The Preacher and the Moccasin

An Observation: I desire to tell these true stores of miracles in the lives of myself and my other family members that your faith and courage may be strengthened to believe God for a small miracle or a notable miracle that you may need. There is nothing too hard for our God to do.  There are no small or big miracles for God.  He can raise the dead as easily as healing a headache.  He stands ready, yea, anxious to show Himself mighty in your own life with His great, wonderful power.

Matthew 10:1, “And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease.”

Luke 10:19, “Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.”

Shaking the snake

No doubt that the most sainted persons that I have ever known was my dear grandmother Mattie Strange.  Born shortly after the close of the civil war she died a goodly old age in 1955.  She received the baptism of the Holy Ghost during the early part of the 20^th century coming from what known as the “shouting Methodist.”  

She was a woman of great faith, born and raised in Catahoula Parish, Louisiana.  Her face shown always with the Holy Ghost love light emanating deep from within her heart.  She was given to continual prayer.  I had great confidence in her prayers.  As a child with my little maladies, I knew that if I could get grandmother to pray for me, I would be all right.  

I am personally aware that she stayed on her knees in prayer almost all the time.  It was upon her knees that the Lord saw fit to call her home unto himself.  She died in prayer asking the Lord to heal one of her grandchildren.  

At the funeral the undertaker called all of her children around her casket.  He said, “I want to show you something that I have never seen in all the many years that I have been in this business.”  With that, he pulled up grandmother’s burial gown to her knees.  Her children gasped as the sight of her knees.  There were very large hard and thick calluses on both knees.  Though it was quite a site to behold, yet none of us were surprised as we knew that grandmother spent most of her time there communing with her God.

Once while gathering eggs, a very large Moccasin snake struck her arm wounding her flesh quite severely.  She jerked back so hard that it tore her arm and caused the snake to fasten to her.

Grandmother shook the very large snake loose from her arm and went inside.  In those days there was neither a phone or 911.  Grandmother knew something that we all need to know.  She got on the royal telephone to glory.  She went inside her house and wrapped up her wounded, bleeding arm.  Then she went to her knees and consulted with the great physician that she knew personally who had promised to watch over her and all them that will trust Him and commit their way to Him.

Grandmother never swelled.  She never got sick.  She never saw a doctor.  Soon the fleshly wound healed just fine.  

What a wonderful God is this!  Hebrews 13:8 says, “Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today and forever.”  Dear friend, there is not one single thing that he will not do for you if you will put your faith in him and depend on His Word.  As you read these account of miracles, let your faith rise up higher and see that you too can grasp a hope in God.  He will never fail you.

My Dad was not afraid of a snake as long as he could see him and there was plenty of distance between them.  It would be unthinkable however for him to pick one up.  Yet this is exactly what he did as a young preacher.  No, he was not a part of the snake handling group, though he did handle this one.

Dad was deep in prayer in the woods when he became aware that the log that he was using for an altar had a big snake in it.  Since the snake in the position that it was in could not escape, it began threatening my Dad with his rattle coiled and ready to strike.  My Dad said that he was not afraid and scarcely had any concern for his own personal safety. Without getting off his knees he simply reached over, got the snake and flung him away as far as he could.  Dad kept praying, not missing a beat.  

Later reflecting back on the incident, Dad was greatly amazed at the peace and serenity that was upon him dispelling any cause for alarm.  He could scarcely believe what he had done.  He knew that his God had given him that peace in face of danger and had also given him power over that serpent. 

My mother had received the Holy Ghost during a revival that a brother McManus had conducted in the early 1930’s at the “Head of the Creek Pentecostal Church”, now known as Berry’s Creek Pentecostal Church. 

Brother McManus had been preaching about the power of God and the beautiful baptism of the Holy Ghost.  He challenged the people to believe God for themselves.  It was then that some unbelieving men from the community came in with a huge Cottonmouth Moccasin snake in a box.  

They interrupted the preaching and challenged brother McManus.  “If you believe what you are preaching, then pick up this snake.  Otherwise, you do not believe your own Bible and what you are preaching is false by which you are only fooling these people.  

Brother McManus said, “I don’t pick up snakes unless God tells me to and so far he has not told me to do so.  I will pray, if you will be patient, and see what the Lord tells me to do.”

Brother McManus, turned to the wall on the platform on his knees.  He prayed, “Now Lord you know that I am deathly afraid of these kind of old bad snakes, but these people have come in here challenging you and your power.  Nevertheless, I will pick this big old bad snake up if you tell me to do so, but not unless you do.”

Brother McManus had a great number of children, but he had one young daughter that had died not long before this time.  While he was thus praying, this daughter came before him in a vision.  She said, “Pappa, I have come from the presence of the Lord to tell you that Jesus would have you to pick up the snake.  Jesus is with you and no harm will come to you.  Do not be afraid.”

Brother McManus arose from where he had been praying and turned toward the snake.  Not being an experience snake handler who would hold the snake just below the head, he instead picked the long snake up half way down his body.  The power of God came upon brother McManus in a great way as he walked up and down the isles of that brush arbor (if I remember correctly) preaching that God will confirm His Word with signs following.  He almost shook that snake to death while the Holy Ghost witnessed to the people that his power is just as real today as it ever was.  The presence of the Lord was there in a mighty way.

After he was done, brother McManus put the snake back in the box.  The snake then went into a rage almost destroying the box before some of the men of the church could get him outside where they killed him.

