CONTEND FOR THE FAITH!
DO 143A
12/71
1. IF YOU ARE COMPELLED TO RESORT TO SOME SHOW OF FORCE TO PROTECT LIFE OR PROPERTY, do so as moderately & restrained as possible, so that you yourself cannot be charged with assault & battery! It is perfectly legal, however, for you to defend life or property by whatever means necessary & if you are a good shepherd & faithful undershepherd, you will NOT ALLOW WOLVES to invade or damage your fold, much less injure or carry off your sheep!
2. USUALLY THE BEST PROTECTION AGAINST AN ATTACK, BESIDES THE LORD, IS A STRONG VISIBLE SHOW OF STRENGTH, MUCH MANPOWER & MANY WITNESSES! This can help deter even the thought of any action against you when they see themselves outnumbered by a force quite ready to defend the fold and its sheep, particularly if you give them an ORAL WARNING and tell them loudly and plainly what you are going to do if they step through that door or come over that fence or touch one of your people.
3. EVERY HOME SHOULD ALWAYS HAVE ENOUGH GREETERS & GUARDS, EITHER ON DUTY OR QUICKLY AVAILABLE AT THE SOUND OF A GENERAL ALARM, such as a bell, honk, gong or even a loud yell, so as to present a sufficient show of force & forces to discourage any attack! OBVIOUS WEAKNESS ONLY INVITES ATTACK! Never let them through your front door or gate unless you're fairly sure their mission is peaceful, and even then have plenty of people keeping an eye on them, ready to summon help. You can even do this from a polite distance without intruding on the privacy of their interview, but close enough to offer help if needed & asked for. RELATIVES YOU CAN HANDLE if you have to but NEVER RESIST AN OFFICER OR INTERFERE WITH THE PERFORMANCE OF HIS DUTY!
4. REMEMBER, GOD'S WORD SAYS THAT IF YOU RESIST THE DEVIL, HE WILL FLEE FROM YOU! That doesn't mean lying down & letting him walk right over you.
5. YOU SHOULD NEVER OPEN YOUR DOOR OR GATE AT ANY ODD HOURS OF THE DAY OR NIGHT when you are not normally open to the public before finding out who's there and making sure they're friend, not foe!
6. WE HELPED SOLVE THIS PROBLEM AT TSC BY PUTTING UP A WARNING SIGN PLAINLY VISIBLE, that only friendly visitors were welcome & then only during our certain open hours, warning them that all others would be counted as TRESPASSERS & we would call the sheriff if they attempted to invade the property. Also HAVE SEVERAL "NO TRESPASSING" SIGNS POSTED AT FREQUENT INTERVALS AROUND YOUR PROPERTY! State laws usually require them every so many feet, plus a repeated WARNING TO ANY INTRUDER THAT HE IS TRESPASSING and that if he does not leave the property immediately, you will take whatever action is necessary to expel him. Just the threat of such action will usually do the trick unless they're pretty stubborn or crazy! Then you may have to use stronger measures!
7. AT THE RANCH, WE WORKED OUT A SYSTEM OF WARNING STEPS TO BE USED IN THE EVENT OF AN UNFRIENDLY INTRUDER: First was the SIGN AT THE GATE or you could put one on the outside of your front door. Next, if they did not leave as warned on the sign, WE WARNED THEM ORALLY over the PA system. A peephole, door, window or other nearby window covering the door area would be helpful in checking out visitors by visual contact first!
8. NEXT AT THE RANCH, WE FINALLY WARNED THE UNFRIENDLY INTRUDER that if he did not leave immediately, we were CALLING THE POLICE & SUMMONING OUR ENTIRE SECURITY FORCE. If on this third & final warning the unknown or unfriendly intruder still refused to leave or came over the gate or kept on coming, the watchman on the wall blew the trumpet SOUNDING A GENERAL ALARM to warn the people by blowing one long continuous blast of the guard car horn--you could use your fire bell, a gong or even some loud shouting, if necessary, & even THIS MIGHT BE ENOUGH TO SCARE THEM AWAY, knowing that you were obviously beginning to take actual action against them!
9. UPON THIS PRE-ARRANGED SIGNAL, ALL THE ABLE-BODIED MANPOWER in the camp had already been warned to ASSEMBLE IMMEDIATELY AT THE GUARD POST for further instructions, and that if even en route to the guard post they caught sight of the invader, they were to TACKLE HIM ON THE SPOT, not trying to hurt him, but just restrain him until the officer in charge of security arrived who would then have the choice of having our forces merely expel him from the property or persuade him voluntarily to leave or if the offense is serious enough, to HOLD HIM IN CUSTODY UNTIL THE POLICE arrive! THIS IS YOUR LEGAL RIGHT in case of any intruder or trespasser who has been warned that he is trespassing, but refused to leave! Use it!
