Psalm 15

The context of Psalm 15, with the application, is in verse 1. It’s about the man who is worthy to live in the Lord’s house, to dwell in heaven with Him, for His dwelling place has always been His throne on high.

“In whose eyes a vile person is contemned; but he honoureth them that fear the LORD. He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not.” – Psalm 15:4

Something stands out in verse four. It’s an odd statement, seemingly unfit for a Christian to accept. “He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not.” A man who is suited for heaven’s holy hill in the presence of God as His train fills the throneroom is a man who makes his covenant and keeps it, even if it hurts. God’s men don’t choose the comfort of sin in the world, knowing the eternity that awaits.

The notion behind that statement in the Psalm is entirely foreign to modern Christianity in the West. The easy path is that of least resistance and is most often chosen. But what is the covenant, and what does it mean that we ought to do?

The covenant is that which is in the blood of Christ who died for your sins and called you to serve Him. Christ found you as a bondslave on the auction block caught between two masters, and Jesus Christ won the war, making you His purchased possession through love. Indeed you are freed if you are His, and though His burden light and yoke easy, especially by comparison to the sin and death that ruled over you, you remain a bondslave nonetheless, and that to Holy God, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

You’re on the right side, but it’s no playground. The war between good and evil rages, and as the ever-accelerating arrival of the judgment of God upon Western Civilization arrives, Psalm 15 has some straightforward questions as to who is God’s anointed people. As we’ve said several times: simple doesn’t mean something that’s necessarily easy. The choices coming are immense; war or peace; famine, pestilence, and death loom.

The information war is becoming intense. With AI-driven narratives and false news, it’s become impossible to know for sure what’s real; this is not a mistake. Our God is not the author of confusion (1 Corinthians 14:33). That old liar and a murderer from the start, the serpent himself, the devil, will take you captive at his will if he gets the chance. Boundaries here are critical. If you belong to Christ, birthed anew, secure in the power of His resurrection unto life eternal, in Him your final destination is set, but here we are, trouble brewing on every side.

Keeping that last sentence from Psalm 15:4 in mind, another verse that’s worth examination comes to mind. This is a favorite about wisdom.

“And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.” – Job 28:28

When you see Behold in the KJV Bible, as in this verse, or verily (sometimes emphatically, twice – see John 3:3, 6:47), it means to pay attention and get this right.

But what does God say of wisdom herself? It is fear of the Lord: reverence, love, and obedience.

It’s always interesting to see a concept struggled with and defined by the godless. Some definitions of wisdom at Webster’s are the exact opposite of what wisdom truly is. But, as every Christian ought, we take our world-life view not from men or the world’s understanding but from the Almighty. Wisdom is the fear of the Lord, and when rightly applied and acted upon, a man will flee the evil that is without and purge that evil which is within. Note the action in the last clause; just like faith, wisdom is nothing, useless, if it’s not applied. And what does God say is the right action in wisdom? Departing from evil shows our understanding of the wisdom reached through fear of the Lord.

Behold, fear God; get away from evil and purify yourself within, removing corruption so that you might not sin against Him. We have a covenant in Christ’s blood and the commandments to live without sin (1 Peter 1:16). And there is the duty to fear God, keeping His commandments (Ecclesiastes 12:13), and the charge in Psalm 15:4 to keep your covenant even to your own hurt: not submitting to evil, standing for Christ, by His power, we must possess our bond to God.

Being a public Christian is critical before persecution ramps up. As things get worse, it will seem necessary to do evil in the sight of the Lord. You can get all the money you want if you’re willing to sin a little on the job. You can cut a thousand corners in life thinking you’re better off, but God’s line measures by another standard. In every area, challenges are coming. Sin is easy, even fun for a time, but Moses chose not to belong to the empire enjoying the pleasures of sin for a season (Hebrews 11:24-25), but rightly regarded his future and that of his people as more consequential.

Steady in the face of the fight. Jesus doesn’t call the strong but strengthens the weak and weakens the strong so that He might be our power, persevering until the end in reliance upon Him.

