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  • Hugh's News Poster
  • Stephanie
  • Through the Years with Billy and Ruth Grahm
HUGH'S NEWS

​

Lighten Up with Laughter

4/18/2021

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A man and a little boy entered a barbershop together. After the man received the full treatment--shave, shampoo, manicure, haircut, etc.--he placed the boy in the chair.

"I'm goin' to buy a green tie to wear for the parade," he said. "I'll be back in a few minutes."

When the boy's haircut was completed and the man still hadn't returned, the barber said, "Looks like your daddy's forgotten all about you."

"That wasn't my daddy," said the boy. "He just walked up, took me by the hand and said, 'Come on, son, we're gonna get a free haircut!'"
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Your Editor is reading the Book of Exodus once again

4/18/2021

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PictureHugh H. Morgan, Editor
Reading the Book of Exodus

Author: Hugh H. Morgan

In recent days, I have decided to read again the Book of Exodus. It is one of the most exciting books in the Bible. It is positioned as the second Book in the Bible. It has been said to be to the Old Testament what the Gospels are to the New Testament. It is here in this Book that the redemptive purposes of God are clearly revealed. God hears the cries of His people who are in Egyptian bondage and acts to redeem them.

It is a Book that that Jesus knew and no doubt had memorized as well as the first five books of the Old Testament known as the Pentateuch.

As you read it you will be thrilled to learn how God used Moses and Aaron in dealing with the King of Egypt, known as the Pharaoh. The patience of Moses was tested over and over again by the hardened heart of this king. Moses stayed with the calling of God upon his life and through miracles, signs, and wonders including 10 plagues brought to the people of Egypt.

You will learn about the Passover and the sacrifice of a lamb or a goat without blemish. The blood of the slain animal was to be placed on the top and sides of the door in each home of the Children of Israel. When the death angel came and saw the blood he would pass over that home and no one in that home died. However, among the Egyptians the first born in each home died, including the first born of their animals.

Jesus is known as the Lamb of God Who takes away sins of the world. No bone of the lamb at Passover was to be broken. This was true of Jesus, He died and the soldiers did not have to break His bones as they did the two thieves crucified on each side of Jesus.

I trust you will read this book with me. It will enrich your spiritual life and faith in God. Allow God to speak to you as you read and study this important Book in the Old Testament.

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Wishing Marguerite Howard a 93rd Belated Birthday

4/18/2021

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PictureMarguerite Howard, 93 years old
​Sunday, April 18, 2021, was the 93rd birthday of Marguerite Howard. She and her husband, Hobert, reside in Rolling Green Retirement Village in Greenville, SC.

You may wish to send Marguerite Howard a belated birthday card.

Her mailing address is:

Marguerite Howard
#3 Hoke Smith Blvd
Apartment D109
Greenville, SC 29615

You may give her a call. That phone number is:

850-445-5610

You will enjoy hearing her lovely voice when you call. I talk with Marguerite and Hobert Howard very often. They are our prayer partners and dear friends. 

The Howards were seasoned IPHC missionaries to India for almost 62 years. What a legacy they have established. The IPHC churches in North India have grown exponentially as new churches are being planted continually. In addition, they are sending missionaries to other countries.

Today, in their retirement years they reside in independent living in one of the finest retirement villages in the nation, Rolling Green Retirement Village in Greenville, SC.

Happy belated birthday to Marguerite.

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Celebration of Life Service for Michelle Bachelor in OKC

4/18/2021

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PictureMichelle Bachelor
Celebration of Life Service for Michelle Bachelor at Minchew Auditorium at Southwestern Christian University.

Message from Andrea Bachelor Eby (Michell Bachelor’s daughter)

To our dear family and friends...how do I write these words to you? My beloved, beautiful mom passed away. I have thousands of things to say and also no words. Our hearts are broken. 

For those who knew her, you know the light that she carried. The brightest, kindest, fiercest light I’ve ever known. The world feels darker today.

Thank you all for praying for her. We are so grateful for every message, text and call. We love you all so very much.
We are simply overwhelmed at all the tributes and memories shared about my mom. We have laughed and we have cried reading through the memories and stories. Thank you so much for sharing it all with us. 
​
Below are the details for the Celebration of Life Service in Oklahoma. 

