My good friend David Kaplan, with TV 29 CBS, created a documentary on my cross walks. Twenty-five minutes in length but you might enjoy watching. God is good all the time and all the time God is good. — Street Evangelist Tom Alexander \O/

The new school year has begun. And so has our school safety cross walks and prayer talks. The number one concern of parents and grandparents is that the school their child or grandchild attends is safe from all harm and stranger danger. To that end, we pray for the safety of our schools.

Join us in prayer for schools across America, that they remain safe and protected from all evil and stranger danger.

Since 1975 I’ve had the pleasure of speaking to over one million 4th thru 12th graders about the dangers of drug use. In 2006 I began toting a 10-foot, 60-pound cross throughout America’s neighborhoods and larger cities, as well as hoisting the large cross upright and praying at schools for the safety of all students, teachers and school personnel.

JOIN ME IN PRAYER FOR THESE SCHOOLS AUGUST 26-27

This new week, you can join us in praying for these schools listed on the left.

Each week I will post the upcoming cross walks and prayer talks at the schools I will visit.

Prayer works! Let’s join together in asking God to keep America’s schools safe from all evil and harm.

Keeping  our schools safe is an ongoing mission of Teen Scene, Inc. and Walk The Cross. Thank you for joining us in prayer for our schools.

FREE SCHOOL SAFETY BOOKLET

If you are a teacher or principal you can also request a free copy of our 18-page School Safety  booklet. E-mail address is Tom@TeenScene.org.

A PRAYER TO KEEP OUR SCHOOLS SAFE

Here is the prayer I pray at each and every school.

Feel free to make a copy and keep it in a handy place so you can pray regularly for the safety of the school your child or grandchild attends.

The 10-foot, 60-pound wooden cross I have been lugging around the streets of Bakersfield since 2006 has also been carried throughout each of our nation’s 48 contiguous states and state capitals as well. Since I wasn’t able to bring the large cross on air flights to Hawaii and Alaska, I made 10-foot wooden crosses in each of the two state capitals and left them there for others to carry after cross-walking our nation’s 49th and 50th state. People’s reactions have always been the same in all 50 states, no matter the time of year.

And what’s so amazing is that this cross commands great attention at Christmastime as well. For some reason, the large cross demands observation, demands attraction, demands notice and demands response — even throughout the most wonderful time of the year.

Maybe it’s because the Babe who was born in that wooden manger more than 2,000 years ago was truly whom the Bible and God’s prophets of old say He was — “the Savior, who is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:10). Perhaps that’s the reason why the 10-foot cross acts like a huge spiritual magnet as I lug this cruciform throughout the streets of America, drawing and attracting men, women and children to the One who’s arms are open wide to anyone and to everyone — even at Christmastime.

This heavy old rugged cross has also been the object of attention in 180 California cities, including Hollywood, Compton, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Sacramento and, of course, Bakersfield. Walking the residential as well as downtown streets of America, of California and of Bakersfield in December has resulted in some amazing stories — some hilariously funny, some extremely serious.

The old rugged Christmas cross of Jesus represents dynamic and living hope to the least, the last and the lost. To the most, the first and the found. To the haves and the have-nots. To the rich and the poor. To the innocent and the guilty. To the runaway, throwaway and stayaway. The cross of Christmas’ Messiah offers new beginnings and newfound peace to both the haves and the have-nots, the rich and the poor, the innocent and the guilty, the prodigal son and the obedient son, the silver spoon and the dirty spoon, and the blue collar, the white collar and the pink collar.

And because death, sorrow, tragedy, pain and trauma don’t take vacations or holidays, neither does the God who died on the cross for our sins, our stumblings, our mistakes, our missteps and our shame. That’s also why I walk the old rugged cross throughout the winter months and especially during the Christmas season.

No matter who we are, each of us is just a phone call away, a knock-on-the-door away, a text message away, or a doctor’s report away from falling on our knees in stunned disbelief of what we are hearing or reading. Such mental pain, such excruciating agony, such shocking news can quickly and completely erode all the peace, faith, hope and trust in a loving God that we have built up in our hearts and minds when everything in our lives was good, was peaceful, was bright, was hopeful and was promising.

But then death like a raging storm arrives upon the peaceful shores of our lives. Cancer appears. Divorce or separation take place. Jobs are lost. Tragedy comes. Crisis emerges. Sorrow materializes. As fast and as easy as a rock shatters a glass window, so can sorrow, tragedy, crisis, trauma, disaster, mishap and devastation completely smash and obliterate our joy and peace to smithereens — especially during the Christmas and holiday season.

