I vote in favor of the old hymns. They are all solid in doctrine and based on the Word. How my heart longs for the message they communicate, my ears to hear those sweet melodies again, and my mind to contemplate the glory they contain!
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There are rarely any neutral opinions about congregational music, so regardless of where the readers of Hugh's News stand on the issue of preference.
I wonder how they would answer these questions: Who is ultimately responsible for the kind of music that is sung in your church? Who SHOULD be responsible? Superintendent Wood's words are spot on. They are words of wisdom seasoned with grace. His words are a clarion call for Christians to "Occupy till He comes!" As I prayerfully read this--I kept hearing the words and voice of Dutch Sheets resounding in my spirit that our (only) "Appeal to Heaven" is paramount to this Third Great Awakening!
When the lodge meeting broke up, John confided to a friend. “Mike, I’m in a terrible pickle! I’m strapped for cash and I haven’t the slightest idea where I’m going to get it from!”
“I’m glad to hear that” answered Mike. “I was afraid you might have an idea you could borrow it from me!” I NEED YOUR FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTIONS NOW. AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS NEWSLETTER IS A BRIEF PARAGRAPH EXPLAINING HOW YOU CAN GIVE ONLINE WITH YOUR CREDIT CARD. You may also send your contribution by mail to: Hugh's News, Inc. 17 Sweet Apple Lane Winder, GA 30680 Please make checks payable to Hugh's News, Inc., not Hugh Morgan. When you give by check or money order, please give me your email address so I can rapidly respond to your gift. Your contribution is tax deductible. Hugh's News, Inc. enjoys a 501 (C) (3) IRS Tax Exempt Status that enables you to get a tax break when filing your Federal Income Return, and we are registered with the Georgia Secretary of State as a non-profit evangelistic corporation. Thank you for your contributions to this ministry that keeps you informed and connected with the IPHC family and the Body of Christ worldwide! Stephanie Ellen Morgan November 18, 1966--August 3, 2012 Sorrow and grief are apart of the human predicament. Adam and Eve were warned by God that when they partook of the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden, that there would be consequences. That act was a sin against God's direct Word to them, and a sin against themselves, and the human race, and they, along with us who are all a part of the human race, would be plagued with sin, sickness, and death, both physical and spiritual. However, Jesus Christ, the last Adam (éschatos Adám), has redeemed us with His own precious blood, and the blessings promised to Abraham might be ours, too (Galatians 3:13, 14). If our precious daughter, Stephanie Ellen Morgan, had lived, she would be 49 years old today, Wednesday, August 3. However, we believe she is more alive now in heaven and will never die again. We believe in the resurrection of the body according to the holy Scriptures. Stephanie was born at Madigan Army General Hospital at Fort Lewis in Pierce County, Tacoma, Washington on November 18, 1966. Melvine was blessed by God and had the Chief of Obstetrics to deliver Stephanie by Caesarian Section. I was a chaplain at McChord AFB, and assigned to an F106 Fighter Interceptor Squadron as their chaplain, although I had many other assignments and opportunities to minister to the men and women and their families at this strategic Air Force installation in the Air Defense Command, to preach in the Protestant Chapel, and to be the director of religious education and a Sunday school of some 450 students, as well as the sponsor of the Airmen and WAF Ministry to some 75 young men and women in the Air Force in Bible studies, field trips, and weekend retreats. In fact, my office was in the chapel which was one of two twin chapels that had been completely made new through a complete renovation prior to my assignment there. The ministry that God gave me there at McChord AFB was accomplished by the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit. We knew well in advance the day Melvine would give birth to Stephanie. So, we purchased airline tickets for Melvine's mother, Mary Frances Shropshire Stewart, to fly from the Greensboro/Winston Salem Airport to Seattle, Washington, to what is called Sea/Tac (Seattle/Tacoma International Airport). We would have flown Melvine's father too, but he was afraid of flying, and quoted a Scripture to hide his fear. Here is how it reads: " . . . lo [low], I am with you alway . . . " (Matthew 28:20, KJV). I guess anyone can justify what he or she wants to believe by taking a Scripture out of context. Paul exhorts us how we can be approved by God by "rightly dividing the word of truth" (2 Timothy 2:15, KJV). Russell Stewart was a student of the Bible, and knew he was using that Scripture to assuage the intensity of his feelings of fear. He was full of humor and loved to laugh. He was indeed a father to me and helped make me laugh. Frances Stewart came a few days before the scheduled surgery so she could be familiar