Articles by PGF

Next time you insult the FBI by calling them little girls, remember that you may actually be insulting little girls.

She has a good camera presence and an interesting presentation.

https://youtu.be/OIx9dk_iNIA

Psalm 43

God is our judge, advocate, and deliverer. The joy of the Lord exceeds any trial, any wicked worker’s efforts. We are God’s, and He is our praise and resolution when you finally offer yourself to do with as He will. Through Christ, entrance is made unto the altar, be not downtrodden; look up, for there is our hope.

“1 Judge me, O God, and plead my cause against an ungodly nation: O deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man.”

Judge me, plead my cause, and deliver me. It might seem like a fool’s errand asking God to judge you, for all are sinners; “…They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.” – Psalm 14:1. No man is truly righteous.

Foremost, God is the judge, but Christ, seated at the Father’s right hand, has satisfied God’s justice for every sinner. Having suffered the cross for you, making payment for your sin, and risen again in the power and light of the truth of eternal life, show your cause, therefore, to Jesus Christ that He might stand good before the throne, by faith, for you.

Bought by Christ, sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise as the day of redemption approaches, having faith in Jesus up until the last, you are no fool. The religion of the saints to the world is foolishness; the lost are self-assured, having found the Rock, but of offense and stumbled at the word; disobedient to the truth; the fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. But at that particular marker, the head of the corner tried and true who is Christ Jesus upon which God’s men stand, we know our judgment is not of an end but looking for, by His good graces, and receiving daily by His mercies, refreshing anew; we are made free from the law of sin and death. We walk in the glorious forgiveness of deliverance.

And what a poignant prayer we find in Psalm the Forty Third; for what Christian doesn’t face an abundance of sin without, wickedness at every turn, and devils in every corner? Our cause is just. Our nation has turned into a rotting carcass hung out festering, and flies are circling every enterprise of society; ravenous jackals are looting the treasury. But it’s at every level; sin is so pervasive making contact with any aspect of culture seems like an exercise in which being drenched in filth is the primary purpose. Do all of Christ’s men see? Will they stand by? We need a judge, but we are indeed at the hands of the Just One.

Babylon, spiritual Egypt, and Sodom is no place for the weak of faith; viewing in any direction, we see judgment, which will worsen. There’s no escape but into the arms, by our prayer, of a loving, holy God who is full of tender mercies. The godless will pay for what they’ve done, but the millstone of God’s justice grinds at a cosmic pace that no man can affect. Sometimes, it’s generations in the making before rectitude is served.

Deceit and injustice go together; hateful children of wrath and disobedience have chosen darkness, thinking it a game; these two are their bread and butter of sin. Repayment will come. Most look for an earthbound solution, and perhaps God will still show His unmerited favor toward us. But it’s a silly attempt to grab a dustpan of one sort or another as the West disintegrates, hoping to clean up the ash heap. No, deliverance for the saint residing in the perseverance of the faith is in the Father’s strength, looking toward the throne of God and of the Lamb; a cleansing fire is coming, even as with David, a man says, “teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight.”

For the young in faith asking of our Creator to both be our representative pleading of your cause and the judge to hear your case may seem, without prayerful consideration, to be somewhat irrational. But, “The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God.” – Romans 8:16. Therefore, God is our mediator and chief justice, the highest Judge of all His creation in every domain. “…for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.” – Romans 8:26

“…plead my cause against an ungodly nation.” Even in the frustrations of a sin-cursed dying republic, God knows our case and cause. He hears our prayers even when it’s no more than a perturbed exclamation of disgust at the evil all around. And take heart, any injustice to God’s people is an injustice to Him; “Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you” – 1 Thessalonians 1:6. Maintain your ways for you are His; the Lord loves the upright and righteous man; He delivers from the unjust.

“2 For thou art the God of my strength: why dost thou cast me off? why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?”

