Why does the Norway Navy have bar codes on the sides of their ships?
So that when they come back to port, they can Scandinavian.
So that when they come back to port, they can Scandinavian.
 25th Anniversary Logo for Hugh's News: Designed by Arlette Revells Articles of Interest in Today's Hugh's News
1.Lighten Up with Laughter 2.Thank You for Your Support of Hugh's News 3.10 Traits of Effective Churches During the Global Pandemic 4.There's a Right Way to Leave a Church 5.There Will Not Be A Hugh's News On Mondays 6.Come Home Tonight, August 7, at 7 PM on TBN 7.Instinctive Recognition 8.The Greatness of God's Power 9.Emmanuel College President's Prayer Group 10.Will You Receive the Benediction?  Hugh H. Morgan, Editor Thank You for Your Support of Hugh's News
Author: Hugh H. Morgan It is an honor and a privilege to come into your home, business, recreational area, or shop with my daily newsletter called Hugh's News. I want to personally thank each of you who have given or who plan to give to this ministry that serves the ministries of IPHC and the body of Christ worldwide. May this Sunday be blessed for you and your family as you attend the church of your choice.  (Charisma News archives)  Dr. Joseph Mattera 10 Traits of Effective Churches During the Global Pandemic
Author: Joseph Mattera In the past few years, the global pandemic has exposed the weaknesses of many local churches. Friends from around the world have told me that many churches have closed their doors for good.Although most churches have not returned to their pre-pandemic attendance numbers, some have remained effective during the crisis. As I pondered why some churches remained effective, I came up with 10 traits: 1. Effective churches did not center their ministry on a Sunday meeting. Some churches were already functioning as a family of families with much contact and interaction during the week. Other churches (pre-pandemic) focused all of their ministries on Sunday, and when that was taken away during the lockdown, they lost these ministries. Consequently, we are called to plant churches that function as a family of families, instead of merely focusing on Sunday gatherings. 2. Effective churches adapted their methods commensurate with the challenge. The only thing that never changes in this life is that change is always inevitable. Influential churches are constantly adapting to their environment. Thus, based on what is going on in society, they change their communication and ministry methods even though the gospel's message never changes. 3. Effective churches were disciple making churches. Jesus never told us to make new converts but to make disciples (Matt. 28:19). A disciple is a disciplined Christ follower who puts the kingdom of God, with their time, talents and treasures, first. Hence, a church replete with disciples continued to thrive despite the global challenges. 4. Effective churches already had online giving platforms. Years ago, I made sure our church adapted our giving to an online platform. I did this despite the objections of a few of our older staff members because I knew the next trend of transactions would primarily be online. I reasoned this would also ensure that when people are away on vacation or unable to attend church services, they would still be able to give faithfully. Consequently, churches that adapted to this new financial trend, before the pandemic lockdown, already had the systems needed for monetary sustainability. 5. Effective churches already had relationship equity and community. Local churches with a lot of personal ministry and relationships never skipped a beat during the lockdown because most of the members were already doing life together. Consequently, because they were already emotionally connected during the lockdown, they just continued to relate through any means necessary. 6. Effective churches had apostolic and prophetic visionary leadership. Jesus chose 12 disciples to initiate His global movement because God equipped them to be entrepreneurs who adapted and multiplied in various situations. Ergo, those graced by Jesus with apostolic ministry DNA view every crisis as a challenge and opportunity for new growth (Eph. 4:11). Prophetically inclined leaders as futurists are prescient, analyze the times in which they live and understand what to do (1 Chr. 12:32). Consequently, local churches and movements that were led by apostolic and prophetic leadership had the greatest ability to navigate through the global crisis. 7. Effective churches cared for the personal needs of their people. Despite the lockdown, many of the influential churches I know of stayed connected to and ministered to the needs of their most "at risk" people. Those afflicted with COVID had food and goods dropped to their doorstep. Churches that did not minister to the personal needs of the flock lost many after the lockdown was over. 8. Effective churches knew well the condition of their flock. Proverbs 27:23-27 says, "Know well the condition of your flocks, and give attention to your herds, for riches do not last forever; and does a crown endure to all generations." Churches that were able to navigate through the global crisis (which included political and social unrest) already knew well the worldview and demographic of their congregation. Thus, the lead pastor knew what trigger points to avoid during preaching and was able to deal sensitively and guide the flock towards biblical balance during unsettling and controversial times. Pastors ignorant of the worldview of their congregation triggered anger and sowed division in their churches with unwise preaching, assumptions and declarations. 9. Effective churches were not over-leveraged in debt to a huge facility. Many churches with huge edifices focused on garnering large crowds were often over-leveraged with debt. Hence, many had to close, go online or greatly downsize their ministry when they saw a huge drop in their tithes and offerings. 