You don’t understand inflation until you’re in it, and then it’s too late. The Wall Street Journal cites eight or so percent, which is very low compared to actual inflation. It’s much higher; we all know that. Inflation takes years, sometimes decades, to work out and return to the historical norm (under central banking) of 3 to 4 percent annually.

Inflation is not an intellectual exercise, nor is it a mathematical obstacle. This post isn’t a rant against our rulers. We could cite causes and bible verses about a just balance and the duties of those God has placed over our country and the servitude of the debtor, but when inflation hits, none of that helps. All those commandments of God are instruction in righteousness. That having failed, here we are; now you get the lesson the hard way.

If you have debt, it will eat you alive. Preppers have warned you for years to get out of debt. When inflation hits, you have to decide; make the car payment or eat? It’s no joke.

Young families will be facing hard choices very soon. If you own a house, hang on for dear life, it will be your best asset in retirement due to inflation, but you must be out of debt. On the other hand, family comes first. If you sacrifice raising your children to maintain your lifestyle, shame on you. Almost all American families are already doing this. But that’s another topic.

Inflation can wreck your family’s future. If this keeps up, your life is about to change in drastic ways. The stress on families was tremendous in the 1970s; money fights, divorces, bankruptcies, children left to raise themselves; that’s what happened then. You may need to sit your family down and start talking with them now about the choices you could be facing.

You don’t want to look at your children and wonder where their next meal is coming from. That’s what inflation does. There are tens of millions of spoiled rotten children in America who are about to get a wake-up call if this persists. The problem is that they won’t understand why things are changing and why those they could rely upon the most will begin to tell them no, and not just about luxuries. What was every day will be a luxury. What was sufficient enough will become lean. Your children need new shoes, too bad; you can’t buy them, you don’t have the money.

We often hear about the Great Depression, but inflation is as significant, ugly, and disastrous. If you still have debt, you have to act now! A box of mac and cheese is doubling and doubling again right before our eyes. Already, putting gas in a pickup is the same as watching a $100 bill evaporate.

The only tool they have is printing money. Still, the sole remedy for inflation is time, day after day, year after year, trying to break even on payday. Of course, they could cut taxes, but it will be too late by then; half the country already doesn’t work.

If this keeps up, nobody will be the same. You will find your actual socio-economic level the hard way. Then you’ll understand debt and why God calls it slavery. When people can’t afford to buy, companies lay off employees! You can’t find a second job; your wife can’t find a job. Do you see where it goes?

Say you make $75,000 yr. You have $30,000 in car debt, a couple of credit cards and miscellaneous debt of $15,000. This is pretty average in America today. Now, watch your salary drop by 8%(current official rate) on a downward slide. That’s inflation; how can you pay your debts and feed your family with your salary dropping eight percent?

It’s shocking to see people carrying on as though this isn’t happening and as though it won’t get worse. As they say on Wall Street, the trend is your friend. That doesn’t mean that all trends are good; knowing which direction the trend is taking is the key. The direction is toward higher prices across the board. It’s not just gas. Everything takes energy to produce and transport.

If it persists and you’re stretched right now, you’ll break. If you’re only making it right now, you won’t be. If you’re ok right now, it’ll get worse. If you’re out of debt and working, perhaps major purchases should be put on hold. Everything could change tomorrow, but right now, the trend is inflationary.

Part One

Continuing a review of the increasingly vehement charges against that generation by our Lord will show us that the only way to misunderstand Matthew 24 is by willful suspension of disbelief. Just as we can’t understand Revelation without starting in Genesis with a thorough study of God’s judgment language and modalities of carrying out His judgments, in Matthew 24 verse 1, we enter into the middle of a three-year-long ongoing narrative about coming judgment.

Context is king.

“09 For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it. 10 When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel. 11 And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven. 12 But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Matthew 8:9-12

In this important section of Scripture, a gentile Roman soldier who is the leader of a band of soldiers asks a miracle from Jesus. You can read the whole passage for yourself. We’re interested in the statements made by Jesus in verses 11 and 12.

In verse 11, Jesus says that many others, not only the centurion, shall come from the east and the west to sit at the table with the saints of the Old Testament in the Kingdom of Heaven. The “east and west” references the whole world and is a prophecy of the arriving church through faith.

