One of the ministries God has given to Harold Kelley of Birmingham, Alabama is called “The Cup of Cold Water.” It started in October 2012. Harold said, “I know God spoke to me about starting a ministry of baking cream cheese pound cakes. I give them to families that have a death, families who have someone in the hospital, families who need encouraging, assisted living and nursing home patients, new visitors in the church, friends, neighbors and whoever the Lord tells me to give one. Sometimes, I ship one out of town, even out of state.”

Harold still has laying hens that produce a lot of eggs for his ministry since the death of his wife, Marie. He puts six eggs into every cake he bakes. We can tell you Harold’s cake is the best pound cake we have ever eaten. They are so rich and tasty. They will put a smile on your face, a spring in your step, and a song on your lips.

Harold Kelley was one of my deacons in Birmingham, and superintendent of our Sunday school when I was the pastor of Good Shepherd Pentecostal Holiness Church. Today, Harold is an ordained minister of the Gospel with the Church of God. Every ordained minister now is called a Bishop. He is on the pastoral staff of Metropolitan Church in Hoover, Alabama. His title is Community Chaplain/Pastoral Care. Ordained Bishop.

Bishop Raymond Culpepper says that Harold Kelley is the Pastor of Birmingham, Alabama.

​Author
Stephen Strang

God Is at Work in America's Public Schools

Betsy DeVos, the U.S. secretary of education, who is known to be a strong evangelical, met with several pastors recently to pray for safety as the school year begins. Entrepreneur Kenny Koldenhoven of Lake Mary, Florida—a longtime friend of the DeVoses—set up the meeting in Washington, D.C., with DeVos and his pastor, Shaddy Soliman of Lake Mary Church, along with two other local pastors. They met for 45 minutes specifically to pray.

"There's a culture beneath what you see on the surface of prayer and intercession for those who are in authority, believing God that the Lord will direct them," Shaddy says. "So we prayed exactly that with Secretary DeVos—for direction from the Lord to the education system and Department of Education in her term.

"We also had a couple other pastors who prayed the last verse in Malachi—that the hearts of the children be returned to the fathers."

Kenny explains that he and Shaddy are seeing God move in unprecedented ways through Lake Mary Church's ministry to the youth in schools. And by uniting in prayer, Kenny hopes this move of God will only increase.

"So one of the reasons I wanted to get up to D.C. and pray with Betsy DeVos over the school system was that we see the Spirit of the Lord move in these schools," he says. "And we see that these children and these middle schoolers and high schoolers—we see an influx in the youth groups across the nation. So that was one of our prayers—that we see a rise in the youth groups all around the country and that it becomes evident that this younger generation ... will make a conscious decision to look at a church or a mentor or youth group."

I'm old enough to remember that we used to pray the Lord's Prayer every day at my elementary school. This was before prayer was taken out of the schools. Since then, things have seemed to really deteriorate.

I also remember people saying that the worst problems in school in the 1950s were kids lying, chewing gum and pushing each other. But today, the problems are much more serious, including drugs, unwanted pregnancies and school shootings. It reflects what is happening in the larger culture.

But I'm encouraged that our secretary of education took time to pray. I know that many people around the country are praying. And in this case, it was a private meeting, not open to the press, but I appreciate Shaddy and Kenny sharing their experiences with me on my podcast. You can listen to that episode by clicking here or clicking on the podcast icon in this article.

Shaddy and Kenny were both encouraged by their exclusive time of prayer with DeVos, and they were both impacted by the secretary of education's passion for the youth in our nation.

"Her passion for what she's doing was so evident," Kenny says. "She's in the same boat as Donald Trump. She doesn't need to be doing this, but she does it for the love of the next generation and what she sees fit to be the most equal and the best way for children to succeed in life and get a proper education."

Shaddy encourages Christians across the nation to get on their knees and cry out for the school system if they want to see revival. What we do behind the scenes, Shaddy says, "will bring the results that everybody wants."

Thankfully, there are churches like Lake Mary Church that are working hard to reach the next generation—whether that means contributing to school pantries or raising money for athletic programs or mentoring young people.