10. Effective churches had a robust prayer ministry. Since 2020 the number of people isolated, fearful and suicidal has reached academic proportions. Churches that did not have a vital prayer ministry were left vulnerable to the forces of darkness wreaking havoc on the minds of their congregation. The first thing we did at one of our church campuses when the lockdown occurred was to facilitate zoom prayer meetings on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. This was in addition to all the prayer calls we already had in place every weekday morning as well as Saturday. On another campus, we established a nightly prayer meeting via conference call entitled "Faith Over Fear" that was populated by more than half of our congregation. Consequently, churches with a robust prayer ministry were able to overcome the spiritual darkness and fear over their congregation and community. Dr. Joseph Mattera is an internationally known author, consultant and theologian whose mission is to influence leaders who influence culture. He is the founding pastor of Resurrection Church and leads several organizations, including The U.S. Coalition of Apostolic Leaders and Christ Covenant Coalition. Dr. Mattera is the author of 13 bestselling books, including his latest, The Purpose, Power, and Process of Prophetic Ministry, and is renowned for applying Scripture to contemporary culture. To order his books or to join the many thousands who subscribe to his newsletter, go to josephmattera.org.  Getty Images  J. Lee Grady There’s a Right Way and a Wrong Way to Leave a Church
Author: J. Lee Grady Published in Fire in My Bones This pandemic season hasn’t been easy—but pastors have suffered in unique ways. Statistics show that between 20-30% of churchgoers stopped attending in 2020, and the bulk of those people have not returned. In many cases, they never said goodbye. Many of my best friends are pastors, and they have told me many sad accounts of how their church members left—both before and during the pandemic. I took a random poll this week to hear how exiting members behaved when they went out the back door: Pastor “Bob”: “One of my members left the church, and then he told me it was because the air conditioning in the church was too cold.” Pastor “Rick”: “One family left my church, but before leaving they actually threatened to inflict bodily harm on me because I didn’t do enough to help their son who was on drugs.” Pastor “Stan”: “One of my members came to my house and told me I was leading the teens to hell because I allowed them to hear Christian rap music. Then she left the church.” Pastor “Brenda”: “A disgruntled member who left the church still had a key. This person then let himself into the building and released a bunch of snakes. It took a week to get rid of them!” Pastor “Doyle”: A man left our church right after we allowed a group of Hispanic believers to use our building. This man said he was leaving because Hispanics were ‘taking over everything!’” Pastor “Mike”: “Most of the time when someone leaves, they never say anything. I would rather them tell me directly what their issue is.” People come and people go. Pastors know this, and they try to learn to cope with the pain. Pastors will certainly feel rejected when people leave, even when God is leading those people to make an exit. But if you sense the Holy Spirit is directing you to leave a church, please do it the right way. Here are a few guidelines: 1. Don’t leave mad. If you are leaving because you are angry at a pastor or another member, you are proving your immaturity. Offense is never justifiable. Jesus told us to go to the person who offends us (Matt. 18:15). And Proverbs 19:11 says: “The discretion of a man defers his anger, and it is his glory to pass over a transgression.” If you break a relationship every time you are offended, you will never grow up. Even if you are called to leave a church, you should never hold a grudge. Have the courage to face your offense and disarm it. 2. Don’t make threats. Some people get so angry they want to hurt the church when they leave. They want the pastor to suffer. One man told a friend of mine that he hoped the church would go bankrupt after he stopped tithing to it. (Instead, God sent other people whose donations more than covered the lost income.) Romans 12:19 says, “Beloved, do not avenge yourselves.” Even if a pastor or church members are doing inappropriate things, it’s not your job to punish them. 3. Don’t leave secretly. When I was a boy, my mother taught me to say: “I enjoyed my meal. May I be excused?” when I finished eating. I wasn’t allowed to leave the table without this announcement. A similar rule applies to leaving a church. It’s rude to walk out with no explanation. Your pastor deserves to know why. You can write a letter, but it’s better to say it in person—and to include some words of thanks for the way the church has helped you in the past. 4. Don’t talk about your exit on social media. Proverbs 6:19 says God hates the one who “sows discord among brethren.” Those are strong words! Some people actually think they are doing God’s work by badmouthing a pastor, but they are digging a ditch that they will soon fall into. Keep your judgments to yourself. Posting a rant on Instagram only shows how petty and self-centered you are. 5. Don’t leave and try to take others with you. If God is calling you to switch churches, that’s fine. God will bless your transition if you do it in a healthy way. But if you try to stage a massive walkout, you are undermining God’s authority. Don’t allow the enemy to use you as an agent of division. 6. Don’t leave and stay away from church altogether. I’ve often heard people say God led them to leave a church to go elsewhere. But then I find out after three years that “elsewhere” meant nowhere! This is usually a sign of either deep disappointment or an unresolved conflict. You should never, ever give up on church. It is God’s family. No Christian should live in isolation. Obviously, there are times when we must leave a church. It happens because of job transfers, family issues, ministry preferences, driving distance and many other reasons. And some churches have unresolved problems that make them unhealthy—and God does not require us to stay there. The Holy Spirit is the One Who directs us to the right congregation. Good pastors know they can’t hold onto people possessively. Healthy churches remind people that the exit door is unlocked, and that members are free to go as the Holy Spirit leads. Deuteronomy 28:6 says: “You will be blessed when you come in and blessed when you go out.” Pastors should bless people who leave—but members should leave in a respectful way that invites that blessing. J. Lee Grady is an author, award-winning journalist and ordained minister. He served as a news writer and magazine editor for many years before launching into full-time ministry. Lee is the author of six books, including 10 Lies the Church Tells Women, 10 Lies Men Believe and Fearless Daughters of the Bible. His years at Charisma magazine also gave him a unique perspective of the Spirit-filled church and led him to write The Holy Spirit Is Not for Sale and Set My Heart on Fire, which is a Bible study on the work of the Holy Spirit. [Editor's note: Lee Grady is an ordained minister of the Internatioinal Pentecostal Holiness Church. He is a friend of mine and has gracious permitted to publish his articles in Hugh's News. I hope you enjoy reading what he writes as much as I do.]  Hugh H. Morgan, Editor There Will Not Be A Hugh's News On Mondays
