Shout Out from Almost Heaven West Virginia!

Almost Heaven, West Virginia.
Blue Ridge Mountains, Shenandoah River...

Welcome to CC.
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'Country Roads'
- John Denver
One of my favorite songs.
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Almost Heaven, West Virginia.
Blue Ridge Mountains, Shenandoah River...

Life is old there
Older than the trees
Younger than the mountains
Blowin' like a breeze

I've practiced combat arts all my life and consider David one of my heros. One of the real life "Conans" in the Bible as are his mighty men of valor. I've been privileged to have trained some honorable men and not a few women in self defense, hand to hand combat, and many types of close and medium range weapons. We live in a dangerous world. "Perilous times shall come". We are there. It's one of my enjoyments when I can help someone to defend themselves and others.

That's my state's former motto.
If you travel the eastern side of the state, you'll see why they called it that. There are areas that are beyond description that may bring a tear to your eye. You certainly see the handiwork of the Lord on those hills and valleys.

I was searching for a topic and came across your site. It seems to be more active than some other Christian forums and I got to read a lot of threads that I liked. Before I posted this intro, I responded to some others. There seems to be a lot of nice people that I would be happy to connect with on this forum.

A little about myself.
I love God and learning about Him from His Word. Jesus is my best friend. I have less distractions being single, so I can devote more time to serving Him and others. I want everyone to go to heaven that I meet, so please don't get offended if I share Christ with you. It's because I care. I'm grateful for the Lord sending someone to share salvation with me and owe it to Him to pass it forward. I minister mostly to those who have nothing to give back and who may not have much time.
I have enjoyed many answers to prayer and seen many miracles. When I share those, it's so the faith of others may grow and be encouraged. No, I'm not charismatic, but have friends who are who have enjoyed my sermons & Bible studies. I come from an evangelical background.

As a child, I witnessed the murder of my little brother by an adult who is gone. There were attempts on my own life over the years too. Maybe this is why I have always had a strong instinct to protect the weaker vessels around me.
I've practiced combat arts all my life and consider David one of my heros. One of the real life "Conans" in the Bible as are his mighty men of valor. I've been privileged to have trained some honorable men and not a few women in self defense, hand to hand combat, and many types of close and medium range weapons. We live in a dangerous world. "Perilous times shall come". We are there. It's one of my enjoyments when I can help someone to defend themselves and others.

Some of my other areas are the keys to health and happiness. Not pollyanna positive thinking, because we recognize the evils of this world. I mean the Bible keys to joy in spite of this world's conflicts and stress. The things that Jesus created for us to eat are the ounces of prevention that trumps many pounds of medical "cures." I believe that most health challenges are corrected through natural and nutritional solutions. I've been blessed by many doctors who specialized in nutritional correction. My work with wildlife and in the labs has provided thousands of test subjects who proved that environmental factors and nutrition are keys to health and longevity.
The Lord has provided life and security. He has been my protector when I had no chance to live.
I hope that He will be a blessing to others here, somehow through me. Feel free to PM any time.

To your health and happiness!

📖 🙂 👍

Hi welcome

Curious: How do you reconcile this with Jesus' call to us to turn the other cheek?

I'm not anti-self-self defense. I've studied JKD and Systema. (Need to get back into some of that again... been a while.) I've reasoned in my own mind that there's a time to turn the other cheek, and a time to strike back.

What say you?

BTW... welcome to the forums!

I appreciate your welcome.

You ask a very good question Gojira. I'll try to tackle that when I have time to do that justice later. That is probably on a lot of people's minds, so it is worth a new thread of it's own so they might be more likely to see it under a new title this week. If I have a chance to do a Biblical teaching to it, I will let you know first.

I have high respect for JKD and Systema.
These are arts that are both designed for street encounters, self defense as opposed to sport martial arts that have defined rules and limited to one matched opponent of like stature. I've been a Bruce Lee fan since I was a young kid. He was one factor that led me to choose Kung Fu as my second martial art. My first teacher was my Dad. He was a top boxer in the Army. He got me started boxing, which I consider a Western sport MA.
To this day, I appreciate Bruce Lee as an athlete and eventually his philosophy of non-traditional training. I spent many years in traditional arts, but my life experiences directed me to take from those what were relevant and focus on saving lives. Jeet Kune Do and my combat system have that in common.
As to Systema, there's much I could say. First isn't it interesting how many ways the human body is designed to utilize power for strikes?
Systema uses a method which most arts don't utilize. We have much in common as I teach many striking weapons our body has before picking one up, such as elbows, as does Systema. I like the joints locks/ manipulations, rolls, are very useful too. I hate to admit it, but those Spetsnaz kick butt. When my school was open, it was the favorite of local military who wanted an advantage over their peers. No Russians mind you, but some had Combatives.
Some had other MA training. Most schools consider their past a waste of time that needs to be unlearned. My way is different. I like to help each student take what he invested in his past and build upon that.
If one of them came to me with your background, I would consider them a perfect candidate for my program. There's much that overlaps and can be adapted to.
I'm glad there's a fellow martial arts brother here on the forum.

