Dennis G
03-26-2005, 02:46 PM
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.
"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...."
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.
"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...."