Author: Hugh H. Morgan This is to inform you once again that I will be taking Sundays off as a day of worship and rest. It is my desire to keep the Sabbath Day Holy to the best of my ability. Because I have to prepare each issue of Hugh's News the day before it is published and then sent to your computer or smart phone the next morning, I will not, unless in an emergency, work on any issue of Hugh's News on Sundays. It is my desire to maintain good communications with you my beloved subscribers and readers. Thank you for allowing me to send Hugh's News to you.  Come Home to Hope tonight, August 7, at 7 PM on TBN (Trinity Broadcasting Network) Come Home to Hope tonight, August 7, at 7 PM on TBN (Trinity Broadcasting Network)
Come join Joel and Victoria Osteen at Yankee Stadium for an evening of inspiration and a time to refresh your spirit and gather together with hope and faith. Special guests will include inspirational speakers, and praise and worship music from award-winning artists Cece Winans and Tauren Wells. Since inception, these incredible events have been attended by more than 2 million people in stadiums around the world.  Anne Graham Lotz Instinctive Recognition
Anne Graham Lotz "The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork" (Psalm 19:1, NKJV). In his letter to the Romans, the apostle Paul held the entire human race accountable for basic knowledge of God, which he declared “is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities – His eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse” (Rom. 1:19-20, NIV). Even tribal people isolated in jungle huts or desert tents have the fundamental testimony of creation. Through the faithfulness of the sun to rise and set, through the orderly pattern of the stars in the sky, through the miracle of reproduction and birth, and through a myriad of other silent witnesses, the human race has been confronted with the truth. And unless we deliberately repress what we instinctively recognize in the silent witness, we would acknowledge and come to the truth. The real reason many people reject Jesus, at least in the Western Hemisphere, is repression and rejection of what they instinctively know to be the truth – that there is one, true, living God Who created us all and has revealed Himself through the Person of Jesus Christ. Blessings, Anne Graham Lotz Copyright © 2022 Anne Graham Lotz (AnGeL Ministries) Raleigh, North Carolina, USA. Used by permission. All rights reserved www.annegrahamlotz.org.  Ron White, Ed. D., President Emmanuel College President's Prayer Group
Author: Ron White "Pray that the Lord's message will spread rapidly and be honored wherever it goes" (2 Thessalonians 3:1, NLT ). Please pray for Emmanuel College this week, August 7-13, 2022. Thank you for praying. Sunday – Pray for the student life staff who are working with our new students through orientation and other student activities Monday – Pray for our residence life staff who are helping our new students adjust to residence hall life. Pray for students who may be homesick. Tuesday – Pray for students and faculty as they begin classes today. Wednesday – Pray for the staff who work directly with students in various departments to be effective in helping our students succeed this academic year. Thursday – Pray for the Alpha Spiritual Emphasis that begins today. Pray for our speakers to be effective and for our students to be responsive to the Holy Spirit. Friday – Pray for the final night of the Alpha services tonight. Pray that our students commit themselves to spiritual growth and academic excellence. Saturday – Pray for the fall semester to run smoothly and without interruption from COVID-19 or any other deterrent. Ron White, Ed. D. President Emmanuel College 181 Spring Street Franklin Springs, GA 30639 706-245-2803 An Irish Benediction: This is one of my favorites
May the road rise up to meet you. May the wind always be at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face; the rains fall gently upon your fields and until we meet again, May God hold you in the palm of His hand. In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen. [Editor's note: Paul Oxley, former professor of Bible and theology at Emmanuel College in the School of Christian Ministries, once wrote that "Hugh Morgan is the Bishop of Benedictions." That is very interesting. I was never given that title as the result of an election. I would rather be called a pastor or a chaplain. I still care about people and love them. I do love benedictions. However, I do receive what Paul Oxley wrote. I love and highly respect him. I first met him and Beverly when I was president of Southwestern College, now Southwestern Christian University, and he was on our faculty. He is a gifted teacher and Bible scholar. When I was a pastor and a chaplain or a college president I always gave a benediction at the close of a worship service. I would lift up my hands and ask, "Will you receive the benediction?" Most of the time I would give a Scriptural benediction. Because young and old loved the Irish Benediction I would often give it too.] A new missionary recruit went to Venezuela for the first time. He was struggling with the language and didn't understand a whole lot of what was going on. Intending to visit one of the local churches, he got lost, but eventually got back on track and found the place.
