The first of a series of Advent messages by Presiding Bishop Doug Beacham will be posted on Sunday morning, November 29, on the website of the IPHC.

You may see and hear it by going to www.iphc.org/christmas.

Church Headquarters, known as GMC (Global Ministries Center) has been closed this week during the Thanksgiving season. Bear with us as we work through technical issues.  

I am grateful to Jamie Cain, our new communications director, for his assistance and guidance.

Bishop Randell O. Drake brings us the first of a series of Advent messages. 

Author: Bishop Randell O. Drake

Today's topic is Hope the first Sunday in Advent.

Please Click Here to see and hear Bishop Randell share this powerful message. It is done with excellence. 

​IPHC Chaplain Suk Kim Promoted to Colonel

Author: Chaplain (Colonel) Jerry L. Jones

Chaplain Ministries, IPHC, is proud to share that Chaplain Suk Kim, United States Army, was promoted to the rank of Colonel on June 8th, 2020 at Camp Humphreys, South Korea.  Chaplain Kim was born in 1965 in Chung-Cheong-Nam-Do, South Korea and lived on the outskirts of Seoul. He grew up in his family’s religion of Buddhism and Shamanism. He graduated from elementary, middle school and high school in Korea.

His awards and decorations include the Bronze Star (2nd Oak Leaf), the Meritorious Service Medal (2nd Oak Leaf), the Army Commendation Medal (4th Oak Leaf), the Army Achievement Medal, the Valorous Unit Award, the Meritorious Unit Citation, the National Defense Service Medal (2), the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, the Iraq Campaign Medal (3), the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Korean Defense Service Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, the Oversee Service Ribbon (5), the NATO Medal, the Combat Action Badge and the Parachutist Badge.

Chaplain Kim and his wife Eun have been married for 29 years, and they are blessed with three children; YeChan (27), YeYoung (23) and YeKyoung (22).

**  Chaplain Ministries, IPHC serves the IPHC by educating, guiding, and endorsing qualified men and women for the ministry of the chaplaincy whether it is in the military or civilian institutions.  We also provide guidance and information directly to potential candidates and follow up with the administration actions as required, specifically endorsements.  At a minimum, the military chaplaincy requires ministerial credentialling and a Master of Divinity degree.  Civilian institutions have varied requirements.  If you have interest in either the military or institutional chaplaincy, please email Chaplain (COL) Jerry L. Jones, US Army Retired, at JJones@iphc.org or call at (580) 695-6945.

[Editor's Comment: It was my privilege to recruit and endorse Suk Kim to become an Army chaplain. Suk Kim is blessed to have a wonderful wife like Eun. She has stood with him through good times and difficult times. Suk Kim was challenged to overcome many obstacles, one of which was speaking and writing English. Though diligent and dedicated study, he met every challenge with excellence and has risen to the rank of full colonel.  I am very proud of him, Eun, and their intelligent children. I stand to salute them both. May God continue to bless them in the extensive ministries He is giving them in the United States Army.]

​Global Giving Tuesday, December 1, 2020

Next Tuesday has been designated "Giving Tuesday." It is not only a special day of giving in the United States but also in many countries around the world.

Whether large or small, you can make a significant difference that God will notice when we give it as unto Him. I am reminded of the story of Jesus observing the giving of people in the Temple in Jerusalem. The story is told by Dr. Luke in his Gospel:

Luke 21:1-4
And He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury, 2 and He saw also a certain poor widow putting in two mites.  3 So He said, "Truly I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all;  4 for all these out of their abundance have put in offerings for God, but she out of her poverty put in all the livelihood that she had." 
NKJV

The good news is that this widow is remembered today for her giving. We do not give in vain. God rewards us in His own way and in His own time.

The tithes on our income is generally given in the local church.

Tuesday is the day that you may choose to give to the charity of your choice or a ministry like Hugh's News. You can make a difference and help me spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ by giving to this ministry.

Your financial support enables us to continue the ministry of spreading the Gospel, teaching Scriptural holiness and the deeper truths of the work and ministry of the Holy Spirit, as well as the life led and energized by the Holy Spirit. Our goal is to keep you abreast of the latest fast-breaking news, take your prayer requests, and publish testimonies of God's healing power in today's world.  

​You may Click Here on this hyperlink I have prepared for you to find out how you might give via Credit Card or Check. When writing a check please include your email address. That way I can immediately respond to you to recognize your contribution. Thank you.