10. YOU ARE SHEPHERDS, RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR FLOCK & YOU OWE IT TO YOUR SHEEP TO PROTECT THEM from wolves, even by force if necessary. JESUS USED FORCE on the moneychangers--actual physical violence--to throw them out of the Temple, break up their furniture & let them know who was Boss! And believe it or not, He did this on three separate occasions, according to the Gospels! If Jesus was willing to do this single-handed, to keep His little sheep from being robbed by these moneychangers, certainly you can do it en masse to keep your shepherd from being actually physically harmed, attacked, beaten or kidnapped by such wolves! So YOU HAVE CHRIST HIMSELF AS YOUR SCRIPTURAL PRECEDENT!
11. IF YOU ALONE ARE THE ONLY ONE PERSONALLY INVOLVED AS THE OBJECT OF SUCH AN ATTACK, YOU CAN TURN THE OTHER CHEEK IF YOU WANT TO! That's up to you. But WHEN YOU ARE A RESPONSIBLE WATCHMAN ON THE WALL, you'd better work with your sword in one hand & your trumpet in the other, because IT IS THEN YOUR DUTY TO PROTECT OTHERS & YOU CANNOT MERELY TURN THE OTHER CHEEK to violent invaders! Because God's Word says that if the watchman fails to warn the people & the city is invaded by the enemy & any blood is shed as a result, the watchman will be held responsible for that bloodshed & his own blood is to be shed as payment for his failure to warn the people of danger! In other words, he himself is to blame for the bloodshed! Don't let it happen to you! BLOW THAT TRUMPET, RING THAT BELL OR SCREAM YOUR HEAD OFF to arouse your people!
12. THE WORST MISTAKE YOU MAKE IN THIS SORT OF THING IS THAT BY LETTING THEM GET AWAY WITH IT scot-free without any resistance, you are encouraging both them & others to repeat this performance on later occasions, and every time you let them get away with it, they & others will be back for more! If the wolves find they can invade the fold easily & make off with the sheep without resistance, they're going to pass the word along to the rest of the wolf pack & you're apt to get mobbed if they find out you're not going to resist them!
13. JESUS SAID, "A STRONG MAN ARMED KEEPETH HIS GOODS IN PEACE"! An obviously well-protected household or even an well-armed nation is less likely to be attacked than an obviously insecure one, because WOLVES ARE USUALLY NOTORIOUS ATTACKERS OF THE WEAK, cowards who are afraid to attack the strong! Don't show yourself to be weak! Be strong in the power of His might!
14. SO REMEMBER, THE QUICKER YOU SOUND THE ALARM & show your forces & that you're ready to use them if necessary, the less likely you are to have any trouble or suffer actual violence. The cowardly wolves will then be afraid to attack! They themselves like to pounce in numbers on one single little sheep, singled out alone for their attack! Don't let it happen if you can help it--certainly not if you know that's what they're up to!
15. IF THE INVADER STILL MANAGES TO EVADE YOUR MAIN SECURITY FORCE & keeps running on into your property looking for whatever he's after, don't be afraid to GIVE CHASE & TACKLE HIM on the spot. You may have to use a little force to prevent even greater violence. Try not to hurt anyone, but definitely, forcibly restrain them from further trespassing & violence with whatever force it takes to do so. Jesus drove the wolves out of the fold with a whip! You may have to do the same!
16. DON'T USE GUNS OR WEAPONS OR ANYTHING WHICH COULD SERIOUSLY INJURE SOMEONE, IF POSSIBLE. Usually if you have enough strong hands & arms, these will be sufficient to grab him & hold him. He may himself get in a few licks at you, but try not to sock him back if you can help it! Your main purpose is just to grab & hold him & restrain him from further violence, damage or injury until the police come! Whether you then actually press charges against him or not depends on the seriousness of the case.
17. IF YOUR ATTACKER HAS DONE SERIOUS DAMAGE OR CAUSED INJURY, you may have to press criminal charges against him with the police in order to teach him a lesson not to try it again, giving them fair warning in a well-publicised court case. Because if you don't do something about it, you are only encouraging both them & others to do you even greater damage! The best way to stop an attack is to counter-attack! The best defense is an offense! Don't let them get away with it or they'll merely round up other wolves & come back for more! Show that you intend to give them as much trouble as possible & this may help to discourage them & others from further attacks!