Having arrived late, the church was already packed. The only pew left was the one on the front row. So as not to make a fool of himself, he decided to pick someone out of the crowd to imitate. He chose to follow the man sitting next to him on the front pew. As they sang, the man clapped his hands, so the missionary recruit clapped too. When the man stood up to pray, the missionary recruit stood up too. When the man sat down, he sat down. When the man held the cup and bread for the Lord's Supper, he held the cup and bread. During the preaching, the recruit didn't understand a thing. He just sat there and tried to look just like that man in the front pew. Then the preacher said some words that he didn't understand and he saw the man next to him stand up. So he stood up too. Suddenly a hush fell over the entire congregation. A few people gasped. He looked around and saw that nobody else was standing. So he sat down. After the service ended, the preacher stood at the door shaking the hands of those who were leaving. When the missionary recruit stretched out his hand to greet the preacher, the preacher said, in English: "I take it you don't speak Spanish." The missionary recruit replied: "No I don't. It's that obvious?" "Well yes," said the preacher, "I announced that the Acosta family had a newborn baby boy and would the proud father please stand up."  25th Anniversary Logo for Hugh's News: Designed by Arlette Revells Articles of Interest in Today's Hugh's News
1.Lighten Up with Laughter 2.A Needle In A Haystack 3.Joel Osteen-Live from New York:Come Home to Hope 4.Jacob Ten20 Thompson Interview with Jacob TEN20 Thompson--Next Step Leadership 5.There's a Right Way to Leave a Church 6.Memory Scripture for Today 7. Traits of Effective Churches During the Global Pandemic 8.The Greatness of God's Power 9.Emmanuel College President's Prayer Group 10.Will You Receive the Benediction?  Hugh Morgan--caricature Thank You for Your Prayers Author: Hugh H. Morgan It is with deep graditude and thankfulness that I want to thank you for your prayers concerning the removal of the pecan tree and a large peach tree, loaded with peaches, that were hit by the storm and the pecan tree by lightning. One of the men climbed the tree and with a chain saw and ropes, systematically cut the large limbs and let them fall. Gravity still works in Georgia as all across this world that God has made. Just as there are natural laws there are also spiritual laws. God enabled me to contact several men who have tree removal service. The bids were astronomical. However, my next door neighbor recommended a company that did his trees. He said they were reasonable and did an excellent job. I contacted him. I learned that as he was driving on the highway that leads to my subdivision he looked and saw the trees that had fallen at the back of my property. He said he left his card on my mailbox. That was by divine appointment. His bid was 25% less than the highest bidder. I conferred with Wayne Butler and he agreed it was a good price and that I should go with it. So, I did. The crew of several men with all kinds of equipment, including a small ditch witch, a large dump truck, a large wood chipper, and truck to hold the wood chips, chain saws, etc. came shortly before noon. They are finishing up with the removal of logs from the pecan tree at 3 p.m. They used the large dump truck to haul the logs that will make good fire wood for fire places. It was a big tree. There was no damage to my grass. I really like the owner. He is a Christian. My metal barn was not damaged. The limbs did slighly bend a beautiful purple Rose of Sharon tree next to my barn. It can be straitened up. As they often say, "No Worries." As it turned out, the BlueBird House was knocked off the wooden post and not destroyed. It is one that is a duplex so two nests can be simultaneously built if the Blue Birds want to do that. I love to have Blue Birds in my yard. I asked Jeff, my care giver, to position the tree so it now stands straight, and secure the Blue Bird house back again on top of the wooden post. I give God all the glory, honor and praise. And of course, I thank you who prayed for me. God answered our prayers. May your day be blessed by Almighty God. Your friend in all seasons, Hugh H. Morgan, Editor Email: hugh@hughsnews.com  Fallen Pecan and Peach trees in my backyard right up to my metal barn -- Photo by Wayne Butler  Pecan Tree Hit by Lightning--Photo by Wayne Butler  Trees touching the metal barn--Photo by Wayne Butler  A young man looking for a needle in a haystack  Frank Tunstall, D. Min., Scholar, Contributing Writer for Hugh's News, Inc. A Needle In A Haystack
Author: Frank Tunstall Holy Spirit guidance in Philip’s ministry (Acts 8:26-40). 1. The setting. Philip was obedient first to an angel and then to the Holy Spirit. An angel appeared to Philip and gave him specific instructions: leave the revival in Samaria and "go south to the desert road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza" (Acts 8:26). The angel did not tell Philip why or what to expect. Philip obeyed. 