"GUN TOTIN' PARSON" ARMED ONLY WITH GOD'S HAND

[Redman1959]

Interesting story of a pastor who happened to grab an unloaded shotgun. The pastor credits the Holy Spirit for the chain of events. I think this story makes a strong case for being prayed up, and trained up.

I would still attend my church if the pastor had killed someone defending his family. Why would I hold my pastor to a different standard than I would hold myself to? This pastor seems to think that this could have ruined his ministry. I don't accept that.

Hope this kid takes advantage of his second chance. He could still turn out alright with God's help.



"GUN TOTIN' PARSON" ARMED ONLY WITH GOD'S HAND

"Did you hear that?" asked Charles Cockroft's wife in an urgent
whisper, shaking him into consciousness early Saturday morning,
February 12. In his groggy state, he did not know if he had or
not, but a few minutes later, a noise prompted him to get out of
bed at 4:30 a.m.

Cockroft, pastor of Abundant Grace Church (AG) in Mt. Vernon,
Texas, and his wife Joy live in the church parsonage. He glanced
out a window to see if someone had decided to work early at the
church. However, he saw no car.

As he turned back to the bedroom, Cockroft heard the crash of a
window in the living room. When he ran to see what it was, a man
stood on the other side. "I screamed, 'What are you doing!' He
said, 'I'm coming in,'" Cockroft recalls.

Half awake, Cockroft ran to the back of the house to grab a
shotgun, not even thinking of the two loaded pistols he has kept
by his bedside. Since his days of living in the
wild-animal-inhabited lands of West Texas, Cockroft has always
kept loaded pistols handy.

By the time the pastor made it back to the hallway, shotgun now
firmly in hand, he came face-to-face with the intruder. Pointing
the shotgun at the intruder's chest, Cockroft threatened to fire
if he took one more step. "Do it," the man said without care.

Cockroft shoved the man into a chair. It was then that he was hit
with a sinking feeling in his gut -- this shotgun was not loaded
and he had no idea if the other man was armed.

Not knowing how much longer he could hold the man there, Cockroft
was relieved to see the flashing of police lights, responding to
his wife's call. The police ran in and made the arrest.
Thankfully, the intruder was unarmed. Cockroft then realized how
God had used an empty shotgun to protect the lives involved.

"The devil had this thing set up to send this boy straight to
hell," Cockroft explains. "It [killing him] would have devastated
me as a minister and would have probably knocked the bottom out of
this small church."

The following Sunday morning, Cockroft spoke on the parable of the
prodigal's son. He told the congregation about his experience the
morning before and how God worked to save the young man's life.
Cockroft's prayer was that the young man would turn from his
lifestyle and run back to his heavenly Father. He also shared
about the equipping power of the Holy Spirit.

"The Holy Spirit equips you for every situation," Cockroft says.
"The Holy Spirit had equipped me with an empty shotgun instead of
a loaded one. He didn't want that boy killed. He saved my
ministry, the church and that boy."

Cockroft visited the 17-year-old intruder in jail the following
week to tell him how his life had been spared because of God's
love for him. The pastor prayed for the young man and told him
that the church was open to him and his family.

These days, Cockroft is widely known around town as the "gun
totin' parson." People joke that they feel safer when he is near.

At the post office, a small boy repeatedly hits Cockroft's leg.
The boy's father apologizes and introduces himself. When he hears
the pastor's name, he turns and says, "Son, let me tell you who
this man is...."

[michael]

I'm not sure I agree with his outlook on the whole event, but I would have no problem with a Pastor justifiably killing an intruder.

[mk86fcc]

Well, I'd agree with this statement (up to a point):

"The Holy Spirit equips you for every situation," Cockroft says.
"The Holy Spirit had equipped me with an empty shotgun instead of a loaded one. He didn't want that boy killed. He saved my ministry, the church and that boy."

I'm not sure the Holy Spirit equipped him with an unloaded shotgun - perhaps more accurate to say the Holy Spirit used the unloaded shotgun.

[Kobra]

Yeah, the Holy Spirit equips us with a mind that understands an unloaded gun is dangerous. Praise God for His grace, and buy some shells, Pastor. ;-D

I like to remember this verse in situations like this:

Matthew 4:6 - and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down; for it is written, 'He will command His angels concerning You'; and 'On their hands they will bear You up, So that You will not strike Your foot against a stone.'"

Matthew 4:7 - Jesus said to him, "On the other hand, it is written, 'You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.'"

Kobra

[Dean Black]

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Originally Posted by michael

I'm not sure I agree with his outlook on the whole event, but I would have no problem with a Pastor justifiably killing an intruder.

I gave my heart to God in 1997,I worked in Security until Agent Orange completly disabled me. I am also retired from the Army and I spent 35 months in combat (Viet Nam Era). I have a small hide away that I always carried because most of the jobs I worked were high risk assignments. Bottom line, it took me six months to stop taking my gun to church. I know in my heart that I am a child of God; I also know that if an intruder breaks into my home I am going to do my utmost to send him/her to Hell. The bible teaches us that God is first in our lives and that we are to love our wife as Jesus loves the church. I do and I will do anything I can to protect her. Rev. John Hagee stated that if a burglar starts to break into your house, and you have a 357 Magnum to empty it on the intruder and if he is still coming throw it at him.

[michael]

Hi Dean, welcome to WT. You no longer take your gun to church? Why? I always carry in church, as do many others here.

[Kobra]

Originally Posted by michael

Hi Dean, welcome to WT. You no longer take your gun to church? Why? I always carry in church, as do many others here.

Bad guys don't respect boundaries--contrary to the opinion of the governments--thus I carry accordingly. I will not tempt God to rescue me as Satan would wish, but I will protect myself with the all the coordination, mental capacity, and warrior spirit the Lord has granted me. I only pray he strengthens my arm in drawing my bow.

Bring it, Kobra.

[RMF]

Yes please continue you protect your family in church as elseware. There was a story posted here a while back (in Texas IIRC) about someone that for some reason didn't carry one Sunday and someone shot up the church. He watched his son die and has to live knowing he might have prevented it if he were carrying as usual. The Lord may choose to use one of us to protect his flock - we must be ready if called.

[mornhinweg]

Seems like this is the same argument about whether putting lightning rods on the Church roof is evidence of a lack of faith.
I say, do your part and if God decides to step in, all the better.

[Bastogne Bulldog]

With a family to protect, it would not have been any problem terminating the SOB. He initiated it, I finished it.

Amen.