The Bells Are Ringing And The Choirs Are Singing. “Peace On Earth Good Will Towards Men” But There Is No Peace.

On Friday, December 25, 1863 the world acclaimed literary critic and celebrated poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote a poignant poem seeking to capture the dynamics and dissonance in his own heart and the world he observed around him that Christmas day. The poem, “Christmas Bells,” would soon be turned into a song of hope, of faith and of trust and retitled “I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day.”

Two years earlier, Longfellow heard the frantic screams of his wife as she ran into his study, and who was engulfed in flames. Her dress had somehow caught on fire. In desperation, Longfellow grabbed a heavy rug and tried to extinguish the fire, but to no avail. His wife died the next morning. He himself was severely burned and couldn’t attend his wife’s funeral.

THE CHRISTMAS CRISIS

When Hate Is Strong And Mocks The Song, Peace On Earth, Good Will Toward Men, What Are We To Do?

One December 1, 1863 America was in the middle of a war against itself when Longfellow received a telegraph with the news that his son had been severely wounded by a Confederate bullet. Taking a train to Washington D.C. to help tend his son’s wounds, the highly acclaimed poet was in despair as Christmas Day approached.

As he wrote the impactful poem that Christmas morning in 1863, Longfellow at first could only express in his mind and from his pen words of injustice and violence from the world he lived in that seemed to mock the jubilant sound of Christmas bells and the chants of peace on Earth coming from the voices of church choirs:

                                       And in despair I bowed my head;
                                       There is no peace on earth I said.
                                       For hate is strong and mocks the song
                                       Of peace on earth, good will toward men.

But, as it so often happens in moments of deep darkness and utter despair, the right words came to the poet’s mind and flowed triumphantly from his pen in contradiction to the hopelessness, sadness and despair:
                                                       Then rang the bells more loud and deep,
                                                       God is not dead nor does He sleep.
                                                       The wrong shall fail, the right prevail
                                                       With peace on earth, good will toward men. Read the rest of this entry »

A POLICE STATION EMBATTLED AND UNDER SIEGE
(first three paragraphs from Part Three)

An Under Siege And Boarded Up Police Bureau Building

Even though I didn’t expect the TV news reporters to understand my combat prayer completely and why I had prayed at City Hall the way I had prayed, I knew they would listen and, perhaps, agree that ridding the city of satanic influence was vital to stopping the carnage and destruction taking place nightly and nonstop for some 90 straight days thus far.

After ending the prayer, I looked at the reporters and shared, “I’m now headed for the huge police station, to pray like I did here.” They nodded but remained quiet. Still, I knew that these media journalists not only respected what I was doing, but also looked forward to when the nonstop destruction and mayhem would end, even if it happened through prayer and faith in God to rebuke and disarm evil spiritual forces and scatter and shatter human anarchists and lawless individuals.

When I approached the main entrance to the huge police station, I couldn’t believe my eyes.

The huge, block-long Police Bureau building was boarded up tight, in stark contrast as to how it had looked in 2016 when I prayed here the first time. Only one door to the main lobby remained open.

Inside and right next to this open door, a lone police officer sat vigil on a metal chair,

PRAYING AGAINST THE LAWLESSNESS AND DARKNESS HOVERING OVER DOWNTOWN PORTLAND

Praying Long And Hard For Portland’s Thin Blue Line.

With the 10-foot cross on my right shoulder, I peeked inside and greeted the expressionless police officer. “Hi. I’m from Bakersfield, California and came here to especially pray for the safety and protection of Portland’s Thin Blue Line!” The officer’s face lit up.

“We are aware of what so many lawless individuals are trying to do to Portland’s Police department, and want you to know there are more with you than against you—even though at night it doesn’t seem that way.” I stretched out my hand, which held a special 2-sided tract I give to all police officers I meet.

The officer got up and accepted the tract, and began reading it as he sat down. “I am going to ask the living God to rebuke and punish the lawless individuals who have plundered and set fire to downtown for the past 90 days in a row.” He kept reading the tract.

