MOVING THE ANCIENT BOUNDARIES

From the back of the room I couldn’t see what was going on, but saw enough turmoil from the teacher and the students scurrying to get out of the way to know I’d best get there—quick!

A group of adults from our church had been hosting a week-long Vacation Bible School at a mission center in Houston, Texas inner city. The number of kiddos attending had been miraculous, and up ‘til this last day things had been very orderly, well, as orderly as they could be with a bunch of energetic children.

I saw one of the young teen boys who had been in my group struggling, eyes blazing, defiant—my heart sank.

The teacher held Juan by his arm. She glanced at me, “He kicked me and hit that boy.” She pointed to an older teen about to slip out the side door.

I had seen the older boy harassing the children during the week and knew he was trouble. Several men stopped him before he made it outside; while together with another man, we approached the younger teen and the teacher. I took Juan’s arm. “Come with us, son.”

He yanked his arm away and the man and I walked Juan outside. I stepped to the curb of the noisy Houston street, sat down, and patted the cement beside me. “Juan, sit down and tell me what happened.”

He glared at the man. I nodded for him to leave. “Looks like they’ve caught the other boy. He’s trouble. We’re fine.”

The man turned to Juan. “No more foolishness, son. You hear?”

Juan shrugged and sat down next to me—his stony glare would’ve melted metal. We sat in silence for a moment. He never blinked. Just angry to the bone.

“Will you tell me what happened?” I prayed, what do I say to this boy, Father? Give me words and understanding. “I know this isn’t your normal behavior. What did that guy do or say to make you kick the teacher and slug him?”

Except for the noise on the street and the background of arriving policemen who took the older teen away, we sat for what seemed like an eternity. But as his wall of anger crumbled, I watched hurt take its place.

“You…you people…just do-gooders…wanna make yourselves feel good. You don’t care about me. You’ll get on your bus and go back to your rich homes. I ain’t nothin’ to you. You ain’t nothing to me. We are different.” But I saw tears form in the corners of his eyes.

I took his arm and held mine up beside his. “Juan, if a doctor peeled off your skin and mine …your blood would be red, just like mine. We were both created by our Father in Heaven with one and the same blood. He loves you, just like He loves me, and like He loves all your friends…” I nodded toward the door, “…back inside.”

At that moment, I felt the oppression and understood, this had been an attack of the evil one. “What did that older boy say or do inside? I’ve seen him hanging around all week, but he refused to come inside.” Every time he appeared the kids grew antsy-dansy like a herd of demons pulled their strings.

Juan looked away. “Nothin’.”

“I know we were working on our wordless books this week and you’ve been very interested. Today we talked about the red page…representing the blood of Jesus. The blood Jesus shed to make you and me clean and presentable before God.”

He jerked his head back to face me, his eyes blazed again. “God loves you. He hates me. You’re rich. I’m poor.” But his words left a question mark dangling at the end of each statement.

“Honey…” I reached for his hand and he let me hold it. “…money has nothing to do with your relationship with our Lord Jesus. Jesus owns it all. Rich, poor, and everything in between. The man hanging on the cross next to Jesus was a thief—a common criminal, but he chose to trust Jesus to take the punishment he deserved. And Jesus told the thief, that very day he would be with Him in Heaven.”

Juan wiped the moisture from his eyes. “That guy…” he nodded toward the group of men watching the patrol car leave. “That guy’s a gang member. He said if any of us believed the lies you told, he would beat us up, hurt our families…” He paused and choked back what looked like an enormous knot in his throat. “And he would slash the tires on your bus and make sure you never came back.”

“And where is he now, Juan?” I leaned to meet him at eye level.

“He’ll be back.” He whispered. “And others will come with him.”

“Remember when we talked about fear this week?” It was my turn to take a gulp. Oh Lord give me words this young man needs to hear. “Fear doesn’t come from God, Juan. It comes from the enemy of your soul, the devil. All anger and fear come from the devil. He wants you to be afraid so you won’t listen to Jesus and trust Him to take care of you. God is greater than the devil. Jesus defeated the devil when He rose from the grave. Where is that teenager now, Juan?”
“Going to jail.”