with our home, connect with Greg, our son, and get orientated to our military base, which was McChord Air Force Base. No one is better suited and prepared to take care of a new born baby that the mother of the mother giving birth to the child. Melvine is a planner, and had purchased a special gift for Greg that was given to him by his newly born sister when she came home from the hospital. Melvine wanted Greg to continue to know he was very special too even with the birth of his baby sister, Stephanie. Gloria Moon, who resides in Franklin Springs, Georgia, and is the daughter of Pastor Phillip and Inez Hart and is married to Dr. Tony Moon, a brilliant professor at Emmanuel College, sent a lovely birthday card to remember Stephanie's birthday a couple of years ago. Here is what Gloria Moon wrote: "Bro. & Sis. Morgan This beautiful card makes me think of your beautiful Stephanie--so lovely, so radiant. As her birthday approaches, my thoughts and prayers are with you two and Greg. May God continue to comfort you, as Stephanie continues to sing, rejoice and maybe even "teach a few kindergarteners" in heaven. Tony and I love you. Gloria Hart Moon Gloria Moon is the daughter of the Rev. Mr. and Mrs. Phillip Hart (Inez) who are the highly loved and respected retired pastors of the Georgia Conference (LifePoint Ministries) who pastored the Flatwoods Pentecostal Holiness Church in Elbert County, GA for some 57 years. Melvine and I were privileged to be a part of a small group of 17 people who made a Holy Land Trip a few years ago with Phillip and Inez Hart along with Greta Campbell and Pat Welch, our tour leaders. Melvine, Greg and I will drive to her burial in East Athens at Athens Memorial Gardens on US Highway 75 East which has a family granite tombstone with Morgan engraved in large letters on it. It has the name of Gregory H., Hugh H., Melvine S., and Stephanie Ellen. It has our birth dates. Of course it has Stephanie's birth date and the day he died. It has two large flower vases on each end of the monument with artificial flowers in each one which Melvine has arranged. She changes the flowers with the seasons of the year. I drive her and we work on this project together. Melvine purchased three large balloons to celebrate Stephanie's birthday last November. She anchored the balloons with a plastic stake in the ground to hold the helium filled balloons in place. Today, I want to thank God for allowing us to have Stephanie for 45 years. She was almost perfect. She was joy to be with. She loved to sing and worship the Lord of Glory. She was a student of the Word, and I think could preach at the drop of a hat. She was an inspirational speaker, and never uttered a negative word, although, she knew how to correct me, her dad, when I was wrong. One day we will see her again in heaven. She is there enjoying the beauties of that heavenly home. That is where I want to go. I want to see Jesus. He is there and that will be glory for me. Thank you, my dear readers, for allowing me, Stephanie's father, to share my love for our daughter, Stephanie Ellen Morgan. Melvine and Greg join me in thanking you for sharing with us in our grief. We still love God. He has never failed us. He was present when Stephanie breathed her final breath. The Holy Spirit helped me to tell Stephanie how much we all loved her, and as her father, I gave her permission to allow her soul and spirit to be released from her body and go to be with the Lord. She breathed her last breath shortly after I released her soul and spirit from her earthly body. She will one day have a glorified body. John, the beloved apostle, wrote these inspired words concerning the death of the saints: "Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.'" "Yes," says the Spirit, "that they may rest from their labors, and their works follow them" (Revelation 14:13, NKJV). [Editor's footnote: It is interesting that I completed my three-year enlistment as a Marine at Quantico, VA, on August 3, 1956. My best friend, Eddie Dong, a clarinet player in our band, drove me in his Cadillac the Train Depot in Quantico. As I recall, I had everything I owned in a duffle bag, a suitcase, and my trombone in my trombone case. That passenger train took me to my home in Birmingham, Alabama. I never saw Eddie Dong again. His father was the well-known American-Chinese water color artist who taught at Columbia University and was a judge for many years in the Miss America Pageant. It is little wonder that my best friend was Chinese. My mother, Julia Payne Morgan, was a missionary to Hong Kong and Pakhoi, China from 1920-1929, prior to Julia Payne marrying the Rev. Hugh Henry Morgan in Oklahoma City in July 1929 at the General Conference. Bishop Dan T. Muse, a friend of my father conducted the wedding ceremony. They were in love and had a successful marriage until death separated them when my mother died in April 1972. She was almost 83 at the time of her death. My father lived to be 94. My older sister, Mary Evelyn Morgan McDuff died this year.] As a senior adult, I love the old hymns, but am coming to the realization that all those were once "new", and some folks probably didn't like them.
