A Month from Matthew – 7

Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:  7.7

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Old poem/card – 7

IMAGINE YOURSELF (7^th card) ^[1]

Imagine yourself:

               At the manger that night

               When the shepherds came, in joy and fright.

               When the wise men arrived

               To worship the King they knew was alive.

               In that eventful place,

               Infinite God with a baby’s round face.

 

Imagine, imagine a Gift for mean men.

God gave His Son; O, Glory! Amen!

 

               Then – – imagine yourself with only one son,

               The price to be paid for a world to be won.

 

Imagine your son:

               In a carpenter’s shop

               Sweaty, tired, dirty, ready to drop.

               On azure Galilee with common men,

               Especially those three.

               In the garden’s pale light groaning,

               Praying, desiring the right.

               At Pilate’s dark hall thorn-crowned,

               Whip-beaten, deserted by all.

               On that wooden frame –

               Gone friends, followers, gone earthly fame.

 

Imagine yourself God, that Bethlehem morn,

Knowing your Son would die, nail and spear-torn.

 

And when you’ve imagined from beginning to end,

Reality reveals, God Loves You, My Friend!

– eab, DEC. ‘71

^[1] Partly “dictated” to MSB headed south on I-77 with Andrew, Lincoln, & Laura in a black ‘68 Volkswagen.

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For Shame

The change from a sinner to a saint is immediate. 

It is delightful.   You want to tell others.

The change from a saint back to a sinner is gradual. 

It is a shame.   You do not want to tell others.

– eab, 10/14/14

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Who is it?

 

He never seemed to hesitate.

He did not need to delegate.

A few times his words were a blight;

More often than not, he was right.

Who’s this?  Peter – without debate!

– eab, 12/7/06

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V O Agan – born

N THIS DATE

V O Agan was born 12/7/1923 in the state of Georgia.  He was saved in a Methodist church at an early age and attended God’s Bible School in Cincinnati, OH.  It was there he met Ruby Davis and later made her his wife (she’s the only person I ever heard call him “Verlon” 🙂 ).  After only a few years of pastoring Bro. Agan was elected the president of his church conference and was president many years.  I am happy that my ordination paper has the signature of V O Agan.

He had a unique way of preaching: sometimes with his eyes open, sometimes not, sometimes with his voice in a teaching mode, sometimes with a rapid fire, elevated pitch (a bit of the country-preacher mode) and then could drop back into his teaching voice without a stumble.  His round, friendly face added to his messages.  He was one of the best loved men of his day, often described as a “southern gentleman.”

 Agan Quotes:

“The heavenly Bridegroom is woeing a wife, not hiring a servant.”

“Who is it that loves God and does not wish to love Him with all the heart?”

“It is absolutely wrong to pray about something you already know is wrong.”

“You can tell a false prophet more by what he doesn’t say, than by what he does say.”

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