THE GREATEST SAFTEY TIP FOR CHURCHES IN THE HISTORY OF SAFETY TIPS

On Monday, August 27, a minister in Attleboro, Massachusetts dropped his wife off at the church where she worked. It was his day off.

He was not expecting what he was about to see.

According to the church's business administrator, the pastor drove to the church (an Assembly of God) at 7 a.m. to drop off his wife. “She works in our school,” the administrator explained. “It’s normally his day off. He went into the sanctuary to get a cable for his phone when he saw a man sitting in a pew with a gun. He tried to counsel him and asked him if he wanted some help. He did not, and the man left.”

When the man left, the pastor called 911. It was when the man got outside that all hell broke loose: He would soon start shooting at police cars. 

The church administrator said: “He (the suspect) did not threaten the pastor. The shooting did not occur on our campus. At no time was any worker at the church threatened.”

The pastor was never in any danger? At no time was any worker at the church threatened? The truth is, the second that man was seen in the pew with a gun, the pastor's life was in danger - as was the entire campus, which, within a matter of minutes, would be occupied by children (there is a school on the church's campus). 

Not all pastor's in such predicaments live to tell about it. In India, Pastor Sultan Masih was warned that if he did not sop preaching, he would be killed. HIs enemies fulfilled their promise last year. While at his church preparing for its 25th anniversary, two assassins on a motorcycle gunned down the pastor.

And such stories don't all come from overseas. In 2014, an angry man killed his wife, her friend, and then drove to Bayshore Baptist Church in Bradenton, Florida and shot to death its pastor, James Battle.

Indianapolis, Indiana Pastor Jaman Iseminger was at his church, greeting members who had come to clean up the nearby cemetery. As he was doing so, a homeless woman also showed up - and shot him to death. 

I could go on for hours with such stories...

I am constantly asked by the press for safety tips for churches. And I consistently give the same answer. It goes something like this...

Everything you do in the course of your everyday life - taking a shower, getting dressed, eating breakfast, brushing your teeth, saying goodbye to your family, driving to work, working, going to lunch, returning to work, going home, seeing your family...etc, etc - is what you do AFTER you... WAKE UP...

If you did not wake-up, you would sleep away the day and get nothing accomplished. All the fruit of your labor is what happens AFTER you wakeup...

This is the dilemma that many churches are in: they are asleep. And it matters not in the least what "safety tips" they are given that might save the lives of their flock, if they stay in their slumber.

The greatest tip you will ever receive as to how to protect your flock is to a-w-a-k-e-n to the danger around you. From there you will find it easy to implement "safety tips." Such information is readily available...

The person who is asleep has no idea what is happening around them - for they are asleep. You cannot defend yourself in your sleep, nor can you defend the lives of those you love. 

Paul the Apostle had it right: "...And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber..." (Romans 13)

When it comes to violence at houses of worship, we are no longer addressing a storm that is out at sea: we are talking about a storm that has arrived on our shores and is gaining momentum. 

I plead with you: WAKEUP....

ONE MORE THING. In reference to the above story about the man in the pew with a gun. I could not help but wonder: how did he get in the church in the first place? According to news reports, "Church administrators say the suspect was able to gain entry to the sanctuary because it was somehow left unlocked." Who is responsible for making sure your doors are locked (this is an official "tip" - but it will be of no benefit to you if you are asleep).

THINK ABOUT IT...

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UPCOMING SHEEPDOG SEMINARS

• Birmingham, Alabama - September 28-29. Click here. Stephen Willeford will be with us in Birmingham. Stephen is the man who shot, and stopped, the killer at First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs last November (where 26 worshipers were murdered).

• San Diego, California - October 6. Stephen Willeford will be with us in San Diego. Stephen is the man who shot, and stopped, the killer at First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs last November (where 26 worshipers were murdered)

OKLAHOMA MINISTER BRUTALLY MURDERED (STABBED TO DEATH - STRIPPED OF HER CLOTHING - LAID IN CRUCIFIED POSITION - INSIDE HER CHURCH)

Rev. Carol Daniels was murdered inside her church on August 23, 2009 (9 years ago today).

