King's Business - 1959-03

ible pause, I took up my Jewish Bible and began to talk to these unconverted Jewish people about the things of the Old Testament, leading right on to speak of the true Messiah, the Son of God, Elohim Himself, the Jew of all Jews. Just as soon as one meeting was over, we began preparations for the next. We followed up every name we had, every one who had been out at all. We wrote letters, telephoned, and visited them. Sometimes we went after some of the older men and wom­ en in the car. Once I called for an old gentleman who had promised to come. But at the last minute he changed his mind! I didn’t hesitate. I picked up his coat and helped him into it. “You promised me you would come,” I said firmly, “now come on.” And he did! Numbers grew until fifty and more could be expected every meeting. They ranged in age from eighteen to eighty-five and all w e r e J ew i s h . Truly, this was a unique opportunity! Before long we had to put in folding doors between some of the rooms so that three rooms could be thrown together to provide an adequate meet­ ing place and it was usually full. And as our guests began to know us, there were very often opportunities given to deal with individuals after the musi­ cal entertainment, preaching of the Word, and time for refreshments were past. Such opportunities filled us with joy. Each one who permitted us to speak was faithfully prayed for as, indeed, were all who came. When one old gentleman called on Christ just before he died, and another, an in­ surance salesman, accepted the Lord after hearing the gospel at these home meetings, I felt all the work and effort were well worth-while even if no others than these were won. Another burden was added during these years. Our home provided a meeting place for Jewish adults twice each month, but why should not it also be used every Sunday afternoon for children? My experience in Sun­ day school work in Ohio had given me the great desire to see such work carried on wherever there were chil­ dren. There were many in our neigh­ borhood who were not in a Sunday school. Since the burden was placed on my heart, I must do something about it. I began this new project with the boy next door. “ Freddie,” I asked one day, “ how would you like to help me start a Sun­ day school?” “ Fine!” he answered promptly. “Well, you and I will go out and invite children to come in and we will have a Sunday school,” I told him. On Saturday we set out. We didn’t find any children who seemed inter­

“ Danny, how would you like to take over the Jewish work here at Biola?” he asked me, coming straight to the point. I gasped in astonishment. This was my answer! “ Dr. Talbot, that is just what I have been praying for!” I exclaimed, “I have been asking God for the past two years to open the way for just such a work but I didn’t dream He would answer in this way!” “ I would like you to take it over this coming Sunday.” “All right,” I agreed, happily. And I have been with the Jewish Depart­ ment of the Bible Institute of Los An­ geles since that time. God has done the “ abundantly above” for me in my association with those who have worked with me and He has made the work a blessing to many souls, both those who are burdened to “pray for the peace of Jerusalem,” and for Jew­ ish men and women, boys and girls who have been reached through this

ested until we were about to give up when we met seven boys who prom­ ised to come. Six of them came out on Sunday. And from that beginning a neighborhood Sunday school grew until our rooms were crowded and we needed help in the teaching. Begun with a group of boys, it soon included boys and girls as brothers brought their sisters and they, in turn, brought their friends. The three of us, Selina, Carrie and I, had more than we could do, and we were glad indeed when Miss Christina Braskamp, an experi­ enced teacher, came out from Biola to help us. During the years we were able to carry on the Sunday school in our home, some sixty children were converted, ten of whom were Jewish boys and girls. A young Catholic girl who began to come to our home for Sunday school after she had attended mass in the mornings, was also saved. I have kept every one of these on my prayer list and have prayed for them ever since. The years that followed thé begin­ ning of these two types of ministry were full and satisfying as we were able to give out the gospel and to see it received by not a few. But in 1934 all meetings in our home came to a stop and the light went from the day for a long while when I lost Selina and Carrie, one preceding the other by only a few months. Carrie had led Selina and me to the Lord and had helped us all through the years, so my loss was more than that of a sister. Carrie Menard was a great soul win­ ner and a woman of prayer. Scarcely a Wednesday evening prayer meeting went by that Dr. R. A. Torrey of the Bible Institute did not call upon her to lead in prayer. Her going was felt in many circles and my own home was suddenly incredibly lonely with the loss of both wife and sister. But though the natural sorrow of losing the earthly companionship of my beloved ones was great, there was not the hopeless wailing of the Jew who has no hope of ever seeing his loved ones again. That hopelessness had been replaced by the assurance of re­ union in His blessed presence where we shall never part again. Left quite alone now, I found time heavy on my hands. Circumstances prevented my continuing the classes in my home. I was no longer pressed by the demands of my business and I believed God had some full-time Christian service for me. But where? I prayed about this matter for almost two years. One day I went to visit Dr. Louis T. Talbot, pastor of the Church of the Open Door, and president of the Bible Institute, little dreaming that he was about to be used to an­ swer my prayer.

Mr. Rose's joyful countenance does not reveal his 90 years, more than half of which have been in the Lord's service. ministry. There were few Jewish peo­ ple being converted in those early years; but I have lived to see the day when many Jewish people are coming to accept Christ as their Messiah, whole families turning to Him. Some, it is true, are secret believers, but the number of Christian Jews is growing. Just a year after my taking over the Jewish Department at Biola, the Lord sent me a co-worker who proved to be a brother indeed. David San­ ders, a converted Jew, was walking along the streets of Los Angeles one day when he saw the big sign “JESUS SAVES” high over the city roofs. This attracted him to the Church of the Open Door and soon afterwards was led to join me in the Jewish work there. W e w o r k e d t o g e t h e r f o r nineteen years and the Lord has been

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