Saturday, April 24
4pm
​
Minchew Auditorium
7300 39th Expressway 
Bethany, OK

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Never Separated from God

4/18/2021

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PictureAnne Graham Lotz
Never Separated from God

Author: Anne Graham Lotz

"I and My Father are one" (John 10:30, NKJV).

“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matt. 27:46, NIV). The words came from the cracked lips and the crushed heart of God’s Son as His tortured body and fevered mind were pushed to the outer limits of endurance. For the first time in eternity, the Father and Son were actually separated. They were separated by all of your sins and my sins, which came between Them.

Even when Jesus had been alone in a crowd, or alone on a mountainside, or alone on the lake He had never truly been alone! His Father had always been with Him. He and His Father were so close they were One. To be separated was a spiritual death that was worse than a living nightmare. It was hell!

No one on this side of hell will ever know the loneliness Jesus endured on the Cross-in your place and mine. When we claim the Lamb as our own sacrifice for sin, we will never be separated from God, because Jesus was.

Blessings,

Anne Graham Lotz

Copyright © 2021 Anne Graham Lotz (AnGeL Ministries) Raleigh, North Carolina, USA. Used by permission. All rights reserved www.annegrahamlotz.org. 

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EC President's Prayer Group

4/18/2021

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PictureDr. Ron White, President of Emmanuel College
​President's Prayer Group

Ron White

"In the full assembly I will praise you for what you have done; in the presence of those who worship you I will offer the sacrifices I promised" (Psalm 22:25, GNT).

Thank God for blessing Emmanuel College in her ministry and mission to educate and influence the next generation. 

Give thanks every Sunday for God's abundant blessings on Emmanuel College, and praise the Lord for who he is, for being God who is with us.

Pray daily for the few among our students and employees who have the corona virus. Pray for their healing and comfort. Pray for our COVID-19 Response Team that cares for students in quarantine and isolation. Pray for the eradication of this virus.

Thank you for praying. 

 
Ron White, Ed.D.
President
Emmanuel College
181 Spring Street
Franklin Springs, GA 30639
706-245-2803

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Will You Receive the Benediction?

4/18/2021

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Numbers 6:22-27   When this blessing is pronounced God blesses His people, Jews and Gentiles alike.

The Lord said to Moses, 23 "Tell Aaron and his sons, 'This is how you are to bless the Israelites. 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 turn His face toward you
and give you peace." '  

27 "So they will put My Name on the Israelites, and I will bless them." 
NIV
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Lighten Up with Laughter

4/17/2021

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At a clearance sale, the wife of a federal district court judge found a green tie that was a perfect match for one of her husband's sports jackets.

Soon after, while the couple was vacationing at a resort complex to get his mind off a rather complicated cocaine conspiracy case, he noticed a small, round disc sewn into the design of the tie.

The judge showed it to a local FBI agent, who was equally suspicious that it might be a 'bug' planted by the conspiracy defendants. The agent sent the device to FBI headquarters In Washington, DC for analysis.

Two weeks later, the judge phoned the Washington office to learn the results of their tests.

"We're not sure where the disc came from," the FBI told him, "but we discovered that when you press it, it plays 'Jingle Bells.'"
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"I'm So Glad You Got to Meet Me!"

4/17/2021

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PictureMelvine Stewart Morgan, December 16, 1934 -January 17, 2020
"I'm So Glad You Got to Meet Me!"

Author: Hugh H. Morgan
​
 
"I'm So Glad You Got to Meet Me!" was Melvine's often repeated statement to friends, loved ones, and new comers.

Melvine had written a number of chapters about her life for a book she had hoped to have published that would have been entitled, I'm So Glad You Got to Meet Me! 

That simple but profound statement disarmed people and it was a way of inviting those she met to know that Melvine loved them and cared about them deeply.

