A story worth reading

A woman and three children who claimed to be possessed by demons. A 9-year-old boy walking backward up a wall... Furthermore, the family's story is made only more bizarre because it involves a DCS intervention, a string of psychological evaluations, a police investigation and, ultimately, a series of exorcisms. The exorcisms of Latoya Ammons

Senator Boley Introduces SB429

Senator Boley Introduces SB429

The Constitution of the United States (cont.)

Article. II. - The Executive Branch

Section 1 - The President

The executive Power shall be vested in a President of the United States of America. He
shall hold his Office during the Term of four Years, and, together with the Vice-President
chosen for the same Term, be elected, as follows:

Each State shall appoint, in such Manner as the Legislature thereof may direct, a Number
of Electors, equal to the whole Number of Senators and Representatives to which the
State may be entitled in the Congress: but no Senator or Representative, or Person
holding an Office of Trust or Profit under the United States, shall be appointed an
Elector.

(The Electors shall meet in their respective States, and vote by Ballot for two persons, of
whom one at least shall not lie an Inhabitant of the same State with themselves. And they
shall make a List of all the Persons voted for, and of the Number of Votes for each; which
List they shall sign and certify, and transmit sealed to the Seat of the Government of the
United States, directed to the President of the Senate. The President of the Senate shall,
in the Presence of the Senate and House of Representatives, open all the Certificates, and
the Votes shall then be counted. The Person having the greatest Number of Votes shall be
the President, if such Number be a Majority of the whole Number of Electors appointed;
and if there be more than one who have such Majority, and have an equal Number of
Votes, then the House of Representatives shall immediately chuse by Ballot one of them
for President; and if no Person have a Majority, then from the five highest on the List the
said House shall in like Manner chuse the President. But in chusing the President, the
Votes shall be taken by States, the Representation from each State having one Vote; a
quorum for this Purpose shall consist of a Member or Members from two-thirds of the
States, and a Majority of all the States shall be necessary to a Choice. In every Case,
after the Choice of the President, the Person having the greatest Number of Votes of the
Electors shall be the Vice President. But if there should remain two or more who have
equal Votes, the Senate shall chuse from them by Ballot the Vice-President.) (This clause
in parentheses was superseded by the 12th Amendment.)

The Congress may determine the Time of chusing the Electors, and the Day on which
they shall give their Votes; which Day shall be the same throughout the United States.
No person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of
the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President; neither shall
any Person be eligible to that Office who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty-five
Years, and been fourteen Years a Resident within the United States.

(In Case of the Removal of the President from Office, or of his Death, Resignation, or
Inability to discharge the Powers and Duties of the said Office, the same shall devolve on
the Vice President, and the Congress may by Law provide for the Case of Removal,
Death, Resignation or Inability, both of the President and Vice President, declaring what
Officer shall then act as President, and such Officer shall act accordingly, until the
Disability be removed, or a President shall be elected.) (This clause in parentheses has
been modified by the 20th and 25th Amendments.)

The President shall, at stated Times, receive for his Services, a Compensation, which
shall neither be increased nor diminished during the Period for which he shall have been
elected, and he shall not receive within that Period any other Emolument from the United
States, or any of them.

Before he enter on the Execution of his Office, he shall take the following Oath or
Affirmation:
"I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of
the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the
Constitution of the United States."

Section 2 - Civilian Power over Military, Cabinet, Pardon Power, Appointments

The President shall be Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States,
and of the Militia of the several States, when called into the actual Service of the United
States; he may require the Opinion, in writing, of the principal Officer in each of the
executive Departments, upon any subject relating to the Duties of their respective
Offices, and he shall have Power to Grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offenses against the
United States, except in Cases of Impeachment.

He shall have Power, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, to make
Treaties, provided two thirds of the Senators present concur; and he shall nominate, and
by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, shall appoint Ambassadors, other
public Ministers and Consuls, Judges of the supreme Court, and all other Officers of the
United States, whose Appointments are not herein otherwise provided for, and which
shall be established by Law: but the Congress may by Law vest the Appointment of such
inferior Officers, as they think proper, in the President alone, in the Courts of Law, or in
the Heads of Departments.

The President shall have Power to fill up all Vacancies that may happen during the
Recess of the Senate, by granting Commissions which shall expire at the End of their
next Session.

Section 3 - State of the Union, Convening Congress

He shall from time to time give to the Congress Information of the State of the Union,
and recommend to their Consideration such Measures as he shall judge necessary and
expedient; he may, on extraordinary Occasions, convene both Houses, or either of them,
and in Case of Disagreement between them, with Respect to the Time of Adjournment,
he may adjourn them to such Time as he shall think proper; he shall receive Ambassadors
and other public Ministers; he shall take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed, and
shall Commission all the Officers of the United States.

