"And did you notice that big pile of wood over there?" asked the lady.
"Yeah, I seen it."
"Mind your grammar," snapped the lady. "You should say you saw it."
"Lady," returned the man, "You saw me see it, but ain't seen me saw it."
The itinerant odd-jobs man knocked on the kitchen door for his lunch.
"And did you notice that big pile of wood over there?" asked the lady. "Yeah, I seen it." "Mind your grammar," snapped the lady. "You should say you saw it." "Lady," returned the man, "You saw me see it, but ain't seen me saw it."
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Just wanted to let you know that JW and I love y’all and are praying for your healing!️🏻
It is apparent to me that Melvine is making daily progress in her battle with stage 3 ovarian cancer. Today is Friday, March 1. For the last 18 weeks, I believe, I have driven Melvine to the University Cancer Clinic for Chemotherapy. Last Friday, Melvine rang the bell of victory over cancer. That was her last chemotherapy. Next Monday, March 4, Melvine will have a CAT Scan to determine what the chemo has done in wiping out the cancer in Melvine abdomen. Although Melvine continues to experience pain, we are grateful for the pain medication that Dr. Jane Huang, Melvine's oncologist, has prescribed. We do not understand why Melvine continues to have pain, but we believe that Jesus is keenly aware of Melvine's pain and comes near in the power and presence of the Holy Spirit to speak words of comfort and healing to my beloved wife, His child. Does Jesus Care? Oh, yes, He cares. His heart is touched by our feelings of pain. He comes close to us when we suffer. He has promised never to leave us or to forsake us. We decided many years ago to trust God. He is our only hope. He saves, heals, delivers, and sets his people free. Today, Thursday, Melvine and I boiled four eggs. Bonnie Bender was coming over around 12 noon to help us prepare lunch, to eat with us, and to stay with Melvine while I had to go to my cardiologist's office in preparation for a Botox outpatient surgery in the near future, to inject internally during surgery, medicines in the bladder to slow it down. My urologist wanted my cardiologist to clear me for surgery. And he did. Actually, I saw a nurse practitioner. She was tops. Bonnie pealed the eggs, and made the egg salad. I love egg salad sandwiches. We have some nice tomatoes that are delicious, and Bonnie added tomatoes with our sandwiches. Bonnie fixed me a second sandwich and it was oh, so good. She also gave us potato chips. Bonnie spent quality time with Melvine while I was gone. It was so meaningful to Melvine and I am sure to Bonnie. She is a dear friend whom we can count on and know she will be there to help us. Bonnie volunteered to go pick up cough syrup for Melvine at Farmer's Prescription Shop. What a wonderful servant of the Lord. We have found a solution to the Meals on Wheels. They gave us menus and we found food that we both like. Today was a good one and we are encouraged. Meals on Wheels is a blessing to us. It saves money and I don't have to go out to get a meal. It is wholesome, well prepared and they have a variety of food. I deeply appreciate those who wrote us about this issue. We were greatly encouraged by your response and knowledge about Meals Wheels. You added invaluable information we needed. Greg will be coming home again today. He will have a late rehearsal after school with his honors choir. But that's okay, we will be glad when he can be home again. Have a blessed Friday and a great weekend. Thank you for your prayers, cards, and letters. They mean so much to us. Your friend in all seasons, Hugh H. Morgan You may write us at: hugh@hughsnews.com or Send us a letter or a card at this mailing address: Hugh & Melvine Morgan 17 Sweet Apple Lane Winder, GA 30680 Thanks a million and more! Letter from United States Senator Rand Paul
Dear friends, For 46 years, nine unelected men and women on the Supreme Court have played God with innocent human life. They have invented laws that condemned to painful deaths without trial more than 62 million babies for the crime of being “inconvenient.” In 1973, the U. S. Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade ruling forced abortion-on-demand down our nation’s throat. In the past, many in the pro-life movement have felt limited to protecting a life here and there—passing some limited law to slightly control abortion in the more outrageous cases. But some pro-lifers always seem to tiptoe around the Supreme Court, hoping they won’t be offended. Now is the time to grovel before the Supreme Court is over. Working from what the Supreme Court ruled in Roe v. Wade, pro-life lawmakers can pass a Life at Conception Act and end abortion using the Constitution instead of amending it. That is why it’s so urgent you sign and return the enclosed personalized petitions to your Senators and Congressman. Thanks to the results of the last election, you and I are in a better than ever position to force an up or down roll call vote on the Life at Conception Act. So, it is vital every Member of Congress be put on record. A Life at Conception Act declares unborn children “persons” as defined by the 14th Amendment to the Constitution, are entitled to legal protection. This is the one thing the Supreme Court admitted in Roe v. Wade that would cause the case for legal abortion to “collapse.” When the Supreme Court handed down its now-infamous Roe v. Wade decision, it did so based on a new, previously undefined “right of privacy” which it “discovered” in so-called “emanations” of “penumbrae” of the Constitution. Of course, as constitutional law it was a disaster. But never once did the Supreme Court declare abortion itself to be a constitutional right. Instead the Supreme Court said: “We need not resolve the difficult question of when life begins . . . the judiciary at this point in the development of man’s knowledge is not in a position to speculate as to the answer.” The High Court made a key admission: “If this suggestion of personhood is established, the appellant’s case [i. e., “Roe” who sought an abortion], of course, collapses, for the fetus’ right to life is then guaranteed specifically by the [14th] Amendment.” The fact is, the 14th Amendment couldn’t be clearer: “. . . nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty or property, without the due process of law, nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the law.” Furthermore, the 14th Amendment says: “Congress shall have power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article.” That’s exactly what a Life at Conception Act would do. By this simple, logical and obviously right legislation will not become law without a fight. And that’s where your help is critical. By turning the heat through a massive, national, grassroots campaign in this Congress, one of two things will happen. If you and other pro-life activists pour on enough pressure, pro-lifers can force politicians from both parties who were elected on pro-life platforms to make good on their promises and ultimately win passage of this bill. But even if a Life at Conception Act doesn’t pass immediately, the public attention will send another crew of radical abortionists down to defeat in the next elections. Either way, the unborn win . . . unless you do nothing. That’s why the National Pro-Life Alliance is contacting hundreds of thousands of Americans like you to mobilize a grass-roots army to pass a Life at Conception Act. The first thing you must do is send your petitions: A sample copy of Citizen Petition to Overturn Roe v. Wade to your Senators and Congressman: Whereas: Because of Roe v Wade, more than 1.5 million unborn babies die every year through abortion; and Whereas: In Roe, the Supreme Court admitted that if personhood for the unborn is established, the case for abortion collapses since the fetus’s right to life is then guaranteed