Clean Transcript

Thou Shalt Not Kill & Those That Hate Me Love Death

Clean readable transcript. This view follows the Commentary.net cleaned segment text while preserving timestamps for audio follow-along.

• Exodus 20, look if you would please at verse 13, where the Word of God says, "Thou shalt not kill." Now, the Word of God is inexhaustible, and it covers so many needed subjects that it's absolutely astounding. It even covers what you and I would call self-defense and protection, etc. So you may ask this simple question, why in the world would any church be interested in what you and I would call a security ministry? And the answer is first and foremost because it's a biblical ministry. The second reason I would give is simply because it is a necessary ministry, and we have a duty.

  #1 | 0:00 to 0:42 | cleaned

• We have an obligation and a responsibility to protect the elderly, the children, the innocent. God gives us that very clearly. When you read "Thou shalt not kill," "Thou shalt not kill" is a negative. Most of God's law is put in negative terms because negatives deal with a particular evil. There are only two commandments that are positive: "Remember the seventh day to keep it holy" and "Honor thy father and thy mother." But all of these, each of these two are undergirded with a lot of negatives throughout the Word of God as well. So when you see a negative, you must ask, what is the positive? When you see a positive, you must ask, what is the negative? So, for instance, when He said, "Thou shalt not steal," what in the world would be the positive? The positive would be, "Thou shalt work with your hands, working that which is good that you may have, not just to provide for yourself, but to give to him that needeth" as well.

  #2 | 0:42 to 1:37 | cleaned

• And so the opposite of a covetous, stealing, thieving attitude is having a work ethic and being a real, generous, giving person as well. So when He says, "Thou shalt not kill," the positive is, "Thou shalt preserve life." So that means you would have a duty of responsibility to preserve your life, your family, and of course your friends and your neighbors as well.

  #3 | 1:37 to 2:01 | cleaned

• Now, many people do not understand, but God even lays down laws for consuming animals that we eat. If you were to read in Leviticus 22:28 and Deuteronomy 22:6-7, you would find out God says, "Thou shalt not kill the mother and the young on the same day." And there's a reason for that, and there's a message I have on that, because if you're not going to be interested in and protect the family of animals, you're not going to be interested in protecting your own family or human families as well.

  #4 | 2:02 to 2:36 | cleaned

• That is an argument from the lesser to the greater. And so God then lays down all of these laws for us. And He even tells us upon what terms human life may be lawfully and legitimately taken. So many people do not understand that there are actually 19 reasons given in the Bible as to why life may be lawfully or legitimately taken on God's terms.

  #5 | 2:36 to 3:02 | cleaned

• Now, I'm going to tell you this right now up front. I have two messages, which I'll refer to a little bit later, on the biblical doctrine of self-defense, which I cannot teach today. But if you're interested in learning those 19 reasons, if you're interested in learning—I have DVDs and some CDs up here, and you're welcome to them. There are two parts, so if you get DVDs, you get part one and part two. If you get CDs, you get part one and part two. There's also some DVDs up here that are very good, one for each family if you want to take one. It's "Lincoln's Quest for Empire," and it is historical documentation, and there's a lot of scholars involved in there. And so I think you would enjoy it very much as well. In fact, Michael has seen it and knows about it as well. So I'm just simply pointing out the fact most people do not understand about the biblical doctrine of self-defense. And I would encourage you to really listen to those messages.

  #6 | 3:03 to 4:05 | cleaned

• So you have to understand that it is your mindset and your understanding that must be fixed upon this subject before you ever get in the circumstance where you need to understand. In other words, if your mind is not made up, if your heart is not secure on what God says that you must do and that you're allowed to do, and you get in the situation, you're going to hesitate because you're not sure. And once you hesitate, you're dead or someone else is dead. It's just that simple. So you have to make sure that you make up your mind and you know and you understand exactly what God tells you on this particular subject because it's too late to try to sort it out when you're in a self-defense situation as well. So it must be made plain as we're talking about church security that not every situation is a defensive situation. But the subject has to be settled in your mind before that situation arises as well.

  #7 | 4:06 to 5:08 | cleaned

• The next truth I want to emphasize is this. You must not only possess the knowledge of what God allows and what God demands, but you must also possess the proper training. If you do not have the proper training, the truth of the matter is you are more likely to get killed or to get someone else killed. Because the truth of the matter is when your life is in danger, you will either freeze or you will flee or you will fight. You will do something. But if you freeze or if you flee, you may not be able to escape it, so you probably do not understand what I'm trying to say.

  #8 | 5:09 to 5:48 | cleaned

• Because you will do one of those three things. So training is absolutely necessary. Moreover, once you reach a proficiency in your training, you still have to continue to train to maintain that proficiency. Muscle memory is easy to lose. I can assure you of that. My wife and I both became second-degree black belts in Shorinji Kempo. We took Shorinji Kempo for 11 years. When I was 50, I could kick you right smack in the face any day of the week.

  #9 | 5:49 to 6:24 | cleaned

• Now I'm 82, I'm sorry. I'll take your knee out. But I don't have the muscle memory anymore. I don't have the—I'm just simply saying, if you do not use it, you lose it. It's just that simple. So I'm not saying that you have to train 24 hours a day, seven days a week. But I am saying that once you reach a proficiency in your training, you still have to train monthly or ever so often to keep that proficiency going.

  #10 | 6:24 to 6:51 | cleaned

• And that is certainly true. Now, here's the truth. I'm going to make a statement, and I want you to listen to me. I have someone who can verify this. And I'm not picking on cops particularly, but I want to tell you something. Most cops cannot shoot. So if you're depending upon the sheriff's department or the police department to come save your hide when you're in trouble, may I remind you, when you need them, they're only 30 minutes away. So I'm just simply pointing out the fact it is absolutely true. Now, most police departments, sheriff's departments, have to qualify once or twice a year, and that's it.

  #11 | 6:52 to 7:44 | cleaned

• Now, in the state of Georgia, the perfect score for qualifying is 300. You have to qualify with a 260 just to pass. In the last qualifying episode, at our local police department, two—and I trained them—two made a perfect 300 score. The rest, 120, 110, they could not even qualify. Why? They've never been trained. And you think somebody like that is going to come save you in a hostage situation? And the answer's not going to happen. It's just not going to happen.

  #12 | 7:44 to 8:32 | cleaned

• So here is another truth. I don't care if the sheriff's department has the best trained individuals in the world. I don't care if the police department have people that can qualify and make a perfect score year after year. It is not their responsibility to save your life and to save your family. That is your responsibility. You cannot depend upon others to fulfill your responsibility.

  #13 | 8:33 to 9:03 | cleaned

• Now, church security is a historical fact. You'll find it in all ages beginning from the first century even through today. It involves many facets. Many of you know the great reformer John Knox. But before John Knox became the great reformer John Knox, do you know what his occupation was? He was a bodyguard for Pastor John Wishart. That's exactly what John Knox did. And I would encourage you, if you've not done so, to listen to two of the messages that I preached a long time ago.

