Thursday, December 31, 2009

I Hate to Be Wrong . . .

. . . but a friend of my barber sent him the following info regarding Homeland Security's contract to buy 200 million rounds of ammo from Winchester:

I talked to one of the guys in my unit who was a department rangemaster/armorer several years ago before promoting to detective.  He told me this morning that LAPD buys its ammo from a distributor in the Anaheim area and typically purchases about two millions rounds of our primary handgun rounds (9/40/45) annually, so 200 million rounds for DHS doesn't sound abnormally high to him, given the vast size of their organizational empire spread across the country and abroad, for recruit training at various academy facilities, plus in-service training, special training, and regularly-scheduled qualifications, and to replace/rotate older ammo stockpiles.

I admit it. I spouted off without sufficient information or reflection. Apologies to all.

That said, please don't think that I have changed my opinion about Homeland Security. They're an agency that defines potential terrorissts to include those who oppose murdering the unborn, supporters of politically incorrect candidates (like Ron Paul) and vets of the armed forces.

In short, I see these guys right up there with consistent Muslims as the real potential terrorists.

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

200 Million Rounds for Homeland Security

This just in from my barber. Article here.

It seems that Winchester has agreed to supply the Dept. of Homeland Security with 200 million rounds of .40 cal. (135 grain) ammo over the next 5 years.

Question: Who they planning to shoot?

They don't seem too worried about the Muslim terrorists training in Hancock, N.Y. And you know the Establishment has no problem with illegal aliens coming across the border (or running for president).

You know whom they see as the REAL terrorists, don't you? Armed forces vets, anyone against abortion, folks who vote "wrong" in elections and those pesky people who think the Bible is the highest Law of the land. Oh yeah . . . and gun owners.

(If I were paranoid, I might think that the growth & popularity of a movement like OathKeepers has led the bureaucrats to conclude that they cannot depend on the armed forces to disarm & subjugate the populace.)

In a previous post, I told about how Homeland Security investigated a man who ordered 1000 rounds of .223 ammo through the mail. Seems they don't think private citizens should have that many cartridges in their possession.

But I guess they figure we should trust them with 200,000,000 rounds. That's enough to put a bullet into 2 out of every 3 citizens of this country.

So . . . who ARE they planning to shoot?

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Video of Terrorists Training in USA

All things temporal come to an end, and that includes the celebration of our Lord's incarnation and birth. May the peace of His kingdom grow in our world.

But for now, let us focus on those who want to take peace from our land. Below is a video from the Christian Action Network that shows actual training going on at the Muslims of America terrorist training center in Hancock, N.Y.

I believe that RPC sent me the link to this video. If I credited the wrong person, please forgive me & drop me a line so I can give correct attribution.

As you watch the video, you will probably notice (as I did) that the overwhelming majority of trainees are women. Also, their level of expertise is very low.

They are also learning techniques that, for the most part will be ineffective against a minimally trained, determined foe. You can also see a real lack of tactical awareness.

That's the good news.

The bad news is that men may also be training, but just not on the day that the video was made. Also, terrorists do not rely primarily on techniques and tactics if their strategy includes suicide bombing.

In that case, the training may simply be for morale purposes, so they can say, "Look at us. We're a bunch of real malevolent-posteriors."

In your comments, please do not point out specific lacks in the training. I have no desire to help them hone their training program.

Saturday, December 26, 2009

Feast of Stephen

A happy 2nd Day of Christmas (or Feast of Stephen) to you!

It's a time to reflect on God's covenant blessings and to also reflect on those whom God has sent into our lives to bless us. In that spirit, I want to say thank you.


First, I want to extend my thanks to my barber & to deolexrex who have both contributed materially to the content of this blog. And thanks to any and all others who have made suggestions that I've used.

Then there are those of you who have used the comment section not only to encourage me, but to share your knowledge, expertise and valued opinions -- thanks for your contributions, as well.

Last, but far from least are all my regular & semi-regular readers. Safe to say that if no one ever read my blog, I would probably stop posting to it. So please accept my thanks for coming by WARSKYL to read these posts.

If you have not already done so, I urge you to download your free Nativity Season gift. It's an e-booklet about how to determine when an attack has begun. It's called Lines in the Dirt.

The e-booklet will be available at least until January 5th (the traditional 12th day of Christmas). After that, I may make it part of a package of informational items for sale.

Friday, December 25, 2009

The King of Kings

Where is He that is born King of the Jews? (Mat 2:2)

And behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a Son, and shalt call His name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Most High: and the Lord God shall give unto Him the throne of His father David: and He shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of His kingdom there shall be no end. (Luk 1:31-33)

 At the Nativity season, we celebrate the birth of the King -- God incarnate, who came to redeem and reign over, through and on behalf of His people.

Several years ago, I was subject to frequent fits of discouragement & depression. In those years, I wore out a cassette tape of a short excerpt from a message by S.M. Lockridge entitled "That's My King". Later, I got hold of another copy, and it always helped me put things in proper perspective.

Today, there are several versions of that message on youtube. I have put one below that highlights key phrases of the message.

Rev. Lockridge here displays a rich mastery command of the English language; however, there are a few errors in the transcription. For example, the text should read:

  • Not "He's honest," but "He's august;"
  • Not "correlell necessity," but "cardinal necessity of spiritual religion,"
  • Not "leader of the legislatures," but "leader of the legislators".
 If you are subject to holiday (or post-holiday) blues, I recommend you spend a little time reflecting on this many-faceted message about MY King. If you acknowledge Him as your King, you may find your perspective changed, as mine was those years ago.

Thursday, December 24, 2009

Celebrating the Nativity

In the ancient world, all the land would celebrate the king's birthday as a holiday. Today, people in all lands celebrate Christmas as the birth of the one great King of Kings.

Both Christian and non-Christian, both churched and unchurched -- all, in one way or another, acknowledge Christ the King at this season. Of course, many only get the crumbs from the table in their celebration. All they see at this time is Santa, Rudolph and family get-togethers. Nevertheless, something about Christmas seems to resonate with just about everyone.

Did you ever wonder why Christmas seems to touch so many, so deeply? I think it has to do with a certain aspect of the Nativity message. It's a facet of the Gospel that most churches ignore, except during the Christmas season.

In short, the Nativity heralds the birth of a King who will put things right. A world where so many things are out of joint welcomes the arrival of the Baby in swaddling clothes who will restore goodness and justice to a troubled world. It's the message that resounds in many Scriptures that we quote only at Christmastide.

Christmas in Scripture


For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given: and the government shall be upon His shoulder: and His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.


Of the increase of His government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order and to establish it, and with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this. (Isaiah 9:6-7)

The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me; because the LORD hath anointed Me to preach good tidings unto the meek; He hath sent Me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and to opening of the prison to them that are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God;


To comfort all that mourn; to appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that He might be glorified.


And they shall build the old wastes, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the waste cities, the desolations of many generations. (Isaiah 61:1-4)

Fear not, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. (Luke 2:10-11)

Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the East to Jerusalem, saying, "Where is He that is born King of the Jews?. For we have seen His star in the East, and are come to worship Him." (Matthew 2:1-2)

Christmas in Song

You also find the Biblical message of the King born to put things right echoed in the songs of Christmas. In fact, Handel's Messiah takes the words right out of Scripture itself. For example, Revelation 11:15 introduces the "Hallelujah Chorus":

The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of His Christ; and He shall reign for ever and ever.