The questions are rhetorical, for we belong to Christ. Be not forgetful of where our strength comes, tested by the law and found guilty, pushed by the world yet found a man changed by Christ, strained by the flesh and the devil and seeing it all repugnant, being a son in the Kingdom of God, chosen in Him, fear not, He will strengthen you, be not dismayed for He is God and will help you. By upholding you with the right hand of His righteousness, held close by Him to the fortress of faith, believe in the Lord.

Christ declares, for without me ye can do nothing. Though seemingly cast off by God for a season, that most pleasant of warm spring breezes, full of sweetness, the Holy Spirit of God arrives right on time when we finally offer ourselves in service. For that’s what God wants, all of you, for His will and great purposes in heaven and earth to bring Him acclaim. Worldly Christians confuse the Kingdom as outer darkness with trouble and toil but the world as happiness; this ought not to be so. God is getting His glory; that’s the judgment of a people, and though they rage, the heathen will know that Christ is Lord. Though you may sometimes feel like the outcast as God cleanses, His people stand the test; if you are steadfast, you, a child of the mighty King, will not be moved.

Sieged by enemies on all sides, Christian oppression and persecution are at the doorstep, but there’s good news. You can’t say the name of Christ without hitting a sinner right between the eyes. Our state today is enough to make one mourn as a funeral dirge sung low for damned souls, but why? We are not damned. The Gospel is in us; the Truth both knows us and we know Him. Tell somebody the truth of Jesus Christ, which is your primary duty in the Kingdom of God. We were all enemies of God at one time, and many believers were the mortal enemy of the brethren who are now his fellows. Tell your enemy of the victory our King has brought to those who fear by faith.

“3 O send out thy light and thy truth: let them lead me; let them bring me unto thy holy hill, and to thy tabernacles.”

The world is desperately in need of God’s light and truth. The blinded man sees the darkness as light, hoping in the things of this world: “And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.” – 2 Corinthians 11:14. But the serpent is a defeated foe; have no part with him. “Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:5. Jesus loves you, fear not.

On the very first day, the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters, and God brought forth light. And He divided the light from the darkness. And again, at the arrival of God’s sacrifice, His Lamb, at the advent of the New Covenant, this same light was made manifest and shined in darkness, but the darkness comprehended it not. To say the dark rejects the light is true, though, in the end, it can’t resist.

For millions, the light of God and Jesus Christ our Lord disrupts their spirit, for if it’s all true, their entire world-life view and everything they’ve been taught and everything they thought they knew comes crashing down around them. If Christ be raised from the dead, suddenly, the mortal soul is at once both imperiled but offered to be partaker of the light in the glorious Kingdom of God; every soul must choose: heaven or hell. Jesus is the way; no man cometh unto the Father but by Christ. And Christ is the true Light which lights every man’s soul. “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” – James 1:17

What more excellent a gift than that of eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord? Continuing in the light of divine favor and boundless grace will lead a man to the center of God’s desire for him, up the holy hill before the throne of the Almighty in praise and worship to bring Him glory and honor. “And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail.” – Revelation 11:19

Put off thy shoes, for this is sacred ground, yet in your mortal body, it’s a fearful moment to come near to the throne. Here is truth: God is perfect, holy, and just. All things are His, made by Him and for Him. Let the light and the truth of God lead you to His tabernacles; come into the love of Christ Jesus, cry unto Him, “Let my supplication come before thee: deliver me according to thy word.” –  Psalm 119:170

“4 Then will I go unto the altar of God, unto God my exceeding joy: yea, upon the harp will I praise thee, O God my God.”

Make your offerings there at the altar; the veil is rent in two making the way, the Kingdom of God and of His Christ is at hand; with His own blood, he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal mercy for us. “Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which entereth into that within the veil” – Hebrews 6:19. The approach is now open; Jesus Christ has made the way to the altar in heaven. For the once offering of Christ is sufficient for all creatures to seek redemption, to be filled to overflowing abundance with joy and praise and upon instruments, singing and shouting; worthy is the Lamb. Praise ye the Lord.

“5 Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.”