  #14 | 9:04 to 9:36 | cleaned

• Number one is on the Black Robe Regiment, which deals with the pastors of the American Revolution. They were the leaders. They were the shakers. James Caldwell, a Presbyterian pastor, he was so hated, he had to preach with two loaded pistols on the pulpit. In fact, the British murdered his wife, and ended up murdering him as well. But I'm just simply pointing out, when you learn about these men, it is absolutely astounding.

  #15 | 9:36 to 10:03 | cleaned

• And then, of course, I've got a message on the chaplains in the Confederate armies. And you need to learn about them. Listen, there's so much difference between men of today and men in those ages. It is absolutely unbelievable. So let me begin today by telling you this. Church security is a ministry. Mark that down in your mind. Church security is a ministry.

  #16 | 10:05 to 10:31 | cleaned

• Now, you're going to ask this question, what is a ministry? Well, there are two Greek words that teach you clearly what a ministry really consists of. The first one is diakonia, which simply means service or ministry. It's the work done for the benefit of others and done to others as well. The word can refer to either an office or an act. So, in Acts chapter 7, you have the first deacons, and if you read Acts chapter 7, those deacons did not run the church. They were servants.

  #17 | 10:31 to 11:06 | cleaned

• They waited on tables, and they helped little women. And that's what the word deacon actually means. It literally means a servant. And so, the second word is actually the word leitourgia. And that is where we get our English word liturgy from. And so, a liturgy is basically a public worship. It is a service. It is a ministry. It is an act of devotion that is done to God. You remember the passage in 2 Timothy, chapter 4, verse 11, where the apostle Paul said, "Only Luke is with me." He says, "Take Mark and bring him with thee, for he is profitable to me for the ministry." So you have to understand that the church security team and church security is a ministry.

  #18 | 11:06 to 11:54 | cleaned

• Now, since you have your Bibles, I want you to open your Bibles, if you would, to Romans chapter 12. Let me show you a passage there that should really emphasize this. So look in Romans chapter 12, and let's begin reading there with verse 5. Watch carefully the wording, if you would please. Romans chapter 12, and look if you would please at verse 5. The Word of God says, "So we then, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one member is one of another." Now watch verse 6.

  #19 | 11:54 to 12:29 | cleaned

• "Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; or ministry, let us wait on our ministry; or he that teacheth, on teaching; or he that exhorteth, on exhortation; he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that showeth mercy, with cheerfulness." So notice, if you would, he said, "or ministry, let us wait on our ministry." It is the diakonia. That is, we have a ministry. There are different gifts that have been given to the body of Christ.

  #20 | 12:30 to 13:12 | cleaned

• Not everybody has the same gift. So here's the ministry in general. And he's saying that we must wait upon our ministry. The Apostle Paul in the book of Colossians, chapter 4, verse 17, said, "Take Archippus, and say to Archippus, Take heed to the ministry which thou hast received of the Lord, to fulfill it." So if God has given you a ministry, whatever it is, you must fulfill that ministry. Now, if you will turn in your Bibles to 1 Corinthians chapter 4, let me show you this in relationship to ministry.

  #21 | 13:13 to 13:51 | cleaned

• I'm trying to tell you, this is not a job. This is a ministry. I never will forget one of them. My good friend was raised in a church and he was thinking about entering ministry. He didn't know. And so he asked his pastor. He said, "I'm thinking about entering ministry." He said, "Would you tell me why I should enter ministry?" And here's what the pastor said. "Well, it's a good job." What? The ministry's not a job. It's a ministry. Okay? It's a ministry. Now, the man did not enter the ministry. I'm thankful he did not, because he turned out to be an excellent doctor. But I'm just simply pointing out the fact a ministry is a ministry.

  #22 | 13:51 to 14:43 | cleaned

• So in 1 Corinthians chapter 4, the apostle said this in verse 1, "Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover, it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful."

  #23 | 14:43 to 15:00 | cleaned

• Now, here's an interesting thought. There are two Greek words for steward in the Bible. The first one is oikonomos. It is literally made up of two Greek words, oikos, which means house, and nomos, which means law. That is where we get our English word economy from. The word actually means the law of the house. It means someone who rules over the house.

  #24 | 15:02 to 15:30 | cleaned

• Now, if you look in your Bibles to the book of Luke chapter 12, you'll see what our Lord says in relationship to this. Look in Luke chapter 12, if you would please. And notice if you would there, verse 42. Luke chapter 12 and verse 42. Look what he said. And the Lord said, "Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his Lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season?" But notice even here is the law of the house. Here's the steward. Here's the faithful man who feeds and takes care of all of those in his house. So the second word that is used for steward in the Bible is the word epitropos.

  #25 | 15:30 to 16:17 | cleaned

• And it literally is made up of two words, epi, which is a preposition, which means upon, and tropos, which of course then means a way of life, a manner, and it refers then to a character. It refers to someone with character, someone who lives a way of life that is honorable, someone that lives a way of life that has integrity, and so this is what he calls a steward. God is demanding, whatever ministry we have, that we be faithful in that ministry and that we exercise that ministry unto Him. Now, a faithful man, a man of character, is an individual to whom things may be entrusted and that trust may be kept.

  #26 | 16:18 to 17:06 | cleaned

• Now, I want you to stop and think about this. If you are on a church security team, that means not just your family, but everyone in that church building has now entrusted their lives to you. That means you must be responsible, you must be accountable, you must be faithful. Because now you have a ministry of protecting these individuals.

  #27 | 17:07 to 17:44 | cleaned

• Now, I must point out Hebrews chapter 6 and verse 10. I want you to listen to what the Word of God says. "For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and your labor of love that you have showed to him, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister."

  #28 | 17:44 to 18:06 | cleaned

• Now, did you hear what I just read? God is not unfaithful to forget your work and labor of love. What was your work? What was your labor of love? In that you minister to the saints and do minister. Have you ever stopped to think about this? How do you minister to God? He doesn't need you. He doesn't need anything. You minister to Him by ministering to His people. You minister to Him by ministering to each other. So He says, God is not unfaithful to forget your work and your labor of love that you've shown unto Him. In that, you minister to each other. You minister and do minister to each other. In other words, you keep going.

  #29 | 18:07 to 18:52 | cleaned

• You are faithful in it. So, what all is going to be involved in this? I want you to stop and think about this. If you're on a church security team or if you're interested in protecting your people, you must first learn what I would call de-escalation tactics. What I mean by that is simply this. Not every problem and not every threat is a terroristic threat. Just because you don't have a jihadist trying to break into the church building does not mean that you're not going to have problems and does not mean that you're not going to have threats. You're certainly going to have them. You're going to have family members, and you're going to have family matters, and you're going to have church disputes, and you're going to have church members that are upset, and you're going to have members that are saying things they ought not to say, and mouthing off, and the truth of the matter is this.

