Special Report
w/ Hugh H. Morgan
& Commentary
“Ever blessing, ever blest”
Where Everyone’s Special
News you can use
A News Service connecting people with people
News at a Glance . . .
A Gospel Tomato shares the plan of salvation
Pastor John Hedgepeth is in need of our prayers for the healing of his eyes
A Testimonial from Bishop Gordon McDonald, General Superintendent, The Pentecostal Holiness Church in Canada
Bishop Frank and Lu Tunstall, Superintendent, Heartland Conference, express their gratitude
A note of Gratitude from Bishop Garry Bryant, National Field Director, ACTS2DAy Ministries
Hugh and Melvine Morgan to celebrate their 49th Wedding Anniversary on Thursday, August 13, 2009
Bishop Doug Beacham presided over the North Carolina Inspirational Conference
Georgia’s Head Football Coach, Mark Richt, brought his entire 2009 football team and coaches to worship last Sunday, August 8, 2009, at the Cornerstone Church of God in Athens
Your financial gifts are needed to fund the costs of Hugh’s News
Will you receive the Benediction?
Stand by for Today’s News . . .
A Gospel Tomato shares the plan of salvation
Tomatoes grown in Hugh’s above the ground garden
Scripture reading recorded in Acts 1:1-5
Acts 1:1-5
1:1 In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach 2 until the day He was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles He had chosen. 3 After His suffering, He showed Himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that He was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. 4 On one occasion, while He was eating with them, He gave them this command: "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift My Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. 5 For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit."
NIV
I often meet Christians who tell me they find it difficult to share their faith and lead someone to Jesus.
It is my belief that we have not properly educated our people and equipped them for the work of an evangelist. We are all witnesses. That is the major reason we need to be baptized with the Holy Spirit. Jesus said in essence, “Don’t leave town (Jerusalem) until you have received the gift My Father has promised.
Here is what Jesus also said, “If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!" (Luke 11:13, NIV).
One of the best books I have ever read in my life was written by Oral Roberts, entitled, Baptism with the Holy Spirit. If you have not read it, you will discover how you, too, can receive the Baptism with the Holy Spirit. I have received this experience of gift of the Holy Spirit. When I received this gift, a Person Whose name is the Holy Spirit, I spoke in tongues as the Spirit gave me the utterance, or word formations. It was a language I had never studied or learned, although I took Latin, French, and Greek and my mother taught me some Chinese when I was a little boy. I spoke in an another language for three days intermittently. Most important, this blessed experience gave me boldness and power to witness to my faith, and opened the Scriptures, and prepared me for my ministry as an Air Force chaplain.
Now, I want to talk about my garden. I have two above the ground gardens. In one of them, I have 30 tomato plants. I ordered the seed from Tomato Growers in Fort Meyers, FL, and used a started kit to raise my young plants and then transplanted them into my garden. I use Miracle Grow Potting Soil, 10-10-10 fertilizer, dog food (the cheapest kind), Epson Salt, and Liquid Miracle Grow fertilizer. The plants are healthy and the leaves are dark green. I got a late start this year and never thought I would have any vine ripened tomatoes or any tomatoes at all. I thought I had made a colossal mistake.
I ordered a variety of tomato seeds. I think the largest one in the photo is a Red Rose tomato. It is a cross between Brandywine and Rutgers and produces, according the catalogue, good yields of 10 to 16 ounces of delicious pink fruit. Disease and crack resistance are inherited from Rutgers, and the tomato’s taste and texture is more like that of Brandy wine. It will be harvested until frost.
I had told the owner of the Winder Dairy Queen about my tomatoes. He has the best biscuits in the known world, even better than BoJangles. I told him I would give him some. I took several of them, several sizes and names, to give them to him as a gift last Saturday morning. He said, “I will buy your biscuits today.” I responded by saying, “These tomatoes are a free gift. It sort of like Salvation . . . you don’t deserve it, can’t earn it, or even pay for it. It is a free gift. It is God’s grace (God’s Riches at Christ’s Expense). Well Robert Waters received the tomatoes gladly. I asked him to weigh the largest one and would you believe it weigh, 20 ounces, or 1 pound, 4 ounces. All of his employees heard my witness, and my tomatoes became Gospel Tomatoes. You can do it too.
I like Stan Toler’s ABC’s Of A Personal Relationship with Christ:
Receiving Jesus Christ is as simple as ABC . . .
