Jacquie Hagler stopped an armed robber by invoking the name of Jesus.
Never underestimate a shout out to Jesus. Literally, shouting the name of Jesus can stop an armed robber. At least it can if you are a group of women who believe in the power of Jesus to save and protect.
Report courtesy of the SunSentinel
Lake City cops said Derick Jeremy Lee, 24, donned a ski cap and, armed with a gun, entered a home and ordered the 14 women inside who were attending a home jewelry party to hand over their purses, money and phones, reports WJXT News-4 in Jacksonville.
One woman, who had thought it was a party gag, pushed the man’s hand aside and laughed saying, “It’s only a water gun.” Ha-ha.
The woman who had hosted the party then stood up and yelled, “Get out of my
house in the name of Jesus!” When the other women followed her lead and loudly chanted the name of ‘Jesus’, according to the report. It worked.
Lee later managed to get a little souvenir, courtesy of the cops — his very own pair of steel bracelets. This was his 4th booking atthe Columbia County Jail, according to inmate records.
I can’t help but replay the incident in my mind as if it was a scene from a bad movie or sitcom. Was the armed robber so overwhelmed with the love of Jesus that he gave up or did he feel outnumber by a group of women turned Pentecostal attack dogs? Did Jesus give the women the strength to stand up to the evil in their presence – Satan get behind me – or did the gals just go into a pack mentality and follow the leader?
The Holy Spirit must have been in the room that night. Only faith in your neighbor can propel you to step outside your comfort zone and participate in an event that is larger than yourself. For that to happen there must be a spirit that is common to all who are present in order for action to happen.
These women obviously share a religious faith that creates unspoken bonds between them. Many probably have common experiences of church worship and testifying to their faith. There are times when instinct and training take over and if that is the Holy Spirit working his magic, so be it.
It doesn’t matter to me if Jesus, the Holy Spirit or the spirit of too-many glasses-of-wine was present in the room that night. What is important is that these women were determined not to be victims and their common religious faith helped lead the fight. They essentially called the thugs bluff. Jesus gave them strength.