​Hugh's News is Committed to Bringing the Gospel of Jesus Christ
 
Author: Hugh H. Morgan
​
During these challenging and uncertain times, Hugh's News remains dedicated to bringing you the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. That means we are committed to bringing you the best in messages from well-known Spirit Empowered Christian writers who believe in the full Gospel. We believe that "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work" (2 Timothy 3:16-17, NKJV).

Our mission statement remains the same:

Hugh's News is the electronic flagship of communications serving IPHC ministries and the body of Christ worldwide.

If Hugh's News is a blessing to you, may I encourage you to tell someone and invite them to subscribe to Hugh's News. It is very simple. Go to: www.hughsnews.com and click on subscribe. You will be asked two questions: your name and email address. You can help us to reach the people you know and they will find Hugh's News to be just what they are looking for. It is free of charge, although people often choose to contribute to this ministry. We believe that God is our Source, and He may choose to prompt readers to give to Hugh's News as He so directs them to do.

Our Scriptural Mission Statement is recorded in Daniel 12:3:

Those who are wise shall shine
Like the brightness of the firmament,
And those who turn many to righteousness
Like the stars forever and ever. 
NKJV

The Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy these words about evangelism: 2 Timothy 4:5, "But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.
NIV

Will Graham Advent Devotional Week One: Mary

The people we see in the Christmas story experienced things that were never seen before and have not been seen since. In this time of Advent, we’ll look at some of these Bible characters, studying their responses to the birth of the Messiah and how to apply lessons from each to our lives today.

The following is taken from Will Graham’s book, In the Presence of the King.
“And Mary said: ‘My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant; For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed. For He who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is His name.’” —Luke 1:46-49, NKJV

Scripture: Luke 1:26-36, 46-55; Luke 2:1-7, 19-20
It’s hard not to be intrigued and impressed by Mary. She was just a teenager, some estimates say between 13 and 16 years old, when an angel appeared to her. I can just imagine how a teen today would have reacted if an angel of the Lord showed up in their room. My guess is that the immediate response would be fear, screams or crying. The sheer overwhelming nature of the experience would be enough to cause that reaction.

However, when the angel appears and brings a joyful message—“Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!”—the Bible says that Mary was “troubled.” The angel even encouraged her with, “Do not be afraid.”

One would expect that Mary would struggle with this revelation and abrupt change in her life’s path. After all, things seemed to be going okay. She was even engaged to a man named Joseph, but now she would be the gossip of the town. A scandal like an unwed pregnancy would not go unnoticed, and answering the critics by saying that an angel visited her would likely cause more questions than answers.

But Mary was clearly no normal teenager!
After her initial response, Mary embraces her calling as the earthly mother of Jesus. In what is called “The Song of Mary” (Luke 1:46-55), we see a young woman who considers herself blessed, who rejoices!

Of course, the story doesn’t end there, and things don’t get any easier. Mary, at the end of her pregnancy, must endure the trip from Nazareth to Bethlehem, at the end of which she delivers the Christ child in a manger.

Was she bitter? Did she shout at God, “You did this to me, and now you can’t even give me a decent place to give birth? Not even one room?”

No, as she held her child, the Son of God, the Prince of Peace, Emmanuel, she pondered all that had taken place, keeping it in her heart.

As you enter this Advent season, maybe this year hasn’t gone how you planned. Maybe you expected your life to be much different than it is. Perhaps you’re even mad at God and blame Him for your circumstances.

If so, it’s okay to be troubled, but I invite you to do as Mary did, and rejoice in the midst of your pain. Lay it all at the feet of the One who came to save you, whose birth we celebrate. Despite the struggles, Mary considered herself blessed because of what God did for her, and you can too as you ponder how He has blessed you.
​
Discussion Questions: In what ways has the past year been a struggle? How have you seen God work through your situation? Are you able to worship Jesus in the midst of the challenges?
Prayer: Dear God, Thank you for the gift of Your Son, Jesus, and for the hope that He gives us. Even when our lives take difficult or unexpected turns, we can still find our joy and peace in You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Find peace with God this Christmas season.

​

​Matthew 1:18-25

18 This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. 19 Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. 

20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins." 

22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23 "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel"—which means, "God with us." 

24 When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. 25 But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus. 
NIV

John is out with his friends and stops by his grandmother’s house for a visit.

