Uvalde, TX School Murder; 4 Suggestions

We all grieve the incredible loss of life in the school shooting and murder (5-24-2022).  I would like to offer four suggestions. 

1.  Every School Police Officer should be equipped with not only a pistol, but two other weapons. 

First, an AR 15 or equivalent.  Second, a high caliber rifle such as a .300 magnum or a .375 H&H. 

Why? 

An AR 15 will put the police officer on much the same level as the active shooter.  A rifle will allow him or her to shoot farther and more accurately, with a high-capacity magazine. 

The addition of a high caliber rifle (more powerful than an AR 15 with .223 ammo) with a scope would allow the officer to shoot through body armor, or at least provide enough blunt force trauma when it hits the active shooter, to put him out of commission.  It could be used for close or long-range shooting. 

The rifles can be kept in an easily accessible secured locker (the locker should also contain breach tools like a large crowbar, battering ram, body armor, shield, etc.).  At times, though, the officer might choose to carry the AR 15; it might be good for students to get used to occasionally seeing it. 

The School Police Officer would be the first responder, and should have these options immediately available.  Thereby, the officer can instantly and aggressively respond to the danger.  A school shooting is no time to simply secure the perimeter and sit around waiting for a SWAT team to arrive. 

By the way, regular police officers should also have such firepower available to them in the trunk of their police vehicles. 

2.  School Teachers and Staff, who are comfortable doing so, should be allowed, and encouraged, to legally carry a concealed gun. 

If students are hiding in a classroom and an active shooter enters or breaks in, most parents would be very happy if the teacher had a concealed weapon.  They may not have an AR 15, but any gun is better than nothing against an armed murderer. 

Do citizens with a concealed gun permit ever stop crime?  Yes, on a regular basis.  But it is seldom reported in national news.  The day after the Uvalde shooting, a convicted felon began shooting at a crowd of people in Charleston, WV.  He was using an AR 15 style rifle.  A woman lawfully carrying a pistol shot and killed the man, probably saving a number of lives.  Concealed carry often makes a positive difference! 

https://www.foxnews.com/us/west-virginia-woman-shoots-kills-man-fired-party?cmpid=prn_newsstand

https://www.foxnews.com/us/shootings-legal-gun-owners-safety-life-threatening-crimes

3.  The spiritual life of our nation must improve. 

A young man with no moral compass may view murder as a valid pursuit.  A strong moral compass develops by respectfully looking to God, the Bible, church.  If you want to measure the strength and stability of our country, one way is to check the health of our churches and other places of worship.  Strengthen yourself and your family by attending and participating in church every week.  Pray for a Revival, a Spiritual Awakening in America.  It has happened before, it can happen again. 

Churches seldom make headlines, they erase headlines! 

“Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”  -John Adams (AD 1735-1826), second American president. 

4.  Family life must improve. 

Parents who love each other and stay together improve the moral life of their children and the nation.  Don’t have children until you are married.  Parents, love each other and love your children.  Spend time with them.  Dad, be a real man and show your kids, through the years, how a man loves, provides for, leads, and protects his family. 

Will we still have school shootings?  Probably, but they will be reduced.  There are other possibilities, but these suggestions can make a difference.  May God bless and protect America.   

-David R. Brumbelow, gulfcoastpastor.blogspot.com, May 31, AD 2022. 

 

More Articles in lower right margin, Web Version. 

When I'm An Old Lady

When I’m an old lady, I’ll live with each kid.
And bring so much happiness… just as they did.
I want to pay back all the joy they’ve provided.
Returning each deed! Oh, they’ll be so excited!
When I’m an old lady and live with my kids.

I’ll write on the walls with reds, whites and blues,
And I’ll bounce on the furniture wearing my shoes.
I’ll drink from the carton and then leave it out.
I’ll stuff all the toilets and oh, how they’ll shout!
When I’m an old lady and live with my kids.

When they’re on the phone and just out of reach,
I’ll get into things like sugar and bleach.
Oh, they’ll snap their fingers and then shake their head,
When I’m an old lady and live with my kids.

When they cook dinner and call me to eat,
I’ll not eat my green beans or salad or meat.
I’ll gag on my okra, spill milk on the table.
And when they get angry… I’ll run.. if I’m able!
When I’m an old lady and live with my kids.