In Joy to the World, you find the exhortation: "Let earth receive her King." Also, the third verse of this carol carries a message that perfectly expresses the message of the Scriptures quoted above:

No more let sins and sorrows grow, 
   Nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make Hid blessings known
   Far as the curse is found . . . .


O Holy Night also repeats that same message:

Truly He taught us to love one another;
   His Law is love, and His Gospel is peace.
Chains shall He break, for the slave is our brother,
  And in His name all oppression shall cease.

It Came upon the Midnight Clear also recounts message of the newborn King's peaceful reign:

For lo! The days are hast'ning on,
   By prophet bards foretold,
When with the ever circling years,
   Comes round the age of gold.
When peace shall over all the earth
  Its ancient splendors fling,
And all the world give back the song
  Which now the angels sing.

The Message of the Nativity

Have you ever heard people say that they wish that the spirit of Christmas could last all year long? Have you ever wondered why it doesn't?

I believe the reason lies substantially in the fact that after Christmas we (including most churches) pack up the message of the King along with the holiday ornaments. Yes, we preach that Jesus died for sinners (which is vitally true), and we preach that those who repent and trust in Him will have forgiveness and eternal life (also vitally true). But we leave out the part that Jesus is the King of Kings who has come to put things right.

Individuals, families, communities and nations that acknowledge Jesus as King and who live under His Royal Law will experience the blessings of Christmas all year round. That's the real message of Christmas (or as I like to call it, the Nativity).

So, proclaim liberty to the captive, seasons of refreshing to the weary and joy to the brokenhearted. For the King has come to put things right.

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

I Like Guns

This Nativity season I'm having a little trouble trying to focus on the grave and tragic. So, I'll focus more on the inspirational.

My barber sent me the link to this video. It's a country song with a lilting melody and a topic dear to my heart -- it's inspirational.

CAUTION: One profanity is repeated several times in the song.

Saturday, December 19, 2009

Improbable, Impractical and Insane

The video below contains a premise that is improbable, impractical & insane. Which only serves to underscore the question, "Why do I find it so incredibly entertaining?"

I suspect it has to do with something incurably male about me. Thanks to my barber for sending me the link to this video.

CAUTION: The last 10 or 12 seconds of this commercial contain a beer commercial that includes music with a heavy beat & a sexually suggestive reference. Any minor reader should have a parent preview this to decide if & how much of this violates your family's standards, and how much, if any, you are allowed to watch.

Friday, December 18, 2009

Off Topic? You decide.

Some readers may think this post is way off the topic of Christian Martialism. I don't think so, but you're free to disagree.

The topic is personal debt. The average American family spends over 16% of its income to service personal debt.

In the present economy, you can't afford to be unemployed if you owe the credit card companies a pile of money. It could wipe you out.

If you are at risk because of personal/family debt, you may be interested in a Christian ministry that offers a free 12-week course in how to get out of debt & get control of your finances. Consider this information my second Nativity Season present to you.

Here is the link:

Deliverance from Debt

Now, why do I think that the Christian Martialist should free himself from the entanglement of debt? Here's just one small part of my rationale on the subject:

Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier. (2Ti 2:3-4)

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

A Nativity Season Gift to You & Yours

Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift. (2Co 9:15)

At this season we celebrate the birth of the King. To us who believe, He is the greatest gift, for in Him we find the hope of liberation from sin, injustice, want and woe.

All of our Christmas gifts pale by comparison.

Nevertheless, I wanted to express my appreciation to my faithful readers with the gift of a little booklet I've prepared from a series of posts I made a while ago. I've edited a little & added a little, so it's better than the first time it appeared (I hope).

It's in .pdf form, and you can download it here:

Lines in the Dirt

It's not only meant as a gift for you to receive, but one you can give away as well. Post the link on your blog, Twitter, Facebook, Myspace or email it to friends & family. It's yours to give away to anyone you think will appreciate the information.

Just say that by special permission from the author, you are able to offer them the booklet free of charge.

I will have more to say about the Nativity Season later, but until then, have a merry one.

Saturday, December 12, 2009

What is Honor?, 7

Continued from "What is Honor?, 6"

So far in this discussion, I have worked on the assumption that insults to your honor (i.e., reputation or integrity) have come from one particular confrontational type: the big deal.

I have also noted that the best and safest course of action is to remove yourself from the scene. If retreat is impossible, I suggest you keep in mind the confrontational types and how to respond to each.

Remember that the most desirable response to personal violence is complete avoidance, if possible. If you cannot avoid it, then you can choose the level of force appropriate to the situation.

Moving on, Warrior has raised the question about defending a lady's honor. And, indeed, the ideals of the Age of Romanticism require a gentleman to defend the virtue of a lady.

But Romanticism is not a philosophy based on Scripture. Further, it places womanhood in an unbiblical perspective as beautiful but physically and psychologically helpless, frail and incapable of rigorous labor or logic.

These things are simply not so, and the defense of Romantic notions of womanhood by evangelicaldom have fueled the fires of militant feminism. The Biblical role of women, while different from that of men, requires great courage, strength and endurance (Think of Esther or Jael). Read Proverbs 31:10-31 and see the wisdom, intelligence and character of the woman portrayed there.

(Yes, the Apostle Peter did say that husbands should give honor to wives "as to the weaker vessel" [I Peter 3:7]. The physical constitution of the average man is stronger than that of the average woman. The physical constitution of women also makes them vulnerable in ways that men normally are not. Men need to honor those differences -- do the heavy lifting & physically protect women if and when necessary.)

The issue of honor, therefore, is exactly the same for a woman as it is for a man. An insult cannot touch her virtuous character, and although a good reputation has value, it remains highly doubtful that insults from street scum will harm her good name.

The street punk who tries to goad you into a fight has some invisible asset: weapon and/or friends. To accept his invitation to mayhem puts you in grave danger.

The addition of a woman to the equation only serves to complicate the tactical problems. The best chance for her safety (and yours!) lies in retreat.

If you have in your company a lady who embraces the Romantic notion that you have an obligation to fight for her honor, you need to realize that she values her pride above your safety or even your life. Unless you have the hard providence of being married to her, you need to let her find another companion and "protector".

The discretion of a man deferreth his anger; and it is his glory to pass over a transgression. (Pro 19:11)

As a jewel of gold in a swine's snout, so is a fair woman which is without discretion. (Pro 11:22)

Friday, December 11, 2009

To Publicly Kill an Intruder

My barber sent me the link to the video below. It contains a news broadcast of a woman who shot an intruder while on the line with a 911 operator.

