The man approached the very beautiful woman in the large supermarket and asked, "You know, I've lost my wife here in the supermarket. Can you talk to me for a couple of minutes?"

"Why?"

​"Because every time I talk to a beautiful woman my wife appears out of nowhere."

Pastor Jace W. Milligan invites those living in Monroe, Georgia, and vicinities to worship at his church this Sunday, May 24, 2020. The name of his church is Living Way Fellowship, a Pentecostal Holiness Church.

Sunday School begins at 9:45 a. m. and morning worship at 11 o'clock.

Living Way Fellowship Pentecostal Holiness Church is located at 101 Oak Ridge, not far from the Walton County Courthouse, a historic Georgia courthouse, that has survived tornadoes. 

Pastor Jace Milligan is a graduate of Emmanuel College and attended Oral Roberts University. He is an ordained minister of the Gospel with credentials in the LifePoint Ministries (Georgia) Conference of the International Pentecostal Holiness Church. He is a talented singer, pianist, gifted teacher, and an anointed preacher.  His church is a family oriented congregation, as well as intergenerational.

This editor commends Pastor Milligan for opening the doors of his church for people to gather together to worship and praise God, and to hear the Word of God preached with authority and boldness.

It is my prayer that you will be able to attend this church today.

+++++
President Donald Trump Declares Churches ‘Essential’ as CDC Releases Reopening Guidelines
​
President Donald Trump’s declaration that houses of worship are “essential places that provide essential services” comes at a precarious point in the national balancing act that pits the call of worship against the risk of coronavirus.
Even before Trump’s comments Friday, which came alongside the release of guidance for reopening faith organizations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Christian leaders in several states made plans to welcome back congregants on the week of Pentecost, May 31.

I've thoroughly enjoyed your newsletter through the years.  I've learned much from it that I would not have learned from other sources.  As I have told you before, I enjoy your stories about your life history and the ones about Melvine have been wonderful.  You  have done a tremendous service to the IPHC by telling all the interesting stories connecting the many people in and outside the church that you have known and with whom you have interacted.

Still, I think you should write a book concerning your life and include all those pieces of information that only you know about certain people and how they have interacted with your life.  There is so very little written about our church and all the leaders of the past 80 plus years and you, within your brain, contain a treasure trove of many stories of our leaders and lay people alike.  Also, you are a wonderful writer; not everyone can write like you do.

Thank you for sharing with all of us who are readers of Hugh's News.

Blessings on you and Greg and may Melvine's memory bring you many hours of happiness.  Losing someone so dear is a very difficult and sorrowful thing.  God give you both new peace and strength throughout the coming days and years.

Always,
Gay W. Shepherd

Hugh I did not write this for publication but wanted you to know that we treasure our friendship.

​Pentecost Breaks Barriers

Author: Harold Hunter
 
We are edging ever more closer to the celebration of the day of Pentecost. The word “Pentecost” is a centerpiece to the name International Pentecostal Holiness Church, although each word carries theological significance.

Put on the lens of “international” while looking at Acts 2 and you will see that all peoples of all tongues are invited to Pentecost. Some are surprised when they read about Arabs being part of the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:11), but no people group should be excluded. No barriers erected by society should a church use to exclude anyone over age, race, ethnicity, class, or gender.

I could post some of my academic articles supporting this thesis, but for now I offer an oral presentation given to the Church of God of Prophecy General Assembly that registered more than 10,000 persons in the summer of 2018.

I want to highlight the leading role of the IPHC in what has come to be known as the “Memphis Miracle”. This was the transformation of the PFNA (Pentecostal Fellowship of North America) to the racially inclusive PCCNA (Pentecostal Charismatic Churches of North America).

The two principal organizers were IPHC General Superintendent B.E. Underwood and Church of God in Christ Bishop Dr. Ithiel Clemmons. I have a link to the IPHC Archives & Research Center newsletter Legacy 4 (July 1997) to provide reflections by Bishop Underwood. I expect to print a memorial edition of Legacy in 2021 when the IPHC Archives & Research Center celebrates her centennial. The first official IPHC archivist was the legendary GF Taylor.