In verse 12, Jesus says that the blood decedents of Abraham that don’t repent and believe will be cast into outer darkness, separated from the light of heaven and Holy God. This is due to a lack of repentance from breaking the Law of Moses and instituting traditions of men in its place (Matthew15:1-4). And most importantly, lack of faith in accepting Jesus. “I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness.” – John 12:46

The Old Covenant must end before the New Covenant can be fully instituted. As the disciples understood it, the whole world was about to end. A major upheaval at the hand of God in judgment was arriving, for not only rejecting Messiah but for hundreds of years of abuse of the Sabbath Jubilee. Every seven years, the slaves were to be set free, and every 49, the original land was to return to the sons of the tribe to whom God had given it.

“And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. And he began to say unto them, This day is this Scripture fulfilled in your ears.” Luke 4:17-21

In the prophecy of Isaiah that Jesus is fulfilling, the “acceptable year of the Lord,” is a reference to Israel being freed from Babylonian captivity? Isaiah likens that event to the Jubilee. But Israel had already been released from Babylonian captivity by the first century. What is Jesus talking about? Jesus is speaking of Israel failing to hold a jubilee for centuries. The acceptable year of the Lord is the Jubilee that our Lord is referring to. It’s a threat; God will punish them if the leadership won’t set the captives free and restore the lands. Jesus says, “This day.” He doesn’t mean someday 2000 later. Judgment looms on that generation for neglecting the conditional covenant of the Law given to Moses including the sabbath Law of Jubileee.

The covenant of the Law to Moses had been broken for the last time. Judgment must come. The thousands of years-long practice of animal sacrifice and with it the temple worship system was ending. Jesus would be the final sacrifice, once for all. The New Covenant of worship in spirit and in truth by faith was brought to all men, and a church numbered as the stars of heaven was birthed. There is no more important historic event in world history than the span, starting with the arrival of John the Baptist preaching the Kingdom of Heaven to the destruction of the temple in 70AD.

And, though Nehemiah had rebuilt the temple after the Babylonian captivity, we find that it would not last (Daniel 9:24-27). Desolations by a flood of judgment would come (Daniel 9:26). Just before the prophecy of Matthew 24, referring to the temple, in Matthew 23:38 Jesus says: “Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.” The prophecy of 70 weeks in Daniel nine is unsealed; the time has arrived, judgment is at hand.

The coming of Christ was the most significant event in human history. Everything was changing; the Father was giving Christ a people to be His inheritance under a new and better covenant (John 1:12, John 6:37-40, Hebrews 8:6). By His arrival, death, burial, and resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:1-4), now given all power and authority in heaven and earth (Matthew 28:18-20), He was and is changing the whole of mankind from the east to the west.

“And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.” – Matthew 16:16

“But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool.” – Hebrews 10:12-13

Ron Spomer.

“Magnum” is the perfect name for this cartridge because it does for the .22 rimfire what the .30-378 Weatherby Magnum did for the .308 Winchester: makes it shoot faster, flatter, and hit harder. And that’s been the trajectory of .22 rimfire cartridges since 1845.

Ron has a really interesting table of windage hold-offs and elevation hold-overs too.

I really love the .22 WMR, and with the advent of reliable ARs chambered in this cartridge, it’s become a legitimate home defense gun.

Although I choose to use something much bigger bore, America’s cartridge (from youth through adulthood) has always chambered the .22 caliber bullet, from the .22LR to the .22 WMR to the .223.

I learned to shoot using a .22LR plinking at trash can lids in my backyard.  But the .22LR has always seemed a bit underpowered to me.

News from Alabama.

Today, a conference committee approved House Bill 272, constitutional carry. Then, both the House and Senate voted to adopt the conference report. It will now go to Governor Kay Ivey, who is expected to sign it into law promptly. Alabama is now just one more step away from becoming the 22^nd constitutional carry state and the first state to join that group in 2022.

Oh no!  It will be blood running in the streets.

“The Alabama House Public Safety Committee just chose gun extremists over public safety,” Harriette Huggins, a volunteer with the Alabama chapter of Moms Demand Action, said in a statement after the vote.

I think I’m classified as a gun extremist.  I think you are too.  More.

On Thursday, Gov. Kay Ivey signed House Bill 272, known as the constitutional carry bill, into law. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Shane Stringer, eliminates the permit required for concealed carry and revises certain restrictions related to carrying and possessing a pistol.

“Unlike states who are doing everything in their power to make it harder for law-abiding citizens, Alabama is reaffirming our commitment to defending our Second Amendment rights,” Ivey said. “I have always stood up for the rights of law-abiding gun owners, and I am proud to do that again today.”

