Going to a Wedding

Tomorrow morning Clarissa and I are off to Titus and Cherie’s wedding in Alma, MI. Clarissa is one of Cherie’s bridesmaids. Congradulations to Mr. and Mrs. Titus L. Byer two days early.

My Fiancée and Sweetheart, Clarissa Elaine

A missed opportunity

The story is told about a Phoenician trader who came to late to the city’s gate to trade. He bounded on the door, but the watcher of the gate said that the gate had been closed for the evening and would not open until the morning watch.

The merchant sat down that evening fuming that he would miss the evening of buying and selling, but there was nothing he could do about it. As he sat there with his servants and his goods a shepherd came up to the gate and was also upset that he was too late to sell his sheep.

The Shepherd then tried to make a proposition with the Phoenician merchant. His wife was sick and he needed to sell the sheep so he could buy her the appropriate medicine (as we all know even today medicine does not come cheap). The price the shepherd named was more than fare but the merchant wanted to know the exact number of the sheep so he would not be cheated, but the night was so dark and the sheep were nervous that night being so close to the city and would not lay down to sleep.

So the merchant could not count sheep that night. So the shepherd anxious to buy his wife the medicine made another proposition, he would take two-thirds of the money now and would leave his servant there to count the sheep and receive the rest of the money in the morning. The merchant fearing he was still going to be cheated refused and insisted that they would wait to the morning light to finish their trade.

When the morning light came and the gates of the city were open the merchants inside saw the large flock of sheep that the Phoenician Merchant had only heard the night before. This city had only recently been under a siege so these merchants realizing the value of the much needed food paid the shepherd several times over of what the shepherd had asked the merchant for the night before.

A Prevailing Christian

Romans 1:16 “For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”

I. Prevailing over the past
a. Past Failures - Ephesians 2:2 “Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience.”
b. Promise of a changed life - 2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore if any man be in Christ he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”
c. Pledge of Confidence that others have in you – 2 Corinthians 6:16 “I rejoice therefore that I have confidence in you in all things.”

II. Prevailing in the Present
a. Standing on Faith – 2 Corinthians 1:24 “Not for that we have dominion over your faith, but are helpers of your joy: for by faith ye stand.”
b. Strengthening of God – Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”

III. Prevailing to the End
a. The Reward - 1 Timothy 6:12 “Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called and hast professed a god profession before my witness.”
b. The Reassurance – 2 Timothy 4:7 “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith…”

My Fiancée, Clarissa Elaine

The Peculiar Preacher

The Lord gives each of us a unique personality, and his choicest servants have something been well, peculiar. “Uncle” Bob Sheffey was among them. Sheffy was born on Independence Day, 1820. When his mother died, an aunt in Abingdon, Virginia, took him in. There, over Greenway’s store, he was converted on January 9, 1839. He was 19. Feeling the call to preach, he dropped out of college and started through the Virginia hills as a Methodist circuit rider preaching the gospel.

He did it oddly. For example, one day he was called to a cabin on Wolfe Creek. He had previously tried to win this family to Christ, but without success. As he rode up this time, things were different. A member had been bitten by a rattlesnake. There seemed little hope. Entering the house, Sheffey sank to his knees and prayed, “O Lord, we do thank thee for rattlesnakes. If it had not been for a rattlesnake they would not have called on You.” send a rattlesnake to bite Bill, one to bite John, and send a great big one to bite the old man!”

He is well-remembered for prayers like that. Acquaintance said, “Brother Sheffey was the most powerful man in prayer I ever heard, but he couldn’t preach a lick.” Once, encountering moonshiners in the mountains, he dismounted, knelt, and offered a long prayer for God to “smash the still into smithereens.” He rose, smoother his trousers, and continued his journey. A heavy tree fell on the still, wrecking it. The owner rebuilt it, and Sheffey prayed again This time a flash flood did the job.

His prayers were honest, down-to-earth, and plain-spoken - even routine prayers like grace at meals. Once, being entertained in a neighborhood home, he was asked to offer thanks. Sheffey, who loved chicken-and-dumplings said “Lord we thank Thee for this good women; we thank Thee for this good dinner - but it would have been better if the chicken had dumplings in it. Amen.” Robert Sheffey’s unorthodox prayers and sermons ushered many mountaineers into the kingdom and earned him the title the “Peculiar Preacher.”

My Bride-to-be, Clarissa Elaine

Newport - May 2006

Here I am with the most beautiful young lady in all the world; my bride-to-be, Clarissa Elaine.

IF JESUS CAME TO YOUR HOUSE

If Jesus came to your home to spend a day or two –If He came unexpectedly, I wonder what you’d do.Oh, I know you’d give your nicest room to such an honored Guest,And all the food you’d serve Him would be the very best,And you would keep assuring Him you’re glad to have Him there –That serving Him in your home is joy beyond compare.

But — when you see Him coming would you meet Him at the doorWith arms outstretched in welcome to your Heavenly Visitor?Or would you have to change your clothes before you let Him in,Or hide some magazines, and put the Bible where they’d been?Would you turn off the radio and hope He hadn’t heard,And wish you hadn’t uttered that last, loud, hasty word?

Would you hide your worldly music and put some hymn books out?Could you let Jesus walk right in, or would you rush about?And I wonder — if the Savior spent a day or two with you,Would you go right on doing things you always do?Would you go right on saying the things you always say?Would life for you continue as it does from day to day?

Would your family conversation keep its usual pace,And would you find it hard each meal to say table grace?Would you sing the songs you always sing, and read the books you read,And let Him know the things on which your mind and spirit feed?Would you take Jesus with you everywhere you planned to go,Or would you, maybe, change your plans for just a day or so?

Would you be glad to have Him meet your very closest friends,Or would you hope they stay away until His visit ends?Would you be glad to have Him stay forever on and on,Or would you sigh with great relief when He at last was gone?It might be interesting to know the things that you would do,If Jesus came in person to spend some time with you.

Clarissa Elaine, My-Bride-to-be