I’ll sit close to the TV, through the channels I’ll click,
I’ll cross both eyes just to see if they stick,
I’ll take off my socks and throw one away,
And play in the mud until the end of the day!
When I’m an old lady and live with my kids.

And later in bed, I’ll lay back and sigh,
I’ll thank God in prayer and then close my eyes,
My kids will look down with a smile slowly creeping,
And say with a groan, “She’s so sweet when she’s sleeping!”
-Anonymous; The Ozarks Mountaineer, May/June, 2007.

Happy Mother’s Day!

-David R. Brumbelow, Gulf Coast Pastor, May 5, AD 2010.

Why Wait?

Every now and then at church, or for a student group, I prepare a half page handout to go along with the message. One of these brief handouts is below. Hopefully it can be of help to some.

Too often churches and parents are silent about reasons to wait until marriage to have sex. Too often teenagers and adults do not know the reasons to wait, or they need to be reminded of them.

Why Wait?

Reasons to wait until marriage to have sex.

1. Sex is a gift from God and He only intended it between the marriage of one man and one woman. (Mark 10:6-9)

2. Having sex with a person creates a kind of “oneness” that God intended only for marriage. (1 Corinthians 6:16)

3. To have a clean conscience and no worries. Don’t have to worry about sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), pregnancy, or the embarrassment of seeing former boyfriends, girlfriends, at school, church, work. Abstinence is the only 100% reliable method of prevention of STDs and pregnancy.

4. To test the commitment of the other person. Some promise marriage just to get sex.

5. You cannot grow as a Christian if you are having sex outside of marriage.

6. To be clearheaded when you are making important decisions, especially about dating and marriage.

7. To increase your chance of a happy, lasting marriage. People who have sex before marriage and those who live together before marriage have a higher rate of divorce.

8. To avoid the heartbreak, regret, and anger that sex outside of marriage brings. Many people regret it. They feel used and worthless because they gave away something precious.

When we sin, if we confess our sin to God, He promises to forgive (1 John 1:9). But He does not promise to take away the consequences of our sin. As one young woman told Josh McDowell, “Yes, God forgives, but the scars remain.” God’s plan A is don’t sin; His plan B is if we sin He still loves us and is willing to forgive (1 John 2:1).

Stay away from tempting situations.
Flee sexual immorality. -1 Corinthians 6:18.

Whoever commits adultery with a woman lacks understanding; he who does so destroys his own soul. Wounds and dishonor he will get, and his reproach will not be wiped away. -Proverbs 6:32-33

-David R. Brumbelow, Gulf Coast Pastor, April 19, AD 2010.

Alcohol and the Holidays

Last week a news program dealt with a problem many families struggle with at Thanksgiving and Christmas. The problem was big family fights and how to avoid them at family celebrations. One recommended option was to reduce the amount of alcohol served at family gatherings.

I have a better solution. Have an alcohol-free, drug-free holiday. I’m well aware that you can have family fights without alcohol being involved. The first thing alcohol does, however, is affect your judgment and reduce your inhibitions. With a little alcohol you do things you would never do in your right mind. Drug free, many can hold their tongues and keep their attitudes in check.

For those who think you must have alcohol at every family gathering, I would ask, Why? Even dedicated drinkers should be able to survive two or three hours without a mind altering recreational drug. If it is your home then you don’t have to supply it or allow it. You can also be gracious, but firm in prohibiting alcohol in your home.

Several years ago the Gulf Coast city of Galveston, Texas had a problem. Families were no longer going to the Seawall. They studied the issue and found that with all the drunken partying, families were staying away. Galveston made the wise decision to ban alcohol on the Seawall. An amazing thing happened. Peace and tranquility reigned and the families returned. Absence of alcohol will never solve all problems, but it will certainly solve many of them.

Alcohol coarsens everything it touches. The great Southern Baptist preacher, R. G. Lee, eloquently preached, “Intoxicating beverage never touched an individual that it did not leave an indelible stain, never touched a family that it did not plant the seeds of misery and dissolution, never touched a community that it did not lower the moral tone, chill religion and undermine law. Liquor never touched a state that it did not multiply crime, destroy wealth and increase the burden of taxation. It never touched a nation that it did not clog the machinery of government, blight prosperity, weaken patriotism and encourage treason.”

Want a peaceful family Thanksgiving? Want a joy-filled, Christ-honoring Christmas? One way to achieve that goal is to pour beverage alcohol down the drain.