If you’re not a public Christian, the likelihood that you will deny Christ at a pressing juncture of testing increases significantly. When you swore your covenant to Christ, you made your place with Him as His bride; for better or for worse, changeth not. Should evil or blessings reign down, even to your own hurt, depart from evil, for in this is the fear of the Lord brought to bear through a man who belongs by faith to Christ Jesus.

Compromise with evil is a killer, but the way of Psalm 15 is that of life for God’s glory. In times of arriving adversity, you can be numbered among those that changed not, set upon the infallible foundation which is the Rock our King; the man that does these things shall never be moved.

“LORD, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill? 2 He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart. 3 He that backbiteth not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbour, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour. 4 In whose eyes a vile person is contemned; but he honoureth them that fear the LORD. He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not. 5 He that putteth not out his money to usury, nor taketh reward against the innocent. He that doeth these things shall never be moved.” – Psalm 15

Because it’s the roughest, most dangerous place in the lower 48.

F&S.

In the early morning hours of Tuesday, July 11, a black bear attacked a man who was working as a sheep herder in the San Juan National Forest of southwestern Colorado, about 23 miles northeast of Durango. According to a Colorado Parks & Wildlife (CPW) press release issued yesterday evening, the man survived and was treated for head wounds and other severe lacerations. The bear was tracked down and killed by a federal agent less than 24 hours after the attack.

The 35-year-old herder was working for a permit holder of a sheep grazing allotment in the nearly 500,000-acre Weminuche Wilderness Area when the bear attacked him. It bit him on the head and left additional wounds on his left arm and hand, CPW said. It also left deep cuts on his left hip and scratches on his back.

The herder told CPW agents that he was awoken by the sounds of the bear preying on his sheep around 1 a.m. He fired a .30-30 rifle in response to the attack before the bruin charged and mauled him. “This is an unfortunate incident and we are thankful the victim was able to contact help to get emergency services deployed and that he was able to be extracted to receive necessary medical care,” CPW Area Wildlife Manager Adrian Archuleta said in the press release.

In the aftermath of the attack, the man managed to crawl to his tent and call his cousin for help. An airlift was summoned to the scene, and he was transported to the Mercy Regional Medical Center in Durango.

See F&S for the rest of the story.

I’m assuming that he missed with his .30-30.  I would think that round would easily put down most black bears.

It’s good that he had the means to call for help – that area is rugged and is several hours from cell phone connectivity.

When I was there we all three carried firearms, and I carried a 1911 with a 10-round magazine and 22# spring with 450 SMC cartridges (230 gr. at 1130 FPS), along with additional ammunition and magazines.

I also carried a satellite texting phone capable of reaching 911.  Any rescue out of where we were would have required a helicopter because the hike for foot-borne rescuers would have been two or more days.  This is extremely rugged terrain and isolated area, and the sheep herder is blessed to be alive.

See this post for video details if you missed it.  I called the cop a bunch of ugly names because he deserved it.  I was right in what I said, and everybody knows it.

I said he wasn’t a real man and needed to go learn to train, care for and work with farm and ranch animals.  Better still, as a beginner he needs to “pick” (or clean out) stalls for a few months, carrying horse shit out of their way so it doesn’t ruin their hooves.

So is there a contrasting example of how real American men behave around good dogs?

Why, yes there is.  See it right here.

I’m glad I could be of assistance today.

They’ve been caught secretly putting cameras in women’s locker rooms, on camera invading men’s homes and working through their belongings for things, and on and on.  The list is long and available on this site, but also available at the YouTube channel The Civil Rights Lawer.

He gives us this update.  Can you imagine going on record under oath writing the sequence of events and other supposedly factual information about a home invasion your department perpetrated when you were not there?  Can you imagine being a prosecutor who brought a case against a man and bringing witnesses, none of whom perpetrated the police attack on the man in court that day as a witness?

This may very well be the most corrupt police department in the nation, and that’s an ignominious list indeed.

We’ve said it hundreds of times, but this guy is a good example of how (a) you never talk to the police, and (b) you never give them permission to do anything.  That’s what this crook was seeking.

The LEOs are good examples of highwaymen, simple crooks who steal from others, except in this case, under the color of law.  The prosecutor who did this is equally a crook.

