May 1924
T H E
K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
288
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Interesting Stories from Real Experience 1------- — As told by Bible Institute Workers------------
Evangelistic Department
special need. A few questions and we had found the one for whom the Lord intended the Christmas cheer. Again, after another class, we were approached by a lady who had a class of high school seniors. Questions the pre ceding Sunday had made her aware of the pressing need for systematic and intensive Bible study and it was a delight to direct her to the proper text books, in order that she might meet the enquiring minds of her Sunday school class. Another class brought us in contact with a splendid woman visiting Los Angeles for a short while. Several interviews after lesson times refreshed the old desire for Christian service which had been more or less relinquished, and so when a flattering offer came from the British gov ernment to assist in emigration work this woman went with a vision to touch each person she should meet in this ca pacity for the Lord Jesus Christ. So,— as a point of contact with the whole gamut of hu man needs, from contemplated suicides, to proposed separa tions of families, and physical and financial distresses,— the Lord uses the Bible class in a truly wonderful way. When Persistence Was Rewarded Have you grown discouraged over some of your neigh bors whom you have asked to come to the Bible class a num ber of times, and they have made an excuse each time, or were indifferent? Be not weary in well doing; for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. (Gal. 6:9). A member of the weekly Bible class became greatly bur dened for an unsaved neighbor, who had been brought up in the Roman Catholic faith, but had lost interest in that. She asked the neighbor to go with her to the class a num ber of times, only to be put off with an excuse or absolute indifference. This continued until she had invited her for the twelfth time, when the unsaved woman, told her she was tired making excuses for not going to the class, and that the following week she would go with her, but she wanted it understood, she would never ask her to attend that old Bible class again. The teacher brought this information to class and asked the members to pray definitely that nothing might interfere to keep the unsaved woman away the fol lowing week, and that her heart would be open to God’s word. A number pledged themselves to pray every day, and the next week she came on the thirteenth invitation. After class she had little to say, but on the morning of the following class day, she called over to the one who had been so faithful in asking her to go, and said she would go again. The details would make a very interesting story, but we can only say here, she was gloriously saved, and became in a short time a splendid Bible student and the best booster in the whole neighborhood for the Bible class. About a year after her conversion, she was called back to her old home in the east among her Roman Catholic rela tives. Has she gone back to the faith of her childhood? No, indeed. She is winning her folks one by one to the Lord Jesus Christ as their Saviour. At first they were very bitter, but she told them she had something better than a Church; she had found the Lord Jesus. Of course she had not been back long before the priest called, and she
BIBLE W OM EN ’S W O R K Mrs. Lyman Stewart, Supt.—Twenty-five Women Engaged in House to House Personal Work, Bible Classes and Soul Winning Clubs. Evangelizing the Neglected Districts H HE Lord Jesus said: “ Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields, for they are white already to har vest.” John 4:35. A statement fell from the lips of Mr. Horton about three months ago which made a great impression on the writer of this article. He said “ there are 800,000 peo ple living in the City of Los Angeles without church privil eges.” That statement was thought provoking. Conduct ing a weekly Bible Class for women in one of the “ neglected districts” of the city, a request came from one of the mem bers that we take up the study of Personal Work. The women were informed of the great need of the city and sug gestions were made that we begin to evangelize the neigh borhood where the class is held and volunteers offered to make calls. There are some new tracts of land being opened up in the vicinity, and houses are going up rapidly. Calls were made on the tract, and while doing house-to-house visita tion we had the joy of leading a young mother to accept Christ as her Saviour. Noting the distance to the nearest Sunday School and the fact that there are no sidewalks for safe walking, one’s heart went out to the little ones with a great desire to tell them the Christmas story. Prayer was made to God to open a home on the tract for a Christmas Tree Party. God answered our prayer “ exceeding abund antly” for friends gave us a tree, candy, apples and toys for the children. Invitations were sent to the children nine years old and under, and fifty responded. The gentleman who gave us the tree was present at the party. He gave his heart to God when nine years old, and he told us later that he had prayed that the Lord would give us two souls. Imagine our joy when nineteen children accepted Christ as their Saviour. One of the boys who made his decision went home and told his mother what he had done. He has since been baptized and united with the church and his mother says she can see the change in him already. This mother has opened her home for a weekly Bible class for the children. We are praying that God will give us a Mis sion in this section of the city and already a small sum has been contributed towards this work. The Point of Contact The main issue in any Bible class is the winning of souls and the upbuilding of the saints in the faith, but God has arranged in His wonderful economy, that many more things are accomplished as well. The Bible class as a point of contact cannot be overestimated. At the close of one class just before Christmas Day, a member slipped a five dollar bill in our hands telling us to give it to some one to make the season a glad one. We replied that we had no idea just then where to place it, but that surely the Lord would in dicate it quickly. A few more friends shook hands and then a tense request for prayer made us feel that here was a
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