As we would greet the people in the lobby of our churches our chapels in the Air Force at the close of a worship service she would tell each person the same identical message, "I'm So Glad You Got to Meet Me!" She would never scold or demean anyone. She would never ask a person, "Where were you last Sunday?" Melvine did not stand in judgment of others. She would always give each person a sense of her loving care and welcomed people into her heart, life and ministry.

Melvine was a joyful Christian and that joy was contagious. She sprinkled cheer and gladness wherever she went. She lightened up every room she entered. She exuded confidence and faith in God Whom she loved with all her heart. She died a victorious Christian. I was with her when she breathed her last breath and closed beautiful dark brown eyes. I had just released her soul and spirit to go to be with the Lord and telling her how much I loved her. I believe that one day in the near future I will see and be with her again in heaven.

Yesterday, April 17, 2021 was the 15th month anniversary of the death of my beloved wife, Melvine, and her going to be with the Lord of Glory forever. Had she lived until August 13, 2020, we would have been married for 60 years.  I met and courted Melvine for three years prior to our marriage. That means I had known her for 63 years. 

PictureMelvine Stewart, my beautiful bride, stands facing me at our wedding ceremony on Saturday, August 13, 1960.
When I fell in love with Melvine it was forever. It happened at the moment when I saw her for the first time in a worship service in Appomattox, VA.  I have enjoyed Nat King Cole's rendition of "When I Fall in Love" in singing this magnificent song over the years. Please Click Here to hear this beautiful song that describes my love for Melvine. I cherish the many years God gave us to be married and raise our children to love and reverence God and to give their lives to Him in service to others.

Through the many years of our marriage we enjoyed living in Wilmore, KY, Brownville, AL (near Evergreen), Tacoma, WA, Anchorage, AK, Houston, TX, Dayton, OH, Stone Mountain, GA, San Antonio, TX, Oklahoma City, OK, Birmingham, AL, Athens, GA, Richmond, VA, and Winder, GA. We have met hundreds of people and made many friends whom we cherish. We have traveled to many countries like, Madrid, Spain, Milano, Italy, Cologne-Bonn, West Germany, Liège, Belgium, London, England, Windsor Castle, Rome, Italy, Catania, Sicily, Frankfurt, Germany, Hong Kong and Beijing, China, Budapest, Hungary, Vienna and Salzburg, Austria, Canada and Israel. We have traveled to Costa Rica on two occasions, and several Caribbean Countries. I have traveled to Cuba, Ukraine, and Romania.

We have been greatly blessed by God and owe our lives to Him. We endeavored to put Jesus Christ first in our lives, ministry, and to be obedient to His will and ways as He directed us.

Picture
Hugh & Melvine Morgan
Picture
Melvine & Hugh prior her death @ Franklin Springs P.H. Church
Picture
Melvine at the Centennial Celebration at Emmanuel College
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Has Hugh's News Lived Up to Your Expectations?

4/17/2021

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PictureHugh H. Morgan, Editor
Has Hugh's News Lived Up to Your Expectations?

​Author: Hugh H. Morgan
 
I tend to overuse the word "Copacetic." I learned that word in 1952 when I was a freshman at Emmanuel College.  I was fascinated by the words I was learning. Copacetic means: excellent, superb, beyond all expectations. 

If Hugh's News has lived up to your expectations or even beyond them, may I encourage you to consider giving a donation to Hugh's News to demonstrate your appreciation for Hugh's News.

Many readers are giving via a credit card. Others are giving by mailing a check.

Please Click Here on this hyperlink to learn how you can effectively and safely give to Hugh's News. In giving by check, if you would kindly include your telephone number and email address that will enable me to respond immediately by sending your an email recognizing and thanking your for your contribution.

From the bottom of my heart I want to thank you for your giving.

I have just renewed our Web Domain, Hugh's News.Com, for 5 years. If I live that long I will be 93 years old. 

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Celebration of Life Service in OKC for Michelle Bachelor

4/17/2021

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PictureMichelle Bachelor
Message from Andrea Bachelor Eby (Michell Bachelor’s daughter)

To our dear family and friends...how do I write these words to you? My beloved, beautiful mom passed away. I have thousands of things to say and also no words. Our hearts are broken. 