specifically by the Fourteenth Amendment. . . (Roe v. Wade [410 US 113 at 156-7]; and Whereas: The American people oppose abortion-on-demand and want innocent human life to be protected, especially when it is most defenseless; and Whereas: It belongs to Congress to resolve the question the Supreme Court said IT cannot resolve; and Whereas: A Life at Conception Act, by declaring that unborn babies are persons legally entitled to constitutional protection, will rescue millions of unborn babies from dying by abortion-on-demand; Therefore: I urge you to cosponsor, force a Senate and/or House vote and cast every vote for a Life at Conception Act, and to do everything necessary to win ultimate passage in the United States Senate and/or United States House of Representatives. Signature _________________________City __________________ State ______________________ Last, First Name "God is not unjust; He will not forget your work and the love you have shown Him as you have helped His people and continue to help them" (Hebrews 6:10). Part of the sacrifice of being today's servant of Christ is that vindication usually comes tomorrow, possibly after we are in heaven. Partly what made those in Hebrews 11 "today's" servants in their day was that they were willing to have the fruits of their labors borne by a successive generation. "These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect" (Heb. 11:39-40). Peter reminded his readers that, as for the prophets of the Old Testament, "it was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the Gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things" (1 Pet. 1:12). This is an example when those with the Lord continue to be today's men and women. Those Hebrew Christians who did not succumb to the pressures of their day would never be forgotten. We are all guilty of thinking of ourselves and how we will be remembered. But the irony of church history is that those who prepared most for tomorrow's church were the most remembered; those who wanted to build their own empires became yesterday's men and women while they were still alive—and hardly remembered afterwards. The late President Ronald Reagan kept a little plaque on his desk that read, "There is no limit to how far one can go as long as he doesn't care who gets the credit." That to me is profound. If you and I can bring that into our own lives, I suspect it would make a considerable difference—not only in our usefulness, but also in how we are remembered. It would mean wanting, first of all, the honor that comes from God only, then to affirm His servants, no matter who they are. That is the challenge of being today's man or woman. [Excerpted from The Anointing: Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow (Charisma House, 2003). Did African Methodists Save Their Denomination or Perpetuate Its Bigotry? by Michael Brown2/28/2019 Delegates and bishops join in prayer at the front of the stage before a key vote on church policies about homosexuality during the 2019 United Methodist General Conference in St. Louis.
Delegates and bishops join in prayer at the front of the stage before a key vote on church policies about homosexuality during the 2019 United Methodist General Conference in St. Louis. (Photo by Mike DuBose, UMNS.) Earlier this week, the United Methodists "rejected an effort by more progressive members of the global church to lift the denomination's ban on same-sex marriage and LGBT clergy." Had the vote been left to American United Methodists, the new measure would have passed. But since it was a global vote, the conservative voices of United Methodists in Russia and, more importantly, throughout Africa, rejected this measure. Should we comment these conservative voices for holding to plain biblical truth as historically affirmed by the Methodists? Or should we condemn them for perpetuating an un-Christian bigotry based on a misreading of Scripture? In a paper titled, "How Do United Methodists Know a Sin When We See It?," Catherine L. Kelsey wrote: The cultures from which American Methodists formed their common sense were and are quite varied, north to south, east to west, rural to urban. For example, using their civic common sense, Methodists in Denver, in 1864, celebrated the slaughter of Cheyenne and Arapahoe women and children at Sand Creek. But Methodists on the East coast, using their civic common sense, deplored the same event as a massacre. The theological texts that Methodist preachers had studied did not define transgression against God's law sufficiently to provide one interpretation that made sense to Methodists in both cultures." How do we evaluate today's divide in the Methodist church? Is the divide simply one of culture, without clear scriptural support either way? Or can one side claim scriptural authority and historic affirmation? Before the vote, which affirmed the Traditional Plan and rejected the One Church Plan, Rev. Tom Berlin, a "progressive" Methodist, warned that "you will be putting a virus into the American church, and it will make it very sick, and it will be sick quickly." He said, "Whether you like it or not, [gays and lesbians] feel that their church is exhibiting itself as being against gay people along with others." In contrast, after the vote, delegate Nancy DeNardo said, "The One Church Plan does not agree with the words of our Savior, and in so doing, deceives young persons into believing that same-gender marriage is OK with God when clearly it is not. There is danger to that not only to those being deceived but the deceivers as well." Who is right? Who is representing the heart of the Lord? Who is standing with Jesus and who is standing against him? Nowhere was the contrast in opposing views clearer than in the contrast between Africa and America. As reported in The Washington Post, "Jerry Kulah, head of the UMC Africa Initiative said he was sorry the church had spent so much time and money debating questions about homosexuality: "The progressive groups are loud, but they don't have the numbers," he said. If the church had voted to affirm LGBT inclusion, he said, it would have become a "laughingstock" in Africa. "I'm happy to go back to old ladies and old men in villages who received the Bible from missionaries and let them know that the Bible hasn't changed," he said. "But Will Willimon, a retired Methodist bishop and a prominent theologian at Duke Divinity School, said that preaching to the 'old' is a failure of the church. "We're sending a signal we are here to minister to the spiritual needs of the elderly," he said, adding that he has trouble explaining this debate to his adult children. He added, "The Traditional Plan is a misnomer. We really have nothing in our tradition to justify this sort of punitive, exclusionary mentality." Related Articles Despite UMC Vote, Methodist College 'Welcomes People of All Sexual Orientations and Gender Identities' United Methodists Officially Approve Traditional Plan, Keep Ban on Gay Clergy, Same-Sex Marriage Again I ask, who is right? Does Kullah stand for historic, biblical truth and does Willimon stand against it, or is the opposite true? Without a doubt, Kullah and those who voted against the One Church Plan voted for historic, biblical truth. First, despite claims to the contrary, the Bible is quite clear on the subject of homosexual practice, regardless of the nature of the same-sex relationship. In all cases, homosexual relations are forbidden by God. In no cases are they justified or approved or blessed by Him. (For forthright and respectful dialogues on this subject, see here and here.) Second, contrary to Willimon's statement that "We really have nothing in our tradition to justify this sort of punitive, exclusionary mentality," the Methodist church has always held to a strong moral code, one that expressly forbade adultery, fornication and homosexual practice. It is completely absurd to argue that