The downcast soul is profoundly saddening, like a lion who’s lost his roar. But the valley of the shadow of death is also where Christ may be found; “…for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.” – Psalm 23:4. All men have the right of petition unto God for His mercy in salvation. But the suffering saint has an inner chamber of approach unto the holiest of all before the everlasting Father, for rights of imprecatory prayer against the oppressor and the privilege of drawing ever closer to God for the comfort of His guiding hand. The man that touches the saint touches the apple of God’s eye; woe to the man.

The terror of God is the enemy of all wickedness; nothing can stand in the day of God’s wrath. Every injury to His Church is another flaming coal of brimstone heaped upon the head of the ungodly. Why seek the adoration of men instead of the praises of God, for in service of Him, works of faith and labor of love, is the patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God the Father.

The ungrateful heart is ugly. Why, indeed, knowing all things by His word and living in a better covenant with Christ, are we cast down and disquieted? Keep your eye on the Saviour, for He is our hope. Hope is intricate and demanding; it requires constant prayer, reading of the word, and gathering with other saints; hope without faith is no hope at all. “For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?” – Romans 8:24. Hope in Christ, though now unseen, He is never far off.

Nobody wants to praise God when their soul is disquieted, but in the praises themselves come the realization of hope, and from hope, a glimmer of light, then Light. “Praise ye the LORD. Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his power.” – Psalm 15:1. God inhabits the praises of His people.

Worry and prayer are not the same thing; to go from one to the other, ask simply who is Jesus Christ, in whom all praises of gladness are found. The countenance of a man is changed by honor before God, upheld by His power, and uplifted to fight another day. Judged of God, yet pardoned, and further offered life in the glorious presence of our Saviour, we hope in the appearing of the Lord for He soon comes for everyone that is His. “Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.” – 2 Corinthians 9:15

Revelation 12.

What Are Terminal Ballistics?

This intro is humorous:

Stopping power, or “knockdown power,” is a projectile’s ability to incapacitate a target, whether animal or human. While almost everyone’s heard the term, understanding exactly what it means can be tough. All the confusion surrounding stopping power is mainly due to Hollywood’s unrealistic depictions of what happens when someone gets shot.

In TV and movies, one bullet will send a grown man flying backward. Depending on how over-the-top the flick is, they may do a backflip, launch off a building, or perform another acrobatic feat. On the other hand, the invincible hero shrugs off round after round until he completes the mission, saves the girl, and rides off into the sunset.

“As you will learn shortly, there are no ‘magic bullets” — there is no free lunch, and there is no substitute for marksmanship.” – Evan P. Marshall (Handgun Stopping Power: The Definitive Study)

As is often the case, the truth lies somewhere in the middle. Let’s dive deeper into the science of terminal ballistics to get to the bottom of stopping power. We’ll examine the five factors influencing what happens when a bullet hits something.

If you can’t hit the target, it really doesn’t matter what ammo you use. The article goes on to discuss five factors that impact stopping power; caliber, muzzle velocity, bullet mass, bullet shape and composition, and muzzle energy; chart included.

Apparently, the target of the raid is a pastor who had an FFL. The BATFE coerced him into surrendering his license. All licenses are just borrowed liberties that the issuer has no right to sell, but that’s another story. Oklahoma state Rep. Justin Humphrey (R-Lane) is about to learn what many Americans fear but won’t come to grips with. The oligarchy runs the permanent bureaucracy; state and federal legislatures have no real power anymore.

Since he surrendered his license, the ATF now has access to his 4473s. Expect more raids both of buyers and sellers.

According to a press release, Humphrey said he was contacted by Fincher after a dozen ATF SWAT team members bearing “automatic weapons” raided Fincher’s home, handcuffed him on his porch in front of his 13-year-old son and coerced him into relinquishing his Federal Firearm License.

“If this report is true, and I have every reason to believe it is, then it would appear the ATF’s actions constitute a gross misuse and abuse of their federal police powers,” Humphrey said in the press release.

