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  • Stephanie
  • Through the Years with Billy and Ruth Grahm
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Lighten up with Laughter

11/30/2015

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     A young man had just graduated from Harvard and was so excited just thinking about his future.
     He gets into a taxi and the driver says, "How are you on this lovely day?"
     "I'm the Class of 2015, just graduated from Harvard and I just can't wait to go out there and see what the world has in store for me."
     The driver looks back to shake the young man's hand and says, "Congratulations, I'm Mitch. Harvard Class of 1969."


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Giving Tuesday for 2015 is Today, December 1st.

11/30/2015

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     I want to inform you know that Hugh's News, Inc. will be participating in this year's Giving Tuesday and we need your help!! In case you haven't heard, the goal of Giving Tuesday is to create a global day of giving back, which celebrates generosity and kindness. The day itself falls on the Tuesday following American Thanksgiving each year. Giving Tuesday for 2015 is December 1st.
     Hugh's News, Inc. has a goal of raising $7,000, and we really hope you'll be a part of reaching that goal! All of the donations received will go towards meeting the fall budget we lost due to a change in our website and electronic newsletter design, and meeting our current budget to take care of the costs of these dramatic changes.
     These are exciting times!  As much as it is exciting times, we have had some challenges as well. This has been the hardest year we have had financially in a long time.  However, our trust is in the Lord Who specializes in things thought impossible, and He can do for you and us what no other power can do.
     This is the season of the year when people express their thanks to family, friends, teachers, mentors, ministries, and institutions that have given them so much and helped make them who they are as well as enrich their lives.
     We are hoping that Hugh's News, Inc., a non-profit Christian evangelist organization, is on your list somewhere, and so we are offering you an opportunity of supporting Hugh's News with the newest trend!
     Giving Tuesday is the newest way for people to support their favorite charities.  It is the fastest and easiest way ever to make donations.  All you have to do is go to our website, www.hughsnews.com, or click on our GIVING TUESDAY hyperlink I have made for you, and make your credit card donation of $100, $50, $30 or any amount you believe God wants you to give to this ministry.
     You may also give this season by sending a check or money order, made out to Hugh's News, Inc., to:
          Hugh's News, Inc.
          17 Sweet Apple Lane
          Winder, GA 30680-3349
     Thanksgiving Day is followed by Black Friday, Cyber Monday and now by GIVING TUESDAY! Other charities have been participating in this for the past three years and have seen their donations skyrocket! We are hoping to get scores of our subscribers and readers to make a donation on this one day! December is a pivotal month for Hugh's News as it helps us to catch up with the income we should have received during the fall months, and prepare us to meet with success the costs we are incurring with our new website and newsletter design and other related costs not so easily seen.  Your giving along with many others will be exciting to watch!
     Let me pause to say "Thank You" for your generous giving to make sure Hugh's News with face the future with courage and renewed hope and assurance to know you are standing with us and that Hugh's News is important to you. I am honored to have the privilege to serve you, my denomination--the International Pentecostal Holiness Church, and the body of Christ worldwide.
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"Encourage the Encourager" by Ronald Gadberry, A Contributing Writer for Hugh's News

11/30/2015

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PictureRonald Gadberry
     To be, or not to be: that is the question: Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, or to take arms against a sea of troubles, and by opposing end them? To die: to sleep; no more; and by a sleep to say we end the heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks that the flesh is heir to, 'tis a consummation devoutly to be wish'd. To die, to sleep; to sleep: perchance to dream: Shakespeare (from Hamlet 3/1).
     Anyone who goes through me will be cared for—will freely go in and out, and find pasture. A thief is only there to steal and kill and destroy. I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of. Jesus (from John 10:8-10, The Message).
     I have an obsession with life. Yes, I love to live! That should not come as a surprise to anyone though I am quite confident most people do not share my enthusiasm, even though the most lucrative business these days is probably pharmaceutics. From the time of the casting of Satan and his angels out of heaven, the darkness of death has clouded the waking thoughts of every living creature and haunted their dreams. It is the fountain from which fear flows and its evocation elicits terror from the most courageous. Dark poetry redounds with its glorification and the macabre throbs with its anguish. But I ask this question in the face of our present situation, “What's this obsession with death and with dying?”
     Obsession With Life
What's this obsession with death and with dying,
Where people are groaning and crying and sighing
This strong predilection t'ward vi'lence and mayhem,
To killings and torture meant to dismay them?

Emotions, I know, find keenest expression,
Expressing horrible doubts and depression
But doubt, fear and dread are the meanest rendition
Of things that express the human condition.

'Tis true life's not simply sunshine and flowers,
Or blue birds and posies and lovely spring showers
One mustn't go skipping through life never caring,
That much of it must be spent giving and sharing

But the dark side's the bad side just never forget it,
And good can come in from the bright side so let it
If there's life then there's hope, so keep smiling and humming,
For if you keep on smiling then joy will keep coming

In spite of the rain and the death and the dying,
There's good for the finding so just keep on trying.

     Jesus is the purveyor of life. His smile brings in the morning, our hearts swell from His touch, and hope: hope blossoms and bursts rose fragrant the moment we sense His presence. He has passed through and from the portals of death and carried from its depths the documents intended to bind the living in its terrifying chambers. We need not wither there for the Great Judge has exacted payment from His Son, who carrying our condemnation before Him took upon Himself the punishment intended for us. We may therefore smile as we bow before the grim reaper, who beheld through the veil of Christ's suffering, glows with angelic grace and whose hand now warm with holy comfort, leads rather than compels us into our eternal destiny.
     The great enemy would have us fear. He would terrify us with threats and innuendo; with accusations and judgments. On the other hand, as a deceiver, he may choose to hide himself in light and befriend us as a brother. Perhaps he will preach soft words and lure us into complacent self-appreciation. Is it there he will spring his unsuspected trap? Or, shall we meet him in the shadows that grow daily more substantial? Must we fear the distant humming of war machines whose wheels now grind the faces of the innocent?
     One must admit of an overwhelming sense of desperation building storm like on the horizon. Warnings are daily coming from many quarters with scientists, and economists joining our prophets in announcing the coming of a global disaster and the looming promise of a One World solution. Jesus predicted these times and observed that “Men's hearts (would be) failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven (He warned), shall be shaken.” But should we fear?
     I must shout as loudly as print may made to shout: NO! Jesus said: “And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh” (Luke 21:28).  And, the great poet of the Old Testament wrote: “Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in" (Psalms 24:7). Then there were the men in white who proclaimed the return of the King, Acts 2:11b, “ . . . this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into heaven.” Paul joined the chorus when in his letter to the Thessalonians he wrote: “For this we say unto you by the Word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words."
    
There is no new information here. There is no need for new information. What we have received should lighten every heart in Christendom and bring the entire church to its feet with a joyous shout. The promise is His promise and He cannot lie. Though we cannot tell the when, we know without doubt the what and the why and as surely as the sun shines today and will tomorrow, our hope is a living one.
      Be encouraged! Indeed, encourage the encourager to continue to proclaim the inevitable hope. Jesus is about to come back. Praise the Lord!

