Everything in this essay is subordinate to my earlier post on spiritual prepping HERE. If you aren’t prepping your soul, none of what follows matters.
The American political situation is NOT, repeat NOT settled. Regardless of the recount/electors/etc, everything is still in complete chaos. Even if Trump is installed, there will continue to be a massive push to maintain the status quo by the entire DC power structure, and this will include covert acts of anarchy, possibly from both sides. $20TTT in debt, out of control spending led by a criminal oligarch/collusory “healthcare” industry, the death of the rule of law and the obstinate refusal of both parties to do anything about it — none of this is going away. The question I have for you today, the answer to which I hereby hope to influence, is this:
Are you prepared to protect your family in the event of some… shenanigans?
The situation of the financial markets, the irreversible debt bubble of world governments, the house-of-cards default-swap leverage mountains of the major banks… none of this will or can change or be remotely fixed in any way. The only solution is a total system collapse and hard reset. Have you done that research yet? Have you been adult enough to look at the publicly available balance sheets? Have you done anything to prepare? Whether the collapse is imminent or merely inevitable, you have a solemn duty to yourself and your family.
Natural disasters also sure seem to be on the rise. Large earthquakes from Europe to South America to Asia.  A lot of them. Earthquakes and other extreme natural phenomena (like lightning striking the dome of St. Peter’s TWICE in the last four years, an occurrence never before recorded) are God’s way of warning humanity to repent, because something big is about to happen. So first of all, repent; the spiritual prep is way more important than the corporeal prep. Start by reading yesterday’s blog post. But still, are you remotely prepared for a sudden natural disaster of any kind? Do you have a plan and does your family know the plan?
And I haven’t even mentioned ISIS! Domestic tactical terror, mass terror, cyber terror, infrastructure terror… are you prepared for any of this? We just had a fresh Somali Muslim “refugee” car/machete attack at Ohio State (soft target/gun free zone). How many tens of thousands of future terrorists have we purposely brought to our shores in the past eight years? Do you understand that invasion by immigration is Islamic doctrine? Google ‘Hijrah’.
How about if the grid went down where you live – no electricity, no cell phones, no refrigeration, no internet – cash registers don’t work, credit card readers don’t work, ATMs don’t work, ahem EBT CARDS DON’T WORK–how prepared are you? What contingencies have you made? Do you think that it’s someone else’s job?
There are plenty of logistical considerations that you can go do the research on crisis management. There are dozens of prepper sites to give you the basics on water, food, shelter, comms, mobility, currency, etc. I will limit myself here to speaking about the God-given duty of self-defense.
If you are a Christian, then you should be interested in what Jesus had to say about self-defense. Do you have not just a right, but actually a God-given duty, to arm yourself for the conflicts ahead?
First, let’s examine what is often presented as the answer. Are you familiar with the scene in the garden where Jesus is ultimately arrested? During the process, Simon Peter strikes the servant of the high priest with his sword, cutting off his ear. Jesus heals him, and tells Peter to put away his sword. This event is recorded in all four Gospels, which means it’s a really big deal, so listen up:  People who claim that Peter was wrong to resort to violence are diabolically inverting the very words of our Savior.
Peter was NOT wrong to resort to violence. Peter was RIGHT/JUST (as in, God-given right) to resort to violence. The reason he was rebuked by Jesus is only because of the broader context: It was time for Jesus to redeem the world, and He had to go willingly. The warning  “all that take the sword shall perish with the sword”, refers to aggressors, not defenders. In fact, not only was Peter justified drawing his sword, but Jesus goes much, much farther, telling Peter in the very next verse that He would be justified in calling down more than twelve legions of angels to slaughter their adversaries.  That’s 60,000 angels, y’all. Matt 26:53.
Also, do you remember what happened immediately prior to the scene in the garden?  Oh yeah, the part where Jesus instructs the apostles to ARM THEMSELVES, even if it means selling their clothes to acquire weapons. Right after He instituted the Eucharist and commissioned the apostles comes this:

He said to them, “When I sent you forth without a money bag or a sack or sandals, were you in need of anything?” “No, nothing,” they replied. He said to them, “But now one who has a money bag should take it, and likewise a sack, and one who does not have a sword should sell his cloak and buy one. For I tell you that this scripture must be fulfilled in me, namely, ‘He was counted among the wicked’; and indeed what is written about me is coming to fulfillment.” Then they said, “Lord, look, there are two swords here.” But he replied, “It is enough!” Luke 22:35-38

The last verse is a reference to the situation at hand (in the garden, which follows in the very next verse). The first three verses are a general instruction related to the missionary nature of the Church; a warning for disciples to be prepared, because the world will always be opposed to Truth.
May I also say, we are talking here about full-blown “assault weapons” of the day — swords. It was the most powerful weapon a man could carry with him.  If it were today, in the United States, the equivalent instruction would be to sell your clothes to acquire a semi-automatic rifle. But why, you say? Why would I want that, you say?
Because God doesn’t want the bad guys to have more firepower than you have.
Soooo… here is some very detailed advice from a recent veteran of multiple combat deployments, sent to me for the purpose of sharing here. Bear in mind, tools are useless or even worse than useless without training.