Fincher’s ordeal was chronicled in a story published in July. The 52-year-old is a high school teacher, a Baptist pastor and a parttime gun dealer.

“Mr. Fincher is a distinguished figure in our community, serving both as pastor and schoolteacher in the small community of Clayton, Oklahoma. He is known as a respected member of the community, and I have every reason to believe his account. If proven true, the actions of the ATF agents could be seen as a severe misuse and abuse of their federal law enforcement authority,” Humphrey wrote in the letter to the AG, Governor and Sheriff. “Mr. Fincher claimed that the intent of the raid was evidently to coerce him into terminating his license. He said agents pressured him to declare that he was willingly signing the three prepared termination papers. He explained that he felt coerced due to the armed agents and the threatening environment. He likened the agents’ actions to extortion rather than a proper law enforcement search. One agent reportedly warned, ‘Tell your firearms buddies we are coming after them.’ If true, this statement appears to be an unlawful threat by the agent.”

Humphrey, who chairs Oklahoma’s Criminal Justice and Corrections Committee, believes the ATF violated Fincher’s Second and Fourth Amendment rights.

This is classic tyranny; find the most upstanding man you can and humiliate him to intimidate the populous. BATFE agents swear an oath to uphold the Constitution. Figure that out.

One year ago.

Those known of God should be serious, cataloging what they’ve learned about how the spirit of antichrist moves among the Godless, affecting their minds and every action. Although that lab-created virus was unpleasant and killed like a tough flu strain, even most of those who knew the whole thing was bunk succumbed to the spirit of fear, in one form or another, through adapting to the new normal as evil attempted to impose its will. Make note of it all.

We tend to focus on the people who brought the new normal, but we, born again by the Spirit of God, know they are merely agents. You got to witness firsthand something westerners have not seen since perhaps the Middle Ages; God allowing a grave evil to sweep through the land. You should pray to the Almighty and consider what you’ve seen; moreover, consider your ways in light of what you now know.

Secularists will use the term mass psychosis, but what we saw was that spirit of fear by the devil as the blessings of God are being withdrawn. You witnessed the power of evil through men to affect whole masses to do their bidding. You should now know what it is and how to recognize it.

Sin, and evil thereby, are very real, tangible. These are not philosophical conceptualizations to be pondered in a mountaintop monastery, nor are they ancient lore to be dismissed as the superstitions of our ancestors. You’ve now witnessed it, don’t deny it again.

You, too, should thank God, for that was quite a treat. The enemy gave away battle plans, means, motives, personnel positions and movements, tools, and sources and methods. Yes, it’s a war, and you should understand it as such. The enemy revealed many battlefield tactics. It would be wise to understand what you saw over the last two years in the context of war. God is merciful even in His judgments.

The “supply chain disruptions” should have made you serious about doing things yourself, the local way, among the trusted, moving closer to self-sufficiency. Again, thank God for the warnings, repent and act upon your new knowledge of the enemy.

And it isn’t over. If we read our Bible correctly, the last two years were just a remote storm cloud on the horizon of what’s likely coming. The explosion in depravity is not a sign of God’s judgment; it is God’s judgment. The horrendous and even audaciously flagrant wickedness of governments is not a sign of the judicial determination of God; it’s the result.

Christians Soldiers must know the Word of God. Your life depends upon it, or you will be led astray. If you got taken up in fear or have submitted to evil the last two years, that’s a good thing. Praise the Lord for this also; it’s why God sends warnings to His people in the mercy of His grace by longsuffering. Don’t lament but repent and make ready.

You should know by now where you are supposed to be, with what group of people in common you are to serve God while seeking to make yourself both versed and experienced in hard skills and hands-on doing. Pray for God to raise up a just leader, but you train the next generation, teaching them to be just men and women, righteous in Christ, forsaking all evil. Virtuous women and skilled men will matter most. It’s a separate post perhaps but we’ll mention that men will fight for a civilization populated by virtuous women.

