(Spiritual names assigned to school to reflect the universality
of this satanic scourge on society)
Wormwood High (You leave a bitter taste
like wormwood, as in Amos 5:7 and Rev. 8:10-11)
666 Lucifer Lane (Bullies are anti-love;
hence reflect the spirit of satan and of anti-Christ)
Hometown, U.S.A. 00000 (You are universal,
and you are of zero spiritual worth!)
Wormwood
High (You are NOT dear to me!!!):
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. For all I
know, you could 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 30-odd years, 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!
My theory is logical enough: Youre scared witless that if
I hear from you well sue. But what could I gain by suing you?
As I said before, you possess absolutely nothing of value, materially
or spiritually. I 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, and would otherwise have found
school a pleasure, but I was forced to quit because my ravaged nerves
could take no more. The very spirit of Wormwood High is repugnant
to me. I wouldnt pay two cents for one of your diplomas. I
wouldnt even blow my nose on it. If one were to arrive in
the mail from you tomorrow, I would just toss it in the trash!
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 wimpy, politically correct
principal too chicken to get tough with those punks who came to
school just to stir up trouble.
Even now, three decades later, youre still as cowardly 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. Your
campus is a blight on the landscape of my home town, an abomination
to a God of Love. I hope never to set eyes on it ever again!
Ill close on a word of wisdom: America, along with many other
countries, is reaping a bitter harvest in its public schools for
decades of failure 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.
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!
Patricia C. Backora
Taken
From Chapter Two
Steal, Kill
and Destroy
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 absolutely
no chance of personal discomfort or defeat. 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, sever 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 betrayed
the anguish and fear of a hunted animal.
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 Wormwood 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 edge, and all available transportation would leave before
I got there. No other address on earth is more loathsome to me than
666 Lucifer Lane.
Taken
From Chapter three:
The Truth Shall Set You Free
Prayer for Inner Healing
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 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.
Taken
From Chapter Four:
Seek the Holy Spirit and His Power
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 this
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.
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 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.
Taken
From Chapter Five
God is Our Defense
Prophecy:
God: Your Mighty Fortress
II Samuel Chapter 22;Psalms Chapters
7, 46, 91, and 57; Psalms 9:9-10;12:5; 27:1-6;
Isaiah 49:25; Nahum 1:7; Ephesians 6: 13-18
I, the Lord, am a Fortress in the time of trouble, for all oppressed
people who call upon Me for help. The earth is shrouded in gross
darkness, but I will be an the Everlasting Light round about you,
and the darkness shall flee before Me. If only you will call upon
the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ in faith, I the Father will acknowledge
you as one of My own and will hide you under My wings like a Great
Eagle covers her brood under her own wings to protect them from
all danger.
The wicked are growing ever bolder in their wickedness because the
rulers of this earth have cast out the precepts of the Lord like
rubbish and despised His Revelation of Righteousness in Christ Jesus.
They have cut themselves off from My protection because they trust
in the Arm of Flesh which cannot save. But enter ye into the Ark
of Salvation, the Lord Jesus Christ, and ye shall be borne up on
Eagles Wings, high above the power of satan which presently
rules this earthly sphere.
O storm-tossed and weary one, do not hesitate to trust in the God
of Israel Who delivered David from all his afflictions, who cried
out to Me in the desolation of the wilderness when he was being
hunted like a wild animal by vicious enemies. I was faithful to
this man of faith, and he lived to fulfill the glorious calling
I had placed upon his life.
All ye who have felt like rejected orphans because youve been
denied love, come unto Me and I will be a Father to you. You shall
be Mine forever, and need never feel lonely ever again. Your entire
being shall be filled with My Love. You shall be loved by the Father,
by the Son, and by His sweet Spirit. The angels of God shall keep
you safe from harm, and shall rejoice forever over you.
Surely, saith the Lord, becoming one of My children confers a far
greater dignity upon you than bullies have robbed you of in times
past. I am able to fortify you with My Truth to the extent that
you will be able to dismiss cruel words as mere rubbish, spoken
by ignorant mouths which feed on lies. You will walk as a prince
or princess, with the eternal Glory of God resting upon you. You
will know the Truth, and the Truth shall set you free. There is
no greater happiness than enjoying My friendship and love.
The children of the devil have no prospect of eternal happiness.
Those who have rejected Me are condemned already. They walk in the
ways of their evil father satan. He is a liar, and has often lied
to others about you. Words have the power to destroy, and are a
favorite tactic of the Kingdom of Darkness over which he presides.
Receive the Words of My mouth into the depths of your wounded being,
and they will minister to you like soothing balm to heal the hurts
inflicted by the father of lies, the devil.
I will fight your battles for you, if only you will call upon Me
in faith. I will contend with those who contend with you. Your enemies
shall counted as My enemies. I will even cause them to flee before
your face. I will scatter your foes. I will cause them to fall into
any trap theyve set for you, and I will make their weapons
backfire against themselves. If they refuse to repent, retribution
for their wickedness shall fall in full measure upon their own heads.They
shall show themselves to be what they truly are_cowards_ as they
are chased away by the mighty Angel of the Lord who encamps round
about you.