Today is a dark day in the history of church-related violence. Reverend Carol Daniels (right) was inside her small church in Anadarko, Oklahoma on August 23, 2009, when she was attacked.

Her killer stabbed her repeatedly, almost severing her head. He laid her body in a crucified position, and before fleeing the scene, set her hair on fire.

Investigators also revealed other disturbing facts about the case:

·      The killer took Daniels’ clothes, perhaps to hide evidence or as a grisly trophy.

·      The killer methodically took time to spray a dissolving chemical around the body in an apparent effort to destroy any DNA evidence.

This horrendous act happened 9 years ago this week: August 23, 2009 (my wedding anniversary).

The small church where Rev. Daniels was pastor: Worthy Temple Christ Holy Sanctified Church. The church building was razed to the ground.

And it all took place inside a church - in a town of about 13,000.

Reverend Daniels was pastor of the church. I have read accounts where on a good Sunday, three people might show up. She had a heart to reach the outcasts of the city.

Ms. Daniels was born on October 26. Same birthday as mine.

What could be going on inside the mind of such a person that he would be provoked to commit such an atrocity. Sadly, we may never know: the killer has not yet been caught.

I got a call a few days ago from a man in Somerset, Kentucky. He wanted me to speak to his church about the need to protect the flock. We agreed to conduct the conversation by Skype. Alas, the leadership, dumbed down by religion, canceled our session. “We’re just gonna trust the Lord…” they concluded.

Carolyn New and her husband, Rev. New, the founding pastor of the church.

Odd that such ignorance would prevail in Somerset, Kentucky. A year ago this week, Carolyn New was murdered inside a church in Somerset.

Her husband was the founding pastor of the church. She was found dead in an activity center at Denham Street Baptist in Somerset on August 24.

According to reports, the killer (a homeless man) went to the church while New was there and asked for food. Police said she walked to the church activities center to get some potato chips for him. Moments after she handed Bell the chips, police say he killed her. Her throat was slit. Reports indicate that she was also raped.

So, dear reader, what will you do with these stories (and the hundreds of others I could tell)?

Will you continue to allow your faith, your twisted version of it, to dumb you down?

Will you continue to display your ignorance of the Holy Book that you claim to believe – and from which some of you teach and preach every Sunday?

Sincere faith is not confirmed by those who claim to have it: on the contrary, it is affirmed by those who are doing something to prove their faith.

We know Abraham had faith because of his willingness to sacrifice his son, Isaac. In response to God's command, he took his son to the mount, strapped him down, and raised the sword to end his life. An angel intervened, stopping him. He then assured Abraham that his fear of God was the real deal. It was what Abraham did that validated his faith.

When the friends of the paralytic lowered him through a hole in the roof, so that Jesus might heal him, the scripture says that Jesus “saw their faith.” It was a visible, tangible faith. Jesus could tell they had faith because of what they were doing.

The woman with the issue of blood was healed and then complimented for her faith. Her faith was concrete. She pressed her way through the crowd, convinced that if she touched the hem of Jesus’ garment, she would be healed. And she was. You could SEE her faith in action. 

For God to intervene, it often requires that man first exercise faith, and that faith includes DOING SOMETHING to show that he is trusting God -

• Jesus did not turn water into wine until the attendants first filled the pots with water
• Lazarus was not raised from the dead until the bystanders removed the stone

There is a part for man to play, and after he has done so, he can then trust his God.

And how do we explain the violence being committed against Christians overseas?

• Last year, over 3000 Christians were murdered because of their faith.
• About six Christian women are raped everyday and forced to convert to Islam.                             

Is it because they have no faith that they endure such horror? Why doesn't faith protect them?

Dear pastor, can you not see the sheer heresy you preach when you declare that faith alone will protect? Or at least your version of faith.

Furthermore, dear church leaders, are you not paying attention to the times in which we live? Can you not see that violence is something that the pagans are resorting to more often? Look at the hate groups that are manifesting in our midst. Do you not have at least a little bit of responsibility to protect those in your flock? 

I just sat down in my hotel in Columbia, Missouri. I turned on the TV and the first words from the set were about a man in critical condition after being shot.