Contact with the enemy has arrived. Please, I beseech you by the blood of Jesus Christ to hear and heed the warnings. Fear not for these two reasons: God is in control, and you were born for this very moment. God is sovereign, all is ordained, and you are here now for a reason. Be the light of Christ to those around you. Shed truth with all those you know. Spread the hope of coming victory for those that are righteous. And train for the other side of the coming conflagration(s). Dear Christian Brothers and Sisters, welcome to the war; it’s a pleasure to serve with you, repent toward God and prepare for the next battle. Pray that you not be deceived again.

It’s a spiritual conflict waged in the heavens played out among nations and men. Seek ye the Lord.

“Evil men understand not judgment: but they that seek the LORD understand all things.” – Proverbs 28:5

If your church leadership tries to shutdown services again, they must be fired immediately. Period. And any other leaders in support should be run off with a cane against their back! Otherwise, you must find a suitable congregation, which you should have already done.

In Chapter 13 of John, our Lord begins discussing how He will depart without mentioning the specifics. This discourse spans John 14, 15, and into chapter 16, with several asides and one possible change of location. It’s instruction to His disciples before His soon passion, resurrection, and ascension.

The notable side points of instruction help illustrate to the disciples Christ’s purposes for this instruction: His departure and the coming of the Holy Spirit. These asides include the Vine and Branch parable (John 15:1-10), an explanation of the unity of the Father and the Son (John 14:10-11), and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit (John 14:16-17). This instruction to His men continues into chapter 16 with the specific functions of the Holy Spirit (John 16:8-11) as we witness for Christ with Him.

Reading this section attentively, one understands what it means to be “in Christ.” We see only partially what the day of restitution of all things will be. When this sinful flesh is entirely and finally put off, we shall fully join this holy communion without that static interference.

There’s more, but those are topics for another day.

Repeatedly, Christ mentions the coming of the Comforter in these chapters; why Jesus calls the Holy Spirit the Comforter is critical instruction. At the outset, plainly, the Holy Spirit is not for your comfort and ease, health and wealth, or to provide emotionally driven fits of excitement and unintelligible babbling. God may bless you, but those blessings serve His purposes; He does not serve you. The Comforter equips men for God’s specific purposes in support of service to glorify Him alone.

Read John 14:16-18, 26, 15:26-27, and 16:13 about the Comforter who is the Spirit of truth. The disciples are troubled by Christ’s leaving. Understandable, for the absence of God is darkness only. These are, generally, the purposes of the Holy Spirit as given here by Christ: to abide with us and in us, to teach and remind us of all things, to testify of Christ as we witness for Christ together with Him, remind us of all things, and guide us into all truth (anything untrue is not of God, but from the father of lies, John 8:44) and for showing things to come.

Read John 13:31 through John 16:16, paying particular attention to the complete sentences that include the cited verses about the Holy Spirit. It’s an extensive study; several key points will draw out the text to guide our understanding. But, we should view it as Christ delivered it, a single focused discussion with several supporting points of instruction that we must act upon. God is the ultimate instructor; the repetition with some variation is masterful indeed.

As a side note, if you won’t study your Bible, there’s nothing for the Holy Spirit to teach and remind you about. What if, and call me a radical, Christians actually did what the Bible says? These four duties in five short posts are the preparatory essential elements of the Christian faith in service of Christ.

This post is going somewhere, but context matters; instruction is fundamental. Christ spent three years teaching His men. Doing what Christ taught is where we fail today.

John 15:16 is the ordination of the disciples to bear fruit (also John 15:8). In verse 17, He immediately says to love one another; this is the first prominent point of this post. In verses 18 through 20, Christ tells them they will be hated and persecuted. Next, we arrive at the second main point: the Holy Spirit testifies of Christ, but not alone, as we also bear witness (John 15:26-27).

If you read the Bible carefully, you’ll note that when Christ speaks of bearing fruit, it’s in the context of establishing His Church by the spread of the Gospel. Notably, to love one another (John 15:17) is often a subtext of bearing fruit. So, bearing fruit is to love the brethren and make more brethren; this conforms precisely with our interim commission (Matthew 28:18-20) to serve in anticipation of His return.