Reference: Highways to Havoc by R. G. Lee, Christ for the World Publishers, Orlando, Florida; 1974. Lee (AD 1886-1978) was pastor of First Baptist Church, New Orleans, Louisiana, and Bellevue Baptist Church, Memphis, Tennessee. He served as president of the Southern Baptist Convention and authored numerous books.

-David R. Brumbelow, Gulf Coast Pastor, November 30, AD 2009.

Articles: 
Ancient Wine and the Bible - the Book; update
Wine for Your Stomach's Sake; 1 Timothy 5:23
More articles in lower right margin. 

Wit And Wisdom Of My Dad

This will be written for the generation to come, that a people yet to be created may praise the Lord. -Psalm 102:18

The Writing of The Wit and Wisdom of Pastor Joe Brumbelow

My dad, Joe E. Brumbelow (1930-2002), was a pastor for many years. He was never famous, powerful, wealthy, but like all faithful pastors he had a profound impact on a number of lives.

He died suddenly, unexpectedly in 2002. We usually remember stories for one or two generations, then they are forgotten. There were too many stories from his life and ministry that should not be lost.

About six months after his death, on a drive to Damon, Texas, dad’s hometown, I discussed with mom plans to write a few of his stories and sermon illustrations and make several copies. The booklet would probably be 20 or 30 pages.

I began to write the first stories that came to mind. Stories he used in preaching, incidents that happened in his life and ministry. His advice, his humor, his experience, growing up in a small town in the 1930s, his passion for revival and telling the lost about Jesus. His strong stand on the racial issue, his commitment to the inerrancy of the Bible and the SBC Conservative Resurgence. He was a strong inerrantist and premillennialist, yet he had good friends who disagreed. He was faithful to his wife and three boys, his boys are now all pastors. There was never a hint of moral scandal in his ministry. Brother Joe had a great love of people and a love for preaching the Word of God.

The stories (well over 200) are brief, most less than a page. So if you only have five minutes at a time to read, you can enjoy it. Several couples have told how one read it to the other in bed at night, or as they drove across country. One would tell the other, “You’ve got to hear this story.” One man recently said he was getting a copy for his son; he thought it could be of help to him. Another related that he wished he could live the kind of life that his son would want to write a book about him. Wit and Wisdom has been given to a number of young preachers at HBU, ETBU and elsewhere; I pray that it will especially be a help and encouragement to them. Some have already said it has been a help to their ministries.

Wit and Wisdom has hunting and fishing stories, history, folklore, sermon illustrations, stories of lives changed by the Gospel. It contains a lot of humor. It will make you laugh; it may also make you cry. I know that in its writing, I did both.

I asked mom, Mrs. Joe E. (Bonnie) Brumbelow, to write a chapter to women and preacher’s wives. Several pastor’s wives said they wished they had read her chapter when they first began their ministries. Bonnie even includes some favorite recipes in an appendix, and has her own best selling Cookbook (sold over 400 copies at the local Christian Bookstore, Sonshine Shop, Lake Jackson, TX); now in its second printing.

After about a year and a half, the “booklet” had grown from 20 pages to 240 pages. Louis and Kay Moore of Hannibal Books were extremely helpful in getting my book, The Wit and Wisdom of Pastor Joe Brumbelow, published in 2005. It has been recommended by Adrian Rogers, Ed Young, Franklin Atkinson, Jimmy Draper, T. C. Pinckney, R. L. Sumner, Paige Patterson.

*******
Some Recommendations of Wit and Wisdom of Pastor Joe Brumbelow

“You will enjoy this book. Some of the funniest stories you will ever read are contained in the pages of this volume. As I read these stories I laughed and you will laugh, too. You will laugh out loud…”
-Foreword by Dr. John A. Hatch, Pastor, First Baptist Church, Lake Jackson, TX.