[Editor's Comment: God has given to us a prophetic voice in Ronald Gadberry.  He is an ordained minister of the IPHC, and serves as an evangelist. and a member of the New Horizons Ministries Conference. He is offering his services as an evangelist and singer to pastors of churches who are now preparing their 2016 revival and preaching mission services.
     You may contact Ronald Gadberry at the following address and/or telephone numbers:
           The Rev. Mr. Ronald Gadberry
           509 Cottage Park Lane
           Shawnee, Oklahoma 74804
           1-405-834-0479 / 1-405-808-2937
      He will do your church good.]
 
 


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Report of Chaplain (Colonel) Jerry L. Jones, Director/Endorser of IPHC Chaplains Ministries of Pastors to Chaplains in the Ukraine

11/30/2015

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Picture
     On Sunday November 1, 2015, Chaplain Roger Heath, Chaplain Philip Chandler, Chaplain Lou and Becky Shirey, and Chaplain Jerry and Cynthia Jones met in Oklahoma City for prayer and final planning.  Their mission: go to Kiev, Ukraine, meet with civilian pastors and their spouses, and minister to and train them on providing pastoral care and religious support to the Ukrainian Soldiers on the war front.  
     So began the journey of a lifetime for this team.  After three months of planning and coordinating, sending briefing slides and having them translated by Anya Goliakova (the main interpreter for the team), we arrived in Kiev on the following Tuesday where we were met with outstretched arms in appreciation for going there. The ministry and training began on Thursday and concluded on Saturday with about fifteen civilian pastors and five spouses in attendance.  
     The Ukrainian Army does not have imbedded chaplains like the U.S. Army.  Neither does the Ukrainian Army or government provide equipment, uniforms or compensation. These selfless civilian pastors go where the Ukrainian Soldiers are, on the war front, to take pastoral care and the Gospel.  But they aren’t trained either.  Knowing the training U.S. Army Chaplains have, Bishop Valery Reshetinsky and his associate Valery Alymov, through World Missions, requested the IPHC send a team of chaplains to Kiev to share their ministry and expertise.  
     The training for religious support and pastoral care included:  History of the U.S. Chaplaincy and Structure, Role of the Chaplain with Commanders and Soldiers, Providing Pastoral Care and Religious Needs, Crisis and Grief Counseling, Critical Incident De-briefings, Post Traumatic Issues and Moral Injury, Hospital Visitation, Suicide Awareness and Prevention, Stages of Grief, Ministry of Presence, Spouse and Family Issues and Readiness.  
     Each day began with dynamic and spiritually uplifting devotions and singing led Valery Alymov.  
     Each day as the team shared their testimonies, briefings, and experience, the hunger in the hearts of the attendees for more professional development became more evident.  Each day the struggles they experienced in providing pastoral care due to loss of life, separation from family, and hardship on the battle field began to surface.  All of this led the team to understand that ministry to the pastors and spouses was just as important as the training.
     The training culminated with a Communion service.  It was during this time it became evident, that although we spoke different languages, the Holy Spirit crosses the language barrier and makes Himself real and present in the hearts of believers.  
     On the following Sunday, the team attended Christian Hope, IPHC, in Kiev.  Although the Ukraine does not have a Thanksgiving holiday as the U.S., the church celebrated a Thanksgiving Sunday.  The service lasted four hours!  It was a privilege for each U.S. Chaplain to speak on "Being Thankful" for a few minutes during the service.  It was also a tremendous opportunity to connect and network with an IPHC sister church in another part of the world demonstrating the importance and relevancy of working together for the spread of the Gospel.
     Now the IPHC has two challenges.  The first is; the IPHC leadership in the Ukraine wants the team to come back.  And of course the team wants to go back.  But it is costly to do so.  If you feel led, please contribute to IPHC Chaplain Ministries.  You can go to www.iphc.org and click on "donate" and go to "projects" and find Chaplain Ministries.
     Second: the civilian pastors need body armor to wear to the war front.  The cost is $400.00 per set for a flack jacket and helmet.  This is a critical need.  If you feel led to contribute to this project, go to www.iphc.org, click on "donate" and go to "projects" and find "Pastors to Chaplains Body Armor."  Thank you for your support.
     Bishop Chris Thompson, Executive Director of EVUSA, is thrilled that Chaplains Ministries could come along side of World Missions, Bishop Talmadge Gardner, and Regional Director Bob Cave. We are certainly better together.

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A Scripture Reading Recorded in the Book of Isaiah for this Advent Season in the Church Calendar

11/30/2015

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Isaiah 9:6-7
6 For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given: and the government shall be upon His shoulder: and His Name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

7 Of the increase of His government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon His kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.
KJV


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Lighten up with Laughter

11/30/2015

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     According to a news report, a certain private charter school in San Antonio, Texas was recently faced with a unique problem. A number of twelve-year-old girls who were beginning to use lipstick would put it on in the bathroom.
     That was fine, but after they put on their lipstick, they would press their lips to the mirror, leaving dozens of little lip prints.
     Every night the maintenance man, an old retired army master sergeant, would remove them, and the next day the girls would put them back.
Finally the principal, who also was a former army chief warrant officer, decided that something had to be done. He called all the girls to the bathroom and met them there with the maintenance man. He explained that all these lip prints were causing a major problem for the old sergeant who had to clean the mirrors every night. To demonstrate how difficult it had been to clean the mirrors, he asked the maintenance man to show the girls how much effort was required.
     He took out a long-handled squeegee, dipped it in the toilet, and cleaned the mirror with it. Since then, there have been no lip prints on the mirror.
     There are teachers . . .
          and then there are educators.
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Giving Tuesday--December 1, 2015

11/30/2015

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     I want to inform you know that Hugh's News, Inc. will be participating in this year's Giving Tuesday and we need your help!! In case you haven't heard, the goal of Giving Tuesday is to create a global day of giving back, which celebrates generosity and kindness. The day itself falls on the Tuesday following American Thanksgiving each year. Giving Tuesday for 2015 is December 1st.
     Hugh's News, Inc. has a goal of raising $7,000, and we really hope you'll be a part of reaching that goal! All of the donations received will go towards meeting the fall budget we lost due to a change in our website and electronic newsletter design, and meeting our current budget to take care of the costs of these dramatic changes.
     These are exciting times!  As much as it is exciting times, we have had some challenges as well. This has been the hardest year we have had financially in a long time.  However, our trust is in the Lord Who specializes in things thought impossible, and He an do for you and us what no other power can do.
     This is the season of the year when people express their thanks to family, friends, teachers, mentors, ministries, and institutions that have given them so much and helped make them who they are as well as enrich their lives.
     We are hoping that Hugh's News, Inc., a non-profit Christian evangelist organization, is on your list somewhere, and so we are offering you an opportunity of supporting Hugh's News with the newest trend!
     Giving Tuesday is the newest way for people to support their favorite charities.  It is the fastest and easiest way ever to make donations.  All you have to do is go to our website, www.hughsnews.com, or click on our GIVING TUESDAY hyperlink I have made for you, and make your credit card donation of $100, $50, $30 or any amount you believe God wants you to give to this ministry.
     You may also give this season by sending a check or money order, made out to Hugh's News, Inc., to:
          Hugh's News, Inc.
          17 Sweet Apple Lane
          Winder, GA 30680-3349
     Thanksgiving Day is followed by Black Friday, Cyber Monday and now by GIVING TUESDAY! Other charities have been participating in this for the past three years and have seen their donations skyrocket! We are hoping to get scores of our subscribers and readers to make a donation on this one day! December is a pivotal month for Hugh's News as it helps us to catch up with the income we should have received during the fall months, and prepare us to meet with success the costs we are incurring with our new website and newsletter design and other related costs not so easily seen.  Your giving along with many others will be exciting to watch!
     Let me pause to say "Thank You" for your generous giving to make sure Hugh's News with face the future with courage and renewed hope and assurance to know you are standing with us and that Hugh's News is important to you. I am honored to have the privilege to serve you, my denomination--the International Pentecostal Holiness Church, and the body of Christ worldwide.
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An Advent Scripture Reading Recorded In Matthew's Gospel