My church has two services, the early service for traditional hymns and the later for contemporary songs. However, I don't believe they are mutually exclusive. A mixture of both would be ideal. That would let us older persons enjoy the old hymns and at least be tolerant of some of the new songs until they become established and acceptable to all, and the younger generation would get to hear the great hymns and come to appreciate them. Ed Koonce Romans 15:13
Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. NKJV Romans 15:13 3 May the God of your hope so fill you with all joy and peace in believing [through the experience of your faith] that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound and be overflowing (bubbling over) with hope. AMP Romans 15:13 13 Oh! May the God of green hope fill you up with joy, fill you up with peace, so that your believing lives, filled with the life-giving energy of the Holy Spirit, will brim over with hope! (from THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language © 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights reserved.) Romans 15:13 13 So I pray that God, who gives you hope, will keep you happy and full of peace as you believe in him. May you overflow with hope through the power of the Holy Spirit. NLT Let's do one more. I love the Phillips translation of the New Testament. Romans 15:13 13 May the God of hope fill you with joy and peace in your faith, that by the power of the Holy Spirit, your whole life and outlook may be radiant with hope. J.B. Phillips New Testament I fully agree with you in calling for a revival of the great hymns and gospel songs of the church in our worship services.
A Call for a Revival of the Great Hymns and Gospel Songs of the Church in our Worship Services?7/29/2016 In our modern era of the church, I have noticed that in some of our churches, not all, there is an absence of singing the great hymns and Gospel songs of the church. Consequently, our youth, young couples and older people are not getting in worship the kinds of Biblical theology that has been put to music to satisfy the souls of the worshipers and prepare them for daily living as a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ. I feel compelled to begin a series of publishing some of the hymns and Gospel songs that have stood the test of time and have provided a solace for peace in the battles of life, an affirmation of one's salvation and walk with Jesus Christ, and a comfort to those who know Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. I have chosen a hymn that I dearly love to sing and to hear others sing. It is entitled, "To God Be the Glory." If you will Click Here you will hear this magnificent hymn that is performed by the Royal Albert Hall audience and stage choirs in London in 2012. Now for the lyrics of "To God Be the Glory": "To God Be the Glory" Lyrics: Fanny Jane Crosby (1820-1915) Music: William Howard Doane (1832-1915) 1. To God be the glory, great things He hath done, So loved He the world that He gave us His Son, Who yielded His life our redemption to win, And opened the life-gate that all may go in. Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, Let the earth hear His voice; Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, Let the people rejoice; Oh, come to the Father, through Jesus the Son, And give Him the glory; great things He hath done. 2. Oh, perfect redemption, the purchase of blood, To every believer the promise of God; The vilest offender who truly believes, That moment from Jesus a pardon receives. 3. Great things He hath taught us, great things He hath done, And great our rejoicing through Jesus the Son; But purer, and higher, and greater will be Our wonder, our transport when Jesus we see. A person checks into a hotel for the first time in his life and goes up to his room. Five minutes later, he calls the desk and says, "You've given me a room with no exit. How do I leave?"
