“17 Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him. 18 Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD.” – Leviticus 19:17-18

We must rebuke our neighbors if they’re living in sin. But that’s not nice; what about loving your neighbor as yourself?

There is no contradiction; infected with coexistence and tolerance, the New Religion lies to millions of congregants across America. Perhaps they aren’t so much lying as lazy. It takes fortitude to tell somebody they are a sinner at odds with God bringing the rot of ruinous sin to civilization and eternal destruction upon themselves. Perhaps they are too scared to do the works of Christ; lying to themselves, they pretend to be spiritual while rejecting the Law-word of God.

Verse 17 states, “Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart.” Well, that sounds perfectly reasonable. But, the verse goes on to indicate that hate is manifest by allowing your neighbor, brother, or your people to remain ignorant of their sin, or worse, live in defiance of all that is right and good and holy before God. Permitting your neighbors, without rebuke, to live in open rebellion against God is an act of hate for them! Tolerance is not an act of love; it’s hate!

Matthew 22:39 is the most often cited instance about loving your neighbor. When a lawyer tempted Jesus by asking Him what the first and great commandment is, after explaining that the Love of God in obedience to Him is above all things; secondly, Christ refers to Leviticus 19:18.

Jesus, at every turn, loved His neighbor by telling them the complete and ugly truth, regardless of how that made them feel. That’s how a Christian is to love our neighbor. Woefully undertrained or purposefully misled Christians are confused when this is explained; the devil is subtle. Verse 17 contradicts all that the modern world teaches, but the Almighty is correct, and the purveyors of tolerance are wrong. God is not only love but truth; there can be no contradiction in His person, nor is there in His word. Telling the truth is love, fulfilling the royal law.

Would you not want to know the truth if you were living in sin, bringing destruction to your country, and headed to eternal damnation, ignorant of a solution? Somebody loved you enough, neighbor, to tell you that you were a hellbound sinner on the road to sure defeat. When they pointed this out to you, they fulfilled the Law in love and truth as Christ did, and so must you.

Verse 18 starts, “Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people.” Probably, the most immediate meaning is that the sons of Jacob were not to war (in any sense of the word) against each other and are being forbidden from holding generational grudges. Certainly, for us, we are to forgive family, and wider kin, having mercy on them, for we ourselves are but sinners. Regardless of what your people do to you by sinning against you, rebuke them of their sin, not counting their transgression against them. That, too, is how you love your neighbor as yourself.

Raising a family is nothing if not teaching right from wrong, truth from lies, and love from sin. Allowing children to be trained by the State under the tolerance of sin is hate for your own family.

No man can be responsible for another’s feelings; this would bring ruin to civilization, and it is. The truth is outlawed, and that’s the point of “tolerance;” the communist plan of destruction is to elevate the State as a god. Promoting perversion and wickedness of all types will bring demands for action, which the State will be all too happy to oblige, gathering total control. And many fools today seek this very power over themselves. The rise of a new intolerance is dooming the holders of the old religious order to extinction. The New Order will never tolerate Christianity.

In one section of Scripture centered around loving your neighbor, the rich young man (Matthew 19:16-22) went away sorrowful, for he loved this present world and his stuff more than eternal life with Christ. The young man didn’t want to take up his cross and follow Jesus. Our Lord didn’t pat him on the head, telling him that everything was ok and that he could live for himself and have eternal life some other way; no, our Lord let him go. It’ll cost you something to follow Jesus, but so few today are willing to allow even the slightest discomfort for the sake of the Gospel. Jesus was looking for disciples willing to die for Him, and still is, but are you prepared to die to self and live for Him?

Matthew 19:19, Matthew 22:39, Romans 13:9, Galatians 5:14, and James 2:8 are not teaching tolerance of sin. Jesus did not create some new understanding of the Law; He fulfilled the Law in love by telling the unvarnished truth. How people feel about the truth and how they act upon their new knowledge of the truth is entirely upon their own account. You should do it politely and kindly, caring for their eternal soul’s condition; those who follow Christ should rebuke the sinner with reality.

