Special Weekend Edition
The Board and Congregation of Northwood Temple
Pentecostal Holiness Church to honor their pastors,
The Rev. Dr. and Mrs. John Hedgepeth, for their
40 years of Ministry at Northwood Temple in
Fayetteville, NC, on Sunday, December 7, 2008,
at 10 a. m. in the main Sanctuary, located at
4250 Ramsey Street, Fayetteville, NC
& Commentary
"Where Everyone's Special"News You Can Use
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The Editor of Hugh's News will be announcing the 2008 Hugh's News Man of the Year this month
Believe me . . . you will not want to miss this announcement. You will get news in Hugh's News that you will not get anywhere else. This is a service to the IPHC Ministries and the body of Christ worldwide. I am grateful for J. Brian Williams, my webmaster for his excellent work, and helping me with this newsletter and the design and maintenance of the website, www.hughsnews.com. His youngest son, Asa, is to have tubes surgically placed in his ears on Monday, December 8, 2008. Pray for Asa. He will be a preacher. Remember J. Brian and Lacy, as well as Asa's older brother, Eli, who will be a prophet. I want to give J. Brian a bonus for Christmas. He has labored long and hard. He deserves it.
You can now contribute to Hugh's News, Inc. via Major Credit Cards
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A Glimpse of Today's News . . .
The Scripture reading for today is recorded in Habakkuk 2:4, and 3:17-19The editor's commentary based on these two Scripture verses in Habakkuk
"Trusting God when your world is turned upside down"Pastors John and Fay Hedgepeth to be honored for 40 years of continuous ministry at Northwood Temple on Sunday, December 7, 2008December 7 is Pearl Harbor Day and the day that Evangelist Jerry B. Walker died in 2006
See for the first time the bronze plaque on Jerry B's tombstoneTributes to Jerry B. Walker . . . The Rev. Dr. Leroy Baker, former Bishop and Superintendent, Grace Bible Ministries (Texas) Conference
The Rev. Dr. John Hedgpeth, Senior Pastor, Northwood Temple, Fayetteville, NCStephanie Ellen Morgan's Miracle Continues - An amazing story of God's healing power today -- Cancer free for 7 yearsHugh and Melvine Morgan to celebrate their birthday anniversaries this monthThe Morgans will take their first Caribbean Cruise, December 2
Stand by for Today's News
The Scripture reading for today is recorded in Habakkuk 2:4, and 3:17-19
Habakkuk 2:4
4 "Behold the proud,
His soul is not upright in him;
But the just shall live by his faith.
NKJV
Habakkuk 3:17-19
Though the fig tree may not blossom,
Nor fruit be on the vines;
Though the labor of the olive may fail,
And the fields yield no food;
Though the flock may be cut off from the fold,
And there be no herd in the stalls —
18 Yet I will rejoice in the LORD,
I will joy in the God of my salvation.
19 The LORD God is my strength;
He will make my feet like deer's feet,
And He will make me walk on my high hills.
NKJV
The editor's commentary based on these two Scripture verses in Habakkuk
"Trusting God when your world is turned upside down"
Have you ever experienced your world being turned upside down?
On Wednesday of this week, my computer screen went upside down when I booted up my computer. I sought help from my webmaster, and other other friends who are computer geniuses. No one was available when I had my emergency.
So, what did I do? I was forced to think for myself in my mind, where I do sometimes think. Well, I called Hewlett Packard and talked with a technician all the way to India. I was able to talk with him about the recent terrorist attacks on the financial center of his country, and let him know we identified with them and were praying for his country. He thanked me. He is a Christian. We went through every scenario in his book and finally he asked for help from his supervisor. We took the first step that we should have taken and in mere minutes my computer was restored and now, the screen is right side down or right side up.
I could not read what was on my computer because I was never trained to read upside down. I saw what the problem was, but did not know how to fix it.
I spent over an hour on the phone with this tech. I call this a Divine Interruption. I needed to slow down, re-think, and get my computer going again.