In John 15:26-27, Christ is driving at the purpose of ordaining the disciples and the coming of the Holy Spirit. We must care for one another and make ourselves better Christian soldiers (Hebrews 10:24) because we need each other, not for nothing, but because we are to evangelize the whole world, converting the nations; this will draw persecution. Jesus, in foresight sublime, tells us to stick together and provides the Comforter to witness for Christ through us, even as we also serve and testify about Christ’s Gospel and the mercy God has shown us to all the nations.

Continuing into chapter 16, in verse 1, Christ, citing the things spoken so far, advises them not to be offended by the world rejecting them. How many Christians receive the offense of the world and modify their behavior to fit into the world? This is a major problem in the American church. There’s no way to pretty this up by slapping lipstick on it; it’s disobedience to God and Christ to please men above serving in the love and knowledge of the God who saved you; it’s sin.

For what else is disobedience to Christ by refusing His commandments (John 14:15)? Christ is the Lord our Righteousness, and we are to be priests and kings, but only by submission to His word; otherwise, the kings of this world rule us and look what fruit that’s wrought.

Then, in John 16, verses 2 and 3, he conveys to the disciples specifics about the persecution they would suffer (verse 2) and why (Verse 3). There’s also an important point here. Many claim the Father but not the Son, even today. God goes so far as to call those who deny the Father and the Son an antichrist (John 15:23, 16:3, 1 John 2:22). Reaching these folks with the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ should be a priority, for they acknowledge there’s a God without which faith can never come.

Finally, arriving at the point here. The churches failed and accepted the shutdowns because they were not doing as Christ commands. In doing what Jesus says, pressing into the brethren in love and fellowship, and seeking the lost regardless of the hurt that may come, the Comforter is with you. We are to build His Church. Not doing as Christ commands allows a spirit of fear, which is not of God (2 Timothy 1:7), to enter among the brethren and even to cause antichristian behavior.

How often have you heard church teaching about the disciples fleeing (Mark 14:50) with only John and the women at the cross, yet the American church withdrew at the mere whiff of persecution? The whole point of Christianity is to convert the Nations, making them Christian. In America, the churches utterly failed the first test, and it’s not over; more trouble is brewing, even now.

It’s unnatural to forsake your own safety, but serving Christ is as normal as can be because you love Him and keep His commandments, regardless of the consequences. Genuine Christian fellowship and support, coupled with the indwelling Comforter in service of our great King, is how you will not falter again. Peace is not an outward state of men; with God, it’s inward. Peace is in Christ Jesus by the indwelling Holy Spirit. Together, read John 14:10-11, and 14:16-17, and John 15:1-10. Here, we have a clear picture of the operation of God in us and through us for the purpose of bearing much fruit. Without Christ, ye can do nothing (John 15:5).

It seems that Christ has so few true friends (John 15:14). The people in American churches don’t genuinely believe in God. At least not how Christ described and the apostles carried it into the world. The people of God are fractured into single units, but according to Christ, it ought not to be this way. Upon being ordered to cease gathering, your church should have rallied around each other, rejected the kings of this world, and served in the hope of a better home with Him.

In American churches, the folks see each other occasionally; they’re not bonded in the unity of service if they benefit Christ at all. The American church looks like any other organization of common interest instead of an army organized for battle to wield the word. Most of church life is centered on the worldly pursuits of men instead of training men to take Christ’s domains. For these reasons, the church is generally failing, and particularly under the recent persecution. The Church in Europe, if it exists at all, is useless.

Americans must stop intellectualizing the Bible and instead put the instruction into action. Imagine if the apostles, after the ascension (Acts 1:8-9), had said, Well, that was an interesting three years; guess I’ll merely personalize it, internalize it, intellectualize it, and go back to my life and do nothing for God. You know what? One of them did, but Christ came and got him (John 21). How often has Jesus tried to tell you to follow Him in service?

