy unnecessary trouble. Never cross government authorities unless they drag their feet about cracking down on the bullying problem, or otherwise hinder your efforts to protect the well-being of YOUR own child. If continuing in a conventional school environment is no longer an option for your child, notify school authorities of your intention to home-school, in accordance with local law. Get expert advice on curriculum content and standards which need to be maintained in enacting your home schooling program, and on helpful resources: e.g. wholesome educational web sites, appropriate text and work books, library resources. If you are deficient in disciplines like math or science, enlist the help of a paid tutor if at all possible. Perhaps youre lucky enough to have a network of supportive friends or relatives, and some of them have excelled in subjects you never conquered. Maybe one or two of them will gladly lend a hand tutoring your child as his or her contribution to the War On Bullying. It would cost the state some precious MONEY, but kids at high risk of being badly bullied should be picked up by a special school van AT THEIR DOOR and taken home from school the same way. If this isnt possible, at the very least BUG all school buses with hidden microphones and CCTV cameras to collect evidence of any harassment that goes on while traveling to or from school. The bully counts on apathetic school officials giving this tired old excuse: We cant do anything. Its your word against theirs. Audio-visual evidence isnt biased and its solid proof of wrong-doing. If enough electronic evidence of actual harm or threats to harm (how many injuries does it take?) is collected, the bull(ies) should be permanently expelled from the school district as dangerous undesirables. Classrooms, locker rooms, hallways, lunchrooms, and even rest rooms should be bugged to discourage verbal or physical assaults. Teacher cant always be there to personally see the bullying, so electronic eyes and ears should do the monitoring to help keep order on campus.

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I also suggest surveillance systems be installed on playgrounds, not just to protect kids from aggressive peers, but to gather evidence on any unauthorized adults who might approach playing children. Im all for an individuals right to a reasonable amount of privacy in daily life, and Im against the Orwellian Big Brother State which watches you so closely the authorities even know what youre eating for breakfast. A police state could be a byproduct of fear gone wild. A balance needs to be struck between personal privacy and electronic vigilance against criminals who make life miserable for others. But your right to privacy ends at the point where you use your privacy to hurt other people. How can anyone safely drive a bus while its full of screaming, fighting kids pushing, hitting and shoving each other, and making it difficult for the bus driver to think straight and watch whats happening on the road? Allowing that type of behavior on a bus full of children is a health and safety violation which should be reported to the proper authorities. Airlines have begun to install Air Marshalls on their planes to protect passengers. An adult Bus Marshall (preferably a volunteer) should be installed on every school bus, morning and afternoon. The best qualified for the job would be ex-Marine drill sergeants in top physical condition, skilled in self-defense techniques. If a kid is caught beating up some other kid on the bus, that dirty little thug would be kept under restraint by the Bus Marshall while the driver parks the bus and calls the cops on his cell phone. That rotten bully would be handed over to the police for assault and battery, just the same as if an adult had been attacked in the street by a thug. If irresponsible, negligent parents of bullies get upset about THEIR kid being detained by the cops, tough luck! Its their own fault for not making their brat mind. One idea for safer education would be to organize an educational co-op with parents of other children who for one reason or the other, cant attend a conventional school. But only a calm, confident, dependable type of person should help home-school other peoples children. ONLY adults known to be morally sound and responsible should be included in such a project! If you are a Christian, perhaps your local church could organize a home schooling co-op, if a great enough need for one exists. At least two people should be on the premises at all times, and for the sake of propriety, men should not tutor mixed-gender or all-girl groups alone. They should be assisted by their wives. Especially in the case of Christians, a married man or woman should obviously not work alone all day with someone of the opposite sex to whom they are not married. If the male tutors are single, they should have the assistance of two or three other women, preferably women at least thirty years older than themselves, ha! Seriously, all appearance of evil should be avoided (I Thes.5:22). It is essential to have at least one other person nearby to help with any emergencies that might arise from being responsible for a whole group of children. Younger kids, especially, can get rowdy or get into something when your back is turned. A school pool would be a nifty name for this tutoring co-op. A school pool would be organized on the same principle as a car pool or baby-sitting pool. Everyone benefits all the time and contributes some of the time. It would especially be suitable for those parents who are self-employed or have very flexible work schedules, or for part-time employees or stay-at-home moms. Christians who started a school pool and allowed those of other faiths to join could make it clear that Jesus Golden Rule of Do unto others as you would have them do unto you is to be strictly observed (Matt.7:12). Discipline of students should be agreed upon from the outset. Loss of privileges, detention, or writing sentences could be possible punishments for misbehavior.