Here are some of my observations on the event:
  1. Those who say that you don't need a gun when you can dial 911 need to hear this call. The woman dialed 911 AND she had a shotgun. If the police had arrived before the intruder had broken into the house, then she would not have needed the firearm (in this instance). No matter how good your local police are, there will be a time lag: you punch in 911 . . . operator picks up . . . you ask for police . . . operator asks scripted questions . . . you insist your life is in danger . . . operator dispatches an officer . . . officer(s) travel whatever distance to your location . . . officers call for coroner. The question is whether they will call the coroner for you or for the orc who tried to break in.
  2. The 911 call provides a permanent, first-person record of the incident. This can work for the woman or against her. The pluses: a) the call shows that she did make an effort toward a resolution that did not involve her using lethal force, and she flatly stated that she did not want to kill the man; b) the call provides documentation of her actions and state of mind [e.g., she retrieved the gun only after the level of threat escalated; she verbally affirmed that she feared for her safety]. The minuses: a) the call records that she refused to lock herself in the bathroom (could be important in a civil suit brought against her by the orc's family); b) the woman shows immediate remorse for shooting the intruder (could also be used in a civil suit as evidence that she knew that shooting the orc was wrong)
Lessons? Even with good intentions and pure motives, you can incriminate yourself -- at least in the eyes of a sly attorney.

That means it might be wise to think ahead about what you or other family members may say to a 911 operator in a potentially lethal situation. Remember that anything you say will be used against you.


Disclaimer: This blog does not in any way purport to give legal advice or counsel. If you need legal advice, you should seek the counsel of a competent attorney.

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

JROTC: Good Idea or Bad?

Deolexrex sent me a link to an article a while back that we all need to think about. It seems the Army is developing a Middle School ROTC program.

Here's an excerpt from the Army Times article:

The Wichita school district in south-central Kansas is one of a few nationwide offering middle school programs based on the Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps curriculum. Top Army officials are studying its programs to see if they could be a model for others nationwide.

The Army is collaborating with the National Association of School Boards to develop a so-called JROTC-plus program that would use the high school JROTC curriculum as a basis for a middle school program, Army JROTC director Col. John Vanderbleek said.

“We want to reach students at that age before they make decisions that put them at risk,” said Vanderbleek, who came to Wichita recently from Fort Monroe, Va., to see the Kansas program for himself.

I want to know what you Christian Martialists out there think about this. Good idea or bad?

Does this present the opportunity to raise up a generation of warriors, or is it one more step toward regimentation & centralized control of our children? Express your opinions, please.

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Valkyrie: A Review

On Saturday, we watched Valkyrie starring Tom Cruise. I'm not a big fan of his, but I found this movie riveting.

Since we already knew the plot & the outcome, there had to be something else to hold our attention so effectively. You could call it character x 2.

That is, the characters themselves were fascinating -- their motives for getting involved in the plot to kill Hitler, their reactions to changing circumstance, even their approach to their own deaths. But through all this ran the thread of the character of each individual.

I guess one reason this struck me is that honor seems to be the major theme of the film. You can see how each character views honor in terms of his own integrity AND in terms of the oath he took to give his life in service to the Führer.

One aspect of the movie that bothered me was its representation of Field Marshal Keitel. He may have been the arrogant prima donna that the film suggests, but I have a soft spot in my heart for him after reading the memoirs of WWII that he wrote while awaiting execution at Nuremburg.

I recommend Valkyrie as an exercise in ethical discernment for the Christian Martialist. It also serves as an example of the doctrine of interposition -- something to consider if and when we find ourselves ruled by evil tyrants.

Saturday, December 5, 2009

What is Honor?, 6

Continued from "What is Honor?, 5"

You should see your honor [correctly] in terms of your integrity and moral purity. That is,

HONOR = INTEGRITY (or CHARACTER)

Assuming you see that, how do you defend your integrity against the foul-mouthed orc who defames you? Short answer: you don't, because you can't.

Remember, your honor is not your reputation; it's your character. No low-life can touch your character with his words.

Don't get me wrong. Contrary to the old "sticks & stones" saying, words can and do hurt . . . if you let them.

If you let them. That's the key. The worst insults in the world tend to roll off of people who are secure in who they are.

To complicate the problem, however, the orc who uses words to goad others tends to have a sixth sense when it comes to reading people. His radar will home in on your weakest spot, the thing you fear is true about you but you don't want anyone to see.

With just a word or phrase, this street-Saruman exposes your insecurity in front of strangers & whatever friends and family are with you. It sticks in your craw, and now you have something to prove.

How do you defend against something like that? I think the answer lies in not in physical confrontation (which only adds validity to the accusation), but in the Biblical injunction:

Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. (Jas 5:16)

John Calvin comments, "the words clearly mean, that confession is required for no other end, but that those who know our evils may be more solicitous to bring us help." An example may help elucidate the matter.

In the early '80's, I pastored a small group of people trying to plant a church in Pennsylvania. I also worked part-time as a security officer at a local plant where pornographic pictures and magazines abounded.

That filth appealed to the filthiness of my old nature. I found it very tempting. What to do?

I saw two basic choices: 1) follow the leadership dictum of the world (i.e., never show weakness), or 2) follow the advice of James 5:16.

I chose the latter path and mentioned from the pulpit (actually, my pulpit was an old treadle sewing machine) that I would appreciate the prayers of God's people to deliver me from the temptation to look at the pornography which seemed ready to ambush me at so many places in the plant.

That honesty put my weakness out in the open, but it also put the people on my side. The other man in the group later commented about his own struggles to remain pure. This encouraged me in a later pastorate to be open about my weaknesses and even to use my failures in sermon illustrations along with how I was applying the principles of Scripture to overcome those failings.

If you get in the habit of confessing your weaknesses and asking your church & family to pray for you to overcome them, you will be practicing humility. And humility is your one and only defense against the foul-mouthed manipulator who wants to goad you into a fight.

Remember that nothing he says can diminish your integrity one iota. Nor can he expose your insecurities if you have already brought them before God's people for prayer.

Oh, and just for added incentive, this guy wouldn't pick a fight with you if he didn't KNOW he was going to win. He has an ace up his sleeve, somewhere -- a weapon, a gang of buddies . . . something that ensures that he will win.

Bottom line? As a Christian Martialist, strive to be pure in the entirety of your character, like Sir Galahad. But don't hide your shortcomings. Practice humility.

He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy. (Pro 28:13)

Friday, December 4, 2009

A Needless Tragedy

"You're going to jail. You're going to jail." You can hear the man behind the counter shouting at the frustrated and helpless man before him. That is, helpless except for the rifle and pistol out in the vehicle.

When you run a towing service, you must expect that many of the people who come in the front door are hostile. You also have to recognize that in today's economic climate, not a few are close to the end of their rope.

Hint: for your own safety, don't threaten to cut the rope.

A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger. (Pro 15:1)

This is not to excuse the shooter. He was wrong; he made the sinful choice to express his anger in the form of violence, which only made his problems worse.

Nevertheless, the people behind the counter were asking for it by treating a man in distress with contempt.

Below is a link -- sent by my barber -- to a video of a shooting at a towing service. Please view it with an eye to tactical errors made in the wake of the huge strategic blunder of piling the last straw on a guy who has made up his mind that he's not going to take any more guff.

http://www.break.com/trutv-crazy-stupid-vids/tow-truck-shootout.html


Here's one of those exercises where we can learn from each other:"Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend." (Pro 27:17) Please post your evaluations in the comments section.

Also, if you have not already done so, consider getting a copy of Verbal Judo by George Thompson. I have reviewed the book in "The Best Self Defense System, 4".