Yet, as millions of men, women and children have personally experienced, seasonal sadness, holiday hurt and Christmas crisis meet their match when the old rugged cross draws near. As I walk the 10-foot cross up and down America’s, California’s and Bakersfield’s holiday-decked residential and downtown streets, people in turmoil as well as people in peace come running. They run from their homes, their vehicles, their businesses, their moments of deep sorrow, their season of sadness, their holiday hurt and their Christmas crisis.

They weep, they cry, they take off their hats as a sign of respect for the cross. They bow down before the cross. They reach for and tenderly touch the cross as their eyes fill with hot and heavy tears and as uncontrollable sobs and soft whimpers escape from the deepest and darkest recesses of their souls and the lowest and insurmountable valleys of their lives. And they stand in awe of God’s most wondrous sight ever given to man: an empty cross representing a living Savior.

Such is the splendor and awe of the cross of Jesus. And such is the miraculous and marvelous wonderment of the old rugged Christmas cross when hearts are touched and lives resurrected with His peace, hope and love.

At times like these, the seven most common words uttered from troubled souls and trembling lips are always: “I needed to see the cross today!”

And the soul-soothing, peace-giving message of the Christmas cross is the very same declaration/invitation each and every day of the year to all who are weary and have lost their way and their tranquility, as proclaimed in that old yet still beckoning hymn: “Though millions have come / there’s still room for one / there’s room at the cross for you.” Even and especially at Christmastime.

Sponsored Content

A Beautiful City With A Population Of One Million Souls.

After an amazing cross walk and combat prayer time in San Francisco, Jeanette and I headed for San Jose, about 45 minutes from the City By The Bay. This would be my second time cross walking and praying for San Jose and its one million residents, and I looked forward to revisiting a city I had ministered to many times throughout the 14-years we had lived in the Bay area.

Many believers live in San Jose, and this was apparent as I parked Go-Ye-Mobile-2 and began unloading the 10-foot, 60-pound cross. I take my time unloading the cross because people are always curious as to what I’m doing.

GOD’S PLUS SIGN TO SAN JOSE

The Young Man Liked The Signs On Go-Ye-Mobile-2 And Especially The “JESUS IS THE LOVE OF GOD Banner.

“That’s a big cross!” A pleasant voice filled the air. “Yes it is,” I replied as I looked at the young man who had stopped to talk. “Going to pray for San Jose,” I shared. The young man nodded. “That’s so cool. Thank you for doing that.” We talked for a couple of minutes. I handed him the special 2-sided tracts made for this special cross walk. “God loves all the people living in San Jose. Praying for Great Revival to spread across the entire city.” The young man smiled. “We sure need it!” I agreed. “Yes, every city needs it!” I answered.

He waved good-by and went on his way, reading the tracts I had given him as he walked. I headed for my first destination: City Hall. Read the rest of this entry »

From mid-1978 to 1982 I was Executive Director of This San Francisco-based Men’s Center And Saw Hundreds Of Men Receive New Life In Christ!

After cross walking and praying long and hard at Sacramento and the state Capitol Mall, we headed for San Francisco, a city Jeanette and I were very familiar with. In 1978 I had accepted the Executive Director position at San Francisco Teen Challenge Men’s Center after working as Associate Director for Kern County (Bakersfield) Teen Challenge for three and one-half years.

For another three and one half years I worked alongside a great team of men dedicated to helping drug addicts and other troubled individuals completely give up drugs and discover a brand new life in Christ Jesus!

In November 2015 I had brought the large cross to San Francisco and prayed long and hard for Great Revival, Great Awakening and Great Godly Sorrow Leading to Genuine Repentance to break out among the city’s 875,000 souls.

A CITY STILL IN GREAT NEED OF REVIVAL AND AWAKENING

It Really Came As No Surprise That Many Individuals Were Happy To See The Large Cross Hoisted Up At City Hall, As Well As Hearing My Loud And Long Prayer For San Francisco.

Seven years later, here I was again! As I walked the cross to my destination (City Hall), memories from the past filled my mind.

Although I didn’t have the time to visit the Teen Challenge Center, pleasant thoughts and memories flashed across my mind. The street I was walking on was very familiar, and I remembered the special times our street ministry had ministered to the individuals living in this area, as well as other Districts comprising San Francisco. Back then, souls came to Jesus often as we shared God’s Good News In Christ and handed out tracts.

And now, as I headed toward the huge City Hall structure, I wondered what the response would be. In 2015 the response had been amazing. Seven years later, the answer to my pondering was swift.

People came up and asked for prayer. Individuals smiled big as they passed by. Security officers nodded in agreement as I prayed long and loud for the city’s 875,000 souls. And the presence of the LORD felt  powerful and near-at-hand. The area around me seemed surrounded by a large invisible bubble shield of divine protection.