  #30 | 18:52 to 19:53 | cleaned

• That requires a cool head and a calm spirit. You must not be hot-tempered. You must not be easily and emotionally upset and unstable if you're going to help others. You cannot be filled with pride and arrogance and haughtiness and high-mindedness. You can't say, "Do what I say or hit the road." Once you take that attitude, you're not going to have anybody to minister to and you're not going to have anybody to protect because they're going to hit the road. They're not going to have someone just being high-handed and acting like a tyrant. They're not going to do that. So you cannot run over people and you cannot treat them as dirt just because they're upset and just because they have a problem that they can't work out by themselves. You're there to help them. It's just that simple.

  #31 | 19:54 to 20:45 | cleaned

• Now, the Bible says, write this one down, please. Proverbs 16:32. "He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city." So God says, if you're slow to anger, you're better than the mighty. And if you can control your spirit, you're better than a mighty warrior. Now, think about this. Proverbs 17:27.

  #32 | 20:45 to 21:16 | cleaned

• "He that hath knowledge spareth his words." I'm going to finish the verse momentarily. "He that hath knowledge spareth his words." So just because if Jeff is upset with me and Jeff is saying things he should not say, that doesn't mean that I have to unload on him. I could say a few words and say, "Jeff, that's not right. And let's not go any further with this. Jeff, I'm not willing to fight." You see what I'm saying? Just because I could really lay him low, does not mean that I need to do so. So the Bible says, "He that hath knowledge spareth his words."

  #33 | 21:16 to 21:58 | cleaned

• "And a man of understanding is of an excellent spirit." And the word excellent literally is translated like this, "and a man of understanding is of a cool spirit." What does that mean? It means if somebody is hollering and spitting and sputtering in your face, you can just kind of stand there and smile. You have a cool spirit. I want to tell you something, folks. I'm going to give you another verse in just a moment, but here it is.

  #34 | 21:58 to 22:31 | cleaned

• I cannot make you angry unless you allow me to make you angry. I cannot make you jealous unless you allow me to make you jealous. I cannot upset you unless you allow me to upset you. If you can control your spirit, you are in control of yourself. If I can control your spirit, I'm in control of you.

  #35 | 22:33 to 22:55 | cleaned

• Now listen to this one. Proverbs 25:28. You want to make sure you put it down. "He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city broken down, without walls." If a city is broken down without walls, what does that mean? You can walk in, get what you want, and walk out. There's no protection. There's no defense. So if you cannot control your spirit, that means ultimately someone is going to be controlling you. So you have to be able to control your mind. You have to be able to control your emotions. You have to be able to control your spirit while someone else may be ranting and raving. You still have to remain cool and calm and in control even if others are not.

  #36 | 22:57 to 23:42 | cleaned

• And I will tell you this. If you cannot take being shouted at, screamed at, cussed at, you probably ought not to be in a security ministry. You probably ought not to be in any ministry. Because people are going to be upset. And you have to be able to deal with that. And you can't draw a weapon on somebody who's just upset. It's impossible. So you have to be able to control.

  #37 | 23:43 to 24:10 | cleaned

• Physical altercation should always be the very last resource. So that means people who cannot keep their cool, cannot keep their calm, cannot keep their emotions, are not to be in the ministry. Any ministry, in reality. I'm just pointing out the fact, in the ministry, you have to be able to deal with homeless people, mentally unstable people. What are you going to do if a homeless person comes here? What are you going to do if a mentally unstable person comes here?

  #38 | 24:10 to 24:44 | cleaned

• I was preaching many years ago. And it was a large congregation, probably three or four hundred people in that congregation. And right in the middle of my sermon, a man stood up and started contradicting everything that I said. And I was preaching from the Bible. And I stopped and I looked at him and I said, "Sir, if you do not mind, please sit down and be quiet."

  #39 | 24:45 to 25:18 | cleaned

• "The pastor has asked me to preach, not you." I said, "If you will wait, he may ask you to preach afterwards." I was trying to calm it down. And when I said that, he started cussing and taking God's name in vain. And I looked at two men that were next to him. I said, "Gentlemen, would you please escort him outside so I can finish the message." He was drunk.

  #40 | 25:18 to 25:49 | cleaned

• How he got in, I don't know. But I mean, three or four hundred people, how do you spot one drunk in the middle of the church? But I never drew a pistol on him. You know, I just tried to calm him down. And when that didn't work, I had him escorted out. So I'm just simply pointing out the fact you have to learn de-escalation tactics. Just because somebody's upset does not mean that you have to be upset. Does not mean that you have to push their buttons and make them go crazy. Okay? Here's the second thing. You must always work in teams. One should always do the talking while the other is doing the watching.

  #41 | 25:51 to 26:29 | cleaned

• Now, Elijah is a bad guy. And Mike and I confront him and I'm hollering at him on one side and Mike's on the other side. What do you think that's going to do? It's going to create chaos and confusion. So I could say, "Mike, you talk to him. I will step back and I will watch and make sure that he does not become aggressive." Or Mike could step back while I talk to him.

  #42 | 26:31 to 27:01 | cleaned

• You should always have at least two people there and you must always have a witness. You remember what our Lord said? In Matthew chapter 18 verse 16, He said, "But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two witnesses, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established." So you're going to want a witness, that is for sure.

  #43 | 27:02 to 27:23 | cleaned

• Now, that means there has to be a level of competence, knowledge, and strength in each man. Now, let me tell you something. Every man has his abilities. Every man has his disabilities. I mentioned earlier that if the Lord allows me to live to September, I'll be 82 years old. I am no match for a young, 250, 6-foot-3-pound man.

  #44 | 27:23 to 27:58 | cleaned

• Now I might—I might be a match if I'm smart enough to get the first blow because I know a few things that will totally disable someone instantly. And if I can make the first strike, yeah, but if somebody like Caleb or Jacob runs into me and bulldozes me and knocks me down, I'm sorry, folks. I'm no match for those men. That's all there is to it.

  #45 | 28:00 to 28:27 | cleaned

• Now, I'm going to tell you, I went to one church and the security team was introduced to me, and all of them were my age. I said, "Where are the young men? Where are the young men if a tussle got started that couldn't really intervene and take care of things?" I'm just going to be pointing out the fact, you have to understand, you have limitations if it ever came down to a physical confrontation. I'm going to give you two illustrations. The first one, when I was in school back in the 60s, I worked at the hospital and I was assigned for that particular week on the back desk. The back desk, I could study, I could do what I wanted to.