Perhaps you should consider being more like Jesus. One of the reasons, if not the primary cause, for churches failing to protect the flock is a distorted image of Jesus. But a careful reading of his life does not reveal a defenseless sheep: on the contrary, a warrior!

Perhaps you should be more like him when it comes to dealing with people. We are told in John 2:25 that he trusted no man. Read it for yourself: 

"But Jesus didn't trust them, because he knew human nature."

I am NOT saying that we are not to love others. Of course we should. We are called to love all men: but we are not called to trust those we do not know.

Not everybody who comes to your church has good intent. The killer at First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs had visited the church a few days before his rampage. When he came the next time, he murdered 26 worshipers.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a Lutheran Minister during WW2. He struggled greatly what to do about the rise of Hitler and his evil regime. Bonhoeffer had no inclination for violence, but, driven by conviction, he began to speak out against Nazism. And he didn't stop there: he joined in a plot to assassinate Hitler.

It cost him dearly; he was arrested in 1943 and stayed in prison for over a year. He was then tried, found guilty, and hung (as Germany was collapsing). We do well to remember what he said:

 If I see a madman driving a car into a group of innocent bystanders, then I can't, as a Christian, simply wait for the catastrophe and then comfort the wounded and bury the dead. I must try to wrestle the steering wheel out of the hands of the driver.

This is why we must have the Sheepdogs. According to some research, "...sheep have a strong instinct to follow the sheep in front of them. When one sheep decides to go somewhere, the rest of the flock usually follows, even if it is not a good decision. For example, sheep will follow each other to slaughter. If one sheep jumps over a cliff, the others are likely to follow. Even from birth, lambs are conditioned to follow the older members of the flock. This instinct is hard-wired into sheep. It's not something they think about." 

It is because of this that the Sheepdog must intervene. It is the Sheepdog that must rise to the occasion and respond to the wolf. Or, as Bonhoeffer put it, we must "wrestle the steering wheel out of the hands of the driver."

Dear pastor, find the sheepdogs in your midst and let them do what God has called them to.

Let me close with a final thought. If you are trusting God, can you not also trust His word? And His word is clear:

"A prudent person foresees danger and takes precautions.
    The simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences." (Proverbs 27:12)

While driving across Missouri today, I saw a sign that stated 474 people have died on Missouri roads this year. The same sign also read that 60% of them were NOT wearing seat belts. Perhaps for some, seat belt or not, they would still have died. But certainly some would have lived, if they had heeded the words of Solomon and foresaw the danger (accident) and then took precautions (buckled up). 

Faith without works is dead: and you might be too, if you don't have a plan to protect your flock.

UPCOMING SHEEPDOG SEMINARS:

• THIS COMING WEEKEND: Kettering, Ohio (Dayton) this Friday night and Saturday morning (August 24-25).

• Birmingham, Alabama - September 28-29. Click here. Stephen Willeford will be with us in Birmingham. Stephen is the man who shot, and stopped, the killer at First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs last November (where 26 worshipers were murdered).

• San Diego, California - October 6. Stephen Willeford will be with us in San Diego. Stephen is the man who shot, and stopped, the killer at First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs last November (where 26 worshipers were murdered)

DO THIS AT CHURCH...TOMORROW!

Over 140 dead bodies have been found at church since 1999. 

Of the 140 plus deceased persons found on church property, for many of them it is not certain where they were killed. Some were killed off church property and left on church property.

This is the reason your safety team must conduct a “safety stroll” when they arrive at church on Sunday morning (or for that matter, a stroll anytime before a congregational meeting).

The safety stroll consist of the following:

1-    After your team meets, you need to check the parking lot. Look for anything out of the ordinary. I know of a lady who, while policing up trash on a church parking lot, found an item that she threw into the dumpster. It turned out to be a bomb and after hurling it in the dumpster, it soon exploded. So, check the area of your dumpsters and the entire parking lot. If you think you might have a bomb (even the slightest suspicion) don’t touch it. Call 911 immediately.
 