The desk clerk says, "Sir, that's absurd. Have you looked for the door?" The person says, "Well, there's one door that leads to the bathroom. There's a second door that goes into the closet. And there's a door I haven't tried, but it has a 'do not disturb' sign on it." What does Matthew 13:25 say? Here it is: "But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away" (NIV). Who is George O. Wood? He is the General Superintendent of the Assemblies of God (USA) and chair of the World Assemblies of God Fellowship. [Editor's note: This pastoral letter from George O. Wood is rather lengthy. However, let me encourage you to read it through to the end. He is making a case for sound thinking, prayer, and action as we consider the criticalness of the hour in which we live. I have read it though several times. I wondered if I should share it in Hugh's News, and asked God what should I do. In the process of praying, one of my contributing writers and I were talking about other matters and he asked me if I had gotten George Wood's pastoral letter. I told him I had, and was considering publishing it in Hugh's News. We discussed it, and he encourage me to publish it provided it fit in with my philosophy. So, I have chosen to publish it again on this Saturday, July 30, 2016. Here is the text of George O. Wood's pastoral letter: I feel impelled to write you this most unusual pastoral letter. I do it out of deep concern and I ask you to hear my heart. We are on the precipice of losing critical religious liberty protections in our country. Over the past 25 years, the Supreme Court has severely limited the traditional understanding of the First Amendment to the Constitution. While matters like selection of ministers and internal doctrinal issues are probably not under near-term threat, the Constitution is no longer interpreted by courts to give people of faith, as well as the schools and service ministries we form, the protection we need in order to fully live out the implications of our most cherished beliefs. Meanwhile state courts, legislatures and city councils around the country have moved to further narrow the protections granted for religious liberty, as their citizens must choose between adherence to religious faith and full participation in the public square. The threats to religious freedom that are now upon us can be likened to the frog put into a pan of water placed on the stove. The water warms gradually and the frog does not realize its peril until it is too late to jump out of the pan. Many evangelical and Pentecostal believers and leaders have not been previously alarmed at how the "pan" has been gradually heated in the assault against religious liberty. For example, in our own Fellowship I and district offices contacted nearly two thousand credentialed ministers to support a religious freedom bill just a month ago that was before a committee in the Missouri House of Representatives. Less than 15 percent of them even bothered to respond. The bill failed in committee and significant religious liberty protections were lost. We are like the situation described by Jesus in the parable of the weeds and the wheat: "But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat" (Matt. 13:25). We have largely been sleeping. Have we awakened too late? I trust not. Certainly the pending act (as of this writing) in the California legislature should wake us up. The California Senate passed Senate Bill 1146 which would either force schools like our own Vanguard University to radically change their mission or close down. The bill seeks both to shame faith-based colleges and universities and to declare their students unworthy of benefits that are made available by the state to every other similar institution in California. Vanguard's president, Dr. Mike Beals, stated: "This means that mission-based aspects of religious colleges and universities, which include prayer in classes, chapel services, spiritual formation activities and faith-infused curriculum, as well as requiring a statement of faith for admission and requiring ministry-based service experiences would be at risk if Senate Bill 1146 is passed as is." The bill is an intentional and all-out assault on our religious distinctives. As I write, the bill is under consideration by a House committee. The fact that it passed the state Senate and is under consideration by the state House should ring a ten-alarm bell. If the attempt to gut religious liberty for colleges and universities is successful in California, you can be sure other dominoes will fall in California and across the country. The secularists in our society seek to redefine the First Amendment protection of the "free exercise" of religion, to a mere right of worship. In other words, their view is: "If you are going to be bigoted in your pro-life views or your view that marriage is between a man and a woman and that fornication (both heterosexual and homosexual) is morally wrong—then you must confine your views within the four walls of your sanctuary. But don't bring your bigotry into the public square." A society that adopts such a view may be setting the stage for a future day when even a defense of Biblical teaching on human sexuality from the pulpit will bring with it the risk of punishment by the government such as in the loss of our long-held tax-exempt status without which many ministries would not survive. At a recent