The 2nd Amendment and Why It’s Important 

The 2nd Amendment and Why It’s Important 

In April of 2006, while I was still serving in the Army, I had to go home to Michigan. A friend, and a classmate died from his injuries sustained while doing combat operations in Iraq. I had received word that the “Westboro Baptist Church” which was blasted all over the news for their disgusting protests at soldiers’ funerals, would be at Webber’s funeral. I was prepared to go to jail for punching a protestor in the face if necessary. I was a much different person back then. I was young and dumb. The Supreme Court (SCOTUS), ruled that they had a constitutional right to protest at a funeral, even if what they were saying was vial and disgusting. Back then I didn’t see the big picture of the constitution and the Bill of Rights. I was upset at what they were saying, and where they were saying it. I found it repulsive, but over time, I began to understand. Our rights are given to us by God, not government. Our Bill of Rights is there to tell government what they cannot infringe upon. Even if we don’t like something, that doesn’t change what is. 

Colion Noir’s website says this “In 1776 the Musket was the AR-15 of its time, and when a Tyrannical government tried to take those Muskets away from us, we used those muskets to fight a revolutionary war for our freedom as a Country.

The founding fathers understood how vital the rifle was to maintaining this newly found freedom, so they enshrined our right to own it in our constitution in the form of the 2nd Amendment.

Now in 2019, the AR-15 is to us what the Musket was to the founding fathers in 1776.

Recently I have found many are upset surrounding the AR-15 still. But, let us ask ourselves why? I believe it’s quite simple. People are upset because the media and government tell them to be upset. In DBT (Dialectical Behavioral Therapy) we learn a technique called ‘fit the facts’. Do your emotions fit the facts of the situation. In 2024, the most recently compiled data points, only 401 murders were committed by rifles. This is all rifle types, not AR-15 specific. So, we can make a safe assumption, not all 401 deaths were the dreaded AR-15. This is out of the total murders committed of 20,162. Conservative estimates believe there are between 60,000 -70,000 defensive gun uses, meaning guns were used to stop crime or harm. No one likes to talk about these uses. Some broader research shows this number could be anywhere above 500,000. This wide range is because there is no database, and most prevented crime isn’t logged like crime is. Do the benefits outweigh the harm? This author believes it does. 

We must be intellectually honest about these things. When the car was made, I don’t think Ford believed iterations of his invention would one day be used to kill many people worldwide in a single year.  We believe there have been roughly 294 attacks between 200-2025, 11-12 per/year, killing roughly 100-300 per year. Because countries don’t keep track, it’s difficult to say. What can be seen however is more people are intentionally using vehicles to commit terrorist attacks. Would we take the same approach to vehicles as we do guns? No, obviously people aren’t thinking about banning trucks or vans. We are not looking to ban alcohol to prevent alcohol related fatalities both drunk driving, and other. Those deaths are also in the thousands a year. 11,904 deaths from alcohol impaired driving. There are an estimated 2.6 million deaths worldwide related to alcohol attributed deaths. Yet, we are not considering banning alcohol. The argument falls apart when someone says for guns ‘at least we’re doing something.’ Well, why are we not doing that for vehicles, or alcohol? In England they are looking to ban kitchen knives with points to show they are doing ‘something’. Australia and England have banned ninja swords, and Australia has now banned machetes. I don’t understand the machetes ban because of how useful it is in both camping, and just simple yard work. In reality, the bans that have been made, have made little to no difference. 

The question then remains, where is the line? What freedoms is the average person willing to give up in the name of potential safety? 

Benjamin Franklin once said: “Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.”

Now that I’m older I realize my problem during Webber’s funeral was I wanted to pick and choose from the constitution, rather than accepting the good and bad that came from rights. 

Let’s think of this in a different way. You’re a police officer. You know someone is a bad guy and you know if you could just search their house, or car, you’ll find the evidence you need. But, you have to have a warrant to search. Sometimes the rules may get in the way of justice, but just because you don’t always like it, you still have to respect it. The constitution is the same. 

There are approximately * About 76–83 million American adults own at least one firearm

* About 400–533 million firearms are privately owned in the United States. If guns were truly the problem….. we’d know it. Gun crime is a very small fraction of the total number of guns in the U.S. I have come to believe that firearms are hated, mostly by people who have never felt the fear of danger. Someone said to me recently that to them it seemed I was blaming victims of crime. That could not be further from the truth. In reality, I want no one to be a victim. I feel firmly that criminals do not fear the law. They do not fear jail. They do not fear the police. Because they do not have this fear, they feel they can commit crime at their leisure. I believe your only protection is not 911, but that you protect yourself. By the time 911 gets there the crime has already happened. You are responsible for your own safety, both in the home, and away from it. I want to ensure you have teeth to protect yourself from the predator that may try to hurt you. That being said, the 2nd Amendment isn’t just for self-protection. I firmly believe because we’ve seen it in many places, Germany in the 1930’s, Canada, and England today, that the 1st amendment (freedom of speech) is crumbling. People are being detained and arrested for simply sharing their beliefs and thoughts. You believe abortion is murder, you can now be arrested for offending someone. We saw during the Biden administration social media under the pressure of the government was burying anyone who spoke out against Covid-19 vaccines, or the Hunter Biden laptop. The government was telling social media companies to censure speech it deemed to be ‘fake news’, but would eventually be found out it was all true. So, why do we have the second amendment? It’s there to safeguard against government overreach. It’s not there for hunting, it’s there to keep the government in check. It’s the fourth check n balance. Our government a 3-tiered government each checking one another, and we the militia are the check against the government to ensure our rights are not taken away by those who would do so, likely under the false flag of ‘protection’. This is not new. We saw it happen in Cuba, Germany, Iran, N. Korea. Take away the guns, the government does whatever it wants and the people have no way to fight back. 

I think many people who have negative feelings about firearms are generally those who have never been in a situation where they felt unsafe. Growing up, I lived not far from Detroit. I lived in constant fear. Every day on the news was rape, murder, arson, and it seemed never ending. As a young kid I always watched the news. I remember the Gulf War even though I was only 7 years old. I remember the Oklahoma City bombing at 9 years old. Every year at Halloween, the day before was called Devil’s Night, because people would light cars, buildings, and homes on fire. Sometimes they were abandoned, but sometimes they weren’t. We delt with a lot of gang violence, and it seemed the police were outmatched every day. Even though my school weighed heavily towards the Democrat party in its teaching, I had a strong feeling towards guns my whole life. It was the one thing I didn’t agree with Democrats on even in my elementary school years. I wondered growing up, how there could be so much animosity to an inanimate object that so many people relied on to do good with. How could Democrats hate guns, yet employ those with guns to keep them safe? How could democrat presidents have secret service with guns, for their safety, their family’s safety, but we citizens who live in dangerous neighborhoods can’t have anything to protect our families with. As a child this situation never made sense to me. Today, as an adult, I’ve come to understand how much I was lied to as a child. I’ve come to realize how much my school did to indoctrinate me into the liberal ideology. Today, I am a Christian, conservative, free from the lies I once believed to be true. We have seen a surprising uptick in political attacks in this country. Charlie Kirk was killed not by an AR-15, but likely a .30-06 bolt action rifle. The Butner assassination attempt on President Trump was an AR-15. The golf course assassination attempt a SKS 7.62 rifle was found at the scene. The White House Correspondence Dinner, a 12-gauge maverick shotgun which was fired at a secret service agent, a .38 semi-automictic pistol, and multiple knives were found on the suspect. After years of reporting Wolf Blitzer could not identify the weapon used, or even weapon type, but instead said the shooter fired what appeared to be “a very serious weapon.” As a long time reporter, I would expect a seasoned reporter to have even a basic knowledge of the guns he reports so often on. Even in these few examples, only one involved an AR-15. The variety used shows that even if you remove on option, there will be many more to choose from. Thankfully the WHCD didn’t end up worse, because if he wanted too, he could have used an explosive device. That would have nearly ensured the entire line of succession would have been removed. A tragedy was subverted once again. We as a society seem to have forgotten the danger of events like the Boston bombing, the world trade center, Oklahoma City, and most recently the pipe bombs thrown in New York City. Guns are not the problem, people no longer respect life. We are using rhetoric that dehumanizes an entire group of people in this country, and attacks against conservatives are on the rise as people view them as Nazi’s, fascist, and evil. One main function of the communist party is to, by their own admission make all religions superfluous, and communism supersedes them. Ideological Subversion: It takes 15-20 years to demoralize a people. In an interview with Yuri Bezmenov a former KGB operative, he discusses the process already happening in America. In the communist goals of 1963 we see two goals 26. Present homosexuality, degeneracy as promiscuity as ‘normal, natural, healthy.” “27 Infitrate the churches and replace revealed religion with “social” religion. Discredit the Bible and emphasize the need for intellectual maturity which does not need a “religious crutch.” “28 Eliminate prayer or any phase of religious expression in the schools on the ground that it violates the principle of “separation of church and state.” 