2. The Holy Spirit guides and empowers Jesus' followers. The Ethiopian had made the 2000-mile trip to worship in Jerusalem. In this story he was in his chariot, beginning the long trip back home. He and Philip arrived at the same time at the desert road that left Jerusalem and went south to Gaza. Philip’s story has always fascinated me. Samaria is about 30 miles from Jerusalem. I have asked myself many times about the probability of Philip walking some thirty miles, a three-day walk at best, and then connecting perfectly with the Ethiopian in his chariot who was beginning his long trip home. Philip and the Ethiopian had never met and neither of them had any idea what was ahead. To the natural mind, it was a search for a needle in a haystack. Ponder the timing required to make that happen and you will have a fresh new insight into how the Holy Spirit gives instructions, empowers, and perfectly controls timing. Just amazing. No “haystack” exists that the Holy Spirit cannot find the “needle!” THINK ABOUT IT. Would you, dear reader, get in your car and drive three days south, not knowing why you were doing it? All you know is what the angel said. "On his way [Philip] met an Ethiopian eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians" (Acts 8:26-28). He obviously was a person of some wealth because he traveled in a chariot and could afford to own a copy of the scroll of Isaiah. He was probably a Jew because he could read the Hebrew scroll. This Ethiopian was sitting in his chariot reading from Isaiah the prophet when the needle was found in the haystack. Yes, with the Holy Spirit, any “needle” can be found in any “haystack!” 3. Philip was quick to obey the Holy Spirit. After Philip and the Ethiopian were in the same place, the Holy Spirit spoke to Philip, this time giving him specific instructions, "Go to that chariot and stay near it" (Acts 8:29). Philip obeyed in a run, and "heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet." Philip asked him, "Do you understand what you are reading?" (Acts 8:30). "How can I," the man answered, "unless someone explains it to me?" (Acts 8:31). The man invited Philip to climb into his chariot to sit with him. 4. Philip became an evangelist and teacher in the desert with an audience of one person. Sometimes an individual’s greatest accomplishment in life can be to reach one person for Jesus Christ. For example, Mordecai Ham a Baptist evangelist (1878-1959) led Billy Graham to Christ. In Philip’s case it all happened in the desert, a very unlikely place. The eunuch was reading this passage: "He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before the shearer is silent, so He did not open His mouth. In His humiliation He was deprived of justice. Who can speak of His descendants? For His life was taken from the earth" (Acts 8:32-33; Isaiah 53:7-8 KJV). Philip witnessed to the Ethiopian the good news of Jesus' death and resurrection. He no doubt showed the Ethiopian step by step how Isaiah's prophecy had been fulfilled by Jesus of Nazareth, Israel's rejected Messiah. 5. Philip had a baptismal service for one person. The eunuch received the Gospel and Philip baptized him when they came to a site that had likely been one of Solomon's pools. Philip's experience is another example that shows how the New Testament was embedded in the Old Testament. Then, when viewed through the lens of the cross of Jesus, the prophecies step into the bright sunlight of revelation in the New Covenant. 6. The Gospel Goes International. This story embraces an amazing God-moment for the eunuch and for Philip. It shows Philip receiving specific instructions from an angel. It also shows the Holy Spirit talking to Philip giving him clear instructions, and it presents Philip as a willing and obedient vessel. The result was the Gospel spread to Ethiopia. "When they came up out of the water, the Holy Spirit suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing. Philip, however, appeared at Azotus and traveled about, preaching the ospel in all the towns until he reached Caesarea" (Acts 8:39-40). Dr. Luke does not explain what is meant by "the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away" so that "the eunuch did not see him again," but without question it had to be miraculous. 7. The Gospel must be preached in out of the way locations too. This includes even in desert places of blistering heat and searing sand. Moses lived 40 years in Midian, in the Arabian desert (Exodus 2:15). John the Baptist preached in the desert of Judea (Matthew 3:1). After John baptized Jesus, the Lord spent forty days in the wilderness, in a long fight with the devil that Jesus won (Luke 4:2). Saul of Tarsus lived in the desert of Arabia for three years (Galatians 1:17). If the Holy Spirit is leading you to go to the desert, dear reader, take with you the Spirit's river of refreshing living water that is in you, and let the Holy Spirit guide you in pouring it out. Yes, the hearts of people in their despondency, even despair, often feel like they are living in the desert. But the grace of God can turn the desert into a garden of roses (Isaiah 35:1). 8. The Holy Spirit is in the business, dear reader, of making your desert place an oasis too! Philip's obedience had international flavor and his teaching certainly looked back to Stephen's vision. At the Upper Room Pentecost (Acts 2), people from at least 12 languages were touched by the Gospel. In Acts 8, the Gospel moved from Jerusalem to Judea and Samaria, and then in this story to Ethiopia in eastern North Africa. Philip ended his circuit of preaching at Caesarea, the city that was the capital of the Roman Empire in the Middle East. Philip made his home in Caesarea; there he reared his family that included four daughters who prophesied. He is mentioned again in Acts 21:8 as Philip-the-evangelist. The Apostle Paul was a guest in his home for several days while on his way for what would be his final visit to Jerusalem. Stephen's vision step by step was coming to pass, and without a temple made with hands. The new temple is the temple of the heart (I Corinthians 3:16-17 KJV). Dear reader, is there a needle in the haystack that is your life, if found, could revitalize your walk with God? The Holy Spirit knows exactly where it is. Turn to Him!  Joel Osteen-Live from New York:Come Home to Hope tonight on TBN (Trinity Broadcasting Network) Joel Osteen-Live from New York:Come Home to Hope