meeting I attended in Washington, D.C. that dealt with the protection of religious liberty, the keynote speaker stated: "We are in mortal combat in this country over religious liberty." Don't believe me? Consider what Harvard Law School professor Mark Tushnet has written: No conservatives demonstrated any interest in trading off recognition of LGBT rights for "religious liberty" protections. Only now that they've lost the battle over LGBT rights, have they made those protections central—seeing them, I suppose, as a new front in the culture wars ... [T]aking a hard line ("You lost, live with it") is better than trying to accommodate the losers ... Trying to be nice to the losers didn't work well after the Civil War, nor after Brown [v. Board of Education]. (And taking a hard line seemed to work reasonably well in Germany and Japan after 1945.) ... [T]he war's over, and we won ... [T]taking a hard line means opposing on both policy and constitutional grounds free-standing so-called "religious liberty" laws ... It also means being pretty leery about ... agreement by Christian conservatives to support extending general nondiscrimination laws to cover the LGBT community in exchange for including 'religious liberty' exemptions. On this analogy, people of faith are as bad as the Confederates and Jim Crow segregationists, as bad as World War II-era German Nazis and Japanese militarists. And notice that Tushnet is not just opposing religious freedom protections in nondiscrimination laws, he's also opposing "free-standing so-called 'religious liberty' laws." This kind of derision, by a prominent professor at an elite law school, is troubling. How did we reach the place where we are? Let me suggest the following four steps are taking place, which have brought us to this point. Caricature Let me illustrate what I mean by caricature. Picture a first-grade class. The teacher is a wonderful young woman in her late twenties with two small children at home. She leaves the room momentarily and the class clown goes to the blackboard or white board and draws a frowning stick figure and labels it "teacher." The stick figure drawn bears no relation to reality except in the mind of the first grader who drew it. So, what is the caricature being given to Bible-believing Christians by the secular left? "Hateful, mean, bigoted, narrow-minded" and a host of other terms. This caricature doesn't bear any resemblance to the overwhelming majority of Christians who bring great value to society through how they live, work and contribute to the public good. Someone has said, "If I can define you, I can confine you." Once the caricature above attaches to believing Christians, we become identified through that false lens. Thus, for example, when we attempt to support religious freedom bills in legislatures, we are immediately defined as "haters." Big businesses and the media target legislative members and engender public support for the idea that core religious rights that were long the subject of broad societal consensus, are in fact unjustifiable shields for "bigoted" religious people and institutions that must not be tolerated. Marginalization Once the caricature is drawn, then it becomes easy to move to the next step—marginalization. Think of this, for example, why is it that there is no evangelical on the Supreme Court? Evangelicals are one of the largest minorities in the United States. But, our pro-life position and views on marriage are regarded as not acceptable and militate against an appointment to the Supreme Court—and beyond that, to appellate courts and district courts. Our views are simply unacceptable to the political powers that be and we are sidelined from the public square— marginalized. Ask yourself when you vote in the 2016 election: Would this candidate for president or the senate be more likely to appoint or vote to confirm a person with a pro-life and pro-marriage position as between a man and a woman? Would the presidential candidate be more likely to appoint people who will uphold the protection of the free exercise of religion, or erode it further? Since the Supreme Court has now become a super-legislature in our country, my vote for president and Congressional candidates will depend entirely on the answers to the above questions in view of the fact that the next president will shape the Supreme Court, lower courts, and the culture of America for the next several decades. It would be a step forward for truer diversity with evangelicals on the Supreme Court as well as other federal and state courts and in the executive branch of government. But even more important is the appointment of men and women of whatever faith, who understand and respect the value of religious freedom. Otherwise, we will continually be forced out of the public square and marginalized into smaller and smaller spaces that Christians can live in. Discrimination Once you can make a caricature of a group and marginalize them, you can discriminate against them. The biggest examples of that, from a legal point of view, are the recent cases before the Supreme Court of Hobby Lobby and the Little Sisters of the Poor. In both cases, the present administration forcefully sought to discriminate against persons who, because of religious belief, did not want to facilitate abortions. Those decisions hung by a slim thread in the Supreme Court. Hobby Lobby won by a 5-4 