18. HOWEVER, IF THE OFFENSE IS VERY MINOR, THE DAMAGE LIGHT & THE OFFENDER IS OBVIOUSLY SORRY, ashamed & asks your forgiveness, you are bound as a Christian to forgive him & not press charges against him, but be sure to warn him that YOU'LL DROP THE CHARGES PROVIDING HE IS SORRY, PAYS FOR THE DAMAGE & PROMISES NOT TO TRY IT AGAIN! You may even change him into a friend by your forgiveness!
19. HOWEVER, IF HE IS OBVIOUSLY STILL BELLIGERENT & UNREPENTANT & THREATENING to come back for more, you can either press charges against him & have him fined or jailed for the offence to teach him a lesson & discourage him from further attack. Or, if you feel a little temperance in the matter would help to cool the situation, but you still want to let him know you don't intend to let him do it again, you can have the police bring him before a judge & make him post what is known as a Peace Bond, which means that he is not actually fined or imprisoned, but has to put down several hundred dollars deposit with the court & a promise that he will not do it again, but that if he does he will have to forfeit the peace bond to the court!
20. BUT WHATEVER YOU DO, DON'T LET THEM GET AWAY WITH IT COMPLETELY WITHOUT PAYING FOR IT SOMEHOW, unless they're really sorry, ask you to forgive them & promise they won't do it any more! Otherwise, you'll only encourage them to come back & try it again, maybe with seven other devils next time & the latter estate of your house is going to be worse than in the beginning!
21. REMEMBER, FORCE OR AT LEAST A SHOW OF FORCE OR THE THREAT OF ITS POSSIBLE USE by your forces on behalf of your Home or one of its sheep is the only kind of language some wolves understand. And you may have to use it or at least threaten to use it if the wolves come any closer or go any further! So it's to your advantage to show it & threaten to use it BEFORE the damage is done!--Before they start jumping over your fence or battering down your door! The quicker you show the force you can use & threaten to use it, the less likely they are to start anything!
22. WHY DOES THE STRONG MAN ARMED KEEP HIS GOODS IN PEACE?--BECAUSE HIS ENEMIES SEE & KNOW HE'S ARMED & PREPARED to defend himself, so they don't even try to attack him!--So he doesn't even have to fight! A stitch in time saves nine! Better a fence at the top of the cliff than a hospital at the bottom! An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure! A strong peaceful show of force & the gentle hint that you'll use it if the enemy tries anything, trespasses any further or refuses to get off the property or climbs over the fence or breaks down the door, may be all you will have to do & may be the best thing you can do to keep the peace, prevent invasion & keep any violence from even starting before it happens!
23. BUT SLEEPY GUARDS OR POORLY PREPARED OR INSTRUCTED GUARDS who don't leap to QUICK ACTION or warning in order to PREVENT trouble, will only invite trouble by your obvious stupidity or weakness! We are in a War, Brethren!--And it is not altogether spiritual! We don't like violence & we don't believe in violence!--But our enemies have MADE it violent, so you may have to use the threat of violent defense to prevent their violent attacks!
24. JESUS SAID THAT THE GOOD SHEPHERD IS WILLING TO LAY DOWN HIS LIFE FOR HIS SHEEP!--BUT THE HIRELING FLEETH WHEN HE SEES THE WOLF COMING! In other words, the false shepherd, the one who does not really love the sheep, who is himself only in the fold for what he himself can get out of it, makes no effort to defend the little lambs & even runs when he sees trouble coming! Whereas the good shepherds, the true shepherds who truly love the sheep, are willing to lay down their lives to defend them if necessary! Brethren, where is your love? Where is your fight? This is War! The Enemy has made it so, so you must prepare to fight if necessary to defend your sheep! Jesus said so. He didn't say to lie down & do nothing when attacked! What He clearly indicated was that good shepherds must even be willing to give their lives in defense of their sheep--or you're no shepherd!
25. I HAVE SUGGESTED TO SOME OF YOUR LEADERS THAT ONE OF THE THINGS YOU MIGHT DO TO PREVENT TROUBLE BEFORE IT HAPPENS in some of these hot spots where you might be expecting it because of threats, known 10:36ers, adverse publicity, etc., is to REQUEST POLICE PROTECTION because of proven threats by phone, letter, or in person, in which case the police themselves may be persuaded to post a uniformed armed officer at your gate or door themselves. They are obligated to do so by law in cases of obvious danger, since they owe their existence to their duty to protect you, even if it necessitates an armed guard!
26. WE CERTAINLY DON'T WANT YOU TO KILL ANYONE OR EVEN HURT ANYONE IF YOU CAN HELP IT! But Brethren, it is your Scriptural duty to protect your sheep or at least try to, even if it costs you your life! If you don't, it may cost your sheep's life or liberty, in which case, the Lord will hold YOU responsible for not defending them! Again I say that we didn't want it this way, but the Enemy has forced us into a hot war in which they are using violence against us, so you're going to have to do your best to try to prevent them from using such violence by showing yourselves strong, able & ready to defend yourselves with force if you have to! The Lord, of course, is your best defense--so stay close to Him & follow His orders!