Admit that you have sinned Romans 3:23
Believe that Jesus Christ died for you John 1:12
Confess that Jesus Christ is Lord of your life Romans 10:9
“Dear Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner. I believe that You died for my sins and arose from the grave. I now turn from my sins and invite You to come into my heart and life. I receive You as my personal Savior and will follow You as my Lord. Amen.”
My dear reader, if that is the prayer you have prayed and have received Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord, tell somebody today. Confess with your mouth what you have believed in your heart. And if you will be so kind, write or call me. I would love to hear that you have given your life to Jesus.
Pastor John Hedgepeth is in need of our prayers for the healing of his eyes
As you may know, the Rev. Dr. John Hedgepeth is the senior pastor of Northwood Temple in Fayetteville, NC, one of our largest Pentecostal Holiness Churches in America. He and his gracious wife, Fay, have been friends of Melvine and me for about 40 years. My how time flies. He is a great witness for our Lord Jesus Christ, a soul-winner, a pastor/preacher/evangelist. He is a stellar representative of the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ, and our denomination, the International Pentecostal Holiness Church. He leads his church in world evangelism, sending mission teams to various parts of the world, including medical teams. They ship clothing, food, and materials to third world countries. He is highly respected in Fayetteville, NC, and at Fort Bragg, the home of the 82nd Airborne. What’s more, he and Fay love our chaplains and support this ministry generously.
I was honored to have John call me on Saturday evening concerning his recent eye surgery. He and Fay were able to attend our Chaplains, Spouses, and Friends Dinner Banquet on Monday night, July 27, 2009, at the Sheraton Four Seasons Hotel in Greensboro, NC. We were blessed to have Chaplain (Major General) Douglas L. Carver, Chief of Army Chaplains as our keynote speaker. He did a masterful job, warmed our hearts by lifting us up in joyful singing and praising God. He is not ashamed of Jesus and boldly declares Him to the soldiers of the Army. Some 120 people heard him, including all of our elected general officials, several conference superintendents, pastors, and key laymen and women. They attended part of the General Conference, but had to go home so John could have an operation his eye on Friday.
I am more confident today of our Lord’s ability to heal than at any other time in my life. Oral Roberts made 3 John 2 come alive for us all, “Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth” (KJV). It is God’s will for us to be healed. He is the Healer and our Source of Strength.
Let us pray that the eye that has been repaired through surgery will properly heal, that John will receive back his sight better than before, as his eye comes into agreement and alignment with the Word of God, “And with His stripes you were healed” (1 Peter 2:24).
Let me copy and paste the e-mail that John sent me following the telephone call:
Dear Hugh,
It was great to speak with you tonight (Saturday, August 8, 2009).
On Friday, 31 July, two word class eye surgeons at Duke Medical Eye Center operated on me for nearly four hours. The former operation for a macular hole had reopened and another one had surfaced. My retina had completely detached and there was one little cataract that came as a result of the operation.
I have had the arduous task of keeping my head in a bowed position for the last 8 days with only two more to go. It has been a task!
A check up at Duke last Tuesday revealed the retina had reattached itself and the operation looked successful. There is a possibility of another surgery within the next year. I have been recuperating at home and hope to be completely well in a few weeks with good sight.
I wanted to thank the great people of our denomination for their prayers and concerns.
God bless you and Melvine. The Chaplain’s Banquet was par excellent. What fine group of military men and women that we have in the IPHC! We are thankful for the job that you did in making the banquet so successful.
Take care and God bless you.
Your friend,
John and Fay
A Testimonial from Bishop Gordon McDonald, General Superintendent, The Pentecostal Holiness Church in Canada
Greetings Hugh: Thank you again for inviting us to the Chaplains Banquet. It is one of the highlights of the General Conference for us. The room was full of evidence of your dedication to your work and calling and to the wonderful success you have had as Director of Chaplain’s Ministries.
Bishop McDonald’s son is an officer in the Special Forces of the Army in the United States. Gordon in expression of his love for the United States of American and our Armed Forces, gave a gift of $300 to help me raise money to purchase Psalm 91 Prayer Bandanas for our troops in Iraq. Those kind acts of generosity will never be forgotten by me, and certainly not by Almighty God. The greatest thing any of us can do is to invest in the youth of our church and country.
Bishop Frank and Lu Tunstall express their gratitude
Lu and I both have read the book, Days of Anguish, Days of Hope, and counted and counted and re-counted our blessings living in this great land of the free and home of the brave; blessings that others bought with their blood, sweat and tears. You, too, helped to pay that price in your service in the military. Thank you!