11/30/2015

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Matthew 1:18-25
Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with Child of the Holy Ghost.
19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily.
20 But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.
21 And she shall bring forth a Son, and thou shalt call His name JESUS: for He shall save His people from their sins.
22 Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,
23 Behold, a virgin shall be with Child, and shall bring forth a Son, and they shall call His name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.
24 Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife:
25 And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn Son: and he called His name JESUS.
KJV


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Lighten Up With Laughter

11/29/2015

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    The Minnesota Vikings football practice was delayed nearly two hours this morning after a player reported finding an unknown white powdery substance on the practice field.
     Head coach, Mike Tice, immediately suspended practice while police and federal agents were called to investigate.
     After a complete analysis, FBI forensic experts determined that the white substance unknown to the players was the goal line.
     Practice was resumed today after special agents decided the team was unlikely to encounter the substance again.


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Giving Tuesday--December 1, 2015

11/29/2015

0 Comments

 
     This is the season of the year when people express their thanks to family, friends, teachers, mentors, ministries, and institutions that have given them so much and helped make them who they are as well as enrich their lives. 
     We are hoping that Hugh's News, Inc., a non-profit Christian evangelist organization, is on your list somewhere, and so we are offering you an opportunity of supporting Hugh's News with the newest trend!
     Giving Tuesday is the newest way for people to support their favorite charities.  It is the fastest and easiest way ever to make donations.  All you have to do is go to our website, www.hughsnews.com, or click on our GIVING TUESDAY hyperlink I have made for you, and make your credit card donation of $100, $50, $30 or any amount you believe God wants you to give to this ministry. 
     You may also give this season by sending a check or money order, made out to Hugh's News, Inc., to:
          Hugh's News, Inc.
          17 Sweet Apple Lane
          Winder, GA 30680-3349
     Thanksgiving Day is followed by Black Friday, Cyber Monday and now by GIVING TUESDAY! Other charities have been participating in this for the past three years and have seen their donations skyrocket! We are hoping to get scores of our subscribers and readers to make a donation on this one day! December is a pivotal month for Hugh's News as it helps us to catch up with the income we should have received during the fall months, and prepare us to meet with success the costs we are incurring with our new website and newsletter design and other related costs not so easily seen.  Your giving along with many others will be exciting to watch!
     Let me pause to say "Thank You" for your generous giving to make sure Hugh's News with face the future with courage and renewed hope and assurance to know you are standing with us and that Hugh's News is important to you. I am honored to have the privilege to serve you, my denomination--the International Pentecostal Holiness Church, and the body of Christ worldwide.
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The Celebration Sunday school class led by facilitators Lavon and Arlette Revells have begun a new Bible study series on the Book of Revelation

11/29/2015

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Picture
      Dr. David Jeremiah's latest book, Agents of the Apocalypse, is  the study guide for a new series of Bible studies on Sunday mornings, at 10 o'clock at Christian Life Worship Center in Athens, GA. The church is located at 125 Kathwood Drive, one mile north of the Athens Perimeter just off US Highway 129.
     The Celebration Class is a cross generational gathering of various ages of adults that meets on Sunday mornings to celebrate Jesus and study God's Holy Word, the Bible. Lavon and Arlette Revells are the teachers or facilitators. There is never a dull moment and they know how to get class members involved in the discussion of the subject material.
     This study of the Book of Revelation is the talk of thousands of churches who are involved in this study done by Dr. David Jeremiah.
     In Agents of the Apocalypse, noted prophecy expert Dr. David Jeremiah does what no prophecy expert has done before. He explores the Book of Revelation through the lens of its major players--the exiled, the martyrs, the elders, the victor, the king, the judge, the 144,000, the witnesses, the false prophet, and the beast.
     One by one, Dr. Jeremiah delves into their individual personalities and motives, and the role that each plays in Biblical prophecy. Then he provides readers with the critical clues and information needed to recognize their presence and power in the world today.
     Lavon and Arlette Revells extend a personal invitation to you to attend the Celebration Class this Sunday morning at 10 o'clock. Today, Arlette will be leading us as our facilitator. She is dynamic and makes any lesson come alive.
     The class meets on the lower level of our educational wing of Christian Life Worship Center, in a classroom known as Stephanie's Place, named in loving memory of the life and legacy of Stephanie Ellen Morgan a dedicated educator during her adult life. You may enter the classroom from the parking lot to the right of the rose garden.
     Let me share with you a video on YouTube that introduces this study series in the Book of Revelation. Click Here to see this introduction narrated by Dr. David Jeremiah.

Melvine and I are members of this Sunday school class, and we invite you to join with us and many others who enjoy this Bible study class.
     We want you to stay for church after Sunday school. Our morning worship service begins at 11 o'clock. We are thrilled with our new pastor and his family. Our pastor is the Rev. Mr. Brad Cooper. You will love his preaching. He is an excellent preacher and keeps the congregaton hanging on to every word while sitting on the edge of the pew. Come and bring a friend, loved one, or business associate.