Far too often, we are caught up in the currents of our own predicament that we are not able to see the picture clearly. Our world, seemingly, is turned upside downs. We call that "blind spots."
Habakkuk describes the person who can make it in trying times. We live in a world of uncertainty, and we are all feeling it through our economy. Many people are losing their jobs, are unable to pay their bills, mortgages, and car payments. Health costs are astronomical. Habakkuk tells us that "the proud or the puffed up will not make it; but the righteous will live by his faith."
The key to success in tough times is faithful humility. God will enable us to bear up under the load and the pressure. That is how the righteous will outlive the tyrants.
Here is Habakkuk's statement of faith, and I hope it will be yours in these uncertain times:
Habakkuk 3:17-19
17 Though the fig tree does not bud
and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails
and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen
and no cattle in the stalls,
18 yet I will rejoice in the LORD,
I will be joyful in God my Savior.
19 The Sovereign LORD is my strength;
he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,
he enables me to go on the heights.
NIV
Pastors John and Fay Hedgepeth to be honored for 40 years of continuous ministry at Northwood Temple on Sunday, December 7, 2008
Melvine and I were honored to receive a formal invitation to John and Fay Hedgepeth's Celebration of 40 years of continuous ministry at Northwood Temple in Fayetteville, NC. We deeply regret that we will not be able to attend.
John and Fay have been close friends of ours for many years. They pastor a dynamic congregation that is one of the major centers for renewal in the life of the church. John is an exciting and engaging expository preacher. His gift of the English language and his love for great literature is unparalleled. He practices what he preaches and leads his congregation in personal witnessing and soul winning. They have a training center for Evangelism Explosion which is one of the most effective methods I have discovered for sharing one's faith in Jesus Christ, as Savior and Lord.
There is no doubt about it, Northwood Temple in Fayetteville, NC, is a dynamic life laboratory in which people meet Christ, become involved in the ministry of the laity (for all are ministers), and they are making an impact in their military and civilian community as responsible servants.
What will John say when he is honored. His latest e-mail to me may be a clue to his heart and thinking about it all. John wrote the following:
"I had just finished writing you before I saw this message. I wish that you could be here. I would be greatly honored to have you. They are planning a big day and whatever they do will be far greater than anything that I could ever deserve. My great staff and leadership of the church who have served so long and effectively have been the keys to any success that I could ever have had."
"It is a fact written in heaven that the single most significant factor in my ministry has been Fay. Her level headedness and business sense along with her gracious style of pastoral care have affected me more than anything in all of my life. She has been God's best gift to me".
"How could I ever say 'Thanks...for all that He has done for me?'"
Now you can observe the love and humility of his heart for all that God has given to him, especially God's gift in his darling wife, Fay. A man is wise to honor his wife above himself.
December 7 is Pearl Harbor Day and the day that Evangelist Jerry B. Walker died in 2006
Sunday, December 7, is a day we should never forget -- the bombing of Pearl Harbor in a sneak attack by the Japanese in 1941, and the death of our beloved Dr. Jerry B. Walker in 2006 (two years ago).
The Reverend Dr. Jerry B. Walker, prominent Pentecostal/Charismatic evangelist, passed away peacefully on Thursday, December 7, 2006, at his home in Sugar Land, Texas. Often a featured speaker at World Conventions and Revival Conferences and Crusades, he was the first Charismatic to be invited to conduct Miracle Services in St. Paul's Anglican Cathedral in Toronto, Canada. He was recognized by the press as a "20th Century Billy Sunday."
Reverend Walker was preceded in death by his parents, the Reverend Mr. Mont E. Walker and Ellen Shanks Walker, his sisters: Pauline Walker Gottschalk and Kathleen Walker Hufstedler, a brother: Mont "Buster" Walker, nieces: Linda Silverstone and Jan Hufstedler.