29 “Discredit the American Constitution by calling it inadequate, old-fashioned, out of step with modern needs, a hinderance to cooperation between nations on a worldwide basis.” 

“When certain obstructionists become too irritating, label them after suitable buildups as fascist or Nazi or anti-Semitic, and use the prestige of anti-fascist and tolerance organizations to discredit them. In the public mind constantly associate those who oppose us with those names which already have a bad smell. The association will after enough repetition become fact in the public mind.”

It is typically dated to 1943 and attributed to CPUSA directives or The Communist (their theoretical journal). It gained popularity through G. Edward Griffin (e.g., in his 1969 lecture More Deadly Than War) and has been repeated in conservative circles, John Birch Society materials, and online videos ever since. 

When you listen to the manifestos of current assassins, and media, you can hear conservatives being compared to and called things like Nazi, Fascist, and now people are trying to kill conservatives. This is not a coincidence. This is manufactured hate. Destroy the church. Question the constitution. Destroy the patriot mindset. Infiltrate the government, gain power, and with it sew dissention. Abraham Lincoln once said the US would not be destroyed from an enemy abroad, but from within. Our enemy is truly within the walls, hiding in plain sight, or at least they used to be. Now they are no longer hiding, they are shouting form the rooftops who they are, and what they want. Global domination, global control. This is not a conspiracy theory, but verifiable and well documented. 

So what is the true reason there’s so much animosity towards guns? Control. Just like Iran, N. Korea, Pre-WWII Germany, it’s all about control. When you cannot force your will upon a people because they have guns, the whole mission becomes removing Guns from the hands of those you wish to control. If it were about anything else, say, protecting lives, then the idea would be to train the population to respect human life, and to carry a firearm for protection, but it isn’t. Even today with products like the Byrna Kinetic Launcher, no one is saying to people, “don’t be a victim” own a Byrna. When there are non-lethal ways to self-defense, and yet, it’s not being talked about, of course it’s not about self-defense. New York is proposing a bill that would eliminate all airsoft, BB, pellet, and paintball guns. This isn’t about gun control, or even public safety, this is about trying to eliminate gun culture. Stop kids from growing up with toy or lifelike projectile guns, you may stop them from owning ‘real’ guns.

911 is and never will be a preventative measure. Police most of the time respond after a crime has already occurred. Even in the event of a tragic active shooter, or a break-in of your home, police are minutes away. This precious time is unfortunately an eternity when bullets could be flying. No matter what you do, bad people will always do bad things. You cannot claim that banning things, items from common usage is truly going to fix anything. Banning Guns in the UK, led to a rise in knife crime, then banning ninja swords led people to kitchen knives, and now kitchen knives to remove the point because people are still dying. No amount of banning anything will actively fix anything. Murder and battery will still happen, no matter how much banning you do.

Both the Office of Justice and National Institute of Justice admitted the 1994 ‘Assault Weapons Ban’ had little to no effect on gun crime in the country for the 10 years it was in place. When we look at the country as a whole, places that have the highest restrictions, often have the higher gun crime rate. Why is this? Victims have no teeth, no way to fight back against a criminal that does not fear the law, does not fear the judge, does not fear the jury, and does not fear jail. As the man of the house, I believe it is my responsibility to protect not only myself, but my family. Not only do I believe banning weapons because of the way they look, or even the arbitrary number of rounds the magazines can hold, is foolish, but goes directly against the reason the second amendment exists to begin with. When we truly offer a thought to why magazine bans happen, it’s a form of control. Someone, somewhere has said, ‘you, homeowner, are limited to 10 rounds to protect your home.’ It does not matter the criminal breaking in has a 30-round magazine, but you cannot. The emotional decision to ban magazine sizes comes from incidents like school shootings, less than 1% of all gun related incidences nationwide. While I firmly believe school shootings are avoidable, we have seen that even in places where guns are banned, mass school attacks still happen. We’ve seen large scale bladed attacks worldwide. We’ve seen terrorist attacks using vehicles as weapons to inflict maximum casualties. In recent months we’ve seen multiple bombs being used to try and inflict casualties but thankfully they did not detonate. Those who use the argument why do you need 30 rounds to kill a dear, either know they are being disingenuous or don’t understand the nature of what the 2nd amendment truly is. 250 years ago, our founders knew the cost of insuring freedom would be high. This great experiment built upon the back of a Righteous and Holy God, would be cemented in the blood of men willing to die for its success. George Washington and other founders said this “”A free people ought not only to be armed, but disciplined…”

– George Washington, First Annual Address, to both House of Congress, January 8, 1790

“No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms.”

– Thomas Jefferson, Virginia Constitution, Draft 1, 1776

“What country can preserve its liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance. Let them take arms.”

– Thomas Jefferson, letter to William Stephens Smith, son-in-law of John Adams, December 20, 1787

“The laws that forbid the carrying of arms are laws of such a nature. They disarm only those who are neither inclined nor determined to commit crimes…. Such laws make things worse for the assaulted and better for the assailants; they serve rather to encourage than to prevent homicides, for an unarmed man may be attacked with greater confidence than an armed man.”

– Thomas Jefferson, Commonplace Book (quoting 18th century criminologist Cesare Beccaria), 1774-1776

“The Constitution of most of our states (and of the United States) assert that all power is inherent in the people; that they may exercise it by themselves; that it is their right and duty to be at all times armed.”

– Thomas Jefferson, letter to to John Cartwright, 5 June 1824

“They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.”

– Benjamin Franklin, Historical Review of Pennsylvania, 1759

“To disarm the people…[i]s the most effectual way to enslave them.”

– George Mason, referencing advice given to the British Parliament by Pennsylvania governor Sir William Keith, The Debates in the Several State Conventions on the Adooption of the Federal Constitution, June 14, 1788

“I ask who are the militia? They consist now of the whole people, except a few public officers.”

