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Christians Packing Guns

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The article below is as Jeff submitted it years ago. The pics were lost in a site defacement attack. We’ll rebuild it completely, the Good Lord willing. In the meantime, here’s the text and it is, after all, the thoughts that count…

I have been asked on occasion how I can justify carrying a gun and being a Christian at the same time. This is always posed by someone who is trying to trip me up. It can either be a devout Christian asking the question, or a Hedonistic heathen; it doesn’t matter. There are those who believe, or choose to believe, that a Christian must be absolutely passive in all things. I am not just referring to those Christians who ride a horse and buggy. I have been asked about my views on self defense by Christians of most every denomination. Some are genuinely seeking an answer. Others just want to chastise me for not being as “faithful” as themselves.

Many will accept every modern worldly convenience, but scoff at the idea of trying to protect oneself or the life of another. Their attitude seems to be that “God will protect us”. They do have a valid point. God will protect us from the evils of this world, if he so chooses. I would rather have God on my side than a battery of Sidewinder missiles. Indeed, our God can protect us. However, that attitude would lead one to believe that he could walk through Harlem wearing a Ku Klux Klan
outfit campaigning for George Wallace, and that “God will protect us”. God could get you through that, but Jesus said that we should not tempt God. I tend to agree with his assessment.

In the saddlebag of my motorcycle, I have a tiny cross with the inscription “Faith Moves Mountains”, but I also ride in the mountains of East Tennessee and the western United States, and I make sure that my brakes are in good working order. I could just trust God to catch me, but again, that could be construed as tempting God. God gave us brakes on our motorcycles, and that is sufficient.

Faith Moves Mountains

God can indeed protect us. He can keep us safe on the highways, and he can also keep us safe from those who would intentionally do us harm. I am not speaking of politicians here, but of the evil that is in the souls of some human beings. Be certain in this; there is true evil in this world, and it sometimes manifests itself in the form of a low life predator. Being a Christian, it is difficult to believe that people, made of the same composition of flesh, bone, and blood as ourselves, could be truly evil. We have a Heavenly Father who has filled us with basic goodness, but Jesus said that there are those “who are of the synagogue of Satan”.

No sane individual would hesitate to defend himself from a rabid dog or a poisonous snake, but are the two-legged vipers of this world any better than an animal? An animal does that which comes naturally to him. Children of Satan do that which comes naturally to them: that being evil.

Can God protect us from those who would do us harm? Absolutely. However, just as he has given us brakes to save us from the mountain, he has also given to us the tools necessary to defend ourselves, and those whom God has given to us. As Christian men, God not only allows us to protect our families, but he expects us to protect those whom he has placed in our care. This may seem contrary to the mandate for us to “turn the other cheek”, and I too have pondered over this. It takes great strength to turn the other cheek as Jesus intended. That is not a commandment to be weak. Jesus did not operate from a position of weakness. In fact, nothing ever happened to him that he did not allow.

God has entrusted us with the care of our brothers, whether those “brothers” be the children that he has given to us, or our wives, or our friends. We could set our children outside in the cold and trust that God would keep them warm. We could abandon them and trust that God will keep them fed. We could let them loose on the city streets or send them off for a week at Neverland, and trust that no sick, evil freak would abuse them. As Christians, we do not do these things to our children. God expects us to clothe them, feed them, and protect them from the evil that is inherent in this world. He gave to us the ability to buy clothes, grow food, build a fire, and to fight off those who would do us harm. In the time that Jesus walked the Earth in the form of man, the short sword was the
state-of-the-art weapon. He told his followers that the time of living carefree was over, and that the time had come for those without a sword to “sell his garment and buy one”.

Homestead Defense Rifle
Modern Day Sword

Today, we have better than a sword. We have more modern weapons at our disposal, and so does our enemy. Keeping a good rifle to defend one’s homestead and a reliable handgun to ward off evil that finds you when you least expect it is not only prudent, but expected. A Christian man is not mean, hateful, spiteful, or quick to anger. Neither is he weak. God never told us to let the evil in this world run over us like a train. He never told us to stand by idly as those whom he trusted to us are abused or killed. A Christian man who packs a gun does not look for trouble, and avoids it if at all possible. However, evil can seek you out.

