Conference yukon::christian_v7

    
    
    What is with gangs?  Just don't get it.  Wednesday a mother
    and daughter were killed in their home and then last night
    in retaliation, a high school kid was killed at a 7-11 
    parking lot.  We go to this 7-11 almost every day.  It has
    hit a little too close to home.
    
    Nathan is out of school today and I told him not to leave
    the house.  I'm afraid of driveby's.  The boy across the
    street is in a gang and I'm not willing to take a chance.
    
    It's not just the kids either.  We had to have a neighbor
    arrested Wednesday night for harassing Nathan and 2 of
    his friends while they played outside.  She has threatened
    them several times in the last week that she was going to
    kick the *** out of them or beat the *** out of them ...
    and any other highly intelligent threat you can think of.
    The woman is irrational and I think she may be on drugs.
    I have no explaination for her behavior.  But threatening
    a child with bodily harm is a misdemeanor and she was let
    go immediately.  
    
    The kids are petrified.  I'm ready to move.  
    
    Anyway, I desparately needed to vent and hope you don't mind.
    I feel a little better now.  But, can't wait to get home and
    take all the kids to the movies or something.
    
    Pam

Praying for you and Nathan, Pam.  Sounds a terrible situation.  
But the LORD *has* you both safely in His care.

							Andrew

I'm praying too, Pam.  I can only imagine the difficulties you're in.

Paul

    You may be right, Pam.  Crystal meth is far too common today and causes
    violent behavior and extreme paranoia.  We recently found out my
    sister-in-law's husband has been doing it for about a year and is
    trying to clean his act up now.  He needs the Lord more than anything,
    but the behavior patterns are definitely troubling.
    
    Mike

   I'm hearing of some gang type activity in my own town of Derry NH.  A guy
 I work with has a son that seems to be a target of a small bunch of kids.  He's
 been beaten up a couple times by this bunch.  




 Jim

    
    That's how it starts, Jim.  Then Kid B gets mad at Kid A and
    starts carrying a knife, so Kid A starts carrying a gun etc...
    it's aweful.

    I moved the notes regarding gangs to a topic of its own because as God
    would have it,  this very subject was on my mind as I was driving into
    work today.  In the past, at the 4th-6th grade level there have been a
    small faction of gang involvement in our bus kids at church.  But now,
    it is consuming the males in this age group.  Very few of the girls are
    attracted to its glitters, but it won't be long before they are there.
    
    I need information... lots of it.  I'd like to start a program in our
    Jr. Church Department addressing gangs, their attraction to the kids,
    their good points, their bad points as the kids would see it, not how
    *I* would define good and bad.  I'd like to step into their
    reality/perceptions.
    
    Any and all info you have or could obtain would be appreciated.
    
    Nancy

    Pam,
    
    My heart/anger/rage/sadness just gets moving... I feel as though we
    need to set up rescue missions all over this world, helping kids stay
    out of or GET out of gangs.  
    
    Nancy

    
    Nancy, 
    
    I know what you mean.  It is terrifying thinking that our children
    are growing up in an environment where they can be killed for 
    looking at someone th wrong way.  It's incredible.
    
    I'm working from a preventative standpoint as far as Cub Scouts
    is concerned.  I've been recruiting boys that I know are at
    risk (older brothers in gangs, no parents at home all day etc..)
    and trying to get them involved in something positive and sharing
    my faith in a low-key way (we are not allowed to evangelize but
    we can be an example).  
    
    Some time ago a police officer acquaintance of mine gave me a 
    book, written by the police department gang unit, that gives
    ideas on how to prevent gang involvement and other important
    information.  Unfortunately, at the time, I was in the "it can't
    happen to us" mode and just put it away.  I'll have to search for
    it or call and get another one and I'll enter what I learn.
    
    For now, I'll be spending a few hours covering the children,
    neighborhood and city in prayer (yours too!)
    
    Pam

    	Pam --
    
    	There is a topic starting up in the COLORADO notesfile that
    	seems to be discussing the same thing.
    