For those who knew her, you know the light that she carried. The brightest, kindest, fiercest light I’ve ever known. The world feels darker today.

Thank you all for praying for her. We are so grateful for every message, text and call. We love you all so very much.
We are simply overwhelmed at all the tributes and memories shared about my mom. We have laughed and we have cried reading through the memories and stories. Thank you so much for sharing it all with us. 
​
Below are the details for the Celebration of Life Service in Oklahoma. 

Saturday, April 24
4pm

Minchew Auditorium
7300 39th Expressway 
Bethany, OK

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"Here I Stand, God Help Me" -- Martin Luther

4/17/2021

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PictureBishop Doug Beacham, General Superintendent of the IPHC
"Here I Stand, God Help Me" -- Martin Luther

Author: Bishop Doug Beacham

The winds of change blow constantly. There are mild, refreshing breezes. There are destructive hurricanes or tornado gales. How do we as followers of Jesus stand as the breezes and gales blow around us? How do we stand and not become cemented in a distant past? How do we stand, and yet move, as the Holy Spirit guides us? The life of Martin Luther, the man credited as starting the Protestant Reformation, gives us insight on how we faithfully stand in the storms of life. Let me begin with a story from four years ago.

The week of October 31, 2017, several hundred Pentecostal people from around the world gathered in Berlin and in the Castle Church at Wittenberg, Germany to commemorate the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther nailing the Ninety-Five Theses to the church door. That act is considered the beginning of the Protestant Reformation. I, along with other IPHC members from around the world, participated in that commemoration.

While that date remains significant in world history, there is another date and event involving Martin Luther that is in many ways even more important. That date is April 17-18, 1521. That is the day that Luther stood before the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, Charles V in the city of Worms, Germany. Luther refused to renounce his writings because they were based on the Word of God.

Luther’s study of the Word of God had led him to recognize and oppose various abuses in the Roman Catholic Church. But his calls for repentance and reformation were rejected by the established church. Luther’s challenges also affected the political realities of a changing order across Europe. The April 1521 events in Worms were preceded by Luther burning a papal order against him on December 10, 1520. In response, Rome officially excommunicated the reformer on January 3, 1521. With the urging of political leaders sympathetic to Luther, the Emperor offered Luther another opportunity to renounce his views.

The critical meeting was held on late Monday afternoon, April 18. There, Luther refused to renounce his books, teaching, and preaching, claiming, “Unless I am convinced by the testimony of the Scriptures or by clear reason, I am bound by the Scriptures I have quoted, and my conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and will not retract anything since it is neither safe nor right to go against conscience. I cannot do otherwise, here I stand; may God help me. Amen.”

The Word of God, justification by faith, and the universal priesthood of all believers is the solid ground upon which we can stand as the winds of the world swirl around us.

This part of Luther’s life is a great example and inspiration for all men. It takes courage to do what Luther did in speaking out against abuses, injustices, and corruption. Today, more than ever, we need men who are willing to stand firm on the truth of God’s Word as we relate to our families, our jobs, and our service to Christ in the church. I want to explore with you some thoughts about how we daily incorporate three areas of Reformation emphasis. First, the authority of the Bible as the Word of God over all other authorities. Second, we are justified before God by faith and not by works. Third, every believer is a priest before God and needs no other mediator other than Jesus Christ.

The foundation of our faith is revealed in the Word of God. The Bible is the book source of God’s will for humanity. It tells the story of God’s covenants and His commitment to people who believe His Word. Luther’s courage came about by his dedicated study of the Bible. From 1513 through 1519 he studied, in depth, Genesis, the Psalms, Romans, Galatians, and Hebrews. It was from this immersion in the Word that Luther discovered life-changing truths, and the courage to act on those truths.

You may be thinking you do not have time to study God’s Word as Luther did, and you are probably right. But each of us has time each day to take a portion of the Bible, study it, pray over it, talk about it with others, and ask the Holy Spirit to apply it to how we live. While driving, you can listen to podcasts about the Bible. At home, you can turn off Netflix and read a devotional book with your spouse and children. At church, take your Bible with you as a book or App and take notes. Do what you can to build your life upon the Word of God.