Last evening I watched an interview that Matt and Lauri Crouch did with Joel and Victoria Osteen on TBN. It was live from Yankee Stadium as with various crews were working to set the stage for this largest event of its kind. I learned that the showing of this event will be shown on Sunday evening on TBN. Here is what Joel and Victoria sent me in an email: Joel+Victoria Live from NYC! Hugh, Get ready to take your virtual front row seats to join Joel and Victoria from New York, starting at 6PM ET, tomorrow. We are so excited to bring the message of God’s hope and love to you live, virtually for this historical event from New York City! Be sure to connect to the virtual event at 6PM ET! We will be taking questions, you’ll interact with thousands from all over the world, enjoy our special guests, and an evening of hope and inspiration to encourage you. This Special Live Program from New York Yankees Stadium will be shown on TBN (Trinity Broadcasting Network) on Sunday evenng at 7 pm ET. Of all the preachers in our nation, the management of the Yankees have chosed Joel to provide this special night of Hope. You will not want to miss this night filled with an inspiring message of God's promises and uplifting testimonies to give you new hope. Saturday, August 6th at Yankee Stadium Doors open at 5:30PM, event starts at 7PM EDT Come Home to Hope Global Virtual Stadium AUGUST 06, 2022 | 7:00 PM - 11:00 PM EST Pre-Show Starts at 6:00 PM EST Join Joel & Victoria Osteen and special guests, Grammy Award winner CeCe Winans and multiple Dove Award winner Tauren Wells, with Lakewood Music, for this historic evening of hope! Come and experience the first live event of its kind since the beginning of the pandemic. This long-anticipated live stadium event from New York is now open to the entire world.  Jacob TEN20 Thompson Jacob TEN20 Thompson Interview with Jacob TEN20 Thompson — Next Step Leadership
A Podcast with Chris Maxwell and Tracy Reynolds Life does not always go the way we prefer. Disappointments appear. Disturbances occur. How do we respond? How should we? Jacob Thompson tells his story about God meeting us in times of weaknesses and questions. Jacob is the author of From Diagnosis to Destiny: Your Trials Aren’t Meant to Break You; They’re Meant to Make You—a book offering authentic faith during a major life struggle. He is also the founder and director of TEN20, using his speaking and writing skills to offer hope to people facing life’s difficulties. Listen to how God gave him hope amid his battle with Friedreich’s Ataxia. Learn how that applies to each of us, whatever our weakness. Please Click here to hear this podcast with Jacob Thompson. Getty Images  There’s a Right Way and a Wrong Way to Leave a Church
Author: J. Lee Grady Published in Fire in My Bones Getty Images This pandemic season hasn’t been easy—but pastors have suffered in unique ways. Statistics show that between 20-30% of churchgoers stopped attending in 2020, and the bulk of those people have not returned. In many cases, they never said goodbye. Many of my best friends are pastors, and they have told me many sad accounts of how their church members left—both before and during the pandemic. I took a random poll this week to hear how exiting members behaved when they went out the back door: Pastor “Bob”: “One of my members left the church, and then he told me it was because the air conditioning in the church was too cold.” Pastor “Rick”: “One family left my church, but before leaving they actually threatened to inflict bodily harm on me because I didn’t do enough to help their son who was on drugs.” Pastor “Stan”: “One of my members came to my house and told me I was leading the teens to hell because I allowed them to hear Christian rap music. Then she left the church.” Pastor “Brenda”: “A disgruntled member who left the church still had a key. This person then let himself into the building and released a bunch of snakes. It took a week to get rid of them!” Pastor “Doyle”: A man left our church right after we allowed a group of Hispanic believers to use our building. This man said he was leaving because Hispanics were ‘taking over everything!’” Pastor “Mike”: “Most of the time when someone leaves, they never say anything. I would rather them tell me directly what their issue is.” People come and people go. Pastors know this, and they try to learn to cope with the pain. Pastors will certainly feel rejected when people leave, even when God is leading those people to make an exit. But if you sense the Holy Spirit is directing you to leave a church, please do it the right way. Here are a few guidelines: 1. Don’t leave mad. If you are leaving because you are angry at a pastor or another member, you are proving your immaturity. Offense is never justifiable. Jesus told us to go to the person who offends us (Matt. 18:15). And Proverbs 19:11 says: “The discretion of a man defers his anger, and it is his glory to pass over a transgression.” If you break a relationship every time you are offended, you will never grow up. Even if you are called to leave a church, you should never hold a grudge. Have the courage to face your offense and