– George Mason, Address to the Virginia Ratifying Convention, June 4, 1788

“Before a standing army can rule, the people must be disarmed, as they are in almost every country in Europe. The supreme power in America cannot enforce unjust laws by the sword; because the whole body of the people are armed, and constitute a force superior to any band of regular troops.”

– Noah Webster, An Examination of the Leading Principles of the Federal Constitution, October 10, 1787

“The right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed. A well regulated militia, composed of the body of the people, trained to arms, is the best and most natural defense of a free country.”

– James Madison, I Annals of Congress 434, June 8, 1789

“This may be considered as the true palladium of liberty…. The right of self defense is the first law of nature: in most governments it has been the study of rulers to confine this right within the narrowest limits possible. Wherever standing armies are kept up, and the right of the people to keep and bear arms is, under any color or pretext whatsoever, prohibited, liberty, if not already annihilated, is on the brink of destruction.”

– St. George Tucker, Blackstone’s Commentaries on the Laws of England, 1803

“The Constitution shall never be construed to prevent the people of the United States who are peaceable citizens from keeping their own arms.”

– Samuel Adams, Massachusetts Ratifying Convention, 1788

“The right of the citizens to keep and bear arms has justly been considered, as the palladium of the liberties of a republic; since it offers a strong moral check against the usurpation and arbitrary power of rulers; and will generally, even if these are successful in the first instance, enable the people to resist and triumph over them.”

– Joseph Story, Commentaries on the Constitution of the United States, 1833

“What, Sir, is the use of a militia? It is to prevent the establishment of a standing army, the bane of liberty …. Whenever Governments mean to invade the rights and liberties of the people, they always attempt to destroy the militia, in order to raise an army upon their ruins.”

– Rep. Elbridge Gerry of Massachusetts, I Annals of Congress 750, August 17, 1789

“If the representatives of the people betray their constituents, there is then no resource left but in the exertion of that original right of self-defense which is paramount to all positive forms of government, and which against the usurpations of the national rulers, may be exerted with infinitely better prospect of success than against those of the rulers of an individual state. In a single state, if the persons entrusted with supreme power become usurpers, the different parcels, subdivisions, or districts of which it consists, having no distinct government in each, can take no regular measures for defense. The citizens must rush tumultuously to arms, without concert, without system, without resource; except in their courage and despair.”

– Alexander Hamilton, Federalist No. 28

“A militia when properly formed are in fact the people themselves…and include, according to the past and general usuage of the states, all men capable of bearing arms…  “To preserve liberty, it is essential that the whole body of the people always possess arms, and be taught alike, especially when young, how to use them.”

– Richard Henry Lee, Federal Farmer No. 18, January 25, 1788

“And that the said Constitution be never construed to authorize Congress to infringe the just liberty of the press, or the rights of conscience; or to prevent the people of the United States, who are peaceable citizens, from keeping their own arms; or to raise standing armies, unless necessary for the defense of the United States, or of some one or more of them; or to prevent the people from petitioning, in a peaceable and orderly manner, the federal legislature, for a redress of grievances; or to subject the people to unreasonable searches and seizures of their persons, papers or possessions.”

– Samuel Adams, Massachusetts Ratifying Convention, 1788

“The right of the citizens to keep and bear arms has justly been considered, as the palladium of the liberties of a republic; since it offers a strong moral check against the usurpation and arbitrary power of rulers; and will generally, even if these are successful in the first instance, enable the people to resist and triumph over them.”

– Joseph Story, Commentaries on the Constitution of the United States, 1833

“What, Sir, is the use of a militia? It is to prevent the establishment of a standing army, the bane of liberty …. Whenever Governments mean to invade the rights and liberties of the people, they always attempt to destroy the militia, in order to raise an army upon their ruins.”

– Rep. Elbridge Gerry of Massachusetts, I Annals of Congress 750, August 17, 1789

As we can see, the founders had strong feelings about the necessity for able bodied Americans to be armed. In fact, they felt so strongly about this, that they believed it wasn’t so much as an option, but a responsibility of a male citizen to keep and bear arms, if at all possible. What more can I say, that our founders already established. During the SCOTUS ruling of NYSRPA v. Bruen which forced states to ensure their laws held up to text, history, and tradition of gun laws in the United States. Do modern restrictions hold up to laws around 1791. This forces states to reconsider their magazine capacity sizes, and firearm types. Today, we no longer carry flintlock muskets, but rather more modernized weapons such as the Ar-15, the civilian model designed similarly to the military M4. While the military version of the Armalite rifle has a three round burst selector switch, today, for civilians it is simply a semi-automatic. When you listen to many speak on the side of the Democrats, it’s evident they do not know what they are talking about. I personally find it very disturbing that anyone passing or pushing laws that would restrict the constitutional rights of millions, hasn’t taken the time to actually study the subject they are trying to pass laws on. The things I have heard liberals saying regarding firearms is nothing short of insane. 

Mr. Cicilline: refers to a stabilizing brace as a bump stock, making it an automatic weapon. (Note: It does not) 

President Biden “If you wanna protect yourself… Get a double-barreled shotgun, fire two blasts outside the house into the air.” (Warning Shots are generally illegal.) 

Patricia Eddington; New York Assembly “Some of these bullets have an incendiary device on the end of it making it heat seeking.” (No bullet is heat seeking) 

A politician once said, “if you ban high-capacity magazines, that over time they will decrease because they would have all been shot….” (Obviously not realizing a magazine is what bullets go into, and are reusable.) 

New York City Mayor Bloomberg once said this “if it can fire a lot of bullets very quickly…. If you haven’t hit the deer with three shots, you’re a pretty lousy shot, that deer deserves to get away.” The interviewer said that most pistols hold more than three. He then replied, but that’s different, you have to pull the trigger each time. An assault weapon you hold and it goes (Sound, breet.) 

(He basically believed all AR-15’s are all full automatic rifles. Also, in the interview he made a hunting example. The second amendment has nothing to do with hunting. Former Mayor Bloomberg spent millions of dollars on the fight for gun control.) 

This next clip is an unknown politician to me. He said, “this is a ghost gun. This has the ability with a 30. Caliber clip, to disburse with 30 bullets within half a second, 30 magazine clip in half a second.” 

Where do I start? There is no such thing as a 30 caliber clip. And it’s not a thing to fire bullets 30 rounds in half a second. This was being said during a press briefing. His knowledge of how firearms work is staggeringly ignorant. 

Diane Feinstein “it’s legal to hunt humans with 15, 30 round, even 150 round magazines.” She goes on to talk about hunting ducks. During a photo shoot with Diane, she is seen holding an AK-47. In the photo she can be seen finger on the trigger. No trigger discipline. Obviously hunting humans is not legal. 

President Biden “Well, you know, my shotgun will do better for you than your AR-15, because you want to keep someone away from your house, just fire the shotgun through the door.” (It is absolutely not legal to shoot through the door at an intruder. Bad advice Joe… bad advice. ) 

Mike Thompson “Federal law prohibits me from having more than three shells in my shotgun when I’m duck hunting. So federal law provides more protection for ducks than it does for it’s citizens.” (Humans can’t be hunted. Why is this even a thing?) 

It seems to me that many politicians believe or want you to believe the 2A has anything to do with hunting. It doesn’t. Not only do they not know how the guns work, how magazines work, but they don’t know the basic premise of the 2ndAmendment, or gun safety. 