now, without a shred of scriptural evidence to support the position, practicing homosexuals could be ordained and same-sex "marriages" recognized. Based on what biblical criteria? Based on what statements from John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, or the Methodist Book of Discipline? Writing for Christianity Today in 1996, Don Thorsen noted that, "Wesley, the founder of Methodism, affirmed the primacy of scriptural authority. But he also acknowledged the genuine, albeit secondary, religious authority of tradition, reason, and experience. By doing so, Wesley simply made explicit what is implicit in all theological reflection, even when it ostensibly is based on Scripture alone." He asked, "Given this so-called quadrilateral of religious authority, how should Methodists—or any Christian interested in considering a breadth of relevant data—view homosexuality? Although Wesley did not specifically deal with the issue of homosexuality, his theological legacy provides a comprehensive and integrative way of evaluating it." The article was titled "Revelation and the Gay Experience: What Would John Wesley Have Said About This Debate?", and it is quite relevant for the Methodist debate today. After evaluating these four pillars of Methodism—Scripture, tradition, reason and experience—Thorsen gave his verdict on the major vote that had just taken place in the Methodist church, with outcomes similar to the vote this week. He wrote, "I applaud the decision of the United Methodist Church to reaffirm its stance that the practice of homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching. This affirmation not only conforms to Scripture, which remains the primary source of religious authority, [but] it also conforms to church tradition, logical reasoning and experience as understood from a Wesleyan perspective." But, he added, "I also applaud the ongoing concern of United Methodists for the holistic well-being of homosexuals and for their civil rights. A Wesleyan approach not only lends itself to a comprehensive and integrative approach to homosexuality; it understands and treats people realistically and compassionately, because, as Mildred Wynkoop says, Wesley's theology is 'a theology of love.'" Yes, if we are to be scriptural, we must be loving. Genuinely loving. Sacrificially loving. Loving as Christ loved. Absolutely. Without that, we are no better than religious hypocrites. That's why Thorsen closed his article with these wise words: "Above all, Scripture tells us we are to love our neighbors and have compassion on those who struggle with temptations. Jesus called people to repentance, but He also astounded others by the compassion He demonstrated toward those caught in temptation and sin. Can it be said of us that we surprise others by the sympathy and compassion we extend toward homosexuals?" This is the heart of the Lord, and ideally, this counsel would be followed by the whole Methodist church today. But since the denomination is so divided, it will likely go the way of a major split, with the "progressives" breaking away and forming a new denomination. (The opposite would have likely happened had the vote gone in the other direction.) If that split does take place, this is what you can expect: Those churches which affirm Scripture, with love, will grow and thrive. Those churches which seek to rewrite Scripture in the name of love will decline and die. Watch and see. [Dr. Michael Brown (www.askdrbrown.org) is the host of the nationally syndicated Line of Fire radio program. His latest book is Donald Trump Is Not My Savior. Connect with him on Facebook or Twitter, or YouTube.] The media has trumpeted Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam's disgraceful mistakes in high school. It started when a photo surfaced of Northam and his friend, one in blackface and the other in a Ku Klux Klan costume. Both Democrats and Republicans denounced Northam's racism, and he quickly apologized publicly for the insensitive yearbook picture. But although liberals rightly denounced Northam's racism, Alveda King says, they failed to discern the greater horror—Northam's blatant support for infanticide. "When it came to light that Dr. Northam was involved in that [photo], everybody wanted to be outraged," says Alveda, founder of Priests for Life and niece of Martin Luther King Jr. "And my response to that was, 'OK, that was 30-something years ago. We can forgive that. However, if you are still engaged in the very same practices that the blackface and the hood represent right now, today—as in killing little babies who are living human beings—there's a problem." Alveda says that's exactly what Northam is doing. Last month, he pushed for a new bill that would loosen restrictions in Virginia on abortions during the third trimester of pregnancy. In essence, the bill would allow a baby to be killed even up to the day of birth. In an exclusive interview with Alveda, she told me that Northam is a trained pediatrician, and as such, he knows the child inside the womb is a human being. "Gov. Northam [said] that if the baby was intended to be aborted and is born alive, he would keep that baby comfortable and at that same time have a discussion with the mother and with the doctor and decide if the baby would live," Alveda says. "And he admitted, in his own words, that that would be infanticide." It seems as the years go by, the abortion movement becomes more and more radical. At first this radical infanticide was kept hidden. For instance, although George W. Bush banned partial-birth abortions during his administration, Dr. Kermit Gosnell performed illegal late-term abortions in Philadelphia until he was arrested in 2011. "[He] had been caught bringing babies to life and puncturing their heads and killing them in the birth process," Alveda says. "All of this was hidden by the medical profession and elected officials. Now, Gov. Northam brought it to light—as a pediatrician turned governor—admitting and knowing that is a live human being, he brought it to life and called it exactly what it is. It's infanticide." So what is the next step? Will America soon subscribe to the philosophy of Dr. Peter Singer, who thinks it's fine to kill babies up to 2 years of age because they're not rational beings until then? Alveda says the infanticide movement is gaining ground in the U.S.—and as Christians, we have to do something about it. "There's a full movement supported by politicians and medical professionals that supports the killing of little babies," Alveda says. "It will always take an awakening. ... We have to seize the day and say, 'Don't turn away. Look at it. Stop it. Do something.' And I believe that as we do that and demand our elected officials do something, we're going to see a difference." Thankfully, several strong voices for the pro-life movement are rising to the surface, including in the media. Last month, I wrote about a new movie coming out called Roe v. Wade, of which Alveda is actually an executive producer. That film not only exposes the biased way abortion was legalized in the U.S. but also follows the story of a successful abortion doctor who realizes he is killing children. Related Articles President Trump Calls Abortion 'Execution' During Conference Call With Evangelical Leaders Honest Questions for Gov. Cuomo About Abortion Another film called Unplanned tells the tale of Abbey Johnson, one of the youngest female abortion clinic directors, who had a wake-up call about the horrors of infanticide. Alveda says these new films and those like them give her hope for America's future. "Now that we can see, we must do," Alveda says. "[To] everyone who can actually hear this podcast, ask yourself if you've looked the other way. And if you have, repent, ask God to forgive you and now speak out and speak up for life." Slaughtering anything that threatens what people value is next on Satan's plan for America.
