Word

A Month from Matthew – 16

And Simon Peter answered and said,

“Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.”  16.16 

[One of the most important statements in Matthew and one of Peter’s top quotes.]

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Old poem/card

FAITHFUL TO DUTY (16^th card)

If shepherds hadn’t been watching their charge,

As all good shepherds do.

If they hadn’t been dutifully faithful.

In spite of damp and dew.

If men of sheep hadn’t sheep-minded been

The long winter night through,

They’d have missed that chorus grandly suspended,

Announcing centuries of prophecy ended,

In notes and quality, in minors and ranges, so large –

Masterfully blended.

 

If wise men hadn’t been looking upward,

As wise men want to do.

If ancient scholars hadn’t known the sky

And humbly, knew, they knew.

If star-spangled men hadn’t known their flag,

The night that star first flew,

They’d have missed the invitation of all earth,

To rejoice in the King of Creation’s birth;

The astronomical discovery worthy of reward –

Announcing Royal worth.   

– eab, Dec. ’80

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One – OR – the other

Men fully see their own filthiness

ONLY in the light of God’s holiness.

– eab, 6/19/12

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STUDENT’S LAMENT

A STUDENT’S LAMENT ^[1]

Christmas vacation? So soon?

Now how can that be?

We are enjoying the boon,

Of school, work, and study.

 

Do we really have to go,

Leave themes and all that,

And go see snow,

Wear gloves and muffled hat?

 

Well, since you say so, O.K.

Matter of fact, that’s fine,

But this I would like to say,

We’ll hurry back for sixty – nine.

 

Good, God bless you, we pray

On Christmas as every day.

               – eab, 12/16/68

^[1] Written for our second Christmas party at Hobe.

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Whitfield – born

ON THIS DATE

George Whitfield was born 12/16/1714 at Glouster, England.  He was the youngest of the seven children of Thomas W., a wine merchant & inn keeper.  George met the Wesley brothers (Holy Club) at Oxford in 1732, experienced the “new birth” in 1735, & embarked on being an evangelist.  He seems to have the lead field preaching.  (On one of his seven visits to America, Benjamin Franklin measured the distance Whitefield’s voice could carry & confirmed he could be heard by 40,000 people at once.)  He first sailed to America in 1738 & actually died at Newburyport, MA, 9/30/1770.  Somewhere in the early 40’s he broke doctrinally with the Wesleys but a friendship remained – the fb reader is encouraged to read Wesley’s Sermon 53 “ON THE DEATH OF THE REV. MR. GEORGE WHITEFIELD” preached 11/18/1770.

Whitfield quotes:

“It is a poor sermon that gives no offense; that neither makes the hearer displeased with himself nor with the preacher.”

“Take care of your life and the Lord will take care of your death.”

“To preach more than half an hour, a man should be an angel himself or have angels for hearers.”

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