Part 14 (2/2)

”Well,” he said, ”We didn't know there was anyone preaching like that.”

Then I said, ”But he had a hard time.” ”Yes,” he answered, ”He said he had the hardest time he had ever had in his life, and he has preached from the Atlantic to the Pacific and from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico and had never met anything like that he said.” ”Yes, and he was preaching against me.” He replied, ”Yes, and it was you that made it hard for him.” Then I said, ”I prayed earnestly that the Lord would make it hard for him, if the Lord was dissatisfied with his a.s.sociation.”

The a.s.sociation must have died because I never heard of it again. It turned out that the two ministers at that place were the two which held the meeting previously spoken of.

Once at the South Dakota State Camp Meeting, on account of the weather, we had the services in the chapel. One day a man came who said he was a minister. No one knew him, but he looked like a good man. He asked for the privilege of preaching and it was granted him. After he had been preaching a while it was evident to all that he was badly confused, so the spiritual ones commenced to lift their hearts in prayer to G.o.d to stop him, which He did, insomuch that he left the platform and went to the stove to spit, trying to clear his throat. However, there was nothing in his throat. He tried again to speak, but he could not, so finally went out and left the grounds. We never saw him again.

Brother Thomas Nelson and I held a meeting in Wisconsin and we had the same kind of an experience as the one given above. The man in this case was a professor in college and a real orator, but his religious doctrine was unscriptural. Brother Nelson and I had given him the privilege of preaching. We gave one another an understanding glance to be agreed in prayer asking G.o.d to stop him immediately. He lost his voice and could not continue speaking.

DISCOURAGEMENT BLINDS A PERSON

At one time I was holding a meeting at Badger, South Dakota. The meeting was fairly good in a way but I expected results and hoped to see souls saved. I worked and fasted and prayed, but to no avail. It seemed there was no conviction upon sinners. When that meeting was over, I decided to quit the ministry, thinking to myself, ”What is the use to go on this way, enduring hards.h.i.+ps and sufferings and not seeing any souls saved.” I thought I must be a failure, so going home, I went through Minneapolis, Minnesota to visit my sister. After the evening meal I thought I would take a walk. As I strolled up Lake Street, I saw to my left in the middle of the block, a large sign, 'Revival Meetings, Minnesota's Greatest Evangelist.' I became interested because I had lived in Minnesota many years and had never heard his name before, so I decided to attend. By the time he was half through his sermon, my discouragement had vanished. I thought, ”I'm a better preacher than that; I can preach the Truth.” So I went back to preaching with fresh courage and determination.

The next year just before the Minnesota State Camp Meeting at St. Paul Park, I came home with another load of discouragement. It seemed to me I was backslidden and that Brother Nelson and Brother Tubbs were going to deal with me at the meeting and tell me so. I told wife to go on to the meeting and I would stay home and rest a few days, as I was tired. She objected and refused to go without me, telling me the saints would be asking about me, and if I told them you were home they would be wondering why and I would have no peace, so that was that. We went and I did not attempt to preach neither Sat.u.r.day, Sunday, nor Monday. I was waiting, expecting the brethren to come and have a talk with me. Finally on Monday afternoon Bro. Nelson came and said, ”Let us go out into the timber. I want to have a talk with you.” Then he said, ”Brother Susag, what is the matter with you? You are holding up the meeting. Everyone is expecting you to preach and you sit there and say nothing.” I answered, ”Yes, I know that you know what it is.” ”Why I don't know anything,” he said, ”What do you mean?” I said, ”Aren't you and Bro. Tubbs going to deal with me? You know I am backslidden.” ”Since when?” he asked. I told him I did not know. He then said, ”We surely do not know anything. It is just an imposition of the devil. Rebuke him and get into the pulpit and preach.” We had prayer, and rebuked the devil and his accusations, and the spell was completely broken.

A year later at the Minnesota State Camp Meeting, Brother Nelson was not feeling well, neither was I. One day, Brother Nelson said to me, ”What do you think is the trouble with us? Maybe we are bad boys.” I told him, ”No, that is not the reason, however, we do not see many healings and miracles now.” As we stood there talking, we could not think of anything that had taken place of late.