When someone becomes a gun owner, you have skin in the game. When you don’t own them, I wouldn’t expect many to feel strongly about not destroying the rights for people. People often expect police to come save them. That’s not their job. The job of the police is to enforce the law. Until someone is breaking the law, until they’ve shot at you, until they’ve attacked you, until they are already in the midst of violence, police can’t do much. Most people are not vigilant while in public. Most people are not aware of what’s going on around them. Most people who are against guns, have never been attacked. While the average person being attacked would be a rare occurrence, when we look at the random crimes that have been major news in the last year, we can see many of the same category of people. I want to preface this: I am in no way blaming what happened on the victim. This is always the person attacking. HOWEVER, we see a trend in behavior that made the attacks easier. The average person doesn’t think about these things, and therefore make themselves a potential victim. I will start with the death of Bruce Wayne’s family. Traveling down a dark alley, late at night, and outsteps a criminal with a gun. Thomas and Martha are eventually gunned down in cold blood, leaving young Bruce Wayne to grow up into the man that wouldn’t ever be a victim again. Making good choices, and being aware of your surroundings is a major step in not being a victim. Again, the police won’t be there to save you. Iryna Zarutska was killed on a train. She sat there, watching her phone, not paying attention to anyone around her. Sadly, her killer would stand up from behind her and stab her to death. Not only were the police not around, average citizens got up from their seats and put distance between the poor girl, and themselves. I cannot say for sure she would have been safe if she’d been sitting differently, facing a different direction, paying attention, but what we do see is many people today are traveling in public with their faces in their phones completely unaware of the dangers lurking around them. 

The Rockford Illinois stabbing spree of March 2024. He went around stabbing people at random including a US postal service worker, leaving four dead. 

NYC Subway stabbing trends (2025-2026), these attacks over the last year have resulted in both fatalities and severe critical attacks. These attacks have included the use of machetes, and appeared to be random in nature. 

San Antonio machete attack 2026 a man was attacked randomly under the 1-10 bridge. He fled to a shell gas station where he managed to call for help. 

Stephanie Minter was stabbed to death at a bus stop in Virginia on Feb 23, 2026. 

 Then, there are the high-profile cases of illegal aliens attacking and murdering people. 

Antonio Martinez Guilty of rape and murder of Rachel Morin on a Maryland hiking trail 2023-2025. 

Jose Antonio Ibarra killed Laken Riley on the University of Georgia campus in 2024. 

Jose Medina was charged with the murder of Sheridan Gorman in Chicago 2026. 

Edwin Antonio confessed of five murders including a dismemberment of an unaccompanied minor. 

Savannah, Georgia (Dec 2025/2026): A woman was attacked with sulfuric acid in Forsyth Park while walking. As of April 2026, the attacker is unknown, and the case remains under investigation by local police and the FBI.

Long Island, New York (2021-2026): In March 2021, student Nafiah Ikram was attacked with acid outside her home. Terrell Campbell was arrested in 2026 after a tipster identified him and prosecutors alleged he posted a rap video boasting about the crime.

New Jersey/Florida (2024): A woman in New Jersey suffered 35% body burns from a “highly caustic acid” attack. Three Florida residents were charged with conspiracy to commit the attack, which was found to be a targeted, paid arrangement.

Washington D.C. (2017): A woman was sentenced to 12 years in prison for attacking an ex-boyfriend with a knife and sulfuric acid.

Bradford Gille; Traverse City Michigan, July 26, 2025. A mass stabbing event where 11 people were injured. What many news agencies left out of their reporting was how Gille was stopped. Two marine veterans took it upon themselves to intervene. One attempted to subdue Gille with a shopping cart, while the other Derrick Perry drew his personal pistol to stop Gille and hold him till police arrived. Odd, how most of the news reports I read ignored this fact. It was the Marine Times that actually told the truth that a personal owned firearm stopped the suspect and likely saved lives.

There are far more cases, but I think you get the point. Violence doesn’t always come at the hand of a firearm. Violence comes from anyone who wants to do violent things. The weapon of choice can be anything from household kitchen items, to a machete, to a katana, to a firearm, to a bomb, even acid. The point is, you are your first responder. We have people and politicians who know nothing about firearms, trying to get rid of firearms, not to pass what they call common sense gun control. One thing to point out, these politicians are excusing themselves from these gun laws they are putting on everyone else.

“At its core it’s about finishing what we started.” (Rep. Teresa Tanzi) 

In 2025 Rhode Island passed an ‘assault’ weapons ban. They included a grandfather clause. However, this year, Rep. Tanzi took the microphone stating that they would be removing the grandfather clause making these weapons illegal. 

“last year we as a body, banned the sale, manufacture and transfer of certain assault weapons as defined in that law. That was an important step, but was only a partial one. We should be honest about that.” 

She goes on :

“Right now our law draws an arbitrary line. We have said these firearms cannot enter the marketplace going forward. But we continue to allow them to remain in circulation indefinitely. That undermines the very policy we put in place, and makes enforcement more difficult.” 

“IF these weapons are too dangerous to be sold in Rhode Island, then we really should have addressed possession at the same time. We didn’t, and this bill corrects that.” 

This is the government admitting they are in fact coming for your guns. These politicians aren’t getting rid of their armed security. The police aren’t getting rid of theirs. This is politicians showing their true colors, an unarmed population, is a controlled population. During the covid summer of love, we saw mass riots in the streets. We saw businesses being destroyed. We saw people’s livelihood being torn down to the ground. Not long ago, in my home state, a woman called 911 from home. Someone broke into her house, but before police could respond, when they did, she had already been murdered. The short time it took for police to arrive, it was too late. Everyone has an inherent right to self-defense. As a man, I have the responsibility to train, and be prepared to defend my family, people I care about, and the weak in society. No one is coming ‘in time’ to save you. It’s easy to scoff at the idea of why someone needs a gun. It’s easy to do this if you have never lived in a place where it was dangerous. If you’ve never felt your life was in danger. If you’ve never truly experienced fear. Our founding fathers understood the need and that’s why they are on the record speaking about gun ownership, and gun carry, on a regular basis. All politicians that claim gun control is for public safety has an agenda, and that agenda is a disarmed society. They are praying on your emotions and naivety, to side with them and push to ban something you may not care anything about. We as a society have gotten complacent to believe we are safe because we have some of the best police departments in the world. But if you go to many middle eastern countries, they own an AK-47 per household. Why? Because the police aren’t coming, and you’re responsible for your own safety. Iran gave up their rights, and now they suffer under a murderous regime that kills them for showing their hair in public. For being gay. For speaking out against the government. The truth is, every society that has given up their rights to allow the government to take over their security, is now realizing that may have been a mistake. Canada just decided by 95% they are not going to allow the government to take their guns.