There’s a bowl of peanuts on the coffee table, and John and his friends start snacking on them.

When they’re ready to leave, his friends say, "Nice to meet you, ma’am, and thank you for the peanuts."

​Grandma says, "You’re welcome. Ever since I lost my dentures, all I can do is suck the chocolate off of them."

Please Click Here on this hyperlink to see and hear the interview Jamie Cain does with Presiding Bishop Doug Beacham about an upcoming series of Advent messages entitled, "Songs of the Servant," based on the Book of Isaiah.

Jamie Cain is the director of communications for the IPHC. He is well qualified and brings a new dimension to his office/position of leadership. He is easy to work with, and I am grateful for his exceptional assistance and heads-up reporting he gives me. My mission is to serve IPHC ministries and the body of Christ worldwide.

Bishop Doug Beacham and his wife, Susan, read the Bible together in their devotional times and extended opportunities to study the Word of God. Each one brings a rich background of Christian discipleship and diligent study of God's Word.

Advent is the beginning of the Church Calendar. You will learn facts about Advent that will enrich your knowledge and bless you spiritually. 

We look forward to Bishop Beacham's messages of Advent. Now is a good time to become acquainted with the website of the IPHC: www.iphc.org.

Give Thanks as We Go & Tell

Author: Bishop Randell O. Drake

Please Click Here to watch the video of Bishop Drakes message.

As we close 2020 with two months of celebrations and holidays, let us consider the importance of Preparing the Way through Thanks. November is a month of thanks, gratitude and appreciation for the many blessings of God in our lives. As we gather with family and friends for the Thanksgiving season, let us be ever grateful – an attitude of gratitude.

November seems to be a special time for spiritual reminders of our many blessings. When we remember the blessings and miracles of God in our lives, it is like the furrowing of ground to prepare for the planting of seeds – kernels of gratitude and thankfulness – to reap and harvest abundant blessings. As we share familiar stories and memories with family and friends, we reminisce, recall and recollect with happy hearts and satisfied spirits.

​American Minute with Bill Federer

John F. Kennedy shot. Did he & others warn of Deep State & Socialist threat to America?

John F. Kennedy stated in his Thanksgiving Proclamation, October 28, 1961:

"The Pilgrims, after a year of hardship and peril, humbly and reverently set aside a special day upon which to give thanks to God ...

I ask the head of each family to recount to his children the story of the first New England Thanksgiving, thus to impress upon future generations the heritage of this nation born in toil, in danger, in purpose, and in the conviction that right and justice and freedom can through man's efforts persevere and come to fruition with the blessing of God."

The Treacherous World of the 16th Century and How the Pilgrims Escaped It: The Prequel to America's Freedom

While vising the home state of his Vice-President Lyndon Baines Johnson, November 22, 1963, John F. Kennedy was shot in Dallas, Texas.

The youngest President ever elected, being 43 years old, he was also the youngest to die, barely serving 1,000 days.

Kennedy was on his way to the Dallas Trade Mart to deliver a speech, in which he had prepared to say:

"We in this country, in this generation, are - by destiny rather than choice - the watchmen on the walls of world freedom."

"Watchman on the walls" referenced a well-known Bible passage out of the Book of Ezekiel 33:7-9:

"If the watchman see the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned ... his blood will I require at the watchman's hand ...

O son of man, I have set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel; therefore ... warn them ...

When I say unto the wicked, O wicked man, thou shalt surely die; if thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.

Nevertheless, if thou warn the wicked ... thou hast delivered thy soul ...

But if the wicked turn from his wickedness, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall live thereby."

Kennedy continued:

We ask, therefore, that we may be worthy of our power and responsibility, that we may exercise our strength with wisdom and restraint, and that we may achieve in our time and for all time the ancient vision of peace on earth, goodwill toward men (Luke 2:14) ...

That must always be our goal - and the righteousness of our cause must always underlie our strength.

For as was written long ago, 'Except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain'" (Psalm 127:1).


Warning of the deep state, John F. Kennedy candidly addressed the American Newspaper Publishers Association at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, New York, April 27, 1961:

"The very word 'secrecy' is repugnant in a free and open society; and we are as a people inherently and historically opposed to secret societies, to secret oaths and to secret proceedings ..