Be sure to listen to my full interview with Kenny and Shaddy. I think what they have to share will encourage you and even embolden you to pray more fervently for today's young people.

​God Wants to Make Your Dreams a Reality

Author: Joyce Meyer


Your dreams are very important to God. 

God loves you so much, and He has an amazing plan for your life! 

He's put dreams and desires in your heart, and Psalm 37:4 (AMP) says, "Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires and petitions of your heart."

But having a dream and actually seeing it through to the finish—giving birth to your dream—are two different things.

It's easy to start something new. In the beginning, there's a lot of excitement that motivates you. But when the excitement fades and you don't really feel like doing what you need to do or it's inconvenient, that's when many people give up.

It's sad to me that so many people never really reach their full potential in life because of this. And there's an urgency in my heart to help people discover how to do their best so they can have the life of adventure God has for them.

God gives all of us gifts and talents to use. We have to be very careful not to compare ourselves with others and try to be like them or let jealousy take root in our hearts. God wants us to love one another and appreciate the differences He's created in us so we can each fulfill His unique purpose and glorify Him in the world.

As believers in Christ Jesus, our No. 1 goal should be to be led by the Holy Spirit in every area of our lives. To be a God-pleaser, not a people-pleaser.

When you "delight yourself in the Lord" by spending time with Him in prayer and by studying His Word, the desires of your heart will line up with His will for your life. This is so important in helping us know how to follow God's dream for our lives.

Sometimes we wonder why God doesn't give us what we want or answer our prayers. Oftentimes, it's because those prayers are for things that don't make sense because we couldn't handle them.

God gives us grace to use the abilities He's given us, not what He's give to someone else.

In Matthew 25, Jesus tells a parable about a master who went on a journey and before he left, "he called his servants together and entrusted them with his possessions. To one he gave five talents, to another, two, and to another, one, each according to his own ability" (vv. 14b-15a, AMP).

Just as the master did with his servants, God gives each of us talents, or gifts, "according to his own ability." He does this because He doesn't want us to be stressed-out all the time.

There's a lot of stress in the world today. And much of it comes from people comparing and competing with each other to have certain lifestyles, wanting to be like someone else or have what they have because they think their worth and value come from what they do.

Here's an example of what I'm talking about. My body has many different parts that do many different functions. My fingers can wear rings, and my eyes can enjoy looking at them. So, while my hand wears the rings, it can't see them. And while my eyes can look at the rings and admire how pretty they are, they can't wear rings.

But if one of my eyes was jealous and said, "I'm tired of looking at that ring. If God doesn't give me a ring, then I don't think He loves me as much as He loves the finger." If God answered that prayer and said, "I don't want you to feel bad, so I'll give you a ring of your own," then the eye would get what it wanted, but it wouldn't be able to do its job.

You'd end up walking around with your head back, balancing that ring on your eye, and be crippled by what you thought you wanted because you were jealous.

That is a ridiculous example, but it makes the point that we should be very careful about wishing we could do what someone else does or have what they have. This attitude will just cause you to miss out on doing what God has planned for your life.

God loves you, and you are valuable because He loves you! He wants you to use your talents, gifts and abilities to show others how much He loves them and that there is hope in Christ for their lives. And He wants you to do this with pure motives—because you love Him, not to try to earn His love.

I want to encourage you to trust God and believe that He will give you what you need to make your God-given dream in life a reality. Whatever that may be, it's important—you are important—and He wants you to fulfill your ultimate purpose with joy.

For more on this topic, order Joyce's six-CD series, Discover Your Adventure. You can also contact us to receive our free magazine, Enjoying Everyday Life, by calling (800) 727-9673 or visiting joycemeyer.org.

[Joyce Meyer is a New York Times' bestselling author and founder of Joyce Meyer Ministries, Inc. She has authored more than 100 books, including Battlefield of the Mind and her brand-new Biblical commentaries of Ephesians and James (FaithWords). She hosts the "Enjoying Everyday Life" radio and TV programs, which air on hundreds of stations worldwide. For more information, visit joycemeyer.org.]