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Judo Chop Drill

I thought this video of a Judo Chop drill might be of interest. As you observe the drill, ask yourself, "How easy would it be to block these chops?" & "If someone did block the backhand chop, what would I do to counter?"

This drill reminds me a little of an Arnis stick drill designed to keep an opponent on the defensive by raining blows so fast that he cannot mount a counterattack. If that's the tactical purpose, then after you master the basic pattern, you'd need your partner to do what the orc would: block & grab.

Then you'd know just what you need to do to keep him from interrupting your momentum.

Monday, November 30, 2009

Antitheists Discover WARSKYL

Some months back, a group of Christian feminists discovered this blog and had great fun making mockery of you and me. Now the anti-theists have joined in.

I call them anti-theists rather than atheists because the great majority of of those who call themselves atheists wage unrelenting war against our God and all who serve Him. Strange that they should so expend so much energy on One whose existence they deny.

I do not wish to lend weight to their discussion board by linking to it, so if you want to see what they have to say, copy this URL and paste it in your browser window:

http://www.freeratio.org/showthread.php?t=279195

WARSKYL comes into the discussion with someone's link to the post on this blog of Gandalf holding an AK-47. This bloke evidently sees that as an inconsistency:

I find it interesting the the poster character for the AK would be burned at the stake for being a practicing sorcerer.

If any of my readers have burned anyone at the stake recently, now would be the time to come clean and provide the anti-theists with the smoking firebrand that they seek.

On the other hand, their further comments show that these folk have no need of evidence. Their fertile imaginations allow them to see in this blog what is manifestly not here:

Every time I follow a link here, I find the world a bit scarier of a place. "Christian Martialist?" . . . This guy missed that "turn the other cheek" bit eh?

Just what I need, a bunch of folks armed to the teeth, all ready to blow the livin' b****** out of some heathens. WWJD? Apparently "nuke 'em 'til they glow and shoot 'em in the dark."

I get it. These people who harbor such rabid hatred of our God and those of us who follow Him would rather we not defend ourselves at all.

No ulterior motives there, right?

Their smugly superior mocking tone reminds me of the "Christian" fems who somehow convinced themselves that I have cadres of troops stationed all over the continent just waiting for the signal to rise up against the powers that be.

Well, maybe they do share in the same spirit:

It is as sport [i.e., laughter] to a fool to do mischief: but a man of understanding hath wisdom. (Pro 10:23)

Saturday, November 28, 2009

What Is Honor?, 5

Continued from "What is Honor?, 4"

When I speak of honor as a virtue of Christian Martialists, I don't mean their pride or their reputation. I use the term in the sense of Merriam-Webster's 7th and 8th definition of the word:

7 : chastity, purity
8 a : a keen sense of ethical conduct : integrity "wouldn't do it as a matter of honor" b : one's word given as a guarantee of performance

As you consider these definitions, be careful not to deceive yourself into thinking that chastity and purity are the sole domain of the fairer sex (Prov. 11:15; I Tim. 4:12). While husbands and fathers should protect their wives and daughters from threats to their chastity and purity, they must protect themselves, as well.

I'm reminded of a summer job I had while I was in college, where I worked alongside another college student for several weeks sorting lumber for a pallet factory. My work-mate liked repeating off-color jokes and making perverse remarks.

One day he asked me, "Do you know why I talk the way I do around you?"

"Tell me," I replied.

"It's like walking by a yard where someone has hung their clean laundry. You see all those nice clean sheets and you just have to throw mud on them. That's how I see your mind -- like those nice clean sheets."

You protect yourself and your loved ones by minimizing exposure to twisted people like that college student. But you also have to train yourself and your family to mentally judge every incoming thought and word by Scripture and to pronounce God's judgment on that which defiles.

I'm not saying you should try to "filter out" or ignore those things. That approach hasn't worked for me, and it probably won't for you either.

Instead, I propose that you actively condemn the foul things you hear. Not necessarily out loud, but in a very deliberate and definite manner reject and denounce those words and the ideas they represent as evil and worthy of God's condemnation.

In other words, you must take God's side within your own heart and say the same thing He says about unclean words and ideas (John 7:24; I Cor. 6:3; 11:31).

In addition, you protect your chastity (and that of your loved ones) by learning (and teaching) how to recognize and resist those who would seduce us. (See Prov. 6:24)

In a very real sense, protecting your own chastity and purity is just one facet of maintaining your integrity (see definition 8a). More on this in another post.

Friday, November 27, 2009

Shooting Game

I hope you had a good day celebrating the goodness of our God in and through Christ Jesus. We spent our day with my sister-in-law & brother-in-law & their family. A delightful time with delightful people, feasting in honor of God's covenant faithfulness and enjoying each other's fellowship before His face.

Here's a Day-After-Thanksgiving activity for you.

My barber sent me the link to this game. It won't do anything to improve your real-life martial skills, but it's based on Non-Line-Of-Sight cannons. You must adjust elevation & velocity to produce a trajectory that hits targets.

Here's the link:

NLOS Cannon Challenge

Friday, November 20, 2009

On the Road

I'm writing this from a food court within a couple of hundred yards of Niagara Falls. I think you should visit the Falls at least once every 35-40 years.

If you ever visit the Buffalo are avoid Budget Inn. Not good.

For those of you on praying ground, I would appreciate your prayers for Sunday morning. I'll be speaking at the 11:30AM service of Niagara Reformed Presbyterian Church. 10 Indian Trail, Rd (corner of Sheridan Drive) Williamsville, NY. If you're in the area, drop in.

The congregation is small, so you will surely not get lost in the crowd.

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Lone Shooter or Terrorist?

According to Rep. Poe (R-TX), Fort Hood shooter Nidal Hasan's business card reads: "Soldier of Allah". A number of such cards were found in his apartment.

Yet the media still shys away from calling him a terrorist. Watch the video of Rep. Poe's remarks below.

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

What is Honor?, 4

Continued from "What is Honor?, 3"

The fear of the LORD is the instruction of wisdom; and before honour is humility. (Pro 15:33)

Before destruction the heart of man is haughty, and before honour is humility. (Pro 18:12)

A man's pride shall bring him low: but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit. (Pro 29:23)

So, why did you get into a fight with that guy?

"He insulted me. My honor was at stake."

People know that guy is all mouth, and they don't believe anything he says. He couldn't harm your reputation.

"No, but my honor was at stake."

He has no power to take away any of your rights or privileges.

"No, but I couldn't let it go by, because my honor was at stake."

Could anything he said have diminished you in any way? Reduced your stature, your character?

"No! I keep trying to tell you; I was defending my HONOR."

It's obvious that the individual above who defended his honor was not operating under any of the standard dictionary definitions (see below). A lot of people seem to operate the same way he does, with a concept of honor that just doesn't fit the normal meanings.

I think I've figured out what honor means in such contexts: PRIDE. I mean pride in the sense of " inordinate self-esteem : conceit" (Merriam-Webster).

Of course, it doesn't sound so good to say, "I got in a fight because I'm too arrogant of an SOB (Sorry Old Buzzard) to let an insignificant insult pass." It sounds so much better to say, "It was a matter of honor."

