II – Aware – SemperVerus

US Secret Service Threat Assessment Church Case Study Links Domestic Violence with Mass Attacks

The US Secret Service National Threat Assessment Center (NTAC) has published, First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs: A Case Study on the Link Between Domestic Violence and Mass Attacks.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, Criminals and Terrorists Overwhelmingly Select Gun-Free Zones For Mass Attacks in Public Spaces ]

The 40-page report examines the background and behavioral history of the gunman who killed 26 people, including his wife’s grandmother, and wounded an additional 22 others in the attack at the church in Texas on November 5, 2017.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, Church Shooting Analysis Reports ]

The attacker had a long history of domestic violence, child abuse, and sexual violence perpetrated against friends, family members, and others.

By semperverus
Posted on 06/04/202506/04/2025

Understand the Times and Know What to Do

The Bible’s books of First & Second Samuel and First & Second Chronicles recount ancient Israel as heavily defended by tribal influence and force.

[ Read SemperVerus articles on the topic of SPIRITUAL FITNESS ]

The country’s first king, Saul, rallied his fighting coalition to ward off the nation’s enemies. However, his reign began to end when he disobeyed God, and the young David became the LORD‘s anointed.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, Church Security Review: House of Worship Firearms and Use of Force Policy ]

God selected the shepherd-poet to become a warrior of national renown, beginning with defending Israel by dispatching the Philistine Goliath with slingshot precision and beheading him. David describes his expertise with defensive weapons in 2 Samuel 22:35, which states, “He trains my hands for battle, so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze” and is repeated in Psalm 18:34. And he reiterates it in Psalm 144:1, “Praise be to the LORD my Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle.”

By semperverus
Posted on 05/28/202506/05/2025
1 Comment on Understand the Times and Know What to Do

Practical Situational Awareness Training: Prepare for the Ambush

Situational awareness is often described by suggested methods of observation in color-coded categories of perception: observing surroundings to avoid trouble; locating exits in a room to quickly escape trouble; or achieving advance knowledge of travel routes to change course in the event of sudden trouble.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, Jeff Cooper’s Principles of Personal Defense ]

The familiar color-code is White for “totally unaware,” Yellow for “relaxed but aware,” Orange for “potential threat identified,” and Red for “threat verified, engage self-defense action.”

[ Read the SemperVerus article, A Simple Chart for Situational Awareness ]

Professional firearms trainer, author, consultant, and executive director for PersonalDefenseNetwork.com, Rob Pincus, identifies one area that might too often be overlooked; he calls it the “fantasy of situational awareness.”

By semperverus
Posted on 03/25/202505/27/2025

Self-Defense In Spiritual Warfare: Know Your Enemies

The resulting corollary of the 5 SemperVerus components is SELF-DEFENSE.

Practicing SELF-DEFENSE is the strategic, tactical, and intelligent ability to responsibly protect yourself from menacing spiritual and physical threats.

Notice the inclusion of the spiritual aspect that is often overlooked when considering self-defense. In the SemperVerus Brotherhood™, where we Stay True to what is right and Stay True to our aim, we are vigilant to be situationally aware (including spiritually aware) so that we’re prepared to ward off the enemies of our soul.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, Situational Awareness: Spiritual Self-Defense ]

The pastor of Ada Bible Church, in Grand Rapids, MI, Aaron Buer, preached the 4-part sermon series titled Enemies of the Soul, which examines the reality and nature of spiritual warfare in our daily lives. He explores how attacks to our soul come from three directions: the devil, the world, and our own nature (the flesh). His final sermon explains that we defend ourselves from these threats by consciously and constantly putting on the armor of God. Watch each of the videos below to sharpen your everyday defenses and protect your soul.