2-    Take note of any cars that you do not recognize. If you arrived early and there was a car(s) parked in the lot, find out who they belong to. Also be very careful as you approach any unknown car. A man committed suicide in his car in a church parking lot and used deadly chemicals to do so (oddly enough, he posted a sign on his car stating that that he had used such chemicals to do so). In Garland, Texas a woman was found dead in a vehicle parked on a church parking lot.

Part of taking care of the flock means you look for the unpredictable. I know of a 74-year old man who put marijuana in some cookies he brought to church.

3-    Check the landscape immediately adjacent to your church building. Check the bushes, hedges, and all other landscape. Look for anything out of the ordinary. While doing this, also check your air-conditioner unit. Make sure it has not been tampered with.

4-    Now, and this is very important, check all doors that lead into the church building and make sure they are locked. If while doing so you discover an unlocked door, you must not allow anyone to meet in the room that this door leads into until you have conducted a “sweep” of the room(s). This is so very important. It is possible that someone has crept in overnight, and is still there.  Churches have reported homeless people making their way inside on more than one occasion.

5- And by all means, make sure you have a security presence IN THE PARKING LOT. How often must we repeat this? These killers who come to your church are going to rush into a parking lot, park awkwardly, get out of the car (in a rush) and come in to kill. You must be a step ahead of them. You must have armed personnel near the front door, outside. You cannot allow these murderers inside the church building. KEEP THEM OUT. ENGAGE THEM OUTSIDE.

I know of churches who hire police officers and have them sit in the sanctuary. NO! Do you want a shootout inside the sanctuary? Of course not. Make sure that at least one officer is outside, near the front door.

These are all very simple things to do. They even seem a bit mundane. But do not be fooled by such thinking. Remember that you are taking care of the flock, and this is part of your assignment.

UPCOMIMING SHEEPDOG SEMINARS

• Kettering, Ohio - next weekend (August 24-25)
• San Diego, California (October6). Stephen Willeford will be with us. Stephen is the man who shot the killer at First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas last November (where 26 worshipers were killed).

I (ACCIDENTALLY) MET WITH A CONFESSED KILLER LAST WEEK (hours earlier his victim's dead body had been found)

I love to take my bicycle, board the local train, and head to downtown Dallas or Fort Worth. I’m 20 minutes from either city. There, in the busyness of the streets and stores, I zip along the roadways, having a blast. It may be hot or cold: I don’t care. The fun of biking overrides the obstacles.

I bicycled around downtown Dallas last Saturday. I arrived around 2:00 p.m. and rode until I was worn out. About 8:00 p.m., I made my way back to the train station.

When I arrived at the station, I checked the clock - my train would arrive in 43 minutes. I went to my “usual” spot and took a seat, the far west side in the corner. There, I can be alone and wait for the train. 

That’s when I met “him.”

As I waited, a man approached me. “Surely he won’t bother me,” I thought. But I was his target (in perhaps more ways than one).

Now only a few feet from me, he struck up a conversation. I assumed he was a homeless man hoping for a donation.

But then he said something rather awkward.

“I think my friend is dead over in Pleasant Grove.”

“Excuse me” I asked. “You think your friend is dead?”

“Yeah,” he replied.

“If you think your friend is in a house, dead, then you need to notify the police as soon as possible,” I told him.

He ignored me and continued to ramble on. The smell of booze was on his breath.

As he spoke, I grew more tense. I wanted him to move on, to leave me alone. But he seemed determined to stay at least until my train arrived.

Or until he got what he wanted.

He grew more irritated as he talked. His body tightened up and I could sense the anger in his voice. That’s when a thought struck me: he’s about to attack me.

I looked around. There were no witnesses.

“Sir, I’m busy and you need to move on,” I insisted.

He ignored my request, and his irritation increased.

Enough was enough.

I stood up, reached into my bag attached to my bicycle, placed my hand on my gun, and told him bluntly: “Sir, I have a gun. And I want you to get out of here.” I also called his attention to the nearby cameras.

He had gotten closer to me as we spoke. He had officially entered into my comfort zone.

He finally walked away.