I think pride has a lot to do with "honor killings", too. Some Muslim father, brother or husband's ego is threatened by a female family member, in addition to which he's afraid that his Muslim friends will think he's a wimp (another blow to his self-concept).

So he murders a defenseless girl to rescue his pride.

If I read my Bible right, these are all woefully wrong reasons to fight. And it's easy to see why God's Word identifies pride with defeat & destruction.

To be continued

The following definition comes from Merriam-Webster:

1 a : good name or public esteem : reputation b : a showing of usually merited respect : recognition
2 : privilege
3 : a person of superior standing —now used especially as a title for a holder of high office
4 : one whose worth brings respect or fame : credit
5 : the center point of the upper half of an armorial escutcheon
6 : an evidence or symbol of distinction: as a : an exalted title or rank b (1) : badge, decoration (2) : a ceremonial rite or observance c : an award in a contest or field of competition d archaic : a gesture of deference : bow e plural (1) : an academic distinction conferred on a superior student (2) : a course of study for superior students supplementing or replacing a regular course
7 : chastity, purity
8 a : a keen sense of ethical conduct : integrity "wouldn't do it as a matter of honor" b : one's word given as a guarantee of performance
9 plural : social courtesies or civilities extended by a host
10 a (1) : an ace, king, queen, jack, or ten especially of the trump suit in bridge (2) : the scoring value of honors held in bridge —usually used in plural b : the privilege of playing first from the tee in golf

Saturday, November 14, 2009

Death of Asahel

I remember when I was in seventh grade a particularly brutal math exam in which most of the class did not fare well. Our teacher, citing lack of study due to overconfidence commented, "Some of you have been reading your own press clippings."

Similarly, a public figure -- say, a sitting President like Bush or Obama -- may read the press releases and P.R. put out by his own people and begin to believe the hype about himself. This generally leads to some ill-conceived policies and programs that bring his popularity crashing down around him.

When you have a reputation -- whether earned or imagined -- it's easy to "read the press releases" and believe you can do no wrong. (Think, "Mike Tyson".)

The same goes for heroes. Asahel was just such a hero.

Asahel was the king's nephew, son of Zeruiah, David's sister (I Chron. 2:13-16). He was also listed among David's Mighty Men (II Sam. 23:23), a roster of elite fighters renowned for their warrior skills.

After King Saul's death, there ensued a struggle to confirm and consolidate David's political position as rightful king. Asahel played a role in a particularly nasty incident in that struggle which took place at the Field of Sharp Edges near Gibeon (II Samuel 2:13-16).

The incident ended with David's nephews -- Joab, Abishai and Asahel -- pursuing Abner, who had served as leader of Saul's armed forces. Asahel evidently outdistanced his brothers in the pursuit and closed in on his quarry.

In the midst of pursuit, the following exchange took place:

Then Abner looked behind him, and said, "Art thou Asahel?"

And he answered, "I am."

And Abner said to him, "Turn thee aside to thy right hand or to thy left, and lay thee hold on one of the young men, and take thee his armour." But Asahel would not turn aside from following of him. And Abner said again to Asahel, "Turn thee aside from following me. Wherefore should I smite thee to the ground? How then should I hold up my face to Joab thy brother?"
(2Sa 2:20-22)

In his single-minded pursuit, Asahel no doubt thought he had nothing to fear from Abner. After all, Abner was the one who was running away, wasn't he?

When Asahel crossed the mental line between reasonable confidence in his abilities and hubris, he also crossed the line between necessary aggressiveness and foolhardiness. In terms of tactics, his pride blinded him to the fact that sometimes an enemy's withdrawal can lead to ambush -- in individual as well as group combat.

Howbeit [Asahel] refused to turn aside: wherefore Abner with the hinder end of the spear smote him under the fifth rib, that the spear came out behind him; and he fell down there, and died in the same place: and it came to pass, that as many as came to the place where Asahel fell down and died stood still. (2Sa 2:23)

I can see it my mind's eye: Abner appears to be tiring and slows his pace enough for Asahel to close the distance between. Then he warns Asahel off, but Asahel sees Abner's warning as bravado borne of desperation and fatigue.

Asahel thinks that Abner's endurance is spent and he closes in behind for the kill. As he raises his sword to strike, Abner suddenly stops in his tracks and meets Asahel's forward momentum with a backward thrust of his spear.

Every fellow-soldier who came upon his body lying in the bloody dirt stopped and stood stock still. They evidently did this out of absolute incredulity.

One of the king's combat elite lying dead in the wake of a retreating enemy! How could this be?

Answer: A man's pride shall bring him low: but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit. (Pro 29:23)

Honor? Seems I've encountered that concept recently.

Is there a link between humility and true honor? hmm. . . .

Friday, November 13, 2009

Gunfight in the Wild, Wild Midwest

Remember how I always point out that the orcs have a better record of hits than the police in gunfights? Well, a big shootout in Toledo, Ohio provides the exception that proves the rule.

No idea how the fight began, but I'm guessing someone's "honor" got offended. Testosterone and alcohol are a sure combination for overcoming good sense.

Then the shoving match turned into a shooting match. Throw a little adrenaline into the mix, and you have several people firing handguns who might as well be shooting blanks.


Who won the gunfight? Everyone who walked away still breathing -- that's everyone. Who lost the gunfight? Every shooter whom the police track down.

Thanks to my barber for sending the link to the video.

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

What is Honor?, 3

Continued from "What is Honor?, 2"

In my previous post, I presented the Bible's teaching about how you should react when others do not show due respect to you or your reputation. The other side of the coin is what the Word teaches about how you show respect to others.

I want to address that point, but first, let's return to the dictionary definition of honor.

I believe most of the concept of fighting and killing for the sake of honor comes from the first definition of the word given in the Merriam-Webster Dictionary. That definition contains two facets: reputation or public esteem and a show of respect or recognition.

We demonstrate the second facet of honor on days like Veterans' Day when we recognize those who have served in the military for their service. (I may not agree with your choice to serve in the military and thereby enforce our nation's ungodly policies, but if you make that choice in good conscience, then I respect you.)

Everyone wants to be shown respect. The problem comes when someone gets the notion that respect is owed to him as a right -- a right which he will defend with blood.

From the long-ago palaces of Europe to the present-day ghettos of the inner city, men have taken a show of disrespect as a challenge to fight and/or to kill. To them, it's a matter of honor.

The Bible teaches that believers should honor or show respect to others. We could multiply references, but here are a few:

Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another. (Rom 12:10)

Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour. (Rom 13:7)

Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;) (Eph 6:2)

The last Scripture quoted is the fifth of the Ten Commandments. The Westminster Shorter Catechism sums up its teaching as follows:

Q. 65. What is forbidden in the fifth commandment?
A. The fifth commandment forbiddeth the neglecting of, or doing anything against, the honor and duty which belongeth to everyone in their several places and relations

You read that and say, "It's only common sense to treat everyone with common courtesy." Yes, and I might add that common courtesy and common sense are as interdependent as they are uncommon in today's society.

Let's put the teaching from today's post together with the previous post:
  1. The Christian Martialist must honor his fellowmen as creatures made in the image of God;
  2. The Christian Martialist must meet disrespect with blessing and prayer.
If you do those two things, brethren, your example serve as a significant contribution to the peace of your society.