“Then I will ask God to send forth His mighty angelic angels and protect each and every one of you, including your family members, and give you all His peace as you execute your duty to serve and protect in spite of all the dark forces against you, which includes some of the city’s own elected officials.” Read the rest of this entry »

The Torn And Tattered Makeshift “Memorial” Reads DEFUND, A Reference to Ongoing Attempts To Defund And Strip The Portland Police Department Of All Funding.

BURN IT DOWN! BURN DOWN CITY HALL!
(first two paragraphs are from Part Two, Portland, Oregon Cross Walk)

The young man disappeared completely. As far as I could tell, he was headed back home to Idaho! Jesus the Bondagebreaker set this young man free from the demon controlling him. Apparently, the young man felt he had to leave Portland right and then and there. I asked Jesus to keep him free and safe and bring him back home to Idaho, then began the short walk to City Hall.

As I approached this huge building, I was surprised at what I saw. Demonic forces of evil were certainly in charge of  downtown Portland.

 “PEACEFUL” DEMONSTRATIONS ARE DESTROYING DOWNTOWN

The first floor windows of City Hall were all boarded up. At the main entrance, it was quite apparent that someone had tried to burn down the building. Inside, glass from the broken windows was heavily scattered across the floor. A torn and tattered huge makeshift “memorial” composed of plastic flowers still stood tall at the building’s entrance.

News reporters from a local TV station were milling about, possibly waiting for another group of anarchists or Antifa members to march to City Hall and “peacefully” demonstrate. The small group filled me in on what had taken place the last few days, although I already had seen TV news accounts of the attempt to burn down City Hall. One reporter shook his head and said, “These so-called peaceful protests are destroying downtown Portland. And no one is doing anything to stop the destruction.”

COMBAT PRAYER IN THE MIDDLE OF A COMBAT ZONE

Street Evangelist Tom Alexander Praying Loud And Long Against The Spiritual Forces Of Darkness Surrounding Downtown Portland.

I nodded in agreement. “That’s why I’m here, ” I answered. “To pray long and hard for your city. I looked at all four TV news reporters. “I’m from Bakersfield, California, and there are many people there who are concerned about your city. This is my second time to walk the cross and pray here.” As I spoke, I hoisted the 10-foot cross upright and next to the makeshift memorial.

“I was here in 2016 and it sure was different then than now.” The LORD has brought me back to pray against the destruction of your city by thugs, anarchists and Antifa.” With that, I began to pray.

My prayers are loud and long. I want people to know why I am praying and what I am asking The LORD of Warrior Hosts (YHWH Sabaoth) to do.

This was a fifteen-minute beseechment to God.

I asked the Almighty God to rebuke the evil spiritual forces surrounding downtown Portland and to also rebuke the evil individuals who were orchestrating the destruction of the city as well as those who were following their satanic directives. OF COURSE, THESE INDIVIDUALS WERE BEING PAID TO DO THIS.

My combat prayer against the forces of darkness and evil human pawns consisted of much more than what I can write in this article. BUT THE ONE THING THAT WAS SO VITAL TO PRAY AGAINST WAS! Read the rest of this entry »

CAN YOU CAST OUT THIS DEMON THAT KEEPS TELLING ME TO KILL MYSELF?

Demons And Unclean Spirits Dine Where Chronic Lawlessness Abounds.

(First five paragraphs are from Part One, Portland, Oregon Cross Walk)

As I hoisted the large cross and began praying on the sidewalk at the next intersection, I felt someone approaching and then head a male voice: “Help me, please!”

I looked at the young man now standing next to me. Wrapped in a blanket, his face was filled with both fear and hopelessness. “This demon keeps telling me to kill myself and the voice won’t get out of my mind!”

This young man was demon-possessed—and he wanted to be set free!

I listened as he shared what was going on in his mind. Confusion, disorientation, fear, paranoia, helplessness. The demon had done its damage to the soul, mind and body of this young man. “Can you help me?!” he asked. His plea was loud.

There were people around, and several were looking on.

IF THE SON SETS YOU FREE

In 2016 And Now In 2020, God Gave Me This Verse Prior To Both Cross Walks. Now I Knew Why!

