As He always does when He’s teaching me a complex doctrine, the Lord puts the question(s) on my heart first. Then He begins to provide lessons that fill in the question. I praise His holy name for this; Jesus Christ, by the Holy Spirit of God, is the Master Instructor. He’s been fulfilling the covenant we made from the start; if only I could be as steadfast as He is faithful.

There are questions on my mind about what verses in the writings of Paul point to which aspect of the Kingdom age(s); the time of the first advent – the intervening 2000 years plus (so far) of the end times – or His coming again. With this piece, the eschatological view of Paul is three-fold, but some verses are a combination adding a distinct aspect. With that, we agree.

There are three distinct strands in the structure of New Testament eschatology: (1) the strand represented by “the last days”; (2) the strand expressed in the contrast between “this age” and “the age to come”; and (3) the strand intimated in such expressions as “our citizenship is in heaven” (Phil. 3:20) and “we have been raised up together and made to sit together in the heavenlies in Christ Jesus” (Eph. 2:6; cf. Col. 3:1-3). We might speak of these three strands respectively as anticipated eschatology, prospective eschatology and projective eschatology.

First, some verses or sections of Scripture are clearly about the first advent.

Secondly, some are about the long intervening end times in which we now live. For two thousand years, we believers of each generation are already in Christ and one with Christ by the Holy Spirit in us, longing for the day and always gazing heavenward for His return.

Thirdly, some verses are about the Second Advent, when we shall be fully made one with Christ, the Church consummated, and the end judgment.

And lastly, some verses indicate two conditions simultaneously in anticipation of the final consummate order. Especially verses that show both the spiritual Kingdom of God that now is, as a type and yet a mere shadow of the final consummate kingdom in Christ, as we wait under dutiful service in anticipation of that last day. We exist in two places at once, seated with Christ in heavenly places, yet beset by sin all around us here on earth.

We’ve been trying to get a handle on the Pauline eschatological layout. The linked article is helpful. Perhaps it’s pretty simple to you, but to me, it’s big-brained multithreaded overlapping explanatory complexity. I appreciate that immensely. It makes us work, forcing us to think, bearing in mind the author’s interwoven points while simultaneously challenging their validity.

In contrast, modern Christian writers are dull for their lack of depth, the linked website excluded. I don’t know if contemporary writers are dumbing down their writings because they are trying to keep us dumb. Or perhaps they don’t think we’re smart enough to handle their doctoral prowess, or perhaps, they prefer spoon-feeding us sugar so as not to upset anybody. Well, whatever their reason, all three are offensive. Honestly, though, I am starting to think that they are the dumb ones; bless their hearts; doing the best they can :-) I don’t read any commentary that isn’t 150 to 200 years old or more. We don’t need Gerber mashed peas; ‘open wide, here comes the choo choo twain,’ and neither does anybody in the body of Christ; the Church is falling apart, and we need meat!

But we’re ranting. Read the linked piece.

The follow-on remarks over Twitter show that this cop apparently thought this guy was someone who ran from him on a previous occasion, and that was an error.

There is no possible world where this isn’t attempted murder.  But the problem is that this isn’t a bad cop.  This is a normal, everyday, average cop.

Via Wisco.

Chewing a burger without a burger chewing license? Death penalty. pic.twitter.com/LD7DHnJumA

— Libertarian Party of Delaware (@LPofDelaware) October 6, 2022

I think this will take some practice.

I just can’t find a good tactical shotgun course offered anywhere near me.

If they weren’t Corporations under the Internal Revenue Code, they wouldn’t have this problem!

Source:

More than two dozen churches and a socially conservative organization this week filed a federal lawsuit challenging New York’s restrictions on guns in sensitive areas.

The lawsuit is the latest effort to challenge New York’s law approved in the wake of a Supreme Court decision that found a century-old concealed carry law was unconstitutional. State lawmakers and Gov. Kathy Hochul agreed to a measure that limited where guns can be carried as well as created new requirements for a concealed carry license.

The churches and the group, New Yorkers for Constitutional Freedoms, pointed to the rise in threats against houses of worship, arguing that such a ban violates their Second Amendment rights as well as a natural right to self-defense while attending a religious service.

“The disarming of citizens while attending places of ‘worship or religious observance’ is not taking place in a vacuum,” the lawsuit states. “Religiously motivated or targeted attacks continue to be a risk to every congregation nationally and in the State of New York.”

The gun law approved in July limits where guns can be carried. Locations like mass transit, parks, as well as houses of worship are considered “sensitive locations” under the law known as the Conceal Carry Improvement Act. Heavily trafficked locations like Times Square also bar concealed carry firearms.

Only the Revolution is sacred; all else must be subsumed.

Source:

One family in Southeast Kansas took a hard look at what was happening in the 4-H program they’d been a part of most of their lives and decided to take a stand.

Charla King, her husband Ross King, and three of their five children (two are too young) are — or rather were — very active in the Cherokee County 4-H chapter.  But disheartened by the stands the national chapter seemed to be taking, and after being roundly ignored by the national group and essentially blown off by the state organization, the Kings are starting an alternative organization.  They’re calling it “Heritage Youth of America.”

[…]

Being devout Christians as well, the Kings did a bit more digging, finding Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Critical Race Theory, and other social justice issues taking prominence at the national level and scattered across the website.

The final straw, King said, was when she found out that at a 4-H camp over the summer, a biological boy was housed in a girls’ dorm.

Animal Husbandry and family and small farming are growing increasingly important. While we admire them for trying to start an organization with traditional values, staying local with trusted associates is the only way to go. You don’t need another centralized organization; you need friends with morals and skills in your immediate area.

There’s more at the Source.