If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. (Rom 12:18)

(For those who simply will not live at peace, we train ourselves spiritually and physically for conflict.)

To be continued.

Monday, November 9, 2009

Questions You Won't Hear the Media Ask about Nidal Hasan

I have deliberately put off commenting on the mass killing at Fort Hood. I found it upsetting on more than one level.

Nevertheless, as the media scramble to cover this act of violence with a mantle of political correctness, I find myself asking questions that no reporter who wishes to keep his job will ever dare to ask.

For example, If Nidal Hasan is a Muslim extremist, how did he get to the rank of major in the U.S. Army? Is the U.S. military so weighed down with P.C. attitudes that it is willing to commit institutional suicide by commissioning enemy terrorists?

On the other hand, If Nidal Hasan is a mainstream Muslim and not an extremist, what do his actions tell us about the mainstream of Islam? Can we ever acknowledge the historical fact that the lands of the Middle East and North Africa converted to Islam at the point of a sword?

Pray for the persecuted church in Islamic countries. Pray for those who take the Gospel to Muslims. Pray that God will frustrate the purposes of those Muslims who would murder friends and family if they turn to Christ.

Saturday, November 7, 2009

What is Honor?, 2

Continued from "What is Honor?"

I have reproduced the definitions of honor from Merriam-Webster below to make it easier to reference as I discuss the meaning of the word.

The word honor appears 149 times in the English Bible (AV). In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word commonly translated honor is kabod.

It literally means weight, and is often translated as glory. The Apostle Paul played on this term when he wrote "For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory." (2Co 4:17)

In this sense, honor is the weight credited by God or other people to a person's character. In other words, it is his reputation (definition #1, below), as borne out by Brown-Driver-Briggs: Hebrew Definitions which lists reputation among the word's meanings.

And the Bible confirms that a good name is a valuable asset:

A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold. (Pro 22:1)

This leads to the matter of whether a person should fight (let alone kill) to preserve his honor/reputation. Scripture seems to indicate the opposite:

It is an honour for a man to cease from strife: but every fool will be meddling. (Pro 20:3)

On the contrary, our King gives us specific instructions about how to handle those who slander us:

Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you. (Mat 5:43-44)

And in another context, He says again,

Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets. But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you. (Luk 6:26-28)

If you're like me, you have your own stories about how others -- either unbelievers or professing Christians -- have despitefully used you. I remember lying awake at night rehearsing the scenes in my mind, thinking of what I should have said to the one(s) who did evil to me.

Such thoughts robbed me of sleep and peace of mind, until I discovered the principle of praying for those who despitefully use you. When I started praying for my enemies, their evil words and deeds lost their hold on me and I started falling asleep praying for them.

This is not the same as praying at them. I'm talking about sincere prayer for their good (which may legitimately include repentance on their part and reconciliation with you) and for God's blessing on their service to Him.

This is not to say that there is not also a place for imprecatory prayers, especially when the slanderer dishonors that which is righteous or God's work and reputation. David prayed in this vein:

For I have heard the slander of many: fear was on every side: while they took counsel together against me, they devised to take away my life. But I trusted in thee, O LORD: I said, Thou art my God. My times are in thy hand: deliver me from the hand of mine enemies, and from them that persecute me. Make thy face to shine upon thy servant: save me for thy mercies' sake. Let me not be ashamed, O LORD; for I have called upon thee: let the wicked be ashamed, and let them be silent in the grave. Let the lying lips be put to silence; which speak grievous things proudly and contemptuously against the righteous. (Psa 31:13-18)

To be continued.

1 a : good name or public esteem : reputation b : a showing of usually merited respect : recognition
2 : privilege
3 : a person of superior standing —now used especially as a title for a holder of high office
4 : one whose worth brings respect or fame : credit
5 : the center point of the upper half of an armorial escutcheon
6 : an evidence or symbol of distinction: as a : an exalted title or rank b (1) : badge, decoration (2) : a ceremonial rite or observance c : an award in a contest or field of competition d archaic : a gesture of deference : bow e plural (1) : an academic distinction conferred on a superior student (2) : a course of study for superior students supplementing or replacing a regular course
7 : chastity, purity
8 a : a keen sense of ethical conduct : integrity "wouldn't do it as a matter of honor" b : one's word given as a guarantee of performance
9 plural : social courtesies or civilities extended by a host
10 a (1) : an ace, king, queen, jack, or ten especially of the trump suit in bridge (2) : the scoring value of honors held in bridge —usually used in plural b : the privilege of playing first from the tee in golf

Friday, November 6, 2009

What is Honor?

Continued from "Honor Killing?"

Should a Christian Martialist defend his honor? I guess it depends on what you mean by honor.

So, let's do something really radical -- something like, oh I don't know . . . look up the definition? Merriam-Webster gives the following meanings for the word honor:

1 a : good name or public esteem : reputation b : a showing of usually merited respect : recognition
2 : privilege
3 : a person of superior standing —now used especially as a title for a holder of high office
4 : one whose worth brings respect or fame : credit
5 : the center point of the upper half of an armorial escutcheon
6 : an evidence or symbol of distinction: as a : an exalted title or rank b (1) : badge, decoration (2) : a ceremonial rite or observance c : an award in a contest or field of competition d archaic : a gesture of deference : bow e plural (1) : an academic distinction conferred on a superior student (2) : a course of study for superior students supplementing or replacing a regular course
7 : chastity, purity
8 a : a keen sense of ethical conduct : integrity "wouldn't do it as a matter of honor" b : one's word given as a guarantee of performance
9 plural : social courtesies or civilities extended by a host
10 a (1) : an ace, king, queen, jack, or ten especially of the trump suit in bridge (2) : the scoring value of honors held in bridge —usually used in plural b : the privilege of playing first from the tee in golf.

Whenever you use a word capable of so many interpretations, you run the danger of committing the fallacy of equivocation - using the same word in two different senses as though they were one.

Here's a syllogism that demonstrates the fallacy of equivocation:

Some dogs have hair.
Fido has hair.
Therefore, Fido is some dog.

More in another post.

Thursday, November 5, 2009

Honor Killing?

In recent news about an Arizona Muslim who ran over his 20-year-old daughter in a parking lot, the media have referred to the incident as an honor killing. This brings into question the meaning of the word honor.

Traditional Japanese culture also has had some pretty extreme practices regarding honor. In that mindset, one might kill or commit suicide (hara kiri) for honor.

The West has not been immune to the same mindset. In Europe and America, many have fought duels to the death to defend their honor.

General Douglas MacArthur challenged West Point Cadets to live for "Duty, Honor, Country." The Marine Hymn says that they fight "to keep their honor clean". What does the word honor mean in those contexts?

I want to address the meaning of honor and apply it to Christian Martialism in another post or two.

Meanwhile, ponder the man in the video from the Associated Press who murdered his own daughter for the sake of his honor.

I believe the arraignment took place before his daughter actually died, which is why you do not hear him being charged with homicide.

Monday, November 2, 2009

Boston Sheepdog Saves Doctor's Life

An off-duty security officer saved the life of a physician at Massachusetts General Hospital on October 27th. Providentially, Paul Langone was there as the violent scene played out, and he was armed.