[Editor’s Note: The book, Days of Anguish, Days of Hope, is about the first Air Force Chief of Chaplains, Major General Robert Preston Taylor. Captain Gary Pollitt, Executive Director, Military Chaplains Association, gave me 99 books, three of them in hard back, and 96 of them in paper back. The hotel lost one box with 48 books. However, when I went to take my display down in the exhibit hall, the box was at my booth. No explanation. Now, I would like to send copies to those who did not receive one.
Chaplain Taylor, a Southern Baptist, was captured by the Japanese in the Philippines and was subjected to the Bataan Death March. However, he survived it. But there is far more to his story. You will have to read the last chapter to find out what happened. It tore my heart out. I am not sure I could deal with what he had to come to terms with. Life is not easy for any Christian. These are days of anguish for many people. It is not a time to lose hope and courage. We must stand in the strength God gives and remember we are loved by God and nothing can ever separate us from His unfailing love.]
A note of Gratitude from Bishop Garry Bryant, National Field Director, ACTS2DAy Ministries
Blessings to you and the dear wife, Melvine,
Trust you are both doing well and having a great day.
Expressing THANKS for the privilege to attend the Chaplains, Spouses, and Friends Banquet in Greensboro. LaDawn and I thoroughly enjoyed the evening, it was a wonderful time.
You did a superb job in coordinating that event. We bless you for your Kingdom service and treasure your friendship.
Be strong in the Lord and walk in good health body, soul and spirit.
Grace and Peace, Garry Bryant
Hugh and Melvine Morgan to celebrate their 49th Wedding Anniversary on Thursday, August 13, 2009
Well, what can I say? I am a blessed man to have a bride like Melvine. She believed in me enough to go to Wilmore, KY, from her home in Draper, NC (Now Eden) without a place to live, jobs, or money to live on. However, God provided a guest room at Asbury Theological Seminary with air conditioning, showers, and clean beds the first night we arrived (after midnight). The next day, He provided a furnished apartment without any money for a down payment or the first month’s rent, a teaching position for Melvine in Versailles, about 17 miles from Wilmore, and a check for $200 in the mail from my brother-in-law, R. H. McDuff. It was exactly the amount I needed to register. Not known to me was the fact that a Methodist lady in Sebring, FL had wanted to invest in a Pentecostal Preacher Boy, and she gave me a scholarship of one-half of my tuition for all three years of seminary. You see, she firmly believed that for everyone who was converted, found hope, and deliverance in my ministry she would get credit too. I am grateful for her investment in me. I got to meet her when I sang bass with the Asbury Seminary Singers. In fact, she requested that I along with the President of our Student Body, David Finch, my roommate on the tour, and who is now a Methodist Bishop, to stay in her home when our men’s choir sang in her church.
I never had to take out a student loan, and I worked part-time at an IGA grocery store in Wilmore. My last year, I served the Wilmore Presbyterian Church as their minister of music. Melvine led the children’s choir while I directed the adult choir and led the worship services. We were required to have ministry in a local church or service agency during our last year of seminary. God gave me favor and I invited students from Asbury College and Asbury Theological Seminary to provide special musical groups, instrumentals, etc. for the services, both Sunday morning and evening. On occasion with the pastor was gone, he would call on me to preach the sermon. God abundantly provided for us. For the first month until Melvine got paid as a teacher, we ate tomato sandwiches daily. Our landlord had a garden and invited us to pick the tomatoes. Now, you can see why we love tomatoes. It reminds us of days when we had little, but God was with us, and we are so grateful to Him. He will provide for you, too. We left seminary in the summer of 1963 to take our first pastorate, Brownville P. H. Church near Evergreen, AL, in Conecuh County. We owed no money to anyone and had money in our pocket books or billfolds. What an amazing God we serve!
I will take Melvine out to breakfast on Thursday morning, do some shopping, and take her to the finest steak restaurant in the known world. It is Stoney River Legendary Steak Restaurant in Duluth, GA, about six miles from Gwinnett Shopping Mall.
Here is a description of the food from their website:
“Our food has been described as ‘comfort food dressed up in a sports jacket.’ The service, ‘as unpretentiously attentive as it gets.’
“Creative, but real. No artificial colors, flavors or servers. Like our butter-knife-tender Lodge Filet with Stoney River seasoning and a glass of your favorite Cab.
“Tempura lobster tails served with our own honey-Dijon mustard dipping sauce.
“Our family style slice of chocolate-on-chocolate Ganache Cake served with shot glasses of ice cold milk.