disarm it. 2. Don’t make threats. Some people get so angry they want to hurt the church when they leave. They want the pastor to suffer. One man told a friend of mine that he hoped the church would go bankrupt after he stopped tithing to it. (Instead, God sent other people whose donations more than covered the lost income.) Romans 12:19 says, “Beloved, do not avenge yourselves.” Even if a pastor or church members are doing inappropriate things, it’s not your job to punish them. 3. Don’t leave secretly. When I was a boy, my mother taught me to say: “I enjoyed my meal. May I be excused?” when I finished eating. I wasn’t allowed to leave the table without this announcement. A similar rule applies to leaving a church. It’s rude to walk out with no explanation. Your pastor deserves to know why. You can write a letter, but it’s better to say it in person—and to include some words of thanks for the way the church has helped you in the past. 4. Don’t talk about your exit on social media. Proverbs 6:19 says God hates the one who “sows discord among brethren.” Those are strong words! Some people actually think they are doing God’s work by badmouthing a pastor, but they are digging a ditch that they will soon fall into. Keep your judgments to yourself. Posting a rant on Instagram only shows how petty and self-centered you are. 5. Don’t leave and try to take others with you. If God is calling you to switch churches, that’s fine. God will bless your transition if you do it in a healthy way. But if you try to stage a massive walkout, you are undermining God’s authority. Don’t allow the enemy to use you as an agent of division. 6. Don’t leave and stay away from church altogether. I’ve often heard people say God led them to leave a church to go elsewhere. But then I find out after three years that “elsewhere” meant nowhere! This is usually a sign of either deep disappointment or an unresolved conflict. You should never, ever give up on church. It is God’s family. No Christian should live in isolation. Obviously, there are times when we must leave a church. It happens because of job transfers, family issues, ministry preferences, driving distance and many other reasons. And some churches have unresolved problems that make them unhealthy—and God does not require us to stay there. The Holy Spirit is the One Who directs us to the right congregation. Good pastors know they can’t hold onto people possessively. Healthy churches remind people that the exit door is unlocked, and that members are free to go as the Holy Spirit leads. Deuteronomy 28:6 says: “You will be blessed when you come in and blessed when you go out.” Pastors should bless people who leave—but members should leave in a respectful way that invites that blessing. J. Lee Grady is an author, award-winning journalist and ordained minister. He served as a news writer and magazine editor for many years before launching into full-time ministry. Lee is the author of six books, including 10 Lies the Church Tells Women, 10 Lies Men Believe and Fearless Daughters of the Bible. His years at Charisma magazine also gave him a unique perspective of the Spirit-filled church and led him to write The Holy Spirit Is Not for Sale and Set My Heart on Fire, which is a Bible study on the work of the Holy Spirit. [Editor's note: Lee Grady is an ordained minister of the Internatioinal Pentecostal Holiness Church. He is a friend of mine and has gracious permitted to publish his articles in Hugh's News. I hope you enjoy reading what he writes as much as I do.] Memory Scripture Verse for Today
It has been a few days since I gave you a memory verse to add to your Scripture Memorization. It is Micah 6:8: Micah 6:8 He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. NIV May God help us to live our lives according to this teaching from the prophet Micah. It is the Word of God and we can be sure of the value it will bring to our lives. Have a blessed Friday. Hugh H. Morgan, Editor The Church Congregation and Pastor in Worship  Dr. Joseph Mattera 10 Traits of Effective Churches During the Global Pandemic
Author: Joseph Mattera (Charisma News archives) In the past few years, the global pandemic has exposed the weaknesses of many local churches. Friends from around the world have told me that many churches have closed their doors for good.Although most churches have not returned to their pre-pandemic attendance numbers, some have remained effective during the crisis. As I pondered why some churches remained effective, I came up with 10 traits: 1. Effective churches did not center their ministry on a Sunday meeting. Some churches were already functioning as a family of families with much contact and interaction during the week. Other churches (pre-pandemic) focused all of their ministries on Sunday, and when that was taken away during the lockdown, they lost these ministries. Consequently, we are called to plant churches that function as a family of families, instead of merely focusing on Sunday gatherings. 2. Effective churches adapted their methods commensurate with the challenge. The only thing that never changes in this life is that change is always inevitable. Influential churches are constantly adapting to their environment. Thus, based on what is going on in society, they change their communication and ministry methods even though the gospel's message never changes. 3. Effective churches were disciple making churches. Jesus never told us to make new converts but to make disciples (Matt. 28:19). A disciple is a disciplined Christ follower who puts the kingdom of God, with their time, talents and treasures, first. Hence, a church replete with disciples continued to thrive despite the global challenges. 