Just then a sister came up to where we were and said, ”Praise the Lord, brethren.” We said, ”Amen.” ”I do not suppose you know me?” ”Yes, we know you,” we said, ”But we have forgotten your name.” ”My name is Rasmussen,”

she said; ”I haven't seen you, Brother Nelson, since you were down and prayed for our youngest son who was down with double pneumonia.” Brother Nelson said, ”The Lord healed the boy, didn't He?” ”I should say He did,”

she answered. ”He not only healed him, but changed him from a puny, delicate child to a strong, husky child--the healhiest one we have.” She went away and we felt we had gotten a reproof, and yet an encouragement, from the Lord.

Then a brother came along and he said, ”Praise the Lord. Wasn't it wonderful how the Lord restored Brother Krutz?” That was another reproof.

Then a sister came by and said, ”Have you heard about Sister Johnson?” We asked, which Johnson, and she said, ”Brother Morris Johnson's mother. She fell and broke her leg just above the ankle and they took her on the train to St. Paul and while waiting in the Union Depot for a train for home, saints came on their way to the camp meeting and seeing her suffering they had compa.s.sion on her, and prayed the prayer of faith, and she was instantly healed, insomuch that she went back to the camp meeting.” After she left, Brother Nelson started one direction for the timber and I the other. We felt the Lord had been grieved because of our discouragement and had reproved us in this way.

On Sunday morning while I was holding a meeting at Rice Lake, I was preaching on the Joy of the Lord. After speaking a few minutes, the Lord spoke to me and said, ”Your theme today will be trials and discouragements,” so I announced to the congregation that the Lord had changed my subject, and in my talk, I related some of the worse trials and discouragements I had pa.s.sed through. After I was through speaking, a brother came up to the pulpit and said, ”Shame on you, Brother Susag.” I said, ”Say that again.” He did a little stronger than before, so I said, ”Say it again, for 'all good things are three.'” Then he did say it strong.

He said, ”Here you have been standing here telling that preachers get tried and tempted and discouraged like that--” and he turned and went out.

When he had gone, a young lady came up and asked me for dinner and said that Brother and Sister ---- were coming to dinner, too. On arriving at their home, they all sat down to visit. They didn't take off their wraps, nor ask me to either. They said to me, ”Do you know why the Lord changed your subject today?” I told them it must have been for somebody. ”Yes,”

they said, ”It was for the four of us.” (These four had gotten saved in the revival I had held the year before.) ”We have been tempted and tried so much,” they said, ”so we came near giving up.” Then they'd said to one another, ”Look at Brother Susag. He is happy all the time. He is not tried and tempted like we are.” But when they heard of my experiences, they said, ”The shame is on us.” They were much encouraged and went on in the service of G.o.d. They finally moved somewhere to the northwest and I am told that one of the brothers became a minister, and the other three Sunday School workers.

Many people do not realize that ministers pa.s.s through much suffering both spiritual and physical for the sake of others, but they are glad to do so for Christ's sake and for the sake of others.

While pastoring in Grand Forks, North Dakota a lady called on the phone one day and asked to speak to The Rev.

Susag. ”I am the one speaking,” I said. Then she told me she had heard from Mrs. Werstlein that I would pray for anyone no matter what church they belonged to. I told her I would. Then she said, ”My husband is at the Catholic hospital and the doctor just called up and said he is liable to die any minute, and cannot live longer than until three o'clock this afternoon. He is an infidel.” Then she continued, ”Would you kindly go see him and talk to him and then come by the house as I'd like to hear what he had to say and what you think about it.” I told her I would if I could get in to see him. ”Tell them that I sent you,” she said. At first they refused to let me in, but after telling them I was pastor and that his wife had sent me they said alright. They said, ”He is near death and almost has one foot in the grave.”

When I went into his room and saw how bad he was, I introduced myself to him and said, ”I'm sorry to find you in such a condition. I have been where you are now. I will not tire you out with much talk, but would you let me read you a scripture lesson and pray with you?” He answered, ”It would be out of place to refuse such an offer under such circ.u.mstances.” So I read Jesus' conversation with Nicodemus (John 3:1). Then I knelt and prayed a short prayer. When I got through, he put his hand out and said, ”Thank you, I have got to see you in the morning.” I asked him what time and he told me nine o'clock. Then I bid him good-bye and went to the door. When I reached the door I thought I heard him say something and turned and said, ”Beg your pardon, did you say something?”

He said, ”Can I depend on you?” I answered, ”Yes, you can depend on me, and furthermore we have service tonight in the church, and I will tell the folks to agree in prayer for you and also to fast and pray tomorrow that the Lord will heal you.” He thanked me and I left him.

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