I've been saying for years that we are moving closer and closer to a reality in our nation that includes killing children well after they have been born. The only requirement for that medically sanctioned prescription to kill our children is proof of hardship, threat or inconvenience. If our way of living is negatively affected by our children, the option to eliminate them may be afforded us if something doesn't change, and fast. Many are shocked that certain politicians are unapologetically promoting the act of killing children who survived abortions, but I am not. I'm disgusted. I'm grieved. I'm enraged. But I'm not shocked. It was reported that every person who has announced their candidacy for the 2020 presidential election has supported legislation that legalizes the killing of children who were delivered alive during an abortion procedure. This includes Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand, New York; Cory Booker, New Jersey; Kamala D. Harris, California; Amy Klobuchar, Minnesota; Elizabeth Warren, Massachusetts; and Bernie Sanders, I-Vermont. President Trump tweeted: "Senate Democrats just voted against legislation to prevent the killing of newborn infant children. The Democrat position on abortion is now so extreme that they don't mind executing babies AFTER birth," "This will be remembered as one of the most shocking votes in the history of Congress. If there is one thing we should all agree on, it's protecting the lives of innocent babies." Prophetic Intercessory Midwives "When you perform the office of a midwife to the Hebrew women and see them on the stools, if it is a son, then you must kill him, but if it is a daughter, then she may live." However, the midwives feared God, and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but kept the male children alive (Ex. 1:16-17). As with the midwives in the story of the Exodus, God is raising up a prophetic people who will intercede. They will not only stand in the gap, but they will stand in the way of the slaughter. They were driven by the fear of the Lord, something the church of our nation must discover if we are to have any hope of resisting the suffocating darkness that is taking over our nation. I'm doubling down on the cry for the fear of the Lord to come to our church and our nation. It's very good to contend for a revelation of God's love, but to do so at the exclusion of the terror of the Lord will result in a permissive church and a casual response. I envision sober moments of godly fear descending on church services, solemn assemblies, in bars and in the middle of sporting events and Hollywood's award ceremonies. Instead of thanking God from behind a podium as celebrities hold a statue in their hand, let's contend for a tremble that shakes them and us to our very core. The fear of the Lord will cause our idols to fall and our knees to buckle as we repent and weep for mercy. Like today's selfish generation, 3400 years ago Pharaoh had a reason for concern. God was raising up a people who would overthrow his authority and who would finally demand deliverance from his abuse and tyranny. He was drunk on power and anything that threatened his position would have to be eliminated. We must contend in prayer for a generation of prophetic intercessory midwives to rise up and defy the call for bloodshed. The church must awaken. We can sleep no longer. The plans for annihilation have been expertly drawn up by a crafty, murderous enemy of God, and a rescue mission must be initiated by a selfless, surrendered and prophetic church. Massacre of the Innocents Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, was utterly furious and sent forth and killed all the male children who were in Bethlehem and the surrounding region, from two years old and under, based on the time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men (Matt. 2:16). Like Pharaoh, the arrival of Jesus threatened King Herod, and he responded by ordering the execution of every male child aged 2 years and younger. As horrific as that was, I propose the direction we are heading is more disturbing and vile. In the early days of Jesus, Herod killed children whom mothers and fathers wanted to keep. Today, mothers and fathers are killing children themselves. However, the reasons remain the same—the children threatened the lifestyle and power of Herod, and today they threaten the lifestyles and power of entitled, self-indulged and reckless Americans. In addition to the response I addressed above, this Biblical account makes something else clear: We must hear God's voice and respond with expediency. Now when they departed, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, "Arise, take the young Child and His mother, and escape to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word. For Herod will seek the young Child to kill Him." When he rose, he took the young Child and His mother by night, and departed into Egypt, and remained there until the death of Herod, to fulfill what the Lord had spoken through the prophet, "Out of Egypt I have called My Son" (Matt. 2:13-15). What is God revealing to his people today? The midwives were ordained to intercede and resist. The response in this story, however, is different. Is it possible that, as with Jesus, Mary and Joseph, there may come a time to flee, to go underground? That very well may be what must happen. The key, however, isn't to react. It's to respond to the leading of God's voice. We must have an army of surrendered soldiers who are keenly aware, discerning and ready to respond to what the Spirit of the Lord is saying. The Next Step—Holocaust Related Articles Democrats Block Pro-Life Measure That Would Have Protected Babies Who Survived Abortion Hollywood Gives Abortion an R Rating When Haman saw that Mordecai neither bowed nor paid him homage, he was filled with rage. But he disdained to lay hands on only Mordecai, since they had told him of the people of Mordecai. So Haman sought to destroy all the Jews throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus (Esth. 3:5-6). If it's beneficial to the leaders of culture, politics and leaders of our nation to kill the unborn, the unborn will die. If it's beneficial to kill children aged 2 years and younger, those children will die. If it's beneficial to kill a segment of society that is standing in the way of what the rest of society desires, they will die. That is, unless the church responds in the spirits of Mordecai and Esther. Then Haman said to King Ahasuerus, "There exists a scattered people dispersed among the other peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom. Their laws are different from all others, and they are not complying with the king's laws, so there may not be a suitable reason for the king to allow them to exist (Esth. 3:8). In our rapidly degrading society, we should know that society will stop tolerating champions of righteousness. It will not be to the nation's profit to