Second, discover the joy of living in the freedom of forgiven sin and victory over the temptations of life. Justification by faith means we fully trust in what Jesus did on the cross for our salvation. Righteous works are important, but they do not justify us before God. We cannot earn our salvation. We are fallen men, and only by the blood of Jesus can we be set free. As the old hymn put it, “Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe, sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow.” To know we are justified by faith is to know our sins are forgiven, we are adopted as sons of God, and we can serve God with joy and peace.

Third, every person has gifts from God. The basic gifts of our lives are those with which we are born. Everyone has something they do well, that fits their “wheelhouse.” We like to do these things and are effective as we do them. But we also have spiritual gifts that come from the Holy Spirit. We do not earn these gifts, but we receive them with thanksgiving and use them as the Holy Spirit prompts us.

It is important we as men discover what it means to come before the Lord through the name of Jesus and through His grace. In reality, our acceptance before God so that we can pray, can worship, and can serve the Lord, comes through the liberty we have as a result of justification by faith. Our service to God, to one another, to our families, and to the world flows from our relationship with our Heavenly Father through Jesus Christ.

The Reformation called this the universal priesthood of all believers. It means we can learn from one another and can serve one another. It means we can “boldly come to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16).

The Word of God, justification by faith, and the universal priesthood of all believers is the solid ground upon which we can stand as the winds of the world swirl around us. May we stand together as witnesses to Jesus Christ!

W.A. Mills sat down with Bishop Beacham to talk more about the 500th Anniversary of Luther's "Here I Stand" statement and how that applies to our lives today. You can listen to that podcast at this link.

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EC ​President's Prayer Group

4/17/2021

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PictureDr. Ron White, President of Emmanuel College
​President's Prayer Group

Author: Ron White

"O Lord, rescue me from evil people. Protect me from those who are violent, those who plot evil in their hearts and stir up trouble all day long" (Psalm 140:1-2, NLT).

Pray for obstacles to be cleared and the way opened before us to advance Emmanuel College to greater degrees of effectiveness in education and ministry.

Pray every Saturday for the preservation of religious freedoms throughout our nation. Pray that no law, regulation, or court case will impede Christian colleges and universities in maintaining scriptural standards.

Pray daily for the few among our students and employees who have the corona virus. Pray for their healing and comfort. Pray for our COVID-19 Response Team that cares for students in quarantine and isolation. Pray for the eradication of this virus.

Thank you for praying. 
​
Ron White, Ed.D.
President
Emmanuel College
181 Spring Street
Franklin Springs, GA 30639
706-245-2803

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God Reaches Down to Man

4/17/2021

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​God Reaches Down to Man

Author: Anne Graham Lotz

"I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me" (John 14:6, NKJV).

Karl Barth, one of the twentieth century’s premier theologians, said that all religion is man reaching up to God in his own way, according to his own terms, on his own merit, in his own strength. Christianity alone is God reaching down to man.

All non-Judeo-Christian religions are an expression of man’s defiance of God, including His way, His will, and His work. If you ask most people today why they think God will let them into heaven, they will say something like, “I try to be good. I go to church. I’m not perfect, but I believe God will weigh my good deeds against my bad deeds, and I hope the good outweighs the bad. If it does, He will let me into heaven.” It is man’s pride that believes God somehow owes him a heavenly home or eternal life as a reward for good deeds or extra effort or earnest sincerity. But heaven cannot be earned or deserved or bought, which is why God has reached down and just given us Jesus!

Blessings,

Anne Graham Lotz

Copyright © 2021 Anne Graham Lotz (AnGeL Ministries) Raleigh, North Carolina, USA. Used by permission. All rights reserved www.annegrahamlotz.org.   
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Will You Receive the Benediction?

4/17/2021

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Ephesians 3:20    What God can do when we pray

Now unto Him Who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us.
NKJV

+++++
Ephesian 3:20  Our God is able to do immeasurably more . . .
Now to Him Who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us.
NIV
+++++
​Ephesians 3:20-21

20 God can do anything, you know — far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us. 

21 Glory to God in the church!
Glory to God in the Messiah, in Jesus!
Glory down all the generations!
Glory through all millennia! Oh, yes! 
(from THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language © 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights reserved.)