“If you don’t have one, you need one, and you need it now. When this thing comes down, which it will, a pistol isn’t going to cut it in defending yourself, your family, your home, your neighborhood, or in a mobile operation. “A pistol is a tool to get to your rifle”- anonymous SOF operator. You need a fighting rifle, designed to be used in open and close environments against hostile threats. This is a guideline for choosing that rifle, with various specs for you to consider.

Semi automatic: A semi automatic, magazine fed rifle allows for a rate of fire sufficient to rapidly engage threats with multiple rounds. No bolt actions; you are not going to win a close range fight with less than semi automatic.

Accuracy: A fighting rifle needs to have the accuracy to engage targets from 0-300 yards. Any AR or AK produced by a reputable manufacturer, chambered in an appropriate rifle round will be able to accomplish this.

Recoil management: The ability to control recoil to deliver rapid follow up shots. Downing an aggressor with one shot only happens in the movies, unless it’s a headshot. There are numerous examples of aggressors continuing to attack after taking ten or more hits, so you need to manage recoil to get back on target quickly. Example: The recoil of an AR15 or AK47 is manageable and easy to learn to control, but a battle rifle chambered in .308 is a much more difficult weapon to deliver rapid, accurate fire.

Caliber: Choosing a caliber that is both common, easily accessible, and is sufficient for neutralizing a human threat. Example; your chances with a 22 LR at 200 yards is low. Your chance of being able to find large stocks 6.8 SPC is low. It really comes down to just a few practical alternatives, which I will discuss in a moment.

Maneuverability: Your rifle should be of a size and weight that is easily handled in close quarters, and light enough to move rapidly. The same goes for the rest of your gear, i.e. body armor. Example; Deltas don’t clear rooms with a heavy chassis, 26″ barreled M1A, they used short barreled ARs.

Reliability: A fighting rifle should be made with capability to be extremely reliable, with proper maintenance. Your budget determines your options. You can buy a $500-600 dollar AK that will function reliably, but a $500 dollar budget isn’t going to work for a reliable AR.

These factors generally limit you to 2 platforms, an AK chambered in 7.62×39 or 5.45×39, or an AR15 chambered in 5.56. Both of these weapons are plentiful, AT THE MOMENT. They are the most common fighting rifles in the world, and their ammo just as common. These weapons are user friendly, easy to learn the basic operation, and therefore fast to train and become effective with. Yes there are other platforms that fire these cartridges, Tavor, Galil, G36, ACR, etc etc. If you are versed in these weapons, that’s great, if not, your best bet is AR or AK.

The AK and the AR both have ups and downs.  AK is cheaper not only in buying a quality rifle, but cheaper to buy ammo. The AR has greater accuracy and better recoil management. You can buy a quality AK for around $600. A high end AK might get up to $1200. A quality AR will run about $1000, high end ARs run from $1800 to $2600.
The importance is in buying a QUALITY weapon. Your life hangs in the balance of your weapon and level of training. If you are just starting out, its better to go with a quality $1200 rifle and a thousand dollars towards a solid training course than spend 3 grand on a rifle with no training. Training is life.

Lastly, attachments: Once again, just basics. Two things, a proper weapon light, because night time, and sights, because aiming. A proper weapon sight should be able to illuminate a target 50 yards away. Sights, Iron sights at a bare minimum, and a non magnified, quality red dot if you can. Nothing beats a red dot in CQB shooting, super fast. Furthermore, a red dot zeroed at the proper range will ensure that your point of impact will not drift more than 4″ off point of aim from 0-250 yards, depending on your platform and ammo used. You put that dot on a targets chest, and it doesn’t matter if they are 25 yards away or 200, you will hit your target. It is much easier to accurately engage targets at range with a red dot than with iron sights.

The time is now. You can go look at any website that sells weapons parts. They are wiped out. But your local gun shop still has plenty of ARs and AKs. When SHTF, they will be sold out in a day, and prices will skyrocket to the point people will be selling stripped lower receivers (a $150 part) for $550. It’s happened before, in the aftermath of various events.

A fighting rifle, and the training to use it, is the first piece of the puzzle, but not the last.”

Yet how many of you, after reading these 1900 words, instead of immediately seeking to strengthen and protect you and your family’s supernatural life, and immediately seeking to strengthen and protect you and your family’s corporeal life , will just go about your day like none of this is real?