We are opposed around the world by a ... ruthless conspiracy that relies primarily on covert means for expanding its sphere of influence - on infiltration instead of invasion, on subversion instead of elections, on intimidation instead of free choice, on guerrillas by night instead of armies by day.

... It is a system which has conscripted vast human and material resources into the building of a tightly knit, highly efficient machine that combines military, diplomatic, intelligence, economic, scientific and political operations.

Its preparations are concealed, not published.

Its mistakes are buried, not headlined. Its dissenters are silenced, not praised.

No expenditure is questioned, no rumor is printed, no secret is revealed."


Three days before Kennedy was inaugurated, President Dwight D. Eisenhower gave his final address, January 17, 1961, warning of "a military industrial complex" and "a scientific technological elite," similar to today's global big tech and pharma industries:

"We face a hostile ideology -- global in scope, atheistic in character, ruthless in purpose, and insidious in method ... of indefinite duration ...

Whether foreign or domestic ... there is a recurring temptation to feel that some spectacular and costly action could become the miraculous solution to all current difficulties ... development of unrealistic programs to cure every ill in agriculture; a dramatic expansion in basic and applied research ... suggested as the only way to the road we wish to travel.

But each proposal must be weighed in the light of ... the need to maintain balance ... between the private and the public economy ... balance between our essential requirements as a nation and the duties imposed by the nation upon the individual ..."

Eisenhower continued:

"But threats, new in kind or degree, constantly arise ......

Our arms must be mighty, ready for instant action, so that no potential aggressor may be tempted to risk his own destruction ...

But now ... we have been compelled to create a permanent armaments industry of vast proportions ...

The total influence -- economic, political, even spiritual -- is felt in every city, every State house, every office of the Federal government ... We must not fail to comprehend its grave implications.

Our toil, resources and livelihood are all involved; so is the very structure of our society.

In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military industrial complex.

The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist.

We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic processes. We should take nothing for granted.

Only an alert and knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial and military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods and goals, so that security and liberty may prosper together.

Eisenhower warned of the tech industry:

"Akin to ... sweeping changes in our industrial-military posture, has been the technological revolution during recent decades.

In this revolution, research has become central; it also becomes more formalized, complex, and costly. A steadily increasing share is conducted for, by, or at the direction of, the Federal government.

Today, the solitary inventor, tinkering in his shop, has been overshadowed by task forces of scientists in laboratories and testing fields.

In the same fashion, the free university ... has experienced a revolution in the conduct of research. Partly because of the huge costs involved, a government contract becomes virtually a substitute for intellectual curiosity.

For every old blackboard there are now hundreds of new electronic computers.

The prospect of domination of the nation's scholars by Federal employment, project allocations, and the power of money is ever present and is gravely to be regarded ...

We must also be alert to the ... danger that public policy could itself become the captive of a scientific technological elite.

It is the task of statesmanship ... to balance ..., new and old, within the principles of our democratic system -- ever aiming toward the supreme goals of our free society ..."

Eisenhower concluded:

"You and I, and our government -- must avoid the impulse to live only for today, plundering, for our own ease and convenience, the precious resources of tomorrow.

We cannot mortgage the material assets of our grandchildren without risking the loss also of their political and spiritual heritage. We want democracy to survive for all generations to come, not to become the insolvent phantom of tomorrow ...

This world of ours, ever growing smaller, must avoid becoming a community of dreadful fear and hate, and be instead, a proud confederation of mutual trust and respect ...

You and I -- my fellow citizens -- need to be strong in our faith that all nations, under God, will reach the goal of peace with justice."

​Supreme Court: Pandemic No Excuse to Discriminate Against Religious Groups

Author: Paul Strand/CBN News

The Supreme Court (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
A gigantic victory for religious liberty late Wednesday night at the U.S. Supreme Court. In a 5-4 ruling, the justices told New York Governor Andrew Cuomo he can't discriminate against religious groups when it comes to Covid-19 restrictions.

Newest justice Amy Coney Barrett gave the majority in this ruling its fifth vote. Chief Justice John Roberts joined the three liberal justices in dissent.

'Even in a Pandemic, the Constitution Cannot Be Put Away & Forgotten'

The ruling said, "Members of this Court are not public health experts, and we should respect the judgment of those with special expertise and responsibility in this area. But even in a pandemic, the Constitution cannot be put away and forgotten. The restrictions at issue here, by effectively barring many from attending religious services, strike at the very heart of the First Amendment's guarantee of religious liberty."