A well-armed man operates from a position of strength. He is less likely to have to fight than an unarmed man. The predators in this world look for easy prey. God did not put his people on this Earth to be prey for the sons of Satan. God expects us to stand up for what is right, and he gives us the tools with which to do so. When you defend the life of one of God’s children, you are defending good against evil. Use your good sense and God’s word to avoid trouble. If necessary, use the gun at your side to stand against it.

Properly Armed

Jeff Quinn

If I Knew

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If I knew it would be the last time
That I’d see you fall asleep,
I would tuck you in more tightly
and pray the Lord, your soul to keep.

If I knew it would be the last time
that I see you walk out! the door,
I would give you a hug and kiss
and call you back for one more.

If I knew it would be the last time
I’d hear your voice lifted up in praise,
I would video tape each action and word,
so I could play them back day after day.

If I knew it would be the last time,
I could spare an extra minute
to stop and say “I love you,”
instead of assuming you would KNOW I do.

If I knew it would be the last time
I would be there to share your day,
Well I’m sure you’ll have so many more,
so I can let just this one slip away.

For surely there’s always tomorrow
to make up for an oversight,
and we always get a second chance
to make everything just right.

There will always be another day
to say “I love you,”
And certainly there’s another chance
to say our “Anything I can do?”

But just in case I might be wrong,
and today is all I get,
I’d like to say how much I love you
and I hope we never forget.

Tomorrow is not promised to anyone,
young or old alike,
And today may be the last chance
you get to hold your loved one tight.

So if you’re waiting for tomorrow,
why not do it today?
For if tomorrow never comes,
you’ll surely regret the day,

That you didn’t take that extra time
for a smile, a hug, or a kiss
and you were too busy to grant someone,
what turned out to be their one last wish.

So hold your loved ones close today,
and whisper in their ear,
Tell them how much you love them
and that you’ll always hold them dear

Take time to say “I’m sorry,”
“Please forgive me,” “Thank you,” or “It’s okay.”
And if tomorrow never comes,
you’ll have no regrets about today.

Most places I’ve seen on the ‘net claim that this poem is “Author Unknown” or “Anonymous”I found one page where it is credited to “Jaque”

God, Give Us Men

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“God give us men…ribbed with the steel of Your Holy Spirit…men who will not flinch when the battle’s fiercest…men who won’t acquiesce, or compromise, or fade when the enemy rages.

“God give us men who can’t be bought, bartered, or badgered by the enemy, men who will pay the price, make the sacrifice, stand the ground, and hold the torch high.

“God give us men obsessed with the principles true to your word, men stripped of self-seeking and a yen for security…men who will pay any price for freedom and go any lengths for truth.

“God give us men delivered from mediocrity, men with vision high, pride low, faith wide, love deep, and patience long…men who will dare to march to the drumbeat of a distant drummer, men who will not surrender principles of truth in order to accommodate their peers.

“God give us men more interested in scars than medals, more committed to conviction than convenience, men who will give their life for the eternal, instead of indulging their lives for a moment in time. Give us men who are fearless in the face of danger, calm in the midst of pressure, bold in the midst of opposition.

“God give us men who will pray earnestly, work long, preach clearly, and wait patiently. Give us men whose walk is by faith, behavior is by principle, whose dreams are in heaven, and whose book is the bible.

“God give us men who are equal to the task. Those are the men the church and the world needs today.

We have not been able to track down the author for this excellent piece. If you know who wrote it, please drop us a note.

The Lake

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Whose Lake it is I do not know,
I only know that’s where I go
When seeking a refuge from worry and doubt,
And sick of confinement, within and without
It’s waters are purest, it’s color and bluest,
It’s simple beauty I can attest.
It’s a symbol of peace and serenity,
of contentment, love and blessed obscurity.
Surely, in His infinite love and pity
The Magnificent God Almighty
Placed on the earth such gems of beauty to be
used when needed, by men like me.

The Breath Of God

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I wrote this and I will share it with you: you may send it where ever you will.