👊🙂👍

I love God and learning about Him from His Word. Jesus is my best friend. I have less distractions being single, so I can devote more time to serving Him and others.

so please don't get offended if I share Christ with you. It's because I care.

Curious: How do you reconcile this with Jesus' call to us to turn the other cheek?
I'm not anti-self-self defense. I've studied JKD and Systema. (Need to get back into some of that again... been a while.) I've reasoned in my own mind that there's a time to turn the other cheek, and a time to strike back.
What say you?
BTW... welcome to the forums!

Me too!



Good man!
But some people will get offended just the same. Please do not be disheartened or give up when this happens.

I wish you a warm welcome to CC.

Gojira,

I'm going to bed soon, but I will share a little bit of my answer to that question before I do. This is an Old Testament illustration of the NT truth you quoted Jesus saying I the previous post.



All respect to our Mennonite, Brethren, and Bruderhoff friends, I think that self defense is sometimes necessary, especially if you don't live in a community of like faith as theirs. .
I agree, as you do, with the Lord when He said to turn the other cheek. In context, I think that Jesus was teaching about insults.
Why?
A little later in Luke 22 He tells His disciples to buy a sword. This was a command from The Highest Authority. That even superceded the Roman empire. There's a reason that I might get into another time.

Here's an example of David in a very low point of his life. His long haired vain son was trying to steal the kingdom from his dad and even trying to take his dad's life. David's traveling through a town and in no mood to be messed with. Here's where it begins.

1. "And when king David came to Bahurim, behold, thence came out a man of the family of the house of Saul, whose name was Shimei, the son of Gera: he came forth, and cursed still as he came.
2. 6 And he cast stones at David, and at all the servants of king David: and all the people and all the mighty men were on his right hand and on his left.
3. 7 And thus said Shimei when he cursed, Come out, come out, thou bloody man, and thou man of Belial:
4. 8 The LORD hath returned upon thee all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose stead thou hast reigned; and the LORD hath delivered the kingdom into the hand of Absalom thy son: and, behold, thou art taken in thy mischief, because thou art a bloody man.
5. 9 Then said Abishai the son of Zeruiah unto the king, Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? let me go over, I pray thee, and take off his head.
6. 10 And the king said, What have I to do with you, ye sons of Zeruiah? so let him curse, because the LORD hath said unto him, Curse David. Who shall then say, Wherefore hast thou done so?
7. 11 And David said to Abishai, and to all his servants, Behold, my son, which came forth of my bowels, seeketh my life: how much more now may this Benjamite do it? let him alone, and let him curse; for the LORD hath bidden him.
8. 12 It may be that the LORD will look on mine affliction, and that the LORD will requite me good for his cursing this day.
9. 13 And as David and his men went by the way, Shimei went along on the hill's side over against him, and cursed as he went, and threw stones at him, and cast dust."

Sorry about the numbering format. I need to learn how to paste Scripture without that happening on this site.
Here's King David's mighty men who are used to slaughtering hundreds of heathen soldiers each in battle. They are the most skilled martial artists, probably on the planet at this time. Here comes one of Saul's old friends hating on the King. Throwing rocks at him and cussing him out. Any one of the mighty men would have paid to remove 12 inches of noise. I like what Abishai says,

"Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? let me go over, I pray thee, and take off his head."

Nobody would have raised an eyebrow if David came back with a Clint Eastwood line and silenced the barking dog.
Instead here he humbled himself and did something far more difficult. He turned the other cheek..

"It may be that the LORD will look on mine affliction, and that the LORD will requite me good for his cursing this day."

ROman's 8:18 "For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us."

He understood that principle.
Yet when the Philistines threatened to slaughter and enslave his people, he asked the soldiers, "Is there not a cause?"
Then he was the first to turn the other cheek. No, he got ammo and was the first to shoot the blaspheming giant in the forehead. Then he took the enemies sword from him and used it to remove his head. The rest is history. That was approved by Jesus and He even gives a shout out to David's mighty men of valor by name, giving the kill counts as honor to their memory forever.

"Blessed be the LORD my strength, which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight:"

Psalm 144:1

Well.... it's been a while. I could use a new class. Too bad you're not in the Phoenix area.

Sorry about the numbering format. I need to learn how to paste Scripture without that happening on this site.

Matthew 5:38–42 (NIV)


Eye for Eye
38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ 39 But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. 40 And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. 41 If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. 42 Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.


I see little in there that covers only Insults. it meantions the EYE for EYE which was used in ORginal Testement for killing people who hurt others. IT mentions SLAP which is Greek word "patasso" (πατάσσω, meanint , “to strike, smite,” is used literally, of giving a blow with the hand, or fist or a weapon

next it goes on to more physical things .like SUEING and forcing people to walk for a MILE. and GIVING to people.

So everyone beleives different things in bible. they try to align it with todays world. But one day we will be of one mind and one spirit.

Until then we continue to work out who are the SHEEP and who are the GOATS.