tolerate us, just as it was with the Jews with both Hamon and Hitler. So the king and Haman entered to feast and drink with Queen Esther. The king repeated to Esther what he had said on the previous day while drinking wine, "For what are you asking, Queen Esther? It shall be granted to you. Now, what is your request? Even if it is half of the kingdom, it will be done!" Queen Esther replied, "If I have found favor in your sight, O king, and if it pleases the king, at my petition, let my life be given me, and my people at my request. For we have been sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, to be slain, and to be annihilated. If only we had been sold as male and female slaves, I could have kept quiet, for that distress would not be sufficient to trouble the king." Then King Ahasuerus answered and demanded of Queen Esther, "Who is he, and where is he, who would dare presume in his heart to do so?" Esther said, "This wicked Haman is the adversary and enemy!" Then Haman was seized with terror before the king and the queen (Esth. 7:1-6). In the account of Esther, victory against the wicked schemes of the enemy did come. The victory was finalized as the king, Haman and Esther dined—resulting in Haman being hung on the gallows designed for Mordecai. This victory can be ours if we respond with mourning, lament and a cry in our hearts. God can turn it around! "Then the king said, 'Hang him on it!' So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then the king's wrath was pacified" (Esth. 7:10). Those of you who know the account of the Holocaust know that there was a massive loss and a great price was paid. Millions died in unthinkable ways as Satan raged. The takeaway? We can't sit back and presume all is well and that victory is guaranteed. It is not. The ovens that were put in place by Hitler could pale in comparison to what enemies of God could do today. We have already experienced a holocaust in America, with over 55 million unborn babies being executed. We are now crossing the line into the realm of the born. Don't think it's not likely to see children who escaped the womb being targeted. Don't presume the elimination of Christians is too far-fetched for our ungodly leaders to plan today. We are living in a tremendously threatening and evil time. The church has not responded sufficiently enough—not even close. It's time for midwives to resist, to hear God's voice and to respond with urgency. If we don't, today's politicians and liberal, ungodly voices will continue to cry out not only for the massacre of the innocents, but of anyone who stands in their way. [John Burton has been developing and leading ministries for over 25 years and is a sought out teacher, prophetic messenger and revivalist. John has authored ten books, is a regular contributor to Charisma Magazine, has appeared on Christian television and radio and directed one of the primary internships at the International House of Prayer (IHOP) in Kansas City. A large and growing library of audio and video teachings, articles, books and other resources can be found on his website at www.burton.tv. John, his wife Amy and their five children live in Branson, Missouri.] Praying for you and Melvine. John 14:27
John 14:27 Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. NIV "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you" (Isaiah 43:2, NIV). Have your thoughts been similar to these? God, where have You been? Why did You let this happen? I just don’t understand. Are you overlooking the fact that Jesus has drawn near to you? Are you blinded to His presence by your own tears? Are you deafened to His gentle voice by your own accusations? While God doesn’t always protect those He loves from suffering or answer our prayers the way we ask Him to, He does promise in His Word that He will be present with us in the midst of our suffering and pain. He said, “Fear not. . . . When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. . . . For I am the Lord, your God . . . your Savior; . . . you are precious and honored in my sight, and . . . I love you” (Isa. 43:1-4, NIV). Blessings, Anne Graham Lotz Copyright © 2014 Anne Graham Lotz (AnGeL Ministries) Raleigh, North Carolina, USA. Used by permission. All rights reserved www.annegrahamlotz.org. In His Presence: Mark 10:25 When churches aren't receiving tithes from their congregation, there is something drastically wrong in the hearts of those churchgoers. After all, stewardship is a matter of the heart. Jesus drove this point home in Mark 12, where He talked about the motivation behind our stewardship. Money is an indicator of where our hearts really are. God isn't interested in our money; He doesn't need a dime. Our cars all have indicator lights to tell us when we are about to run out of gas or if the engine is overheating. Well, money is a good indicator light for the state of our inner selves. In this particular account, Jesus went to church with His disciples, "He sat down opposite the treasury, and began observing how the people were putting money into the treasury" (v. 41). Jesus' watch was very intimate as He sat down close to where the offering was being collected. The temple they were in was very ornate and plush, and the rich people were easy to spot because they "were putting in large sums" (v. 41). Jesus could see how much they were putting in because He was watching. Someone else came along whom Jesus noticed—a widow who dropped in two small copper coins. Those two lepta equaled less than a penny; it was the smallest currency made in that day. In order for Jesus to see such a small offering, He must have been quite close to the scene. He was watching the giving intimately. One Minute Please The offering was important enough for Jesus to watch closely—remember its importance as you make your offering. Watch Online Videos of Dr. Tony Evans and The Urban Alternative at LightSource.com and Listen to Dr. Tony Evans Online Broadcasts at OnePlace.com. Billy Graham died a year ago and was buried next to his wife, Ruth Bell Graham, at the Billy Graham Library in Charlotte, NC. He was 99 at the time of his departure from life to heaven. However, if you add the nine months he was in his mother's womb, he was 100 years old. The Bible teaches very clearly that life begins at conception. That is why we protect innocent babies in the womb, and mothers. Some time before Billy Graham passed from this earth to glory to be forever with Jesus, and the saints of the ages, he wrote the following benediction which I have memorized. I have had Arlette Cape Revells design a ministry card with this benediction on it. As of this date, I have almost given away 1,000 cards. Very soon, I will have Arlette to print 1,000 more. I have discovered that this blessing is indeed a blessing to everyone who has received it. And I hope it will be blessing to you this Friday. Here it is: An Eskimo mother sat in her igloo and reading from a storybook to her small son.