Section 4 - Disqualification

The President, Vice President and all civil Officers of the United States, shall be removed
from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high
Crimes and Misdemeanors.

40 Days in the Word Week 2

40 Days in the Word - WHY CAN I TRUST THE BIBLE?

Message by:
Pastor Terry Carwford
Covenant Church
Shepherdstown, WV

2 Timothy 3:16-17
“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

Psalm 119:86a
All your commands are trustworthy

1. IT IS HISTORICALLY ACCURATE!


Hebrews 6:18
“It is impossible for God to lie!”

Ps. 33:4
“The Word of the Lord is right and true.”



2. IT IS SCIENTIFICALLY ACCURATE!


Psalm 148:5-6 (NLT)
Let every created thing give praise to the Lord, for he issued his command, and they came into being. He established them forever and forever. His orders will never be revoked.”



3. IT IS PROPHETICALLY ACCURATE!


2 Peter 1:21 GW
“No prophecy ever originated from humans. Instead, it was given by the Holy Spirit as humans spoke under God's direction.”

Matthew 26:56
But this has all taken place that the writings of the prophets might be fulfilled.”

Revelation 22:6
“The angel said to me, "These words are trustworthy and true. The Lord …sent his angel to show his servants the things that must soon take place."



4. IT IS THEMATICALLY UNIFIED!


Luke 24:27
“Beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, Jesus explained to them what was said in ALL the Scriptures concerning himself.”

John 5:39
"You search the Scriptures because you believe they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to me!”



5. IT IS CONFIRMED BYJESUS!


Matthew 5:18
Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter not the least stroke of a pen will disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished!”



6. IT HAS SURVIVED ALL ATTACKS!


Matthew 24:35
“Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.”

1 Peter 1:24-25
“The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord stands forever."



7. IT HAS TRANSFORMING POWER!


John 8:31-32
Jesus said “If you continue in my Word, then you are my disciples indeed; And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free!”

Romans 12:2
“Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

For more information, please visit: Covenant Church

40 Days in the Word Devotions

Hundreds Of TV Channels, But How Many TV Choices?

Glenn Beck

The Blaze

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THIS OBSCURE FRENCH PAMPHLET FROM 1850 PREDICTED TODAY’S AMERICA

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The message of 3 classic Frank Sinatra songs you need to hear

Support the Military

The men and women of the United States Military are the backbone of the country. I myself have never served, but I am a support of them. I believe in supporting the individuals that support this country's freedom. So today if you see someone in the United States military, tell them Thanks for all they have done and continue to do.

The Constitution of the United States (cont.)

Article. I. - The Legislative Branch

Section 1 - The Legislature

All legislative Powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States,
which shall consist of a Senate and House of Representatives.

Section 2 - The House

The House of Representatives shall be composed of Members chosen every second Year
by the People of the several States, and the Electors in each State shall have the
Qualifications requisite for Electors of the most numerous Branch of the State
Legislature.

No Person shall be a Representative who shall not have attained to the Age of twenty five
Years, and been seven Years a Citizen of the United States, and who shall not, when
elected, be an Inhabitant of that State in which he shall be chosen.

(Representatives and direct Taxes shall be apportioned among the several States which
may be included within this Union, according to their respective Numbers, which shall be
determined by adding to the whole Number of free Persons, including those bound to
Service for a Term of Years, and excluding Indians not taxed, three fifths of all other
Persons.) (The previous sentence in parentheses was modified by the 14th
Amendment, section 2.) The actual Enumeration shall be made within three Years after
the first Meeting of the Congress of the United States, and within every subsequent Term
of ten Years, in such Manner as they shall by Law direct. The Number of Representatives
shall not exceed one for every thirty Thousand, but each State shall have at Least one
Representative; and until such enumeration shall be made, the State of New Hampshire
shall be entitled to chuse three, Massachusetts eight, Rhode Island and Providence
Plantations one, Connecticut five, New York six, New Jersey four, Pennsylvania eight,
Delaware one, Maryland six, Virginia ten, North Carolina five, South Carolina five and
Georgia three.

When vacancies happen in the Representation from any State, the Executive Authority
thereof shall issue Writs of Election to fill such Vacancies.

The House of Representatives shall chuse their Speaker and other Officers; and shall
have the sole Power of Impeachment.