  #46 | 28:27 to 29:15 | cleaned

• Hardly ever anyone was there because the morgue was right around the corner. And I was back on that desk and all of a sudden I heard cursing like you would not believe, taking God's name in vain. It wouldn't stop. I picked up the phone. And the hospital had cops working there. And I called John Vinscus, who's a big Polish fellow, would make, you know, a muscle builder look sick almost. And I said, "Vinscus," I said, "you need to come back here." I said, "Somebody's around the corner just a-cussing and carrying on." And he came back there. And somehow someone had left the back door open and the old drunk got in and sat down on the floor and just cussing, drunk as he could be. So Vinscus picked him up, brought him by my desk and he said, "You're going to have to help me carry him to the front. I've got a patrol car waiting." I said, "OK." So I came up behind the desk and Vinscus had to come along on, you know, and here's his left arm.

  #47 | 29:15 to 30:22 | cleaned

• And he said, "Now you grab that arm and you hold him." And the man was like this, you know, and stacked. I said, "John, he's just an old drunk." He looked at me and said, "You hold that arm." We got about halfway there. And that old drunk snatched his arm out of my hand and swung at Vinscus and thankfully Vinscus put him on the floor face down. I was shocked.

  #48 | 30:23 to 30:56 | cleaned

• I mean, I was in my 20s. I was off the farm. I was strong. I could not believe it. If an old drunk can do that, what do you think somebody on drugs can do? They're crazy. I'm just simply saying you need to understand. Here's another one. You can see this one on YouTube. Here's a six-foot-three muscle man. He had three cops after him, big cops. They tased him. After they tased him, he still whipped all three cops. I'm just simply saying, you have to know your limitations. You have to know your abilities. You have to know your disabilities. I'm just simply saying, when you think about this as a ministry, you've got to think broadly.

  #49 | 30:56 to 31:48 | cleaned

• Third, you must also have a means to communicate secretly and quietly. You should have people in the front of the church, in the back of the church, in the middle of the church. And if somebody is on the back of the church building, and they see someone that's acting suspiciously, they need to have a means to say to the man in front and the man in the middle, "I think we're going to have a problem back here, just keep your eyes open and your ears open," without interrupting the pastor, without interrupting the message.

  #50 | 31:49 to 32:21 | cleaned

• In other words, you have to be ready, you have to be able to do this. And you see, the truth of the matter is this, most people don't even consider the outside. Did you know that most problems begin on the outside? In the parking lot? And if you can hit all things in the parking lot, you can stop them on the inside a whole lot sooner and easier. And if you don't have cameras on the outside, you need someone looking and patrolling the outside.

  #51 | 32:23 to 32:54 | cleaned

• If you've never gone to ChristianWarrior.com, I would encourage you to do that. And Keith Graves, a 30-year retired cop, 20 years on SWAT, he pulls out, gives you bulletins every week, tells you what's going on in every church in the country. You would be absolutely astounded at what's going on in our church buildings. So you need a way to communicate.

  #52 | 32:57 to 33:22 | cleaned

• Fourthly, you must develop situational awareness. Our Lord said it like this in Luke 12:46. He said, "The Lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in sunder and appoint him his portion with unbelievers." You know, the truth of the matter is we often get in trouble just by simply not paying attention. We're not observant.

  #53 | 33:22 to 33:50 | cleaned

• We have a lackadaisical attitude. We're saying nothing like this will ever happen to me. Nothing like this will ever happen to me. But you must be aware of what's going on. Why in the world would someone come to church here, or anywhere, in this kind of heat and weather, wearing a large sweater or a heavy coat? Stop and think about that. Why would you see someone in a raincoat, a long raincoat, and it's not raining? What in the world would you think about someone coming in with a backpack? Who goes to church with a backpack? And if somebody came in with a backpack and he leaves without it, why did he leave it and where is it and what is in it? What's he doing?

  #54 | 33:50 to 34:45 | cleaned

• I'm just simply pointing out the fact. Have you ever noticed, have you ever noticed people when they get angry? Have you ever noticed how their face gets red and their nostrils start flaring? Have you ever noticed that? Have you ever noticed somebody fidgeting with their hands? Have you ever noticed somebody with a clenched fist or a charred jaw? And have you ever been talking to someone and all of a sudden they kind of stand like this, they change stances, they get in a fighting stance? What's going on?

  #55 | 34:46 to 35:20 | cleaned

• You need to be situationally aware. Why in the world would a newcomer, why would a stranger who's never been to this church ask to be seated on the front row? Recently, a pastor was stabbed by someone sitting on the front row. It was a woman. She ran up and stabbed him. They took her down, but she stabbed him. I'm just simply pointing out the fact we have to understand, fifthly, that churches, public events, large gatherings are considered soft targets. People that attend church are usually there thinking, "I'm in a safe place."

  #56 | 35:21 to 36:06 | cleaned

• Nothing is ever going to happen to me. Nothing ever going to happen here. And the same way when you're in the mall, you're going there to shop or you're going there to enjoy a thing, or you're going to a big concert. And a lot of these concerts and places, they don't want you to be armed. And so guess what? They're soft targets because people in those places just don't ever expect to be attacked. And usually you're going to find that the Communists, the Antifa, all these people, they attack you where you are the most vulnerable, either in your home or in your churches, because that's where you sense safety. And they're going to disturb your safety is what it has to. So you have to have situational awareness and you must understand that these are soft targets.

  #57 | 36:07 to 36:59 | cleaned

• And I'll give you some illustrations a little bit later. But one illustration is going to suffice, and I think this incident at the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, which happened on November the 5th, 2017, the attack was one of the worst in church history. 26 were killed and 20 were wounded. It started out as a family matter. A 26-year-old man was upset with his mother-in-law.

  #58 | 37:01 to 37:37 | cleaned

• The week before, the pastor, who was Frank Pomeroy, was told you need to be paying attention, and Frank Pomeroy, the pastor, said this, "Nothing like that will ever happen here. We are a small church, and we're out in the country." Of the 26 that were killed, one of them was his daughter. The attack actually began on the outside. It was a small asbestos-covered building, siding and asbestos siding.

  #59 | 37:39 to 38:24 | cleaned

• And this young man, 26 years old, had an AR-15. He walked around the church emptying 14 magazines, firing from the outside before he ever went inside the church, and then started killing people on the inside. Here's a quote from an article written by Colin Dwyer on the shooting at the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas. I want you to listen. He said, "Authorities have not named the victims of the shooting, noting that they're waiting until they can first notify families personally. They said the victims inside the church ranged from age 18 months to 77 years old. It was just horrific." Tactic set of the scene in the church after the shooting.

  #60 | 38:25 to 39:20 | cleaned

• "I mean, words can't express what was there. It's hard enough to see an adult, but when you see babies, little ones, and I'm talking three, four, five, six years old and 10 years old, it's just hard." Leslie Ward, who lives just two blocks from the church, told NPR's Sean Burnett that her eight-year-old niece was killed, while her brother-in-law's wife and five-year-old twins were hospitalized.

