Tonight
there is another name written in the Lamb's Book of Life; a husband and
father who once drank and was cruel to his family now is sober, tender-hearted
and kind. A new Bible has a treasured place in this home where once there
was no thought of love of God's Word. Three small children who were almost
naked now have pretty little suits and dresses which are new and clean—all
because of Christ.
There is a picture which
comes to my mind, of a great southern city where there is located a beautiful
building that is dedicated to God, where only the Gospel of Christ is preached,
where many hearts have been made happy, and many souls have found a Savior.
Across the front of this House of God is the name "Faith Temple." It's
influence now reaches throughout the United States and to many foreign
countries. Among the great membership of this church is a group of fine
consecrated ladies who are using some their means and time to buy and make
clothing for the poor and needy children in the mountains. I recently received
from these kind ladies a great box of nice clothing for children and grown-ups.
Also a very large box of candy.
Sunday afternoon I took a
bag of this candy and started up a winding mountain trail which I followed
for quite some distance, passing houses along the way. I came to a little
cabin high up on the mountain side. It was the last home along this footpath.
Much of the glass was broken out of the window and in one room the window
sash and frame were all gone. There wasn't any porch at the front nor any
steps up to the front door, and many large cracks in the walls—truly a
poor and needy home. It had been reported to me that there was a great
need of both food and clothing, and that the husband drank and beat his
wife. On one occasion this mother painfully made her way to a friendly
neighbor's home and wept out the story that her husband had beaten her
until she could hardly walk. There were cut places on her limbs which she
said had been made by an iron poker in the hands of the husband.
I went around to the back
where there was a small porch and called. The mother and three small children
came out. They were very poorly clad and the children were barefoot and
hardly had on enough clothing to hide their nakedness. It is almost impossible
to describe the way they grabbed for the candy; it was hardly human. I
gave the mother a small stick with which to measure the height of the children
so we could give the correct sizes in clothing. When she went to measure
the boy he crouched down in a corner of the porch and held out his little
hands, more like a little scared animal than a child.
The father was not there.
However, I met the man a year ago, and the first time I saw him I tried
to lead him to Christ. Many times since, we have prayer for him and have
talked to him about his soul's salvation, but seemingly to no avail.
Later that night he came
to our home and told us of their needy condition, how they were almost
without food and no money to buy more. He told me the clothing that the
children were wearing when I was there was all they had. He also said he
had no clothes other than what he had on, which was an old pair of overalls
and a coat which was badly worn, and an old pair of won out shoes he had
gotten second hand from someone. When he had finished his story, we divided
what food we had with him and placed it on the table until hew was ready
to go.
I then went over and sat
down by him and started pleading the cause of Christ. I spent about two
hours witnessing, using Scripture after Scripture, and about all he would
say was, "Yes, I know that I ought to do better." I had almost decided
it was a hopeless case but kept on pleading with him to surrender to God.
Every now and then he would say, "Well, I must go home—well, I had better
go," but it seemed as though he could not get out of his chair. Most of
the time my wife was silently praying that this man would not leave until
he was saved.
I asked if he would like
for me to pray for him and he said he would, so we knelt in prayer. When
we arose he had become deathly pale and his lips were trembling. He was
deeply under conviction.
Finally, as he started to
go home, I followed him over to the table where he had gone to get the
food we had given him for his family. I took his hand in mine and asked
him one more time if he would accept Christ as his Savior. He squared his
shoulders and seemed to throw off some unseen power. Then he said with
tears in his eyes, "Brother, I will!" Again we went to the Lord in prayer,
praising God for this soul and asking help through trials and temptations
for this man.
The next day I went to where
he was working in the field and encouraged him in every way possible. He
told me that life was so different since he was saved and his work was
a pleasure—that everything had changed for him.
Last night one of his neighbors
told me that he was a changed man; that he talked differently and had a
different look on his face. Praise God, he has a different look on his
face, for he has Christ in his heart. Today I gave him a Bible which he
said he was going to read faithfully, and that he was going to take his
family to church and Sunday School. God has come to the cabin at the end
of the trail.
Pray that God will use us
to carry the saving Gospel of our Lord and Savior to the many homes through
the mountains to the people living without Christ. |