In a mist on hills and valleys below,
the breath of God creates the Snow.
In colour-flow, its not the same,
as a picture, painted, laid in a frame.

Boughs heavy laden, yet they have not broke,
as Sunshine has risen to take up the yoke.
Before the Snow melts, the die has been cast,
shadows will fade, and in part, they have past.

A season of spring, pure waters delight,
thawing, a river that ripples with might.
Freely it flows and to all who partake,
drink to its depths, refreshed, then awake.

For this is the morrow that bids us be well,
to live in a place and never to dwell.
A mist on a hill and lo,
the breath of God creates the Snow.

This Little Light

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As stars to an approaching dawn,
Like candles burned too long,
Every light fades out with time
And so ends life’s sad song.

It may be just a flicker
Or what seems eternal flame.
Each life serves, to light the gloom
Though all end, just the same.

Burn a candle out and see –
Just how much did it light?
With just that little flicker,
Could you find your way at night?

With just the glow of tiny stars
Sailors navigate the seas,
And though they burn out with the dawn,
Ships sail on with the breeze.

What are you doing with your light
Who navigates off you?
If they set sail with just your glow
Would their course end up true?

Check your course, and then your lantern
Be a light to guide the way
Never have it said about you
That you led some soul astray.

Know your light won’t last forever,
What you do counts when you’re gone
Take a real good look around you
What your light is shining on.

Live your days, but keep it with you,
Someone follows where you lead.
That in mind, walk in a manner.
Others have the light they need.

All This

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The dust kicks up ever so slightly as the first drop impacts.
The dryness of the earth greedily sucks up the moisture.
Taunts cascade from a frenzied mob-
Loved ones cry uncontrollably.
Another drop – same as the first-
Swallowed by a desperate land.
Sobs turn to wailing.
More steady, more quickly the drops.
An anguished Father turns away.
Quenched thirst, a puddle forms-
The edge pulled by years of drought.
Driving deep, a fountain opens with the thrust of steel.
No longer drops-
A steady, small flow.
Clouds form, lightning – Almighty displeasure, Divine pain.
Off the hill a small stream makes its way-
Renewing, overcoming the desert.
Extinguished heart – a King reigns.
A river now – enough for all.
In death they see – in life they questioned.
Time has changed the hill since then – the crowd is silent
The river stays in channel.
I’m at that river now, centuries later-
Looking in, the reflection is clear,
Not the one my mirror gives to me each day.
Exposing the soul, nothing is hid.
The choice is now mine,
Acknowledge exposure, or hide with the crowd.
Up on the hill, I see how it must have been-
I see the pain, the anguish – the awful burden of death.
Closer I walk – his eyes turn to me,
“For you,” He says – “All this.”
Weeping now, no longer does the thought of hiding nag me.
Into the river, my hidden fears washed out.
Peace, words can’t describe.
It’s your choice now-
The river hasn’t moved,,
From the hill it flows- down through time,
Through impossible barriers,
Through the hearts of men and women,
Not just for me, but also you – “All this.”

A Sixgun For Santa

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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A Sixgun For Santa
by TL in Oregon

‘Twas some weeks before Christmas
And I’d just settled down
When I heard a strange noise
And arose with a frown

I looked out from my window
And what did I see
But a portly old man
Gazing right back at me

He had a white beard
And was dressed in red felt
A .44 N-frame
Hung from his belt

He said “Howdy there partner,
Can you give me a hand?
Old Buck here went lame
And I had to land.”

So I looked a bit closer
And saw reins trailing back
That led to a stallion
All sweaty and black

The old man had noticed
My quizzical look
So he said to me
“This ain’t quite by the book.

“You see, none of them reindeer
are comfy to straddle.
They’re too low to the ground
And won’t take a saddle

When I’m travelin’ light
And I don’t want my sleigh
Then it’s just me and Buck
It works better that way.”

So I came on downstairs
To give him assistance
Then both of us heard
Some shouts in the distance

“Come back here you thief!”
The voice seemed to say
It seemed to get louder
Then faded away

“He’s as drunk as a skunk!”
The old man then said
“As dense as they come
And out of his head”

But then the old man
Just chuckled and grinned
And said “He knows just enough
To know he’s been skinned!”

