September, 1933
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couraging message to the effect that he was crying daily to God to give us victory. Friends at a distance joined in the effort. From Chicago this encouraging word was received: W e are in a great struggle o f prayer for the church as you come to the great crisis. “He only doeth wondrous things.” . . . I will fast and pray on the thirteenth, if so be the Lord will grant mercies to the Church of the Open Door at this time. It is no sacrifice. I gain phys ically and every way by giving the Lord a service that means more than just a nod. . . . Biola’s affairs will be made a special matter o f prayer on the morning of the thirteenth, and again on the afternoon of the fifteenth.
to God in prayer and made known to the people from the pulpit and over the radio. About the time the effort was launched, a well- meaning business man called on me. He came out o f sin cerity o f heart to tell me that with his experience as a business man, he feared the plan was doomed to failure, that it was utterly impossible to raise $25,000 cash in four weeks in this day o f depression unless high-powered finan cial men were employed. However, we felt that God had been so often dishon ored in the way money had been raised for church work that we determined to cast ourselves wholly upon Him and venture out on faith. W e made a covenant that we would
In addition to the regular Sunday morning and evening meetings in the church, Sunday afternoon mass meetings were held. Among those who rendered valuable assistance were Dr. Cortland Myers, Rev. R. P. (B ob ) Shuler, Dr. Stewart P. MacLennan, Dr. William Evans, Rev. Harry Anderson, Dr. Arthur I. Brown, and Rev. Ernest M. Wadsworth. T h e J o a s h C h e s t Many o f God’s people
not approach any individual and ask for money, but that we would ask God to lay the need upon the hearts o f the people as
that need was made known from the platform and over the air. A huge thermometer was placed in the main auditorium at the back of the choir loft, the rising “mercury” indicating from week to week the progress in giving that was being made. It became a com mon question: “ Have you seen the thermometer to day?” and a common re sponse: “ Praise the Lord, isn’t it wonderful ?” Slow ly at first, but ever stead ily the “ temperature” rose. Before July 15, the day when the down payment was due, the “mercury” had burst the tube, for over $4,000 more than was needed had been re ceived ! T o his credit, it should be added that the business man who called to say that su ch an a ch iev em en t would be impossible with out high-powered sales men, came to the pastor a
were so situated, finan cially, that they found it impossible to give any thing in cash. A t their re quest and for their bene fit, the “ Joash Chest” came into use. It was placed at the front o f the auditori um, a reminder of the Old Testament days when the Lord’s people brought o f their gold and silver for the repairing o f the temple. Even before the purchase o f the auditorium was antici pated, the Joash Chest began to be filled with articles o f gold and silver and precious stones, treasured things that were not easily given up. And when it became known that by this means the temple o f the Lord could be, not repaired as in Joash’s day, but preserved and maintained, the chest overflowed with the love o f ferings o f God’s people. Real es tate and oil stock were given,
second time with this .testimony: “ Only the hand of God Himself could bring about what has been accomplishd this month!” The response was unanimous and enthusiastic. All the departments o f the church cooperated heartily. The choir gave over $1,000, the Sunday-school over $3,000, and the young people societies $1,000. Space forbids the mention o f many other similar amounts representing love and self- denial. Not only did the church respond willingly, but other friends, many o f whom are not affiliated with the church at all, came to the help o f the Lord. Friends o f the Bible Institute proved to be among the most liberal givers. The radio Bible class taught by the pastor five mornings each week, and composed o f members from hundreds of churches in Southern California, sent in between $4,000 and $5,000. One woman, an Italian reared in the Roman Catholic Church, listened to the message over the air and came to the church office with a cashier’s check for $275. A man whom we had never seen, but who had been blessed through the radio ministry, borrowed $ 1,000 on his insurance policy and sent it in with an en
and watches, thimbles, lockets, chains, bracelets, and family heirlooms came in in abundance. Many o f the gifts bore such messages as this, to which a tiny old-fash ioned broach was attached: “ A tiny thing, not worth much, but it’s the widow’s mite, just a little old relic handed down and doing no good the past twenty-five years. God bless the Church o f the Open Door.” Not worth much! How much, we wonder, in God’s sight! An Armenian woman heard o f the need o f the Church o f the Open Door and the Bible Institute. She does not attend the church, for she does not know English. But she knows God. In language she could understand, He spoke to her heart, and obeying Him, she brought to the church office as her gift to the work o f the Lord a beautiful hand-made silk moire coverlet— rose and blue and lace trimmed. In old Armenia, it is a bride’s choice possession in which her treasures are placed to be carried away to her new home. [Continued on page 299]
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