When I got home I told my wife what had happened. This particular area in Dallas, where I had been (downtown) is known for its violence. Two years ago, five police officers were gunned down in this same area. In 1988, a police officer had been murdered with his own weapon. And just a few blocks from where I had this encounter, a United States President had been assassinated over 50 years ago.

But my story does not end there.

Two days later, Monday night, I’m watching the 10:00 News. It was then that an image of THE MAN WHOM I HAD ENCOUNTERED AT THE TRAIN STATION FLASHED ON THE SCREEN. His name was David Rickerson. He had been arrested for the murder of an 85-year old man. He had also confessed to the murder.

The homicide had occurred in Pleasant Grove - the same area Rickerson told me where his “friend might be dead.”

According to the reports, the victim’s body had been found at 1:30 p.m. Saturday afternoon. I had my encounter with Rickerson only hours later.

But enough about this son of Belial (and yes, I called police and told them of my encounter).

UPCOMING SEMINARS:

The victim’s name was 85-year old Edward Sebastian. And to make matters all the worse, Sebastian had lost his daughter to cancer a week earlier.

Now, this family, and the neighborhood, has to cope with this tragedy. "Residents couldn’t hold back tears as they spoke about their neighborhood, an area of Pleasant Grove that they said is quiet and peaceful, and the kind neighbor now gone. “I’m sad. I’m heartbroken,” said Vickie Holcomb. “I’m in shock… for somebody to do an elderly person like that.” 

View fullsize

Edward Sebastian's neighbors started a memorial in front of his house after he was murdered (left); Sebastian lost his daughter to cancer last week (right).
Photo credit: Maria Guerrero/Sebastian Family

I did not go to Dallas last Saturday expecting to converse with a murder suspect. But I did go with a mindset that anything could happen. I did not bike around Dallas in a state of fear: but I did bike around prepared for anything. I knew there was a possibility that the “wolf” might be out and about.

And that is precisely why I carried my gun. It is not because I am a gun fanatic. I'm not. It is because I am prepared, and I am aware of the threats against humanity. I know, all too well, that there are killers among us. 

Why do churches fail to provide security for their flock?  Why do so many of them refuse to provide protection for their precious people? The answer is simple: they do not have the MINDSET (odd, is it not, those same churches will preach from a book that tells them of an enemy that is out to "steal, kill, and destroy" (John 10).

They think such foolish thoughts as “the chances of that happening here are slim and next to none.”

They grow complacent. Frank Pomeroy, the pastor of First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas (where 26 were murdered last November) says: “We were complacent.”

I don’t know what the man in my story intended to do. All I know is that he was there, and he was irritated and angry - and these are the emotions that often accompany would-be killers.

You must have the mindset. I have said it before, and I will say it again: there is no reason for any church to PANIC – but there is every reason for every church to PREPARE.

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• Kettering, Ohio (August 24-25)
• Ocean Port, New Jersey (September 7-8)
• Birmingham, Alabama (September 28-29)

WE HAVE BEEN ACCUSED OF SPREADING FEAR (AND WE ARE GUILTY)

You can listen to this blog instead of reading it if you so desire. Simply click on the play button.

I granted an interview to a Utah newspaper reporter this week. She told me that she had already interviewed some folks who told her that such people as us are guilty of spreading fear. “Fear-mongers” we are called. She explained that individuals and companies who lead in these church safety seminars across the country - such as ours - are being accused of spreading fear.

Are you spreading fear? she wanted to know.

Yes - we are. There, you have your answer.

And we are completely justified in doing so. I then proceeded to explain to her why.

Fear is a “gift,” I told her.

• Fear tells a man to not jump out of an airplane at 30,000 feet without a parachute.
• Fear is the dilemma of the college student taking a final exam - for which he has not studied.
• Fear belongs to the one standing in the middle of the road while a tornado is coming his way.

Fear, actually, is practiced by saints everywhere every day.

Is it not fear that causes you to lock your doors at night so that no one can enter and steal your goods, or worse, harm your family?

Does not fear lead you to lock your car door so that no one can break into your vehicle (if you’re truly a “man of faith,” why lock these doors? Why not just “trust the Lord” to protect your house and car?).