Loving your neighbor is about caring enough to tell them the truth for their benefit, civilization’s continuity, and their soul’s eternal station.

“If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well” – James 2:8

Pat does a good job showing the results of the hog kill with his 45-70.  My recent hog harvest involved a very clean shot through the neck right behind the ear and he went down instantly.  The head (and especially bulging eyes) showed the effects of the high velocity and hydrostatic shock, but I’m not aware that much meat is taken from the neck anyway.

I got four huge shoulders (maybe I’ll use those for pulled pork like Pat), a bunch of ribs, and a lot of backstrap (what you’d find as pork tenderloin at the grocery store).  Feral hogs are too lean for bacon.

Now, Pat has opened this door, so he needs to pull this thread for us.  He was using the Hornady LeverEvolution.  What if he had been using Federal Fusion 300 grain, or a RNFP cartridge?  What would the damage have looked like?  I’m very interested in an ammunition comparison on this question.  Maybe the culprit is the ammunition selection, not the power of the 45-70?  Or in other words, perhaps 45-70 is in fact a great hog and deer cartridge, just not this particular brand?

I do agree with Pat that we “owe” the animal an ethical kill. I like his perspective. One could never charge the 45-70 with causing an unethical kill.

Does anyone have good pulled pork recipes – both grill and smoke time and seasoning?  Be detailed with your response.

As I expected, the Beretta A400 Xtreme Plus did a magnificent job at putting pellets in the bird (19:48).  My takeaway isn’t so much that one shotgun does better than another, but that you need to know what you’re doing and get your testing protocol and equipment settled out when you presume to test one against another.  Having to admit you screwed up a test should be just a bit embarrassing, but at least it’s honest.

I’ll also say that after a morning of shooting quail with the A400, I felt like I had plinked with a .22 rimfire rifle all morning.  The action and stock design manages the recoil better than any 12 gauge shotgun I’ve ever used.

Source:

Mr. Weingarten locates another good self-defense against bear story.

On March 5, 2005, two people were attacked by a polar bear in the remote area of Kapp Lee, Edgeøya, in the Svalbard archipelago.

The .500 Smith & Wesson revolver had been on the market for just over two years when this occurred. The individual responsible for security had one of those big revolvers on his person.

This story was uncovered as part of a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request by AmmoLand. The names of the individuals involved were redacted. The original account is a translation with some grammatical and spelling errors.

Paul saw a polar bear coming at a constant pace along the beach towards the cabins.

He yelled that there was a polar bear and went immediately to the cabin door and met Sally.

He loaded the signal pistol with a red signal flare. From earlier experience, he had found that red flares are just as efficient as bangers to scare bears since the red flares are red and visible the whole way, compared to the bangers that are not visible before they explode.

Paul fired two red signal flares toward the bear with no apparent effect.

The first flare was fired in front of the bear 73 meters away. The 2nd flare was fired at 54 meters away. The bear continued towards them. Paul loaded and prepared to fire a flare/banger as the bear closed to 25 meters away.

He saw the bear was too close. The flare would explode behind the bear. He fired it toward the ground in front of the bear. The flare bounced over the bear and exploded behind it. The bear did not react.

Sally was standing beside Paul with the rifle. Paul took the rifle and chambered a round. He fired 2 warning shots right after one another as the bear closed to about 11 meters over the bear’s head.

The bear did not react to the warning shots. It continued at a quick, constant pace toward them.

After the second warning shot, Paul gave Sally the rifle and commanded her into the cabin.

He went to the door but noted that only the light was from the open door.  There was a lot of equipment in front of the door. Sally had managed to jump over the equipment. Paul turned around and tried to close the door. The snow made it impossible to close the door completely.

The bear was very close. Paul used the handgun to shoot two warning shots, in the air, over the bear. The dog was barking at the bear at the same time.

The bear did not stop or react to the shots or the dog.

Paul felt that the bear would get into the cabin if he did not shoot it.

He had trouble closing the door, did not know how to lock it, and did not know the inside of the cabin.