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Romans 15:13    Overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit

13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. 
NIV  (New International Version)
++++++++++
Romans 15:13

13 I pray that God, who gives hope, will bless you with complete happiness and peace because of your faith. And may the power of the Holy Spirit fill you with hope. 
CEV  (Complete English Version)
++++++++++
Romans 15:13

13 Oh! May the God of green hope fill you up with joy, fill you up with peace, so that your believing lives, filled with the life-giving energy of the Holy Spirit, will brim over with hope!
(from THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language © 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights reserved.)

We are trusting God daily to bring healing to Melvine though the stripes Jesus received for her healing and the healing of all who will trust His Word. Now, I know many people are not healed who have trusted God. If He doesn't in this life, we believe we will be healed and have gloried bodies in the ages to come in eternity.

We live one day at a time.

Today was a good day for Melvine. She was alert, coherent, and talkative. When she begins to plan you know that things are looking up.

It's fun to live with a woman like Melvine who brings joy to my life. She loves me, and I love her. 

I am reminded of a song we used to hear sung by Andy Williams and other great singers"

Love is a many-splendored thing

Love is a many-splendored thing
It's the April rose that only grows in the early spring
Love is nature's way of giving a reason to be living
The golden crown that makes a man a king

Once on a high and windy hill
In the morning mist two lovers kissed
And the world stood still
Then your fingers touched my silent heart
And taught it how to sing
Yes true love's a many-splendored thing

Oh once on a high and windy hill
In the morning mist two lovers kissed
And the world stood still
Then your fingers touched my silent heart
And taught it how to sing
Yes true love's a many-splendored thing

Please keep us in your prayers. 

Many thanks for all the lovely anniversary cards you have sent.

Your friend in all seasons,

​Hugh

Here's the Newest Gospel Song, "What The Lord Has Done For Me," that is sweeping the Nation.
 
Click here to see the sheet music and hear this song sung so beautifully. The title of the song is, "What the Lord has done for Me."

I have taken the time to transpose (type on keyboard) the lyrics from the sheet music in this video for you to be able to see it and sing along.

What the Lord Has done for Me
Words and music by Rebecca J. Peck
Arranged by Logan Peck & Rebecca J. Peck

Rebecca Peck was 2019 Professional Songwriter of the Year at the AGM Awards held in Nashville, TN, on April 16, 2019.

Lyrics translated from the sheet music and song by Hugh H. Morgan

I cannot tell you 
   how God formed the mountains
    or placed the stars in the sky.

I cannot tell you 
   how He paints a rainbow
Or makes the sparrow fly.

I cannot tell you 
   how He tends the lilies 
   with hands that holds the sea.
But I can tell you 
What the Lord has done for me.

He cleansed my heart from sin,
And put His peace within,
And gave me life anew.

He healed my broken heart
    that was torn apart
And gave me heaven too.

I cannot tell you all of the joy
That is waiting through-out eternity.

Ladies sing this part
I cannot tell you how
   the God of Heaven was in a manager bed.

Men sing this part
I cannot tell how blind eyes were opened
   and multitudes were fed.

All voices sing this part
I cannot you why He'd love a sinner
   and died upon a tree.
But I can tell you what the Lord has done for me.

He cleansed my heart from sin, 
Put His peace within,
And gave me life anew.

He healed my broken heart 
   that was torn apart,
And gave me Heaven too.

I cannot tell you all the joy
   That’s waiting through-out eternity
But I can tell you what the Lord has done for me.

Repeat again this last stanza and chorus:

I cannot tell you all the joy
   That’s waiting through-out eternity
But I can tell you what the Lord has done for me.

And now let me share with you again the hyperlink so you can hear the singers sing this great new song that should ignite a fire of renewal and revival in all our churches, and spread across America and the countries of the world.

Click here to see the sheet music and heard this song sung so beautifully.

[Editor's comment: If this Gospel song has touched your heart I would be blessed and honored to hear from you. I have been promoting this song for several weeks and I am wondering what the response is from my readers. I may not be offering you what you would like to hear. If so, I need to know that too. Please write me at: hugh@hughsnews.com).

Did you sing in one of Lonnie Rex's choirs or play an instrument in his orchestra for the General Conferences, Sunday School and Youth Conventions? 