vote, and the Little Sisters of the Poor case was sent back down to the lower courts, in all likelihood, because a majority of opinion could not be reached on a divided 4-4 Court. The appointment of one more pro-abortion judge to the Supreme Court will result in a far different result. Are you concerned about that? Do you want Hobby Lobby owners (who are Assemblies of God members) to be forced to go out of business because of their commitment to Jesus or the Little Sisters of the Poor to disband and stop serving the poor because of their convictions on life? Another example that is impacting Assemblies of God colleges and universities as well as all schools who are members of the Council of Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU) is a recent change in the Department of Education (DOE). President Obama's DOE leadership was bothered that schools like our own are exempt from Title IX provisions that permit religious educational institutions to decline admittance to or retention of students on the basis of same-sex behavior or gender identity. The DOE headlined their policy change with the caption: "Hidden Discrimination." Every school that applies for the exception (even though a valid legal argument exists that an exemption to Title IX is provided to religious schools without their having to apply for the exemption) is then publicly listed. The intent is to shame these schools for being "discriminatory." In other words, Christian institutions are discriminated against because they hold to Biblical teaching on sexual morality. The discrimination plays out in different ways. For example, a Christian college president in the northeast co-signed a letter organized by a centrist group of religious leaders asking that a then-pending executive order by President Obama on LGBT rights leave schools like his in the same legal position as before. It was polite and gracious. The community in which the college was located became enraged that the college had that position. The local school board made a decision that it would no longer accept student teachers from that college, and various public facilities were denied for usage by the college. Next on the horizon is the possibility that accrediting associations will determine that a school which has behavioral standards for students regarding same-sex or gender identity relationships is a school not worthy of accreditation, and/or that companies, school boards, and graduate schools will not admit or employ graduates of schools who "discriminate" on the basis of sexual orientation and identity. Schools will either be forced to accept standards imposed on them or go out of business. Persecution Step one: make a caricature of persons committed to Scriptural teaching on morality. Step two: marginalize them. Step three: discriminate against them. Finally, the last stage: persecute them. This is what is pending in the California legislature as I write—the outright persecution of Christian institutions by a state that says, "We will attempt to humiliate and marginalize you if you don't give in." What's next? Unless present trends are reversed, I can envision a day not too far off in which faith-based parachurch educational and compassion institutions are forced to close if they retain Biblical standards of sexual conduct for employment, or even requirements that employees, faculty, or students profess a Christian commitment. The local church itself will be the last domino to fall in terms of persecution. Tax-exempt status may be lost. Ministers could lose the ministerial housing allowance. Donors may not be able to deduct charitable contributions. Churches which utilize their facilities for public events and compassion ministry, in addition to their times of worship, will be declared public places of accommodation and forced to provide marriage services to same-sex couples. If you say, "Oh, that can never happen in America," then let me remind you that we never thought a day would come when the White House would be lit up with the rainbow flag to celebrate a decision by the Supreme Court to legalize same-sex marriage. I have never written anything like I am writing to you now. I realize that what I am writing paints a very dark picture. You are now asking yourself, but what can we do? Here are some suggestions. Pray There may be some who are cynical about a call to pray. But, we know the Lord hears the prayers of His people. Let's take to heart 2 Chronicles 7:14, "If My people, who are called by My Name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land." We must pray for a third Great Awakening to come to America. Prayers of gratitude for the religious liberty we have enjoyed, and prayers of petition for its future protection should be an ongoing and regular part of our personal and corporate prayer life. Engage Use whatever means possible to exert your influence on our culture and political system. Be informed as a voter. Run as a candidate for office if you sense the Spirit asking that of you. Let your elected representatives hear from you on issues such as religious liberty protection. It's also vital that we understand that we advocate religious liberty for others, not just ourselves. It is against our religion to impose our religion. When we find persons, organizations, or religious bodies who stand with us on the First Amendment protection of the free exercise of