A link is provided also to the PCCNA magazine Reconciliation primarily because of the article by Dr. Vinson Synan and the “Memphis Manifesto”. I know the inside part of this story because I was part of the NARSC (North American Renewal Service Committee) steering committee led by Dr. Synan that included Bishops Underwood and Clemmons. Also, I was one of four who signed the “Memphis Manifesto” and co-editor of Reconciliation.

Some may not know that NARSC sponsored major conferences around the USA that attracted up to 50K leaders and members who were Roman Catholic Charismatics, Protestant Charismatics, Independent Charismatics, Classical Pentecostals, and so on. The “Memphis Manifesto” was celebrated last year when PCCNA met in Bishop Charles Mason’s Temple in Memphis, TN.

Here is a link to the April 2020 PCCNA newsletter that highlight some efforts of reconciliation during the global pandemic.

Dr. Harold D. Hunter
Director
IPHC Archives & Research Center

[Editor's Comment: Melvine and I were present at the Memphis Miracle. I remember well that Andrae Croach and his twin sister were present and ministered in music. It was a deeply moving service when Bishop B. E. Underwood washed the feet of Bishop Dr. Ithiel Clemmons of the Church of God in Christ. That was a defining moment and it broke the divide between Black and White Pentecostals and all Christians. I wept.]

​As the weather begins to get warmer and the days start to get longer, you may be anticipating the upcoming Memorial Day weekend—and with good reason. Nowadays, Memorial Day is known for being the unofficial start of summer. The three-day weekend usually involves a backyard barbecue, a few classic Memorial Day desserts, a bunch of fun tunes on a patriotic playlist, and, most importantly, time spent with family (and maybe even friends, if your area has eased social distancing restrictions!). To pump yourself up and get into the spirit of the day, check out some Memorial Day quotes that remind us why we're proud to be Americans.

And to that end, it's important to remember that this holiday is about so much more than a cookout. First and foremost, it's observed to remember those who fought for our freedom—the heroes who gave their lives to protect the prosperity of our country. We hope you'll choose to pause and remember them this year, and to remind your children and family members to do the same.

Still, no matter what your plans are for the weekend, you may be wondering: When is Memorial Day Weekend 2020? After all, we all know that the holiday comes around every May, but its exact date changes year to year. Here, we're sharing the exact date for 2020, as well as some of the history of Memorial Day.

When is Memorial Day Weekend 2020?
This year, Memorial Day is on Monday, May 25, 2020. The date changes every year, but there actually is a method to the madness: Memorial Day is always held on the last Monday in May.

This content is imported from {embed-name}. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.

When is memorial day
GETTY IMAGES
What is the history of Memorial Day?
Memorial Day was created to honor the brave people who died while serving in the U.S. military. One of the very first known observances took place way back on May 1, 1865, in Charleston, South Carolina, right after the end of the Civil War, according to the History Channel. A group of freed slaves—men, women, and children—had buried the bodies of Union soldiers after Confederate soldiers evacuated Charleston. On May 1, people gathered for a parade in the fallen soldiers' honor, singing hymns and placing flowers at the fighters' graves.

A few years later, Union General John A. Logan declared there be a date of remembrance for those who died during the Civil War. He chose May 30, 1868, because it wasn't already the anniversary of a battle. However, the Southern states opted to create their own day specifically for Confederate soldiers. As a matter of fact, there are nine states that still hold a commemoration for the people who fought for the Confederacy.

Though people certainly continued holding tributes for the fallen, Memorial Day was unofficial for many more years. Decades later, in 1950, U.S. Congress agreed upon a resolution asking the president to "issue a proclamation calling upon the people of the United States to observe ... Memorial Day, by praying, each in accordance with his religious faith, for permanent peace." Then, in 1968, the Uniform Monday Holiday Act was passed, which declared that Memorial Day would occur on the final Monday in May. It also required a day off from work for federal employees. Finally, in 1971, the anniversary officially became a federal holiday.

​A Mighty Fortress Is Our God - Quarantine Hymn #10

Good morning Hugh,

Below is the link to A Mighty Fortress is our God - Quarantine Hymn #10. I thought a very traditional tune would be appropriate.

Click Here to see and hear this great hymn of the church.

I am playing my 1896 Mason & Hamlin Reed Pump Organ followed by the Yamaha Digital Grand Piano.  