During the Supreme Court Case DeShaney v. Winnebago County Department of Social Services in 1989, they decided the government does not have an obligation to protect the citizen from private acts of violence. This is something everyone should consider. If the government has no responsibility to protect you, then who does? You. I have long stated gun free zones should be held as unconstitutional. We’ve seen over and over how criminals ignore that little gun free sign, and commit catastrophic events. If they tell you, you can’t have a gun, is that them saying, we will take responsibility for your safety while you are here? No, of course not. Most of the time, malls do not have armed officers patrolling, or at entrances. Schools often do not have a service officer on duty. Yet, we protect banks with armed guards. Federal buildings have armed guards. But you, you’re not allowed to protect yourself. As we’ve seen, those who wish to do harm don’t have to have a knife, but if they do have a knife, how would you stop them if you didn’t have a gun? No one wins in a knife fight. The only way to true defense is to train in it. You have to train your mind to be vigilant, to pay attention, and to know what to do in the event of an incident. I am not calling for anyone to be a vigilante, just be aware of your surroundings, and have a plan to protect yourself. If you’re out for a jog, have a plan. If you’re out to dinner with family, have a plan. If you are going to and from work, have a plan. You are the Militia. You are your first responder. It’s up to you to protect yourself. While the average person will never be put into a situation where this is necessary, we are all familiar with insurance. You have it in the hopes you’ll never need to use it. We have insurance on our cars, homes, our health, and our pets. A firearm is your insurance policy to protect, potentially your life. We hope you’ll never need to use it, but break-in’s happen nationwide every 25-30 seconds in the U.S. Out of that nearly 28% of all break-in’s happen while someone is home. On average every 26 seconds in America a random violent attack happens in the U.S. The 2nd Amendment is important because I don’t want anyone to be a victim. While I believe our focus should be fixing the heart problem of these attacks on people, I do not believe the answer is to focus on the weapon used, but those using the weapon. In major cities gang-violence is 13% of all annual homicides. The cause to ban AR-15’s are based on 1% of annual homicides that are attributed to mass shootings. We must be careful as a society to understand the facts. We accept the risks of allowing people to drive cars. We accept the danger that some people who use a car in the U.S. will die every single day. Because the daily need for a firearm isn’t as pronounced as the need to have a vehicle to get to work, or go places, many deem them irrelevant. The truth is, we don’t talk about the number of crimes prevented by the mere possession of a firearm. If police officers can use them to protect others, the same rule applies to people. There are millions of guns in the united states, and we if we’re honest should understand if gun owners were truly the problem we’d know it. Once again, In 2024 there were 15,795 murders total in the US. Out of those only 11,717 were firearms. Less than 1% of all firearms were rifles, and less than that were the AR-15. There were 11,904 drunk driving deaths in the US. With over 400-533 million firearms, if these were the problem, we’d have far more than 11,000 deaths a year by firearms. If we are truly honest with ourselves, we should be asking, why anti-gun politicians are pushing so hard, but aren’t trying to save the millions who die in abortions, by illegal drugs coming over the border, the deaths caused by illegal aliens. If protecting life were truly the goal, you’d see a stronger stance on these things. Instead, media outlets are quiet about deaths from illegals, and during the latest assassination attempt, the gun debate didn’t happen. This shows us, there is an agenda, not a true moral compass about gun violence. Protect yourself. Protect your family. Learn the history of the 2A and learn how it’s shaped America. Learn how it saved America during WWII. See how other countries have failed and fallen to the left-wing ideology of eliminating guns. Why do socialist countries need to ban guns before they can take control? Learn your rights, and learn how to protect yourself and your family. If you don’t want to own a gun, at least own a Byrna Launcher 

Some of the videos I think you should watch, is where some of my information came from. 

Byrna Launcher 

https://byrna.com/?_gl=1*9xll7c*_ga*MjA1NTY1ODQ5NS4xNzc3ODM0NTYy*_ga_KKCQKKS56K*czE3Nzc4MzQ1NjIkbzEkZzEkdDE3Nzc4MzQ1NjIkajYwJGwwJGgyMTIxMzgxNDUw

No One Is Coming To Save You: 

AR-15 Gun Ban, Grandfather Claus Being Erased

Communist Goals (1963)

The Communist 1943

For More of the Arrow Preacher follow on YouTube: 

https://youtube.com/@thearrowpreacher6920?si=wvVC80iHWsSSkRY1

The Truth Behind Minneapolis and The Far-Left Ideology: A Christian Perspective 

The Truth Behind Minneapolis and The Far-Left Ideology: A Christian Perspective 

Let me start off by saying this, I saw a video recently speaking on those who are going to social media giving their non-professional opinion, because simply put, they’ve never been in that kind of situation. They’ve never had to call 911 because they were threatened in some way, or worse attacked. Let me give you, my reader, my credentials. I am an Army Veteran. I fought in the Iraq war, and when I say fought, I have been shot at, I have been blown up, I have been in a firefight, and I have fired my weapon at other human beings. I know first-hand how quickly you have to make a decision whether to fire or not. After my time in the war I served as a security professional in many different kind of places. I’ve served in places like John Deere where I was alone in the entire facility. I have served in places like the busiest mall in my area, as third in command of the security team, and often in charge of my team during the days I worked. I have been security for my church team, and while that doesn’t sound like it would be busy or stressful, believe it or not, were always on high alert for one reason or another. I have worked with law enforcement and my combined experiences 23 years of experience. And if you want to be specific, I have had to shoot at incoming vehicles that failed to heed commands. The main difference was I was 65-100 meters away, while the officer in Minneapolis was inches (till he was hit by her car). 

Apparently California has lost 1Trillion dollars in revenue from its billionaire base in a matter of weeks as they have fled the state. All the California democrats voted not to lower the gas tax in the state. Even Robert De’Nero (who supported Mamdani) in New York isn’t happy with the proposed wealthy tax. So much has happened in recent years it breaks my heart to see what our country has become. I once believed even in differences we could have dialogue. Then, Charlie Kirk was killed and as his family grieved the left went to social media celebrating, mocking, and even slinging insults at his wife. He was killed simply for having a traditional ideal of what this country used to be and what he wished it would be again. 

We all make choices, and what happened to Charlie and what happened to Ms. Good are not the same. You have a right to protest but that protest protection stops at interference. Once someone interferes it turns into obstruction. Every statue ICE uses today are the same as under Clinton, and Obama (the deport-er and chief), the exact same statutes they used to deport millions. We used to believe in the same things in some categories. Today no matter what Trump does, to the ideologues it’s wrong. Just a couple years ago the left was saying how bad Maduro was and how illegitimate he was, till Trump removed him. Interesting how once he does something we used to agree on, it becomes wrong. Removing illegals just 10 years ago under Obama, or ruthless dictators was the right thing to do. Today, it’s wrong. Trump brings jobs back to the U.S. and a trillion in tariffs bringing money back to the U.S., lowering inflation, and yet he’s wrong. 

At the end of the day, no amount of evidence will prove to, or change an ideologue’s opinion. It’s funny how some people no matter what video evidence there is, ignore it, and no evidence in the world changes an ideologues mindset. Video evidence despite what some think is not propaganda when it’s clear as day. Propaganda takes video’s to prove a the truth doesn’t exist. The Nazi’s took fake video footage of camps to show a different reality then the one that was actually happening. Good, disobeyed lawful orders after interfering with ICE, and put herself and her spouse at risk while slamming on the accelerator of her car, before her spouse could get into the car. Good’s actions put herself and her spouse at risk by moving a vehicle while there were so many people surrounded the vehicle, along with ICE agents next to and in front of the vehicle. She left her son alone and drove hours from home to interfere, not to protest ICE. Peaceful protesting and voting affect changes of policy. You cannot interfere with law enforcement arresting a criminal or interfering with an investigation, nor can you interfere with ICE arresting illegal aliens, or investigating fraud at the hands of illegal aliens. No matter her intent, scared, or fleeing from law enforcement (ICE) she hit an ICE agent with her car. The law is crystal clear no matter if it was a civilian, a police officer, an FBI agent, it matters not. A car becomes a weapon once in motion, after law enforcement orders you out of the vehicle and especially surrounded by officers. It becomes a weapon when you chose to drive with one officer’s hands inside the vehicle, and one standing in front of it. She hit the accelerator so hard the tires spun before lunging forward hitting the ICE agent. These are facts. The agent is trained to act fast, and protect the lives of civilians and officers. The officer followed his training, and I am 100% certain, he is tore up inside having to end a life. The difference between us here is no one is celebrating her death. While choices have consequences, Charlie was sitting at a table debating, she hit an officer while he was fulfilling his legal duty. We have sympathy for her son. But even if you look at the bare minimum, she could have been arrested for obstruction of a federal operation and if convicted, a year in jail. Not ideal parenting. This entire situation is sad but preventable. Like it or not, Donald Trump won in a landslide and the popular vote. Many who have suffered at the hands of what illegal immigration have wrought upon this nation, the approval of the removal of these people many who truly are more than just illegals have shown their criminality. 