The Church of Jesus Christ should have grown during the shutdowns; that’s what persecution does to Christ’s body: makes it more robust and extensive (Acts, entire book). Until His return, there will be tribulation; even as the Kingdom of God has its historical setbacks, it will continue to grow, but the kings of this world will not go quietly.

Complete peace on earth is a distant dream. The Kingdom of God is designed for spiritual warfare. And by the Comforter coupled with mutual support in fellowship and love with the brethren is the peace of God to attack the darkness, even to assault the very gates of hell (Matthew 16:18) with the truth of the Gospel. In Christ, we overcome the world and the devil; without Him, we fall. Fear not; keep His commandments and be of good cheer; Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

“These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” – John 16:33

“And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.” – Revelation 12:11

Herschel, you’re gonna need a bigger litter box.

Tennessee Republicans ended the legislature’s special session for gun control today. No Red Flag law was passed. Of course, a communist from Memphis assaulted Speaker Sexton, which is plainly on film. The media refuses to say who “started it” because they are also communists. The assault took place after the gavel. The Republicans will probably end up apologizing for the communists’ assault; that’s what they do: capitulate and whimper.

The result of the session is they reallocated one-time money to the state’s “mental health” bureaucracy. And they made gun safes tax-free. We’ll see how Governor Lee fares going forward. This certainly weakens his political power considerably. All of this is pulled from news sources and probably half wrong. No news sources were linked here; it’s all so very tiresome what they do. I doubt we’ll follow up at TCJ.

Hats off to the Republicans for standing their ground. The communists will be back; they never rest.

“And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.” – Ephesians 4:32

The last phrase of that final verse of Ephesians four is astounding and so very plain. It truly can only be arrived at through childlike faith. If reading along in your bible, it’s easy to miss as you finish the chapter and close the book, but this truth is at the centrality of the doctrine of soul salvation. Of course, the context of the later part of Ephesians four, from verse 20 onward to 32, is critical instruction for the Christian believer, discussing personal effort, putting off your former self, and allowing the Lord to continue His sanctification of you. A man born afresh by the Spirit of God ought to recompense to the brethren all these duties mentioned and more. Give no place to evil speaking or doing. Grieve not the Holy Spirit, verse 30 says.

But found so simple and proper are those few words toward initial faith in Christ at the end of verse 32. Don’t miss it; God did not save you because of you, or because of anything about you, or because of anything you’ve done, said, promised, confessed, nor anyplace you’ve joined in whichever ceremonies or rites you may partake; God, for Christ’s sake alone, because He loves His son, is the sole reason the Father has granted you reprieve and given you to His only begotten.

Salvation is not about you; it’s not for you, and it’s not because of you; it’s all for Jesus Christ.

Oh, the unmerited favor of God who, by grace in salvation, calls men to Christ. God forgave you for Christ’s sake, giving you to Jesus as His Church, the body, for He loves His Christ. Not because of you; what is a man such as you to God and Christ? But God gave you to be the bride of His beloved Son in whom He is well pleased. You are the inheritance of Jesus Christ, for His own good pleasure; not for your sake, but entirely by miracle has your faith arrived unto conversion that Christ be magnified among men, hallowed in the highest to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. The degree to which you are blessed by God to be converted for His purposes, chosen in Him, is immeasurable.

On the verge of tears, there’s no way to adequately describe the depths of God’s mercy to be numbered among those forgiven. The complete degree is unknowable; who can reconcile such an act, that God would glorify His Son, and you being what, a hapless stranger alienated from the commonwealth of God, struggling in the toil of daily grind full of labor when God out of heaven called you to His Son. Who are we to complain or object or refuse anything He asks, now living in the freedom of Christ as the gift of His Father? To sound the depths of this blessing is impossible; it’s much too far for a man to understand what it is to be pardoned because he is given to Christ.