What about those men that brought the snake?  After the glory of the Lord lifted somewhat, the church noticed that sinners were in the altar seeking God, those mean hardened men were there also, crying out for mercy and pardon of their sins.  They truly had witnessed the glory and power of God to confirm His Word and ready to meet any challenge.

I Am A White Man, but I Was Born A Black Person

Yes, it is true.  But let me start from the beginning.

In the summer of 1940, these were the days long before sex education in schools.  Rules of modesty were carefully observed among most God-fearing people of that time.  This was especially true with my mother’s people.  In fact they were so modest that they would not so much as use the word “pregnant.”  Instead, a term such as “with child” or “great with child” would be used.  These things were talked about in whispers very discreetly.  Therefore, my inexperienced mother did not know what to expect with her first child. 

It was about time for me to be delivered but I had not moved in her womb the first time, not even a twitch.  Out of concern she asked her mother if it is normal for a baby to not move at all during gestation period.  Grandmother Pugh assured her that the baby should be moving and kicking.  Lack of movement was not normal at all.  Grandmother had nine children of her own.  She was well experienced.

Being concerned, mother went out behind a barn and knelt to pray determined to touch God on the behalf of her baby.  As she prayed fervently, a light appeared in the heavens very high up, coming down toward her.  As she continued praying the light fell upon her.  The light came down enveloping her entire being.  I still remember my mother as being quite athletic when I was young.  When that light fell upon her she, in her words, “started springing high into the air from my knees.”

As the power and light of God surrounded her it its glory, she continued springing high into the air.  Finally when the light and glory began lifting, she noticed that I, within her womb was also springing, kicking and having a grand old shouting time myself.  I often wondered if is possible in this day for one to receive the Holy Ghost in their mother womb as John the Baptist did from his mother’s womb.  When I finally spoke in tongues, I never felt any different than what I had felt previously. 

Soon after this it was time for me to be born.  Dad was the pastor of a little church congregation in a place in South Louisiana called Gum Point, near Branch, Louisiana.  He arranged for a midwife to be present in the church parsonage to attend to my mother and me during this time.  A severe hurricane had come ashore in South Louisiana.  The wind blew with ever increasing fury.  The water rose up out of the bayous and rivers.  Dad put the chickens up on a table and retired to the church to pray while the water kept rising higher.  But there were problems in the parsonage.  I was not being born like I was supposed to.  Water was rising up in the house and the midwife was panicking while my mother’s life slowly ebbed.  

A brother in the church felt led to come by and look in on the situation.  He said, “brother Strange, you keep praying, I am going to get the doctor.  There was only one doctor in the community.  Soon, he came with his nurse wading through the water in some places waist high, holding his bag up to keep it dry.

Instantly, he recognized the problem and went to work.  Mother said that when I was born, I was as black as a lump of coal.  The doctor put me in a pan of water and began massaging and working with me.   I suppose all the jumping and leaping in my mother’s womb caused something to happen to me.  I am not sure why, but I was born black.  I do not know if the doctor explained to my mother what the problem was or not.  If he did, I do not remember if she told me or not.

Dad said that when the water went down out of the house, I was left behind along with a snake that was also found there.  From the battles that I have fought in my life, makes me to know that the trail of the serpent has dogged my path since my birth.  Through much tribulation, I enter into the kingdom of God.

Rat Poison and Baby

Dad Pastored a church near Trout, Louisiana.  He was also a sharecropper that depended on income from the land to help support his family during the hard times at the tail end of the depression.  

One day when I was two years old, my parents left me alone sleeping in the house while they worked in the field.  My Dad said, “I think I should go and check on the baby.”  

When he walked in the house, he found me on the floor and an almost empty pint of rat poison beside me.  He immediate knew that I had awaken, found the pint of poison and ate it.  He found me lifeless and still.  My eyes had set in death and he said that my body had already turned cold.

In those days there was no Lexus in the driveway nor was there a fancy hospital nearby with a skilled staff of doctors and today’s technology.  In fact it seemed hopeless in the natural.  Thankfully, we do not look upon things in the natural if we are going to have faith in God.  

It was miles to the nearest little town.  What use was it to hitch up the mule to the wagon and attempt to get to a doctor?  In the natural, my Dad could see the obvious uselessness of the attempt to try.  His only hope, as it has always been, was in Jesus whom he knew was looking in on the situation. 

He simply picked me up in his arms and lifted me up above his head toward heaven as to be presenting me to the Lord.  The solemnity of the moment was inexpressible.  There were no words spoken, no prayer offered, just a holy presentation before the Lord.

He knew that the devil tried to take me before my birth in my mother’s womb.  He tried to take me at my birth in the midst of a hurricane at my birth.  Now, the serpent had struck again only two years after my birth.  The dragon, that old serpent had now tried again.  

It was not God’s will for me to depart this life.  As Dad held me up above his head for a long time, presenting me to the Lord, he felt my body beginning to turn warm.  It was not long before I opened my eyes and started moving.  He sat me in his lap and he praised the Lord.  

Before very long, according to him, I jumped off his lap and went on with my playing.  The rat poison had no more affect upon me except for the praise that I have in my heart today for God’s saving and healing power. 

The devil’s attempt on my life shortly before my birth, at my birth and only two years after my birth is enough to let me know that I do not belong to myself, the world or anything else but to Jesus only.  I belong only to him.  He has been my savior and protector all of my days.  I am going to need eternity to thank and praise him for all his goodness to me and to my family.