pastoral duties, not the preaching; but the visitation and other responsibilities that made heavy demands on time and strength. At the end of the year, health demanded a change and in 1915 we had come to California. During the five years we had been here, the opportunities for witness and service had not been lacking. The first building of the Bible Institute of Los Angeles was just being completed and I found there the fellowship I needed and valued. I found, too, that Los An geles offered many of the same kind of opportunities for witnessing in street meetings and to Jews that I had known in the East. There was, indeed, a very great need and I was happy to join with others in going to districts where there was no other witness for Christ. It was not easy. Many times our lives were threatened. There were times when we needed police protection. Almost every evening, as we began to speak, a con cert of auto horns would seek to drown us out; bricks, tomatoes, and eggs were among the things thrown at us, and other methods were used in an attempt to discourage and discredit us in our efforts to preach the Good News of Sal vation. Very few Jewish people were be ing converted at that time, and there was both fear and resentment at our mention of the Lord Jesus Christ. But while not discontinuing this type of witness, I had become more and more burdened for the people that lived in my own neighborhood. It was a more fash ionable* neighborhood than the ones we visited for street meetings and house-to- house visitation, but it needed the gospel just as much. As the burden grew, a way was opened. Selina and I and Car rie, who was with us, had talked it over and had decided to open our home for evening meetings, meetings where enter tainment and refreshments would be the “bait” for lonely Jews, but where a Gos pel witness also could be given. With painstaking care, we had ob tained names; then we had telephoned, written, and visited each contact to ob-
of another Christian Jew who was con ducting missions for Jewish people, Dan iel made the journey to Pittsburgh to talk with him. He was amazed at the story of this man’s sufferings for his faith and thrilled at the opportunity for witness in the street meeting to which Morris Reuben took him. Even tomatoes and eggs thrown at him could not daunt his enthusiasm in this his first street meeting, which was, indeed, to be but a forerunner of many other such meetings, even as far away as Califor nia! Part III T HE night was cool enough for a fire and I was glad. Now I watched the warm flickering firelight catch in pin-points of radiance on polished wood and bronze lamps in our California living-room. Its rosy glow played also upon the faces of a group of Jewish men and women who sat uneasily about the room, their faces masking a variety of feelings. Music from the strings of a violin skilfully played, sobbed and swelled through the. room. There is something about an open fire and music, I thought, that speaks of peace and home and puts people at ease. I felt a gradual lessening of tension as these who had been strang ers to me such a short time before, waited to see what I was going to do. Five years before, my wife Selina and I had come to California for a visit, a visit that had grown into a permanent residence. The thirteen or more years prior to this, following our conversions, had been years of happy service in Ohio. It had been the stress of service, in fact, that had necessitated a rest and had culminated in our visit to California. In addition to the demands of an estab lished business by which I earned our livelihood, and my responsibility for street meetings and mission work in areas where there were Jewish people to be contacted, I was serving as Sun day school Superintendent in a Baptist church in Cincinnati. When the pastor fell ill, I assumed a large part of his
Synopsis o f Foregoing Chapters From a background of a religiously orthodox Jewish home, Daniel Rose found himself, at thirty, a successful enough business man but one seeking always to quiet his unrest and anxiety of heart in worldly pleasures. His wife, Selina, who had been a Catholic when they were mar ried, accompanied him on his endless round. One night they departed from the usual and entered a church because Daniel loved music. Unable to sing the Name of Jesus, a Name he had been taught to hate, Daniel covered over the words with his fingers and sang the rest of the hymn. When Daniel’s sister, Carrie, wrote that she had found the true Messiah, Jesus Christ, Daniel was stunned. Car rie came to visit them and tried to wit ness but Daniel would not listen. When Carrie became dangerously ill and Daniel thought she was dying, he promised to do anything she asked, even to accept Jesus Christ as his Saviour. He dropped to his knees and tried to pray but real ized he was just bargaining with God. Carrie was soon well again,but Daniel knew no peace. He was under such deep conviction he could neither eat nor sleep. Ten days and nights of torture brought him to the place where he could endure it no longer. He must either accept Christ, or reject Him. “Oh, God,” he prayed that night, “ the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob I do want to know the truth. I cannot face another day of this torture. If Jesus Christ is Your Son and my Mes siah, I will accept Him, but show me the truth!” Instantly, God’s Spirit bore wit ness with his and he accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as his Messiah and Saviour. His shouts of joy brought Selina and Carrie running. Soon Selina had been saved and when Charles, Carrie’s hus band, was led to the Lord, the four close friends were complete in Him. On June 22, 1902, all four were baptized. Then began Daniel's attempts to wit ness to his former worldly companions. Rebuffed, but not dismayed, he went on seeking new ways of witness. Hearing
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