The religious liberty defense group Becket represented Orthodox Jews asking for relief from Cuomo's restrictions.

Restrictions 'Very Severe'

Becket Senior Counsel Luke Goodrich reacted, stating, "Biggest takeaway: The Court resoundingly rejects blind deference to Covid-related restrictions on worship. Instead, all governments must recognize the Constitution still controls during a pandemic."

The Court labeled the restrictions Cuomo has slapped on attendance at religious services "very severe," pointing out "In red zones, no more than 10 persons may attend each religious service, and in orange zones, attendance is capped at 25."

The justices said the Covid-19 restrictions certainly aren't neutral towards religion, "Because they single out houses of worship for especially harsh treatment."

Churches: Limit of 10; 'Essential' Businesses: Unlimited

While religious gatherings in a red zone are limited to 10 or fewer worshippers, the Court pointed out, "Businesses categorized as 'essential' may admit as many people as they wish. And the list of 'essential' businesses includes things such as acupuncture facilities, campgrounds, garages, as well as many whose services are not limited to those that can be regarded as essential."

Read the rest of the story here.

Reprinted with permission from CBN.com. Copyright The Christian Broadcasting Network, Inc. All rights reserved.

​Expect Good Things To Happen To You

Author: Bob Shafer

"And take the helmet of salvation" (Ephesians 6:17).

When the phone rings at odd times, most people think, “Oh dear, it must be bad news.” They don’t think, “I wonder what the good news is that it cannot wait till morning!”

When we hear, “The boss wants to see you,” instinctively, we think, “Oh dear, this is not good.” But how do we know that it is not going to be about a promotion?

Our minds are inclined toward the negative. So to guard our minds against negative thoughts, we are to put on “the helmet of salvation”, which is “the hope of salvation” (1 Thessalonians 5:8).

If you are going through a trial right now, putting on as a helmet the hope of salvation means that you have a confident expectation of good coming your way. It means that you choose to believe that this trial that you are going through is only temporary because God will see you through it. It means that you believe that this difficult period will end with your salvation — your preservation, wholeness, wellness, health and prosperity!

You may not know what is going to happen this week. But one thing you can do is to put on the helmet of the hope of salvation and tell yourself that you are going to have a fantastic week!

“Well, you know, you never know what to expect. We hear so much bad news these days — another flu outbreak, another company retrenching its workers… I really hope that I will not be retrenched next. But I cannot be sure. I am keeping my fingers crossed.”

No, my precious one, Biblical hope is not “I hope so” but “I know so”! You can have a confident expectation of good happening to you because you are not like the people of the world. You are a child of the living God. You have a Savior watching over you. There are more angels given charge over you than there are demons against you. And greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world. (1 John 4:4) There is every reason for you to have a confident expectation of good happening to you!

Thought For The Day
As a child of the living God, you can have a confident expectation of good happening to you.

Psalm 118:25-29

25 O Lord, save us;
O Lord, grant us success. 
26 Blessed is he who comes in the Name of the Lord.
From the house of the Lord we bless You. 
27 The Lord is God,
and He has made His light shine upon us.
With boughs in hand, join in the festal procession
up to the horns of the altar. 

28 You are my God, and I will give You thanks;
You are my God, and I will exalt You. 

29 Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good;
His love endures forever. 
NIV

​Come, ye thankful people, come

Please Click Here to see and hear the Mormon Tabernacle Choir sing this great hymn of the church.

Author: Henry Alford (1844)
Tune: St. Georgea's Windsor (Elvey)

Choral: Raise the Song of Harvest Home (A Hymn C…)

1 Come, ye thankful people, come, 
raise the song of harvest home; 
all is safely gathered in, 
ere the winter storms begin. 
God our Maker doth provide 
for our wants to be supplied; 
come to God's own temple, come, 
raise the song of harvest home. 

2 All the world is God's own field, 
fruit as praise to God we yield; 
wheat and tares together sown 
are to joy or sorrow grown; 
first the blade and then the ear, 
then the full corn shall appear; 
Lord of harvest, grant that we 
wholesome grain and pure may be. 

3 For the Lord our God shall come,
and shall take the harvest home; 
from the field shall in that day 
all offenses purge away, 
giving angels charge at last 
in the fire the tares to cast; 
but the fruitful ears to store 
in the garner evermore. 