Section 3 - The Senate

The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two Senators from each State,
(chosen by the Legislature thereof,) (The preceding words in parentheses superseded
by 17th Amendment, section 1.) for six Years; and each Senator shall have one Vote.

Immediately after they shall be assembled in Consequence of the first Election, they shall
be divided as equally as may be into three Classes. The Seats of the Senators of the first
Class shall be vacated at the Expiration of the second Year, of the second Class at the
Expiration of the fourth Year, and of the third Class at the Expiration of the sixth Year, so
that one third may be chosen every second Year; (and if Vacancies happen by
Resignation, or otherwise, during the Recess of the Legislature of any State, the
Executive thereof may make temporary Appointments until the next Meeting of the
Legislature, which shall then fill such Vacancies.) (The preceding words in parentheses
were superseded by the 17th Amendment, section 2.)

No person shall be a Senator who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty Years, and
been nine Years a Citizen of the United States, and who shall not, when elected, be an
Inhabitant of that State for which he shall be chosen.

The Vice President of the United States shall be President of the Senate, but shall have no
Vote, unless they be equally divided.

The Senate shall chuse their other Officers, and also a President pro tempore, in the
absence of the Vice President, or when he shall exercise the Office of President of the
United States.

The Senate shall have the sole Power to try all Impeachments. When sitting for that
Purpose, they shall be on Oath or Affirmation. When the President of the United States is
tried, the Chief Justice shall preside: And no Person shall be convicted without the
Concurrence of two thirds of the Members present.

Judgment in Cases of Impeachment shall not extend further than to removal from Office,
and disqualification to hold and enjoy any Office of honor, Trust or Profit under the
United States: but the Party convicted shall nevertheless be liable and subject to
Indictment, Trial, Judgment and Punishment, according to Law.

Section 4 - Elections, Meetings

The Times, Places and Manner of holding Elections for Senators and Representatives,
shall be prescribed in each State by the Legislature thereof; but the Congress may at any
time by Law make or alter such Regulations, except as to the Place of Chusing Senators.
The Congress shall assemble at least once in every Year, and such Meeting shall (be on
the first Monday in December,) (The preceding words in parentheses were superseded
by the 20th Amendment, section 2.) unless they shall by Law appoint a different Day.

Section 5 - Membership, Rules, Journals, Adjournment

Each House shall be the Judge of the Elections, Returns and Qualifications of its own
Members, and a Majority of each shall constitute a Quorum to do Business; but a smaller
number may adjourn from day to day, and may be authorized to compel the Attendance
of absent Members, in such Manner, and under such Penalties as each House may provide.

Each House may determine the Rules of its Proceedings, punish its Members for
disorderly Behavior, and, with the Concurrence of two-thirds, expel a Member.
Each House shall keep a Journal of its Proceedings, and from time to time publish the
same, excepting such Parts as may in their Judgment require Secrecy; and the Yeas and
Nays of the Members of either House on any question shall, at the Desire of one fifth of
those Present, be entered on the Journal.

Neither House, during the Session of Congress, shall, without the Consent of the other,
adjourn for more than three days, nor to any other Place than that in which the two
Houses shall be sitting.

Section 6 - Compensation

(The Senators and Representatives shall receive a Compensation for their Services, to be
ascertained by Law, and paid out of the Treasury of the United States.) (The preceding
words in parentheses were modified by the 27th Amendment.) They shall in all
Cases, except Treason, Felony and Breach of the Peace, be privileged from Arrest during
their Attendance at the Session of their respective Houses, and in going to and returning
from the same; and for any Speech or Debate in either House, they shall not be
questioned in any other Place.

No Senator or Representative shall, during the Time for which he was elected, be
appointed to any civil Office under the Authority of the United States which shall have
been created, or the Emoluments whereof shall have been increased during such time;
and no Person holding any Office under the United States, shall be a Member of either
House during his Continuance in Office.

Section 7 - Revenue Bills, Legislative Process, Presidential Veto

All bills for raising Revenue shall originate in the House of Representatives; but the
Senate may propose or concur with Amendments as on other Bills.

Every Bill which shall have passed the House of Representatives and the Senate, shall,
before it become a Law, be presented to the President of the United States; If he approve
he shall sign it, but if not he shall return it, with his Objections to that House in which it
shall have originated, who shall enter the Objections at large on their Journal, and
proceed to reconsider it. If after such Reconsideration two thirds of that House shall agree
to pass the Bill, it shall be sent, together with the Objections, to the other House, by
which it shall likewise be reconsidered, and if approved by two thirds of that House, it
shall become a Law. But in all such Cases the Votes of both Houses shall be determined
by Yeas and Nays, and the Names of the Persons voting for and against the Bill shall be
entered on the Journal of each House respectively. If any Bill shall not be returned by the
President within ten Days (Sundays excepted) after it shall have been presented to him,
the Same shall be a Law, in like Manner as if he had signed it, unless the Congress by
their Adjournment prevent its Return, in which Case it shall not be a Law.