“If you choose to trust Jesus to be your Savior nothing will happen to you that God doesn’t allow. You will be a child of God. A child of the King. And He will hold you in the palm of His hand.” Father let Him hear You. Let this young man believe and trust in You.

Juan scrambled to his feet and pulled me up with him. “I’d like to go back inside now. Will you come with me?”

The invitation was given and several of the boys and girls came forward to say yes to Jesus. Juan pulled me down the aisle with him. I heard several of the teachers give a hearty amen as my new little brother and I walked to the foot of the cross. He was now in The Father’s hands.

“The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands…and He made from one blood, every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times, and the boundaries of their habitation, that they should seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we also are His offspring’ “ (Acts 17:24, 26-28 NAS).

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The same angry lies are being hurled around us today.  Attacks are worldwide. And when we refuse to hear, cling to, and obey God’s Truth, our only option, by default, is believing the lies of deception and fear that always come from the enemy of our souls—Satan.

Unfortunately, the past fifty years the church has closed its doors and hidden inside, forgetting the one command Jesus gave us—go and make disciples. Now there seems to be more of them than there are of us. And if we continue to do nothing, that’s where it will end.

Mothers and fathers chose the idol of money and a better lifestyle today, rather than fulfilling God’s command to train up their children in the way they should go—they left that training to those who’ve slipped in unnoticed among us—just like that kid from the gang slipped into Bible School that day.

For the past fifty or more years those powers of evil, like the Book of Jude tells us: “…those who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ” have slipped into every area of our lives…at church…in city hall…at schools and universities…and every area of our neighborhoods and government.

Fear and anger are not from the Sovereign God of the universe…they are from the father of lies…Satan. And his demons are hard at work because they know their time is short. Whenever you see lies, fear, and anger…make a note of the originator. Whether it be college students throwing stones, women hoisting their fannies up a memorial statue to destroy it, men in cars and trucks mowing people down, university professors blustering about the ignorance of the masses, media personalities belching character assignations, or politicians spewing hatred…it begins and ends with Satan himself.

When Americans chose to allow unrighteous men and women who “suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them…” when we allowed them to dictate the direction of educating our children, determining to overturn the Biblical principles this nation was founded upon, we rebelled and turned our back against the Sovereign Lord God Almighty.

God does not change. His Word will stand forever…but America will suffer the wrath of God’s judgment. Make no mistake—A nation divided against itself cannot stand.

Do you believe the little woman crawling up that statue last week felt the release of her anger when the statue fell? No. She was empowered as were those in Charlottesville. They accomplished their momentary purpose, but like the taste of blood on a wolf’s tongue, their anger cannot be satisfied. What will they destroy next? Word is they are aiming for Mt. Rushmore and Stone Mountain. The Washington Monument next? The Lincoln Memorial? Church steeples? Or perhaps my home, or your home—if we don’t agree to shut up or join their angry mob. Where will we draw the line in the sand?

Side issues are thrown into the murky mix to muddy the waters. This nation has made mistakes, and if God allows America to continue, we will make more. But don’t be drawn into the muck and mire of man’s understanding.

Jesus is answer. The only answer. Has been since the beginning. The blood of Jesus—Jesus’ pure red blood cleanses those who believe and obey from all sins.

“Jesus said unto him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life, no one comes to the Father, but through Me’” (John 14:6 NAS).

God cannot look upon our nation at this moment in time except to judge us because of our rebellion. Close to sixty million or more cries of aborted babies scream and pollute this nation’s soil. Unless God’s people, who are called by His name, humble themselves, and turn from their wicked ways, and pray and seek His face…America is doomed.

But, the choice is yours!

When you reject Truth, all that’s left is a lie! Where you begin, determines were you end—with The Truth or with the Lie?

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