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Democrats say they are pushing for responsible gun ownership but have not pushed any legislation to promote gun safety and rely on limiting the availability of guns, which has proved a failure because criminals can still get guns. In addition, some bent on killing people have turned to bombs or other weapons when they could not get guns, though the media doesn’t report those because it doesn’t support their efforts to ban guns. The National Rifle Association and other conservative groups have been the ones pushing for laws requiring responsible gun use and safety training and providing that training. There is no public record of how many mass shootings have been prevented or limited by innocent citizens who were carrying guns and were able to take down the shooter before they could kill many people, because they don’t make spectacular news and would hurt the efforts of the media to ban guns.
Democrats say they support gun control, and whenever there is a mass shooting, they ramp up their calls for banning the sale and possession of firearms. Everywhere Democrats control, they have pushed for banning or limiting the sale of guns. However, gun control doesn’t work because many mass shooters have obtained their guns legally because they had nothing that would show up on a background check. Background checks did not prevent them from getting weapons. Others got the weapons from friends or family. It also deprives innocent citizens of weapons to defend themselves while criminals can get free access to guns on the Black market. As a result, cities controlled by Democrats are the most dangerous cities in America because the criminals have free reign without having to worry about being confronted with armed victims. Mass shooters who have lived have said they chose a place where guns were banned or would not be normally carried such as schools, churches, restaurants, and concerts, so they would not have to worry about being confronted by armed citizens.
–Developing mutual concern-People were attracted to the early church because of the love they saw members had for each other. Our society has become increasingly isolated. Though surrounded by crowds, they are strangers and people withdraw into their private world. This isolation is seeping into the church as people drive farther to church and often do not see each other from one Sunday to the next. While many pastors and church leaders feel they have good access to knowing when members have problems, few members in most churches know each other well enough to drop the mask they wear to keep people at a distance and reveal who they really are and that they have needs. The lack of this concern is why there are so many in church who struggle with loneliness and depression and why there are so many in church who do things that hurt others. Many people who form the core of churches today are interrelated to others in the core of the church because their children grew up together in the church and married. When they have problems or needs, their family helps either directly or through the church. However there are many in most churches who are outside the core because they have only recently joined or their children had left home before they joined and often are not well known by those in the core. When they have problems or needs, the core of the church is often not aware of it and those in need are reluctant to ask for help. In a small church, where the pastor gets out and regularly visits all his members, he may eventually become aware of problems, however, in a large church, the pastor can not personally visit everyone so a deacon or elder board should divide up the congregation so each board member has responsibility for overseeing a portion of the church. (see “The Living Presence” in my series “Rebuilding The kingdom” for pastors and church leaders) Small group fellowships enable people to get to know each other and develop a concern for each other. Developing a concern for someone goes beyond merely knowing about them, it involves caring about what happens to them. As they get to know each other, they are more willing to share who they really are and that they have needs. They also begin to care about each other and minister to each other’s needs. People who care about each other seek to help each other grow and prosper.
The proof is in the results. President Trump has pushed policies that have benefited average Americans and stimulated the economy in spite of continued harassment by leaders of the Democrats. The leaders of the Democrats continue to push expensive programs that will strangle the economy and sink us far deeper in debt. Republicans continue to push laws to protect babies born after botched abortions and protect the American people from illegal immigrants, terrorists, and drug dealers, but the Democratic leadership continues to oppose them. The Democratic leadership seems to be doing everything they can to break down the protections we have in our election system and open it up to fraud in spite of Republican efforts to prevent them. The Democratic leadership seems to be totally out of touch with the American people but they don’t seem to care, they are determined to get their way anyway. Unfortunately, the rest of the Democrats are forced to go along or lose their campaign funds and they are supported by some Republicans which has made it difficult for the remaining Republicans to accomplish much. We are fast approaching another election and it is time the American people voted out those who are trying to take over the government through deceit and replaced them with people who will respond to the will of the people. The primaries are coming up next Spring and is where you need to choose the best people because if you don’t choose wisely in the primaries, all you will be left with in the general election is choosing the lesser of two evils.
Democrats are accusing the Republicans of holding up the approval of the budget and risking a government shutdown, however they ignore the fact that they are also holding up the approval. Democrats have included massive new spending programs in the budget that will benefit different groups which they want to vote for them, but which will further increase the national debt and push us closer to government collapse. It will also require increased taxes which will take money out of American pockets and result in less money to spend, resulting in a downturn in the economy. They refuse to give in and reduce spending to help balance the budget, Republicans want to have a balanced budget that will help reduce the national debt and allow for tax decreases which will leave Americans with more money in their pocket to spend which will stimulate the economy. The worst part is they are telling all the special interest groups that will benefit from the giveaways that Democrats are proposing that they will lose all their special benefits if Republicans have their way. Democrats appeal to the greed of the voters to gain support for their programs with no thought to the fact that those benefits are not sustainable. They also openly talk of the people who will suffer from a shutdown with no mention of the people who will suffer from the inflation that results and the higher taxes instituted to support those lavish giveaway programs. That doesn’t even consider all the people who will suffer if the government collapses and America is thrown into another massive depression.