Picture
Arlette Revells
Picture
Lavon Revells
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A Prophetic Message given by Pastor Darrel Blankenship in the morning teaching session of the 2015 Heartland Camp Meeting

11/29/2015

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      It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. This passage from A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens could easily apply to us right now. We are living in an age of contrasts as well. We seem to be on the verge of achieving utopia from our advancements in technology, biotechnology and we are on the verge of destroying Earth, and all of us with it.
     You only need to read a few magazine or newspapers to come away with both conclusions.
     The future is always described with superlatives--it's either going to be horrible or really amazing. So which is it? Which will it be, the best of times or the worst of times? I believe that it will be both.
     I believe it will be worst of times for the earth, but the best of times for the Children of God. I believe that Christ is about to come like a thief in the night.
     Skeptics will point out that "the end is near" has always been a common theme of nut-cases, bearded prophets and street-corner preachers. But the recent increase of scientific community's assertion of humankind's imminent end is what is so unusual and agreed upon.
     I know we cannot know the day or hour the Lord is coming and the end of the world occurs, but we can know the season that leads to it. It should not surprise us that many non-Christians may be able to detect the season as well. When David's army heard the rustling in the top of the trees, it was time to move out and conquer. I believe we are hearing the rustling in the top of the trees and we are about to move out as well. The Old Farmer says, "It is later than it's ever been before."
     Years before 9/11 several pastors were invited to have dinner with David Wilkerson at his church located in the heart of Times Square in New York City. That evening the ministers met at a restaurant atop a skyscraper in downtown Manhattan. From the restaurant, the view was spectacular, surrounded by windows, and the city shimmered with lights as far as the eye could see. Wilkerson asked the men to look carefully around at all the buildings. He wanted them to tell him what they thought was the common thread. Numerous comments ensued, but none had given Wilkerson the answer for which he was asking.
     He eventually asked, "Can't you see? This American city is now owned by foreign investors and foreign nations." He pointed out that among the curses of Deuteronomy 20 is a warning. If God's people break His statutes, commandments, and judgments, the Almighty would allow the stranger, or foreigner, to rise higher in the land, eventually bringing His own people lower.
     Is it possible that America, the greatest nation on the face of the earth, beginning with 13 colonies and expanding into 50 states, is on the brink of economic, moral and spiritual decline? Are we moving down the same economic road as the ancient Imperial Roman Empire? Today, for the first time in modern history, American cities, such as Detroit, have filed bankruptcy, unable to meet their obligations. Nearly 50% of American works while the other 50% must receive various entitlements to eat, live, and function. Remove those entitlements, and America will go under quickly.
     Secular CNBC Program
I watched a dialog of one senator and two of the top advisors to major companies in the US and they all agreed that the economy is about to hit a major catastrophe. They said that major corporations are doing what many individuals are doing in this country--they are hoarding and stock piling money, because they see what is on the horizon. If you opened your newspaper tomorrow and the head lines read, "Stock Market Crashes,"or "China makes recall on its loans," or "WalMart closes another 2000 stores," you will say, "I don't believe any of that is possible."
     Pastor Jack Matthews, who pastored a Church of God in Wrens, Georgia, had a member in his church called Mary Rouse. She was a 98-year-old faithful church member who had married a Methodist minister and her occupation was a school-teacher. But her spiritual calling was a prayer intercessor, spending hours each day in prayer. Years ago Mary had been in prayer, then a dream she had of President Eisenhower in a late-night, secret meeting. It was at the White House with the head of Turkey and another foreign national, discussing disturbances in the Middle East. The Lord told her the president was going to sign a secret agreement with these two nations and it would be the wrong decision. Mary, this simple praying woman, contacted an operator at the White House. She began explaining to the operator her warning. She went on to all to tell how the president was in a secret meeting, and then revealed in great detail the conversations occurring in the secret meeting. Shortly thereafter, the federal agents were at Mary's home asking her how she obtained her information. Her insight was so detailed that at first she was accused of being a "Turkish Spy." After a lengthy interrogation, the agents realized Mary's information really had come in prayer. The revelation was passed along to Eisenhower, changing his plans to sign the secret agreement. Even the local paper published the information of the government's visit to Mary. Mary had cards that President Eisenhower's wife had sent to her, thanking her for her prayers.
     Prior to 1960, Mary had a dream about the future. She predicted the next president would be a Catholic. And so it was--President Kennedy. Later she saw in a dome of the White House in Washington covered with blackbirds with padlocks in their mouths. The Lord spoke to Mary about a time coming where there would be an attempt to place a padlock on every Protestant church in America. Remember, this is before 1960, and at that time such an occurrence seemed almost impossible in fact, many Christians probably would've laughed at the idea that individuals in high places would attempt such a feat. Yet, since that time, America has become a post-Christian nation as pure Christianity is declining in interest and Biblical truth is sinking in a cesspool of unbelief. Today a very liberal, anti Christian spirit manipulates the minds of many individuals in our nation.
     In Mary's dream the birds were sitting on the White House dome at 1600 Pennsylvania with padlocks in their beaks. The implication is whatever future laws are passed, they must be approved by the elected official living in that house before becoming law.
     The padlocks in the mouths of the birds illustrate attempts to silence the mouths of ministers, whose voices are used to proclaim the Gospel. Before anything major transpires in the earth, there is always a forerunner.
     E William Branham was one of the leading ministers in the wave of healing revivals that erupted in America in the 40s and 50s. There has never been anyone, other than Jesus himself, that operated in the Word of knowledge more powerful that this man. You could go to YouTube and pull up some of his services and it will amaze you at the accuracy of this man's words in pinpointing people's problems. In June 1933 as he was preparing to teach a SS lesson in Jefferson, IN, just before he stood to minister, the Lord revealed to him 7 consecutive open visions that would come to pass before the return of Christ. Most have already been fulfilled and some are yet to come.
     1. The first vision Brother Branham saw was that of a man named Benito Mussolini, the Italian dictator, would establish a fascist state in Italy and invade Ethiopia. Thirty months later the vision came to pass. Branham said the dictator would have a horrible death and his people would spit on his corpse. This was fulfilled on April 28, 1945 (12 years later) when the people seized the dictator at an airport attempting to escape to Switzerland. He was hung upside and and spit upon by his own people!
     2. In the second vision he saw an Australian man named Hitler rising in Germany and saw numerous American lives lost in a war with Germany which Roosevelt would declare after his election for a fourth term. We know that all of this happened, but this prediction was made in 1933.
     3. The third vision revealed three major "isms." Fascism, Naziism and communism. He predicted that the first two would come to naught, but communism would flourish. We know that has surely come to pass.
     4. The fourth vision predicted advancement in technology right after the war. He saw automobiles shaped like eggs and a car with a plastic looking bubble on top being run by a remote control. The driver turned and began playing games with the folks in the back seat. This was predicted in 1933 and today this type of car has been invented. Self driving automobiles are now being developed for the future. Many of you have vehicles with DVD screens in the back where kids play games or watch videos. This technology did not exist until over 65 years after Branham's vision.
     5. In the 5th vision, he also witnessed a moral decay of women in America that they would cut their hair and adopt the clothing of men. We know that this did not begin until WWII. He then saw where women were stripped almost naked, merely covering themselves with tiny aprons about the size of a fig leaf. What he was seeing was the wearing of bikinis that was unheard of in his day!
     6. The 6th vision involved a woman rising in power in the US. Here is his exact quote: "remember, in that day before He comes (before He comes), that a woman, now you all keep this written down--there will be a powerful woman raise up, either to be president, or dictator, or some great powerful woman in the US. And she (America) will sink under the influence of women. Thirty-one (31) years later, on July 26, 1964, Branham remarked in a sermon: "the morals of our women are going to fall in such degraded things till they're going to be a disgrace to all nations. I see a woman stand in the US like a great queen or something--and she was beautiful to look at, but she was wicked in her heart. She made America's step go to her step. According to his vision, America will morally and spiritually sink during this time of this woman's season of authority.
     7. In the last and seven visions Branham saw a great explosion destroy the entire land, leaving the US smoldering and in ruins. He commanded that as far as his eyes could see, he saw craters and smoking piles of debris.