He waited too long to shoot. Read the rest at AmmoLand.

Republicans, or people who vote for them, are still, in a bizarre act of idolatrous religious faith, counting on national-level voting to change things. Meanwhile, the communists are tearing at the foundations with increasing success. If you feel you should vote, even knowing your government is thoroughly corrupted, then do it; we believe there is a Biblical case for that, but let the idea go that anybody but Christ can save us now.

First, your District Attorneys continue to be replaced by communist party adherents, faithful only to Moa’s little red book.

Secondly, as we’ve warned, the defund police movement in some cities is moving to phase two of their operation. They only want control of the national security apparatus with which to destroy you. **Warning, not a family-friendly link** Hard-core violent communists are training the police to be party enforcers, which means you, dear religiously Republican voters, are being targeted for genocide.

Thirdly, these religious Republican voters scoff at the leftist State’s and City’s policies of allowing rampant crime and homelessness, never understanding that it’s being done on purpose. Crime, along with national tax policy and immigration, has been designed to drive leftist constituents into the Red States, turning formerly quiet, friendly, and quaint small cities and towns into communist enclaves, one Uhaul truckload at a time.

Why can they read this post, understand it’s true, yet live and remain in their fantasy? Shamefully, the next national-level election will be no different. Those going through the various iterations of the grieving process for America today will once more put on their denial dunce hats and start looking for a national savior by pushing the R button on the machines that are pre-programmed with the results.

Your enemy is at war, and your faith in a foundation you know has already been destroyed is silly. Seriously, it’s like watching a Benny Hill skit, and you’re the object of the caricature. Please stop; you look foolish. National politics is an open failure for all the world to laugh at in derision, and your religious adherence is making it worse. Unless you have the money and a plan to conduct a counter-communist revolution, then today should be the day you end your fantasy. Rend your clothes, stomp up and down, flop on the floor and beat your fists as much as you must, get angry and scream, cry and wail, eat a bowl of ice cream in your PJs sobbing, but end it today, no more whining and no more denial. Your country needs you, not Washington but your real country; the people who know you and love you are counting on you.

Sorry for calling you names, but seriously, stop being dodo birds.

No more politics. I love the direction that TCJ is taking;  you need a plan, practical knowledge, friends, tools, and the right spirit for what’s coming. Every moment you spend on politics is time wasted you could be spending on praying, training the young, teaching yourself craftwork, making practical application of pioneer, homestead, or survival skills, family team building, firearms and self-defense training, sharing the Gospel, deepening commitments among local trusted allies, etc., etc., etc.

Be a self-sufficient Christian. Nothing is more subversive than self-reliance, declaring Christ is King.

Basic Training CCW Skills Drills, Ken Hackathorn

3 yards On the signal draw keeping the gun in the retention position (Gun close to body) and fire 2 rounds center mass. Repeat twice for a total of 6 rounds.

5 yards On signal draw and fire either 1 round or dedicated pairs firing strong hand only. It is advisable to make some shots eye level point shots with hard focus on the target, not the sights. Fire a total of 6 rounds.

3 yards On signal back away from the target, draw and fire 3 rounds center mass while moving. Try to get to the 7 yard line by the time you fire your last round. Repeat once for a total of 6 rounds.

7 yards On signal draw and fire a dedicated pair center mass, slowly go to ready and scan the area and reholster. Repeat twice for a total of 6 rounds.

7 yards Move from center of target a few steps. On signal draw and fire 3 rounds center of mass moving laterally across the range. Repeat going in the opposite direction. Move only as fast as you can hit the target.

6 and 10 yards Draw and fire 1 round on each of 3 targets placed at varied distances on the range. Targets are placed between 6 and 10 yards, also vary heights of targets. Repeat using dedicated pairs on each target.

7 yards Place firearm on the ground, on the signal with your strong hand tucked into your belt pick up the firearm with your support hand and fire 1 round center of mass. Repeat once for a total of two rounds.