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Enrollment could be limited to five or six children per group (or even fewer), so as to ease the burden on parents work schedules and help prevent parental burnout. Each parent/educator would take his or her turn to tutor the kids and provide lunch for them. Tutors can take advantage of online assistance for those subjects which are challenging. One advantage of home schooling is extra flexibility in which subjects are studied on any given day. Say, youre excellent in English but John is a whiz in math and algebra. Math Day would fall on Johns tutoring day. If any time is left over after each child finishes his or her math assignment, the rest of the day could be used for art projects, crafts, or whatever enrichment program the child is interested in at his or her own age level. Each child could learn at his or her own pace, using online resources. Each computer-literate child would need to bring his or her own personal laptop to sessions. Legal requirements for getting a permit for such a School Pool Co-op would need to be checked out first, to comply with local government regulations. Granted, a lot of poor parents cant stay home to teach their kids. Theyre in a real bind. Theyre out working all sorts of crazy hours, often moonlighting to survive. The cost of living is way out of control, and millions of harried parents can barely find the time to do the grueling job of overseeing the education of their kids and being there for them with a kiss and a cookie. Many cant even pay for basic child care. A kid left to raise himself makes a poor substitute parent. He is unlikely to teach himself right from wrong or police his own behavior. The spiritual consequences of this sad scenario can be disastrous (Prov. 29:15). Inability to be there for the kids is one of the hardest burdens of the working poor in America. But in the case of affluent parents who give climbing the corporate ladder a higher priority than family life, having it all is far more important than raising the kids they brought into this cruel world and teaching them to be good citizens. Talk about immaturity. The biggest tragedy is kids having kids. There are some excellent teenage mothers out there who make heroic efforts to do the best they can for their kids. But there are others who view babies as a cute fashion accessory. Having one is a rite of passage in their peer group. With their confused concept of what love really is, these young girls are too immature to know how to raise their children to be loving, considerate people.

Walk a Mile in My Shoes

Christians, beware of being so sweet that you back away from the devil. The suffering-obsessed Christian reminds you that you are to rejoice in all tribulation, because tribulation builds character. Supposedly you should gladly embrace each and every evil thing as a gift of God because you can learn from it. But Jesus came to DESTROY the works of the devil, not to sanctify them (I John 3:8). Bullying is such a profoundly damaging crime against the human soul that God has no use for it except to be glorified in executing justice against bullies. Even animal excrement is less repulsive than bullying. At least you can use it for fertilizer to grow things. Bullying is destructive, psychological murder! And when it leads to victim suicide, it is physical murder for which the bully himself is responsible, punishable by an eternity in a devils hell. Even if a bullying victim killed himself fifty years ago, God is still keeping that sin recorded in His book of judgment against the bully. Time means nothing to God. God has sworn to avenge the destruction of his Temple, and that happened thousands of years ago (Jere.51:11). How much dearer to God than some stone temple is a persons body, which houses a spiritual creation made in His own image!