27. IF IT WERE NOT FOR THE LAWS & THE PROTECTION OF THE POLICE, some of these church vipers or parental wolves would have gotten some of you long ago! Thank God for the laws & the police which are usually on the right side! Sometimes they make mistakes because they're human & sometimes they get the wrong people, including us, instead of those who are really to blame! But usually they're on our side & have protected us from our enemies! So don't hesitate to call them when you have to!
28. SO DON'T UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER OF OBVIOUSLY AVAILABLE FORCE TO ACTUALLY DISCOURAGE & EVEN PREVENT VIOLENCE! Use it!--But don't abuse it! But there's no excuse for your just letting these people walk all over you! If they threaten you, call your troops & show them you're prepared to defend yourselves & do so if you have to. If something's not worth dying for, it's not worth living for! If you're not man enough to fight for something if you have to, it shows you don't really believe in it! If they're only slapping YOU, taking your coat or asking you to walk a mile, you can let them do it if you want to! That won't hurt you much! But if they're breaking & entering & violently attacking your SHEEP, it's time to defend them! Amen?
29. WHAT DO YOU THINK NEHEMIAH'S MEN WERE DOING ON THE WALL, working with a trowel in one hand & a weapon in the other, with watchmen standing nearby ready to blow trumpets to warn the people in the case of an attack by the enemy! Do you think they were playing some kind of a game? No! They were not attacking the enemy or initiating the violence, but they were showing the enemy that they were quite obviously prepared to withstand any attack & to fight to defend their city in case the enemy got any such an idea. Therefore, their enemies decided to abandon such ideas!
30. GOD'S NOT ONLY TESTING OUR SHEEP IN ALL OF THIS, BUT HE'S ALSO TESTING YOU SHEPHERDS to see if you're willing to lay down your lives for the sheep! If not, you are no shepherd--just a hireling who's in it for what he can get out of it--not to die for his sheep! Even some of our women have proven they've got more guts than some of you have! You've been overprotective when you shouldn't be & underprotective when you should have been more protective! Usually all it takes to protect the sheep from the wolves is just the presence of the shepherd standing there with his rod & ready to use it on them if he has to, so the wolves turn tail & hide! In some of these cases lately, it's the shepherds who have been hiding instead, leaving the sheep to the wolves! That's pretty sure proof you're an hireling!
31. THERE WERE TIMES WHEN JESUS & HIS DISCIPLES DID HIDE OUT TO AVOID UNNECESSARY TROUBLE but there were times that they had to stand up & protect the sheep, especially from the verbal attacks of the enemies of the Truth. They usually tried to avoid contact with the religious Pharisees, but when the vipers kept picking on them to the point that it was confusing the sheep, Jesus would sock it to them so hard, refuting their lies, that He made them so mad that they wanted to kill Him! On these occasions He didn't try to hide--He was contending earnestly for the faith & the sheep! What do YOU do?
32. WHEN THE UNGODLY ENEMY LIBEL & SLANDER YOU ON THE NEWS MEDIA, DON'T TAKE IT LYING DOWN! It's another opportunity for you to proclaim the Truth! The Lord has let the Devil challenge you with a controversy so that it will publicise your answer of Truth! But if you don't say anything--you don't reply, you don't stand up & fight, people will think you are guilty, as silence usually breathes consent!
33. BUT EVEN THE WORLD WILL ADMIRE YOU IF YOU STAND UP & FIGHT FOR YOUR CONVICTIONS, even though they don't agree with you. Even when we fought Evolution in Miami's schools, we had a University of Miami professor who was an evolutionist fighting on our side, defending our right to free speech & freedom of religion & freedom of the press!
34. THERE'S A TIME TO HIDE, BUT THERE'S ALSO A TIME TO STAND UP FOR THE FAITH & be counted in order to answer the lies of the Devil, even if it costs you your life, like it did Jesus, John, Stephen, Paul & all the other martyrs. Some of you guys seem to think that you're having persecution just because of a few verbal attacks, so you use this as an excuse to run & hide! You don't even know what persecution is yet! "Ye have not yet resisted unto blood striving against sin! Consider Him that endured such contradiction of sinners against Himself, lest ye be wearied & faint in your minds. Jesus also suffered without the gate! Let us go forth therefore unto Him without the camp, bearing His reproach!" (See Hebrews 12:3-4; 13:12-13!)
Copyright (c) 1998 by The Family