Furthermore, some of the greatest saints who ever walked the earth experienced fear from time to time, such as Paul the Apostle.

• Paul admitted to the Corinthian Christians that he came to them, “in weakness with great fear and trembling” (1 Cor. 2:3).
• When he wrote the Thessalonian church, he admitted that his concern for them had been quite overwhelming. He went so far as to say that fear had gotten the best of him. Read it for yourself:

“…when I could bear it no longer, I sent Timothy to find out whether your faith was still strong. I was afraid that the tempter had gotten the best of you and that our work had been useless (1 Thess. 3:5).

Gee, Paul, where is your faith? The Lord had sent you to Thessalonica, and had used you to bring many to the faith. Couldn’t you have just prayed and asked the Lord how the Thessalonian believers were doing – and the Lord would have told you? He had certainly spoken to you on previous occasions. Instead, you panicked and sent Timothy, all because you were afraid!

 "But Jimmy,” you may reply, “are we not told in 2 Timothy Chapter 1 that God has not given us the spirit of fear?”

Yes, we are told that. However, it is important to see what Paul was trying to communicate, and not isolate the text to say something it is not meaning to convey. Paul was speaking to the young pastor, Timothy, who struggled with anxiety and excessive fear. But the object of Timothy’s fear was what Paul was addressing.

Timothy was struggling with anxiety over the proclamation of the gospel. He was allowing his fear to hinder him from being the servant God had called him to be. His anxiety may have even been the cause of his frequent illnesses, for which Paul had told him to “drink a little wine.” Paul knew he needed to chill out some. His nerves were affecting his stomach (1 Timothy 5:3).

It was because of Timothy's fear that Paul told him to "not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, or of me his prisoner" (2 Timothy 1:8).

True - we should NOT be afraid when it comes to preaching the gospel. We should march forward, boldly proclaiming the gospel and the good news of the kingdom. We should make disciples. We should not allow fear to cause us to shut down any ministry the Lord has called us to do.

If you’re feeding the hungry and homeless – continue on. If you’re reaching out to gang members - keep up the good work. If you minister in the slums – press on. If you feel called to go to the Middle East and start an outreach to ISIS terrorists, then by all means, head that way!

Don’t let fear stop you from fulfilling your calling. But – and please understand this – allow fear to serve its divine purpose. And by that, I mean that you should let fear show you what proper adjustments you should make so as to minimize the chances of violence being committed against you while you serve the Lord in your calling (or those who serve with you).

In 2013 at a church in Huntsville, Alabama, two brothers were murdered while serving in the church pantry. They served faithfully almost every week, believing that because they had often been helped by the church, they would now pay it forward. “They loved helping others,” their pastor stated.

These dear brothers, said to be saints, gave their lives for others. And their needless deaths are a shame. The reports indicate they were stabbed to death (a suspect has been arrested).

It was also reported that they were attacked “an estimated 30 minutes before another volunteer arrived to help.” The brothers had arrived early to help clean the church. They were 76 and 69 years old.

But here is my question: what were these two elderly gentlemen doing in that church alone, one of who had cerebral palsy? They were helpless in defending themselves against any attack. They had no business being there alone.

But I have heard from those engaged in such ministry that they will not have the presence of security while feeding the hungry. In other words, “we will not let fear” stop us.

And you shouldn’t let fear stop you. However, you should allow the “spirit of love” (also mentioned in 2 Timothy 1:7) to cause you to ensure the safety of those who serve in such a ministry!

Yes – “love is the answer.” You should love your fellow workers enough to ensure their safety, for love “always protects” (1 Cor. 13:7 – NIV).

 Don’t let fear stop you from doing what’s right: but do allow love to help you start doing what’s right.

Consider this, also, when you accuse us of spreading fear. We are in good company. The prophets, and even Jesus, did likewise. And to not warn you means trouble for us.

Do you recall the words from Ezekiel 33:6 -

“…if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, so that the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any one of them, that person is taken away in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at the watchman’s hand.”

