It was
quite an exciting adventure for me as a young boy to travel with my Dad all
around the |
My inheritance
mounted up day by day until I had acquired a wealth of great lasting value.
Every time things seemed to become commonplace, another outstanding event
would transpire that would again implant its roots into my subconscious;
events that would bear fruit later on in my life. |
Not long
after my eighth birthday, my father and his deacon, Brother Eck Fletcher, and
I left on a Wednesday afternoon for |
The church
at Pardee was not pastored by any single individual. The church building was
owned by the Pardee coal-mining company and served as a community building or
union hall for whatever special occasion arose. As such, my father had the
privilege of preaching there the fourth Wednesday of every month, the other Wednesdays
being rotated in turn by the Baptist, Methodist and Presbyterian preachers. |
Upon
arrival, as the car chugged its way to the side of the church and came to a
stop, I strained impatiently against the seat of the car, eager to be out
with the other boys I saw scampering around the churchyard. |
"Brother
Pat, something seems wrong. Look at the people's faces. They don't seem quite
so happy to see us. Wonder what's happenin'?" The deacon's voice was
filled with anxiety. |
My father's
eyes scanned the faces of the people who were milling around outside, but he
spoke with confidence. "If there is a problem, no matter what it is, God
knows all about it and can take care of it, Eck." |
As he
opened the door, I slid out past him and made my way over to the nearest
group of boys, but before I could barely say my first hellos, my father's
voice called out to me, "Come on, Clifton. I'ts time to be going
inside." |
Reluctantly,
I followed Dad down the aisle where I was motioned to my place on the front
pew, while he continued toward the platform. He had scarcely reached the
pulpit when a commotion was heard outside. Brother Eck looked toward the door
with concern, but my father, as was his habit upon arriving at a church,
turned and knelt at the bench setting on the rear of the platform. He began
to call upon God for His help in the forthcoming service. Brother Eck glanced
again toward the door, then he too fell upon his knees in prayer, following
my father's example of "committing all to God." |
I sat
there, absorbed in swinging my legs back and forth under the seat, impatient
at having to wait alone. Then the angry shuffle of feet and the loud murmur
of disapproving voices brought me to full attention. Something was going to
happen, and that "happening" was headed right up the aisle coming
closer to the platform with each step. |
I turned
and with surprise noted a Black-wood policeman in full uniform headed up the aisle
where Daddy was praying. He stopped short at the platform, hesitated for a
moment, then called, "Hey, preacher!" |
Up until
this point, my father had seemed oblivious to all the commotion, intently
communicating with his Maker. Now he turned his head to see who had called
him. |
As the
sheriff noted the glow upon his face, it seemed to throw him off guard for a
moment; he was not quite sure how to react to someone who looked as if they
had just been speaking face-to-face with God. |
Daddy
slowly rose from his knees to a standing position to face the burly
policeman. Brother Eck got up also and came to stand beside my father. It
seemed as if the whole congregation moved silently forward and pressed
together as if to hear all the better. I felt this, rather than actually
seeing it, for my eyes were glued upon the unfriendly face of the sheriff. |
My
father's voice spoke out of the silence. " "You speaking to me,
sheriff?" |
"Yeah,
preacher, 'fraid I am. I came to tell you that you gotta close this meetin'
down and move along. Ain't gonna allow you to have no more meetin's here in
this town. We all," with this he swung his hand to take in all the
observers, "want you to get out and now!
Ain't no holy rollers allowed in
here no more." |
As my
father stood there, his eyes searched the crowd, letting it register in his
mind that what he had heard was true. |
I was
instantly filled with scorn for these people. "What's the matter with them?"
I thought. "Don't they know my daddy ain't never done nothin' wrong?
Don't they know how good he is?" |
A swift
glance from my father, showed that he perceived my thoughts. Flushed with
embarrassment, I dropped my head. I began to pray within myself, not really
knowing what to pray for, "God, help us, whatever we need. Don't let
them treat us like this." |
I don't
know whether my prayer helped or not, but at that moment the Spirit of God moved
in upon the scene. A look of boldness came over my father and Brother Eck's
faces as they moved down the aisle making their way through the crowd. Their
voices began to break forth in praises to God in the midst of those
self-willed people. I hung onto my father's coattail not sure of what to do.