He is survived by his nieces: Cherry Ellen Walker Meadows of Sherman,Texas; Vicki Walker Lewis of Galveston, Texas; Cecilia Hufstedler Morgan of Dallas, Texas; Sara Hufstedler Davidson of College Station, Texas; and Mary Hufstedler Adams of Nacogdoches, Texas. Great Nieces and Nephews: Keath Lewis of New York City, New York; Rob Lewis of Austin, Texas; Katie Morgan of Dallas,Texas; John Mark Davidson of Hawley, Texas; Lisa Davidson of Abilene, Texas; Haley Adams of College Station, Texas; and Samuel Adams of Nacogdoches, Texas. Great Great Nephew: Kellan Davidson of Hawley, Texas.
Reverend Walker, a proud veteran, served his Country as a member of the United States Air Force for eight years.
Here's Jerry B. Walker's bronze marker on his granite tombstone. This photo was taken on Monday, June 16, 2008, at his grave site in Lubbock, TX. Notice that the date of Jerry B's birth is June 13, 19??. I know the year he was born, but I have been sworn to secrecy. I will not betray a confidence. Notice that the holder for the flowers is empty. Mark Bristow, the administrator of Jerry B's estate, called a local florist and ordered an expensive bouquet of fresh, live flowers to be delivered and placed on his grave. The heat was unbearable that day. My hunch is that those flowers would last less than three hours in the blazing, blistering, and breathtaking heat. However, the thought and the loving care of this gesture spoke volumes about Mark's love and admiration for his great friend. That is the reason that the originator of Hallmark Greeting Cards has chosen the slogan, "When you care enough to send the very best." Jerry B. loved live flowers and was repulsed if artificial flowers were placed on the altar table or anywhere else in churches. That was Jerry B., and we loved him in spite of his idiosyncrasy. Love always hopes for the best, yet recognizes our human frailty. I, too, prefer live flowers to artificial ones. So, I am in the camp with Jerry B. So, I plead guilty!
A tribute written by the Rev. Dr. Leroy Baker, former Bishop and Superintendent of the Texas Conference (Grace Bible Ministries Conference)
For more than 50 years Evangelist Rev. Dr. Jerry B. Walker has been an ordained minister of the Texas Conference of the IPHC. Jerry B. served the conference as pastor, evangelist, and Assistant Superintendent. He was always faithful to the Word of God and the Articles of Faith of the conference and denomination.
He was always loyal to the obligations of the Conference, and faithful in reporting, tithing, and attendance at conference gatherings as his schedule allowed. I was blessed to have served as his Conference Superintendent for 16 years. I enjoyed his fellowship and was always proud that he and his ministry were associated with the Pentecostal Holiness Church and Grace Bible Ministries Conference.
We recognized Brother Walker as an extra-ordinary man of God, a special gift to the entire body of Christ. I often told him he was a "John the Baptist," but that he dressed better than John!
We loved Jerry B. and his memory will forever live in Texas Conference history and in our hearts.
Dr. E .L. Baker, superintendent retired
A tribute by the Rev. Dr. John Hedgepeth, Senior Pastor, Northwood Temple in Fayetteville, NC
The following are some special thoughts on the Reverend Dr. Jerry B. Walker:
My first acquaintance with Jerry B came by supernatural design. We had just moved into our new sanctuary at Northwood Temple and God deeply impressed me to call Jerry B to come for a meeting. We scheduled it for one week but God had a better idea. At the end of the week the crowds were so great and the healings were so numerous that we could in no way end the meeting. Souls were being saved and people were being filled with the Holy Spirit. The revival became the talk of the town.
The press came to the meetings and after seeing hundreds of people slain in the Holy Spirit and crowds lingering until late in the night they wrote an article entitled "Northwood Temple Experiences 'The Great Revival.'" By this time people had begun to fly in from all over the country to experience the great move of God.
Jerry B canceled his meeting for the next week. When that week ended, we went on for another week. Then four and five week and six weeks. God used Jerry B in a marvelous way. Many people who came to the meetings were changed eternally.
Jerry B returned each year for many years and each meeting was filled with God's great power. The meetings were life changing.