Every Order, Resolution, or Vote to which the Concurrence of the Senate and House of
Representatives may be necessary (except on a question of Adjournment) shall be
presented to the President of the United States; and before the Same shall take Effect,
shall be approved by him, or being disapproved by him, shall be repassed by two thirds of
the Senate and House of Representatives, according to the Rules and Limitations
prescribed in the Case of a Bill.

Section 8 - Powers of Congress

The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to
pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United
States; but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States;

To borrow money on the credit of the United States;

To regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States, and with the
Indian Tribes;

To establish an uniform Rule of Naturalization, and uniform Laws on the subject of
Bankruptcies throughout the United States;

To coin Money, regulate the Value thereof, and of foreign Coin, and fix the Standard of
Weights and Measures;

To provide for the Punishment of counterfeiting the Securities and current Coin of the
United States;

To establish Post Offices and Post Roads;

To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to
Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries;

To constitute Tribunals inferior to the supreme Court;

To define and punish Piracies and Felonies committed on the high Seas, and Offenses
against the Law of Nations;

To declare War, grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal, and make Rules concerning
Captures on Land and Water;

To raise and support Armies, but no Appropriation of Money to that Use shall be for a
longer Term than two Years;

To provide and maintain a Navy;

To make Rules for the Government and Regulation of the land and naval Forces;
To provide for calling forth the Militia to execute the Laws of the Union, suppress
Insurrections and repel Invasions;

To provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining the Militia, and for governing such
Part of them as may be employed in the Service of the United States, reserving to the
States respectively, the Appointment of the Officers, and the Authority of training the
Militia according to the discipline prescribed by Congress;

To exercise exclusive Legislation in all Cases whatsoever, over such District (not
exceeding ten Miles square) as may, by Cession of particular States, and the acceptance
of Congress, become the Seat of the Government of the United States, and to exercise
like Authority over all Places purchased by the Consent of the Legislature of the State in
which the Same shall be, for the Erection of Forts, Magazines, Arsenals, dock-Yards, and
other needful Buildings; And

To make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the
foregoing Powers, and all other Powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of
the United States, or in any Department or Officer thereof.

Section 9 - Limits on Congress

The Migration or Importation of such Persons as any of the States now existing shall
think proper to admit, shall not be prohibited by the Congress prior to the Year one
thousand eight hundred and eight, but a tax or duty may be imposed on such Importation,
not exceeding ten dollars for each Person.

The privilege of the Writ of Habeas Corpus shall not be suspended, unless when in Cases
of Rebellion or Invasion the public Safety may require it.

No Bill of Attainder or ex post facto Law shall be passed.
(No capitation, or other direct, Tax shall be laid, unless in Proportion to the Census or
Enumeration herein before directed to be taken.) (Section in parentheses clarified by
the 16th Amendment.)

No Tax or Duty shall be laid on Articles exported from any State.

No Preference shall be given by any Regulation of Commerce or Revenue to the Ports of
one State over those of another: nor shall Vessels bound to, or from, one State, be obliged
to enter, clear, or pay Duties in another.

No Money shall be drawn from the Treasury, but in Consequence of Appropriations
made by Law; and a regular Statement and Account of the Receipts and Expenditures of
all public Money shall be published from time to time.

No Title of Nobility shall be granted by the United States: And no Person holding any
Office of Profit or Trust under them, shall, without the Consent of the Congress, accept of
any present, Emolument, Office, or Title, of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince or
foreign State.

Section 10 - Powers prohibited of States

No State shall enter into any Treaty, Alliance, or Confederation; grant Letters of Marque
and Reprisal; coin Money; emit Bills of Credit; make any Thing but gold and silver Coin
a Tender in Payment of Debts; pass any Bill of Attainder, ex post facto Law, or Law
impairing the Obligation of Contracts, or grant any Title of Nobility.

No State shall, without the Consent of the Congress, lay any Imposts or Duties on
Imports or Exports, except what may be absolutely necessary for executing it's inspection
Laws: and the net Produce of all Duties and Imposts, laid by any State on Imports or
Exports, shall be for the Use of the Treasury of the United States; and all such Laws shall
be subject to the Revision and Controul of the Congress.

