King's Business - 1914-05

THE KING’S BUSINESS

303

was safe in advertising that each lesson would grow better ?” I told him, yes, and then told him the reason: because the plan of God would be constantly unfolding from week to week, and he would be getting a more comprehensive knowledge, therefore it would surely be growing better. I am using a series of lesson leaflets, which I have been getting out. I am finding a much greater response and a steadier class inter­ est than I had when I was giving the series without lesson, leaves. The average mind of today, among church members, is prone to desire entertainment rather than study and unless one can give some simple lesson leaflet to follow up the expository work they are very .soon looking for something else to satisfy the unsettled mind. This is indeed a blessing, to be able to hold the minds of the young people. A t San Jose and Immanuel Church in Oakland, where I alternate ■ on Thursdays, I have small classes, but intensely inter­ esting ones. At Oakland I have an average of fifteen, and at San Jose an average of twenty-five. In both of these I am using the Scofield Course. Many interesting things might be added concerning the work, such as remarks from the members of each class concerning their intense interest and joy in the study of their Bibles. O n March fourth I began a class study at Santa Clara. The state of indifference to things spiritual has been hard to over­

come, and the subtile antagonism of one of the denominations, and indifference of two of the others as a whole has made it diffi­ cult to do all that one could desire. The Los Altos work has been gaining both in interest and in the blessing of God on it. During this next month it is the desire and expectation of the people to. organize a Union Church and begin to erect an edifice for worship. The organization will number about forty and each one will be required to sign a “Statement of Doctrine,” that em­ phatically stands by and for the Inspired Bible. It is the expectation of the people to erect a building which will cost about $ 2000.00 A t San Quentin things develop and in­ terest grows so fast and new phases enter into the work in such a way, it would be practically impossible to give any lucid re­ port unless I should take notes each week and then transcribe them at the end of each month. The roll of prisoners up to last Saturday numbers 2060, and is constantly increasing. New men coming in join the class on almost every Saturday. There are 121 taking the definite study each week from the leaflets and these men are more eager to get the teaching than any class I have ever taught. There is a more mature interest than the other classes express, and they give more time to the leaflets, because their time is given more to this than is that of the other classes, and so it is doing great things for these men.

The Work in Los Angeles Harbor O. Zimmerman, Superintendent.

E ncouragement is given the workers who sow the seed when they hear how far the news has been carried and how un­ expectedly the Word passes from hand to hand and from heart to heart. Offering a Gospel o f John in Spanish to an officer on the Mexican S. S. “M—,” the worker was surprised when the man said: “Thank you, I have one. You gave me one some months

ago on the S. S. “C—” while I was pilot. I liked it and sent it to my wife in Mexico.” Another time, a man said: “M. v twelve- year-old girl, to whom I gave the tracts you handed me, is very much interested and asked me if I had received any others while in San Pedro. She is different from me and very interested in those things.” We met an officer on a Panama liner who,

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