     David Wilkerson received a series of warnings in his book "set the trumpet by mouth." He says, "America is going to be destroy by fire! Sudden destruction is coming and few will escape. Unexpectedly, in one hour, a hydrogen Holocaust will engulf America, and this nation will be no more."
Later he wrote, "an attack from Russia and the great Holocaust follows an economic collapse of America. The enemy will make its move when we are weak and helpless. America will not repent."
     In March 2009, Wilkerson gave a final warning before he passed away. "An earth shattering calamity is about to happen. It is going to be so frightening, we are all going to tremble, even the godly among us. Major cities all across America will experience riots in blazing fires such as we saw in Watts, Los Angeles years ago. There will be riots and fires in cities worldwide. There will be looting."
     Why were properties sold in Acts 4 and the money distributed to the needy and the poor within the church? The answer could be in the statement Jesus made in Matthew Chapters 23 & 24. Jesus warned that the temple would be destroyed and that believers would need to flee out of the city and not return to their houses. With this advanced warning, believer begin selling their property knowing that in a future time, within one generation the property would be useless when the siege and destruction of the city occurred. They were given ample time of about 40 years to sell their possessions and leave the city before Jerusalem's destruction, and settled on the other side of the Jordan River in a community called Pella. Most warning dreams or visions are revealed to give believers time to plan, prepare and make wise decisions before it is too late.
     In Acts 11 a prophet named Barnabas predicted a global famine, giving believers time to organize financially for the churches in Judea. When a national crisis is on the horizon, God gives people time to repent and turn to Him. Christ predicted the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple, which did occur, about 40 years after his prediction in Matthew Chapters 23 and 24. Jeremiah warned his generation that the Babylonians were coming and the city would be in ruins, His warnings continued for 23 years until finally the Babylonians sent an army the Jews could not overpower.
     Elijah warned Jezebel that the dogs would eat her. The prophet disappeared from the world scene and Jezebel (10 years later) thought God forgot the prediction when he commanded this evil queen to be thrown over the wall where wild dogs fulfilled Elijah's prophecy.
     Revelation 13:1-3: John graphically describes the beast in a grotesque composite as the same for animals that Daniel saw in his prophecy in Daniel 7. John tells us that the body of the beast is like a leopard. The leopard is the one beast with colors representing the three major races of mankind. Its coat of brown like the Asians, It’s stomach of white like the Caucasians and its spots are back, the color of the Africans. Just as the leopard is a multinational, multiracial representation, the Antichrist will be an international figure. He will bring all peoples of the world together under his dynamic leadership.
     That is except one group: Christians
John said, "It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them." The Antichrist will control this world through economics. Revelation 13:16 tells us that everyone in the world will have to receive a mark in his forehead or in his right hand. Today when you present your credit or debit card to pay a purchase of the card is declined, you have no option but to leave your goods behind unless you have another way to pay. During the tribulation the scanners will be able to read people's data from the implanted chip as they are in the checkout line. If there is no implanted chip, there will be no sale/purchase.
     President Obama and the Affordable Care Act:
Every American president enters the Oval Office with the intent of doing something substantial to build a historical legacy that will go down in the annals of time with their name forever attached to it.
     For Harry Truman: it was supporting a new homeland for the Jewish state of Israel.  For Jimmy Carter, it was the peace agreement between Egypt and Israel. For Ronald Reagan, it was the collapse of the communism in Europe and the demise of the Iron Curtain. For George Herbert Walker Bush, it was the liberation of Kuwait from the invasion of Saddam Hussein. For Bill Clinton, it was the recovery of the economy and balancing the budget. For George W Bush, it was his war on terror in his stand to defeat our enemies on their own soil instead of fighting them here in America. For Barack Obama, he made no bones about it, for out of his own mouth he said, "Health care will be my legacy, so don't mess with it."
     Minister and two visitors:
In the middle of the health care debate, a minister was traveling by air from Pensacola to Orlando, Florida. Having ministered to the point of exhaustion, he had hoped to rest the entire flight. But he found himself sitting next to a colonel in the US military, and seated on the other side was a doctor who also served on one of the nation's medical boards. The doctor struck up a conversation with the minister and he began to explain that he was on his way to a major meeting in Orland to talk about the health care bill and the new medical implant device.
     The preacher suddenly perked up! He began inquiring about this "implantable medical device." The doctor told  him that one reason the administration was determined to pass this legislation as soon as possible was so the plans for implantable devices could advance to the next new medical implant device.
     The doctor explained the government had been working for many years on this chip implant, but certain blood types can accept the implant, causing slight complications. They have been working for years to ensure that all blood types can accept the implant. This particular doctor believes the challenges have not been met the doctor also mentioned that the implantation would be done in hospitals since people trust their local, personal doctors. The projected time frame is around 2018.
     Most people do not know that on pages 1502 - 1510 in the bill alludes to medical devices that can be used for surveillance, including storing electronic records. On page 1502, there is mention of a national medical registry and farther in the section details of a device that can be implantable. The bill also mentions that these medical devices should be implanted within 36 months of enacting the bill! (Side note: This past May, three years was up!)
     Before Joe Biden was the vice president, he was a senator from Delaware. While speaking at the Supreme Court confirmation hearing for Chief Justice Roberts, Biden asked the very odd question. He asked future Chief Justice Roberts if he would rule against a mandatory implantable microchip, to track America's citizens, warning Roberts that he would have to address the issue during his tenure if approved for the Supreme Court.
     While ministering near Cincinnati Ohio, Perry Stone said the pastor related to him that a couple of the church had a son working for a major barge-shipping company out of Missouri. Homeland security contacted the company. They were told every employee was required to have a chip implanted in the right hand. Those with a chip would be the only ones allowed on the barges. The son of this Christian couple felt that in the implant of the right hand was too much like the warning mentioned in Revelation 13. He told his boss that he would not receive this device. They threaten to terminate him from his job. They finally reached a compromise, and he was permitted to carry a card. The card cost $800 and had a small, gold, square full chip, holding information on the back of the card.
     The company Technews Daily reported that an agency had spent $50,000 in setting up a system for head start students to use these tags in tracking children at school.  Wired Magazine and WorldNetDaily reported that a California school used $115,000 in stimulus to have children embedded with RFID chips to trace their movements. The selling point was that it would save 3000 hours of dealing with attendance records.
     Some time ago a large company in Canada was requiring all of its employees to implant a small chip in the right hands that would trace them. It would be used when boys were checking in and out, opening and closing doors and tracking their whereabouts. Three Pentecostal believers worked with this company and told leadership they would not be implanted for religious reasons. After a court case, the three were permitted to be given a special card, instead of the embedded chip.
     The Washington Post reported that the house of delegates in Virginia were scheduled to vote on a bill that would protect Virginians from attempts by employers or insurance companies to implant microchips of their bodies against their will.
     Jesus said, "Like the lightning shines from the east to the west" 182,000 miles per second. (Another side note--In the blinking of an eye--that is mighty fast!!  Come quickly, Lord Jesus!).
[Editor's Comment: Darrel Blankenship is the pastor of Springs of Praise World Outreach Center in Crystal Springs, MS. It is a Pentecostal Holiness Church. Brother Blankenship has been the pastor there for 41 years. I am grateful to Mary Burchett of Oklahoma City for sending me a copy of the manuscript of this prophetic message in a Word document. Mary is the wife of the Rev. Dr. Dwight Burchett a noted pastor, conference leader, and a former president of Southwestern Christian University. Mary gave me the telephone number for Brother Blakenship so I could call and get his permission to publish his message. I found Brother Blankenship to be a kind and gentle man. I had met him years ago when I was president of Southwestern College, now Southwestern Christian University. He told me that his recently departed wife was an avid fan and reader of Hugh's News.  I know Darrel Blankenship's son, Jason Blankenship. He worked in Evangelism USA and helped me when I was director/endorser of IPHC Chaplains Ministries with my website and other administrative things I needed done. His work was excellent.
    At the close of the General Conference in Dallas, Jason graciously took the time to drive Melvine, Greg, and me to the Dallas International Airport to meet our American Airlines Flight. Jason is now pastoring the Purcell Pentecostal Holiness Church in Purcell, OK, and it is growing and prospering under his pastoral leadership. Of course, we know the Holy Spirit is doing it through Jason and that great congregation of God's people. As you read this message search the Scriptures to validate this message given to us by Brother Blankenship.]