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Sin alienated mankind from God. Sin has sent countless millions to hell. Sin put Gods only Son on the Cross. So how can you thank God for the kind of thing you have endured? What you are to rejoice in is any lessons you can learn from the bad experience or any ways you can grow inside as a result of having gone through it. And even that might take gritted-teeth determination when you consider how costly that lesson was! Some Christians wallow in suffering. They write books and preach sermons telling other Christians how to pretend theyre having a picnic while satan is trashing their lives. They say that others who long for the peace and perfection of heaven are immature wimps. But its easy to ride out someone elses famine while youre chowing down on steak. Jesus said it was possible to move even mountains through faith in God (Matt.17:20). But some Christians only learn how to make friends with their mountains. Chances are, those who are philosophical about other peoples problems have carved a cozy, secure niche in this world for themselves in it and are quite comfortable with the status quo. Wisdom is called for in dealing with our mountains, whether they are bad situations or hostile enemies. God wont always bless both sinner and saint alike. This Dispensation of Grace will soon be past. The perilous times when the saint of God must do good to those who hate you (Matt. 5:44), in hopes that the Love of Jesus will soften the heart of fierce persecutors, will be no more and God will at long last pour out his fierce, unadulterated vengeance upon wicked, violent people. King David knew what it was like to feel vulnerable to the sword thrusts and spear jabs of the wicked. Above all things, he feared finding himself in a captivity situation where his fate hung on the cruel mercies of his enemies. Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies, he prays in Psalms 27:12. In I Chronicles 21:9-13 David has just committed a serious sin and is being judged by God for it. The Lord offers him a choice of three possible punishments, one of which is three months of being overcome by his enemies. David pleads with God not to let him fall into the hand of man, because as a professional soldier he knew how just low depraved human enemies could sink in their cruelty. Jesus, our supreme Example, was never delivered into the hand of His enemies until the time came he willingly offered Himself up for our sins. At the beginning of His ministry He miraculously escaped a lynch mob (Luke 4:28-30). So why should we cheerfully accept every blow of satan that comes our way? Christians say you shouldnt ever judge anyone. But on at least two occasions the apostle Paul not only judged cases of sin within the church, he dealt severely with fellow Christians who sinned and refused to repent, and in a way you NEVER hear of being done in any church today. Heres how Paul dealt with an adulterer who slept with his stepmother. I Cor.5:2: For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, HAVE JUDGED ALREADY, as though I were present, concerning him that hath so done this deed, 4 In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, 5 TO DELIVER SUCH AN ONE UNTO SATAN for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. The second is Pauls judgment upon a believer who blasphemed the Lord. I Tim.1: 19 Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck:

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20 Of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander; WHOM I HAVE DELIVERED UNTO SATAN, that they may learn not to blaspheme. Ive already revealed that some, if not most, of those who bullied me were probably churchgoers and Sunday Christians who got dragged to church by their hypocrite parents. Through their cruelty they blasphemed the Lord Who bought them. They slicked back their hair and wore their fanciest duds on Sunday, did their Sunday School lesson and sang their dead hymns, but they denied Jesus daily by persecuting one of His children. I was a child of God because Id been converted at age twelve, though I wasnt yet filled with the Holy Spirit. Even if I felt estranged from God because I hated those churchgoing hypocrites, I still had been saved. So in attacking and threatening me, they were doing the same to Jesus. Whatever you do to one of His own, even unto the least important of them, you do also to Him (Matt.25:40). I dont hold the office of an apostle in the church. But I am just as much of a child of God as Paul was. Ive found a solid Biblical case for praying Gods judgment on unrepentant bullies. Jesus said to bless your persecutors. I cant pray God will give them a fun time in this world or prosper from their wickedness. But I can pray God will give them all, especially those whod gotten saved in church, a good whuppin so their reprobate souls will be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. Thats ALL the blessing I can give them. If delivering someone over to satan helps them get right with God and keeps them out of hell, then here goes: Lord, in the Name of Jesus, I follow Pauls example. Paul told believers to imitate him (I Cor.4:16), and Im imitating him in this. You know which of those bullies had a conversion experience and which ones didnt. If they, at any point in their miserable lifetimes, accepted Christ before they hurt me, then this prayer applies to them. If they never were born again, they will suffer the judgment of unbelievers at the Great White Throne Judgment of Revelation. Lord God, Great and Holy Judge of all the earth, hear my prayer. The ONLY blessing I can bestow upon these reprobate Christ-deniers is for you to deal with them in TOUGH LOVE so theyll repent before they die instead of being sent to hell with this doomed, dying world. You know the REAL entities behind the fictitious names I gave these scary characters. I ask that each one who has not repented be delivered over to satan for the destruction of their flesh until such time as they cry out to You for mercy and forgiveness of their sins against me and anyone else theyve harmed. Mike Crappe assaulted me from out of nowhere, and Id never even spoken to him. He ridiculed my looks and left lasting emotional scars. His taunts put an eating disorder on me and made me worry Id never look good enough. Lord, see to it that Mike Crappe gains at least fifty pounds in all the wrong places. Let someone else ridicule HIM for his looks and see how HE feels. Let some younger, better-looking guy take his job at work. Turn the devil loose on him, Lord! Rainy Spacey tormented me on the bus, said I had lice, made ugly faces at me. She did this on many occasions. Worst of all, when Butch hit me with the club, she urged him to do it again! I could have been paralyzed or killed if he had. Spacey was one of the meanest, ugliest bullies at that school. Make her feel just as scared and insecure and miserable as she made me feel. Prevent her from ever getting a decent job, Lord. See to it shes always on the bottom of the scrap heap and no one ever shows her kindness or helps her get ahead in this world, until she cries out to You for mercy and forgiveness.