When he saw a psychiatric patient repeatedly stab a female doctor, Langone drew his weapon and ordered the patient to drop the knife. Here's a description from the Channel 7 WHDH News Site:

"He produced a weapon and ordered the suspect to drop the knife, and when the suspect did not comply, he shot him," said Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis.

Sources told 7News that Langone hit Canciero three times and he was pronounced dead on the scene.

Another article says that officials confirmed that the suspect sustained two wounds to the torso and one to the head. Think about the mindset and focus required for that kind of performance.

Then compare that to the average police shooting in which officers routinely miss suspects and put bystanders and victims at risk from stray rounds. (See my post, FBI Report)

Here is a link to an interview with Paul Langone. He comes across as a guy you'd like to have for a neighbor, and who seems a little uncomfortable with the media attention.

WARSKYL salutes Paul Langone, sheepdog.

Saturday, October 31, 2009

Reformation Day Blessing

Today is October 31st, the day we traditionally celebrate as the beginning of the Protestant Reformation. According to tradition, it is the day Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses (or propositions for which he invited discussion & debate) to the church door at Wittenberg.

This evening it will be my honor to portray Martin Luther in program at Unity Presbyterian Church (ARP) in Piedmont, SC. I thought some of you might be interested to read my presentation.

Hello, my name is Martin Luther. You may remember me because on the eve of All Saints Day – you call it Halloween – in 1517, I nailed a notice to the church door at Wittenberg.

Now, in those days before Facebook, the church door was like a public bulletin board, so posting a message was no big deal. I was making a public challenge to debate some of the Church’s practices that I thought were not according to the Bible.

Two years later, I got my debate – with a very famous and learned theologian by the name of von Eck. At that time, von Eck made an accusation that I was a new John Hus

Well, that hit me hard, because I knew the name of Hus. I had been taught that he was a heretic burned at the stake in 1415. I did not want to be associated with a heretic.

So, I went to the university library and read all I could find about this John Hus. He lived in Bohemia – you call it the Czech Republic. If you look on a map of Europe, Germany is here, Poland is here, and where my thumbs cross is Bohemia.

As a young priest, John Hus encountered the teachings of John Wycliffe, from England. Wycliffe had translated the Scriptures into his native tongue, and he also showed how the Church had drifted from the Bible’s teachings.

Hus taught some pretty radical ideas. He said that the Church was not made up of pope and priests, but of all God’s elect people; he also taught that Christ, not the pope was the only true head of the Church. He also spoke out against indulgences – paying money to the Church to have your sins forgiven.

Hus preached that one receives forgiveness from God through true repentance, not by paying money. That was the same thing I said in the paper that I nailed to the church door. I really started to like this guy.

It was no wonder that the Church officials were really out to get John Hus. At that time, Bohemia had a good king: Wenceslaus. (Good King Wenceslaus . . . that’s really kind of catchy.) The king tried to protect Hus, but that only lasted so long.

Hus was put on trial and told to renounce his beliefs. He said that he would change only if someone could prove his teachings were contrary to the Bible. On July 6, 1415, Hus’s enemies executed him by burning him at the stake.

Before he died, he made a prophecy. He said, “In a hundred years, God will raise up a man whose calls for reform can not be suppressed." It was 102 years later that I nailed my paper to the church door.

In speaking of the Reformation, someone has said, “Wycliffe struck the spark, Hus lit the torch, and Luther illumined the land.” I prefer to say that God’s Word illumined the land.

As we celebrate the Reformation, we honor those who -- like Hus -- gave their lives for Christ and His Gospel. But I think there is also room to rejoice and make merry as we bask in the light of the truth.

In that spirit, I invite you to click on the link below and watch

The Reformation Polka

Friday, October 30, 2009

Cheap Ammo

This is from my barber. I put it in the You-Get-What-You-Pay-For Dept.



While the above picture strikes me with its sardonic humor, it also reminds me that without ammunition, a firearm (i.e., a weapon that fires projectiles) ceases to be a firearm (i.e., a weapon that fires projectiles).

How many firearms owners will tell you, "Ammo? Oh, yeah . . . I've got a box of it around here, somewhere"? (Translation: "There's a 20-year-old box of cartridges with eight rounds lying in the garage where it has been exposed to repeated drastic temperature changes.")

Yesterday I noticed an ad for a sporting goods store that has brand-name ammo on sale. Does this mean the ammo shortage is easing?

Maybe I should make a trip down there. How about you?

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

M4 SOPMOD

Your eyes glaze over. You can't turn your them away. The drool starts to collect at the corners of your mouth Don't expect your wife/girl friend to understand why this pic does this to you.


"I'm not coveting, I'm . . . ADMIRING!"

Thanks to my barber for sending me this.

Monday, October 26, 2009

The Roots of WARSKYL,, 10

I believe that I have made my position clear on the mission of WARSKYL and how it relates to the races of the world. At this point, I want to tie up some loose ends so that we all can move on. Here are some issues that have come up.

FIRST is the question of statistics. You have read repeated assertions that, since since blacks commit 80% of the violence in this nation, it proves that black folk have a genetic predisposition for violence. Others look at the statistics and say that since the overwhelming percentage of violence comes from the poor, that poverty is the cause of violence.

My point is that you can't look at just one factor when you're analyzing statistics. For example, since serial killers come almost exclusively from the white community, can we conclude that the white race carries a serial-murder gene? I'm sure you would see that such a characterization based on one statistical factor is both invalid and unfair. The same holds true about drawing conclusions about race and violence.

Rather than look to a superficial analysis of statistics, I take my view of violence from Scripture. Here is how Scripture characterizes the human race apart from the grace of God:

What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin; As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: Their feet are swift to shed blood: Destruction and misery are in their ways: And the way of peace have they not known: There is no fear of God before their eyes. (Rom 3:9-18)

Note that the word Gentile includes both white and black.

SECOND I want to address the question of whether you can extrapolate the command, "Honor thy father and thy mother," to include preferring and honoring the pagan culture of your forbears -- especially honoring and preferring such pagan expressions above your brothers and sisters in Christ who come from other racial backgrounds.

Let's look at how Jesus Himself defines familial preference:
While he yet talked to the people, behold, his mother and his brethren stood without, desiring to speak with him. Then one said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to speak with thee. But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren? And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother. (Mat 12:46-50, emphasis added)

There is an old saying: "Blood (familial ties) is thicker than water (the covenantal ties of baptism). Many people abide by this saying, but it goes against the teaching of Christ:

For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. (Mat 10:34-35)

He that loveth father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. (Mat 10:37)

For this reason, the Lord's apostles called for people to turn away from the pagan cultures of their fathers:

Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers. (1Pe 1:18)

The Apostle Paul wrote to the Romans:

And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. (Rom 12:2)

To the recipients of the epistle, their world was Roman -- white, European and pagan. Honoring father and mother obviously did not include honoring and preferring the vain, pagan traditions received from their fathers.