"Little Jack Hornet," she read, "sat in a corner." "Mother," asked the small boy, "What's a corner? " Things are looking up again. After a terrible Monday with confusion, disorientation, and lack of communication, Melvine rebounded Tuesday and Wednesday to make significant gains in her mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual life. After a modification of Melvine’s prescribed medication, namely for pain, she is back to normal. I think the chemo she had received last Friday had worn off. Julie, with in-home physical therapy from St. Mary’s, was able to continue getting Melvine to stand from her new La Z Boy recliner, place her hands on her rollator walker, and instead of two laps in our home, she made three. Melvine says, “I am out of breath with the second one, but I was able to do a third lap and I was really tired.” Julie comes twice a week to help Melvine with her exercises. The more she does gradually, the stronger Melvine will get. Melvine’s cough continues, but I am giving her medication for it along with cough syrup. I hope that this cough will soon leave her. Your prayers will add immeasurably to what I am trying to do for her. Melvine ate better today and that is another plus. One of the good things about Melvine’s La Z Boy recliner is that she can raise her feet and legs up to help with the circulation in her legs. It is good to take a nap or sleep in it. One issue is the Meals on Wheels. Melvine doesn’t like them, but I do. Today was delicious. So, I had to make Melvine a banana, mayonnaise and bread sandwich with potato chips, and a diet coke. So, what should I do? I must honor Melvine’s wishes. Chemo changes the taste buds and food doesn’t taste like it use to. I can understand that. Next Monday, Melvine will have a CAT scan. Then, Wednesday, she will meet with Dr. Jane Huang, her oncologist, to get the results. What we will do from there is to be determined. We need your continued prayers. We want Melvine cured of cancer in her body. Oral Roberts helped us all to understand God’s love for us and His desire to heal us. Her is a Scripture he often quoted: 3 John 2 Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth. KJV We desire that measure of health promised here. Greg has been home. He had jury duty on Monday and was selected. They gave him Tuesday off, and he had to returned on Wednesday for jury duty. They voted to work through the lunch hour and he got off around 3 p. m. This was the seventh time he has had jury duty--six in Clarke County and now one in Barrow County where we live and move and have our being. Greg will leave at 5 a. m. on Thursday to return to McDuffie-Thomson Middle School to teach music. He will have several rehearsals with his students. I understand they will have competition for which he is preparing them. He will be coming home on Friday after a special rehearsal. Life goes on, I am making it. Today, I have an appointment with the Nurse Practitioner who works for my cardiologist. I have to be cleared for my up coming out patient Botox surgery to inject medicine in my bladder to slow it down. Pray for me that this surgical procedure will be successful and I won’t have to use a catheter. Lord, please deliver me from such a thing. May God bless you all. Hugh H. Morgan Letter from United States Senator Rand Paul
Dear friends, For 46 years, nine unelected men and women on the Supreme Court have played God with innocent human life. They have invented laws that condemned to painful deaths without trial more than 62 million babies for the crime of being “inconvenient.” In 1973, the U. S. Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade ruling forced abortion-on-demand down our nation’s throat. In the past, many in the pro-life movement have felt limited to protecting a life here and there—passing some limited law to slightly control abortion in the more outrageous cases. But some pro-lifers always seem to tiptoe around the Supreme Court, hoping they won’t be offended. Now is the time to grovel before the Supreme Court is over. Working from what the Supreme Court ruled in Roe v. Wade, pro-life lawmakers can pass a Life at Conception Act and end abortion using the Constitution instead of amending it. That is why it’s so urgent you sign and return the enclosed personalized petitions to your Senators and Congressman. Thanks to the results of the last election, you and I are in a better than ever position to force an up or down roll call vote on the Life at Conception Act. So, it is vital every Member of Congress be put on record. A Life at Conception Act declares unborn children “persons” as defined by the 14th Amendment to the Constitution, are entitled to legal protection. This is the one thing the Supreme Court admitted in Roe v. Wade that would cause the case for legal abortion to “collapse.” When the Supreme Court handed down its now-infamous Roe v. Wade decision, it did so based on a new, previously undefined “right of privacy” which it “discovered” in so-called “emanations” of “penumbrae” of the Constitution. Of course, as constitutional law it was a disaster. But never once did the Supreme Court declare abortion itself to be a constitutional right. Instead the Supreme Court said: “We need not resolve the difficult question of when life begins . . . the judiciary at this point in the development of man’s knowledge is not in a position to speculate as to the answer.” The High Court made a key admission: “If this suggestion of personhood is established, the appellant’s case [i. e., “Roe” who sought an abortion], of course, collapses, for the fetus’ right to life is then guaranteed specifically by the [14th] Amendment.” The fact is, the 14th Amendment couldn’t be clearer: “. . . nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty or property, without the due process of law, nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the law.” Furthermore, the 14th Amendment says: “Congress shall have power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article.” That’s exactly what a Life at Conception Act would do. By this simple, logical and obviously right legislation will not become law without a fight. And that’s where your help is critical. By turning the heat through a massive, national, grassroots campaign in this Congress, one of two things will happen. If you and other pro-life activists pour on enough pressure, pro-lifers can force politicians from both parties who were elected on pro-life platforms to make good on their promises and ultimately win passage of this bill. But even if a Life at Conception Act doesn’t pass immediately, the public attention will send another crew of radical abortionists down to defeat in the next elections. Either way, the unborn win . . . unless you do nothing. That’s why the National Pro-Life Alliance is contacting hundreds of thousands of Americans like you to mobilize a grass-roots army to pass a Life at Conception Act. The