No State shall, without the Consent of Congress, lay any duty of Tonnage, keep Troops,
or Ships of War in time of Peace, enter into any Agreement or Compact with another
State, or with a foreign Power, or engage in War, unless actually invaded, or in such
imminent Danger as will not admit of delay.

40 Days in the Word Week 1

40 Days in the Word - BUILDING MY LIFE ON THE BIBLE

Message by:
Pastor Terry Carwford
Covenant Church
Shepherdstown, WV

JAMES 1:19-25 My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.

5 Ways to build my life on the Bible:

1. I receive it with my EARS.

Romans 10:17 Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.

James 1:19-21 My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.

For good reception I need to be quiet, calm, clean and humble.

2. I READ it with my EYES.

James 1:22-25 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.

God’s Word is like a mirror which helps us evaluate ourselves.

3. I RESEARCH it with my hands and mouth.

John 5:39 (NLT)

“You search the Scriptures because you think they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to me!

Acts 17:11 (NLT) And the people of Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Paul’s message. They searched the Scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas were teaching the truth.
- writing down what I learn
- talking about what I learn (why groups)

4. I REVIEW and REMEMBER it with my mind.

James 1:25 But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.

The Bible term for remembering & reviewing God’s Word is MEDITATION.

Joshua 1:8 Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.

5. I respond to it with my ACTIONS.

James 1:22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.

Matt. 7:24-27

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

For more information, please visit: Covenant Church

Friday 5: Five books Worth Reading

Fearless takes you deep into SEAL Team SIX, straight to the heart of one of its most legendary operators. Fearless is the story of a man of extremes, whose courage and determination was fueled by faith, family, and the love of a woman. It’s about a man who waged a war against his own worst impulses and persevered to reach the top tier of the U.S. military. Always the first to volunteer for the most dangerous assignments, Adam’s final act of bravery led to the ultimate sacrifice.

Adam Brown was a devoted man who was an unlikely hero but a true warrior, described by all who knew him as fearless.

Get it now on Amazon

What's the secret to a life of happiness?

"In this delightful book brimming with humorous and poignant passages, radio personality Hugh Hewitt provides the answer. The starting place is generosity, he says, and there are seven gifts that are sure to improve the lives of both giver and receiver: encouragement, energy, enthusiasm, good humor, graciousness, gratitude, and patience.

Anyone can give these gifts, but Hewitt shows that some people are particularly well placed to offer them: parents, spouses, family members, friends, teachers, coworkers, and fellow church members.

Channeling his skills as a broadcaster, journalist, lawyer, and teacher, Hewitt weaves stories about these seven gifts and seven givers with inspiring and motivating observations to help readers become generous in the ways that matter most.

"The Happiest Life is not simply a delight to read, and not merely a glimpse under the hood of a remarkable man. It’s a map to what Robert Frost once described as the road less traveled—the road that leads to a life of meaning and gratitude and joy.”

Get it now on Amazon

Mark R. Levin has made the case, in numerous bestselling books that the principles undergirding our society and governmental system are unraveling. In The Liberty Amendments, he turns to the founding fathers and the constitution itself for guidance in restoring the American republic.

The delegates to the 1787 Constitutional Convention and the delegates to each state’s ratification convention foresaw a time when the Federal government might breach the Constitution’s limits and begin oppressing the people. Agencies such as the IRS and EPA and programs such as Obamacare demonstrate that the Framers’ fear was prescient. Therefore, the Framers provided two methods for amending the Constitution. The second was intended for our current circumstances—empowering the states to bypass Congress and call a convention for the purpose of amending the Constitution. Levin argues that we, the people, can avoid a perilous outcome by seeking recourse, using the method called for in the Constitution itself.

The Framers adopted ten constitutional amendments, called the Bill of Rights, that would preserve individual rights and state authority. Levin lays forth eleven specific prescriptions for restoring our founding principles, ones that are consistent with the Framers’ design. His proposals—such as term limits for members of Congress and Supreme Court justices and limits on federal taxing and spending—are pure common sense, ideas shared by many. They draw on the wisdom of the Founding Fathers—including James Madison, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and numerous lesser-known but crucially important men—in their content and in the method for applying them to the current state of the nation.

Now is the time for the American people to take the first step toward reclaiming what belongs to them. The task is daunting, but it is imperative if we are to be truly free.

Get it now on Amazon

History is about so much more than memorizing facts. It is, as more than half of the word suggests, about the story. And, told in the right way, it is the greatest one ever written: Good and evil, triumph and tragedy, despicable acts of barbarism and courageous acts of heroism.