I waited patiently as this young man frantically attempted to share what the demon was doing to him. In a nutshell, the unclean spirit wanted him to take his own life and was driving him insane and toward that end. In his desperation, he saw a man with a large cross and came running across the street for help.

The typical look of a demon-possessed individual was on his face: a terrified look of despair and fear, darting eyes that continued to look this way and that way as though fearfully watching and waiting for someone or something to appear, and a restlessness that swiftly alternated between wanting to run for his life and  staying. This young man wanted help! He wanted deliverance from evil spirits. Even though he didn’t know what to do, the desperate look in his eyes told me that he hoped I knew what to do.

I did!

Lowering the cross to the cement sidewalk and against a wall, I stretched out my right arm and touched his shoulder with my hand. Immediately he calmed down and stood silent and still. “In the Name of Jesus the Messiah I command you unclean spirit to come out of this man!” I gripped his shoulder firmly and repeated the command. “Come out now!” Read the rest of this entry »

God’s Grace Is Greater Than Any City’s Collective Sins Through Repentance!

On my 74th birthday, November 16, 2021, the LORD of the Harvest had me drive to Portland, Oregon and cross walk and pray long and hard for this embattled city of  661,000 souls. This was expected, and I was glad to drive the 75 miles from Corvallis, where my wife and I were visiting our granddaughter and two great grandchildren for the week, and to pray once again for this beautiful city.

Previously, in 2016 and August, 2020, I had cross walked and prayed long and hard for this largest city in Oregon. In 2016 the downtown area was quiet and serene, and the three hour cross walk was peaceful and a time of great witness for the LORD and of His great grace to the people of Portland and Oregon.

Then came 2020.

AMERICA’S REVIVAL IS OUR CONTINUING MISSION

Mission Impossible Becomes Mission Possible Becomes Mission Doable Becomes Mission Accomplished In Christ!

The 2020 Covid Scare hit America hard, some states more than others. Because of God’s amazing grace and power, however, my wife and I were able to complete a national cross walk and prayer campaign across all 50 states and state capitals of America in late July, 2020, which had commenced on September 11, 2015 at Sacramento, California. This was quite amazing because so many states throughout America were on lockdown due to the Covid virus, especially the upper nine Eastern Seaboard States, where we were headed to finish up the 50 state national cross walk.

Yet, in spite of the covid lockdowns,  we completed this five year mission, finishing in the state of New York and at its state capitol, Albany, in mid-July, 2020.

Returning to Bakersfield, California, our hometown, we barely had time to relax when the LORD of the Harvest directed us to drive to Oregon due to the extreme unrest and destruction taking place nightly in Portland, Oregon’s largest city. Read the rest of this entry »

Come one. Come all. Sing it louder to the King, Bakersfield! Sunday, December 20th. The Liberty Bell. Chester and Truxtun Avenues. 1-2 P.M. Bring your Christmas voices, Santa hats and smiling faces. Let’s sing it louder for Jesus! See You At The Cross!

With 41 states and state capitals cross walked and prayed long and hard for since September 11, 2015, Jeanette and I were so looking forward to taking the 10-foot cross to the final nine states!

Mid-April 2020 was our original plan to take the cross to the nine Northeastern Seaboard states and all the way to Maine. But with so many states being closed due to the virus, we had to postpone the cross walks until June 30. And when that day arrived, we were more than ready to depart.

FROM BAKERSFIELD, CALIFORNIA TO WASHINGTON D.C. WITH GOD’S LOVE

The first of these nine states would be Delaware.

But first…God put it on our hearts to revisit and pray in Richmond, Virginia and then Washington, D.C. We had walked the cross and prayed long and hard in these two cities in 2017. But because of the violence and riots breaking out all across the nation, as well as an attempt by some cities to defund their police, especially in Richmond, D.C., Portland, Oregon and Seattle, Washington, we felt the urgent need to pray again at these two cities on our way to the East Coast.

(You can read about the Richmond, Virginia and Washington D.C. cross walks by logging onto our website, WalkTheCross.com.)

DOVER, DELAWARE AND A TRAVELING LACROSSE TEAM

Members Of A Traveling Lacrosse Team, These Teens Gladly Accepted The Football.

