and hostility toward God Psalm 51:4. Except through repentance (turning away from sin toward God’s laws) and the inward washing of the Holy Spirit (Titus 3:3-5) man’s sins cannot be controlled.

The pre-gun history of man is filled with violence beyond what many of us could even comprehend. Suffice to say, if we could eliminate all guns mankind would only be sent back to darker days when the strong ruled the weak and sin would still be with us. In fact the invention of firearms turns out to be more of blessing than a curse as I will explain later.

Long before the invention of firearms the weapon of the choice was the sword. In Luke
22:35-36 Christ actually commanded his disciples to sell their cloak if necessary to buy a sword. Christ already knew that the Great Commission was going to be issued and His disciples would be sent all over the Roman Empire. Travel was a dangerous business during those days and any unarmed person was an easy victim for robbers and murderers.
Just the appearance of a sword would have been a deterrent for any robber.

Christ could have used miraculous means to preserve the Apostles during their travels and simply struck every robber with lighting. However, as any serious student of the Bible knows God most often uses the practical to accomplish His will and miracles are a last resort. In a real sense leaving the Apostles unarmed would be temping the evil already known to exist on those journeys.

We know for certain the Apostle Peter obeyed Christ’s command and carried a sword for self defense while a disciple. However, Peter also used his sword out of Christ's will and received a rebuke from our Lord. However, note that our Lord told Peter to put his sword away not throw it away. Leaving Peter defensless wasn't what Christ had in mind. However, whether a sword or firearm those that bear arms also bear the responsibilities of their actions.

Many incorrectly believe that a gun is a much more powerful weapon than the sword was and therefore guns should not be viewed in the same context as the sword. In reality, before the invention of firearms a skilled swordsman could easily commit mass murder unless stopped by another skilled swordsman.

If you don’t believe Jesus understood that in the absence of firearms a sword is every bit as dangerous and lethal as a gun consider Genesis Chapter 34.

"Three days later, while all of them were still in pain, two of Jacob's sons, Simeon and Levi, Dinah's brothers, took their swords and attacked the unsuspecting city, killing every male. They put Hamor and his son Shechem to the sword and took Dinah from Shechem's house and left. The sons of Jacob came upon the dead bodies and looted the city where their sister had been defiled. They seized their flocks and herds and donkeys and everything else of theirs in the city and out in the fields. They carried off all their wealth and all their women and children, taking as plunder everything in the houses."Genesis 34:25-29

Suffice to say that millions have died at the blade of the sword throughout the ages. It’s easy to forget that firearms are regarded as the “great equalizer” because with guns the weak are equal with the strong. The women and children of Jacob's day could have easily defended the city against Simeon and Levi. In this sense firearms have been more of a blessing than a curse and few would ever want to return to the day of the sword when the strong ruled the weak.

The Apostle Paul teaches us that we do not fight against flesh and blood but against spiritual evil that is unseen. However, we must never forget that Satan often uses flesh and blood people to carry forth horrific acts of evil that must be opposed with force.

Adolf Hitler disarming and exterminating the Jews is a classic example of the horrors that can happen when we fail to realize the potential of evil manifested in man. In fact, more than a hundred and seventy million (170,000,000) people were exterminated by their own governments during the twentieth century. The one thing all these atrocities had in common was "gun control." Clearly those that wish to disarm people are far from being within the will of God and in fact are anti-Christ. I highly recommend purchasing “innocents betrayed” at JPFO for a history of how evil and disarming citizens goes hand in hand. After you see this documentary you’ll never allow yourself or family to be disarmed by so-called “gun control” laws.

Do not be deceived, the spirit behind the gun-control effort is allied with outright evil and history proves this point with perfect clarity.

"Germans who wish to use firearms should join the SS or the SA - ordinary citizens don't need guns, as their having guns doesn't serve the State." -- Heinrich Himmler, Nazi head of the SS.

DISARM THE PEOPLE FIRST

The principle of first disarming the people before full scale oppression of the people, was seen first hand by Reverend Wesley Millen who, as a missionary, witnessed the communist take over of Asia. In his lectures he would explain how in the first 90 days the communists were so benevolent, humanitarian and helpful, and at the same time laboured vigorously to confiscate all weapons. The people were told peace had arrived and they would no longer have need of weapons. Once the people were disarmed Reverend Millen said, "Then at the end of ninety days we learned the difference between theoretical communism and Bolshevik terror."

PETER USED A SWORD

Jesus said we were not to live by the sword. This statement was made by Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane, after Peter had tried to stop His arrest by swinging a sword and cutting off the ear of a slave of the high priest. (Matt. 26:52). Notice, Peter had a sword in keeping with the command of Christ (Luke 22:36,38), but he misused it by trying to interfere with the foretold arrest and crucifixion of Christ. The point is, Christianity is a way of life wherein a disciple is not to live by the sword. Christianity is a way of life wherein a disciple is to go the extra mile, forgive, petition, pray. It is not a militant, aggressive life style of one living by the sword.

It is true a Christian is not to live by the sword, but it is equally true he is not to live without one. The actions, petitions, prayers, and long suffering of our forefathers are evidence they did not live by the sword, but their refusal to lay down their guns showed they also refused to live without the sword. In effect, they understood that being defenseless only encourages evil and does not promote the peace of Christ.