The passage of the bill did not come without controversy. Many gun-rights advocates argued people should not have to obtain a permit in order to carry a concealed pistol, but opponents of the bill, including some local law enforcement, argued the permits help fight crime and enhance public safety.

Shortly after Ivey signed the bill into law, Oxford Police Chief Bill Partridge tweeted the following statement:

“Alabama law enforcement lost another tool in the tool box to get illegal guns off our streets. Continuing to make officers’ jobs harder. Five of the six officers killed in the line of duty in Alabama in 2019 were killed with a stolen firearm.”

A stolen firearm.  What that has to do with constitutional carry is anybody’s guess.  It sounds like sour grapes to me.

Boss Hogg is not happy tonight.

Now.  South Carolina needs to undo the ridiculous preemption where cities can circumvent open carry the state legislature passed, and move on the constitutional carry.

Alabama will prove to you that blood doesn’t run in the streets, just like Texas did and like the other 20 states did.

Dog saves the life of his buddy.

Source.

Can I do that mommy?  Pleeeease?

Source.

Part Two  Part Three  Part Four  Part Five  Part Six  Part Seven  Part Eight  Part Nine  Part Ten

If you start in verse 1 of Matthew 24 and simply read the text, it could mean anything without the proper context. The timeframe is also largely misunderstood. This is a problem of modern interpretation throughout Scripture and is rife with misunderstanding and outright abuse today in the American Church.

In posts to follow, if the Lord allows, we’ll look at several sections of Scripture in Matthew leading up to chapter 24. The whole context to the Matthew 24 prophecy by Jesus will be much more evident when we arrive at the text by understanding what leads up to it. You CAN understand Matthew 24!

In Matthew Chapter 3, John the Baptist relays God’s threat:

“7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance: 9 And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. 10 And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. 11 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance. but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire: 12 Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” – Matthew 3:7-13

Matthew 3 starts by detailing the calling and ministry of John the Baptist. All Judaea and the surrounding cities were coming out to be baptized by Him.

Look at verse 7; it seems necessary to understand what generation John is speaking about? What wrath, and upon who is this wrath to come? It seems rather plain; he looks the Sanhedrin in the eye, calls them vipers, and by way of question warns them of the wrath of God to come. Is John the Baptist speaking to people he never met about a judgment of Holy God 2000 years later in America? This seems very unlikely. If you know that you’re supposed to repent of sin, then you should, and indeed America she has her sin, but who is supposed to repent in verse 8? Are we, 2000 years later, also supposed to not think of Abraham as our father? Well, we suppose so, but he’s speaking to the Pharisees and Sadducees, who are Israel’s religious and civil leadership.

Note a conversation later in the life of Jesus that occurs in John 8 between Jesus and these rulers. Jesus explains how He always does what pleases His Father in heaven, and the Sanhedrin do precisely what John the Baptist warned them not to do. Jesus is speaking in verses 37 and 38:

“37 I know that ye are Abraham’s seed; but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you. 38 I speak that which I have seen with my Father: and ye do that which ye have seen with your father. 39 They answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them, If ye were Abraham’s children, ye would do the works of Abraham.” – John 8:37-38

by claiming Abraham as their father the Sanhedrin have just fulfilled the warning and prophecy by God that John the Baptist spoke in Matthew 3 .

And also, in John 8, Jesus goes on to call the devil their father (this is a rather unpleasant conversation):

“44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. 45 And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not.” – Jesus speaking in John 8:44-45

So we must conclude that the wrath of God abides on them because that was the other half of the threat by God given through John the Baptist. Now read the entirety of what John the Baptist says in Matthew 3:7-13 again. (And read verse 14 with it as well. Whoever said the New Testament is bad literature surely doesn’t know who or what the book is about?)

Whether the prophecy in Matthew 3 shifts from that generation to some distant judgment, you decide. There’s more here we could cross-reference to other Scripture, but the point is founded. God has made His threat of judgment to come against that generation.

Also, compare Matthew 3:10 in our text to Matthew 7:15-20.

These two essential and much neglected aspects of Christian growth and maturity need attention by the churches in America; mentorship and fasting with prayer.

“And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.” – Acts 5:42

If you are a serious Christian and have studied God’s word for years while serving in the body by teaching in a group of believers or at home with your family, please consider mentoring a new or infant Christian. Consider taking on two or three by meeting once a week and studying through some aspects of Christianity.

