I have a great article called the sheepdog. I may have posted it on here before.

Jesus told his disciples to get swords. Paul did not tell soldiers to quit their jobs and said government does not carry the sword in vain. The Bible also says we are to take care of our families. Very few people know I carry for that reason. Some of the little old ladies would freak out.

http://sheepdogconcept.com/

I would have to find a different church.

If you gild the lily and claim to be of the Independent or Bible variety, even better. They'll not only leave the carry gun topic alone, they'll probably suddenly forget the whole Christian thing too.

Sacrifices

I agree with Jared, I know who my savior is and regularly attend a Baptist church. On any given sunday at our church there are probably 5 to 10 carrying concealed, even the pastor. The only way we could get rid of arms completely is if everyone always believed as we do. Find another church.

I am on the armed security team at church (SBC), the worship leader, and we have 2-3 others armed on the team in the congregation. Our pastor is the one that initiated the establishment of the team...In his words "God asked me what I was doing to protect my people?"...after several church shootings. Scripture tells us (as already pointed out) we are to protect ourselves. This does not mean I don't trust God, it means I am not tempting God by being foolish in assuming Satan could not have his way in this life. Bad things happen to good people all the time.

I don't think the grandchildren/car seat example is out of place. It is a good example of taking precautions. Would they walk in front of an oncoming car trusting God would save their earthly life ? Would they join in handling rattlesnakes ?

I have been a part of Christian communities for many year that contained people of every theological and political stripe under the sun. Everybody knows my views on guns and every other subject you can name. Those who don't like what think can go piss up a rope. I really don't care what they think.

so long I never get asked...Well, I was the unofficial shooting ministry in Wasilla, but SO was everyone else. I would find a new church, but that may cause more problems than it solves.(It is his fiances and future in-laws church home) I would insist that it is a persona privacy issue. Or even put back on the more persistent as in How can a man be a real patriarch if he lack the means to defend his family & church? ( It is truly how I live and breath)
I think less of any men that consciously chose to be a victim.

--
Of the Troops & For the Troops

Spare tires, Fire extinguishers, Seat belt analogies come to mind.

Hershel Smith posted this on his blog and it is a great exposition on the subject.

http://www.captainsjournal.com/2012/09/25/christians-the-second-amendment-and-the-duty-...

And that is your prerogative, but I would find and print out a few copies of "A Nation of Cowards" and give it to anyone who challenged my choice to carry. Here is a link to a copy for you - http://www.rkba.org/comment/cowards.html

I would highlight the second section, entitled "The Gift Of Life" and let them dwell on it for a while before challenging them on shirking their own responsibility to protect themselves, their families and their community.

All this serves to illustrate that there are two paths.

Route Two, which is Religion--AKA 'church'--is often and unfortunately a social club mined with hurdles/hoops to jump, as a condition of Membership. The premise is that via membership/fellowship you will eventually jump enough hoops/absorb enough Jesus to get you saved.

Route One, which is to go directly Jesus for salvation with a contrite heart, via the words Written In Red.

I'm for taking Route One and I won't attend or support any Toll Booth along Route Two, which complicates the process beyond the Author's Instructions.

The topic of choosing to go armed, for the purpose of protecting yourself and others, often evades these people. They'll hit you with WWJD and 'Turn the other cheek', smug in their piousness and oblivious to the fact that they couldn't even HAVE church if good men with guns hadn't fought and died for that right. They refuse to acknowledge that the 2nd Amendment, State CCW laws etc. make us ALL part of those 'higher powers' mentioned in the 13th Chapter of Romans:

1 Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.

2 Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.

3 For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same:

4 For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.

Every flock has its sheep and this recent 'sheepdog' nonsense is just a PC effort to offer something palatable to those sheep. In biblical times there was only the shepherd and there is no better example than David. When Samuel anointed David, per the Lord's instruction, David did not lay down his sling. He went back to his sheep on the hillsides around Bethlehem, but God was with him.

David grew up strong and brave, not afraid of the wild beasts which prowled around and tried to carry away his sheep. More than once he fought with lions, and bears, and killed them, when they seized the lambs of his flock. And David, alone all day, practiced throwing stones in a sling, until he could strike exactly the place for which he aimed. When he swung his sling, he knew that the stone would go to the very spot at which he was throwing it.

Sound familiar?