Developing relationships-The days after Pentecost were days of learning what it meant to follow Christ in a community of believers. Many were attracted to the church by the preaching of the disciples and had not previously known each other so it was a time of learning to live with each other as Christ would have them. Our society values isolation and the church has fallen prey to it. As a result, few in the church really know each other well enough to admit to having needs. In addition, very few know them well enough to minister to them because they have not had a close relationship with them. People require more than an hour a week in a worship service to develop close relationships. Churches need to make a big effort to help members get to know each other. In the past, pot luck suppers were a place where people got to know each other but few churches today organize social times. Many churches today that still have social times are going to catered meals and eating at restaurants but that is only available to those who can afford them. In addition, many members do not know other members well enough to be open and honest so little socialization occurs in large gatherings. People today develop best in groups of less than 16 people, therefore the church needs to organize small group to help members get to know each other and learn to live like Christ would have them live. Short six week Bible studies are not adequate, it requires long term commitment to each other. (See “Living Presence” in “Rebuilding the Kingdom” (Lulu Press) for developing a small group ministry)
The government is supposed to protect citizens, however Democrats have proposed a number of bills to control guns, which will do nothing to protect Americans. No mass shooter has acquired their guns through private sales. They were either purchased publicly, passing a background check, or stolen. It would only make it more difficult to buy or sell firearms, ensuring that a gun dealer will get a cut of the profit. It would also create a national gun registry allowing the government to know who has guns so they could confiscate your gun whenever they decides to do so. There has been no media publicity about these bills in spite of the impact they would have on the country. Cities and countries which limit guns have seen dramatic rises in gun deaths caused by criminals who ignore the law and deaths from knifings as criminals prey on citizens unable to defend themselves. The gun laws only curb the use of guns by honest citizens. The Democrats have proven how ineffective gun laws are. States and cities controlled by Democrats have the strictest gun laws in the country and they also have the highest rate of killing by guns. Chicago which has the strictest gun laws in the nation also has more shootings that anywhere else in the nation. While gun opponents talk about gun violence as if it is everywhere, the vast majority of violence occurs in only a few places which restrict the use of guns. Mass shooters and other criminals target areas which restrict the use of guns where they do not have to fear running into someone with a gun, and many mass shootings have been prevented when a bystander carrying a gun took the shooter down before he could kill many people, but the media doesn’t report those because they don’t support their anti-gun narrative.
Democrats say they are seeking responsible gun use however when they gained control of the House, they pushed a wide range of bills to promote their agenda. Talk is cheap but the truth lies in what they vote for. They pushed the “Universal Gun Registration Act” which would ban all private sale of guns and require they be handled through an authorized gun dealer. All guns would have to be registered through a national registry. While that sounds good, It would disarm the citizens and leave them at the mercy of criminals and terrorists who would not register their weapons. In addition, it is the first step dictators use to disarm their citizens and allow them to subdue the citizens. While people say that can’t happen here, we saw how far President Obama pushed the country towards government control using universal health care. Most provisions never went into effect but were truly scary. They are also pushing legislation which would ban gun sales to military age adults and to mandate ammo microstamping (to trace ammo-?). They are also pursuing the “Red Flag Gun Confiscation Bill” where they could take away your gun simply because someone said you posed a threat with no due process.
Love Others -God wants us to not only love those in the body of believers but unbelievers as well. God may not like what they do, but He loves them as much as He loves us. He reached out to us when we were sinners and we should do the same to those who are still sinners and do not know Him yet. Hopefully they will come to know God’s love as we extend God’s love to them and they will leave their sinful ways and accept Christ as their Savior. God did not love us based on whether we accepted Him and our love for others should not be based on their acceptance of Christ. God loves us Concern for others involves more than just seeing them as people of value. It involves active concern for the welfare of others where we look out for each other. The world has no concern except to survive and is always looking out for number one. Their first concern in any decision is what will it benefit them. The church needs to show active concern for others as it develops programs and makes decisions by considering the impact it will have on those involved, not just on its benefit to us. The church needs to actively develop programs to minister to church members and train them to minister to those around the church who don’t belong to a church. The church has turned most of its social services over to the government so most people no longer see the church as caring about them. They see the government supplying their needs and now look to the government when they need help. While the government provides for their immediate needs like food and housing, it does little to provide long term help to enable them to get back on their feet and able to help themselves. In fact, many government rules prevent or at least discourage people from helping themselves. If the government provides for their needs, there is little incentive to provide for themselves. In addition, while the government can supply their physical needs, it can not supply their spiritual needs. Concern for others also involves forgiveness– Many people are afraid to show any sign of weakness because they are afraid that others will take advantage of it. As a result, they are afraid to admit that they made a mistake and ask for forgiveness. By the same token, they are afraid to extend forgiveness to others because they are afraid others will see it as a sign of weakness in them and try to take advantage of them. As a result, our bitterness and resentment drives a wedge between us cutting us off from fellowship with each other. God calls us to forgive others, just as He has forgiven us. In fact, it is because He has forgiven us that He expects us to forgive others (see the parable of the King and His servants in Matt 18:22-35). As we forgive others, we break down the barriers of bitterness and resentment which divide us and which prevent us from experiencing the joy that comes from fellowship with each other.