And if you’re new to the faith or know that you are slack in your growth, then you will have to seek out a mentor(s). Importantly, it should be purposeful, involving prayer and studying the Scriptures together, and can even include serving God together.

Probably the place to start is the sure foundations of the faith. Salvation in Christ alone, by grace alone, through faith alone, under the word of God alone, to the glory of God alone.  A mentor can lead those newer to the faith by notating verse by verse through the book of John and then discussing what you’ve discovered at a regular time each week while sharing life, growth, and prayer together.

It is recommended to discuss faith without works (James 2:20) and its enjoined truth; so too, works without faith are also dead. More than half of those who claim Christ in America say that some work or ceremony is required for salvation. This needs correcting. But the easy-believism of useless fake converts is rampant as well. The American Church is apostate; hold true to the faith even to the end.

Very few actually want to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. It’s a pity; they know not what they’re missing. It’s as though they read the Bible and get preaching, but what God says through His word is not penetrating the dullness of their minds.

Please teach each other to mature in Christ. Being a Christian requires work to bring glory to the Father.

“Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.” – Matthew 6:16-18

And consider fasting specifically from food. Fasting with prayer significantly increases our awareness of God through dependence upon Him. Like serious prayer, the work and growth that fasting does in us are not describable in such a way that would convince you to partake of it. It’s something that you have to do to grow in the faith and knowledge of Jesus Christ to see the Kingdom of God up close as you draw nigh to God. Rest assured, He will answer when you begin to fast. Don’t tell anybody that you’re fasting. Fast in secret that your Father, which is heaven, may know and send blessings for your faith. Pray a great many times throughout the day when fasting. Skipping breakfast is not fasting. Be serious; go 24 hours the first time, then longer as desired other times after.

Field & Stream.

This cartridge became available in 1895 in Winchester’s Model 1894 lever action rifle. It was America’s first sporting cartridge to be loaded with smokeless powder and was originally loaded with a 160-grain bullet and 30 grains of powder. This produced a muzzle velocity of about 1950 fps. The cartridge got its name from its .30-caliber (.308-inch) bullet and the 30 grains of powder that fueled it. Since then, the cartridge has been chambered in a wide range of rifles but gained its fame and popularity in the 94 and the Marlin 336.

When it comes to modern .30-30 ballistics, things are a bit improved today. The most common loading is a 150-grain bullet at an advertised 2390 fps. However, for common 20-inch barreled traditional lever guns, real muzzle velocities are closer to 2300 fps. This is a powerful combination and has been used effectively on everything from feral hogs all the way up to moose. You can also get 125 and 170-grain loads, but neither offer any practical advantage over 150-grain loadings, especially the excellent 150-grain Federal HammerDown, which has been specifically tuned for lever guns.

However, there is another option. Hornady offers 140- and 160-grain LEVERevolution loads. What sets these apart is that they utilize a spitzer instead of a round nose bullet. Round nose bullets have always been required in tube fed lever guns, but the soft rubber FlexTip used by Hornady makes these pointy bullets safe in the magazine tube. With the LEVERevolution ammunition the .30-30 has a 13% flatter trajectory and retains about 6% more energy. Regardless the loading, a traditional 30-30 lever gun will recoil between 10 and 13 foot-pounds of energy.

[ … ]

When most think of a 45-70, they think of a 45-70 lever action rifle. However, the first 45-70 was not a lever gun. The cartridge was adopted by the U.S. military in 1873 in the single shot Trapdoor Springfield rifle. The ballistics of original .45-70 ammo was nothing to crow about by today’s standards. It was originally loaded with a 405-grain .45-caliber bullet ahead of 70 grains of black powder, hence the name 45-70. This load had a muzzle velocity of around 1300 fps and compared to modern .45-70 ballistics; it was like throwing a rock. At 200 yards the bullet would drop more than two feet.

With the arrival of the .30-30 Winchester and the 20th Century, interest in the .45-70 waned. It simply could not compete with the flatter shooting .30-30 or the even more modern .30-06. However, in the early 70s Marlin reintroduced their 1895 lever action rifle chambered for the .45-70. A version of Marlin’s much more robust 336 action, the new 1895 could handle ammunition loaded with much higher pressures. Soon, we began to see the second power level of .45-70 ammunition, which included 300-grain bullets being pushed to around 1800 fps. These carried more than 1000 foot-pounds of energy to 200 yards, with trajectories twice as flat as the original loading.