15 yards Draw and fire 1 round in 2.5 seconds. Repeat twice for a total of 3 rounds. These should be very precise hits. (Hack considers this long range for self-defense, however should be practiced.)

With additional ammunition repeat course utilizing your favorite flashlight technique, or add movement away from targets on all 10 yard or less stages.

[This week’s drill via handgun law us]

Looks like the eastern frontier region of the DMZ.

A termite track (top) and an ant track (bottom), each protected by its column of soldiers who face each other without attacking.pic.twitter.com/TZFNoCXvPk

— Fascinating (@fasc1nate) November 10, 2022

This tweet thread is making the rounds. Its points are good if narrow in scope.

What is meant by Christians that believe in a negative world? We think he means those who hold a positive view of the state of affairs in America are dull of spiritual senses. Well, they are, and perhaps not actually converted, either. Clueless Christians deny sin; perhaps that’s it? Denying sin is certainly a positive view though erroneous. Those don’t believe the Bible and their own eyes. The notion that men are generally good is an infection taking hold in Christianity: As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one!

We don’t disagree with the thread; we’ll broaden the historical spectrum, recalling God’s stated purposes and Goals lest we lose sight of the end.

America is not simultaneously supposed to be blessed by God and immune to judicial determinations and instruction in righteousness from God. That’s the God of the New Religion (positive world?), not the God of the Holy Bible. The Holy Bible teaches God’s great purposes in judgment, grace in salvation by His mercies, and for instruction in righteousness. This is not a menu from which America may choose one or another; none are immune to these workings of God.

We’re negative in the short run on America and Western Civilization, but that doesn’t change God’s plan. If only Christians understood that they are no longer citizens of this world but ambassadors for Christ to this foreign and hostile land. They see these words in their Bible but do they get it?

Before you think we’re promoting abandoning our obligations on earth, that’s not what the Holy Bible teaches; see yesterday’s post.

What are the larger view of God’s plan and our purpose in it?

Sin has consequences. The rapid decline of western civilization is directly correlated to the growth of rampant sin (degeneracy, perversion, abortion, war, sexual promiscuity, etc.), as the thread rightly points out. The catalog of corruption is not necessary to review. What’s essential is to call it what it is, Sin. That’s God’s word for it; that’s what it is.

What is the Holy Bible, if not a history of the onset of sin and God’s dealings with the wicked, but also by His mercies choosing a people He desires to live for Him in righteousness?

America finds itself on the waning side of the last significant growth era of faith in the Almighty. That previous growth era was the most extraordinary yet in size and depth of fundamental belief, for this God’s blessings rained down from the throne of heaven upon western civilization.

Don’t, brothers and sisters, lose sight of the fact that Christ had conquered three continents and significant areas of one other over the last 500 years or so. You’ve heard that weak men bring hard times. The Bible’s view is that those weak men are the leaders you get, perverters of all that is holy when the people reject God’s Law. But even that scope is too narrow.

Christ is conquering the world. That’s hard to see for us because of the narrow point of view of a single lifetime and the skewed antichrist perspective of the history books. Christianity has grown geometrically in 2000 years, from 122 souls in that upper room who awaited the promise of the Holy Spirit to millions and millions of professing people from the center of empires to the farthest reaches of distant and strange lands. This didn’t happen by accident.

As our Lord gave us in the Great Commission, the Christian project is a long road with ups and downs, perils and pitfalls, evil seducers and sorceries, and the raising and razing again of kings and kingdoms, religions, and whole ways of living. But God’s power prevails; souls are converted, entire courses of history are subsumed under the power of the Gospel, the Father is glorified in the work of His saints, and civilizations are birthed as the blessings of God are poured out upon a faithful people. The name of Jesus of Nazareth continues to spread, which also doesn’t happen by accident.

The point here is that sin has brought trouble from evil rulers to a dying civilization, so what? These are not our kingdoms; they belong to Christ to do with as He pleases. It doesn’t gladden God to have to destroy them any more than it satisfies us that He will. But it’s necessary; every knee will bow. We’re sure God would much rather men accept His word and do it without a fight, but we are sinners making ourselves the enemies of God.