Blessings, 
Laban

A Mighty Fortress is our God - Quarantine Hymn #10

The tenth hymn in the series Quarantine Hymns (Corona Virus Pandemic) A Mighty Fortress is our God by Martin Luther.

​Jesus Finished God’s Work

Anne Graham Lotz

"My food . . . is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work"(John 4:34, NIV).

At the beginning of His public ministry, after having walked all morning and talked with the woman of Samaria for the better part of the afternoon, Jesus’ disciples returned with food, urging Him to eat. He resisted their urging by saying, “I have food to eat that you know nothing about.” When the confused disciples wondered who could have brought Him something to eat, He explained, “My food . . . is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.”

In order to finish God’s work, Jesus had to keep His focus and embrace that purpose with a single heart and mind, lining up all of His priorities accordingly. The result of finishing His Father’s work would be even more deeply satisfying than food to a starving man.

If you and I are able to finish God’s work, it will not be an accident. It will be because we have been focused every minute of every day of every week of every month of every year of our lives on God’s purpose.

Blessings,

Anne Graham Lotz

Copyright © 2014 Anne Graham Lotz (AnGeL Ministries) Raleigh, North Carolina, USA. Used by permission. All rights reserved www.annegrahamlotz.org.

​John 15:13-14
13 Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. 
NIV

​"I'm Mr. Wilson's wife," said a brunette, introducing herself to a pretty blonde at a party.

Said the blonde, "Oh, I am his secretary."

Wryly, the wife said, "Oh, were you?

​Our Built-In Alarm System

Anne Graham Lotz

"Sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, . . . having a good conscience, that . . . those who revile your good conduct . . . may be ashamed" (1 Peter 3:15-16, NKJV).

Wrong attitudes have enormous power in our lives. That’s why God has placed within each of us a conscience that begins to feel guilty when our attitudes and actions are wrong.

Many of the later-model cars are equipped with theft alarm systems. The more sensitive ones can be annoying to the general public as the least bit of motion by a passer-by or the lightest touch to the car body can send off an ear-splitting siren accompanied by flashing lights and honking horn. But that obnoxious sensitivity is purposefully designed to be a protection against unwanted entry.

God has built into each of us an alarm system to warn us of the unwanted entry of sin into our lives. The alarm system is called guilt. Guilt is our friend. Without it we would go on in sin until we were dominated and defeated by it. So . . . heed the alarm and repent of your sin!

Blessings,

Anne Graham Lotz

​Copyright © 2014 Anne Graham Lotz (AnGeL Ministries) Raleigh, North Carolina, USA. Used by permission. All rights reserved www.annegrahamlotz.org.                                                                                                                                                    

It is my prayer as your editor that you and your family are doing well. When I think of you all, my readers, I offer to God a prayer for you that God will bless you and keep His hand of protection upon you and your family from Covid-19.

When I was an Air Force chaplain at Elmendorf AFB, Anchorage, AK, 1967-70, my Wing Chaplain, Colonel, Victor H. Schroeder, American Lutheran, asked me to be the editor of the Chapel Newsletter. I told him I would do it provided I could edit what he wrote. He agree. We needed a name for a newsletter which included the Jewish congregation, Catholics, and Protestants. After seeking the recommended names for our chapel news, we came up with the name, Pew Duster. I was the editor for three years. So, my background in writing and editing goes a long way back. I still have copies of that the Pew Duster. Years later, when I was a reserve chaplain I was assigned to the Chief of Air Force Chaplains Resource Board. I did research and writing for the Chief of Chaplains, and produced his theme for five years.

I created Hugh's News because of something that happened where I did not have the news. It was when former Bishop J. Floyd Williams died. I had told Melvine a few weeks prior to his death that I sensed that he was dying and I wanted us to attend his funeral in North Carolina. She agreed to go with me. 

Well, he died. There were those in Franklin Springs, College Park and Baltimore, MD, who knew. They were all friends of mine, but none thought about calling to let me know. Why should they? It was not their responsibility. Well, I missed that funeral and that grieved me. However, I contacted Jean Williams, J. Floyd's wife, now a widow, and she sent me a cassette tape of the funeral. I was able to listen to the entire funeral service. That bought closure for me on a man of God who was my friend.

So, I decided to do something about it, and I started Hugh's News. It went through a number of names before I was able to come up with Hugh's News. My longtime friend, Joel S. McGraw, and I were talking by phone and he came up with the simple title, "Hugh's News." That name took and has stayed the course.