  #61 | 39:21 to 39:49 | cleaned

• "The scene looked terrible," she said. "Everybody was bleeding, crying. There's dead bodies everywhere. Babies. People trying to get hold of their family, but of course their phones broke. They shattered. And people just crying, just really, really bad off. Disaster blood everywhere." And then Nick Eulick said this, "Everyone goes here, and everyone knows everyone. You'd never think something like this could happen out here, it's so small." Eulick's husband, Crystal Holcomb, was eight months pregnant and she was killed on Sunday and three of her five children were also killed. He said his family lived in that area for three generations.

  #62 | 39:50 to 40:38 | cleaned

• Now, if the possibility of such an event does not make you take church security seriously, if it does not motivate you to learn and to train, I would say you would not qualify to be on the church security team. If you're going to be on the church security team, you must take this seriously. God is giving you the opportunity to protect His people, and you must be prepared to do so. And without proper training, you will not be prepared in the hour which wickedness strikes.

  #63 | 40:41 to 41:18 | cleaned

• And let me remind you of something. You do not get to pick the day, the time, the hour, or the weather when something like this happens. The enemy does that. If you're not prepared, if you're not ready, it's death. It's just that simple. When you read 1 Samuel chapter 23, you read about how David saved the inhabitants of Keilah. How did David save the inhabitants of Keilah?

  #64 | 41:18 to 41:57 | cleaned

• The Philistines had come and destroyed the city and kidnapped all the people. David and his men went after the Philistines, defeated them, destroyed them, and brought back all the people of Keilah. I'm just simply pointing out the fact you have to have a biblical mindset. You have to have a fighting spirit. You have to have a determined attitude. You have to know that you are intended by God to protect those who are in your charge. And let me tell you something, you can sit back and say all day long, "But I trust in the Lord." That is wonderful. Everybody should trust in the Lord, but may I tell you something? God is not going to fulfill your responsibilities for you.

  #65 | 41:58 to 42:46 | cleaned

• I could have my bedroom full of rifles, pistols, howitzers, bazookas, machine guns, and you could say, "Wow, you're really trusting in those arms." No, I am not trusting in those arms. Because if God does not awaken me in time or enable me to shoot straight, none of that's going to do me any good. You follow me? So, God is not going to fulfill your responsibility for you. God is not going to—God is not going to intervene for you if you are too lazy and too inept and too sluggardly to do what you need to do.

  #66 | 42:50 to 43:34 | cleaned

• There is a principle of reaping what you sow. And that's exactly what we do. When you read 2 Samuel 23, you read about David's mighty men. You read about these men that God used. And the truth of the matter is this, you have to ask yourself this question. Why did God use them? Read it. Why did God use them? They were prepared men. They were determined men.

  #67 | 43:36 to 44:05 | cleaned

• One fought till his hand clave to the sword. They had to pry his fingers loose. He could not even ungrip his sword. Shema. Wow. These men were prepared. These men were trained. These men were ready to fight. These men knew what fighting was all about.

  #68 | 44:07 to 44:24 | cleaned

• Now, I want you to understand, first of all, this is a ministry, and I want you to understand it is indeed a ministry. And that means you have to train.

  #69 | 44:25 to 44:36 | cleaned

• Now, I've got another area I want to cover. I want you to turn in your Bibles, if you would, to the book of Proverbs, chapter 8. And I want you to look at verses 35 and 36. Proverbs, chapter 8, verses 35 and 36. So I would try to answer another question for you. Why in the world would people do this? Have you ever thought about that? Look at Proverbs 8, verses 35 and 36.

  #70 | 44:37 to 45:15 | cleaned

• Our Lord, whose wisdom personifies, says this, "For whoso findeth me findeth life, and shall obtain favour of the Lord." Look at the next verse. "But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul: all they that hate me love death." Now, what's that? "All they that hate me love death."

  #71 | 45:15 to 45:38 | cleaned

• Now, here's a statement that I'm going to make. Listen carefully. We're not living in Mayberry any longer. Andy Griffith is not our sheriff. Barney is not our deputy. Barney would have one bullet in his pocket. And he kept it in his pocket and loaded his weapon. When I was a boy, if I wanted to see a policeman, a cop, I normally had to go uptown. I had to look. I had to hunt.

  #72 | 45:38 to 46:29 | cleaned

• Because we hardly had any cops. You know why? Because in the little town that I lived in, the little country I lived in, out in South Georgia, if you were a Christian, at least you were moral. We didn't need them.

  #73 | 46:31 to 46:50 | cleaned

• Now you can't drive down the road without seeing five or six in a mile or two. Moreover, every year after our crops had been harvested, every year, my father would take us down to Miami, Florida to visit relatives. We would stay down there for two weeks. We never locked the door. We never locked the window. My father back then, at that time, had combines and machines that were $50,000 each.

  #74 | 46:53 to 47:24 | cleaned

• I mean, today they're three and four hundred and a half million. But $50,000 was a lot of money back in the 50s. When we would come back two weeks later, the house, the equipment, everything was exactly the way we left it. You try that today. There's a vast difference between loving life and loving death. We tend to forget that the unsaved are known as the walking dead. In Ephesians chapter 2, verses 1 through 3, the Scripture says, "And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others." So what is he saying?

  #75 | 47:24 to 48:14 | cleaned

• Without Christ, we are nothing but dead men walking. And our Lord said, "All they that hate me love death." So the unsaved are dead to the Lord Jesus Christ. They're dead to life. And the only thing they are alive unto is death.

  #76 | 48:14 to 48:35 | cleaned

• Now, John 14:6, you can quote it. Our Lord said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." So let me try to explain to you why folks are so wicked and violent and rebellious today. You're going to say, "Well, Brother Weaver, I believe in total depravity." Well, I believe in total depravity. I believe man is absolutely, totally, completely depraved. But not all who are totally depraved turn out to be violent murderers.

  #77 | 48:35 to 48:53 | cleaned

• Now, I know that the Bible tells you in James chapter 2 and verse 10, that whosoever offended in one point is guilty of all. So that means if you have broken one part of God's law, you're guilty of breaking the whole thing. I understand that. And I understand that we are depraved and I understand that we are violators of God's law, but that does not mean that everyone is taking the knife and plunging it into someone else's heart and murdering. No, no. And I know in Matthew chapter 5 and 1 John chapter 3, the Bible tells us whoever hates his brother is a murderer, but yet mental and emotional and spiritual murder in the mind is not physical murder.

  #78 | 48:55 to 49:31 | cleaned

• I could stand here, I'm not, but I could really hate Mike. I could really hate him in my mind. But if I was so upset and angry and said, "Mike, I hate you," that's still not plunging a knife into his heart. I'm guilty of murder in the sense I've done it in my mind, but I've not done it physically.