 Watchmen were sentries stationed on a wall or in a tower in order to look out for, and warn, of approaching dangers. The Watchmen were there to protect cities as well as vineyards, fields, or pastures. When they saw trouble coming, they blew the trumpet.

And that is precisely what we are doing. It is not by choice that we do this. We were called – and told – to warn the church. To be honest, I’d much rather lay around the house and spend time with my grandchildren. But, off I go, well over 100,00 miles as of today, warning the churches that the sword is coming.

Last August (2017), I was speaking at a church in Kentucky. At about 4:00 that afternoon, I “saw something.” I don’t know how to explain it, but I could tell that an incident of violence would occur in that area “in two weeks” – and I warned the attendees of such.

Thirteen days later, a dear lady was murdered on church property an hour and half from where I made that declaration. I’ll let Carl Chinn, who documents all such violence on faith-based property, tell you what happened:

The 70-year-old widow of the Denham Street Baptist Church founder was violently assaulted and killed with a knife as she was cleaning the Fellowship hall next to the church. The killer (whom had previously been in a service at the church) told detectives he thought if he killed her, took her car, phone, and other possessions, he would get a fresh start in life.

We have no choice but to blow the trumpet and warn the churches.

And as for accusing us of fear-mongering, what, pray tell, would you say to Jesus? His message often sounded like fear-mongering, did it not? Consider a few of His sayings:

• He told the people that if they did not hear and do his word, their lives would crumble under the pressure (that’s frightening)
• He told the people that if they did not repent, they would perish (that’s frightening)
• He told the church at Pergamum that if they did not correct the false teachings in their church, he would fight against them! (that’s frightening)
• He told the church at Thyatira that if they did not deal with some woman named “Jezebel,” He would “throw her into a sickbed,” and for those who had committed adultery with her, “into great affliction.”  (that’s frightening)

And are you ready for this? He told His church at Laodicea that they were “wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked,” and that because they were lukewarm, He was going to spit them out of His mouth (that’s a little frightening)

A few years back, 21 Coptic Christians were beheaded by ISIS terrorists near a seashore. In response to this tragic event, Franklin Graham said:

 “As we mourn with the families of those 21 martyrs, we’d better take this warning seriously as these acts of terror will only spread throughout Europe and the United States…The storm is coming” (italics mine).

I know that many people oppose our message. Some say we are driven by the desire to make money (I’ve slept on the side of the road to save money, furthermore, we have, from time to time, given away some of the proceeds from the seminars to help missionary causes, as well as the persecuted church).

One man wrote me a letter saying that because of what I do, God’s judgment on me will be severe.

We’ve had people walk out of our seminar, shouting at us as they exited. And on more than one occasion, we have had “sheep” attend our “Sheepdog Seminar” – only to learn it was not for them (and leave after the first hour).

Some of our opponents are even those who lead church safety seminars. Driven by competition, they rage on at us, falsely accusing, driven by their envy.

And we bless them all in the powerful name of Jesus and pray that their message is heeded.

But our love for you, and all people (black folk, white folk, brown folk, yellow folk, gay folk, straight folk, Democrat folk, Republican folk (etc., etc., etc.) compels us to carry on with the message. And what is that message? It is simple: Love your people enough to provide some form of protection when they are on your watch.

UPCOMING SEMINARS:

• Kettering, Ohio (August 24-25)
• Ocean Port, New Jersey (September 7-8)
• Birmingham, Alabama (September 28-29)

HERE ARE SOME RECENT INCIDENTS OF VIOLENCE ON CHURCH AND FAITH BASED PROPERTY CARL CHINN IS FOLLOWING:

• Nevada, Sunday 7/22/18: A church member left, then returned to his church’s service and started shooting, killing 1 and injuring 1.
• Illinois, Thursday 7/19/18. A man was found shot in his car in the parking lot of a church. He died later in the hospital. 
• West Virginia, Monday 7/16/18: A man was charged with wanton endangerment after being arrested inside a church after holding the pastor hostage.
• Texas, Sunday 7/15/18: A suicidal man ditched his motorcycle in a church parking lot and forced police to kill him behind the church. 
• California, Tuesday 7/10/18: Gunfire hit several cars in the parking lot of a church.