It took me quite a while to write the Mission Statement. Several people helped me in the process. However, it was Lonnie Rex who suggested that I include the body of Christ worldwide. That rang a bell inside of me and I used it. It has satisfied my definition of the Mission Statement.

Hugh's News is the Flagship of Communications serving IPHC ministries and the body of Christ worldwide.

The Scriptural Mission is one my mother gave me when I shared with her my call to preach. She told me that God spoke it to her when she was pregnant with me, and the Holy Spirit had revealed to her I would be a preacher of the Gospel. It is recorded in the Book of Daniel:

Daniel 12:3

And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.
KJV

Now, you know the rest of the story as Paul Havey used to say.

In the providence of God Jack and Jane Shaw became close friends of Ravi and Margie Zacharias.

Ravi Zacharias went to be with His Lord and Savior earlier this week. He had one desire that was to be "a friend of Christ Jesus." And he was. We rejoice in his homegoing, but we grieve and find comfort in the Holy Spirit Who dwells within us. Jack and Jane Shaw feel this pain very deeply. Therefore, we lift up Jack and Jane Shaw as they work through their grief and sorrow.

Ravi and Margie Zacharias attended Jack and Jane Shaw's 60th Wedding Anniversary on August 1 at the Poinsett Club in Greenville, SC. There were 140 family and friends in attendance.

​It Is Finished

Today’s Scripture

"I am certain that God, Who began the good work within you, will continue His work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns" (Philippians 1:6, NLT).

It’s interesting that the last thing Jesus said on the cross was, “It is finished.” It certainly looked like the end. It looked as though it was over. But maybe that wasn’t just a statement of fact; it was a statement of faith. Jesus was saying to His Father, “I’ve done My part. I’ve fulfilled My destiny. Now I have total trust and confidence that You are going to finish what You started.” Even though it looked like the end, in reality, it was only the beginning.

When it looks dark in your life, when things aren’t going your way, dare to make that declaration of faith just like Jesus, “It is finished.” What you’re really saying is, “God, I know You are going to turn this situation around. I know You are going to heal my body. I know You are going to restore my family. I know You are going to give me the breaks that I need. I’ve done my part, and I know You will do Yours.” Always remember to speak victory over your circumstances because He is faithful, and He will complete what He’s started in you.

A Prayer for Today
Father, I give You all the praise and glory. Thank You for Your faithfulness to me. I thank You that You will complete what You’ve started in my life. Today I choose to put my trust in You, knowing that a shift is coming. I declare You are turning my situation around! I pray that Your will be done in every area of my life in Jesus’ Name! Amen.

Wake-Up Thought
God is called “the Author and the Finisher of our faith.” He has not only given you the grace to start; He has given you the grace to finish. When you are tempted to get discouraged, give up on a dream, give up on a relationship, or give up on a project, you have to remind yourself, I was not created to give up. I was not created to quit. I was created to finish. 

​An Ardent reader preaches to the Editor and Lifts his spirit.
 
​I enjoy Hugh's News.  Even before all of this, I knew I could depend on Hugh's News to keep me in touch with things I might not otherwise know about, such as deaths and illnesses.  In addition, it gives me positive stories that "are of good report," which are hard to come by on TV and on the Internet, even on a good day. 

There is the important component of laughter, which gives us good medicine, and I appreciate that. 

I suppose what has come to mean the most are the personal accounts you've written about yourself and, for months, about Miss Melvine.  Although the only one of your family whom I know is Stephanie (from our days at Emmanuel College), the rest of you feel personal now.  Those updates have provided a personal connection that has often been all but lost in the past few weeks as I've sometimes gone for days at a time without knowing what was going on with people I used to see regularly.  That's important. 

Don't be discouraged; as long as you believe this is your assignment from God, press on.  If you don't hear the applause of men, press on.  If you don't feel like it matters much, press on.  Both the work and the reward are from God, ultimately; everything else, as our church secretary says, "is just gravy."