As the Spirit moved upon him, it was then that he became the "master of
the situation" instead of the "unsure servant." |
He and
Brother Eck moved as one. At the same moment, they began to wipe their feet
on the steps of the church, as Jesus had told His disciples to do in Luke 9:5
when they were not received. |
"This
place shall not prosper," spoke my father, "for you have not just
rejected us, you have rejected the Lord." |
The spirit
of the crowd was broken, and each person looked at another trying to
determine just what their reactions should be now. Here and there a few
people dropped their heads shamefully, realizing that a pronouncement of doom
had fallen upon them. They were unsure of what to do next. |
As we
climbed into the car and it sputtered to a start, Daddy was still magnifying
and praising God for the situation; that they had been counted worthy to
suffer for His name. |
"Eck,"
I heard him say, "God's Word says, ‘blessed are ye, when men shall
revile you and persecute you ... for My sake"' (Matthew |
As I
watched the crowd vanish from view as we rounded the curve, I turned around and
sat back in the seat. I felt daddy's elation would soon die down, he would
come to himself, and everything would be back to normal. But little did I
realize that God was about to manifest His glory and miraculous power to His
servants in reward for the New Testament action they had taken. |
"Praise
the Lord," Brother Eck sang out, "Praise the Lord!" |
"Praise
the Lord!" my father responded with equal fervor. |
As their
praises rang out magnifying and glorifying God, their English tongue (with
its |
As the car
continued chugging its way down the narrow, winding, blacktop road, full of
sharp turns, I thought, "Oh, no! Daddy's gonna wreck this car if he
don't get a-hold of the steering wheel." |
"Daddy!"
I yelled, "Eck! Look out! We're gonna wreck!" |
But they
were oblivious to all and lost in a spirit of worship. Though screaming at
the top of my voice, my words were overpowered by the exuberant praise
combined with the noise of the engine. |
Looking out
over the short hood of the model "T" and down the road as it wound
its way down the side of the mountain, with its deep ravines on one side and
rock walls on the other, my heart seemed to choke in my throat so that no
other words could escape. Turning to the window, I stared in horror. As the
trees alongside passed in a blur, I looked down into the valley where the
peaceful scene of a gently flowing creek seemed to contrast with the terror I
felt inside the car--the terror of an imminent crash. |
All my
senses were alerted and seemed to demand immediate action. My first thought
was to hide on the floor and cover my eyes so that I couldn't see the road
and wouldn't know the exact moment of the crash. My next impulse was to take
control control of the car myself. Quickly I made an attempt to reach between
the two men in the front seat and grasp the steering wheel which now seemed
to be turning lazily of its own accord. |
As I
lunged forward, I was knocked into the back seat again by their waving arms. |
Around
each curve we went, the men in the front shouting, with uplifted arms and
closed eyes, while in the back I regained my bearing and once again attempted
to reach the steering wheel. But, again I was met by a barrier of praising
arms, and immediately found myself helplessly lying on the back seat. Further
attempts also proved futile as the car continued on the trip down the
mountainside toward the next little mining town of |
"What'll
I do?" I thought desperately. Panic grew inside me and my stomach had a
sinking feeling as I watched that wheel turn, and then looked ahead to the
big curve coming into view. A picture formed in my mind of the car not making
this next turn of the road and plunging into the yawning ravine which seemed
to be just waiting to swallow us. |
I sat
there helplessly as the car rounded the curve that unforgettable day. I don't
really know the moment the realization came, but slowly my mind began to absorb
the fact that although no human hands touched the wheel, that car made each
turn and twist perfectly down that mountainside! |
Yes, God
was with us and sent His angel to drive our car that night. When we got to It wasn't
until sometime later that I realized another miracle had occurred that same
time--one of prophetic judgment. The word soon got out that the church at
Pardee which was closed that evening to those who would preach the full
gospel was never opened for another service. As my father had "wiped his
feet" symbolically, so had God literally "wiped His feet" of a
hard-hearted people. They had rejected Him once too often. |
Later in
life, when I had become a pastor, I thought about this incident, and
determined to see for myself if the old church was still there and if it was
being used or not. |
One summer
day, when my wife and I were vacationing for a few days in |
There on
that same spot stood the old building--but what a difference since that
memorable day in 1926. |
The scene that
met my eyes was evidence of God's judgment. I don't know why they allowed
such an eyesore to remain to detract from the landscape. It's weather-beaten
shake shingles from the roof lay scattered throughout the churchyard. Gaping
holes in the roof allowed the weather to assault the interior at its own
will. It sagged at the seams and seemed ready to crumble at the slightest
disturbance. Its eaves now offered sanctuary to creatures of nature. Weeds
grew in profusion. Some pews had been carried outside and sat rotting from
exposure to the extremities of the changing seasons. |
I pulled
up, parked, and got out. As I strode over and peered into the windows, I
stared in amazement. The floors that once supported rejoicing saints now
could hardly afford to support the dust of their memories. All remains lay in
a shambles. |
As I
pulled away from that place 45 years later, God's presence came down and
surrounded me. His voice seemed to say, "Son, you've seen the evidence
of My power. You, too, can have this same anointing." |
My heart
felt as though it would burst out of my chest with the fullness of His
Presence. I replied, "Yes, Lord, I want it. I want it!" |
Then all
the experiences of that day flooded my memory and I decided to measure the
exact distance that God's angel had driven our car. I followed the twisting,
turning, serpentine road, remembering vividly each detail of the ride. When I
pulled up to the town's bridge spanning the small creek, my speedometer
registered one and a half miles. Although short in distance, it remains in my
memory, the longest ride in my life. |
|
From: THE
MIRACLE OF MURLIN HEIGHTS by Clifton E. Snodgrass, pag. 20-30, Whitaker House
1976, |