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Lighten Up with Laughter

4/16/2021

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​One day, a father of a very wealthy family took his son on a trip to the country with the firm purpose of showing his son how poor people live. They spent a couple of days and nights on the farm of what would be considered a very poor family. On their return from their trip, the father asked his son, "How was the trip?"

"It was great, Dad."
"Did you see how poor people live?" the father asked.
"Oh yeah," said the son.
"So, tell me, what did you learn from the trip?" asked the father.

The son answered, "I saw that we have one dog and they had four. We have a pool that reaches to the middle of our garden, and they have a creek that has no end. We have imported lanterns in our garden, and they have the stars at night. Our patio reaches to the front yard, and they have the whole horizon. We have a small piece of land to live on, and they have fields that go beyond our sight. We have servants who serve us, but they serve others. We buy our food, but they grow theirs. We have walls around our property to protect us; they have friends to protect them."

The boy's father was speechless.

Then his son added, "Thanks, Dad, for showing me how poor we are."
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"I'm So Glad You Got to Meet Me!"

4/16/2021

0 Comments

 
PictureMelvine Stewart Morgan, December 16, 1934 -January 17, 2020
"I'm So Glad You Got to Meet Me!" was Melvine's often repeated statement to friends, loved ones, and new comers.

Melvine had written a number of chapters in a book she had hoped to have published that would have been entitled, I'm So Glad You Got to Meet Me! 

That simple but profound statement disarmed people and it was a way of inviting others to know that Melvine loved them and cared about them deeply.

Melvine was a joyful Christian and that joy was contagious. She sprinkled cheer and gladness wherever she went. She lightened up every room she entered. She exuded confidence and faith in God. She died a victorious Christian. I believe that one day in the near future I will see and be with her again in heaven.

As we would greet the people in the lobby of our churches our chapels at the close of a worship service she would tell each person the same identical message, "I'm So Glad You Got to Meet Me!" She would never scold or demean anyone. She would never ask a person, "Where were you last Sunday?" Melvine did not stand in judgment of others. She would always give each person a sense of her loving care and welcomed people into her heart, life and ministry.

Today, April 17, 2021 is the 15th month anniversary of her death of my beloved wife and going to be with the Lord of Glory forever. Had she lived until August 13, 2020, we would have been married for 60 years.  I met and courted Melvine for three years prior to our marriage. That means I had known her for 63 years. 

When I fell in love with Melvine it was forever. It happened when I saw her for the first time in a worship service in Appomattox, VA.  I have enjoyed Nat King Cole's rendition of singing this popular song over the years. Please Click Here to hear this beautiful song that describes my love for Melvine. I cherish the many years God gave us to be married and raise our children to love and reverence God and to give their lives to Him in service to others.

Though the many years of our marriage enjoyed living in Wilmore, KY, Brownville, AL (near Evergreen), Tacoma, WA, Anchorage, AK, Houston, TX, Dayton, OH, Stone Mountain, GA, San Antonio, TX, Oklahoma City, OK, Birmingham, AL, Athens, GA, Richmond, VA, and Winder, GA. We have met hundreds of people and made many friends. We have traveled to many countries like, Madrid, Spain, Milano, Italy, Cologne-Bonn, West Germany, Liège, Belgium, London, England, Windsor Castle, Rome, Italy, Catania, Sicily, Frankfurt, Germany, Hong Kong and Beijing, China, Budapest, Hungary, Vienna and Salzburg, Austria, Canada and Israel. We have traveled to Costa Rica on two occasions, and several Caribbean Countries. I have traveled to Cuba, Ukraine, and Romania.

We have been greatly blessed by God and owe our lives to Him.

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​“It Is Finished”

4/16/2021

0 Comments

 
PictureAnne Graham Lotz
​“It Is Finished”

Author: Anne Graham Lotz

He said, "It is finished!" And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit (John 19:30, NKJV).

