70
February 1930
T h e
K i n g ’ s
B u s i n e s s
ploitations of the ancient church. When our three years of war work for the Belgian soldiers was at an end, it was they who pleaded with us to come to Belgium after the war, and found a work that should be permanent. “ For,” said they, “we have nothing like this in our dark land.” When we did arrive we found that God had placed the opportunity in other hands, as there existed already a Belgian Protestant church—but that these, through the inroads of Modernism, had become recreant to their trust, and the field was indeed wide open and “white unto harvest,” so, by faith we entered in. Today, all over the land, we are opening Gospel halls, some thirty of our halls being the property of the Mission, and in these, each week thousands of the Belgian people gather to hear proclaimed the Gospel. For two years we have conducted Deeper Life Confer ences in Belgium, in the French tongue at Brussels and in the Flemish tongue at Ghent. From October 31, to No vember 3, 1929, was held this second conference, and the whole mission was stirred and lifted to a higher plane through the marvelous ' time of blessing experienced. Crowds were so great at Ghent that our mission hall was not adequate, and the meetings had to be conducted in a near-by concert hall. The last two days of this conference were especially blest and on the Saturday the spirit of conviction was so strong that the speakers could not carry through their messages but were compelled to give way to the spirit of prayer and confession that swept over the audience. All day long this spirit maintained, literally hours being spent on the knees. At Brussels, crowds were unprecedented. Each night evangelistic services were held when the crowds were so great there was scarcely standing room. On these nights there were decisions, one night twenty, another fifteen, etc. It was glorious the closing Sunday night to see these who had newly decided for Christ, come to the front and stand there together to confess their allegiance to Christ. . . . One beautiful young woman, a converted actress since many months, the brightness of whose Christian experience is a joy and blessing to us all, brought three young friends who on that last night yielded to Christ. Her delight was beautiful to witness. On the closing Sunday afternoon a wonderful young people’s meeting was held in which scores rose to declare their intention to abandon themselves to complete consecration to the Lord. At the same time, in the Flem ish hall a few blocks away, the adults held their meeting of consecration, and a still larger number there arose to consecrate themselves fully to God. I f our Lord tarries, we expect to see great things tak ing place in Belgium, in the near future. A mighty revival we believe is being prepared, by the seed sowing of His Word, and through prayer and the witnessing of thou sands of newly converted ones. And one, a Belgian of very high position, who loves his Lord, said in reply to our plea for prayer for revival: “ But, dear friends, it is evident from all we. are seeing, that that revival has already begun.” Mk Testing To be beaten but not broken; to be victorious but not vain-glorious; to strive and contend for the prize and to win it honestly or to lose it cheerfully; to use every power in the race, and yet never to wrest an undue advantage or win an unlawful mastery; verily, in all this there is train ing and testing of character which searches it to the very roots, and this is a result which is worth all that it costs us .—Bishop Potter.
heaven through the merits of my Lord, and I would not fall back into a faith where even the propagators them selves have no assurance of heavenly bliss.” Oh, pray for these tempted and tried ones in Belgium — that they may be kept in victory over those who would seduce them from their new-found faith. Many there are like this man whose story has been recorded, who resist valiantly every effort to lead them astray. Some have been put out of their homes—others have lost their business. Some have suffered the most acute of all losses, that of the affection of wife or parents, and yet have re mained true. What a joy it is to have a share in the evan gelizing of this land of Belgium! Do we not see that this land of close on eight million inhabitants was ripe for the Gospel, when we read of the achievements of the Belgian Gospel Mission since the war? Today there are more than forty-three preaching stations scattered throughout all the nine provinces; over a hundred workers counting the missionaries and their wives, colporteurs and women workers; an extensive system of open-air campaigning by means of Gospel tents, itinerating Gospel cars, and market preaching, and meetings at centers where are held Ker- messes, or fairs, or where are found famous shrines, scenes of frequent pilgrimages. To one such place called Villars-la-Ville, the seat of a famous.shrine, a man from a distant village went every year on pilgrimage to secure forgiveness of his sins. One year he heard a Gospel street meeting and was enthralled by the preaching of free and full salvation. For five years he continued to make his pilgrimage, not to visit the famous shrine, but to hear again the street preaching. Only once a year did he hear the glad message, but he was willing to wait and to go all the distance yearly, for the joy of that message. One glad day he awoke to find that it would no more be necessary' to go all the way to Villars-la-Ville to hear the Gospel preached, as we had but newly opened a little preaching place in his own village of Bousval. But oh, for the thousands of towns and villages where as yet we have not been able to penetrate. Not long ago there came to us from the great and important city of Charleroi, a simple postcard saying: “ Mr. Norton, when are you com ing to Charleroi to open a preaching hall?” And it was signed, “A group of Christians who languish for your coming” ! How the G reat N eed is B eing M et It is difficult for those who pass quickly through Bel gium, as members of tourist parties, to realize the depth of her spiritual need. The visitor sees the stately cathedrals and museums, with their treasures in sculptured and pic tured art; he travels through busy industrial centers, where all speaks of up-to-date progress; he passes beauti ful shop windows in Brussels and Antwerp, where the latest .luxurious creations are displayed, and he says, “ Surely this people is contented,-—prosperous and in need of nothing, either material or spiritual.” How little he sees behind the scenes! Ah, if he knew what we know of the spiritual desolation and ignorance of this people—yes, and of the ofttime despair of some—because they have nothing to satisfy. If he could know something of the moral conditions obtaining in some of their peaceful som nolent small towns and villages, through which he passes, his very soul would be appalled. Hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of the Belgian people, have no more inter est or confidence in the Roman Catholic'church. If they go it is simply not to lose caste, or to satisfy some member o f their family. Many of these people are unbelievers, some have turned to socialism, in revolt against the ex
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