Jerry was a preacher who made us want to preach. His humorous style made people laugh. His style drew the masses to him. He touched the blue collar, white collar and those with no
collar. He affected the young people in the city. In one meeting he nick named one front row of young people as "Blue jean Row." His expressions and idiomatic expressions are unforgettable--"Sister Bucket Mouth," "Women's Aglitter." His simple stories wove their way into the hearts of listeners and paved the way for a bombshell of spiritual truth.
Perhaps the greatest reason for Jerry B's success as an evangelist was his prayer life. He stayed before the Lord before he went in to any service. The results were evidence of the presence of Christ in his ministry.
Jerry and I were close friends working together in many meetings including the dedications of several building projects and anniversaries of the church. He gave unselfishly to us and became a friend for life.
I think that heaven has been getting ready for Jerry B for a long time. It's party time in heaven today for Jerry B. I can hear him saying, "My, My, My, My, My!"
Helen Keller said that each time she placed one of her precious loved ones in this brown bosom of earth, something of her leaped over into the grave with them. Then she said that each time she placed one of her precious loved ones in the brown bosom of earth, something of them leaped out of the tomb and stayed with her.
This coming week when Jerry B's body is laid to rest, something of us will stay with him; but praise God the great things of Jerry B will leap out of the grave and stay with us. His laughter, his love, his prayer life, his anointed ministry, his genuine Christian character and his unending friendship will stay with us
and make us better people.
God bless you Jerry B and good night, until morning comes.
Hugh, we appreciate the way the present the breaking news. You are a one-of-a-kind man and God is greatly using you to do what has never been done before. You get the news to us and your ministry is anointed by our Lord for these last days.
God bless you and the "Mighty Melvine."
Your friend,
John Hedgepeth
[Editor's Note: To read more tributes to Jerry B. Walker go to my website: www.hughsnews.com and click on the Search Engine. Type in Jerry B. Walker and it will come up. Hugh's News has a wealth of historical information that you will not find anywhere else. I do have a photo of Jerry B. Walker's grave in Lubbock, TX, but for some reason, I can't find it in my myriad of photos. Pray that God will help me locate it. Praise the Lord, He helped me to find it."]
Stephanie Ellen Morgan's Miracle Continues
Praise the Lord for His continued faithfulness in my life! I am still amazed at God’s healing presence in my body. On Wednesday, December 3, 2008, I marked my seventh anniversary of being diagnosed with Stage IV Breast Cancer. The brightest minds in science could only give me my 2 weeks notice, but the very Creator of those brilliant doctors has proved time and time again that He controls my destiny, not them. Oh, I am sobbing as I write this testimony today to each of you. Who am I that You, oh Lord, are mindful of me? That You would love me so, I’ll never know!
I wanted to give everyone my latest update of praise and thanksgiving to the Lord Jesus Christ. I went to my oncologist on Friday, December 5, 2008, to receive the results of my latest PET scan. Dr. Vrana came in and stated that he wanted to reread the results quickly to give me an accurate account. This is highly unusual. Dr. Vrana is the best of the best in what he does, in my opinion, and he always gets straight to the point no matter how difficult the prognosis. As he was reviewing the report, he said that he had already read it and felt sure of what actions needed to be taken, but he wanted to double check. Mom and I waited with anticipation. He said that the scan showed several “hot spots” in the sacrum area and lower spine, which indicated some activity. He said that it was not a tremendous amount of activity but it was hard to say if this was a bad or good report. He reemphasized that it is difficult to have accurate tests on the inside of bones. He said that there are still holes throughout my skeleton where the cancer has eaten away my bones. So in his opinion it is either slightly worse or it appears that the bones are healing themselves! We believed the latter. Oh, Praise the Lord, Dr. Vrana can state whatever he wishes but I know that God is doing a creative miracle in my body right under his nose. It is only a matter of time before it is proven scientifically. In fact, it brings to mind something that Arlette Revells, my best friend’s mother, had spoken prophetically over me a few years back. She said, “Stephanie, there is not a machine that has been created yet that is accurate enough to show how God is healing you from the inside out.” I knew then in my spirit that she was absolutely right and that I needed the faith to continue to praise the Lord and believe for my healing. And yesterday, the least likely person in my life spoke those words to me. God truly uses the weak to confound the wise!