God made man in the first place for His own great purposes; male and female created He them; and blessed them. And He formed you, and breathed into your nostrils the breath of life; and you became a living soul, sentient, aware of Him. But the world is filled with liars telling men to be their own gods, the center of it all; humanism is a contagious viral cancer consuming the West and profoundly damaging the Church. Is He the holy Creator, owner of all that is, sovereign in the purposes of His actions and will, knowing and ordering the beginning from the end of all things, or is He less than a man?

The feast is polluted, soiled, and having spots; a plague of leprosy is among us. Most Christians are trained to think of God as their cosmic butler. Manpleasers, false teachers have beguiled us, insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Biblical Christianity requires a logically consistent world-life view and a conformable understanding of who God is. The fact is that you are a slave to Christ and not your own, but bought with a price in blood to bring glory to Him, and for no other purpose at all do you now draw breath.

The Lord would tuck you under His wings, cover you with His feathers, be your shield and buckler; “how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!” The river runs its course, yet the ocean is not overflowing; the wind on her circuit returns all things, bringing a whirlwind, yet you still have not. When will God’s people stop asking for worldly gain and stuff but again cry unto God; quicken me for thy name’s sake, for thy righteousness, here am I God; send me.

When the twoedged sword of conviction by the Spirit arrives, it convinces us of our unrighteousness and the totality of the perfect righteousness that is Christ our Lord. Righteousness is the quality or state of being morally correct and justifiable – without guilt or sin. Born in sin, you were not and are not righteous, but Christ was, is, and will forever be the sinless Holy One. In Christ is the only place of uprightness for the sinner.

Not because of your righteousness: “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one” – Romans 3:10. And again: “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.” – Isaiah 64:6.

Not by any measure of your own works: “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost” – Titus 3:5

Not by the keeping of any religious rules or law, which only condemn for sin: “Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.” – Romans 3:20.

Not by your religion, for a million blood sacrifices to God over millennia were still not enough: “For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.” – Hebrews 10:4

But the only hope of men is the offering of the Lamb of God to die on the cross that He might receive those who, by faith, Father God has given. And Jesus rose from the grave, ascending to the Father, preparing His bride over generations for His return to claim what is rightfully His. Holy Father, God gave those whom Christ would convert through faith at His will, not for your sake, but for Christ’s. By no deserving acts of your own, the full measure of the miracle of soul salvation is unknowable to the mind of man. It truly is a grant that you, not of your power, but that God would use you to bless His faithful Son, Jesus Christ.

No man shall boast; salvation is a gift of God. Only Jesus Christ is righteous: love God and have mercy on the brethren, even as God, for Christ’s sake, hath forgiven you.

This looks tough, mostly because it requires continued concentration over time. There’s a downloadable target as well.

This is a test that I got from a range officer at the NRA range one night. I showed it to Todd who liked it more than I did. He figured out that it originally came from David Blinder at personaldefensetraining.com. I don’t know when David put this together, but IPSC shooters have told me they were doing this test in the early 90’s. It has taken on a life of its own and I have to admit, I can’t figure out why. It is a very inefficient way to practice anything, as it is a test. It isn’t hard for a good shooter, though it will obviously be difficult for someone new to handgunning. If you can clean this, then you have gotten what you need and should move on to something more productive. You can certainly push the distance back and try again. Todd cleaned it at 7 yards and was trying for 10 yards when last we spoke about it. I will also add that though Todd liked this test, we never shot it more than very occasionally during the years we trained together. As I said, I don’t favor this for anything, as I can use those 50 rds in much better ways, but it seems to be incredibly popular with recreational shooters. If you enjoy it, that’s great, but there are much better drills available on the rangework page if you are trying to get better.

Start at 3 yards. You have to get all 50 hits to pass. Once you can shoot the whole drill without a single miss, either increase the distance or add time pressure. For instance, try to finish the entire drill in under 5 minutes while maintaining 100% accuracy.

As always, the specific drill, procedure, and scoring are the link.

Also,  Cornered Cat, an excellent resource for beginners and intermediate shooters, covered a version of this drill several years ago.