HAVE YOU HEARD?

Note the words, "...AND HE THAT HATH NO SWORD, LET HIM SELL HIS GARMENT, AND BUY ONE." Are these words not every bit as much a command as "love thy neighbour" or "And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other;"

How often have you heard the words "...he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one" in a sermon? How often have you heard them explained in the present day Christian church world? For most, the answer is NEVER.

Again we must remember the sword was the major weapon of the soldier of that day and it’s easy to forget that in trained hands a sword is every bit as deadly as a gun. It’s easy to view a sword as a weapon that easily stoppable but that is a serious error. Before firearms were invented a skilled swordsmen could easily commit mass murder and was much harder to stop because it would take another skilled swordsman to directly confront the attack. In many ways a sword embodies a much more horrific means of warfare than what firearms brought us.

A Christian who does not own a firearm and/or does not resist gun control, disobeys the will of His Lord Jesus Christ, who has clearly instructed him to purchase a major lethal weapon of the day. The Bible has stories of assassinations, murders, and war deaths numbering in the multi-millions, all associated with swords. Then Jesus Christ, prior to His departure, tells the Apostles to BUY A SWORD. Naturally, this doesn’t fit modern concepts of Christ and Christianity. Suffice to say, a Christian without a gun is disobedient to the intent of those words in Luke 22:35-36. In a real way if the good men didn't bear arms evil would march across the world without opposition.

THE LAW PERVERTED

Jesus said to love your enemy and turn the other cheek. Jesus did teach this in Matthew 5:38-44 in the
Sermon on the Mount, and we should consider each verse in light of the rest of the Scriptures.

First of all, it should be understood that a key to understanding the meaning of Matt.5:38-44 lays with Matt.
5:17. "Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil." Although the ceremonial laws added 430 years after the time of Abraham (Gal. 3:17) were fulfilled and eliminated by the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ (Gal. 3:15-25), the Laws, Statutes and Judgements codified by Moses and existing even before that with Abraham obeying them (Gen. 26:5), were not done away with and exist even today. At the time of Christ the law had been twisted and perverted by the Pharisees (Mark 7:13).

The following is taken from the June 24, 1988, "Wall Street Journal," should be carefully considered.

"Further, guns prevent many crimes from even being attempted. A 1982-83 study of prison inmates by The National Institute of Justice showed that two fifths of them had decided not to attack a victim when they found out that he or she was armed. In the 1960s the Orlando police responded to a rape epidemic by training 2,500 women to use guns. The next year rape fell 88% and burglary by 25%."

Hopefully, the foregoing information will help the Christian soldier to resist tyranny and better prepare himself for the battles ahead. To be physically disarmed the soldier must FIRST be disarmed in the mind. Through a long process of conditioning, the people have been brought to the place where they will just about accept anything that the false gods of the state are only too happy to dish out.

Author Unknown

So what firearms should you consider?

There are three basic types of firearms to take into account and each has a slightly different purpose.

1. Handguns. Handguns are primarily used for close-in (50 yards or less) defense. Handguns are good for home defense as well as conceal and carry permits. The downside of owning a handgun is these small firearms are more likely to be played with by curious children either living in or visiting your home. You should always use a quick release trigger lock that doesn’t require a key but can be quickly removed by a responsible adult. This is the same concept used in child proof caps on a medicine bottle. While medicine and guns save lives they can also be dangerous if not properly stored.

If you are a newbee considering a handgun I would recommend something in 9mm caliber such as a Smith&Wesson model SW9VE. The Springfield XD series in 9mm or 40 S&W is also a very good option. The 40 S&W adds more knockdown power than the 9mm with similar handling.

2. Rifles. Rifles come in three basic options including; self-loading, bolt and lever action. Bolt action rifles are primarily used for hunting or precision tactical purposes. While any bolt or lever action rifle is good for defense I don’t recommend them for home defense purposes. A detachable magazine center fire self-loading rifle is the best choice for self-defense at home. The problem with most bolt and lever action rifles is they must remain loaded in a fixed magazine to be effective for home defense and this could pose a child safety problem. Like the 9mm hand gun mentioned above a detachable magazine can be loaded and kept separate from the rifle making them much safer to store and quick to load if needed for defense. Also, you may need to take multiple shots depending on the threat and a bolt-action must be manually reloaded costing you precious time.

If you can only have one firearm I strongly suggest you choose a rifle. I recommend a light weight auto-loading carbine such as the “Ruger Ranch Rifle” or Ruger Mini-14. Carbines are shorter than standard rifles and sacrifice a little velocity in favor or easy handling. Standard Mini-14 will certainly do the job but I recommend the Ranch Rifle version if you intend to add a hunting scope. Both are very cost-effective and can be purchased new for about $500 as apposed to competing rifles such as the AR-15 that can run $2000 and up. The .223 Remington is a high velocity bullet that has proven stopping power and is less likely to go through multiple walls and endanger your neighbors like a high power caliber such a .308 Winchester will. Also, the .223 round has very light recoil (kick) and is good for beginners who may be a little shy with firearms.