God Bless you all and Happy Thanksgiving.

Sarge alerted me to this string and after reading through the posts I wanted to throw in my 2 cents worth.
WTH? Perhaps that response is not PC or an acceptable Christian response. Really, he needs to evaluate by becoming a part of this "family," is he going to compromise his core beliefs & convictions? Being introduced as a "gun guy" is an immediate flag to all the other church members that who he is has to be changed, essentially throwing him to the "wolves" of the congregation to conform to their ideas & protocol.
Sometimes, you step on peoples toes because their toes are where they don't belong in the first place. No apologies.

If you have to compromise part of your belief system to appease your fiance's family and "extended family," the entire relationship is doomed from the start.

Bottom line....find a new girl.

Nothing there for you.

The bad always gets worse.

Byron

have a sword ? if not, then let him sell his cloak and buy one. as i recall there were more than one of them carrying a sword.....and obviously concealed , or he wouldn't have even asked !

or as Byron says , just walk away.

haven't had time to sit down and put fingers to keys to type up anything 'til this evening. Here's a few thoughts for your friend.

First - what is his fiancee's take on the issue? That is the one that he needs to address first. If she believes he is wrong for providing protection for himself and others - he would be foolish to continue with the relationship. They would be unequally yoked and now's the time to break it off, not after they've gotten married, had kids, etc.

Next - he's got to ask himself why he's afraid to address the issue with folks. THEY brought (bring) it up, not him. So the ball's in his court. It behooves him to address the issue in a straightforward manner.

So, "trust Jesus" is their "strategy". Simple questions should make them think and get his point across.

"Do you carry insurance above and beyond the minimum required by law?" As far as that goes, give to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's. Why carry insurance at all? Trust that you will never be in an accident or stopped by the police and asked for proof of insurance. If you are not willing to do so, if you insist on carrying insurance, why don't you simply "Learn to trust Jesus."?

"Do you have a spare tire?" Why? Why not "Trust Jesus" and believe that you'll never have a flat tire?

"Do you lock your doors?" Why? Why not "Trust Jesus." and learn to rely on Him for protecting your property?

"Do you have a retirement plan other than that mandated by the US Government?" Why don't you "Trust Jesus" and quit laying up treasure on earth instead of in heaven?

The list can go on and on. Those who claim "Just trust Jesus" rarely follow their own advice in other spheres of life.

But it really comes down to - what does his lady have to say on the subject? If she's in that court then he's better off simply walking away and finding a better fit as a life's companion. If she believes as he does then they really need to consider the Bible's injunction to "leave father and mother" and establish themselves in a faith community where they are allowed and encouraged to grow together and follow their Lord and Savior according to their understanding of His Word.

And, as an after thought, he ought to get a copy of Charl van Wyck's book "Shooting Back". They are cheap and are a great defense of the right and duty of the Christian to self defense.

Bible in hand, Gun in pocket is the title of a book written about religion on the fronter in the 1800's. One of the many stories in that book has stayed with me for many years now.

A circuit riding minister was confronted by several members of the church he had ridden to that day to minister. He was asked if he truly believed in the Lord, then why did he feel the need to go armed?

His reply was that he had ridden many miles over the plains that day to get to their church. And, that there were hostile Indians in the area and he could at anytime be attacked. While he fully believed all men have an appointed time to depart this earth to their heavenly reward, it may not be his day...but the day for his attackers to go to theirs.

Works for me.

Murphy

I'm a Christian and a gun guy and I agree with this man's position but he's trying too hard not to offend a bunch of self righteous morons who obviously haven't spent enough time in their Bible to discover God not only recognizes the right to self defense, but more importantly the duty. Godly men and women have been brutalized throughout history so just saying trust God is pathetically ignorant and dare I say pompass. Obviously some people are called to give their life for Christ and if that day comes there will be nothing you can do to stop it, but when you have that option and someone with a gun decides he's gonna brutalize your wife and you COULD HAVE done something to stop it but don't...I just can't express my disdain for such people strongly enough. I organized a concealed handgun class for our church at the beginning of this month, our pastor and his wife took the class and it was taught by a local police chief who is a devout Christian...and yes, we pack in church. Maybe they need to read Revelation 21:8 and see who Jesus himself lumps cowards in with. Like I said, I'd find a Godly community of genuine believers.

a right granted by God.