    	I feel for you.  Hearing about the rash of shootings by teens
    	in our town, I grow more concerned after each one.  But so far
    	they have all been happening in other areas of town, so it is
    	easy to draw consolation that it's not affecting me.  But then
    	I hear first-hand accounts like yours, and I realize that it's
    	not so far away after all...
    
    	Life is so fragile, and these recent incidents in our town drive
    	that message home.  The one that scared me the most was when that
    	high school girl got shot in the face.  She was returning home 
    	from the YMCA after playing basketball with her friends.  Some 
    	guys drove up next to her car and started shouting and coming-on
    	to the girls in the car.  The girls rolled up their windows, so
    	the guys in the car shot at them.  Just like that.
    
    	Random.  Tragic.  Frightening.
    
    	There will be a rally downtown tomorrow night (11/11/95) at 9PM
    	at the corner of Platte and Nevada (the General Palmer statue)
    	near the site of that shooting for parents concerned about the
    	growing risks to their kids.  I have no idea what purpose it
    	could serve (what do gang members care about a bunch of worried
    	parents gathering in the streets) but I think I will skip out
    	of the meeting I'm supposed to be at to show up there.

 I like the idea of rescue missions.  There are so many kids out there today
 who seem to have absolutely no direction and it is heartbreaking, and it is
 spreading all over the country.




 Jim

    Does anyone feel that maybe the parents of these kids in gangs need
    help?  I'm not placing blame or saying that counseling is the only
    thing. I know that there are a lot of parents who are working very
    hard just to make ends meet and cannot be with their kids, which
    is a prime target for gangs seeking members.  Whether the help
    be counseling, evangelizing, economical, or just helping with your
    time.  I know when I was a single parent, when someone came up
     to me (Which many friends and fellow parishioners did) and said
    "Hey let me help you with that errand, or duty, etc" so that I
    could spend time with my child... It was greatly appreciated.
    
    Rose

    .12  
    
    Absolutely.  But the problem is the "quality" of the parents.  I'm
    finding in dealing with the parents, they are in gangs, drugs, alcohol,
    or have already been put in jail.  
    
    There are those who have "good" parents... but this just hasn't been my
    experience thus far.  It has been far and few between.  I'm also find
    that many of these gang kids come from homes of illegal aliens. 
    Especially in the hispanic/filipino gangs.  It's amazing how the
    asian's are legal immigrants.
    
    There are some white kids or anglo/american if you will, but again, far
    and few between.
    
    Reaching the parents WOULD SEEM ideal... but its difficult.  I'm
    finding that we need to talk about how to "succeed - be happy" in spite
    of lack of parenting versus in lieu of presence of parenting.
    
    

 My church frequently calls on the "parents" of the bus kids we have.  Most
 of the homes are without fathers, and there are several kids each with
 different fathers.  The mothers, as I can see, are frequently substance
 abusers, and on visits I've been on, are rarely home.  Many appear to not
 care where their kids go when we pick them up for church on Sundays, if the
 parents are there.

 
 Jim

    It's awful to see families that way.  The ones who just don't care. I
    remember several years ago I heard someone say:
    
    	"You need a license/permit to get married, to drive a car, to
    	      vote and even to go fishing..... But you don't need
    	      need a license to have a child!"
    
    I others words anyone can do it, whether they know how, can or even
    care.
    
    Rose	
    	
    

    Nicky Cruz's ministry certainly being blessed by God to reach these
    youngsters.
    
    Mike

    Opps typo... My last message should have quoted 
    
    	" anyone can raise a child.."  I'm typing too fast.
    
    Rose

	This is a nation under judgement.  

	  Jeremiah 44:22
          So that the LORD could no longer bear, because of the evil of
          your doings, and because of the abominations which ye have
          committed; therefore is your land a desolation, and an
          astonishment and a curse, without and inhabitant, as at this day.