Which leads to this point; How could God do anything but destroy a wicked and adulterous generation? (That adultery in the Bible is meant as cheating on God.) There are vestiges of European pagan roots left, antinomianism, and spiritualism not of the Spirit of God, but today our current form of adultery is self as god. Father God will have no partners, no equal; He will not compete for His throne. He destroys the inhabitants of His planet over and again to bring them to the knowledge of His Son, that through Christ, all peoples would hear and fear Him, the Just One, judge of heaven and earth.

Our day is not one to lament except that we be grieved deeply by the depravity of our fellow man, troubled of heart, for they will not (re)turn to God and be saved. But, have you asked them, you know, if they need to be forgiven of their sin and saved from hell? Maybe nobody told them how! Perhaps the whole problem today is Christians’ fault for not doing what Christ said to build His Kingdom. And so you see, neither does His Kingdom get built by accident.

But know, Christ is putting down all rule. His project is for as many thousands of years as the Father chooses, bringing the whole earth to heel. Rejoice that He cares enough to destroy your wicked civilization. Praise His holy name that the Lord God Almighty puts down sin with vengeance, for righteous is He, just and perfect, and will not tolerate the ways of wicked men forever. Be not deceived; there are things God hates!

You are here now. You should find out why. What is it that God is calling you in service to perform? Teach the next generation to call upon Him? Spreading the seed of the word of God that souls be converted, prepared of God to carry forth the next explosive growth phase of the Gospel after God, sadly, deals with the trash now rampant among us? Hard times breed hard men, but are you training them, above all else, to fear God and keep His commandments, preparing them for the way of Christ?

In the coming hard times, people will be looking for answers. God is that answer. Do you know how to explain clearly and purposefully what sin is, how saving self from hell is impossible, how all sinners without Christ will die being cast out into eternal hellfire, and only those belonging to God’s own Son will be saved? Can you explain the purposes of the cross to scared, cold, hungry men who need a Saviour? That’s the Christian project; that’s the generations of work, century after century, a long hard slog of doing the works Jesus commissioned when He created His Church, the body of Christ.

Having heard of Christ’s commission, do you even know your purpose and calling in the Kingdom of God? Will you pray? Will you read the entire New Testament, examining what you are supposed to do? Will you train yourself to carry on the works of God, the Holy Spirit in you, to bring glory to the Father through Jesus Christ?

Now in heaven, there are millions of the most productive and faithful saints of God that nobody has ever heard of who labored in obscurity, year after year, for decades of their life, that you might one day, in God’s providence, hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ, repent, and find salvation. Are you up to this task? Thankless hard work, ridiculed, derided, a nobody, and very soon persecuted for the name of Jesus, can you do it?

The churches no longer teach the blessing of obedience and the curses of disobedience. The people don’t want to hear it. They have no fear of God, do you?

Christ has already won when He rose from the grave. The writing, as they say, is clearly on the wall. All power and authority in heaven and earth are given unto Christ. Death, hell, sin, and the devil who has tried to steal God’s throne are all defeated in the Kingdom of God that now reigns by the Spirit. But the day is coming of no more tears, no more sorrow, no more death when the Lamb of God shall have put down all authority by His own power, the kingdom of death and hell will be called forth and cast into the lake of burning brimstone for all eternity.

Those in Christ from all ages will be left, and the greatest King that ever was, with the utmost contrite act of humility, will turn and hand us all, with His Kingdom, up to the Father, that God may be all in all.

Having suffered the entire grieving process of anger, tears, and sorrow for America a decade ago, living for Christ should have been the first choice. But I had to see the ugliness of this world and the futility of its politics with the fragility of its kingdoms before getting it; Christ is King. His is an everlasting Kingdom.

Two thousand years ago, a new Kingdom was birthed; the Stone not cut by hands is growing into a mountain crushing all other power. Daniel’s vision is sure and true, coming to pass in the person of Jesus Christ.