God gave the 5th Commandment to His people. Their children were to obey and honor them because they obeyed and honored God. Paul puts the Fifth Commandment in the same context for New Testament believers:

Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;) (Eph 6:1-2, emphasis added)

In fact, covenantal ties found in Christ produce new familial ties. In Christ, we are all the seed of Abraham:

And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise. (Gal 3:29)

This new familial tie in Christ means that I honor my fathers (Abraham, Isaac & Jacob) when I honor their God. Honoring my fathers means honoring white, European Christian Fathers-in-the-faith like Luther, Calvin & Knox as well as non-white Fathers like Augustine or the Apostles Paul, Peter, etc.

This brings me to the THIRD point, that my ties in Christ not only introduce me into a new family, but they confirm citizenship in a new nation. Randall has written:

The great commission does indeed tell us to teach all nations (note the plural) about Jesus. It does not tell us to amalgamate all these converts into ONE christian nation.

The Bible teaches that we DO become members of one nation, in Christ. By virtue of being in Christ, all believers are the seed of Abraham. They are therefore no longer alienated from New Covenant Israel (NCI).

That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, who hath made both one . . . . Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone. (Eph 2:12-20, emphasis added)

The Apostle Peter explicitly calls believers a holy nation:

But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy. (1Pe 2:9-10, emphasis added)

The emphasized part shows that he was not addressing native-born (shem-itic) Israelites. He is talking to Gentile believers, and the reference to royal priesthood and holy nation allude to the language God used in setting apart Old Covenant Israel:

And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel. (Exo 19:6)

Thus, as a member of the NCI, I share a rich cultural heritage with my fellow-citizens no matter what race or culture they come from.

In fact, Peter's words translated as chosen generation are understood to mean chosen race by John Calvin, A.T. Robertson and other expositors. Thus, as Abraham's seed, all who are in Christ share a common citizenship in the NCI and a common racial heritage in Abraham through Christ.

The exhortation to the racially diverse churches of the New Covenant is not one of separate-but-equal, rather one of single-minded unity (Eph. 4:11-13; Phil. 1:27; Rom 15:6; et. al.) Likewise, the exhortation to marry is "in the Lord"(i.e., within the chosen race) not along the old racial & national boundaries.

It is this unity of thought and mind that will bring all nations into unity under Christ (Christendom). As this happens, old loyalties will subside and we will become in practice what we are now in principle: a single nation (the NCI).

Because I hold to this Biblical understanding, Randall accuses me of holding a "blatant racial double standard". Here is how he characterizes my position:

By the same token, it is wrong to say anything nice about a white culture. We must always accentuate the violent, pagan past of our white fore-fathers and never say anything complimentary about them. It doesn't matter that every race on the planet has a violent past, we must never stress the good things and accomplishments our fathers have done. We shouldn't take the 5th commandment at face value. Got it.


The inference is that I have never said anything good about any white culture. To give him the benefit of the doubt, I will say he is ill-informed. Over the time my blog has existed, I have honored many contributions by Christian white Europeans.

Although I have deprecated the violence of Vikings who burned churches and monasteries, I have recognized and honored European examples and contributions to Christian Martialism:

The Franks

The Bohemians

The Dutch

The Irish and here

The Scots and here

My positive references to white European contributions to the field of self defense include references to Fairbairn, Sykes, Keith Pascal & a number of others.

You have to read my blog with blinders on to claim that I never say anything nice about "white" culture or that I always accentuate their violent pagan past. In fact, such matters were never an issue here until Randall brought up his obvious dislike for black people, and I thought his strong anti-black rhetoric needed a Scriptural corrective.

Now, I hope to get back to the primary business of WARSKYL, which is to present to all nations and races an example of Christian Martialism: a view of the warrior spirit in subjection to Christ.

Friday, October 23, 2009

Calling Out to God: Defensive Prayer

The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower. I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies. (Psa 18:2-3)

And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me. (Psa 50:15)

RPC sent me a link to a video that reminded me of a seminar I attended years ago. The speaker talked about teaching our wives & daughters to call out to God out loud if they are ever attacked.

He related some remarkable stories about women who did this. One of them was about a woman who had attended one of his earlier seminars.

She had to park her car some distance away from the auditorium where the sessions were held, and as she walked from her car, a man grabbed her and started to pull her into the darkness. She had the presence of mind to remember what she had learned at the previous session of the seminar.

She called out to God for protection and that he would stop the man from doing this terrible thing. Upon hearing this, the orc said something to this effect: "Oh, are you one of those Christians meeting up the street? You shouldn't be walking alone in this neighborhood -- it's dangerous." And then he let her go.

Within minutes, the police picked up the man, who turned out to be a serial rapist they had been trying to catch.

The lesson here is not to throw away your handgun or your wasp spray, any more than David threw away his sword when God inspired him to write the passage above. The point is that our ultimate faith is not in our weapons or our skill, but in God.

I have addressed this issue in The Christian Martialist and Providence and Another Lesson on Providence. It's a lesson, however, that bears repeating.

Here is the video of an ABC News interview with a woman who called out to God in the presence of an armed robber:

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

The Roots of WARSKYL, 9

Continued from "The Roots of WARSKYL, 8"

Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them. And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted. And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen. (Mat 28:16-20)

Our Lord commissioned the Church to bring the whole earth under His dominion. I have previously mentioned that I see WARSKYL as my contribution to one small part of that mission.

The Bible contains much explicit and implicit teaching about violence, self-defense and combat. Large segments of the Church have misunderstood and misapplied those teachings, so that I intend WARSKYL to serve as a corrective to those false teachings.

I have placed WARSKYL in the open marketplace of ideas to encourage and edify Christians of all nations and as a witness to unbelievers that the Word of God speaks to every area of life and challenges every world culture. Every day the search engines bring people to this blog who may have never thought of self-defense as a valid, Biblical concept.

Over the past 30 days, visits from foreign countries include:
  • 13 from Brazil
  • 1 from Indonesia
  • 8 from India
  • 6 from the Philippines
  • 1 each from Turkey, Lebanon, Kenya and New Zealand
There are also visitors from various European nations, as well, but take a look at the ones I've listed. They are predominantly non-white and in several of these nations Christians live at risk of attack from their non-Christian neighbors. Past visitors have come from China, Southeast Asia and various nations of Africa and the Middle East.

I don't know how many of these visitors are Christians looking for answers, nor in what way this blog may have helped. I have prayed that WARSKYL will be used for Christ's kingdom, and I try to remember in prayer daily my persecuted brothers and sisters around the world.

That's why I could not let some of the race-related comments posted here recently go unchallenged. The impression that such comments make on my brothers and sisters of other nations, races and cultures could turn them away from this ministry, and I do not want that to happen.

For most Americans, the concept of dying for the faith is still academic. Our non-Christian neighbors do not form gangs to raid & burn down our houses and churches just because we trust in Christ.

That day certainly seems to be coming, here, but it has not yet fully arrived. When it does come, it will matter little whether the helping hand your Christian Martialist brother extends to you is white, black, olive or brown.

Therefore, I want all my readers to understand that this ministry promotes Christian Martialism among all Christ's people, redeemed out of every nation, race and culture.

Beyond the limited application of Scripture to the area of Christian Martialism, I also intend WARSKYL to serve as an example of how to apply the principles laid down in my book Christian Methodology. My book shows how Scripture subdues every area of thought & life as part of the sanctification process. Once you know the process, you can cooperate with it to more fully bring your worldview under the dominion of Christ.