Again I was puzzled
And my look told him so
So he said “Here’s the story-
It starts not long ago”

“His name’s Wes Dakota
and he’s ugly as sin
unkempt and all dirty
and reeking of gin”

“When I wasn’t lookin’
He hit on the missus
Trying to hug her
And give her wet kisses

“He went in the workshop
And riled up the elves
Busting up toys
And knocking down shelves

“Stampeded the reindeer
and drank all my liquor
Shot up my ammo
And now here’s the kicker

“He got hold of the list
Of who’s good and who’s bad
And darned if it wasn’t the
Only one that I had

“So I don’t really know
who’s been naughty or nice
This year it’ll just be
a roll of the dice.”

I could tell it upset him
This tale of his trouble
If this guy wasn’t Santa
It must be his double

So I asked him then
“Is he chasin’ you?
And if’n he is,
Just what did you do?”

“Well”, he replied
I just evened the score
I got him but good
Then I got him some more

“See, this drunk had a Colt-
a hogleg supreme
Full coverage engraving
And ivories that gleam

“Longhorn steer carving
with rubies for eyes
Fully tooled rig
Stuffed with .45’s

“I traded him for it,
God bless his soul
Gave him two packs of smokes
And a big lump of coal

“He can handle his liquor,
or so he does boast
But when it comes to gun-tradin’
He’s as dumb as a post

The old man checked his watch
Said he was runnin’ behind
He swung onto Buck’s back
And the horse didn’t mind

The lameness was gone
He was ready to go
As he reined Buck around
It had started to snow

I expressed my concern
‘bout this drunken gent
“What if he comes ‘round
and asks where ya’ went?”

“Don’t you worry none”,
The old man said to me
“Wes was so drunk
that he couldn’t see”

“He’s half in the bag
three sheets to the wind
‘Sides I used an alias!”
The old man just grinned

“He’s crossed up with so many others
you see,
He won’t really know
That the culprit was me!”

He put spurs to his mount
And as he rode away laughin’
I could swear that I heard him say
“Wes thinks I’m Taffin!”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Happy Holidays Everyone!

TL

Where The Spirit Of The Lord Is…

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Creekside Daily Devotional
July 4, 2001

Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom!

During the years before the American Revolution the colonists became increasingly angry about the abuses they suffered from Great Britain, and the excessive taxes they were forced to pay. It did not help the cause of the King that the Colonies were not allowed to rule themselves, and they had no official representation in the English Parliament Thus, the very popular revolutionary slogan “Taxation without representation!” was born.

When asked, “Have you no loyalty to the King?”, the answer was “We have no king except Christ!” While for many people this was a rallying call to ignore the economic demands of England, for the vast majority it was the rallying theology of the Revolution, and the underlying theme and spirit of the new nation. Where the spirit of the Lord flourished, the people gained freedom.

The United States had its foundations solidly under girded by the Judeo-Christian faith of its people. While the nation was not a Christian theocracy, it was a nation heavily populated by strongly committed Christian citizens of many faiths. Even our currency carried the proclamation, “In God we trust!” For almost 200 years it is fair to say that this motto was firmly held throughout the land. The motto was well earned, for often in our history, our only hope for survival rested in the workings of a gracious and generous God.

Although our history of providing freedom for all the people in our nation was painfully slow to emerge, and for many, it is yet to be fully realized, no other culture has ever survived while making such massive social changes in such a short period of time. We can be proud of our progress, but, at the same time, we are humbled by the challenges still ahead.

Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. Conversely, history has clearly demonstrated that when the Spirit of the Lord is lost in society, either through military overthrow, political corruption or general moral decline, freedom is lost and quickly replaced by slavery.

Our greatest challenge, as citizens of our wonderful nation, is to make certain that our Judeo-Christian foundations are not destroyed, but are firmly re-established by each generation as the underlying moral and spiritual theology of our nation. Let “In God we trust” remain our rallying call for freedom. God bless our nation on this Independence Day, July 4, 2001.