  #79 | 49:35 to 50:23 | cleaned

• Now, let me explain something right here. Please put this down. Make sure you remember this. When God forbids any act, at the same time, He forbids everything that will lead up to that act. So when God forbids me to murder Mike, He forbids me to be angry with him. He forbids me to hate him. When God forbids me to commit adultery, He forbids me to lust. He forbids me to covet. He forbids me to desire. Anytime God forbids anything, He also forbids whatever leads up to that.

  #80 | 50:26 to 50:46 | cleaned

• Now, I'm just simply pointing out the fact I want you to understand the reason people are so violent and so wicked is because they hate the Lord Jesus Christ. And not only do they hate the Lord Jesus Christ, they love death. If you love the Lord Jesus Christ, you love life. If you hate the Lord Jesus Christ, you love death. And when you love death, it encompasses all kinds of death. It would be not just physical death, but mental death, emotional death, financial death. You look at the people who do not follow biblical principles, and their lives are devastated in every area.

  #81 | 50:46 to 51:20 | cleaned

• So it's interesting that all of the young mass shooters have always idolized other mass shooters, have gone to violent video games and violent forums and developed a mental state of loving death. Let me give you—Trinity Shockley, an 18-year-old from Indiana, was arrested in February 2025 for planning a school shooting. Listen to this. It had photographs of mass shooters Nicholas Cruz and Dylann Roof displayed on her bedroom wall along with a photo album and buttons featuring their faces. One can only wonder, why were the parents not concerned about the pictures of these mass murderers on her wall? Likewise, Colt Gray is accused of the 9-4-2024 shooting of Appalachian High School that left four dead and nine injured. GBI photos show a shrine to Nicholas Cruz in Colt's room. Wow. And Cruz killed 17 and wounded 17 at East Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. How in the world can a parent ignore a picture of a mass murderer on the wall? In Washington State. Listen to this. A 13-year-old boy who may have idolized previous mass shooters has been arrested, 13 years old, after police found a large collection of guns and mass shooting scenario writings at his Washington State home, authorities said.

  #82 | 51:23 to 52:04 | cleaned

• Thirteen years old. Months before Desmond Holly opened fire at Colorado High School, he developed a deep fascination with mass shooters online. He expressed neo-Nazi views and was active on a violent gore site. Offline, he began to amass tactical gear. On September the 10th, 2025, 16-year-old Holly opened fire at Evergreen High School, wounding two students before shooting himself.

  #83 | 52:05 to 54:00 | cleaned

• Now, I want you to listen to this. During a September 11 press conference, Jefferson County Sheriff's Office spokesman shared that investigators had learned that Holly had been radicalized by some extremist network, but did not elaborate further. You better pay attention to what your children are watching and what your children are listening to. In February of this year, 2026, in Hillsborough County, Florida, a 14-year-old boy was arrested for planning a mass shooting. He was normally found to have connection with violent forums online, but he also had pedophilic pornography on his phone. Fourteen. Here's an article. A 14-year-old boy from Hillsborough County, Florida was arrested January 31st, 2026 on charges related to terrorism and child pornography. The arrest followed a tip that he had access to weapons, and was planning a mass shooting at a church near his home. Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister confirmed during a press conference on February 4, 2026, that the teen was linked to an online chat room associated with a neo-Nazi satanic group called Temple of Love, and had discussed his plans for violence in these forums.

  #84 | 54:01 to 54:29 | cleaned

• During the search of the teen's home, authorities found multiple firearms and ammunition, electronic devices containing 14 extremely graphic images of child sexual abuse, including violence against infants and toddlers on a 14-year-old boy's phone. Parents, listen to me. It's your responsibility to monitor your children. It's your responsibility to know what your children are reading, what they're watching, what they're listening to. You say, "But Brother Weaver, I don't want to invade their privacy." They are your children. They're your children. You're not invading their privacy.

  #85 | 54:29 to 55:54 | cleaned

• You are to be parenting them. You're to be teaching them. You're to be disciplining them. You're to be training them. Don't tell me it's an invasion of privacy. The Bible says in Proverbs 29:15, "The rod and reproof give wisdom: but a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame." Let me tell you something. Child predators are not just after your child's body. They're after your child's mind.

  #86 | 55:55 to 56:47 | cleaned

• Are you listening to this? Here is a principle you need to learn. Whoever or whatever controls your mind, controls your body. Whoever or whatever controls your mind, controls your body. What does Proverbs 23:7 say? "For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he." What does Proverbs 4:23 say? "Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life." You can't keep trash in your mind without trash coming out in your life.

  #87 | 56:47 to 57:16 | cleaned

• You may find plenty of these attacks against churches in Christianity from a website called persecution.org. I want you to listen to this one. Pastor Christman, who is here in the back, knew this pastor. Listen to this. In Lexington, Kentucky, a gunman opened fire on Richmond Road Baptist Church, killing two female congregants before being fatally shot by law enforcement. Jerry Gunn, the pastor of the church, was also shot, but he survived the attack. God House, 47, opened fire at Richmond Road Baptist Church in Lexington, Kentucky on Sunday, July the 13th, 2025, killing two women and injuring two men before being shot dead by police. The attack followed a traffic stop near Blue Grass Airport, where a house shot and injured a Kentucky State trooper.

  #88 | 57:16 to 57:57 | cleaned

• He then carjacked a vehicle and drove approximately 16 miles to the church, where he targeted individuals connected to him. The victims were Beverly Gumbs, 72, the wife of the church pastor, and her daughter, Christina Combs, 34. Both mother and daughter and members are a tight-knit congregation. Pastor Jerry Gumm, Beverly's husband, and the church's longtime leader were critically injured in the attack and later underwent multiple surgeries. His son-in-law, Randy Combs, Christina's husband, was also injured but in stable condition. Preliminary investigations indicate House had a prior connection to the victims. Specifically, he was in a relationship with one of Beverly Gumm's daughters. Family members believed the attack was motivated by revenge, after House was unable to find the woman he was seeking at the church. So, the church was located in a rural Lexington area described as a close-knit community, and guess what? He couldn't find the woman, so he just killed others, shot others.

  #89 | 58:00 to 58:56 | cleaned

• Now, so you're going to ask yourself this question again. Why are there so many attacks on churches, and why are there so many attacks on Christianity? Well, our Lord made it very plain. He said in John 14:21, "He that loveth me keepeth my commandments." Verse 24, He said it just the opposite. "He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings." So if you love the Lord, you're going to obey Him. If you do not love Him, then you're going to disobey Him. You know what love is? Love is not some ethereal feeling floating around in the universe somewhere. Love is obedience. He said it like this in 1 John 5:3, "And this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous." So what is the love of God? It's keeping His commandments. I have four daughters. Two of my daughters are identical twins.