But the advancement in .45-70 ammo did not stop there. The 1895 is a very strong action and companies like Buffalo Bore began loading third power level “heavy” .45-70 ammunition. Recoil is however brutal; out of a Marlin 1895 these heavy loads generate nearly 50 foot-pounds of shoulder shoving punch.

He goes on to discuss some of the advantages and disadvantages, and ends up recommending the 30-30 for white tail and 45-70 for moose and elk (or bear and other dangerous game).

From my perspective, I just don’t want that much shoulder punch.  I’m of the opinion that shooting ought to be a reasonably pleasurable experience, and if it is I’ll do it more and get better at it.

A 30-30 lever action rifle is easy to shoot.  Really easy.  Fun, accurate and pleasurable.

Then again, there are folks who have shot all of these guns so much that it doesn’t really matter.  They’re already that good at it all, so no need for much more time at the range or in the field plinking or target shooting.

And if the really big bore gun meets your needs the best, that’s why we have variety.

By the way, I once knew a Marine Scout Sniper who shot the Barret .50.  He came away with headaches every day from the range because of the concussive blast.

He did everything wrong.

A hiker was so determined to reach the top of Arizona’s highest peak that one rescue wouldn’t stop him from returning the next day to try again.

The 28-year-old Brooklyn, New York, man set out to hike Humphreys Trail to reach the state’s highest peak on Wednesday, March 2.

He did all the research on YouTube and AllTrails, a popular hiking website, before starting the hike, The Daily Sun reported. The information the hiker found said it was possible to reach the summit in two or three hours, so he started his hike at about 2:30 p.m., according to the news outlet.

However, on the way up the hiker became lost. He had to call 911 for help, Coconino County Sheriff’s deputies told The Associated Press.

“It was very easy to get off the trail and fall into the snow,” the hiker, identified by The Daily Sun as Phillip Vasto, told the news outlet.

As rescuers set out to help the man, he found the trail and began hiking downhill, FOX 10 reported. However, a search and rescue crew found the man and took him to a lodge parking lot to make sure he didn’t need medical care.

The man wasn’t injured and declined medical attention, AP reported. Rescuers encouraged the hiker to wait for clearer weather and revisit the trail when the conditions are better, according to The Daily Sun.

The next day, however, the hiker set out to try again. He started his hike earlier at 9:30 a.m. and made it far into the hike, FOX 10 reported.

“I was thinking if I start early in the morning, I’ll have all the time in the world to reach the summit,” Vasto told The Daily Sun.

Then he was hit with high wind gusts and less than ideal weather.

“On his descent he got off trail and fell, causing an injury,” the sheriff’s office told FOX 10.

The man called 911 again at 5 p.m. on Thursday, March 3, AP reported. The Arizona Department of Public Safety sent a rescue helicopter to pick him up.

Apparently, it takes longer to reach the summit than three hours.  But let’s assume three for the sake of argument.

It was supposed to take him three hours.  So he set out at 2:30, which would have put him at the summit at 5:30, which is nearly dark.

What was he planning to do then?

He didn’t know how to navigate, he didn’t leave early enough, he got panicked and stumbled around and got injured.  He didn’t come prepared to stay overnight in the bush.  Apparently he didn’t have the equipment (maps, compass, GPS) to find his way there and back.  He had little if any food or water I would suppose, he had no cover.

Don’t do any of those things.

Always prepare for “less than ideal” weather or other conditions.  Always prepare like you intend to spend the night in the bush.  Or one or two more nights than you had planned.

News from Florida.

Floridians could openly carry firearms in public and wouldn’t need a permit to carry them concealed under legislation that now has the endorsement of Governor Ron DeSantis.

There’s one problem though… The bill hasn’t received a single hearing in either legislative chamber.

While the sponsor of the constitutional carry bill thinks it will be enough to pull the bill directly on the House floor for a vote, opponents don’t seem all that worried.

The controllers aren’t worried because the fix is in.  The fix is always in.

Governor Ron DeSantis was asked if he would support constitutional carry at a press conference Thursday morning.

His direct response: “Put it on my desk I’ll sign it”.

[ … ]

But the legislation on this bill is on life support.

It hasn’t gotten a single hearing in either chamber and the Governor’s endorsement came with only nine days remaining in the legislative session.

It’s easy to say you’ll sign it when it has no chance of passing the chambers of the legislature.

I guess you don’t really think this is important enough to push it, DeSantis.