
And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him. And the LORD said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother's keeper? And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground. (Genesis 4:8-10)
THIS WEEK AMERICA HAS HAD TWO MASS SHOOTINGS: in Dayton, Ohio and El Paso, Texas that left 31 people dead. Whereas in the past, the accusers and media have blamed guns for the tragedies, things have suddenly changed and President Trump, not guns, has been blamed for the deaths by his political proponents and some news people.
TIME.COM HAS A CHART OF ALL MASS KILLINGS IN AMERICA in America for the last 37 years (since 1982). https://time.com/4965022/deadliest-mass-shooting-us-history/
THE LAST PRESIDENT HAD 24 MASS SHOOTINGS (according to one news summary) during his tenure of office. (Follow the link above to check this number.) Did anyone blame him for the shootings or the deaths of the people in those 24 shootings? Do we not have a duty to be fair in sorting out the causes of mass shootings? To me, to blame guns is like blaming the fork and spoon for making us fat. Or, like blaming tobacco farmers for making us smoke and get lung cancer. (I smoked during my teen years and I did it all by myself.) To blame any president for a mass killing is to avoid dealing with the problem of mental illness and hatred. The Bible puts the blame where it belongs.
WHEN CAIN KILLED HIS BROTHER, ABEL, God didn’t come looking for the rock that did the killing or go see his mother about how she had raised him the wrong way. We don’t know if Cain used a weapon. He may have killed him with his bare hands. But he most likely killed him with a rock. They were not in a house, but in a field where rocks would be plentiful. If the choice of weapons was important, God would have told us. The point of the story is that Cain was “very wroth.” God did not blame the weapon but dealt with the one who used it to do the killing. Let's go back to the story.
And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD. And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD. And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering: (Genesis 4:1-4)
But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell. And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him. (Genesis 4:5-7)
BETWEEN 2010 AND 2014 BORDER PATROL AGENTS were assaulted with rocks 1,700 times, they fired weapons at rock throwers 43 times, resulting in 10 deaths. Border Patrol agents are permitted to respond to rock-throwers with lethal weapons (Wikipedia)
IN THE SUMMARY CHART BELOW BY THE FBI FOR THE YEAR 2017, it includes the different kinds of weapons or objects used to kill the 15,129 people for that year. In the chart you will notice that blunt objects (hammers and other objects such as rocks) killed 467 people. But 692 were killed with their hands, fists, and feet. It seems that violence and murder is in the heart of the person who does the killing.
MOST PEOPLE, BY FAR, ARE KILLED WITH HANDGUNS and not with the so-called “assault-type” weapons. I read from another source that of the handguns, most deaths are caused by 22 caliper pistols. The victims most often bleed to death after several minutes. The 22 does not have knocking power to stop an assailant coming at you, so the 22 is not the best defense weapon.
https://ucr.fbi.gov/crime-in-the-u.s/2017/crime-in-the-u.s.-2017/tables/expanded-homicide-data-table-11.xls
WE SHOULD KEEP IN MIND THAT MANY WEAPONS have been outlawed. All automatic weapons are against the law. Tanks, bazooka, hand grenades, machine guns, AK-47’s. All automatic weapons are outlawed. Semi-automatic guns fire one time with each pull of the finger. This would include most handguns: the cylinder type and those with magazine clips. A “showy” semi-automatic rifle that is gussied up to look like an assault rifle is NOT an assault rifle. They’re made to look “showy” and sell. The bump-stock device that can converts a semi-automatic rifle to an automatic rifle is now unlawful.
I NOTICE THE NEWS MEDIA IS FINALLY GETTING IT RIGHT in calling the showy rifles an “assault-type” rifle instead of an “assault rifle.” (Big difference.) You Special Forces men reading this, please cut me a little slack because weapons are not my thing. If you see something that needs to be changed, please let me know. (And thanks for reading.)
I DO BELIEVE THIS: IF GUNS THAT PROTECT US ARE TAKEN FROM US, a lot of people are going to be shot that don’t need to be shot. The signs on restaurant doors and doctors’ offices that say: “This is a gun-free zone” are death traps. It’s a public announcement that any mentally deranged or angry person can come through the door and kill all the people they want to without being in danger of getting shot themselves. Those signs are NOT the brightest idea of safety. They put people in potential danger.
BARBARA AND I BOTH HAVE "CONCEALED CARRY" PERMITS and small 38 revolver pistols we carry when we feel we should, especially when traveling. We had a bad experience on I-75 North between Chattanooga and Knoxville, several years ago. Some big guys tried to get us to pull over as though there was something wrong with our front tire.
WHEN WE GOT UP TO 100 M.P.H. IN THE OLD BUICK DIESEL,hen we got up to 100 m.p.h. in the old Buick Diesel, they began to drop back. If I had pulled over, I might not be writing this letter. (During our day of training, Barbara beat me on the firing range. You don’t need to be spreading that around.) Of course, when she was 15, she had already shot (dead) a big old flogging rooster with a 22 rifle to protect her mother.)
IN AMERICA, THE RIGHT TO BEAR ARMS was not written into the original Constitution to give you the right to go rabbit hunting. It was given to enable you to resist a tyrannical government if it should come to that as a last resort. We should try this first:
If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. (2 Chronicles 7:14)Ω
Read Through the Bible in a Year
AUGUST 9, 2019 – FRIDAY
A.M. Psalm 85-87 P.M. Romans 9
(Bible Gateway will read this to you if you like. Look for the speaker icon.)
Good Verse to Memorize:
And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient (fitting); (Romans 1:28)
Song for Today:
Rock of Ages (A Cappello congregation) (3:02) (David Killingsworth)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GxGD_Sbzpuc
You may have to adjust the volume or delete an ad.