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This sluttish girl giggled to her friends about me while I was using the toilet. I didnt even have peace there. Shes so dumb, Sonya Hoggart said, knowing I could hear everything. Sonya bragged that she could get friends and I couldnt. She constantly mouthed off at me, although Id done nothing to hurt her. As part of her punishment, Lord, I ask that You take away every friend this gal has, if she never repented. I ask that shell struggle with the same kind of loneliness the bullies put on me, and shell never again be able to get anyone to love her. Heap shame on her until she repents of her sins and accepts Christ as Savior. Bad Billy persecuted me in art class, kept saying I had maggots. He looked at me with evil eyes as he whispered to his goofy friend. Billy didnt dare say those mean things out loud, because he was covering his own backside and didnt want the teacher to hear. Take away that creeps ability to whisper bad words to avoid trouble. Cause him to say OUT LOUD things that will land him in hot water. Make Bad Billy say what he REALLY thinks of the boss at work and so that he gets fired, instead of just being sent to detention. If he thinks his wife is ugly, let him SAY it and get the clobbering he deserves! Butch persecuted me every single day on the school bus, unless he was home sick. He threatened me with knives, rubber bands, and clubs. He and his buddies threw soggy spitwads at me, day in and day out. Butch jeered at me and called me dirty names. If he hasnt repented yet, give satan orders to work his own servant over. Make this slimy snake put on sixty pounds in all the wrong places. Reduce him to abject poverty. Make HIM feel scared every day of his life and fill his soul with fear and dread, like he did to me (Deut.28:66). Let some of his own relatives find out what a horrible character he was, and still might be. Let Butch lose the respect of his own kids and be treated like a cruel creep deserves to be treated. All he ever saw me do was sit on the school bus, cowering in fear as I was attacked every day. But Rover MacGunn said I belonged in a mental institution. Let Rover reap the fruit of his own words, Lord. Turn the devil loose on old Rover to give him no rest night or day. Let Rover lose the love and respect of his wife. Let his business slide down in the dunghill. Let Rover be the one who ends up in the place he threatened me with. Until he realizes what a rotten sinner he is and repents, Lord. Someone told me a bunch of kids said of me, That C., shes the ugliest thing in the world. I had done NOTHING to earn their hatred and I looked no worse than anyone else at that garbage dump school. I ask that you would make any good looks these cruel creeps have fade away like a moth (Psalms 39:11). I remember Sadie Brown, who stared maliciously at me in class and called me ugly names. She and that big oaf who stomped on my toes, Randy Snail, ganged up on me after I left school, grabbed my books and threw them in the street, laughing and pointing. Turn satan loose on them, Lord, to make havoc of THEIR lives. Just when they think theyve lived a full life and have it all and can be no happier, take away everything from them which lends respectability to their wicked lives. Sadie bragged about her family being religious. I ask, dear Heavenly Father, that until she repents of her sins against me and others, You would close your ears to her prayers. She said she wanted to have a million kids. Well, however many Sadie had, cause them to find out what shes really like and to turn their backs on her in disgust.