religion, then we welcome their advocacy alongside our own. Of course, being engaged requires being informed; helping those who worship in our churches every week to understand the nature of the challenges we face, honestly but without overstating, is a critical first step. Had Christians across Missouri truly understood what was at stake in the religious liberty bill that failed in that state legislature earlier this year, the outcome may have been different. We must educate in order to inspire action. Watch Your Spirit There's a fascinating verse in Jude 9 that says, Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil in a dispute about the body of Moses, did not dare to pronounce upon him a railing judgment. But he said, "The Lord rebuke you!'" In other words, Michael did not behave like the devil in fighting the devil. We must take to heart the admonition of the apostle Paul, "The servant of the Lord must not quarrel, but must be gentle toward all people ..." Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will "grant them repentance to a know the truth" (2 Tim. 2:24–25). Let's be gracious as we take our stand on issues that concern us. Do Good The world may not agree with our beliefs, but they cannot deny when we do good. As individual believers and as a church together we must continue to serve others. We must be known as people of compassion and mercy. We are for the just treatment of others and we help the poor, the needy, the addicted, the wounded, the lonely and the downtrodden. Keep Doing the Main Things Our first and foremost call is to preach and live the gospel. Let's keep the main things the plain things, and the plain things the main things. We must fulfill both the Great Commission (Matt. 28:18–20) and the Great Commandment (Matt. 22:37–39). That's our priority! Let's never substitute evangelism and discipleship with political action. Let's keep eternal matters and temporal matters in perspective. |Our Battle Is Spiritual God loved the world and so must we. We cannot give others any reason to identify us a "haters" or "bigots." The world will not be won by Christians who are shaking their fists at sinners. Something is a truism when it is true. This truism is true: "We must hate the sin and love the sinner." "For our fight is not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, and against spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having done all, to stand" (Eph. 6:12–13). Rejoice Nothing happening has caught the Lord by surprise. He told us we would be persecuted because of our loyalty to Him. But we are not to be angry about that or downcast. Instead, Jesus said: "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when men revile you, and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake.12 Rejoice and be very glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in this manner they persecuted the prophets who were before you" (Matt. 5:10–12). Thank you for letting me share my heart with you on this vital matter of religious liberty. In every dark time, believers have learned to say anew, "The Lord reigns!" George O. Wood is general superintendent of the Assemblies of God (USA) and chair of the World Assemblies of God Fellowship. Ismail Serinken, who is a Turkish national, is ministering with his family in Turkey as we speak. The situation is volatile there. According to Ismail’s Facebook page, he says “Turkey declared a state of emergency for the next 3 months. Please pray for Turkey!” About the time of the attack in Nice, France, there was a failed coup in Istanbul, Turkey. However, things are still uncertain in the land known as Asia Minor in the Bible. The Apostle Paul spoke to many of the churches there and God certainly has not finished His work there. I have had the privilege of hearing Ismail speak a couple of times. He has a dynamic testimony. Although he grew up as a Muslim, he saw a vision of Jesus as a child, and later was converted to Christianity by a Korean professor at Ankara University. Shortly after his conversion, Ismail sheepishly witnessed to his parents fearing their rejection. But, amazingly, they were both saved and are devout Christians today. Please pray for our dynamic Turkish missionary. He is ministering with his family, and as we uphold them in prayer, God will protect them. Thank you for your prayerful support! Blessings, Greg Morgan Someone said that the composers of this modern "7/11" chants, so popular in many churches today, probably all escaped from the asylum for the musically deaf. Shallow music- shallow church!
Numbers 6:22-27
And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: 23 "Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, 'This is the way you shall bless the children of Israel. Say to them: 24 "The LORD bless you and keep you; 25 The LORD make His face shine upon you, And be gracious to you; 26 The LORD lift up His countenance upon you, And give you peace."' 27 "So they shall put My name on the children of Israel, and I will bless them." NKJV [Editor's Comment: When you receive this benediction given to Moses by God to pass on to Aaron and his sons, the priests, then God Himself will bless you. It is in the receiving of God's Word that we are blessed. God really cares about you. God wants to keep you, be gracious to you, and give you peace.] I NEED YOUR FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTIONS NOW.
AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS NEWSLETTER IS A BRIEF PARAGRAPH EXPLAINING HOW YOU CAN GIVE ONLINE WITH YOUR CREDIT CARD. You may also send your contribution by mail to: Hugh's News, Inc. 17 Sweet Apple Lane Winder, GA 30680 Please make checks payable to Hugh's News, Inc., not Hugh Morgan. When you give by check or money order, please give me your email address so I can rapidly respond to your gift. Your contribution is tax deductible. Hugh's News, Inc. enjoys a 501 (C) (3) IRS Tax Exempt Status that enables you to get a tax break when filing your Federal Income Return, and we are registered with the Georgia Secretary of State as a non-profit evangelistic corporation. Thank you for your contributions to this ministry that keeps you informed and connected with the IPHC family and the Body of Christ worldwide! Rio de Janeiro, Brazil--Emmanuel College men's swimming freshmen Alex Sobers (Bridgetown, Barbados) will represent his home country of Barbados in the 2016 Rio Olympics. The incoming freshmen will compete in the men's 400 meter freestyle during the Rio games (August 5-21).
After recording the top time among Barbadian male swimmers (3:57.30 in the 400 LCM free) during the Olympic qualification period from March 1, 2015 to July 3, 2016, Sobers officially qualified for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from August 5-21, the Barbados Olympic Association (BOA) announced. Head Coach, Allen Gilchrest commented: "We are so excited for Alex, and his family! Representing his country in the Olympics is a dream come true and such a blessing! The entire Emmanuel swim team will be cheering him on from Georgia!" Swimming at the Olympics will take place from Saturday, August 6 through Saturday, August13 with preliminary events beginning at 12 p.m. ET and the finals running at 9 p.m. ET. NBC will broadcast the Opening Ceremony of the Rio Olympics on Friday, August 5 on a one-hour delay beginning at 8 p.m. ET. Additionally, each event can be seen on the NBCOlympics.com live stream. "I live by this credo: Have a little laugh at life and look around you for happiness instead of sadness. Laughter has always brought me out of unhappy situations. Even in your darkest moment, you usually can find something to laugh about if you try hard enough. If I can make people laugh, then I have served my purpose for God."-- Red Skelton
On July 29, 1775, the Continental Congress under the advisement of George Washington, authorized pay for one chaplain for each regiment of the Army. Since that time, more than 25,000 Army chaplains have served as religious and spiritual leaders for over 25 million Soldiers and their families. Always present with their Soldiers in war and in peace, Army chaplains have served in more than 270 wars and combat engagements. Some 400 Army chaplains have laid down their lives in battle. Six have been awarded the Medal of Honor. Their love of God, country and the American Soldier has been a beacon of light and a message of hope for all those who have served our nation. Today over 2,700 chaplains are serving the total Army representing over 130 different religious organizations. Army Unit Ministry Teams (Chaplains and Chaplain Assistants) assist our Soldiers, families, Department of Defense personnel, and other support personnel to stay spiritually strong and resilient in every possible setting. They faithfully provide ministry as they encourage the living, care for the wounded, and honor the fallen. Currently, in the Army, Air Force, and Navy, the IPHC has 14 chaplains on active duty, 5 Reserves/National Guard, 5 Chaplain Candidates, 14 retired chaplains, and 2 retired chaplain assistants. Our thanks and prayers go to all who served and continue to serve in the Chaplain Corps. I NEED YOUR FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTIONS NOW.
AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS NEWSLETTER IS A BRIEF PARAGRAPH EXPLAINING HOW YOU CAN GIVE ONLINE WITH YOUR CREDIT CARD. You may also send your contribution by mail to: Hugh's News, Inc. 17 Sweet Apple Lane Winder, GA 30680 Please make checks payable to Hugh's News, Inc., not Hugh Morgan. When you give by check or money order, please give me your email address so I can rapidly respond to your gift. Your contribution is tax deductible. Hugh's News, Inc. enjoys a 501 (C) (3) IRS Tax Exempt Status that enables you to get a tax break when filing your Federal Income Return, and we are registered with the Georgia Secretary of State as a non-profit evangelistic corporation. Thank you for your contributions to this ministry that keeps you informed and connected with the IPHC family and the Body of Christ worldwide! |