The things you’ve never learned about our past will shock you. The reason why gun control is so important to government elites can be found in a story about Athens that no one dares teach. Not the city in ancient Greece, but the one in 1946 Tennessee. The power of an individual who trusts his gut can be found in the story of the man who stopped the twentieth hijacker from being part of 9/11. And a lesson on what happens when an all-powerful president is in need of positive headlines is revealed in a story about eight saboteurs who invaded America during World War II.

Miracles and Massacres is history as you’ve never heard it told. It’s incredible events that you never knew existed. And it’s stories so important and relevant to today that you won’t have to ask, Why didn’t they teach me this? You will instantly know. If the truth shall set you free, then your freedom begins on page one of this book. By the end, your understanding of the lies and half-truths you’ve been taught may change, but your perception of who we are as Americans and where our country is headed definitely will.

Get it now on Amazon

On a clear night in late June 2005, four U.S. Navy SEALs left their base in northern Afghanistan for the mountainous Pakistani border. Their mission was to capture or kill a notorious al Qaeda leader known to be ensconced in a Taliban stronghold surrounded by a small but heavily armed force. Less then twenty-four hours later, only one of those Navy SEALs remained alive.

This is the story of fire team leader Marcus Luttrell, the sole survivor of Operation Redwing, and the desperate battle in the mountains that led, ultimately, to the largest loss of life in Navy SEAL history. But it is also, more than anything, the story of his teammates, who fought ferociously beside him until he was the last one left-blasted unconscious by a rocket grenade, blown over a cliff, but still armed and still breathing. Over the next four days, badly injured and presumed dead, Luttrell fought off six al Qaeda assassins who were sent to finish him, then crawled for seven miles through the mountains before he was taken in by a Pashtun tribe, who risked everything to protect him from the encircling Taliban killers.

A six-foot-five-inch Texan, Leading Petty Officer Luttrell takes us, blow-by-blow, through the brutal training of America's warrior elite and the relentless rites of passage required by the Navy SEALs. He transports us to a monstrous battle fought in the desolate peaks of Afghanistan, where the beleaguered American team plummeted headlong a thousand feet down a mountain as they fought back through flying shale and rocks. In this rich , moving chronicle of courage, honor, and patriotism, Marcus Luttrell delivers one of the most powerful narratives ever written about modern warfare-and a tribute to his teammates, who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country.

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Starting today I am going to dub Tuesday's here "Constitutional Tuesday". I will start by posting the The Constitution of the United States over the next several weeks. This week will be the Preamble, then I will move on to each of the articles, followed by the Bill of Rights and the remaining Amendments. Please feel free to use the comment section below to converse with me and one another.

I believe it is our duty as American Citizens to read and understand our Constitution. I have personally read the entire Constitution and though I do not understand it as completely as others, I do believe that this is the key for country and hope that you will take it as a serious part of who we are as Americans.

The Constitution of the United States

Preamble

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish
Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the
general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do
ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

New Year Soul Goal Week 2 - United in Mind

Message by:
Pastor Terry Carwford
Covenant Church
Shepherdstown, WV

Last week we talked about one of our main strategies of growth and maturity where we share our lives “our very souls” with one another through Small Groups. This is how we do life together. Where we encourage, comfort and challenge one another to live a life worthy of God. Today I want us to look at another of our strategies and it deals specifically with unity. Go with me to …

I Corinthians 1:4-10
I always thank my God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. For in him you have been enriched in every way—with all kinds of speech and with all knowledge - God thus confirming our testimony about Christ among you. Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. He will also keep you firm to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought.

Passionate followers of Jesus are to be united in mind and purpose.

We have different gifts and talents and are uniquely made up, but in the context of moving together as a gathered people, just like the Corinthians, Philippians, Thessalonians, Ephesians and other New Testament churches, we are to utilize all of the uniqueness for unity of mind and purpose. Several times the phrase “one mind” and “One accord” was used for those in Christ ready for his leading.

Unity does not happen naturally.

Unity is given by Christ and must be taught and exampled.

Believers are never told to become one; we already are one and are expected to act like it. - Joni Erikson-Tada

Covenant’s strategy for essential unity is through our

Christian Life And Service Seminars

(C.L.A.S.S.).

This isn’t all we offer for discipleship and maturity. We have small groups, individual biblical courses, leadership training, mission trips and other specific events to continue maturity efforts. But the foundational knowledge, purposes and expectations are spelled out in our CLASS Seminars. It gets us all on the same page, the same song, to be the most united and affective.