 
 

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Will You Receive the Benediction?

11/29/2015

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Psalms 104

104:1 Praise to the Sovereign LORD for His Creation and Providence

Bless the LORD, O my soul!
O LORD my God, You are very great:You are clothed with honor and majesty, 2 Who cover Yourself with light as with a garment, Who stretch out the heavens like a curtain.
3 He lays the beams of His upper chambers in the waters, Who makes the clouds His chariot, Who walks on the wings of the wind, 4 Who makes His angels spirits, His ministers a flame of fire.
5 You who laid the foundations of the earth, So that it should not be moved forever, 6 You covered it with the deep as with a garment; The waters stood above the mountains. 7 At Your rebuke they fled; At the voice of Your thunder they hastened away. 8 They went up over the mountains; They went down into the valleys, To the place which You founded for them. 9 You have set a boundary that they may not pass over, That they may not return to cover the earth.
10 He sends the springs into the valleys; They flow among the hills. 11 They give drink to every beast of the field; The wild donkeys quench their thirst. 12 By them the birds of the heavens have their home;They sing among the branches. 13 He waters the hills from His upper chambers; The earth is satisfied with the fruit of Your works.
14 He causes the grass to grow for the cattle, And vegetation for the service of man, That he may bring forth food from the earth, 15 And wine that makes glad the heart of man, Oil to make his face shine, And bread which strengthens man's heart. 16 The trees of the LORD are full of sap, The cedars of Lebanon which He planted, 17 Where the birds make their nests; The stork has her home in the fir trees. 18 The high hills are for the wild goats; The cliffs are a refuge for the rock badgers.   
19 He appointed the moon for seasons; The sun knows its going down. 20 You make darkness, and it is night, In which all the beasts of the forest creep about. 21 The young lions roar after their prey, And seek their food from God. 22 When the sun rises, they gather together And lie down in their dens. 23 Man goes out to his work And to his labor until the evening.
24 O LORD, how manifold are Your works! In wisdom You have made them all. The earth is full of Your possessions —  25 This great and wide sea,In which are innumerable teeming things, Living things both small and great. 26 There the ships sail about;There is that Leviathan Which You have made to play there.
27 These all wait for You, That You may give them their food in due season. 28 What You give them they gather in; You open Your hand, they are filled with good. 29 You hide Your face, they are troubled; You take away their breath, they die and return to their dust. 30 You send forth Your Spirit, they are created; And You renew the face of the earth.
31 May the glory of the LORD endure forever; May the LORD rejoice in His works. 32 He looks on the earth, and it trembles; He touches the hills, and they smoke.
33 I will sing to the LORD as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have my being. 34 May my meditation be sweet to Him; I will be glad in the LORD. 35 May sinners be consumed from the earth, And the wicked be no more.
Bless the LORD, O my soul! Praise the LORD!


NKJV


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Lighten Up With Laughter

11/26/2015

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     Who does Israel belong to? An Israeli with a sense of humor at the UN set the record straight.
     An ingenious example of speech and politics occurred recently in the United Nations Assembly and made the world community smile.
     A representative from Israel began: "Before beginning my talk, I want to tell you something about Moses. When he struck the rock and it brought forth water, he thought, "What a good opportunity to have a bath!"
    
Moses removed his clothes, put them aside on the rock, and entered the water. When he got out and wanted to dress, his clothes had vanished. A Palestinian had stolen them!
     The Palestinian representative jumped up furiously and shouted, "What are you talking about? The Palestinians weren't there then!"
     The Israeli representative smiled and said, "And now that we have made that clear, I will begin my speech...."
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"God Bless America" sung by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir

11/26/2015

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     On this Thanksgiving Day of 2015 I came to my computer after all of our guests left to go to their respective homes. What a joy it was to share the bounty of blessings God has given us with Christian friends from our church and to have them share their faith, and what they were most grateful for on this national holiday.
     I found this deeply moving Patriotic song, "God Bless America," sung by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir that will bolster your spirit and rekindle your love for the greatest country in the world.  Let us pray to God for our country. We need Jesus Christ. I believe God can still do the impossible as far as man is concerned, and He can and will bring a great spiritual awakening in the United States, a return to God, and a faith in Jesus Christ, the Savior of the  world.
     Click Here to see and hear this great choir and orchestra.
     When Melvine and I lived in Richmond, VA for four years we were surrounded by Mormon families. They were good neighbors, ever ready to help us if we had a need. We talked with them often. We loved and respected them. We shared  our faith with them.
     During my time in the Marine Corps Band at Quantico, VA, one of my best friends was a Mormon by the name of David Fisher. He was from Missouri. He was a college graduate with a degree in music education. He played both trumpet and the Violin. I have lost contact with David, and I pray that God has bless him and his family.