Lonnie and Betty Rex would like to know how many people are still alive who participated in these musical events. They were the highlight of those special meetings.

The first Choir that Lonnie Rex conducted was in Memphis, Tennessee at the General Conference in the late 50s. Others that followed included Jacksonville, Florida, Columbia, SC, and Oklahoma City.

If you sang in the choir or played an instrument in the orchestra please send an email to Betty Rex who will keep a record of it.

​Betty and Lonnie have one email address. It is: lrrex86@gmail.com

Many of us remember those glory days when we had a 100 voice choir and a 30 or more piece orchestra.

Thank you for your cooperation.

​Only you can tell the story of what Hugh's News means to you. One of the many ways is by contributing to Hugh's News, Inc. Now is the time to support the editor who is giving his best to keep you informed and inspired with the news and commentary.
 
Thank you for being a preferred subscriber/reader of Hugh’s News. This is our 22nd year of producing this evangelical/Pentecostal newsletter.

We sincerely appreciate your continued financial support, and look forward to bringing Hugh’s News to you in 2019, and 2020 should the Lord allow it to happen in His sovereignty.

It takes less than 5 minutes to contribute to Hugh’s News via a Credit Card or to write a check and place it in an envelope.

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Thank you for making Hugh’s News a household word in every home in the IPHC and beyond.

I was reading again the first Advocate, the Official Organ of the Pentecostal Holiness Church. It is dated May 3, 1917. That was 102 years ago. G. F. Taylor was the editor. It was published in Falcon, NC. In his excellent editorial he made a strong claim for having a church magazine.

He explained, “The Advocate wishes to bring you the news each week from the different parts of our work. Surely, you will be glad to know just what is going on in the different conferences, and in the different localities of your own conference. Well, The Advocate will tell you.”

G. F. Taylor concluded his article after having listed a 100 or more reasons for having a church magazine by saying, “Stop! Think! Listen! Can you tell us how you have gone so long without THE PENTECOSTAL HOLINESS ADVOCATE?”

N. J. Holmes had a promo for the Greenville Camp Meeting in this first issue

“The Greenville Pentecostal Camp Meeting will begin May 23, and continue through June 2. 
“We will be able to entertain a limited number in the dormitory (Holmes Bible and Missionary Institute) at the cost of 75 cents a day, for men and lodging, and will do our best to find places for all visitors, at a reasonable cost. 

“Rev. S. A. Bishop, of Birmingham, Ala., and Rev. G. F. Taylor, of Falcon, N. C., and other preachers and workers, are expected to take part in the services.

“The meeting will be held on the corner of Buncombe St. and Briggs Ave., Greenville, S. C. You can get a street car at either of the stations, and come right to the ground. 

“For further information, write N. J. Homes, 254 Briggs Ave., Greenville, S.C.”

I was especially interested in Mr. A. E. Robinson’s fine article. He was the only layman on the General Board of the Pentecostal Holiness Church and was elected to serve as the General Secretary for the Pentecostal Holiness Church. Brother Robinson was the grandfather of Janice Robinson Russ, the deceased wife of the Rev. Wesley Russ of College Park, Maryland.

Mr. Robinson wrote: “I was not aware of the unanimous demand for a church organ (magazine) till I attended the General Convention, but after hearing the expressions there, and noting the general feeling, I saw that there was bound to be one.”

Brother Robinson continued . . . “ . . . even then I did not try to get the job of printing it, thinking it might be well to have it issued elsewhere, but the election of Bro. Taylor as editor fixed the place of publication for four years, at any rate, and I expect to do my part to make The Advocate a success. It will be what we individually and collectively make it. If we leave it all to the editor, he will soon be worn out, but if we all take a part, and keep well prayed up, we can do much for the cause of Pentecostal holiness.”

Well, we are here in the 21st Century and the IPHC does not have an Official Church Organ. We live in a different age of communications. Most Americans today have computers, smart phones, with email availability.