It was a wet and rainy Friday afternoon when we reached Dover. We don’t get much rain in Central California, and the gentle yet constant rain falling on Go-Ye-Mobile-2 as we drove to our motel was very pleasing to the soul.

Dover is a beautiful city of 38,000 souls. We instantly fell in love with the city. As we checked into our motel room for the weekend, we praised God for such a wonderful time and motel site. Our room faced a very large lake! And though it was raining, I just had to go across the parking lot to the lake and take in the freshness of the day.

I always carry a football in the truck for a specific reason. As we looked toward the lake from our room, a group of older teens mingled around the parking lot next to the lake. Pointing to the teens I said, “I’ll be right back.” Unlocking the truck, I located the football and walked toward the teens. “Hi, I’m Tom,” I shared to no one in particular.

I shared our mission, and they all listened intently. “Here’s a football for you,” I announced, tossing the pigskin to one of the teens. “You know, major league baseball players often warm up by throwing a football.” The teens looked surprised, but they began to toss the ball around. I also handed each one a special two-sided tract about Jesus Christ. Each one gladly accepted the tract as well. “Jesus Christ loves you all,” I shared as I slowly walked back to our room. “Thank you for the ball!” one of the teens yelled as I walked away. “And for sharing what you and your wife are doing.”

SATURDAY MORNING AT THE CAPITOL MALL

Delaware’s 975,000 Souls Need The Lord! To That End, My Prayer Was That God Would Send Great Revival Throughout The Land!

The next morning the rain had stopped. Since the Capitol building was under two miles away, decided to cross walk from the motel along the very busy highway/main street.

Though it was 8:00 in the morning, people were already out and about. And they were very happy to see the cross!

People passing by in cars and trucks honked their horns and gave the thumbs-up sign as I slowly made my way to the cross street that would take me to the capitol building. I handed out two-sided tract cards to people walking by on the sidewalk and shared our reason for being in Dover.

Like the other eight states, Delaware is considered liberal. But that certainly didn’t stop anyone from taking the tracts! As I walked I prayed out loud and for all to hear, asking the LORD of the Harvest to send forth the Spirit of revival throughout Dover and the entire state of Delaware. Read the rest of this entry »

CHURCH AT THE CAPITOL WITH A PASTOR FROM SOUTH KOREA

Reverend Yang Is From Virginia. Today He Was Also Praying At The White House.

After praying hard, loud and long at the White House south side lawn, I lowered the 10-foot cross to my right shoulder and walked toward the east side of the White House. A pleasant sight captured my attention as I approached the large guard station protecting this side of the White House from intruders.

Reverend Fisher Yang from Strasburg, Virginia stood on the sidewalk near the guard entrance and next to a sign printed with the most familiar Bible passage in the world—John 3:16! As I approached Fisher, a smile crossed his face. “You brought a large cross to the White House!” he exclaimed.

His smile was contagious.

This brother from South Korea was also handing out tracts to all who would receive them. He had been in D.C. for a week and had been praying for the safety and salvation of our president and all White House personnel, as well as the Capitol Police.

THE CAPITOL POLICE AREN’T TOO FRIENDLY

All Lives Matter To Jesus, Including Law Enforcement Officers.

We had church at the White House! We prayed together and sang a couple of stanzas from Amazing Grace for the eight Capitol police at the guard station, as well as the people passing by, to both see and hear. You could sense the presence of the Spirit of the living God.

Excusing myself, I shared that I was going to go talk to the police for a few minutes. Brother Yang warned, “They aren’t too friendly.”

As I approached the stern-looking Capitol police I shared, “This is a 2-sided tract I hand out to all law enforcement officers, all LEOs. Thank you for guarding our president and the White House.”  I held out a tract to one of the officers. He took it and thanked me. This broke the ice and as I handed out a tract to the other officers, I shared, “We just prayed for you all…for your safety and your family’s safety as well.” A collective “Thank you!” filled the air.

We must never forget that police officers have families. At the end of the day, they want to go home to their families. Just like you and me. That’s why I am very quick to hand every law enforcement officer I meet a special tract, as well as thanking them for protecting our nation and letting them know that I am praying for them and their families. Read the rest of this entry »