1. In essential beliefs — we have unity. Ephesians 4:4-6 - There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
2. In non-essential beliefs — we have liberty. Romans 14:1 - Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarreling over disputable matters. , Romans 14:4 - Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To their own master, servants stand or fall. And they will stand, for the Lord is able to make them stand., Romans 14:12 - So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God, Romans 14:22 - So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who does not condemn himself by what he approves.
3. In all our beliefs — we show charity. 1 Corinthians 13:2 - If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.

I have never yet known the Spirit of God to work where the Lord's people were divided. - D.L. Moody

Christ Jesus and the power of His cross.

1. There are things that God gives us that no man can.
2. There are things that we give to one another.
3. There are things that the called leaders of God’s church give to equip the saints and keep unity.

Goals of Christian Life And Service Seminars

1. In CLASS 101 - To commit to loving Christ and His family at Covenant.
2. In CLASS 201 - To commit to growing in the habits for Spiritual Maturity.
3. In CLASS 301 - To commit to discovering your unique design and serving a Ministry in our church.
4. In CLASS 401 - To discover your Mission of reaching the world for Christ.

The Essentials We Believe:

1. We teach that the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament are verbally inspired of God and inerrant in the original writing, and that they are the supreme and final authority in faith and life.
2. We teach one God eternally existing in three persons - Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
3. We teach that Jesus Christ was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary and is true God and true man.
4. We teach that man was created in the image of God, and that he sinned and thereby incurred not only physical death, but spiritual death, which is separation from God.
5. We teach that the Lord Jesus Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures as a representative and substitutionary sacrifice, and that all who believe in Him are justified on the ground of His shed blood.
6. We teach the resurrection of the crucified body of our Lord, in His ascension into heaven, and in His present life there for us as High Priest, Intercessor and Advocate.
7. We teach the personal, bodily visible, imminent return of Jesus Christ.
8. We teach that all who receive by faith the Lord Jesus Christ are born again in the Holy Spirit and thereby become children of God.
9. We teach the bodily resurrection of the just and the unjust, the everlasting blessedness of the saved and in the conscious everlasting punishment of the lost.
10. We teach that a true believer is eternally secure, that he cannot lose his salvation, but that sin may interrupt the joy of his fellowship with God and bring the loving discipline of his Heavenly Father.
11. We teach that the Holy Spirit is a person, is God and possesses all the divine attributes. He dwells in all believers, baptizes and seals all believers at the time of their salvation, and fills them in response to confession of sin and yieldedness.
12. We teach that it is the goal of every Christian to grow in spiritual maturity through obedience to the Word of God and the indwelling Spirit.

I Corinthians 1:10
I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought.

Question of the day: How will you be perfectly united in mind and thought?

For more information, please visit: Covenant Church

New Year’s Soul Goal

Message by:
Pastor Terry Carwford
Covenant Church
Shepherdstown, WV

1 Thessalonians 2:1–12
You know, brothers and sisters, that our visit to you was not without results. We had previously suffered and been treated outrageously in Philippi, as you know, but with the help of our God we dared to tell you his gospel in the face of strong opposition. For the appeal we make does not spring from error or impure motives, nor are we trying to trick you. On the contrary, we speak as those approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please people but God, who tests our hearts. You know we never used flattery, nor did we put on a mask to cover up greed—God is our witness. We were not looking for praise from people, not from you or anyone else, even though as apostles of Christ we could have asserted our authority. Instead, we were like young children among you. Just as a nursing mother cares for her children, so we cared for you. Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well. Surely you remember, brothers and sisters, our toil and hardship; we worked night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone while we preached the gospel of God to you. You are witnesses, and so is God, of how holy, righteous and blameless we were among you who believed. For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory.

Passionate followers of Jesus share a
powerful message through pure motives.

1 Thessalonians 2-8a

Passionate followers of Jesus are
delighted to share their lives with others.

1 Thessalonians 8b

We do this best at Covenant through Small Groups

John 7:37-38
On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.

Seven Ways We Give Ourselves

This is what I think God is calling us to in our life together at Covenant — especially in our small groups. God is calling us into these relationships not only because of your need to get, but because of your calling to give. To give yourselves.

1. To take a risk of sharing your soul
2. to put away all deceit and exploitation
3. to renounce man-pleasing
4. to be done with flattery and covetousness
5. to feel tender, mother-like affections for people
6. to be holy, righteous, and blameless in our conduct
7. and to feel father-like desires to encourage and lead others into God-centered legacy

3 Benefits of Small Group life:

1. Encouragement
2. Comfort
3. Challenge

You can live a life worthy of God.

What Life Is About

So I will say it again: This message is intended to lead you down paths that will deepen and strengthen and intensify and lengthen your joy — by pointing you to the work of God, the word of God, and the ways of God.