Via Instapundit

Source:

The standard AR-15 chambered in 5.56 NATO is truly America’s rifle and is a symbol of American ingenuity and freedom. Although the 5.56 NATO has proven itself in the jungles of Vietnam and deserts of Iraq, some gun owners wanted something more…

They wanted more stopping power, better terminal ballistics, and a rifle cartridge that could be used for both home defense and big game hunting.

The 458 SOCOM cartridge is the answer that these gun owners were looking for, as its heavier bullets can deliver bone-crushing kinetic energy that can stop feral hogs or whitetail in their tracks.

However, is investing in a big bore 458 SOCOM upper receiver really worth it? Or is it better to stick with the AR-15 platform mainstay, the 5.56 NATO?

In this article we will help you answer these questions and more as we compare the 458 vs 556.

what is the difference between 5.56 and 458 SOCOM?

The primary differences between 458 SOCOM vs 556 is bullet diameter each cartridge fires and the intended engagement ranges. The 458 SOCOM fires a 0.458” diameter bullet that is intended for close-range engagements while the 5.56 fires a 0.224” diameter bullet that excels at long-range shots.

 

 

Muzzle Velocity and Kinetic Energy

When it comes to muzzle velocity, there are only a handful of rounds that are faster than the 5.56 NATO. However, the 5.56 cannot keep up with the 458 SOCOM in terms of muzzle energy.

For this example, we will compare the Hornady Frontier 55 gr FMJ (M193 clone) for 5.56 and the SBR Ammunition 300 gr Barnes TTSX load for 458 SOCOM.

At the muzzle, the 5.56 round is blazing down range at 3,240 fps compared to 1,835 fps for the 458 bullet. Although this is only one example, essentially every 5.56 factory load will have a higher muzzle velocity than the 458 SOCOM since the 5.56 is firing lighter bullets.

However fast the 5.56 bullet might be, the 458 SOCOM is using a considerably heavier bullet that carries a lot more muzzle energy. At the muzzle, the 458 SOCOM bullet delivers a whopping 2,243 ft-lbs of kinetic energy compared to 1,282 ft-lbs for the 5.56.

Although the 458 SOCOM round has almost double the kinetic energy at the muzzle, the round quickly loses fps and ft-lbs of energy as it travels downrange due to its bullet design. By 300 yards the 300 grain bullet has gone subsonic and by 600 yards it carries around 500 ft-lbs of energy. To put that into perspective, that is still more than a 45 ACP +P round has at the muzzle, but it illustrates the primary difference between 5.56 and 458 SOCOM. In contrast, the 5.56 55 grain bullet goes subsonic around the 700-yard marker.

The 458 SOCOM was clearly designed for close-range shots at self-defense distances where it can use its massive kinetic energy advantage to devastating effect. While the 5.56 had long-range shooting and marksmanship in mind for longer engagement distances.

There’s a lot of data at the source.

NGO doing Red Flag dirty work for police in East TN. Does anybody want to venture a guess as to how many civil rights violations are in their “record storage?” If a man is assaulting women and if he’s that big of a danger to others, why isn’t he in jail?

Full Job Description

It seems to have a chance.

As you all are aware by now, Texas passed a “Texas Made Suppressor Law” last session. It is a highly specific law that says that a suppressor that is made ENTIRELY of Texas made parts and stays in Texas is legal. Representative Tom Oliverson (R-District 130) led the fight for passage on this bill and it was well crafted.

It requires anyone who wants to build these to first seek a Declaratory Judgement from the courts–thus giving Attorney General Ken Paxton legal standing to defend the law.

Good news for us! The feds tried to kill the case and Judge Pittman said their arguments were not good enough to pull the plug on the case and denied their motion.

We will have our day in court! Post-Bruen, I have high hopes that this will prevail. Further, I spoke with Representative Oliverson this morning and he said ““HB957 passed its first legal challenge yesterday.  I am glad to see the lawsuit move forward and I look forward to Judge Pittman’s evaluation of the arguments.  I believe the case against federal regulation of these Texas-made, Texan-owned firearm safety devices is solid!”

It’s going to be a long haul but the trial date has been included in the four-week docket beginning November 12, 2023 and I have high hopes for it!

Here’s the problem.  Unless this bill includes the directive for local LEOs to arrest agents of the FedGov who attempt to arrest folks who have suppressors without registering them as NFA items, the law is meaningless.

It’s a setup and trap, even if unintentional.

Do the right thing with the bill.  Connect it to protection from the FedGov by the state and then it’s good to go.  Even if the FedGov cannot be watched 24 hours per day, after arrest of innocent victims of this new law the state can decide to enter FedGov facilities to regain control of the victims and arrest said agents.

It’s all about who is willing to flex their muscle enough.  And by the way, this sort of thing is exactly why the FedGov fears the new Missouri law prohibiting the ATF from interfering with the 2A in that state.  It has teeth because it’s backed by state and local law enforcement under threat of firing and never again being able to work as a LEO in Missouri.

Guy appendix carries without a holster and shoots himself in the groin.  Link -> reddit/Firearms.

Yea I know.  Use a holster – that’ll make everything safe.

Or not.  I don’t appendix carry.  I don’t point weapons at myself regardless of how much confidence I have in trigger discipline.

It’s called redundancy, or defense in depth, which is an engineering design philosophy.

You don’t point guns at other people and then claim it’s safe because you have trigger discipline, do you?

No, I don’t either, and I don’t point weapons at myself.

But that’s just my opinion.  Carry however you wish.

With a good manufacturer you shouldn’t have to worry about this.  It could be the BCG if there’s a head space problem.  Otherwise, send the gun back and demand your money back.