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Then there was Maggie Batch and Debbie Scarecrow. After wed all gotten along so well in sixth grade, they thought theyd act cool and start picking on me in seventh grade. Shes not MY girl friend! Scarecrow giggled. Maggie Batch made our Glee Club field trip hell for me, pointing at me in the cafeteria and teasing me as I ate at my lonely table. Take away all their friends, Lord. Take away every enjoyment they have in this life. Make these women so depressed they hate to get out of bed in the morning. Make them lonely and desolate (Psalms 40:15). Cause them to lose their jobs or fail to get promoted if theyve never repented and still treat people that same bitchy way. Then there were those two complete strangers who taunted me, after I was forced to take a whole year off school, nerves shattered by constant abuse. Those two cheap chicks spotted me in the streets. They kicked me when I was down and felt like I could go no lower. Turn satan loose on them, Heavenly Father, to lay THEM low and make them feel friendless, persecuted and utterly alone. Give them no peace in their old age, and leave them ALONE to struggle in trials of pain and rejection till they cry unto You for forgiveness and mercy. A busload of kids attacked me like a gang of vultures, throwing stuff at me, screaming curses at me. I know most of this bunch were churchgoers. Reject their lifeless religion like dog dung, Lord. Let those who never repented by delivered over to satan for the destruction of their flesh (I Cor.5:5; I Tim.1:20) till they cry out unto you in SINCERE repentance. Deal with that wimpy assistant principal if hes still alive and kickin, Lord. Let him feel intimidated with no one courageous enough to help him, and all they do is turn a blind eye to his troubles. Mrs. Barton, Mrs. Foxtail and Mrs. Hutton humiliated me, making me feel stupid in front of the other kids and accusing me of things I didnt do. Whether theyre alive or dead, Lord, let them know the pain they put on me. If theyve never accepted Christ as Savior or repented of their rebellion toward You, let them be misunderstood, rejected and humiliated in front of others, with nowhere to hide their tearstained faces. That old bus drivers probably dead and six feet under by now. Lord, if he never repented of turning a blind eye to the crimes committed for so many months on HIS bus, let his own private hell be full of flying spitwads and insults, and a fire of fear and anxiety which never goes out. Let him know how I felt. You warned in Your Holy Word that no unrepentant coward would make it into heaven (Rev.21:8). Let tribulation be paid back to every bully who ever persecuted me and patted themselves on the back for getting away with it (2 Thes.1:6). Without repentance theres no room for forgiveness. Jesus said, Unless you repent, you shall ALL perish (Luke 13:3). In His Holy Name, amen.