After nine hours of standing on His feet, after being scourged, slapped, and manhandled, after six hours of hanging on the Cross, the average person would have barely had enough life and breath left to even whisper. But Jesus, the Lamb of God, with life still fully flowing through His body, shouted out in a clear, ringing, triumphant voice, “It is finished.” The price for our redemption had been paid! The sacrifice for our sin had been made! Sin was forgiven! Guilt was atoned for! Eternal life was now offered! Heaven has been opened! It is finished!

You don’t have to do more good works than bad works.

You don’t have to go to church every time the door opens.

You don’t have to climb the stairs to some statue.

You don’t have to be religious.

You don’t even have to be good!

It is finished! Sin is forgivable for everyone! The price has been paid!

Blessings,

Anne Graham Lotz

Copyright © 2021 Anne Graham Lotz (AnGeL Ministries) Raleigh, North Carolina, USA. Used by permission. All rights reserved www.annegrahamlotz.org.   

0 Comments

"Here I Stand, God Help Me"

4/16/2021

0 Comments

 
PictureBishop Doug Beacham, General Superintendent of the IPHC
"Here I Stand, God Help Me" -- Martin Luther

Author: Bishop Doug Beacham

The winds of change blow constantly. There are mild, refreshing breezes. There are destructive hurricanes or tornado gales. How do we as followers of Jesus stand as the breezes and gales blow around us? How do we stand and not become cemented in a distant past? How do we stand, and yet move, as the Holy Spirit guides us? The life of Martin Luther, the man credited as starting the Protestant Reformation, gives us insight on how we faithfully stand in the storms of life. Let me begin with a story from four years ago.

The week of October 31, 2017, several hundred Pentecostal people from around the world gathered in Berlin and in the Castle Church at Wittenberg, Germany to commemorate the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther nailing the Ninety-Five Theses to the church door. That act is considered the beginning of the Protestant Reformation. I, along with other IPHC members from around the world, participated in that commemoration.

While that date remains significant in world history, there is another date and event involving Martin Luther that is in many ways even more important. That date is April 17-18, 1521. That is the day that Luther stood before the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, Charles V in the city of Worms, Germany. Luther refused to renounce his writings because they were based on the Word of God.

Luther’s study of the Word of God had led him to recognize and oppose various abuses in the Roman Catholic Church. But his calls for repentance and reformation were rejected by the established church. Luther’s challenges also affected the political realities of a changing order across Europe. The April 1521 events in Worms were preceded by Luther burning a papal order against him on December 10, 1520. In response, Rome officially excommunicated the reformer on January 3, 1521. With the urging of political leaders sympathetic to Luther, the Emperor offered Luther another opportunity to renounce his views.

The critical meeting was held on late Monday afternoon, April 18. There, Luther refused to renounce his books, teaching, and preaching, claiming, “Unless I am convinced by the testimony of the Scriptures or by clear reason, I am bound by the Scriptures I have quoted, and my conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and will not retract anything since it is neither safe nor right to go against conscience. I cannot do otherwise, here I stand; may God help me. Amen.”

The Word of God, justification by faith, and the universal priesthood of all believers is the solid ground upon which we can stand as the winds of the world swirl around us.

This part of Luther’s life is a great example and inspiration for all men. It takes courage to do what Luther did in speaking out against abuses, injustices, and corruption. Today, more than ever, we need men who are willing to stand firm on the truth of God’s Word as we relate to our families, our jobs, and our service to Christ in the church. I want to explore with you some thoughts about how we daily incorporate three areas of Reformation emphasis. First, the authority of the Bible as the Word of God over all other authorities. Second, we are justified before God by faith and not by works. Third, every believer is a priest before God and needs no other mediator other than Jesus Christ.

The foundation of our faith is revealed in the Word of God. The Bible is the book source of God’s will for humanity. It tells the story of God’s covenants and His commitment to people who believe His Word. Luther’s courage came about by his dedicated study of the Bible. From 1513 through 1519 he studied, in depth, Genesis, the Psalms, Romans, Galatians, and Hebrews. It was from this immersion in the Word that Luther discovered life-changing truths, and the courage to act on those truths.