And yet…there was also an evil presence that seemed desperate to burst past the bubble shield and disrupt the combat prayer going up for this International city. Though response was very positive, an underlying demonic presence caught my attention and my prayer turned toward rebuking the Satanic forces attempting to thwart the power of the LORD from penetrating the spiritual darkness and filling the city with God’s presence. Read the rest of this entry »

The “Circuit Cross Walker” And Large Cross Beneath The Circuit Rider Memorial.

I couldn’t help but smile as I posed with the large cross beneath The Circuit Rider memorial, which commemorates “the labors and achievements of the ministers of the Gospel, who as circuit riders became the friends, counselors and evangels to the pioneers on every American frontier and symbolic of the many missionaries who came to Oregon.”

God is greater than all the demonic and humanic forces which tried to destroy the city of Portland in 2020 and the Satanic forces of evil that have attempted to keep Salem and especially the state’s political leaders in bondage to lawlessness and corruption. What He was doing now in these and other cities proves His great love for the state’s four million residents.

Of course, I will return to Oregon. This modern-day “circuit cross walker” understands that we must constantly pray for and lift up the people of America and its 50 states, else Satan and his demonic and humanic minions will try hard to undermine the work of God.

But now it was time to journey to northern California and to a city that I have also cross walked and prayed long and hard for three times. Read the rest of this entry »

Reaching Entire Cities For God.

America’s revival is our ongoing mission. After taking the 10-foot, 60-pound cross to all 50 state capitals and states between 2015 and 2020 and praying hard and long at each capital, God had directed us to begin taking the cross to America’s major cities.

Response in each state has been awesome. We have seen some mighty miracles take place in these capitals.

We most certainly expect this will also be the case as we journey to our nation’s largest and major cities the next few years and pray for Great Revival, Great Awakening and Great Godly Sorrow that results in True Repentance and New Life In Christ to break out across the natioin!

THE PORTLAND, OREGON CROSS WALK

After visiting our granddaughter, her husband and our two great grandkiddos for a few days in Corvallis, wife Jeanette stayed behind as I journeyed to Portland (some 75 miles north) to pray (once again) for Oregon’s largest city and its 650,000 souls (metro population is 2.2 million souls).

Read The 2020 Cross Walk Story On Portland And You Will See A Burned Out City Hall Building, Compared To Now.

This is the forth time since 2016 that I’ve brought the large cross to Portland.

The first place that I pray at is City Hall. In 2020 downtown Portland was the site of three months of nonstop violence and destruction against police and businesses. (You can read those stories on this site as well.) But in 2021 and now, things have changed! God finally said, “Enough is enough!” to the demonic forces influencing large groups of Antifa and lawless individuals.

Because the people of Portland prayed and asked God to intervene, He did! Now, I was back once more to see how the city was, as well as asking God to continue encouraging the Christians of Portland to pray for their city’s revival.

This four hour cross walk was awesome. Many asked for prayer. usually, I would go up to individuals and see if they needed prayer. But this time, they were all coming up to me.

Police Building Remains Boarded Up In 2022. But There Are No Longer Nightly Riots And Destruction Downtown.

Especially at the once-besieged Police Bureau Building, I hoisted the cross upright and prayed hard and long for the continuing safety of Portland’s Thin Blue Line. This huge building had also been burned out by violent demonstrators and rioters in 2020.

There is no doubt that God took this city back from those who would see its utter ruin and destruction. This happened because the people of Portland finally decided that they were bigger and stronger than those who chose to destroy the city. God honored them, and through His mighty power, rebuked the forces of evil and darkness hovering over Portland and also ushered out from the city those individuals who were bent on bringing this beautiful city to utter ruin. Amen!

THE SALEM, OREGON CROSS WALK

Free Oregon Tent Revival Taking Place At The Capitol!

Salem, the capital of Oregon, was next!

As I loaded up the large cross on Go-Ye-Mobile-2, people kept stopping and asking what I was doing. I was happy to take the extra time to share what I why I was at the Capitol. But my mind was now on Salem.

This would be my fourth time in Salem as well. Just 40 miles south of Portland, I arrived around 1 P.M. Taking a short break for lunch, I was anxious to see what God had done since November, 2021, the last time I had walked the cross here.

He had done a lot!! Read the rest of this entry »

This Is The Four Step Plan God Gives Believers To Use In Reaching Entire Cities For Jesus The Messiah.

