“What you are doing is actionable,” the Facebook personal message warned, sent by my atheist “friend.”

I thought about his comment. “Nah, he won’t do anything…or will he?”

I had banned this man several times from my blog and even “unfriended” him one time, yet I always allowed him back to my social media circles because I thought that, perhaps, the Gospel in my posts would someday win him over.

Nope. At least not yet, anyway.

He ended up turning me in to an atheist legal organization which ultimately shut down my ministry.

This guy is mean. I should’ve known better. But, we had a cordial relationship on Facebook. He understood that he could never convince me of his lies, but, someday, I thought I might convince him of the truth. I ignored Jesus’ words, thinking that I might be the exception to His rule.

Boy, I was wrong.

“Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.” —Jesus, Matthew 7:6

All you are is mean
And a liar, and pathetic, and alone in life
And mean, and mean, and mean, and mean.
—Taylor Swift, “Mean”

So what did I do? What did he do?

First, let me tell you that this unbeliever took up a petition against a popular Christian cable show that featured a very large family, and he succeeded in getting it off the air because this family took a stand against homosexuality.

He posted a picture of him riding his motorcycle in front of a very popular Christian ministry and flipping them the bird.

What on earth was I thinking? Did I really think that I could win him over, this lonely, unpopular, angry and lost unbeliever? (I derived this opinion by his cynical, nasty Facebook posts and the lack of “Likes” he consistently got.)

What on earth was I thinking?

Indeed.

What was my ministry? Praying in the locker room of a local high school and giving a devotion before each football game—unheard of in The Peoples Republic of California, not so in “The Friendly State.” I was so excited about this new opportunity I posted it on Facebook.

Uh oh.

Mean Mr. Mustard sleeps in the park
Shaves in the dark trying to save paper
Sleeps in a hole in the road
Saving up to buy some clothes
Keeps a ten-bob note up his nose
Such a mean old man
Such a mean old man
—The Beatles, “Mean Mr. Mustard”

Big mistake. That’s when I got that personal message calling what I did “actionable.”

I didn’t think much of it, still, I decided that what I did in this part of Texas spiritually better stay in this part of Texas. Kind of like a holy Las Vegas mantra.

I continued to do what some would call “unconstitutional,” until I got a call from the Athletic Director of the school telling me I had to stop. He got a call from the school district superintendent who got a letter from that godless lawyers’ organization.

The godless have always been with us, so this shouldn’t have been that big a surprise: In 1962 the Supreme Court prohibited this simple prayer in public schools:

“Almighty God, we acknowledge our dependence upon thee, and we beg thy blessings upon us, our parents, our teachers, and our country.”

One year later, Bible teachings were banned.

In 1980, the Supreme Court ordered public schools to remove the 10 Commandments from student’s view.

What were the results when God was expelled from school? From 1950 to 2000,

• SAT scores went down 10%.
• Teen suicides went up 450%.
• Child abuse skyrocketed 2300%
• Illegal drugs flew to 6000%

And now, again, God was expelled.

When the righteous thrive, the people rejoice; when the wicked rule, the people groan. –Proverbs 29:2

I took immediate action:

• I unfriended and blocked my enemy on Facebook. I will never have any more contact with him.
• Then I sent an email to a Christian lawyers’ organization hoping to retake some ground.
• My weekly articles in our local paper have shifted focus, too: I now direct my writing toward unbelievers.

And I have stopped reporting on social media the incredible things God is doing.

All because one mean old man.

After all you put me through,
You think I’d despise you,
But in the end I wanna thank you,
‘Cause you made me that much stronger
So thanks for making me a fighter
Made me learn a little bit faster
Made my skin a little bit thicker
Makes me that much more smarter
So thanks for making me a fighter.
–Christine Aguilera, “Fighter”