A Light in the Dark

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Ephesians 6:12 makes it clear that it is satan and his demons who are fighting us, rather than flesh and blood. If you are wearing a glove on your hand and hit someone with it, you must assign the blame to the mind which drove the gloved hand to commit the act. Yet I believe that insofar that bullies choose not to repent of their sins, and love to do the works of the devil, they themselves are to be held culpable. Admittedly, not everyone has heard the Good News of salvation through Christ. So what is Gods attitude toward those who havent heard? The apostle Paul gives us the answer in Romans 1:18-20: The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against the sin and unrighteousness of all mankind, who know right from wrong, and yet continue in sin. That which can be known about Gods nature is made plain to them, for God has revealed it to them. Ever since God created the world, His invisible qualities, both His eternal power and His divine nature, have been clearly seen; they are perceived in the things that God has made. Such people are without excuse. The bully can, even through nature, see evidence of the loving nature of God, Who sends rain and sunshine to mankind for the raising of food crops. God provides air for everyone to breathe. But the bully uses every breath God gives him to spew out filthy insults. The bully uses Gods name as a cuss word. He is a mere pawn of the devil, yet he cannot be excused. The bully does a devils work, so he will receive a devils reward (II Thessalonians 2:12). The bully uses the strength obtained from Gods gift of food to harm other creatures God has made. The bully hounds his victims to the verge of insanity. The severe, prolonged daily stress of bullying is enough to lower the victims resistance to infection and illness, and cause catastrophic damage to his soul. Many will undoubtedly take issue with my belief that Christ-rejecting sinners should be punished. Now, I believe that where there is sincere repentance, peace with God is possible. But He certainly isnt going to bestow a blanket amnesty on those who go around bragging about their sins, instead of repenting of them, and God isnt going to admit such hardened souls into His heaven. This world is extremely lenient toward hardened criminals, and our spiraling crime rate reflects that. Many innocent people have been murdered here in Northern Ireland, just over religious differences. I read about two men who were convicted of killing a Catholic and his Protestant buddy in a pub, just because mixed friendships are frowned upon here. After sentence was passed upon them, the two murderers laughed and smirked. They had just found out that because of the peace agreement, they would, most likely, be released in just six months time. How cheap their grisly entertainment came! The conflict here gets so perverse that when sectarian murders occur, grieving relatives might be taunted by others who support the opposing faction. How could anyone with a sense of fair play feel that such a diabolical, unrepentant attitude ought to go unpunished by the Lord? It is NOT the place of individuals to avenge themselves, and earthly justice is biased and unreliable. But the day will come when God is going to wipe the dirty grins off the faces of sinners for good, and dole out to them the comeuppance they escaped in this world. Every young hoodlum who was let off the hook for being underage , and stuck his tongue out at the judge who was powerless to sentence him, will one day face an angry God Who will turn his laughter into shrieks of terror. The smirks of sinners are inspired by demons of darkness, who want bullies to THINK theyll get away with it in the end. Demons of varying ranks spread satans dark influence throughout the earth. The Bible refers to them as principalities, powers, and rulers over the darkness of this world (Eph. 6:12). The bullys beliefs are rooted in darkness. His attacks are founded on lies whispered to his soul by the demons who control him. The mass media which promotes the tawdry things his

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darkened soul holds dear, is also driven by the prince of darkness. That system which pulls the strings of his likes and dislikes is motivated strictly by greed. Remember these truths I have received from the Lord and benefited from myself. They will go far in fortifying your soul against verbal bullying in particular. Remember above all things to rely on God moment by moment to bring the truth to the surface of your consciousness the next time you are verbally attacked. I have, in the past, had to work with the public, and a tiny percentage of them are mentally unbalanced. They are sometimes snappish, impatient, or rude. They may feel superior to you because youre the one behind the counter serving them, and they know you need their money to survive. Some years back I even had to work with a couple of people who were verbally abusive. They despised me for my mild nature. One even taunted me for being too old for the job. But I saw these people for what they were: lost sinners who act out their true nature. I knew my value in the eyes of God. I remembered that I am a citizen of His eternal Kingdom, and have no soul ties to this present world I live in as a mortal human being. God has shown me my own frailty. It is He Who holds me together moment by moment, even as He holds this whole universe together and prevents all the atoms of His creation from flying apart. I must depend on His life in me for all the wisdom, goodness and strength I need. What God did for me was nothing less than a miracle. My ability to love others was shattered by the bullying, and the Baptism of the Holy Spirit enabled me to love others again with Gods love. There are still battles with the devil, for he never gives up easily. He sometimes dredges up old memories so vividly that they seem recent. There are times I sleep but dont feel refreshed. The Lord showed me that experience has its roots in all the thousands of taunts I endured from those who wished I would die. God must continually fill me with His resurrection life. My zest for life is supernaturally imparted. When satan brings back bad memories I must remind myself that everything any evil person ever said about my life being a waste of space is a lie from hell. Then I would literally feel God breathing life back into my soul, driving out the death inflicted on it through bullying. I must forever lean upon God, Who keeps the truth fresh in my mind, so that those shadows of darkness are driven back by the power of the Light of the World.

Read about My Literary War on Bullying http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ggLh0BazlY All about my anti-bullying novel Back to School Mom: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WbmS5TPT6t0

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