4 Even so, Lord, quickly come,
bring thy final harvest home; 
gather thou thy people in, 
free from sorrow, free from sin, 
there, forever purified, 
in thy presence to abide; 
come, with all thine angels, come, 
raise the glorious harvest home.

United Methodist Hymnal, 1989

​Shaped by God

Author: Anne Graham Lotz

"The Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living being" (Genesis 2:7, NIV).

The Hebrew word for “formed” is yatsar, which means “to mold.” It is the same word used to describe a potter molding and shaping clay. The description reveals that while God spoke

the worlds into space,

the planets into orbit,

the earth on its axis,

the seas within their boundaries,

the sun, moon, and stars to appear in the sky,

the trees and flowers to cover the earth,

the animals to fill the earth,

God personally shaped the physical characteristics of man with His own hands and breathed into man His own life! Such knowledge should cause us to pause and worship the Creator Who molded you and me from the “dust of the ground.”

Blessings,

Anne Graham Lotz

Copyright © 2020 Anne Graham Lotz (AnGeL Ministries) Raleigh, North Carolina, USA. Used by permission. All rights reserved www.annegrahamlotz.org. 

​At Thanksgiving, This Miracle Story Will Inspire You

This Thanksgiving, many believers are making a special attempt to focus on the blessings God has given even through all the challenges of 2020. But Pastors Eugene and Laura Smith of City Church in Sanford, Florida, have some extraordinary reasons to praise and thank God this year: the miraculous healings he has provided for both Laura and their son Austin.

I was deeply moved when I heard this story last Sunday at church. Eugene and Laura Smith are our pastors and friends, so I was aware behind the scenes how serious it was for both of them. I also knew how thankful the Smiths are, so I invited them to tell their story to inspire you at Thanksgiving.

Laura's story began 19 years ago, not long after she and Eugene had moved from Seattle, Washington, to plant a brand-new church in Florida. She had "breast cancer, kind of your garden variety, stage 1-2," she says. She had chemotherapy, radiation and surgery and says, "That was a very difficult time for our church."

But 10 years later, the cancer recurred, and in 2012 she had a double mastectomy. She continued her busy life, but in 2014, one of her sons noticed a lump on her neck which turned out to be two tumors on her thyroid. "'As skillful as a surgeon as I had, he was not able to completely save my vocal cord. So my left one is paralyzed, and it took away my ability to sing. And speaking is more difficult, but 'little voice, big God,'" Laura says, attributing the miracle of her survival to the way City Church fasted and prayed throughout her surgery and radiation treatment.

Her cancer "was so advanced that every time they checked me, they thought that it would have returned because of the size of the tumors at the time," she says. "So praise the Lord, miraculously, we were able to hold it at bay for five years."

But then cancer struck again. After local doctors checked out a new lump that had appeared on Laura's throat, they immediately referred her to Mayo Clinic. Ultimately, she learned that the cancer had already progressed to her sacrum, her lower spinal cord and her liver. She says, "They tried to re-treat it with the original treatment. But they said it had progressed so far that the cancer cells had morphed into something that's nontreatable."

Eugene says the doctor who came to tell them about her prognosis gave them the sad news that "really, there was no cure. And that you just do the best you can with this." He and his nurse both used the term "palliative care," or comfort care given just before and during hospice.

"So I blurted out, 'Well, let's pray,'" Eugene says. "And so I prayed. And then when I finished praying, the doctor looked at me and he said, 'Well, can I pray?' And I said, 'Absolutely.'"

At the time, the Smiths had no idea the doctor was a Spirit-filled Christian. Eugene says, "We held hands and prayed, and he said, 'Father, I come to you in the name of your Son, Jesus. And I curse this cancer at the root, and I command it to die in Jesus' name. Just like that.'"

Laura says that was the turning point. Because the doctors said her cancer was untreatable, she didn't have to endure chemotherapy or radiation. But what she did do was read, study and learn everything she could about natural cures for cancer and how they could work in combination with faith. "We like to say that I've approached it through prayer, pills, plant-based [diet] and power walking," she says.

Laura says doctors began scanning her every three months because they believed the cancer would spread rapidly. "And so they scanned me," she says. "They scanned me again. The last time they scanned me, they did another full-body scan.

"And that's when the doctor went through all the parts of my body," she says. "He kept saying, 'Clear, clear, clear, clear, clear, clear, clear.' And I said, 'Well, what is my condition now?' And he said, ... 'I would say that your condition, I would state it as stable, improving.'