[This report of the value of Hugh's News was written by Sonja Smith Beach of Jamestown, NC, connected to Greensboro and High Point. She was blessed by God to grow up in the Capitol Pentecostal Holiness Church where Rolland Harrell was the pastor for many years. That church helped her financially to attend and graduate from Emmanuel College. There is no doubt about it that she has the gift of encouragement. Not only that, Sonja can preach. She was preaching to me at a time I needed it. Now I am ready to leap over a wall or run through a troop. I want to continue producing Hugh's News until the rapture or when God chooses to take me home to heaven.

Sonja Smith Beach made this atute comment, "In the Rapture there will be no social distancing when multiplied millions are caught up from earth to heaven."]

​ARISE IN PRAYER 10 Days to Pentecost 

10 Ways to Pray for the Church from the Book of Acts 

DAY 1: MAY 22ND Pray for the Spirit’s Fire Acts 2:1-4 “When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance.” 

DAY 2: MAY 23RD Pray for Boldness Acts 4:31 “And when they had prayed, the place where they had gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness.” 

DAY 3: MAY 24TH Pray for Salvations Acts 4:4 “But many of those who had heard the message believed; and the number of the men came to be about five thousand.” 

DAY 4: MAY 25TH Pray for Miracles Acts 5:14-16 “And all the more believers in the Lord, multitudes of men and women, were constantly added to their number, to such an extent that they even carried the sick out into the streets and laid them on cots and pallets, so that when Peter came by at least his shadow might fall on any one of them. Also the people from the cities in the vicinity of Jerusalem were coming together, bringing people who were sick or afflicted with unclean spirits, and they were all being healed.” 

DAY 5: MAY 26TH Pray for New Doors of Opportunity Acts 10:44-45 “While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who were listening to the message. All the circumcised believers who came with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also.” 

DAY 6: MAY 27TH Pray for Laborers for the Harvest Acts 13:2-3 “While they were ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, ‘Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.’ Then, when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.” 

DAY 7: MAY 28TH Pray for Strength to Persevere Acts 14:21-22 “After they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying, ‘Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.’” 

DAY 8: MAY 29TH Pray for Spiritual Breakthroughs Acts 16:25-26 “But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, and the prisoners were listening to them; and suddenly there came a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison house were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were unfastened.” 

DAY 9: MAY 30TH Pray for the Transformation of Nations Acts 19:18-20 “Many also of those who had believed kept coming, confessing and disclosing their practices. And many of those who practiced magic brought their books together and began burning them in the sight of everyone; and they counted up the price of them and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver. So the word of the Lord was growing mightily and prevailing.” 

DAY 10: MAY 31ST Pray for Freedom to Preach Acts 28:30-31 “And [Paul] stayed two full years in his own rented quarters and was welcoming all who came to him, preaching the kingdom of God and teaching concerning the Lord Jesus Christ with all openness, unhindered.” 

[Editor's Comment: I am a committed Christian. I am an ordained minister of the Gospel with credentials in the International Pentecostal Holiness Church with headquarters in Bethany, OK. That is where our resident Council of Bishop reside and work together to bless our church. They are as follows:

Presiding Bishop A. D. (Doug) Beacham, General Superintendent
Bishop Tommy McGhee, ​Vice Chairman, Executive Director of Church Education Ministries
Bishop Talmadge Gardner, Executive Director of World Missions Ministries
Bishop Garry Bryant, Executive Director of Evangelism USA

It is a good thing to visit the IPHC website as often as you like. Here is the weblink:
www.iphc.org

​Joyce Meyer: How to Conquer Your Fear One Day at a Time

Author: Joyce Meyer

Fear is an enemy that torments the soul and seeks to steal our life. Conquering it is not something that we do in one day, or even in 1,000 days. It is something that we achieve one day at a time with God's help.

Fear can show up unexpectedly. One of our goals should be to recognize it so we can deal with it right away.

I remember a time when I was waking up at about 2 or 3 in the morning and then having difficulty going back to sleep. After two nights of that, I found myself going to bed with a vague sort of fear that it would happen again, and sure enough, it did. After about three nights of the same thing, God reminded me that I could pray and resist Satan, the source of all fear. According to God's Word, the sleep of the righteous should be sweet (see Prov. 3:24). I prayed immediately and went back to sleep and have not had any problems since then.

Being free from fear doesn't mean that we will never experience it or be confronted by it. It means that we are committed to not allowing it to rule our lives, and when necessary we will do what we need to do, even if we have to do it afraid.