You may be thinking you do not have time to study God’s Word as Luther did, and you are probably right. But each of us has time each day to take a portion of the Bible, study it, pray over it, talk about it with others, and ask the Holy Spirit to apply it to how we live. While driving, you can listen to podcasts about the Bible. At home, you can turn off Netflix and read a devotional book with your spouse and children. At church, take your Bible with you as a book or App and take notes. Do what you can to build your life upon the Word of God.

Second, discover the joy of living in the freedom of forgiven sin and victory over the temptations of life. Justification by faith means we fully trust in what Jesus did on the cross for our salvation. Righteous works are important, but they do not justify us before God. We cannot earn our salvation. We are fallen men, and only by the blood of Jesus can we be set free. As the old hymn put it, “Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe, sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow.” To know we are justified by faith is to know our sins are forgiven, we are adopted as sons of God, and we can serve God with joy and peace.

Third, every person has gifts from God. The basic gifts of our lives are those with which we are born. Everyone has something they do well, that fits their “wheelhouse.” We like to do these things and are effective as we do them. But we also have spiritual gifts that come from the Holy Spirit. We do not earn these gifts, but we receive them with thanksgiving and use them as the Holy Spirit prompts us.

It is important we as men discover what it means to come before the Lord through the name of Jesus and through His grace. In reality, our acceptance before God so that we can pray, can worship, and can serve the Lord, comes through the liberty we have as a result of justification by faith. Our service to God, to one another, to our families, and to the world flows from our relationship with our Heavenly Father through Jesus Christ.

The Reformation called this the universal priesthood of all believers. It means we can learn from one another and can serve one another. It means we can “boldly come to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16).

The Word of God, justification by faith, and the universal priesthood of all believers is the solid ground upon which we can stand as the winds of the world swirl around us. May we stand together as witnesses to Jesus Christ!

W.A. Mills sat down with Bishop Beacham to talk more about the 500th Anniversary of Luther's "Here I Stand" statement and how that applies to our lives today. You can listen to that podcast at this link.

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Michelle Bachelor was ushered into the portals of Heaven on Thursday, April 15

4/16/2021

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PictureMichelle Bachelor
Asheville, NC - Michelle Rae Masopust Bachelor, 74, went to be with the Lord on Thursday, April 15, 2021 at the Memorial Campus of Mission Hospitals.
 
She was a native of Oklahoma City, OK, where along with her husband pastored from 1973-1990 and resided in Whittier, CA until moving to Asheville in 2000. She was Program Director with the Billy Graham Training Center at The Cove and was a member of Crossroads Assembly.
 
Mrs. Bachelor was the daughter of the late James Masopust, Jr. and Kathleen Stone Masopust.
 
Surviving are her husband whom she married March 27, 1970, Rev. Glynn R. Bachelor of the home; daughter, Andrea Eby and husband David of Nashville, TN; grandchildren, Madison Johnson and husband Alex, Aidan Eby, Asher Eby and Nicholas Eby all of Nashville, TN.
 
Funeral services will be held at 4 PM Sunday, April 18, 2021 at Crossroads Assembly, with Pastor J. Michael Brown, Rev. Darren Thomas, Rev. Wade Zachary, Rev. Will Graham and Rev. Isaac Owolabi officiating.
 
The family will receive friends following services at the church.
 
Burial will be in Yukon Cemetery, Yukon, OK.
 
To sign Mrs. Bachelor's guestbook online, please go to www.andersrice.com

[Editor's comment: We are saddened by the news of Michelle Bachelor's death. She was a dear friend of Melvine and me. We have known Michelle and Glynn for decades. When they lived and pastored a church in Whittier, California, Melvine and I visited with them and spent the night in their lovely California home. Michelle and Glynn were outstanding Gospel singers and musicians. Michelle was a gifted administrator and served for a number of years as the Program Director for the Billy Graham Training Center at The Cove. I often communicated with her by phone and email. She was a subscriber to Hugh's News. I know Glynn and Michelle's daughter and son-in-law and their respective families.

May the God of all comfort bring comfort to Glynn and his family.

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