There once was an interview with Imam Mohammad Tawhidi, that said this, “I would only vote left.” (Interviewer ‘Why is that’) I saw them as very stupid. I would fear the conservatives. Because they come with principle. That’s not someone they can brainwash. But the left, I know they have no values, no principles to begin with.” IF you cannot see the truth about all these fundamental Islamists who vote left, but their deep religion condemns abortion, condemns gays and homosexuals, yet say they stand for these things, when where they come from gays and homosexuals are killed, thrown off of roofs, you may be being deceived. Radical Islam allows someone to lie (Taqiyya) to conceal ones beliefs to spread Islam and advance the cause of eventual jihad. 

Myself, like the ICE agent, married a Filipina. We both had to endure the process. Not only did I have to wait 3 years to have the fiancé visa approved, I had to pay thousands in fee’s. TO be exact, I paid 5K. I had to prove I could get insurance for my bride. I had to have five affidavits to prove my relationship to have the visa approved. Plus enough paperwork to make the military blush. Once married I had to have yet again another five affidavits signed. Now, just two years later I need to do more paperwork. I need to prove yet again we are still married and living the married life. I need to pay yet again. I was never offered any assistance, no college fund, no welfare options, no housing assistance. In fact, when I needed help, I was denied assistance. We had to wait in line, we had to pay, and now, we need to work on her path to citizenship. At no point did the government offer anything to us, yet illegals get welfare, cash, college in some cases, Medicare in some cases, and the right to vote in some cases, yet my bride doesn’t get any of those things. We are not against immigration, I myself am the descendent of immigration in the late 1800’s. My family came here long after slavery ended, built a life and a home with nothing but what was in their pockets. Yet, if the left had their way, simply because I am white, I should have to pay reparations to people who were never slaves, by a family line that never owned slaves. In fact as part of my heritage is Scottish, they and the Irish weren’t treated very well. They were considered by some to be second class citizens. Yet, just because they are white we are told by the left we should be ashamed of our supposed white privilege. I’ve gotten no help, and not advantages, and I’ve had to work hard for everything I have. I had to work hard to give myself a life after growing up poor with very little. I had to work hard when I was left at home by myself after my mothers suicide attempt when I was just 11 years old. I was given nothing to help me cope with what I witnessed. I was given no counseling, or guidance, just endless bullying at school. The left leaning ideology I firmly believed in growing up told me and taught me I was a victim. I held on to that ideal for many years. In truth, I was a survivor. I digress… When done the right way, immigration is safer for everyone when laws are obeyed and adhered too, and we are to respect a nations law. We have laws for a reason in this nation, as every nation has laws on immigration. My wife’s homeland has immigration laws that I must obey when I go there. I can only stay for three months without a special visa; I must get every time if I wanted to stay longer. I must respect the laws of the country that has welcomed me. We are a society of laws and thus we must obey and respect the customs and laws. 

Scripture tells us of a time when people will call wrong right and right wrong. It tells of a time when good righteous people will be hunted and silenced, while the darkness rises to control over the world. The few will enter into the gates of heaven. The few will walk the righteous path of our Lord Jesus. The few will respect the law, and follow the rules of the highest morality, God almighty. While we are to love our enemies, we are to pray for them. We are to, in love, tell them about our Lord Jesus. We are all sinners, but only those who put their trust and faith and surrender in our Lord Christ will see forgiveness. We must continue to share the love of Jesus by sharing the truth with our fellow man. While we know some will be saved, and some will sadly remain in Hell for all eternity, the best we can do is live a life of service to our Lord. The cross is offensive to the unbeliever. When the Pharisees saw the miracles Jesus had performed, they called him demon possessed. They couldn’t refute the miracles, just where and how he could do them. Despite all the evidence at hand, they denied the truth. The way I see it, anyone who denies that life begins at conception, the people who are constantly taking the side of criminals over brave men and women performing their duty. The people who constantly change their position as the wind blows, who are on video one minute saying something, and within a year or two changing just to pretend they have the moral high ground, are no different than the Pharisees of old. Those who support socialism and all it stands for, ignoring the millions who’ve died at the hands of dictators, of both socialism and communism alike are as Benjamin Netanyahu once said, “useful idiots”. Rebranding socialism as some kind of democratic socialism is amazingly stupid. The evidence of what’s happening is already evident, that individual freedoms are being eroded in New York City, and soon places all over the country. When the government suddenly has the right to tell you, you cannot sell your property, is government overreach. When places like Venezuela and Iran see the people of those countries calling out the name of Trump in the streets, one might think the left and its ideology is on the wrong side of history. I wish no one to perish. I wish for the American dream to return. I wish for individual freedoms to return. I wish for our nation to return to the once great Christian nation we once were. I find the hatred to be overwhelming. I find the evil rising to be a putrid smell I cannot escape from. I cannot express my full sorrow at the world I see today. While peace rings out in other nations, brokered by our President, the hatred for him runs so deep, no matter what is done, it’s never enough and everything is bad. People celebrating the death of a good man Charlie Kirk, simply because they disagreed. People attacking law enforcement, hitting them with their cars, just because they disagree. Letting criminals stay on the street time and time again, till they finally kill a young woman like Iryna Zaretska. A woman Zoe Welsh who died at the hands of yet another career criminal with six arrests in just four years, but because he was deemed ‘mentally unfit’ he roamed free, till he killed a woman in her own home. We celebrate criminals, we celebrate tragedies, we ignore truths, and we fall right into what Satan wants, chaos.  We will all judged someday, and we must live with the consequences of our actions and choices. As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. One day I look forward to being before the King of the Universe and facing the consequences of my actions, both good and bad, but being covered by the blood of Jesus, and wishing to service our King, hear “well done, my good and faithful servant.”. What will you hear? Well done, or depart from me, I never knew you?