  #90 | 58:57 to 1:00:02 | cleaned

• And my girls used to sit on my lap when they were little and they would kiss me on the cheek and, "Daddy, I love you. Daddy, I love you. Daddy, I love you." And I was so happy to hear them say that, but you know what I'd always tell them? I'd say, "Girls, I'm so thankful you love your father. But if you really love me, you will demonstrate it by obedience. Because if you tell me you love me and you don't obey me, then you really don't love me."

  #91 | 1:00:03 to 1:00:57 | cleaned

• So that's exactly what our Lord said. If you love me, you'll keep my commandments. You'll be obedient. If you don't love me, then you're not going to keep my commandments. It's just that simple. The Bible says in Proverbs 14:2, "He that walketh in his uprightness feareth the Lord: but he that is perverse in his ways despiseth him." Wow. In Wayne, Michigan, a gunman was thwarted from an attempted mass shooting at Cross Point Community Church.

  #92 | 1:01:00 to 1:01:29 | cleaned

• According to the New York Times, police said the gunman arrived at the church wearing camouflaged clothing and a tactical vest and was armed with an AR-15 style rifle with more than a dozen fully loaded magazines, a semi-automatic handgun with an extended magazine and hundreds of rounds of ammunition. The shooter was fatally shot by church security before he could gain access to the church, which was filled with children attending a vacation Bible school. Let me tell you something, folks.

  #93 | 1:01:30 to 1:02:01 | cleaned

• There are some things that really boggle my mind. I can understand adultery in one sense of the word. But I cannot wrap my mind around pedophilia. I cannot wrap my mind around an adult desiring a child. I just can't do that. Likewise, I can understand an adult in a fit of anger, hurting or even killing someone he was angry with. But I cannot understand people just killing folks they don't even know and shooting them for no reason whatsoever. I can understand fighting, but I can't understand someone driving by in their car and emptying a weapon in a house full of people that don't even know the people. They don't even know who's inside. Why would people do something like that?

  #94 | 1:02:01 to 1:02:36 | cleaned

• The answer is they love death. They don't love life. I want you to turn in your Bibles, if you would, to the book of 2 Chronicles, chapter 15. 2 Chronicles, chapter 15. And I want you to look at verses 5 and 6 while we're going to talk about momentarily, those times. Look at this. 2 Chronicles 15, notice if you would please, verse 5. The Bible says, "And in those times there was no peace to him that went out, nor to him that came in, but great vexations were upon all the inhabitants of the countries. And nation was destroyed of nation, and city of city: for God did vex them with all adversity."

  #95 | 1:02:36 to 1:03:40 | cleaned

• Those times was where there was no peace to him that went out or to him that came in. Those times were times that men forsook God and God's law. Those times were times when there was trouble on every side. Those times were times of murder, mayhem, and violence were the results of forsaking God and His laws. Those times were when Israel lived in gross neglect and contempt of God and in contempt of His law and His worship. Those times was when there was no safety in going abroad for travelers traveling from one point to the other. Those times were times when the highways were infested with thieves and robbers.

  #96 | 1:03:41 to 1:04:18 | cleaned

• Yes, those times were times when people wanted to just rape, rob, and kill and destroy. Those times were resulted in, there was no peace to him that came in or him that went out. In other words, you couldn't escape it. You couldn't get away from it. It was everywhere that you turned. And likewise today, it's almost impossible to go anywhere with a large crowd and remain safe. You can't go to a large mall. You can't go to a large concert.

  #97 | 1:04:19 to 1:05:12 | cleaned

• Look at the man out in Las Vegas who shot out of a window. It was him. But somebody did at the concert. Ample targets, I'm just simply pointing out, it was those times. And Judges chapter 15 verse 6 says it like this, "In the days of Shamgar the son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the highways were unoccupied, and the travelers walked through byways." In other words, you couldn't even walk on the main road. Goodness! Matthew Poole said it like this, "through byways, partly because of the Canaanites, who, besides the public births and tributes they laid upon them, waited for all opportunities of doing them mischief secretly, their soldiers watching for travelers in common roads, and as usual in such in times of war, partly because of the robbers, even of their own people, who having cast off the fear and worship of God, and there was no king or ruler in Israel to restrain or punish them, and being also many of them reduced to great want through the oppression of the Canaanites, it is not strange, in those times of public disorder,

  #98 | 1:05:13 to 1:05:42 | cleaned

• divers of Israelites themselves did break forth into acts of injustice and violence, even against their own brethren, whom they could meet in the convenient places which made travelers seek for the bypass." Wow. This is those times when we're not even safe even in our churches. We must understand it's the aim of the enemy to cause us to fear. I would encourage you to do this. I would encourage you to read through the Bible and just underline all the "fear nots." All the "fear nots." We're not to be given to fear.

  #99 | 1:05:43 to 1:06:55 | cleaned

• And the prepared man, the prepared individual is not fearful. What's the Bible say? The Bible says the prudent man perceives evil and hideth himself. But the foolish man continues on his way, and he's destroyed. Wow. One's not safe anywhere, it seems today, and what they want to do is make us fearful in our churches, in our homes, which it's not going to happen if you are trained and you understand the truth of God's Word. I'm going to make a statement.

  #100 | 1:06:55 to 1:07:44 | cleaned

• I know there are ladies here. My wife, Michael and these boys know, Brother Christman knows, my wife, is one person that you do not want shooting at you. Okay, I'm going to tell you something. Outside of Jesus Christ, ladies, outside of His so great salvation, the only one thing that I know of that will give a woman absolute confidence is for her to have her firearms and her to be trained and know that she can use it and defend herself and do it quickly and accurately. I'm just simply saying, we need not fear if we are prepared individuals. Now, I want you to listen to this.

  #101 | 1:07:45 to 1:08:24 | cleaned

• The church at Eastern Oaks in Montgomery, Alabama, which is about four hours from me, experienced a robbery at gunpoint on November the 20th, 2025, during a men's ministry event. A masked man entered the church with a handgun, confronted attendees, and ordered a group of men to kneel and empty their pockets. He then lined them up against the wall, threatening to return and shoot if they called the police within five minutes. The incident captured on security cameras lasted 11 minutes.

  #102 | 1:08:25 to 1:09:31 | cleaned

• No one was injured, but seven people were robbed. Can you imagine being forced on your knees to empty your pockets and lined up again? What do you think is next? That's what you think. That man's going to line us up and shoot us down one at a time. Or he's going to shoot us in the back of the head while we're kneeling down. Wow. On August 27, 2025, a shooter fatally shot two children ages 8 and 10 and wounded 21 others at the Annunciation Catholic Church and School in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

  #103 | 1:09:32 to 1:10:07 | cleaned

• In September, a 35-year-old woman attempted to start a fire at Beth El Bible Church in El Paso, Texas, when she left a burning bag near an outside wall of the church. Authorities in El Paso said that the investigation revealed the bag contained a paper plate and hateful language inscribed on it. The fire was extinguished before causing danger by a pastor who noticed the flames and acted quickly.