And one of the ways of God that leads deeper into this kind of joy is the pathway of self-giving. I’m not talking about giving your money, though the happiest and healthiest saints are always the most generous. I’m talking about giving your self, or giving your soul. That’s what this message is about. That’s what this text (1 Thessalonians 2:1–12) is about. And I hope that God will so work in you all that you will say, That’s what life is about.

Small Groups: How Our Church Works

This message is indirectly an encouragement for you to believe in and be a part of the small-group ministry of discipleship and shepherding here at Covenant, if this is the church you call home. The small-group ministry of Covenant, is not a marginal ministry. It is at the core of how the church works.

The elders are charged by God with the spiritual oversight and the equipping of the members of this church. Our calling as elders is to care for you and to help you become mature, devoted, fruitful disciples of Jesus. We do this . . .

1. through various kinds of teaching (including preaching, classes, seminars, conferences),
2. through calling and equipping small-group leaders and helping you get connected with them, in small groups,
3. and through household discipleship where the natural family groupings that God creates are equipped as centers of life-on-life discipling.

Extending Pastoral Ministry

Small groups are overseen by the elders to extend their care and equipping into your lives through the small-group leaders and the members of your group who know you best. Few things are more beautiful to me than to watch a small group respond when one of their members in is crisis. I hope you give and receive that ministry. The ministry of the saints is an extension of the ministry of your pastors.

When Paul said in Ephesians 4:11–12 that Jesus gave pastors to the church “to equip the saints for the work of ministry,” he meant that when the saints minster, it is an extension of the pastors’ ministry. Therefore our plan is that the saints at Covenant be cared for deeply and lovingly and fruitfully by the saints, and that means largely by the members of your small group.

A New Twist: Giving Instead of Getting

So I’ll say it again: This message is indirectly an encouragement for you believe in and be a part of the small-group ministry at Bethlehem. And the way I am approaching it today is different than usual. Usually, I come with a burden that we all realize we need people. We need relationships. We need the ministry of the saints in our lives. So wake up to your need and be a part of group where those needs can be met.

That’s not what I am saying today. All that is true, and we should be humble enough to admit those needs. But today I’m coming at it from the other side. I am not going to talk today about your need to get, but about your calling to give. And specifically, to give yourself.

And I have this path of life — this way of God — specifically in mind when I say: This message is intended to lead you down paths that will deepen and strengthen and intensify and lengthen your joy. We know from experience and from the Bible that the path of self-giving is the path of greatest joy. It’s not free from risk and pain. But it is the path of greatest joy. Paul said in Acts 20:35, “Remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” More happy, more deeply satisfying, more rich and solid. Especially giving yourself.

You Are a Fountain

This is who you are as a Christian. The moment you become a Christian, you are a giver by nature. You may not have become fully what you are yet, but this is who you are — self-giving is part of your nature, your essence, your identity.

Listen to Jesus: “Whoever drinks of the water that I will give him [that’s what it means to be a Christian] will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life” (John 4:14). That is who you are. You are a spring. You don’t do a spring. You are a spring. Whoever believes in me, Jesus said, “Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water” (John 7:38). That’s who you are. You are a spring. You are a fountain.

And what makes springs and fountains happy and healthy is when they make streams. If you stop them up, they go foul. If you let them give — if you let them become what they are — they stay clear and healthy and life-giving and happy. This message is our effort to help you be happy like that — a message to encourage you to be a self-giving part of a small group. This time not because of your need to get, but because of your calling to give. Specifically to give yourself — the new self that God has created in you, at whatever stage that new self is, infant or mature.

Paul and Silvanus and Timothy were [literally] “pleased to share their own souls.” Not just the message, but the messenger. Not just the words, but lives. Not just doctrines, but hearts. This is what I mean when I encourage you to be part of a small group, not because of your need to get, but because of your calling to give. To give your selves. Paul is a model for us here.

You Have Something to Give

I know many of you feel like you have little or nothing to give. I am bold to say on the authority of God’s word: If you are a Christian, that is not true. You have Christ (Romans 8:10), you have the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19), you have the word of God (1 Corinthians 2:13), you have spiritual gifts (1 Peter 4:10), you are a new creation in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17), and you are a fountain (John 4:14; 7:38). This is not a matter of personality. This is a matter of faith. Trust him, and give yourself.

I tell you this because it is the path of deepest, strongest, longest joys. “Remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive’” (Acts 20:35). And Paul gave not only the gospel, but himself (1 Thessalonians 2:8).

For more information, please visit: Covenant Church