THERE’S NO HOPE, EXCEPT FOR THE HOPE 

THERE’S NO HOPE, EXCEPT FOR THE HOPE: 

I don’t know about you, but I’ve taken a few moments to look around recently and it appears to me that the world is both literally and figuratively on fire. Places like tropical and beautiful Hawaii burning to the ground. We’ve seen nature disasters like we have not seen in generations, and some are calling for the complete change of how we live our lives. Lets move to electric cars, which have a huge environmental footprint from start to finish. Let me show you an example: How do we get the minerals and materials needed for the batteries for the cars? That’s right, big mining equipment, which has a large footprint, along with the damage to the earth and surrounding areas for places like colbolt mines. Not to mention the human toll for such mines, in places like Africa, where near slave labor is used to mine, the mines. Or how about the electrical grid in California which cannot maintain air conditioners in the summer, but want to put a million EV’s on the grid. Human cost of living, comes at a price, and when we look at the true argument, we know that all we would do is trade one for another, both equally disturbing. The point is, we are told our only hope is to change to EV’s or else we risk the destruction of our world. Here’s another example, plastic bags at the grocery store. Some places have banned those bags, but still have plastic coming out of their ears. When a paper straw comes in a plastic wrapper, or the soda, laundry soap, cookies, milk containers, and I could go on and on, tells me one thing, it isn’t truly the earth they care about. Again, let me explain. While I firmly agree we need to find more sustainable ways to take care of this planet, I would argue that everything has a cost, down to the paper and pencil used to write down your spelling test in the third grade. Between fossil fuel usage, to wood, and plastics, everything has a cost. We live in a dying world. This world has an expiration date, and, while we should do everything we can to mitigate the pollution and destruction of the planet, we need to know that we ultimately have no hope to ‘save’ this world. 

Revelation 6:8 8 So I looked, and behold, a pale horse. And the name of him who sat on it was Death, and Hades followed with him. And power was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword, with hunger, with death, and by the beasts of the earth.

When we look at Revelation, we see the destruction of our world. We see fire, and blood, pestilence, and locusts, death, and torment. We can sit here and blame humans for an awful lot, from environmental problems, which I will admit, we should change, to problems of the heart. Let’s take a moment to look at the heart. Are people generally good people? I suppose you need to look at what that means, what does it mean to be a good person? The first thing you need to do is understand the difference between what a good person looks like must have a comparison. We often look at ourselves and say ‘I’m a good person, I haven’t killed anyone, or cheated anyone.’ This is not an accurate picture of a good person. I will start off by saying there is no good person, or people. Good evaluates upon our own idea of what makes someone good or bad. The republican who believes in the life of an unborn baby, who doesn’t want abortion, is bad in the eyes of someone who supports abortion. Those who wish to have a socialist society, and to get rid of capitalism are bad from those who want capitalism. What side of the fence do you sit on? Let me tell you, truth is not a fluid idea. Truth, is truth, and scripture is the only truth. We cannot sit and judge others based on our own flawed views, instead we must view the world through the eyes of scripture. Jesus is the truth, and as such we must make our own personal choices through that lens, and none other. 

Let us take a look at the current crime situation in this country. Washington DC, which has seen a dramatic rise in crime, as of March 29th, from the office of the US Attorney’s office, nearly 70% of all cases were not prosecuted from the DC office. Let’s take a look at Portland, San Francisco, Austin, Los Angeles, and more. Crime has risen by double digit percentages in the last year alone. We see these things happening and it would seem that many of the larger violent crimes have been committed by those with a rather lengthy rap sheet, and some may question, why were they allowed on the street to begin with. The simple answer is not simple at all, but scripture tells us there will come a time when ‘right is considered wrong, and wrong is considered right.’ And ‘the people of Israel had no judge, and did what was right in their own eyes.’ 

Between the weather, and crime, and the dismal look at politics and those in charge, war in the streets and around the globe, one may ask, or say, what hope do we have? The economy now making living near impossible, as families are going deeper into debt, living paycheck to paycheck, or worse, losing everything, makes people feel hopeless for tomorrow.

Romans 3:21-24 21 “But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22 even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,”

When all fall short of the Glory of God, many may look to that and wonder why they try, if no matter what they do, they fall short. The point is why we need a savior, why the life, death, and resurrection of Christ is so important. We cannot do this on our own. 

Romans 3:10-12

10 As it is written:

“There is none righteous, no, not one;

11 There is none who understands;

There is none who seeks after God.

12 They have all turned aside;

They have together become unprofitable;

There is none who does good, no, not one.”

Many look at the world today in surprise. ‘How could we have come to this?’ As for me, I am not surprised. Some people think I am jaded, but I disagree, I feel it’s an understanding of the sin nature, that gives me this perspective. When we look at scripture, and it tells us that no one is righteous, no one is truly good, we cannot look at people as good. Common grace might mean we don’t eat each other, but ultimately, our sin is our nature, meaning, that corrupt, selfish, conceited selves, are our default system. Without God’s grace we are totally depraved. The world in of itself is not going to ‘get better’. The world will continue to burn. The US. Will continue to burn. God does not need to bring forth His judgment to cast judgment. There are two kinds of judgment, one is, direct judgment as seen with the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. The other is the removal of God’s grace, as seen when Israel is destroyed by Babylon. Sin, left unchecked will destroy a country. In reality, as long as we as a people are sinful, and we continue to freely sin, and support sin, and put sin up on a platform, we can expect the worst. When we do these things, the Lord may give us over to our sins. How can I say this? Simply put, it’s happened before. 

Romans 1:18-32

18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19 because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. 20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, 21 because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23 and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things.

24 Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, 25 who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

26 For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. 27 Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.

28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; 29 being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, 30 backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31 undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; 32 who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.

As a nation that once held God as their priority, now after just a few generations, have pushed God aside for many different ideas. Climate change, money, new age, even atheist’s, all have their idols, their own gods, and these things have replaced God in the hearts and minds of people here, and elsewhere in the world. War, false religions, science, protests, the rise in criminality, allowing mental health disorders to make policy, and so many more symptoms will present themselves as God’s grace is pulled away. Has God given us over to our own debased, or reprobate mind? I believe He has. So, what does this mean? There is no hope for those in this country, or in the world, that does not seek God’s face. Those who continue to double down, or triple down on their rejection of God will continue to see things get worse as His judgment continues. Years ago I wrote a post called “When God Puts The Hammer Down” https://thearrowpreacher.com/2018/08/25/when-god-puts-the-hammer-down/

In this post I wrote “We cannot expect to live our lives without consequence anyway we want to. We have to assume that judgment will come when we get to the point where God doesn’t believe there is a way to save us.” While this was written by a younger man, a man who has now grown a great deal in his faith, so has a greater understanding of God’s word. I still believe God’s judgment will come, but in the manner in which it does, may not be so theatrical. When Sodom fell, God saved Lot. There may be those saved by His hand as we see by some of the other prophets as Israel was taken over by foreign entities. For those who do not seek his face, God may see fit to give you over to your own lusts, and desires, and ideals. We cannot look through the world lens towards scripture, but look at the world through the lens of scripture. When you make a decision is it based on scripture? When you look at your politics, do you do so through the lens of scripture? When you make a decision on politics, on ideals, on life, do you do so through the eyes of scripture? We have an obligation as Christians, to take seriously the things and people we support. We must be considerate of policies, of ideals, of laws, and even how we handle mental health issues within this country. Corinthians 10:31 “31 Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” We cannot support things like the “pride” flag, and also call ourselves Christians. Scripture is clear on what that represents, and what God thinks of such things. Our sinful creature mindset, is not Holy, is not righteous, and we must refer to God’s word, since His word is the only truth. 

For those who do not see Christ, and do not know Him, and in turn, those whom He does not know, there is no hope for you. The world will continue down a path, and that path ends with the trumpets and seals. It’s never too late for you, till it’s too late. There will come a time when judgment comes and you were given all the time to turn to God. For those who know God, whom Jesus knows you, you have hope. 