WHEN A SHEEPDOG BREAKS DOWN...WHAT SHOULD HE DO?

I couldn’t help it. Honestly, I couldn’t. Sometimes you just meet someone, and they have that special way about them. They just sweep you off your feet.

Such was the case with Brian, who recently attended one of our Sheepdog Seminars.

Brian spent over 10 years serving as a police officer. The combination of the stress of the job, and having responded to a mass shooting a few years back, along with several other factors, finally took a toll on him. In his search for relief, he turned to the bottle.

He is by no means the first cop I have known to do that. I met tons of police officers in my career that were on a journey for peace who, in their travels, chose the bottle. I remember Larry from the earlier part of my career. When he got off work every morning at 0700, he was stone drunk by 0800. He found it to be the only way he could deal with the stuff of life.

But Brian…he’s different…

Most cops I know who find themselves in emotional turmoil do absolutely nothing to help make a positive change. I long ago lost count of the number of officers who, going through a difficult time in their marriage, blamed their spouse - and everybody else. As a matter of fact, as I sit here and think about it, I simply cannot recall one time I ever heard a police officer tell me: “This is my fault.”

And, of course, it’s not just the cops who live in this state of denial. In my 35 years as an officer, I responded to thousands of disturbances: domestic, neighborhood disputes, and so forth. I’ve sat in living rooms, stood in front yards, listening to the complaints. And there was a certain attitude that was always present: denial. None of the parties involved were ever willing to shoulder the blame.

The husband blamed his wife, the wife blamed her husband, the parents blamed the kids, the neighbor blamed the other neighbor. I can count on one hand the number of times I saw someone “break down” and confess: “This is my fault!”

And then I met Brian. Let me tell you what this man did…

Brian finally saw the light. This man (I’ll have to pause for a moment and dry my eyes)… this man, instead of blaming his parents, or his fellow officers, or anyone else in the world, blamed himself for his choices.

But he didn’t stop there.

Desperate to find relief, he sought out a place that could help him. And he found one. However, it was a place (a treatment center) that would cost him thousands of dollars. But he had no money. He had no insurance. He had no one to turn to that could foot the bill (the treatment he found would cost over $30,000).

So, what do you think he did…?

I’ll tell you what he did: He… sold … his … house …

Yep. He sold his house. Can you believe that? He sold his house, took the money from the sale, and applied it toward his recovery.

Yes – you read that right. This man sold everything he owned, so he could be … FREE…

I don’t know that I’ve ever met someone like him. No wonder I’m “in love.”

“Jimmy,” you may think, “is it that big of a deal?”

Yes, it is. Why? Because people like Brian are few and far between. 

I know tons of people who need help. Some of them are at death’s door. Addicts slip into their grave every hour. And sadly, so many of them – the vast majority of them – do not realize how bad their problem is. They think they’ll improve with time – but they won’t. Some of them will spend the entirety of their life enslaved to their bottle or hooked on their pills.

Brian told me he had to recover. If he didn’t, he knew he would die.

So, he chose to live.

Did you know that such contrition is a turn-on with God? Yep, it just flat makes Him happy. When you realize what a mess you’ve made of your life, and turn and confess it, God looks favorably on you.

Check out this verse in Isaiah 66:2 –

“…I will look to the one who has no pride and is broken in spirit…”

Pride will keep you in denial. It will send you to an early grave. If you can swallow your pride, however, and realize that you are B-R-O-K-E-N…you can be helped.

You are broken. You may drive a fancy car, live in a mansion, have a ton of cash in the bank, yet, you can still be broken.

And if you can admit to this, you can be helped. You can be like Brian.

Gee. I sure do love Brian…

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UPCOMING SHEEPDOG SEMINARS:

• Ft Worth, Texas - next Saturday, June 30. Colonel Grossman will be there along with Stephen Willeford. Stephen is the man who shot the killer at First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas last November. This is the church where 26 worshipers were gunned won during the morning worship service. You don't want to miss his story. Click here for more info and to register.

• Our Washington State Church Safety Tour begins July 9 in Spokane, WA. Click here for more info about these free seminars.