The August 31, 2020 cross walk and prayer vigil throughout downtown Portland revealed just how satanically entrenched the downtown area was. Praying very hard against both the evil satanic forces hovering over the city as well as the lawless humanic forces used by Satan to steal, kill and destroy the very heart and soul of this city, I knew I’d be back again to pray hard and long when the LORD said, “Go!”

In the meantime, I would continue to pray regularly for the 660,000 souls living in Portland and that Great Revival and Great Awakening would breakout in due season.

On my 74th birthday, November 16, 2021, the LORD of warrior hosts sent me, once again, to this largest city in Oregon.

Arriving in Portland from Corvallis (where we were again visiting our granddaughter and two great grandchildren), and as I stepped out of Go-Ye-Mobile-2, I felt a distinct difference than from my last cross walk and prayer vigil in August, 2020.

Back then, the satanic oppression on the streets was very apparent and heavy. But now…it felt as if the oppression had been lifted and was no longer there.

WHEN THE ENEMY COMES IN LIKE A FLOOD

Satanic Forces Are Scattered And Shattered As We Pray And Ask God To Send Forth A Holy Firestorm Of His Omnipotent Power.

People were smiling. They were greeting me in a way that they hadn’t back in 2020. Even before I started walking the large cross, individuals were coming up and talking with me as I unloaded the 10-foot, 60-pound cross from the truck.

The Enemy may launch a relentless assault against a city and its residents and mount a powerful and destructive offensive against law and order in an attempt to transform that city into a lawless, scofflawic wasteland, but because God does hear the prayers of His people, He will eventually mount a more powerful counteroffensive against the stealthic forces of evil and darkness.

And that’s when the spiritual tide turns!

As I lifted then lowered the heavy cross to my right shoulder, I knew for certain that God had done a mighty work the past few months! All because of His great love for the people of Portland. And all because so many of God’s people were in ongoing, relentless combat prayer for Portland!

SPIRITUAL WARFARE FOR A CITY’S WELFARE

City Hall Was No Longer Boarded Up And Under Heavy Siege.

I was anxious to see His mighty work and powerful acts of ridding the entrenched city of  the heavy satanic oppression that had been so malignant and disturbing during the August 2020 cross walk. Heading for City Hall, I began to praise the LORD for His great power and mercy to the people of Portland and for answering the prayers of His people.

Back in August, 2020 Satan was taking the war to the people of Portland, a warfare that they were not prepared for and, perhaps, didn’t understand. Yet because of His praying people, God Himself eventually took the war to Satan and his demonic minions. And when God decides to go to war, He always wins!

Hoisting the cross upward and gently slamming it to the cement walkway at City Hall, I continued to praise God for His wonderful acts and works of mercy and grace to the people of Portland. I prayed that He would continue to reveal Himself strong to all City workers and elected officials, and to replace those officials who would continue to war against Him in spite of His goodness to the city.

My next destination would be what I consider the most important stop of every cross walk. Read the rest of this entry »

Almost Every Downtown Business Was Boarded Up. Many Had Closed Permanently While Others Made Sure That They Were Closed Long Before Nightfall.

After praying loud and long at the Portland Police Bureau, I walked the cross throughout the downtown area. At each street corner I hoisted the 10-foot, 60-pound cross upright, gently slammed it to the cement sidewalk and prayed hard against the evil forces that were orchestrating the attempted destruction of this city.

I also asked the LORD of warrior hosts to rebuke the human forces who were being used as pawns and who were committing nightly acts of anarchism, terrorism and lawlessness.

I was taken by surprise at the large number of boarded-up businesses. Walking up and down the downtown area, I continued to pray loud and long, that God would take back this city from the evil forces bent on transforming it into a wasteland of lawlessness and destruction.

As I walked the cross and prayed, I sensed an evil presence all throughout the downtown area and everywhere I walked. Constantly rebuking these satanic minions, I asked the Almighty God to send forth His angelic forces and take back this city for the sake of its 660,000 souls.

WHERE TWO OR MORE ARE GATHERED IN HIS NAME

This Young Man Prayed With Me That God Would Put An End To Racial Injustice And Racism.

Individuals came up and joined me in prayer, which is not surprising. This happens in every city I cross walk, and it took place here as well!

The young Black man in the image on the left joined me in prayer. He was totally against the lawlessness and destruction, but he was also disturbed at the injustice he saw taking place against the Black community, and so we  prayed loud and hard that God would also put an end to racial injustice and racism in our nation.

Throughout this cross walk, several other individuals joined me in earnest prayer for  the city.

Tent encampments were everywhere, as were groups of young people just sitting or lying down on sidewalks at the entrances or right next to businesses.

Many were homeless, while others were waiting around until darkness fail so as to join in or watch the destruction of buildings and assault against the police. Read the rest of this entry »

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 »