4. Effective churches already had online giving platforms. Years ago, I made sure our church adapted our giving to an online platform. I did this despite the objections of a few of our older staff members because I knew the next trend of transactions would primarily be online. I reasoned this would also ensure that when people are away on vacation or unable to attend church services, they would still be able to give faithfully. Consequently, churches that adapted to this new financial trend, before the pandemic lockdown, already had the systems needed for monetary sustainability. 5. Effective churches already had relationship equity and community. Local churches with a lot of personal ministry and relationships never skipped a beat during the lockdown because most of the members were already doing life together. Consequently, because they were already emotionally connected during the lockdown, they just continued to relate through any means necessary. 6. Effective churches had apostolic and prophetic visionary leadership. Jesus chose 12 disciples to initiate His global movement because God equipped them to be entrepreneurs who adapted and multiplied in various situations. Ergo, those graced by Jesus with apostolic ministry DNA view every crisis as a challenge and opportunity for new growth (Eph. 4:11). Prophetically inclined leaders as futurists are prescient, analyze the times in which they live and understand what to do (1 Chr. 12:32). Consequently, local churches and movements that were led by apostolic and prophetic leadership had the greatest ability to navigate through the global crisis. 7. Effective churches cared for the personal needs of their people. Despite the lockdown, many of the influential churches I know of stayed connected to and ministered to the needs of their most "at risk" people. Those afflicted with COVID had food and goods dropped to their doorstep. Churches that did not minister to the personal needs of the flock lost many after the lockdown was over. 8. Effective churches knew well the condition of their flock. Proverbs 27:23-27 says, "Know well the condition of your flocks, and give attention to your herds, for riches do not last forever; and does a crown endure to all generations." Churches that were able to navigate through the global crisis (which included political and social unrest) already knew well the worldview and demographic of their congregation. Thus, the lead pastor knew what trigger points to avoid during preaching and was able to deal sensitively and guide the flock towards biblical balance during unsettling and controversial times. Pastors ignorant of the worldview of their congregation triggered anger and sowed division in their churches with unwise preaching, assumptions and declarations. 9. Effective churches were not over-leveraged in debt to a huge facility. Many churches with huge edifices focused on garnering large crowds were often over-leveraged with debt. Hence, many had to close, go online or greatly downsize their ministry when they saw a huge drop in their tithes and offerings. 10. Effective churches had a robust prayer ministry. Since 2020 the number of people isolated, fearful and suicidal has reached academic proportions. Churches that did not have a vital prayer ministry were left vulnerable to the forces of darkness wreaking havoc on the minds of their congregation. The first thing we did at one of our church campuses when the lockdown occurred was to facilitate zoom prayer meetings on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. This was in addition to all the prayer calls we already had in place every weekday morning as well as Saturday. On another campus, we established a nightly prayer meeting via conference call entitled "Faith Over Fear" that was populated by more than half of our congregation. Consequently, churches with a robust prayer ministry were able to overcome the spiritual darkness and fear over their congregation and community. Dr. Joseph Mattera is an internationally known author, consultant and theologian whose mission is to influence leaders who influence culture. He is the founding pastor of Resurrection Church and leads several organizations, including The U.S. Coalition of Apostolic Leaders and Christ Covenant Coalition. Dr. Mattera is the author of 13 bestselling books, including his latest, The Purpose, Power, and Process of Prophetic Ministry, and is renowned for applying Scripture to contemporary culture. To order his books or to join the many thousands who subscribe to his newsletter, go to josephmattera.org.  Anne Graham Lotz The Greatness of God’s Power
Author: Anne Graham Lotz "All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made" (John 1:3, NKJV). God created: atoms and angels and ants, crocodiles and chiggers and clouds, elephants and eagles and electrons, orchids and onions and octopuses, frogs and feathers and sea foam, diamonds and dust and dinosaurs, raindrops and sweat drops, dewdrops and blood drops, and me! And you! The greatness of His power to create and design and form and mold and make and build and arrange defies the limits of our imagination. And since He created everything, there is nothing beyond His power to fix or mend or heal or restore! Blessings, Anne Graham Lotz Copyright © 2022 Anne Graham Lotz (AnGeL Ministries) Raleigh, North Carolina, USA. Used by permission. All rights reserved www.annegrahamlotz.org. |