“And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.” – Daniel 2:44

In today’s narrow scope, the war between the Kingdom of God and the kingdom of death and hell is ugly and disturbing, but our King wins! Sometimes we think that evil is winning, only to find that God is withholding His blessings so that judgment might march across a land, destroying His enemies. This prepares the way for the next growth phase as the Gospel of Christ, by the Spirit of God, begins again to convert His people by the many millions, chosen in Him before the foundation of the world.

The job of the Christian is not that of an observer of the machinations of evil during the death throws of empire: but to be doers of the word, telling the lost of salvation at the foot of the cross, teaching and training Christ’s disciples, carrying forth the good news of the resurrection, bringing to bear our coming victory in the Lord Jesus Christ, our King.

I like the idea of an autoloading .22 magnum more than Tim does, and I also like the idea of a .22 magnum revolver.

I must say that I once owned a KelTec PMR-30 and it was the most unreliable firearm I ever owned.  It wouldn’t cycle a full magazine without a failure to feed or failure to eject.  I suggested to KelTec that they redesign the magazine out of Aluminum because in my opinion the polymer magazine was causing problems with moving cartridges up the stack and into the chamber. It caused too much unnecessary friction.

They didn’t listen to me.  They apparently think the weight is more important than functionality.  I ridded myself of that firearm.  Maybe the Walther WMP would be a better gun at some point in the future.  And by the way, I wouldn’t have any problems carrying the .22 magnum for personal defense against two-legged predators, although it probably wouldn’t be my first choice as I leave the house.

I think the ammo thing is easily fixable.  Just don’t run ammo that isn’t reliable.

“7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. 8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. 9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. 10 As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.” – Galatians 6:7-10

Verse 7 above is often quoted as a general principle of God, and rightly so. The biblical doctrine of reaping what you instill carries an immensely important compass with which the Christian lives, particularly in how he interacts with his fellow man. Broad application is often made, but if we read the following several verses, we see that what God teaches here applies to whether our actions are His commands or our desires.

One of the hardest lessons for the child of God is that God’s Law and plan for you are superior to anything you could imagine doing for yourself and your family. Following His Law may be the narrow path with some difficulty, but it brings fruit in abundance for you and glory to God.

Don’t misunderstand verse 8, as the New Religion of modern American Churches teaches it. It does not mean ignoring this world to the detriment of future generations being so heavenly-minded that they are useless in the Kingdom of God that now is. Nor does it mean what hyper spiritualists claim; that we have no duty to man, retiring to our inner meditations alone with God abandoning the commitment to kith and kin, tribe, and nation.

Verse 8 does not contradict other Scripture. Jesus said, “If ye love me, keep my commandments.” – John 14:15.

People have this strange notion that the Spirit of God may sometimes contradict the word of God. Brethren, it isn’t so. We are to cultivate all things by the Spirit of God under the purposes and doctrines given by specific instruction in the Holy Bible. All that is sown outside the Spirit only adds to the world’s corruption. Let that sink in a bit; We’re not even talking about open sin or rebellion against God but serving ourselves. All that’s done for any purpose not commanded by God isn’t merely a waste of time and effort before the throne of God; it’s harmful to you, your fellows, and your country.

Verse 8 is not about choosing to abase yourself or denying creature needs for your family. It’s about following the Law of God, seeking first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness so that all these things shall be added unto you (Matthew 6:33). What are “these things?” Food, clothing, and gathering into barns for the future are God’s blessings to His faithful. If your eye be single, doing all by the word in the Spirit, then all you accomplish will be full of light to the glory of God the Father through Jesus Christ (Matthew 6:22).

Verse 8 concludes, “but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.” A man is birthed into eternal life by the Spirit of God. It does not say that sowing to the Spirit of God shall of our works reap life everlasting. No, life everlasting is a work only God can perform when He makes a man His own. Not by the spirit of your own works, but only can you be sealed with the promise by the Spirit of God in you.

Modern Christianity has a considerable compartmentalization problem. You have your work life, family, leisure or recreation, and Christian life, and most have a pet sin. That’s not at all what the Bible teaches. We are to be Christ’s first, in all places and all ways, while doing all things to exalt the name of Jesus; this is to the glory of God the Father.

