June, 1935
T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
208
Men attending gospel meeting. Pacific Fruit Express Co., Los Angeles. TAKING THE GOSPEL the Working Man O ne P hase of the A ctivity of the B ible I nstitute of L os A ngeles M y Fatherworketh hitherto, and I work.” To the man in the'shop, in the factory, in the railroad camp— or
which was frequently visited, Mr. Stuchbery was speak ing oh the need o f every man to experience salvation. “ A fter hearing this simple message,” the shop evan gelist recalls, “ a short, heavy man of about fifty years of age drew me aside into a little room where he worked alone, and asked me to speak with him there. Under great emo tion, my friend ran through the details o f a life dark with crime. He told me how, many years before our conversa tion, he had killed a companion at a gambling table. Tears rolled down his cheeks as he told what had happened- The payment o f the penalty o f the law had been made, but it had not given rest to the conscience. Could Christ save such a sinner as he—a murderer ?. Remorse and desire mingled in the voice that asked the question. I thanked God from the depths of my heart that I could ,reply with absolute assur ance, not only that Christ could save this man, but that He would. And praise God, He d id ! “ In the weeks that followed, this workman almost never missed a meeting at the shop, and although his fellows ridiculed his earnestness, he could not be persuaded to give up his place on the front row of listeners. His life and tes timony rang true, and even scoffers recognized the change. “ A fter his own conversion, this man’s first thought was for the salvation of his wife. At the husband’s request, I visited their home, and before I left, the wife had be come ‘a new creature in Christ Jesus.’ They asked me to hold a cottage prayer meeting in their home as an expres sion o f their dedication to God of all that they possessed. I shall never forget that meeting. I glanced at the host again and again, and I knew, even before his triumphant testi mony was given, that the murderer had found peace.” How P rayer was A nswered for a W ould -B e S uicide The Bible Institute o f Los Angeles has a ministry not only to the working man, but often to the despondent and unemployed stranger who comes to its doors. And Mr. Stuchbery has been used o f God in dealing with both Classes of individuals. One instance is outstanding.
to the one who wishes he were there—-the Saviour’s words have a special appeal. It is to make that appeal personal that men students of the Bible Institute of Los Angeles, accompanied by trained workers, vjsit the shops in the Los Angeles area, and hold evangelistic meetings at the noon hour. In the accompanying picture, a part of the group that meets each week at the Pacific Fruit Express Com pany, Los Angeles, is shown. “ And I work.” The words mean more to the toiler than they can possibly mean to any one else. They imply that Someone has been iwsary, misrepresented, malignedSthat Someone, understanding, has comfort for hearts that may bravely mask their troubles to the world. Personal 1acquaintance with a sympathetic Saviour has changed the outlook o f countless men who have heard (or merely over heard) the gospel at a noon-day shop meeting. E. W . Stuchbery, who has been affiliated with this de partment o f the Institute’s activity for more than fifteen years, estimates that seven hundred men compose the week ly audiences in the shops. Between four and five hundred tracts are distributed each week. During the years o f the nation’s financial prosperity, there were more industrial plants in the Los Angeles territory to be visited than are in operation today. But at no other time were the spiritual results greater than at present. “ It is a great privilege,” Mr. Stuchbery declares, “ to go to men who are weary and discouraged and to give them this message: ‘Christ was rich, but He became poor for our sakes, that we through His poverty might be rich.’ The truth grips the hearts of working men. And the knowledge that this same Jesus gave the invitation, ‘Come unto me, all ye that laFor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest,’ brings relief to every man who believes,” A M urderer F inds P eace Just one illustration, taken from among many, proves the effectiveness of this type o f evangelism. In a shop
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