The current IPHC Experience is a monthly online magazine that can be downloaded. However, it is not designed for the layman or local pastor and his congregation. Is there a need for an electronic newsletter coming out of our church headquarters in Bethany, Oklahoma? Today, it is called General Ministries Center. What do you think? What would you like for our church leadership to do with regard to communications? Are you using the website of the IPHC to get your news of our church? That website is: www.iphc.org

You may write me at: hugh@hughsnews.com to express your feelings or desires.

Just remember, I am not in management, but in sales.

It was the late Robert H. Schuller who wrote: "Find a need and fill it."

Is there a need here? Only you can tell our leadership what you feel is needed.

​Full of Grace and Truth

Author: Anne Graham Lotz

"We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only Son who came from the Father, full of grace and truth" (John 1:14, NIV).

Today countless people look for a god within themselves or in crystals or in trees or in a former life or in some statue or in a religious experience or in the stars. But John declares the awesome truth that the glory of God is not confined in any of those things, just as it is no longer confined on a mountain or in a Tabernacle or as a cloud or fire or as a reflection on a face. Instead “the Word became flesh and lived for a while among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the One and Only Son Who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

John is saying emphatically, “I have seen Him!”

“I’ve seen Him when He was alone.”

“I’ve seen Him when He was surrounded by a crowd of people.”

“I’ve seen Him dead,”

“I’ve seen Him buried,”

“I’ve seen Him risen,”

“I’ve seen Him ascended.”

And in every situation I have seen Him full of grace and full of truth! I have seen the face of God-in the face of Jesus!

Blessings,

Anne Graham Lotz

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

​Assurance and Self-Examination

Author: Tony Evans

Scripture Reading: Romans 10:9-13

When you read 1 Corinthians 11:28-29, you must be careful not to misinterpret its meaning. One understanding of these verses is that as a believer you must examine yourself to be certain that you're a Christian. But that's not what this means. The misconstrued verse is one reminder of the importance of correctly interpreting the Scriptures.

Paul has presented the Corinthian church with his observation about communion, and in the second reference, he's writing to people who were already Christians. Paul was urging the church at Corinth to examine themselves regularly to avoid God's further judgment (1 Corinthians 11:32).

I don't want you to ever doubt or be confused about the authenticity of your salvation. But as many as received Him, to them he gave the right to become children of God... (John 1:12).

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.

Men and boys: Here's an event you will not want to miss. 

​When God Tells Us Why

Author: R.T. Kendall

"Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known" (1 Corinthians 13:12).

Not only will we be changed and able to look on the glorified Lord face-to-face, but something wonderful will also happen—God will tell us why. God wants to tell us why, far more than we even want to know. But the patience of God is extraordinary. He can wait. He wants us to know the answers to our questions, but He can wait.

Perhaps this appeals only to the person who is agonized with questions, who really longs for God to explain something. Perhaps the question is: Why is there a devil? Why didn't God just destroy the devil a long time ago? Why is there injustice? Why is there evil? But Paul says, "One day I shall know." F. F. Bruce has commented that the Greek word here, epignosis, should be translated as "understand." Some day God will make things plain.

Sometimes our questions are not on such a grand scale but are more personal: Did I make the right decision? Lord, have I been living out of Your will? Did I fail You? Paul is saying we see the Lord's glory only in a reflection, so we can't see things perfectly. The mirror that enables us to see ourselves has its limits: when we look at ourselves in a mirror, we do so with a little bit of bias.

God's Word is the spiritual mirror by which we see our hearts, but even here our self-understanding is limited; we will always be prone to self-righteousness and, therefore, be unable to see ourselves as we really are. Sometimes I will say, "Lord, show me." But if I saw my wickedness directly, I wouldn't be able to take it. If I saw the Lord's glory directly I would die. No one can see God and live.

And so God graciously reveals things to us a bit at a time, like peeling the layers off an onion. With each new bit of understanding we might ask why we had to wait so long to get it right.

Excerpted from Just Love (Christian Focus Publications Ltd., 1997).

Just As I am

This year, the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association’s summer series is taking a look at five popular hymns sung at Billy Graham Crusades—and how those songs fit into our lives today. 

Read part 1, part 2, part 3 or part 4. Known as the signature song of the Crusades, “Just As I Am” is the final hymn in our series. 