If you spend all your time struggling only for that which is of the flesh, worldly, self-promoting, gathering money, things, and fake friends, this is faulty and sows the seeds of corruption. It’s harmful to your family and your country. Look around at the condition of Western Civilization, who among us is not our own god, living in sin, serving self, with slovenly care for the future of the kingdom of heaven and God’s promises to those that love Him while building the hope of all nations under His command. Instead of hearing the warning in verse 8, all is corruption all the time; Christ’s commission is abandoned.

And so, what does verse 9 teach, therefore? Let us not be weary in well doing. Examine this self-centeredness of sowing to the flesh in verse 8 and how it leads to the end of well-doing toward all men in verse 9.

Persecution or rejection by men for the truth that is in you confirms by the Spirit that you are indeed God’s, advanced in the certainty of your future home among the saints of the faith seated in glory with the Almighty. Press onward toward the prize in the love where God keeps you for His grand purposes, ever striving, accomplishing the vocation in the faith to which He placed you.

Again the New Religion would have you believe that this is about a church program against which there is no law, but it’s not that; it’s serving in the Spirit by the love of God in all things full of joy in the hope of life everlasting to see the face your Saviour.

There was a woman blind from her birth saved later in life. A fellow believer lamented to her how God had not restored her sight. The blind woman admonished, Don’t say that; my blindness is the most wonderful blessing; the first face I’ll ever see is that of my Lord and Saviour.

Weary not, no matter how ugly and wicked the world becomes or what they throw your way. Faint not, but hope to the end for the glorious appearing of our Lord as He sets down all rule. Keep in mind; tumultuous times are His rule being established; don’t be among those that need to be made His footstool. Be found doing the works of the Spirit in love and peace.

For this cause, if war becomes an absolute necessity, you’re well-founded before God, having followed His Law in kindness and truth toward all men. You can be part of the problem and accumulate enemies, or be upright, knowing you did all you could to forestall the day of evil, justified when, sadly, men must act. In due season the righteous shall reap if we faint not.

Verse 10 starts, “As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good.” This thought is very well aligned with our situation today. As in the first century, a significant shift today with massive change is coming. War, famine, plagues, and pestilences were arriving in the first century judgment; the end of all things was at hand (1 Peter 4:7). Opportunity to do good for God is fleeting. Perilous times bring out the best or worst in a man.

So let us do good unto all men sowing in the Spirit; meekness, kindness, joy, and love. Glory be to God. Do something nice for somebody who’s a total jerk? It’s arresting; it either sets them aback or makes them all the more furious. And besides, it’s the funniest thing to be sincerely kind and gracious to people who don’t know how to handle it. It’s a fond memory, especially the look on their faces. Make sure to tell them it’s because of Christ in you.

Train your children in all things, and take care to pray for them. Job sacrificed for his children (1:5), saying, “it may be that my sons have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts.” Your children are not yours; they are God’s: “Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.” – Psalm 127:3. Children are given by the Lord, the ultimate custodial responsibility of His property.

Do good, especially to your brothers in Christ, which is, lastly, the real point we desire to make. Be a man of allegiance to the Almighty, sowing in your clan the word of God, making them fellow citizens in the faith and family of the King. A home is just an empty plot without the love of Christ one toward another. We have the most extraordinary family ever conceived because the Spirit of God birthed it as the gracious and precious gift of the Father through faith in the crucifixion and resurrection of His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. Our Father is the finest there ever has been or ever will be. Rule your family well, be the head, and worship the Father: teaching the word and emulating Christ in your home and among your broader lineage. Have fervent charity among yourselves, as this will cover a multitude of sins (1 Peter 4:8)

Clearly understand; sowing to the flesh is rottenness to the core, destructive of all that is good. Sow all things instead to the Spirit, according to His word, doing good, especially unto those who are alive in the faith of Christ, reaping life everlasting.

“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” – Ephesians 2:19-20