“And that signature basket of warm Stone Puppies and honey butter that says ‘how’ve you been? good to see you back’ better than words, marking the kick-off of yet another Stoney River adventure. A profoundly comfortable and creative combination of upscale service and food in an atmosphere that encourages you to truly relax and enjoy the moment to its fullest. This is the Modern American Steakhouse, Stoney River style.”
I don’t know what Cab is. Melvine and I do not drink wine or any strong drink. The strongest drink I like is buttermilk and no one in my family likes it. I am glad. I can drink it all without fear. I will purchase a dozen of pink roses for Melvine and give her an expensive gift she will like.
Next year, Lord willing, we will be celebrating our 50th Wedding Anniversary and catch up with Leory and Evelyn Baker; Dwight and Mary Burchett; Ronald Q. and Doris Moore; Austin and Joyce Burnette; and Daneel and Betty Von Moore le Roux.
Bishop Doug Beacham presided over the North Carolina Inspirational Conference
Here is Bishop Doug Beacham’s report of the Inspirational Conference in North Carolina on Saturday, August 8, 2009. He is the Vice Chairman of the IPHC, and Executive Director, World Missions Ministries.
It was my privilege to preside over the North Carolina Conference in Falcon, NC this past Saturday. Bishop Leggett was present for the conference and gave an inspiring presentation for Holmes Bible College. Bishop Chris Thompson gave his final State of the Conference report that highlighted 247 local congregations, 30,645 members, and 63 new congregations planted over the past four years. Today there are 64 Latino congregations and 10 African-American congregations. The conference has a total of 623 ministers and leads the way in total giving to World Missions Ministries with over $1,800,000 last year.
Rev. Jim Whitfield was recognized as the new Bishop of the North Carolina Conference. Though installed at General Conference, special prayer was offered for him and his wife Regina in the presence of the conference delegation. They were warmly received by the body.
The delegation elected Rev. Danny Nelson as the new Assistant Superintendent. Rev. Nelson will continue his role as the Evangelism/World Missions Director in the conference. A historic event occurred when Rev. Stacey Hilliard was elected as the first African-American member of the conference board for the North Carolina Conference.
Thirteen ministers received licensed ministers credentials, and eleven were ordained.
Dr. Michael Stewart represented Emmanuel College and Rev. John Wheeler represented the Falcon Children's Home.
The Falcon Camp Meeting began on Sunday evening with Presiding Bishop Ronald Carpenter and Ron Carpenter, Jr. as the speakers this week. The camp meeting concludes this coming Sunday night with the Global Outreach Rally and message by Bishop Whitfield. Following the service, a special reception honoring Bishop Thompson and his wife Betty will be held, as the Thompson's prepare to transition to Oklahoma City where he will serve as the Executive Director of Evangelism USA.
Georgia’s Head Football Coach, Mark Richt, brought his entire 2009 football team and coaches to worship last Sunday, August 8, 2009, at the Cornerstone Church of God in Athens
Melvine and I decided to attend Stephanie’s church last Sunday. It is Cornerstone Church of God in Athens, GA. We attend there from time to time. Scott Sheppard is the senior pastor and is a graduate of Lee University. He and Stephanie were classmates there. Cornerstone is an alive Charismatic/Pentecostal church. It is reaching hundreds, if not thousands of people.
Pastor Scott Sheppard and Coach Mark Richt are close friends, and their wives are friends as well. In fact a couple of the football coaches at UGA are members of Cornerstone Church of God. It was so impressive to see all those young men. They were dressed casually, and were cordial and polite. I talked with one offensive lineman and he was bigger than me. I have to look up to very few people, but I did to this 6 foot 6 inch lineman.
Although I have been a die-hard Alabama Crimson Tide fan since the 40s, I am now pulling for the Georgia Bulldogs except when they play Alabama. If my good friend, Mike Gray, is reading this, Mike I want to say to you, “Roll Tide, Roll!” In Alabama there is a fierce, almost unreal rivalry between Alabama and Auburn. Bishop David Stephens has to pull for Auburn. His two sons attended and graduated from there. And he has outstanding young men. I applaud Bishop Stephens and he is my friend, too. After all, it is only a football game. Do you believe that?
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Will you receive the Benediction?
Jesus said, “Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you” (Luke 6:38, NKJV).
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Your friend in all seasons,
Hugh Holmes Morgan
The Reverend Dr. Hugh H. Morgan
Chaplain, Lieutenant Colonel, USAF, Retired
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
President, Hugh Holmes Morgan Education Scholarship Fund, Inc.
Pastor Emeritus, Christian Life Worship Center (formerly Tarkenton Memorial Church in Athens, GA)
Member, Board of Trustees, Holmes Bible College
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