first thing you must do is send your petitions: A sample copy of Citizen Petition to Overturn Roe v. Wade to your Senators and Congressman: Whereas: Because of Roe v Wade, more than 1.5 million unborn babies die every year through abortion; and Whereas: In Roe, the Supreme Court admitted that if personhood for the unborn is established, the case for abortion collapses since the fetus’s right to life is then guaranteed specifically by the Fourteenth Amendment. . . (Roe v. Wade [410 US 113 at 156-7]; and Whereas: The American people oppose abortion-on-demand and want innocent human life to be protected, especially when it is most defenseless; and Whereas: It belongs to Congress to resolve the question the Supreme Court said IT cannot resolve; and Whereas: A Life at Conception Act, by declaring that unborn babies are persons legally entitled to constitutional protection, will rescue millions of unborn babies from dying by abortion-on-demand; Therefore: I urge you to cosponsor, force a Senate and/or House vote and cast every vote for a Life at Conception Act, and to do everything necessary to win ultimate passage in the United States Senate and/or United States House of Representatives. Signature _________________________City __________________ State ______________________ Last, First Name In a surprise, the plan recommended by the United Methodist Church's Council of Bishops was rejected Monday (Feb. 25) by the denomination's decision-making body.
The so-called One Church Plan did not pass out of General Conference's Legislative Committee to be considered by delegates Tuesday during the plenary session. But that doesn't mean the proposal is dead, according to supporters. Reconciling Ministries Network, a movement advocating for the full inclusion of LGBTQ people in the church, tweeted after the vote that the rejected plan will "almost certainly still come up" as a minority report on Tuesday. Neil Alexander — co-convener of Uniting Methodists, a group supporting the One Church Plan — confirmed a minority report including the plan has been filed in opposition to the Traditional Plan. "We are deeply disappointed about the defeat of the OCP and seeking ways to respond to the deep hurt this action causes many LGBTQ people and all who love (them). And we are committed to find ways to make justice and mercy a centerpiece of all of our ministries," Alexander said in an email to Religion News Service. "We have much work to do." The One Church Plan would allow individual churches and regional annual conferences to decide whether to ordain and marry LGBTQ members. It's one of three plans presented this week to delegates at the special session of the General Conference dedicated to sexuality. The Rev. Denise Honeycutt of the Virginia Annual Conference had encouraged delegates to support the plan because she said it allows for churches to hold differing beliefs and "together we are stronger." Related Articles Why America's Second-Biggest Protestant Denomination Might Break Up This Weekend UMC Bishops: Conferences, Pastors Should Decide on LGBT Clergy "It does not make any of us choose things that are contrary to our own convictions, but it allows us together to be the body of Christ and joyful, passionate disciples of Jesus," Honeycutt said. The delegate said she has pastored large and small churches. She has been a missionary to Nigeria and visited United Methodist churches around the world. She never has been in a church where everybody agreed on everything, she said. "And yet we were able to be church — to love one another and stay together," she said. Meantime, Rudolph Merab, a delegate from the Liberia Annual Conference, spoke against the One Church Plan. "We keep talking about trying to be united, but, in fact, we continue to talk about being divided," Merab said. "It is better to be divided by truth than to be united in error." Earlier in the day, the Legislative Committee, made up of the same 864 General Conference delegates who will vote on the plans during the plenary, approved for a vote another plan, the Traditional Plan. The Traditional Plan would strengthen the enforcement of language in the denomination's rulebook stating that "the practice of homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching" and that "self-avowed practicing homosexuals" cannot be ordained as ministers, appointed to serve or be married in the church. Nearly 56 percent of delegates had ranked the Traditional Plan a high priority for the General Conference during the first day of deliberations. Join us on our podcast each weekday for an interesting story, well told, from Charisma News. Listen at charismapodcastnetwork.com. I'll never forget where I was sitting in the Orlando airport in Florida several years ago when I heard an unusual announcement on the public-address system. A male voice said: "George Mueller. George Mueller. Please contact a service desk for a message." George Mueller? I suppose there really was a man by that name in the airport at that moment. But I couldn't help but think about the George Mueller of history, a courageous Christian leader from England who died in 1898. I had his biography but hadn't read it in a while. In that moment I felt as though the Holy Spirit were tapping me on the shoulder. God used that announcement to remind me to go back and read Mueller's story again. He lived a life that we need to remember today. Mueller is best known for his work with orphans. During his lifetime he fed and cared for more than 10,000 orphans—yet he never once asked anyone for money. He trusted God for the funds to feed those children. He also exercised enough faith to establish 117 Christian schools during his lifetime. He was also an amazing preacher. At age 70 he embarked on a 17-year-long missionary journey that took him from England to other parts of Europe to Canada and the United States, then back to Europe, then back to the United States, then to Egypt, Russia, India, China, Japan, Australia and then back to Europe. At a time before airplanes, he traveled more than 200,000 miles and preached the gospel in English, French and German. But Mueller's greatest legacy was what he did on his knees when no one else was listening. He expected God to answer his prayers. That is why he kept prayer journals, in which he recorded more than 50,000 answers to prayer. He claimed that 30,000 of those answers came in the same day or the same hour that he prayed them! It is believed that Mueller raised more than half a billion dollars in today's currency to manage his ministry work. And all that money came in answer to prayer. He said of his success in prayer: "The joy which answers to prayer give, cannot be described; and the impetus which they afford to the spiritual life is exceedingly great." How did Mueller see so many answers to prayer? What was his secret? He wrote that for many years he would struggle to pray, and his mind often