Each time you feel fear and decide to "do it afraid," you will enjoy your new freedom so much that you will soon be totally unwilling to do without it. You will become determined to end your days of slavery to fear. That does not mean that you won't still need to confront your fears, but it does mean you will be more and more willing to keep confronting them.

Galatians 5:1 (AMP) says, "It was for this freedom that Christ set us free [completely liberating us]; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery [which you once removed]." This Scripture is very clear that even though we have been completely liberated from a yoke of bondage, we will need to "keep standing firm" and not allow ourselves to be entrapped by it again.

Satan is very shrewd, and he never completely gives up the hope of drawing us back into bondage. So we must live watchfully, ready to recognize and immediately confront the things that steal our liberty in Christ.

The Bible says that the righteous man falls seven times and gets up again (see Prov. 24:16). I love that Scripture and am greatly encouraged by it. Even the most righteous person fails to do everything he knows to do all the time, but he is committed to not giving up.

If you have a weak moment, that doesn't mean you have lost your victory. But if we give up, we won't be in a position to get help from God, because we receive His help through faith, not through hopelessness. We need to stay positive, hopeful and filled with faith, and when we do, we can overcome anything with God's help. I often say that anyone can succeed if they refuse to give up!

Some fears are more deeply rooted in us than other ones, and for that reason, they may be ones we have to resist more aggressively. Mine is the fear of making people angry. My father was always angry, and I never really knew if I had done something to make him that way or not. I would like to be able to say that after all of these years of teaching others, I no longer have to deal with this fear, but that's not the case. However, now I recognize it and deal with it, so I still have the victory.

Recognizing the lies, deceit and strategies of the devil is so important. We should always be ready to resist him at the onset of his attacks, because the longer we let a fear remain, the more difficult it is to get rid of it. So make a decision to be a person of action. You have what it takes to win!

The Word of God says that we are more than conquerors through Christ who loves us (Rom. 8:37). God has given us all that we could ever need to overcome our fears through Christ. He has blessed us with every blessing in the spiritual realm (Eph. 1:3). He has given us power and authority over all the power the devil possesses (Luke 10:19). We have what it takes, but we must be active in our faith and never give up.

Possessing the full freedom that is yours in Christ is a progressive journey. It is something we gain and then maintain. I encourage you to focus on your progress instead of merely looking at how far you have to go. Today is a new day, and every day you can be one step closer to conquering your fears!

For more on this topic, order Joyce's four-teaching CD series Facing Fear and Finding Freedom. You can also contact us to receive our free magazine, Enjoying Everyday Life, by calling (800) 727-9673 or visiting joycemeyer.org.

[Joyce Meyer is a New York Times' bestselling author and founder of Joyce Meyer Ministries, Inc. She has authored more than 100 books, including Battlefield of the Mind and Your Battles Belong to the Lord (FaithWords). She hosts the Enjoying Everyday Life radio and TV programs, which air on hundreds of stations worldwide. For more information, visit joycemeyer.org.]

​​VA Secretary Wilkie Memorial Day 2020 message 

WASHINGTON – Today, Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie released the following video message in honor of Memorial Day 2020.

Our country has been blessed with men and women whose sacrifices allowed us to flourish as individuals, as a society and as a nation. On Memorial Day, we pause to remember, honor and express our gratitude to all those Americans who lost their lives in uniform.

The names of many of them are forever memorialized in our Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), State Veterans and American Battle Monuments cemeteries across our country and around the world.

It is true that this Memorial Day is somewhat different. As we fight the COVID-19 pandemic, we do not gather as we normally would to honor our nation’s heroes. But we can still remember and honor them by spending a quiet moment paying homage to their courage and sacrifice.

I also encourage all Americans to pay tribute to deceased Veterans by visiting the Veterans Legacy Memorial. This site contains a memorial page for each Veteran interred in a VA national cemetery. Since May 14, online visitors have been able to leave a written “tribute” in memory and appreciation for a Veteran’s service.

At the end of his second inaugural address on March 4, 1865, President Abraham Lincoln asked that we remember the obligations our nation has, to those who made the ultimate sacrifice during the Civil War.