  #104 | 1:10:07 to 1:10:41 | cleaned

• Folks, let me tell you something. We are living in those times, and I'm going to say this. You're going to get mad at me probably, but I'm sorry. I'm going to say this. We have allowed our government schools to indoctrinate our children. And you say, "But we bring our children to church three hours a week versus 40 hours a week." I just simply pointed out the fact we need to understand we have a responsibility to teach our own children and to train our own children.

  #105 | 1:10:47 to 1:11:11 | cleaned

• And look where we are today. We haven't cried out against transgenderism. We haven't cried out against sexual immorality. We haven't cried out against theft. We haven't cried out against all the immorality that we find all over our country. We haven't trained our—we let our children associate with all of these people, and they tend to think, well, everything's fine, everything's okay. You know what the Bible says?

  #106 | 1:11:11 to 1:11:54 | cleaned

• God asked this question in Psalm 4 in verse 2. He said, "O ye sons of men, how long will ye turn my glory into shame? how long will ye love vanity, and seek after leasing?" Leasing is lying. Vanity refers not only to that which is useless and worthless, but also to idolatry. Have you ever thought about the fact that when you and I are disobedient to God, we're lying against God? We are, because we're saying He's not worthy of our obedience. He's not the sovereign. And he said it like this in Isaiah 59:13, "In transgressing and lying against the Lord, and departing away from our God, speaking oppression and revolt, conceiving and uttering from the heart the words of falsehood." Oh, listen, those that hate Jesus Christ love death. They love death. And when you look around and you see people today who hate Christ, they hate the Bible. They hate the Word of God. They hate God's lawful authority over them. And yet we're commanded in Psalm 97:10, "Ye that love the Lord, hate evil."

  #107 | 1:11:54 to 1:12:17 | cleaned

• We're commanded to hate the evil. He said in Proverbs chapter 18 in verse 21, that death and life are in the power of the tongue, and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof. Think about that. Life and death are in the power of the tongue. And they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof. The one who loves life eats the fruit of life. Those who love death eat the fruit of death. And death will ultimately come from God's sovereign vengeance. And he said in Deuteronomy, "If I whet my glittering sword, and my hand take hold on judgment; I will render vengeance to mine enemies, and will reward them that hate me." And he shall do so. Let me say this.

  #108 | 1:12:17 to 1:13:33 | cleaned

• There is a philosophical principle known as Occam's Razor. And Occam's Razor basically teaches this. The simplest answer to a problem is usually the correct answer. I could answer and give you many answers, I suppose, as to why people are so wicked and so vile. But the simplest answer is because they hate Jesus Christ. They hate His Word. They hate His authority. They hate His commandments.

  #109 | 1:13:34 to 1:14:14 | cleaned

• Now, remember, the Scripture said, our Lord said, "For whoso findeth me findeth life, and shall obtain favour of the Lord. But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul: all they that hate me love death." And I've got two quotes that I'll close. Church shootings. What can we learn from the patterns of attacks on houses of worship? This was February the 2nd, 2026 by OmniAlert. Up 71% of all violent incidents that occurred at religious institutions from 2000 to 2024 happened outside, like in parking lots or outdoor events. This shows that not just the inside, but also the outside of the church properties must be secured. Most shootings in houses of worship happen on Sunday mornings when the congregations are gathered for services. This is when religious activities are at their peak, so they're more vulnerable to attacks like shootings. Geographically, church shootings are more common in the South and in the Midwest.

  #110 | 1:14:15 to 1:14:41 | cleaned

• This is likely due to regional differences in the frequency of church gatherings, the number of religious centers, and possibly increased access to firearms. Knowing these timing and location trends helps us prepare and implement security measures during peak times in vulnerable seasons. One more quote from the Family Research Council. It says this. Listen. The Family Research Council has released the newest edition of its report, Hostility Against Churches in the United States, analyzing incidents from 2024, which records 415 hostile incidents across 383 churches, including vandalism, 284, arson, 55, bomb threats, 14, armed aggression, 28, which is more than double the number, 12, identified in 2023, and other crimes, 47. Top affected states include California, 69 happened there, New York, 57, Pennsylvania, 35, Florida, 23, and Texas, 23.

  #111 | 1:14:43 to 1:16:02 | cleaned

• Only about 30% of suspects have been arrested and no federal prosecutions have occurred despite federal laws criminalizing attacks on houses of worship. Now hang on. Other religious institutions are also under threat. A 2024 Family Research Council report noted an 800% increase in hostile acts against American houses of worship over six years which include incidents like the 2023 arson at Seattle Lutheran Church and bomb threats against Christian churches in Arizona. These attacks reflect a growing pattern of religious hostility driven by political, cultural, and ideological tensions with no sign of abatement. And here's the conclusion.

  #112 | 1:16:03 to 1:17:06 | cleaned

• We must learn to protect ourselves and our families. We must learn to protect our neighbors, our friends. God has given us that responsibility. God expects us to do it. And God is not going to do it for each one of us. We must trust in Him. And you say, "But Brother Weaver, what if I don't have a weapon?" Well, you'll have to play Samson.

  #113 | 1:17:10 to 1:18:02 | cleaned

• Pick up the jawbone of an ass or whatever is nearby and use whatever is necessary to defend your life. Now, I want to give you one last illustration. Suppose Brother Michael walked up to me and said, "Pastor, I'm upset with you. I'm angry with you. And I think I'm just going to shoot you." And I looked at Brother Michael and I said, "Well, if you shot me, you just get me to heaven a whole lot quicker. And I'm ready to die, so just do whatever spins your wheels. If you feel like shooting me, just go ahead and shoot me."

  #114 | 1:18:04 to 1:18:34 | cleaned

• You know what I would be doing? I'd be violating the sixth commandment. Because the sixth commandment is not only negative, it's positive. Thou shalt preserve life. I have a duty to preserve my life. And I would have to look at him and say, "Michael, you might try to kill me. But I can assure you, before you try to kill me, I'm going to be drawing my weapon against you, and I'm going to do everything I can to preserve my life. And I'll have to kill you to preserve my life. That's exactly what I'll do. Because I'm going to obey the sixth commandment. The sixth commandment demands that we preserve and protect not only our lives, but the lives of others. Church security is historical, it's biblical, and it is a ministry."

  #115 | 1:18:35 to 1:19:10 | cleaned

• Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we commit these words and truths unto thee and ask you to apply them in our hearts. Give us grace and give us mercy, we pray in Christ's name. Amen.

  #116 | 1:19:12 to 1:20:07 | cleaned

• Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we commit these words and truths unto thee and ask you to apply them in our hearts. Give us grace and give us mercy, we pray in Christ's name. Amen.

  #117 | 1:20:08 to 1:20:18 | cleaned

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-06T05:01:22Z