John 16:33 33 “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

We may watch as the world turns, the world burns around us, but our job is clear, continue to show the love of Christ. Continue to stand upon the Word, and spread and share the love of Christ, but also the warning given by Christ. There is judgment to those who actively live in their sins. There is an effect to the cause of those who turn away from God, who spite God, who blaspheme, there is a price to be paid. As one of my favorite Marvel quotes said, “The bill comes due.” (Dr. Strange) For those who follow Christ our sentence is commuted, and for those who don’t, the sentence is Hell. We are all guilty of sin, of cosmic treason against a Holy God. And for all of us, the verdict of guilty is rendered. Scripture tells us there is no excuse for not seeing God. Romans 1:20-21 “20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, 21 because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.” The difference is whether you know and accept Jesus as Lord and Savior, for the repentant sinner. “General Revelation is the foundation of all condemnation… IF God judges, he judges justly with equity, because man is without excuse.” (John MacArthur) I am not saying the country cannot be saved, but it will need to turn back to God in order for that to happen. I am not saying it’s too late, but current trajectory tells me, we may be in trouble. As far as Christians are concerned the fight isn’t over till it’s over. No matter the fire and brimstone around us, we must stand on the word and continue the “Great Commission”. We must continue to spread the love and Gospel of Jesus Christ. We must also stand on that word, and that means we vote based on the Word, our policies base on the Word, our ideals and beliefs stand upon the Word. What is socially accepted or acceptable is not the word, and just because the world says something is okay, doesn’t make it so. How we view crime, and abortion, race, poverty, immigration, war, world leaders, ideologies, how we vote, religions, etc. All matter. We must know scripture in order to know what God says on any given subject. If we do not know and study scripture, we cannot expect to hold representatives accountable to God’s word. We cannot expect policy to be made in line with Scripture, if we ourselves do not know scripture. We cannot expect citizens of a city to be held at bay by peace officers, when crime is allowed to flourish under the flag of inclusivity, equality, equity, and mental health issues. 

For those who do not know God, there is no hope to be had, but for those who know Christ, know our hope is not of this world, but the one who overcame death, the one who paid the price for us, Jesus Christ, our hope is in Heaven, a life after this life. How we proceed matters, and how we view the world through scripture matters. IF we remain in our sins, we have no excuse on the day of judgment. For those who turn their backs on God, or who never faced Him to begin with, for them, the sentence is written. It isn’t too late to turn to God, repent of sins, and know that John 14:6 “ Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” 

As for Christians, keep fighting the good fight. Run with endurance, and take heart, Heaven awaits you. Keep sharing the hope of Jesus Christ with the world. Do so in lovingkindness. Do not be conformed to the world, but resist with the Armor of God. Live a life to show yourself apart from the world, and bare good fruit for Christ. Where you shop, where you frequent, who you spend your time with, what you do in your free time, who you vote for, all matters. Do not alter scripture to fit your narrative, instead let Scripture create your narrative. Pray for your representatives that they find Christ, even when they may act as an enemy combatant. Remember the opinion of a Christian doesn’t matter in the realm of scripture. God’s word is the ultimate authority, so treat it as such. Do not put your hope in people, for they will sin their way to disappointment. Hope for the best concerning people, but expect the sin nature. This means always be in prayer for people you interact with. Be in prayer for those making decisions on a larger scale that affects others, city leaders, large business owners, school teachers, even the politicians. Find comfort knowing that God the Abba Father is sitting on the throne, in charge over all, and if he knows your name, and you know his, that your future is one not of gnashing of teeth in eternal torment, but a glorious mansion in Heaven where you will worship the Father for all eternity. Find comfort in the hope and good news of Jesus Christ. 

Stand Up For Something

Stand Up For Something

What does our flag mean to you? Men and women have fought and died for it for over two hundred years. It’s flown over countless countries and even on the moon. It represents the best of what his country is and how we’ve persevered through all manner of hardships. This country has endured war and poverty, racial divide and unprovoked attack that left thousands grieving. The struggles we’ve faced and overcome we’ve done it together. We trust in our nation to pull through the toughest of times, and we know that when the going gets tough we band together to achieve any goal because we stronger together.

Now in this country as the flag flies people from all over protest the national anthem because of personal reasons. The sad part is, although we aren’t perfect, and we have a long way to go, are we really do bold as to say so disrespectfully that we sit or kneel to try and prove a point? What do the leaders show the rest of the country when they choose to divide instead of illicit togetherness? The powerful are who the average look to and when so much hate and discourse is thrown around the rest of us are forced to watch and see this every single day. When the flag goes by I’ve seen old Veterans barely able to walk and in wheel chairs muster the strength to stand not because they have to, but as a sign of respect for those who’ve fought and have been buried under the Stars and Stripes. Racial divide, police brutality, political disagreement has nothing to do with the representation of our flag and nation. Our constitution, our bill of rights, and all the people who’ve served, died, and fought to protect those liberties, and the attempt to give those basic human rights to others is what the anthem stands for. If you cannot in good conscious stand for what this country stands for then why are you still here? There are plenty of other countries out there and if you won’t stand and recite the pledge, hold honors to the colors, then really its not your micro protests, it’s this nation you’re disrespecting. If you hate it so much look at what this nation has given to you. Success, wealth, fame, and so much more, yet instead of using that wealth and fame to raise awareness, blatant disrespect and a lack of loyalty are the rallying cry. How irresponsible to teach the young people of today that honoring and respecting the great nation you live in is such a major disrespect. Once upon a time to call yourself an American was said with pride. Now people do nothing but gripe and complain. I hate to break it to most people but I’ve lived a great many places in this world and even with our faults our rights and privileges are still second to none.

I’ve buried friends under the flag, and I’ve seen the way other nations talk about us, and I’ve seen the hell of war fighting for a people that largely hated us from the start. The fact is using Iraq as an example, I watch the first election take place in Ar- Ramadi as women could vote for the first times in their life. We have grown as a country, and we stand for those who cannot stand for themselves. When God gives us power He expects for us to use that power to glorify Him. Now however we can’t even publicly say His name in a growing number of institutions. We were founded on the beliefs that God was sovereign and Gods grace allowed for us to have what many did not. Now God is used as a simple platitude of old and for many no longer holds any societal importance. Walk in the shadows long enough and God will either watch as we destroy ourselves, watch as someone else does it, or like Sodom and Gamora before us we shall watch as the flag burns and the nation crumbles around us. You can still show respect for this country even when you disagree with a few things. Disrespecting the entire notion of this country on national television, or in public view is a horribly way to get your point across, because honestly, if you loose the respect of your followers, or people you’re supposed to be a roll model too, what good are we if we can’t find a constructive way to express ourselves.

We must learn to hold ourselves as a higher standard. Its not just here in this country we must worry about what others think, we are now being viewed world wide, and we must remain a united front. Our enemies are constantly planning, working to destroy us, and here we are trying to destroy our own selves. To the outside world, we look like a country of ignorant fools, obsessed with the sound of our own voice, and our problems seem so petty to them, and yet, we argue and one day, that divided nature will be a problem, one I hope we can fix before it’s too late. So in closing if you’re going to stand for something, stand for something, and make it count. If you are going to protest something do it in a respectful way. If you’re going to disagree with someone enough of the screaming, enough of the rioting, the looting, talk it over, sit down and have a dialog about it. Enough of the want and destruction that has plagued our nation for too long now. As I’ve stated in the past, put a little love in your heart!