Just as I am, without one plea
But that Thy blood was shed for me
And that Thou bid’st me come to Thee
O Lamb of God, I come! I come

How many times have you sat in church feeling the urge to surrender your life to Christ?

The pastor has shared a pivotal message and the Holy Spirit is tugging on your heart, compelling you to walk up front in response. But, you hesitate.

The aisle seems miles long and you chide yourself for not being good enough to come before the throne of God. Doubt and fear creep into your mind, making you feel unworthy. Even if you repent now, you know you’ll fail later.

How does God respond to us?

1. God welcomes us with open arms.

2. He pardons our sin.

3. Jesus cleanses us from filth.

4. He relieves us from guilt.

You’ve been told you don’t have to be “better” before placing your hope in the Almighty; you simply have to come. Torn between the acceptance of God and man, your life depends on one decision: trust. Do you really believe God is Who He says He is?

In 1835, Charlotte Elliott faced that timeless question.

After suffering from a serious illness that caused her to be disabled, Elliott felt purposeless and depressed while watching others constantly serve the Kingdom of God. To combat those feelings, the British woman began to write out the reasons she trusted the Lord.

That list was the start of “Just As I Am,” which would later become one of the most popular hymns of all time and the classic ending for altar calls at Billy Graham Crusades.

Maybe you, too, can be assured of God’s promises by opening your heart to the lyrics of “Just As I Am.”

O Lamb of God, I Come

Throughout the Bible, we see people who had an open invitation to follow God. Some of their journeys look different than ours: Moses kicked off his sandals as he encountered God through a burning bush, and Isaiah cried out from his uncleanliness during a vision of God’s throne. In both cases, we see the humility of sinful man before a holy God.

“Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool” (Isaiah 1:18).

As Elliott penned “Just As I Am,” she recognized her flaws: illness, conflicts, doubts and fears. Even so, God loved and accepted her just as she was.

According to How Sweet the Sound, a book by Billy Graham’s longtime Crusade soloist George Beverly Shea, Mr. Graham once explained that “we have ‘no plea’—no claim on God’s love or forgiveness—except that Jesus shed His innocent blood to reconcile us to His Father.” There’s nothing we can do to earn salvation or freedom from sin; we simply must receive it through the grace and mercy of Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection.

Ironically, we live in a world that screams for acceptance through careers, social media and peers, but we often have difficulty receiving acceptance from a Savior.

Like trying to stubbornly wipe a dirty stain off a favorite shirt, we attempt to fix our own problems, wanting to appear better than we actually are. We forget that God created us in His own image and doesn’t desire our good intentions, but the very hearts that He designed.

Indeed, as the song “Just As I Am” says, He let us be “poor, wretched, blind,” that He may become all we need, giving us “sight, riches, healing of the mind.”

Behind the Music

Ninety-nine years after Elliott wrote “Just As I Am,” a teenage farm boy heard the hymn while attending a revival. He then stepped forward in surrender to God while another hymn, “Almost Persuaded, Now to Believe,” was sung.

That man was Billy Graham, who would eventually select “Just As I Am” to play during his Gospel invitations. Chosen for its lyrics of response, “O Lamb of God, I come,” and strong Biblical basis, Graham believed the Crusade hymn reflected the choice to follow God. His autobiography would later be named Just As I Am.

>> Buy your copy of Just As I Am: The Autobiography of Billy Graham.

Similarly, an 18-year-old George Beverly Shea came forward to accept Christ after repeatedly singing “Just As I Am” during a special week of evangelistic meetings. “I could hardly wait to stand with the congregation and sing ‘Just As I Am,'” he said. “I could sing and comfort my heart, which was so convicted, rather than make that public confession. I was satisfied just to sing and not go forward.” However, that Friday evening, Shea did move forward, placing his hope in Christ alone.

More Than an Emotion

In the 1960s, as thousands were responding to the Gospel at Billy Graham Crusades, the media reported it was due to “Just As I Am” playing on the crowds’ emotions during the altar call. While certainly the forthcoming lyrics and gentle melody are comforting to one’s mind, Billy Graham wanted to prove it was the Holy Spirit doing the work.