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Thanksgiving is a time to reflect and be reminded of what God has done and is doing in our lives and ministries

11/26/2015

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     On this Thursday evening, November 26, 2015, Thanksgiving Day, I wanted to reflect and be reminded of an incredible journey God has guided me on now for eighteen years as the founder, chief executive officer, and editor of Hugh's News.
     God revealed a need for a new communication system that would inform our active duty, guard and reserve, as well as retired military chaplains of what is happening in the International Pentecostal Holiness Church, as well as the body of Christ worldwide. He gave me a broader vision for ordinary people like you and me who would benefit from a newsletter that could keep our people connected and informed about what is happening on a daily basis. 
     The journey began when I stepped out in faith to start Hugh's News. It wasn't called Hugh's News in the beginning. We went through several names like the Sentinel and one or two others. Finally Hugh's News was selected and that has been a settled name for this electronic news service. In the process of time, Hugh's News, I am told, has become a household name in the homes of many members of the IPHC and the body of Christ worldwide.

     I started with no money. Every month was a step of faith. At first I had an email list of 13 subscribers on AOL. It grew to some 1,500 subscribers in a short time. Because of a complaint of a reader, a lady who was not a subscriber or on my mailing list, AOL summarily declared that I had violated Spam Laws by sending her Hugh's News without being a subscriber. They terminated my email service without a trial or due process of law. At that time, I thought it was the worst day of my life. Since then, I have come to realize it was the best day of my life, and it forced me to look for other options to continue this electronic ministry. And God brought people into my life who could help me fulfill the calling God had laid on my heart to provide a news and inspirational ministry and service to those God would give me.
    A young IPHC minister by the name of J. Brian Williams, who later became my pastor, had exceptional computer skills and he developed my first website and a newsletter format. A top television salesman, Marl Green, in Houston, TX, purchased a web domain for me. So, for a few years we continue to grow, but lost a lot of the names and email addresses that we had built on AOL. So, we had to begin again. We were not exempt from adversity.
     We have walked by faith . . . taken one step at a time . . . gone through valley after valley . . . mountain by mountain . . . and in it all God renewed my mind and heart of His faithfulness by . . .

   Divine Guidance
        Daily Inspiration
            Fresh Vision
Through it all, God remained faithful to me and the ministry He had given me to bless others by rewarding me with the presence of His Spirit and saying, "Well done each day."
     As I write this special message to you on Thursday evening, November 26, 2015. I sense in my spirit that God is giving me

     
     More grace 

           More rewards of great feelings for the present and future of Hugh's News
               Greater vision to face all problems that may come with a sense of victory through Jesus Christ, my Lord

     It is to you, my readers, as well as God, that I want to thank as thisThanksgiving Day draws to and end, and the curtains of night are closed, and eventually we will lay down our heads for sleep and rest throughout this night in peace, the peace that only Jesus Christ can offer to those who trust Him as Savior and Lord.
     You have honored me by allowing me to come into your home, office, recreational area, or shop via your email service or on our website. You have exercised faith in me and the God Who called me to this ministry of journalism, and I am grateful for each day, each month, and every year we have shared with you and you with me the blessings God has given to each of us.
     I realize that I am not alone in this ministry.
    
     God is with me

       Jesus lives in my heart and life
           His Word is the strength of my life and ministry.
   We have built on a sure foundation
        We have labored diligently together
           You have shared news I could publish
      We have strength for today
          And, bright hope for tomorrow.
All blessings of God are ours in Christ Jesus our Lord,

   We will reach out and take hold of every one of them in Jesus' Name.
Melvine and I, along with our son, Greg, send Thanksgiving greetings to you and your family today.

     Thank you for standing with us by your prayers and financial giving.

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Will You Receive the Benediction?

11/26/2015

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Praise for the LORD's Mercies
Psalm 103
A Psalm of David.
     Bless the LORD, O my soul;And all that is within me, bless His holy name! 2 Bless the LORD, O my soul,And forget not all His benefits: 3 Who forgives all your iniquities,Who heals all your diseases, 4 Who redeems your life from destruction,Who crowns you with loving kindness and tender mercies, 5 Who satisfies your mouth with good things,So that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.
     6 The LORD executes righteousness And justice for all who are oppressed. 7 He made known His ways to Moses,His acts to the children of Israel. 8 The LORD is merciful and gracious,Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy. 9 He will not always strive with us, Nor will He keep His anger forever. 10 He has not dealt with us according to our sins, Nor punished us according to our iniquities.
     11 For as the heavens are high above the earth, So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him; 12 As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us. 13 As a father pities his children, So the LORD pities those who fear Him. 14 For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust.
     15 As for man, his days are like grass; As a flower of the field, so he flourishes. 16 For the wind passes over it, and it is gone, And its place remembers it no more.   17 But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting On those who fear Him, And His righteousness to children's children, 18 To such as keep His covenant, And to those who remember His commandments to do them.
     19 The LORD has established His throne in heaven, And His kingdom rules over all.
     20 Bless the LORD, you His angels, Who excel in strength, who do His word, Heeding the voice of His word. 21 Bless the LORD, all you His hosts, You ministers of His, who do His pleasure. 22 Bless the LORD, all His works, In all places of His dominion.
Bless the LORD, O my soul!
NKJV


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Lighten Up With Laughter

11/26/2015

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     Two elderly, excited Southern women were sitting together in the front pew of church listening to a fiery preacher.
     When this preacher condemned the sin of stealing, these two ladies cried out at the top of their lungs, "AMEN, BROTHER!"
     When the preacher condemned the sin of lust, they yelled again, "PREACH IT, REVEREND!"
     And when the preacher condemned the sin of lying, they jumped to their feet and screamed, "RIGHT ON, BROTHER! TELL IT LIKE IT IS! AMEN!"
     But when the preacher condemned the sin of gossip, the two got very quiet. One turned to the other and said, "He's quit preaching and now he's meddlin'."
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"K. E. M. SPOONER, IPHC’s First African American Missionary" by Dr. Frank G. Tunstall, Contributing Writer for Hugh's News

11/26/2015

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PictureK.E.M. Spooner
With this snapshot, I give thanks to our Lord at this Thanksgiving season for the people who blazed the trail and wrote the worldwide history of IPHC, obeying our Lord’s Great Commission. This winsome story makes the point. It is a glimpse into the life of a little known missionary pioneer. I have cited and adapted it from The Simultaneous Principle, a History of World Missions Ministries, from the life story of D. D. Freeman, and from South Africa’s Rustenburg Herald newspaper. - Frank Tunstall
 
     In a small room in a suburb in New York City in 1906, God spoke to the Rev. Mr. Kenneth E. M. Spooner while he was on his knees praying, and told him to go to Africa. Being much disturbed by this call, he joined the British Navy in an effort to avoid the commission.
      Spooner’s “running-from-God years” continued after his stint in the Royal Navy. During this time he took a job as a cook on a ship that pulled out of port in Central America.  One day while up on deck, he saw two sisters reading their Bibles. He said his heart was particularly drawn toward Malista, the younger sister. Before the voyage was completed, he asked Malista’s older sister if she would be willing to give her sister to him in marriage.
      “I asked Mrs. Spooner,” wrote D. D. Freeman, “why her husband chose her instead of her older sister. Her only reply was a loud laugh!"
      Eight years passed before Spooner’s vision began to blossom.
      On a bitter-cold day in December 1914, in a small New York hotel, the Spooners’ were praying--a man and his wife to whom God had given a burning assignment to Africa. Their petition was that the Lord would in some way supply funds sufficient for them to board a ship to South Africa. At that time, a steamship was in harbor headed to Cape Town. It was scheduled to leave in two days.
      Sitting at the table for breakfast that morning Spooner shared his desire to preach in Africa. A lady who was a stranger passed a gift to him under the table. It was enough money to buy tickets for him and his wife to South Africa. Without delay, they paid their fares and sailed for England. After getting their passports in order, they boarded a ship to South Africa. Spooner had no on-going support base to underwrite their livelihood and no hope of tickets to return home.
     They had joined the earliest wave of Pentecostals who obeyed God as missionaries with only one-way tickets.
 