George Bragg
San Juan Capistrano, California

George Bragg has graciously allowed us to post this excellent article on our site. You can visit his web site at: www.ccf-irvine.com I particularly recommend the the section about Discovering God, it is one of the best places I’ve found that explains the fallacies of evolution and how we can KNOW that God exists through what He has Created.

Return To God With A Whole Heart

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Lately my Bible reading had been taking me on a tour of the Old Testament again. It has been interesting to trace the rise and fall of the diverse kings of Israel and Judah. Last week brought me to the story of Josiah and how he sought the God of his forefather David with all of his heart. The plot thickens and gets REALLY interesting when they discover the “book of the law” in the temple 18 years after Josiah began to reign at age 8. So as a man of 26 years of age he comes face to face with God’s promises to the “children of Israel”. The scriptures don’t specify which portion was read before the king, but I highly suspect it was the portion we find in Deuteronomy chapter 11. When Josiah heard about the blessing and the CURSE which was written in the book of the law, he tore his clothing and humbled himself before God for he knew that God would keep His Word and that trouble lay ahead of the people because of the sins they had committed. You can find the story of Josiah in II Chronicles 34. His heart was right before God, even though he didn’t have the Book of the Law to guide him.

What does this have to do with us today? Well, my reflections took me on a tour of US history. It took me back to when the colonies were working on a Constitution for the new nation and how they were unable to agree on anything until they took time to pray and ask God to guide them. It is my steadfast belief that He did guide them and that is the reason they were able to come up with such an outstanding document, one which has guided our nation over 200 years. As one reads things which the founding fathers wrote, it is clear that their intention was to establish a Christian nation. Not a country dominated by some denomination or other, but rather a land governed by the basic tenets and principles of morality taught in the collection of books known as the Bible. This foundation was recognized as late as 1890 when the Supreme Court of the United States of America stated that the US was a “christian state”. In fact, one of the greatest deceptions practiced by the enemies of Christ in the United States is the wresting out of context of a passage from a letter written by Thomas Jefferson. In that letter Jefferson stated that the “wall of separation of church and state” was to high to allow for a certain denomination to become the official religion. This “separation of church and state” was not an absence of Godly influence in the government of the nation, but rather the absence of denominationalism which had caused so much death and destruction in “merry old England” and Europe. According to Jefferson, this would never come to pass in the United States because the first amendment prohibited Congress from enacting any law “respecting an establishment of religion”. Jefferson must be spinning in his grave because of the way his words have been twisted.

What is the future of our land? What will come to pass? When Josiah heard what the “Good Book” said, he humbled himself and sought the will of God. Because of this his land was spared from destruction. If we will humble ourselves and seek God, perhaps our nation too will once again turn to Him and so spare itself from His certain wrath.

How about you? Are you ready to seek Him? Are you ready to do His will and to forsake the pagan ways which are being forced upon us? Are you one of those “whose knees have not bowed before Baal and whose lips have not kissed him”, or have you allowed yourself to become like those who turn their backs on the Creator?

Let us take to heart these words from Deuteronomy 11: 18-22

 

18Therefore shall ye lay up these my words in your heart and in your soul, and bind them for a sign upon your hand, that they may be as frontlets between your eyes. 19And ye shall teach them your children, speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. 20And thou shalt write them upon the door posts of thine house, and upon thy gates: 21That your days may be multiplied, and the days of your children, in the land which the LORD sware unto your fathers to give them, as the days of heaven upon the earth. 22For if ye shall diligently keep all these commandments which I command you, to do them, to love the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, and to cleave unto him;
King James Version

That is what it will take for us to take back this land for Him who established it. We HAVE to know His word and teach it to our children and our children’s children. It must invade each aspect of our lives, every facet of our being. It must be on our hearts and our minds, as we work, as we play and in each and every part of our families and being. So I end with these words which Joshua spoke in Joshua 24:15 and a paraphrase after them:

15And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house,
we will serve the LORD.
King James Version

If you choose not to turn back to God who created you and established this nation, then choose which path you want to follow, the path of those who say “there is no God” or the path of those who say “all roads are the same”, but as for me and my house, we will follow God the Creator and His Son, Jesus the Christ and the Holy Spirit, our seal unto the day of redemption.