After praying through the situation and consulting with his music leader, Cliff Barrows, they decided to skip the hymn during his 1966 Crusade in London. For 30 nights, not a single note of the signature Crusade hymn was sung or played, but people still silently came forward.

“When the reporters began to write about the invitation at Earl’s Court, they said that all they heard was a shuffling of feet on the floor,” Barrows recalled. “‘Bring back Just as I Am! The silence is killing us!’ they wrote.”

>> Learn more about the silent Crusade.

The key to a Gospel invitation is not within “Just As I Am” or any other hymn, but in the promises of God and power of the Holy Spirit. God’s love doesn’t change to the beat of a song, but is an unconditional, steady rhythm flowing through our hearts.

All we have to do is come to Him, just as we are.

>> Watch a clip of Billy Graham’s Crusades through the decades. Although the crowd and arenas may have changed, “Just As I Am” was continually sung.

Isaiah 1:18  Come . . . Let us reason together

18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
KJV

++++++++++

Isaiah 1:18

18 “Come now,” says Adonai,
“let’s talk this over together.
Even if your sins are like scarlet,
they will be white as snow;
even if they are red as crimson,
they will be like wool. 
CJB (Complete Jewish Bible)

++++++++++

Isaiah 1:18    Let's Argue This Out

18 "Come. Sit down. Let's argue this out."
This is God's Message:
"If your sins are blood-red,
they'll be snow-white.
If they're red like crimson,
they'll be like wool. 
(from THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language © 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights reserved.)

​Before a burglary trial, the judge explained to the defendant, "You can let me try your case, or you can choose to have a jury of your peers."

The man thought for a moment--"What are peers?" he asked.

"They're people just like you, your equals."

"Forget it," retorted the defendant. "I don't want to be tried by a bunch of thieves."

Getting up and getting ready to go anywhere is a challenge for both Melvine and me. I think Melvine is handling better than I am.

Wednesday was the day to drink the contrast solution in large white bottle two hours prior to taking the CAT Scan. I take Melvine's vital signs and give her all of her prescribed medictions and administer insulin based on a scale matched to the particular blood sugar reading that I take. I have learned to do it, and now it is a piece of cake for me. The only thing about it is the fact that it is time-consuming, and then, I have to do mine, and weigh and record all of the data in my computer.

We were delighted that Bonnie Bender, a retired LPN, and a wonderful friend could go with us. She met us at the Cancer Clinic in Athens, Georgia with as wheel chair. Greg drove us to the clinic.

Somehow, they had gotten the schedule messed up. I had a printed copy of the time for the CAT Scan. I had called the day before making a claim that one of the nurses, namely, Joy, do the accessing of the port (flushing it out). They took her vital signs, weighed her, and took blood. We had to wait for a period of time, but we were out of the clinic a little after 12 noon. We saw people from the Flatwoods P. H. Church. Colonel Charles Dixon's sister, Faye, was there getting treatment. A daughter of Cousin Mable, another sister of Colonel Charles Dixon, was there. She drove her aunt Faye there for her treatment.  Phillip Hart, who was their pastor for 57 years, will be 90 on Sunday.

We invited Bonnie to eat with us at Cracker Barrel in Athens, Georgia. Melvine ate a hearty lunch of veggies and I had breakfast food. I chose the Grandma's Special.  We had an excellent waiter by the name of Alex. He had 4 stars on his apron. Greg had pork chops, and I forget what Bonnie had to eat. When I invite people to eat with us I will pay for it. Bonnie was my guest. We love her. She is a dear friend.

I got a call from my urologist. The urine specimen I gave on Monday was positive and I have another UTI. So, tomorrow, Thursday, I will begin a seven-day regiment of antibiotics. I need your prayers for my healing. I am trusting God and will use the medications I need to get healed.

We got some 10 additional telephone calls that were placed on our answering service. I listened to them this afternoon. Thank you for calling on our 59th Wedding Anniversary.

I am tired, and I think I will head for the bed in just a few moments.

Your friend in all seasons,

​Hugh