[World War I was raging at the time. The United States entered the war in April 1917, ultimately adding two million men to the fight].
 
     When the Spooners arrived in South Africa, they were admitted into the country on a clerical error. South African law said the black population of the country could not be increased from “outside” South Africa. The truth dawned on Spooner later that the customs official in the Port of Capetown approved their entry by mistake!
     Spooner began his ministry with a tribe called the Phokeng, near Rustenburg. [The area is in the Northwest Province of South Africa and is noted for agriculture and mining, particularly platinum.]
     The Spooners’ were soon loved in the village, and his reputation continued to grow. One government official wrote he was “by far the best and most capable of any black ministers in the district,” and spoke of him as “a well-dressed, respectable and respectful man.”
     Soon Spooner began preaching on beer, polygamy and other sins. Then the persecution started.
     One morning as he entered the church, he found some of his natives crying. They took him to a corner of the building where a hole had been dug during the night. In this small pit was a piece of decayed pork placed there by the witch doctors. The natives explained to him that he would become as that pork in a few days.  
     Rev. Spooner sent for the witch doctor. He showed him the meat and said, “You meant this for me?”
     “Yes, you’ve been preaching against beer, having many wives and other things. Now you will soon be as this meat.”
      Spooner pointed at the meat and then to the witch doctor, and said, “In the name of Jesus Christ this is not for me but for you!”
      The witch doctor went to his room, laid down on his mat, and in three days was dead. The news spread that Rev. Spooner was the stronger doctor!
     Because of the Spooners’ labors, the Mission Station at Phokeng became a successful ministry, including a quality school that he launched. Spooner required all of his students to learn English, and the community was so impressed with the school the enrollment flourished.
     The General Missions Board, (today the IPHC World Missions Board), accepted Spooner as a Pentecostal Holiness missionary in 1922, making him the first black missionary in the history of IPHC.
      “Although he received less than any of us in worldly goods,” wrote D. D. Freeman, “he drove the best car, had the finest furniture and dressed better than any of the missionaries. When he felt he was called to do things in the will of God, he moved and never faltered.”
     Reverend Kenneth Spooner went on to his reward in 1937 in the Rustenberg General Hospital, after undergoing an operation. According to the Rustenburg Herald, his funeral was attended by some 2,500 natives and another 100 Europeans from Rustenburg, Johannesburg and Pretoria. The Herald also noted that Joel Rhodes, Pentecostal Holiness National Superintendent, officiated at the funeral.
     The last words Spooner spoke on this earth were, “Do not let God’s work die.”
      Kenneth Spooner served the Lord faithfully in Africa for twenty-two years. He was survived by his beloved Malista and one adopted daughter, Wilhemina.
 
 
 
 


Picture
Frank G. Tunstall, D. Min.
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We Pause on this Thanksgiving Day 2015 to Give Thanks To Almighty God for His Blessings

11/26/2015

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     Today is Thanksgiving all across the United States of America. We pause this day to give thanks to God Almighty for allowing us to be born and reared in the greatest nation on planet earth. We thank God for the freedoms we enjoy today. Those freedoms have come with a great cost to our fighting men and women who have served in the Armed Forces of our country.
     I count it a great honor and privilege that God has given me to have served in the Marine Corps, the Army, and the Air Force. In all, active duty and reserves, I served for 29 years and 29 days. It was in the Marine Corps that a Methodist Navy chaplain by the name of James Hull from North Carolina ministered to me as I was backsliding. His ministry of presence, and his kind words of encouragement to me helped me to turn around and turn toward God. I knew the truth and the Holy Spirit gave me the gift of repentance, and I confessed my sins, and rededicated my life to Jesus. It worked and I have endeavored to live for the Lord with the assistance of other Christians, and the church that continues to be central in my life and that of my family.
     As we give thanks for the blessing we enjoy each day, I never want to forget the young men and women who are serving in our military all across the United States, in foreign countries, aboard ships and aircraft carriers, and submarines in the midst of separation and sacrifice. Many of them will not be home for Thanksgiving or Christmas this year. I want to stand tall and salute those who are bearing the burden to keep our land safe and free.
     I want to thank God for all of our missionaries who are serving under the authority and blessings of  the IPHC World Missions Ministries Department. We are grateful that you, my readers, sent Melvine, Greg, and me to Hong Kong for the Fifth IPHC Global Assembly, and the trip to Beijing, China. May 4-14, 2015. Let us pray as never before for our IPHC missionaries and their families as they carry the Gospel to peoples of other countries who need to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ and how to come to Him for salvation and the fullness of the Holy Spirit, and become witnesses for Christ.
     While we are far removed from those who gave thanks to God in 1789, we must never forget the sacrifice they made to travel to America and suffer many hardships to provide a country where we can worship God without fear or demands from a tyrant government.
     I am grateful for the International Pentecostal Holiness Church and the opportunities that my church has afforded me to enjoy as a pastor, Army and Air Force chaplain, college president, and director/endorser of IPHC Chaplains Ministries. I am grateful for this ministry, Hugh's News, that God has provided and has sustained by His grace and provision for 18 years. I thank God for more than 5,000 readers He has given, and for all who have willingly given of their financial resources to help me with the financial obligations I have monthly to maintain my website and publish each newsletter via a mass mailing provided by MailChimp.
     I am grateful for Mel Tinney, my faithful webmaster who resides in Pepin, WS, who has successfully guided us through a newly designed website and newsletter format. He sizes every photo that I use in the various articles or blogs, and carries out many administrative tasks for me.
     Most of all, I want to thank God for Melvine who has stood with me for over 55 years and has helped me behind the scenes to give me time, and lots of it, to put together every newsletter. She is with me through thick and thin, and is always cheerful, optimistic, and encouraging. We will be celebrating our birthdays on December 15 and 16. I am two years older than Melvine. We celebrated our 55th wedding anniversary on August 13.
     Today Melvine will have a traditional Thanksgiving Dinner with guests from our church whose parents are deceased and are without their families. She has prepared Turkey, ham, cornbread dressing made with buttermilk, green beans, mashed potatoes, creamed corn, cranberry sauce, squash casserole, rolls, apple and lemon pie, coffee, and ice tea (sweetened and unsweetened). I want to declare that Melvine is the best cook in the known world.
     I want to wish you and your family a blessed and happy Thanksgiving this 26th day of November 2015.
    




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