“Dear David, Thank you, my friend, for the finished product - The Wit and Wisdom of Pastor Joe Brumbelow. I spent much time this morning reading, smiling, amening, and just nodding my head. It is a beautiful book, easy to read, and full of genuine spiritual wisdom. God is love. Jesus is wonderful. In His Dear Name.”
-Adrian Rogers, Memphis, TN. June 21, 2005

“David, it is a great book. Like you I am a pastor’s son. My father was a simple country pastor for more that 50 years. The kind of wisdom that he passed to me from many years of practical ministry is found on every page of this book. You did a great job of pulling it together…Let me say as boldly as possible, this book would be a great addition to the resources employed in the training of every young pastor. In fact, it probably ought to be mandatory reading and re-reading for us all.”
-Kevin Stilley, Fort Worth, TX; kevinstilley.com

Additional Comments on The Wit and Wisdom of Pastor Joe Brumbelow

Already it has been a source of illustrations for me.”
-Paige Patterson, President, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Ft. Worth, TX.

“I laughed, I wept, I praised God repeatedly in its reading…This is the kind of book you can sit down and read from ‘kiver to kiver’ (and many will, too engrossed to put it down), but at the same time it is the kind you can read a little, quit, pick it up later and not miss a beat. Or you could pick it up and start reading any place: front, back or middle.”
-Dr. R. L. Sumner, The Biblical Evangelist, NC.

“Throughout, you will be laughing, crying, and reaping lessons and anecdotes to use in your own ministry or with your own family. Wit and Wisdom is an easy read, an enjoyable read, and very helpful to both laymen and ministers.”
-T. C. Pinckney, The Baptist Banner, Virginia, April, 2007.

“His sense of humor was contagious and his seriousness about the things that really counted was remarkable.”
-Jimmy Draper, President, LifeWay Christian Resources, Nashville, TN..

“Delightful reading of this book will refresh, teach, and inspire God’s people. ”
-Franklin Atkinson, Th.D., longtime Bible professor at East Texas Baptist University, Marshall, TX.

“You will enjoy the warmth and emotion that permeate the pages.”
-H. Edwin Young, Pastor, Second Baptist Church, Houston, Texas.

Referring to how she laughed, “This book is better than going to a psychologist!”
-Esther Cline, DeLand, Florida.

*******

HOW TO ORDER:
The Wit and Wisdom of Pastor Joe Brumbelow can be ordered directly from: 
your local bookstore
hannibalbooks.com
amazon.com

A signed copy can be ordered at: David R. Brumbelow, P.O. Box 300, Lake Jackson, Texas 77566 USA; $12.95 postpaid, 10 or more copies $8 each.  240 pages. 

If you get it, I think you’ll enjoy it. If you read it, I’d love to hear from you.

Mrs. Joe E. (Bonnie) Brumbelow’s Cookbook, Masterpieces From Our Kitchen, can also be ordered from the same Lake Jackson address for $10; 10 or more $6 each. 

233 recipes, some of the best food you will ever wrap your lips around!  All recipes have been personally used and endorsed by Bonnie, a pastor's wife and mother of three boys.  Recipes include Sugar-Free, Tamales, Eggrolls.  Includes Mexican & Chinese recipes.  Most recipes are easy with simple ingredients. 

-by David R. Brumbelow, Gulf Coast Pastor, September 5, AD 2009.

Happy Father's Day!

A Little Fellow Follows Me

A careful man I ought to be,
A little fellow follows me.
I do not dare to go astray,
For fear he’ll go the self-same way.

I cannot once escape his eyes,
What’er he sees me do he tries.
Like me some day he’s going to be,
That little chap who follows me.

I must remember as I go,
Through summer’s sun and winter’s snow,
I’m building for the years to be,
Cause a little fellow follows me.
-Unknown

Write a Letter
Write a letter to your son / daughter on their 12th birthday.
Tell them how proud you are of them. Be specific.
Tell them about the most important things in life.
Date it (month, day, full year) and sign it.
Keep a copy or two, just in case they get mad at you in their teen years and throw it away!
It may or may not mean a lot to them today.
It will probably mean the world to them in 30 or 40 years.

Don’t know the source of “Write a Letter” but it is great advice. It can be used at other ages as well.

It has been said, “A dad is someone who has photos in his wallet where he used to have money.” My dad used to say, “I invested all my money in three boys.” Investing your money, time, love in your family - that is about the best investment out there.

To all dads, Happy Father’s Day!

A man shall be as a hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest; as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land. -Isaiah 32:2

-David R. Brumbelow, Gulf Coast Pastor, June 17, AD 2009.

PS - To those traveling to the SBC, hope to see some of you there. Leave a few Gospel tracts along the way, and tell somebody in Louisville about Jesus.