Prior: here and here and here

Tennessee is still facing a serious threat to its civil rights in the form of a Red Flag law from the Republican super-majority. And now you know your rights are in danger because the NRA has gotten involved. Governor Bill Lee, a monied interest himself, has called a special session of the full legislature, which is a sneaky way to bring a gun control debate to the floor. If the proper committee processes were followed as occurs in a regular session, this proposed Red Flag law would never get a hearing.

Key Graph:

The National Rifle Association is calling for legislation, [Sen. Ferrell Haile, R-Gallatin] Haile said, that will “take care of the individual, take them out of the equation, not take everybody else’s gun out of the equation that’s not involved in this, and that’s protecting the Second Amendment.”

It’s impossible to protect the Second Amendment and “take care of the individual, take them out of the equation.” The Second Amendment is a civil right by definition, and within the text, an individual liberty retained by each person. Taking a man’s firearms who has committed no crime is the very essence of not protecting the Second Amendment.

Also disturbing is that no text of any proposed measure has been released to the public by any party. This is all being done as smokey backroom shenanigans.

I told you this in the last entry about TN Red Flag laws here at TCJ:

There will be intense pressure and truckloads of outside money from national-level organizations and governments.

Well, the linked article here goes on:

Meanwhile, a group of residents based in Green Hills and Belle Meade called Voices for a Safer Tennessee has hired two lobbying firms, Bivens & Associates and JohnsonPossKirby, to represent it in a push for stronger gun laws in the wake of the shooting.

By “a group of residents,” it means federal money has offered these services, and they found some sympathizers to attach their name to the effort to make it appear “local,” which it is not. Oh, they even incorporated these “voices.” That would be funny if it weren’t such a serious threat.

There’s a perfect reason to be adamantly against Red Flag laws. One day soon, it will be used to disarm “objectional” sorts of men in the name of mental health wielded as a political weapon. Tennesseeans may not care about that now with a Republican super-majority, but this law will be turned against you for your political beliefs or Second Amendment position. The Second Amendment’s purpose is to remind Tennesseeans of their duty to keep and maintain the implements of war to bare against tyranny, and what greater tyranny than the potential to classify whole groups as “dangerous” where no evidence would be required to take their arms?

Some historians have softened reasons surrounding the start of the U.S. Revolution against England with talk about taxation. But the immediate cause of the war was the shot heard ’round the world when the king’s men came for the guns and powder on Lexington Green. Tennessee has embarked on a dangerous path indeed.

Apparently, it’s commonplace across America to teach police officers that conducting an investigation means they can do whatever they want.

Note in this first case that, in order, (a) she stopped the wrong individual, (b) apologized to him, (c) told him pointedly that he had broken no laws, (d) demanded his identification, (e) then told him failure to provide identification was obstructing a police investigation.

Note the logical problem they create for themselves (and the individual they’re stopped).  A person has not violated any law, the officer demands ID, the individual is under no legal obligation to provide ID if there isn’t articulable suspicion of a crime, and then the whopper at the end, failure to provide ID is obstructing a police investigation.

Under that schema, there is never a time when an individual can refuse to provide ID because the cop can claim that they are “conducting an investigation” (a fabricated crime that even if it did occur, occurred after the erroneous stop because there was no articulable suspicion of a crime).  This is a “Morton’s Fork.”  The individual hasn’t committed a crime and thus no ID can be demanded, but an ID can be demanded because the demand itself cannot be refused or else the individual has obstructed an investigation.

This is the game idiots play, and it twists the ruling of the SCOTUS in “Terry Stops.”

Here is the lawsuit.  The girl is a wrong and gullible but perhaps teachable, at least until she has her conscience seared by her co-workers.  The supervising officer is just plain stupid, reactionary, volatile, bossy, and clearly not a thinking man.  He’s perfect to be a cop according to modern hiring practices for LEOs.

The next case is like unto it.  The cops demand to come within the property lines because, guess what, “they are conducting an investigation.”  There’s that phrase again.

Here’s a quick note to cops everywhere.  Conducting an investigation doesn’t give you the right to violate civil rights, regardless of what the wicked instructors have taught you in the police academy.  You should know better.

These guys are just as bad as the ones above and obviously couldn’t care less about the constitution or their oaths. They are also obviously bullies.