wandered. But then he learned to approach God as a Father and friend, and he would talk to God about what he was learning in the Scriptures. The result was a deep intimacy with the Holy Spirit. This led Mueller to share with God his requests—and he quickly learned that God was eager to respond. The blessings began to pour in—enough to fill notebooks and notebooks with answers. The more answers he experienced, the more he desired to pray. His prayer life changed. It shifted from a rote religious routine to an exciting adventure. Would you like to experience this same joy of answered prayer? I recently began an in-depth study of the book of Psalms. I've read the psalms many times, but this time, I've been struck by how many times the word "answer" appears in that part of the Bible. Our God is a God who hears and answers. He responds when we cry to Him. David said: "I cried to the Lord with my voice, and He answered me from His holy hill" (Ps. 3:4). Psalm 17:6a says: "I called on You, for You will answer me, O God." Psalm 38:15 says: "For in You, O Lord, do I hope; You will answer, O Lord my God." The word "answer" appears 27 times in Psalms. God does not tune us out or ignore us. He's listening! He is waiting for us to share our burdens and requests. He is ever ready to demonstrate His goodness. And even on our worst days we can experience answered prayer. Psalm 86:7 says: "In the day of my trouble I will call upon You, for You will answer me." You may feel distant from God. You may be tempted to believe God has given up on you because of your failures. Or maybe prayer has just become a boring routine. Go back to the Psalms and discover the secret of George Mueller. You too can experience an adventure in prayer. I have started my own "answered prayer journal," and I'm already recording the miracles. I encourage you to do the same. Don't put a lid on your prayers. Don't be shy to bring your requests—come before the Lord with the boldness to ask. Dare to be a George Mueller in this generation. [J. Lee Grady was editor of Charisma for 11 years before he launched into full-time ministry in 2010. Today he directs The Mordecai Project, a Christian charitable organization that is taking the healing of Jesus to women and girls who suffer abuse and cultural oppression. Author of several books including 10 Lies the Church Tells Women, he has just released his newest book, Set My Heart on Fire, from Charisma House. You can follow him on Twitter at @LeeGrady or go to his website, themordecaiproject.org. I am happy to inform you that J. Lee Grady is an ordained minister of the Gospel in the International Pentecostal Holiness Church. He is currently the executive editor of Encourage, an online digital monthly magazine you can download from our IPHC website: www.iphc.org/encourage. J. Lee Grady is a friend of mine and he has given me authority/permission to publish his articles in Hugh's News for you to read. Neurologist explains the health benefits of eggs
You probably can remember a time when health experts were decrying the evils of eggs. For a period of time, doctors were warning people that eggs contained dangerous levels of cholesterol, which could lead to heart disease. Neuologist David Perlmutter argues against this belief, however, and says, "The erroneous but strong messages about egg restriction that emanated primarily from the United States in the 1970s have unfortunately stuck around far too long." Instead, Dr. Perlmutter explains that numerous studies have shown that eggs are actually a source of good cholesterol that our brains needs: "Whole eggs contain all the essential amino acids we need to survive, vitamins and minerals, plus anti-oxidants known to protect our eyes. Moreover, they contain ample supplies of choline, which is particularly important to aiding healthy brain function as well as pregnancy." He goes on to explain that "the real culprits" when it comes to health issues are not foods rich in cholesterol, but "foods that are high on the glycemic index--basically high in carbohydrates." But even with eggs no longer considered dangerous, the best eggs are the ones are still those thast are organic, non-GMO, and preferably pasture-raised. [Editor's comment: This fascinating article was published in the frontines, the Christian Broadcasting Network, March 2019. May God help us to eat properly. Your friend in all seasons, Hugh H. Morgan How Do You Give? In His Presence: Mark 8:36 Jesus not only closely watched people give their offerings, He watched them critically. He went beyond their visible actions and looked into their hearts. Jesus called His disciples over and said: "Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the contributors to the treasury" (Mark 12:43). He didn't want them to miss seeing the heart of the widow, or to miss the lesson that her giving provided. Most of us would miss watching the widow. Instead, we would be watching the bigwigs in the temple, the ones who made large offerings from their ample funds. We would be impressed by how much they gave. We might even suggest honoring them for their giving, maybe naming a building after the donor. But Jesus didn't call the disciples over to see the big givers. He called them over to notice a poor widow who gave less than a penny. Why did Jesus fix His attention on the widow? Because she gave more. "She, out of her poverty, put in all she owned" (v. 44), while the rich men gave out of their surplus. The rich gave what they had left over. This woman didn't have anything extra; she gave everything she had. Jesus knew this, and He saw her heart. God measures our gift not by its amount, but by our motive. A godly steward will give with the motivation to honor God rather than just to tip Him with what he has left over after the bills are paid. One Minute Please God is not only interested in what you give; He also wants to know why you give it. Watch Online Videos of Dr. Tony Evans and The Urban Alternative at LightSource.com and Listen to Dr. Tony Evans Online Broadcasts at OnePlace.com. Colossians 3:15-17
15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16 Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the Name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. NIV +++++++++++ Colossians 3:15-17 15 Let the peace of Christ keep you in tune with each other, in step with each other. None of this going off and doing your own thing. And cultivate thankfulness. 16 Let the Word of Christ — the Message — have the run of the house. Give it plenty of room in your lives. Instruct and direct one another using good common sense. And sing, sing your hearts out to God! 17 Let every detail in your lives — words, actions, whatever — be done in the Name of the Master, Jesus, thanking God the Father every step of the way. (from THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language © 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights reserved.) |