His iconic speech, etched in granite at the Lincoln Memorial, still guides those of us privileged to work at VA today:

“With malice toward none; with charity for all; with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation’s wounds; to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan …”

Those words are the basis of our VA mission to care for our living Veterans and their families. That’s why, later this year, we will memorialize in bronze Lincoln’s charge to the nation at all our VA cemeteries.

From generation to generation, Americans have answered the call to duty from Bunker Hill to Baghdad. In small skirmishes and epic battles, Americans of every generation have stepped forward to fight for freedom when called upon.

And, they are doing so today as they stand guard across our nation and around the world.

May God bless those we honor today, those currently serving America in uniform and all our nation’s Veterans.

Sam Rodriguez: We Need to Punish Anti-God Governors at the Polls

Author: Stephen Strang

Sam Rodriguez: We Need to Punish Anti-God Governors at the Polls

As governors continue to deem churches "nonessential," President Trump just announced the opposite. In a press conference, he said he considers churches to be "essential" even during the pandemic and urged governors to allow churches to reopen this weekend. He even went so far as to say that if governors don't let churches reopen, he would override them.

This is encouraging news in light of the many states that have forced churches to close their doors and stripped Christians of their constitutional rights. To those states, Rev. Samuel Rodriguez says enough is enough. Rodriguez—president of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference—says he is tired of the church sitting back passively while the government takes more and more of our freedoms.

On my podcast today, he tells me that what we're witnessing is a clear wake-up call.

"We just saw the first initial depiction of what socialism and communism actually looks like—unbridled government authority," he says. "When Big Brother, when government, is unhinged, uncensored, when government is over the people—we just experienced that. For a government official in America to tell me what I can and cannot buy at Home Depot ... it's outrageous."

Rodriguez says, ultimately, his main issue isn't with the secular, authoritarian worldview many of these governors espouse. Instead, it's with a passive church that won't stand up to the governmental bullies.

"My problem is with a lukewarm church," he says. "My problem is with a church that does not rise up with a prophetic voice and push back on this totalitarian, authoritarian worldview for the sake of my children and my children's children. What will we look like? Hopefully there will be a viable, measurable segment of the church that will rise up prophetically and kick out of office every elected official that overreached and stepped over their authority and somehow believe they have the right to tell me that my God-given rights were no longer applicable in the world of COVID-19."

I completely agree with Rodriguez—Christians need to head to the polls when election time rolls around and vote the people out of office who tried to shut down churches. That kind of behavior is reprehensible for an elected official. But how can we let our government know we won't stand for it unless we vote those officials out?

That's why Rodriguez says the 2020 election is "the most important election of our lifetime." He says this is no exaggeration, and it's no conspiracy theory. If we don't make the right choices in this upcoming election, it could have devastating consequences on future generations in the U.S.

"I will not be passive," Rodriguez says. "We need Dietrich Bonhoeffers right now to rise up in the name of Jesus! We need prophetic voices in the name of Jesus to rise up and come against this idea that our rights can be sacrificed on the altar of political expediency, a pandemic or a national crisis."

Rodriguez's plea with the nation is one we desperately need to heed today, so I encourage you to listen to it today on my podcast. Make sure you take the time to hear his message and share it with your loved ones.

And if you want to know more about what's at stake in this upcoming election, be sure to read my latest book, God, Trump and COVID-19. It's available at Amazon and at SteveStrangBooks.com.

​Legendary Auburn coach Pat Dye tested positive for coronavirus during a hospital stay related to other health issues, according to a report from CBS 42 in Birmingham, Alabama. Dye, 80, was already in the hospital in Atlanta for a chronic kidney issue and is asymptomatic for coronavirus, according to the report.

Dye coached Auburn from 1981-91 and led the Tigers to national prominence. He posted a 99-39-4 record and won four SEC titles, including three straight from 1987-99. They went to three Sugar Bowls under Dye's watch, and finished in the top 10 five times during Dye's 12 seasons on The Plains. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2005.

His success at Auburn started early when he broke Auburn's nine-game losing streak to Alabama in 1982, behind then-freshman running back Bo Jackson. That win marked a sea change in the Iron Bowl rivalry, which the Tigers won six times in eight seasons. He won eight or more games every year from 1982-90, and won SEC Coach of the Year honors three times (1983, 1987, 1988). 

Charles Goldberg, senior writer for Auburn's official website, shared this email from Toccoa United Methodist Church regarding Dye's health.