History is important to understanding the past, but also to understand the present and potential future changes based on past experience. But history isn’t the only thing discussed when Widener’s considers AR-15 Barrels.

Many believe the barrel is the heart of a firearm. Maybe that’s why the various AR-15 barrel profiles are so close to the hearts of many gun owners. Shooters carry strong feelings on this topic, so we’ll walk through them carefully, talking about AR barrel histories, profile variations, and the latest styles.

In these modern times, the AR-15 is among the most popular firearms worldwide. While many may think of the AR-15 as a new weapon, it’s been around since the late 1950s, and the barrels on this iconic rifle have undergone about as many changes as the gun itself. So let’s talk about the origin of the AR-15 barrel profile, why changes were made, and what type of profile is best for you.

How Barrel Profile Impacts Shooting

Your barrel’s profile is essentially the thickness of that barrel. You can find a bunch of different profiles out there for your AR-15s. Generally, thinner barrels are lighter. That’s great if you’re a hunter and you need to haul your AR-15 through the woods. You can also maneuver with thinner profile barrels more easily.

If you worry about recoil, you might opt for a thicker barrel profile. They help weigh down the gun for more stability; they can also sometimes withstand heavy mag dumps better than thin barrels. Military style shooters who fire rapidly may also prefer a heavy barrel. The heavier profile can help absorb heat and prevent the reliability issues that come up with an overheated barrel.

A History of AR-15 Barrels

The man leading the invention of the AR-15, Eugene Stoner, made strides in establishing the foundation of modern AR barrels. The first barrel on the AR-15 was made for the M16A1 — the pencil barrel.

The story goes that the military thought the barrels were “bending” under the stress of drills and off-label prying tasks. This prompted the updated “government barrel,” which has some extra stock on the muzzle end to prevent warping.

Later, some people discovered that the barrels probably weren’t bending. Instead, there was a debris buildup at the point of the gas block, called a “bent barrel.” There’s some variance of opinion on this, as the earlier pencil barrels are generally regarded as being of lower quality than today’s pencil barrels. Regardless, these earlier flubs (imagined or not) with the AR-15 barrel sparked the evolution of future profiles.

Let’s talk more about the specific barrel profiles on the AR-15 and their purposes.

The Most Notable AR-15 Barrel Profiles

In the next few sections, we’ll review some of the most common barrel profiles on the AR-15. Keep in mind that, in this guide, we’re talking specifically about the barrel profile. If you’re curious about barrel twist rate, best barrel length, or steel type, you can browse some other articles on our site. We’ve also listed some barrel diameters below for reference. These are all taken from the base (thickest part) of the barrel and may differ depending on the manufacturer.

The article continues with a discussion of several barrels.

Outdoor Life.

The “Americans’ Attitudes Toward Legal, Regulated Fishing, Target/Sport Shooting, Hunting, and Trapping” survey, conducted by Responsive Management, was released last month by the Outdoor Stewards of Conservation Foundation, a think tank devoted to communicating trends in outdoor activities.

[ … ]

Public approval of legal hunting dropped 4 percentage points over the past two years, from about 81 percent of Americans in 2021 to 77 percent of Americans this year. Approval of recreational shooting dropped 3 percentage points, and approval of recreational fishing also dropped 3 points, to 90 percent favorability.

Go to Outdoor Life for the rest of the story.

This is not good news.  The mantra that has been followed for so many years among the gun owning community is to treat gun club like “fight club.”  The first rule of gun club is that you don’t talk about gun club.

If we want to reverse the attitude towards guns and hunting, this will have to change.  Not only rural folk and suburbanites, but the urban dwellers must be made to feel more comfortable with our ownership of weapons and use of them for sport.

This slipped past me and I didn’t post on it, but the ATF frame and receiver rule has been vacated by judge Reed O’Connor.  More specifically, this is the Vanderstok, et. al., v. Garland case.

This mostly affects folks like Blackhawk Manufacturing, Polymer80, and so forth, who manufactured the 80% lowers.  But it’s a win for the 2A.

Here is the decision.

I’m willing to bet that the ATF will not appeal the decision, but we’ll wait and see.