Laura looked up that term, which she says is an informal way of saying "remission."

"And he said to her, because he was on a Zoom call, 'Just go and enjoy your life,'" Eugene says. Laura adds, "He said, 'I'm not sure what you're doing, but continue to do what you're doing.'"

But the Smiths are celebrating yet another miracle this Thanksgiving. Back in August, their son Austin, a law student at the University of Connecticut and a married father of two, went from not feeling well to being completely paralyzed in just a few days. Doctors determined that he had contracted Guillain-Barré Syndrome, an autoimmune disease, Eugene says, adding that based on what they could see in the natural, doctors told their son, "Austin, you're probably never going to walk again."

But Austin, City Church and others prayed for a miracle. "We're praying; the church is praying; people around the world—and we're posting this online, and we're believing God for a miracle," Eugene says. "And I've got to tell you—in the natural, when I was looking at it, it didn't look good."

God gave both Austin and his parents Scripture verses that encouraged them through this time of illness. "One of the nights as I was seeking the Lord, I just got this one verse, Psalm 34:19: 'Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers us from all evil,'" Eugene says. "That's our verse," Laura adds. And Eugene says, "All you need is one word from God."

But Eugene says his son had even greater faith than he did. He and a crew did some remodeling of Austin's house and even planned to buy an elevator lift. But Austin insisted, "Dad, you're not going to buy it. I'm going to walk out of this hospital," Eugene says. Austin kept urging his family to pray and to keep on praying.

And God responded. Last weekend, the Smiths celebrated their multiple miracles with their City Church family (view the service here)—and Austin walked onto the platform carrying one of his children and using only a cane for support. Eugene says his son still has some paralysis in his fingertips and feet but is walking, which the doctors told him he would likely never do again.

To hear more of the Smith family's miracles and celebrate with them about the great things God has done, listen to the entire episode of the Strang Report podcast here. And please share it with others who may need some extra Thanksgiving encouragement this year.

[Charisma Media has granted permission to forward, reprint, or duplicate, with acknowledgment.]

Election 2020: Pennsylvania's Vote Certification Blocked Today

Author: Amir George

Almost 157 years to the day of the famed Gettysburg's Address that made the town famous, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, made history again as the president of the United States spoke to a committee hearing of the Pennsylvania Senate regarding the 2020 election.

The statement, essentially summarized by former New York City mayor and personal legal counsel Rudy Giuliani, included how the president won the election by a landslide, so much so that the computer system put in place to steal the election was overwhelmed. Voting had to be stopped to catch up with preprinted ballots being fed into it, an approach the company Dominion had used in previous election disruptions worldwide.

Multiple testimonies were given from a wide variety of people ranging from system professionals to experienced poll workers, to people who had just voted and were denied a vote and others. Giuliani and counsel Jenna Ellis led the hearing, which clearly shocked the state senators and angered the audience, who repeatedly interrupted speakers with loud gasps and clapping.

Following all testimony, the president, who had planned to attend the hearing but could not, called into the hearing. He said, "We have to turn the election over. This election was rigged, and we can't let that happen. We can't let it happen for our country, and this election has to be turned around because we won Pennsylvania by a lot, and we won all these swing states by a lot."

Added to the litany of abuse, intimidation and harassment experienced at the counting centers, two simple figures stunned all those assembled—nearly 680,000 votes were included with no confirmation and another 700,000 were added to the total, again with no trail of evidence. These two facts alone caused anger and bolstered the president's claim that, in fact, he won the election by an overwhelming number of votes.

"Now, as we undergo another election cycle, it's comforting to hear people prophesy that God has a plan," says bestselling author of God, Trump and COVID-19, Stephen Strang, reflecting John 8:32, "And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

In the final minutes, a judge ordered the cancellation of the certification of the Pennsylvania vote.

The hearing was adjourned by the committee chairman with the words of Galatians 6:9, "And let us not grow weary in doing good, for in due season we shall reap, if we do not give up."

To get involved in demanding a fair audit of the presidential election, join the effort. 

Amir George is the author of Liberating Iraq and directs The World Helpline at theworldhelpline.org. Find him on Parler as Amir George.

People Needed: Capitol Hill Daily Prayer 7:30 a.m./12 p.m., Amir George Hart Senate