In the past when a PET scan showed any new activity Dr. Vrana has changed my treatment. His explanation has always been that if there are new “hot spots” then it is an indication that the medicine I am taking is no longer effective. He would then take me off of those meds and try something else. But yesterday he said that because he couldn’t tell if this was a good or bad report and by all indications I am consistently free of pain he will continue with my current medication. If he were to stop what seems to work for me and put me on treatments that could make me very sick would not be in my best interest. He will monitor and check later to see what happens. Needless to say I whole hardly agreed!
One item of major concern before going to see my oncologist was hip pain I had been experiencing since late October. It is in the area of my total hip replacement. Dr. Vrana had my PET scan moved up from December to November to see if there was any problem. He told me that there was nothing listed on the report to indicate concern and he suggested that I go to my orthopedic doctor, James Roberson, to have x-rays to see if it may be worn out. Praise God that my fears were alleviated and that once again I could see light at the end of the tunnel.
At the end of the doctor’s visit I reminded him of my seven-year anniversary. I was surprised to hear him say that he remembered it clearly. In fact, he said, “I even remember the room where you were. It was on the fifth floor, the first door on the right.” I replied, “You’re right! I was near the elevators.” Then Mom responded, “Why do you remember her?” He put his head down and she said, “It was because it was so bad, wasn’t it?” He told us that it was he who had to give me the news and he remembered how overwhelmed I looked. He hated the fact that his first meeting with me was so rough and that he was often the one who had to be the bearer of bad news to so many. I told him that I have a great memory too and I remembered what he said to me that day. Dr. Vrana said, “It looks bad, it looks like you have cancer, but we’re going to make it better.” And you know what? I believed you.
Thank you to so many of you who have kept up with me on Hugh’s News over these last seven years. I especially want to thank my dad, Hugh Morgan, the creator of Hugh’s News, for his loving support and accurate reporting of my miracle. God has used dad’s gift of writing to report his deep love for me as well as his continued faith in God for healing his daughter. You see, dad and I are made from the same mold, we not only believe God can do it, WE KNOW HE HAS!
God Bless you all and Merry Christmas,
Stephanie
Hugh and Melvine Morgan to celebrate their birthday anniversaries this month
Hugh and Melvine will have birthdays on December 15 and 16. Hugh's is the 15th, and Melvine's is the 16th. We aren't telling our age these days, but the love bug got us in our twenties, and we have been married over 48 years. We are still in love. Our anniversary is August 13. God has blessed us with two wonderful adult children, Greg and Stephanie.
The Morgans will take their first Caribbean Cruise, December 22-26, 2008
The Morgan family will be taking a Caribbean Cruise, December 22-26, 2008. This will be our first cruise as a family. Stephanie has been on a couple of cruises. We will spend Christmas day on a Norwegian Cruise Ship.
And now, Will you receive the benediction?
"Whoever your are,
Wherever you wander in God's wide world,
Whatever happens to you for good or ill,
Remember that Jesus is still Lord."
-- Herman "Bud" Ridder, former Associate Pastor to Robert Schuller Your friend in all seasons,
Hugh Holmes Morgan
The Reverend Dr. Hugh H. Morgan
Director of Chaplains Ministries, IPHC
Vice Chairman, NAE Commission on Chaplains
Chairman, Endorsers Conference for Veterans Affairs Chaplaincy
Ex Officio Member, National Conference on Ministry to the Armed Forces Executive Committee
CEO, Founder, President, Editor of Hugh's News & Commentary
Pastor Emeritus, Christian Life Worship Center
17 Sweet Apple Lane
Winder, GA 30680
Tel. (770) 725-1757
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E-mail: hugh@hughsnews.com
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Hugh's News website: www.hughsnews.com
Posted on
Tuesday, December 9, 2008