        We will continue to see social degradation and decay as long as we
        refuse to seek God in prayer.  Sounds simplistic, but it is the
        believers' fault that things have gone this far.  How long do we
        spend in prayer each day and what do we pray for?  Do we pray in
        the Spirit?  Do we pray for the annointing of the Spirit to
        minister to the lost and to God's people? What is our walk like? 
        Can we be identified as Christians, or at least as different from
        the world?  How much of our tithes and offerings go to relieving
        the suffering of the inner city poor?  How many of us even give
        tithes and offerings?  What do we do with our free time? Where are
        the missionaries to the inner city?  Who is listening for God's
        call?  How many of us do what we think will help God instead of
        what He expects us to do? How much of what we do has the finger of
        God in it?

	How much do we really know and love and trust God?

        Indeed, if you are not called to an inner city ministry by God, you
        probably had better try to move away and/or consider lethal methods
        of defense for you and your family, exercising your 2nd Amendment
        rights while you still have them.  Things will be getting much
        worse before they get any better.

	The gangs offer identity with a group that is feared and respected.
	God is neither feared nor respected, even by His people,
	protestations to the contrary notwithstanding.  Let's be honest
	with ourselves and search our hearts to see who is really on the
	throne of our hearts.

	I'm as guilty as anyone.

        I'm reminded of a movie I saw once (Whitcomb's War) about a young
        pastor who acquires the pastorate of a church from a pastor that's
        retiring.  The unseen spiritual warfare in the background is shown
        to us the viewers.  The young pastor discerns the powerful
        spiritual struggle and calls upon the pastors from other churches
        of several different denominations to meet to combat their mutual
        spiritual enemies. Instead of formulating a plan, the pastors start
	arguing over doctrine, shouting Chapter and Verse at eachother, as
	follows.

		Well, you've neglected first Corinthians two fifteen.

		Oh yeah?  Well what about Romans five twelve.

		Oh, no, no, it's Romans twelve one and two.

		Humph, Philippians four seven, I say.

		Well, then, Matthew 23!!

	Finally, the pastors all storm out of the room in anger.  The
	demons in the background wring their hands in glee.

	Brothers and sisters, we have to unite along the common ground we
	all share - the saving Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.  We need
	revival - real revival.  Lives changed for Christ, given to
	holiness and prayer.

	Sorry for the rant ....

	Blessings,
		TonyC
		

    He's the one who reached me Mike!!!  I was one of those kidsters.
    
    

    I was watching him on Christian Fiction TV (aka TBN) the other night. 
    It's one of the few honorable programs left.  He's on the frontline
    and needs our prayers.  It brought tears to my eyes to see the broken
    kids coming to Christ at his public meetings.  They're trading in a
    family of violence for the family of God.
    
    Mike

RE: <<< Note 823.16 by OUTSRC::HEISER "watchman on the wall" >>>

        Amen, Mike. Pray that he would be multiplied a thousand times a
        thousand to reach these kids.

 Amen, Tony..

    
     It's sad that there is so much violence today but not surprising.
    Consider who is influencing the world in general; Satan 1John 5:19.
    2Tim 3:1-5 tells us that in the last days (the time we now live in)
    we'll have critical times hard to deal with. Look at these scriptures
    and you'll see the types of people and actions so prominant in the
    news every day; lovers of themselves, haughty, disobedient to parents,
    having no natural affection, without self-control, fierce, lovers of
    pleasures rather then lovers of God etc.  We need to keep in mind this 
    wickedness is only temporary. God has set a time when he will call the 
    wicked to account for their actions Hab 2:3; 2Pet 3:9. Jehovah God has
    left us direction through the Bible 2Tim 3:16; not only to help us 
    endure these tough times but to allow us to survive God's anger and 
    gain everlasting life- John 3:16,Ps 37:34,Rev 7:9-14. Jehovah God has
    left us beneficial direction, given us a hope of a wonderful world to
    come(Rev 21:3,4), invited us to seek him out so he can help sustain us
    Matt 6:33,34 7:7,8. Personally I find great confort in Ps 91. Jesus 
    ransom was open for all mankind to benefit. It's sad Satan is so 
    successful in blinding people (2Cor 4:4) isn't it?
                                                       robin