A few days later, the permit was returned to me with a letter saying, "Please accept our courtesy. We are not afraid of being imposed upon by a man like that."
When I was ordained, the brethren said, "Now you can get half fare on the railroads." "Well," I said, "I have had that almost seven years already." When I explained to them they were astonished.
* * * * *
I was the evangelist at the South Dakota State Camp Meeting one year. After the meeting was over and I had received my offering from the committee, a brother came to me and wanted to give me $50 extra but I refused to accept it. "Why," he said, "Don't you need it?" "Yes," I said, "I need it badly, but I do not feel I can take it." "Well," he said, finally after much persuasion, "If you won't take it, I'll put it in the bank. For the Lord told me to give it to you, and I don't want it, and it will be there until you call for it."
About nine months later, I needed money and wrote him to see if I could borrow it until the next camp meeting. He sent it right away and wrote saying, "Thank God, it is out of my hands, and I'll never take it back again." At the next camp meeting, I tried again to pay it back, but I failed, so I went to prayer and asked the Lord what I should do. The Lord said, "You give Brother Renbeck fifteen dollars for a new suit, and you keep the rest for your family." (In those days one could get a good suit for fifteen dollars).
I looked for Brother Renbeck and finally he came. He had been weeping, although he still seemed happy. "Why have you been weeping?" I asked. "I need a new suit, and I went out and prayed and the Lord told me I could get a new fifteen dollar one." I reached my hand out and said, "Here is your fifteen dollars." He stepped back and said, "No, no! I couldn't take it from you. You need it worse than I do." I explained to him how it was, and he accepted it and praised the Lord. In those days we didn't know any different than to trust the Lord.
* * * * *
At one time while on the train in North Dakota, I sat down in the company of twelve ministers, representing that many denominations. While listening to them I decided that this was the time for a little fellow to keep his mouth shut. One young minister appeared to be the leader in the discussion standing with his Greek Testament in his hand. Finally he turned to me and said, "Are you a minister too?" I told him I was. "What denomination do you belong to?" I told him Church of God. "Well," he said, "If you belong to the Church of God, you have a horn in our side." I had met three of them once and they surely horned me. I said, "Yes, I've got a horn and I pity the minister that hasn't got one." (The horn represents power in scripture). "But," I said, "I use that on only one preacher." "Who is that," he said. "The devil." "Well," he said, "If you have one you have not showed it to us because you have kept still." Then turning, he pointed to each of the ministers individually asking each one what visible church of God he belonged to, and each answered, naming their own denomination. Then he said, "I belong to the visible Church of God Congregational." I spoke up then and said, "I belong to the visible Church of God." Then he slapped his hand on the arm of the seat and said, "You've got me, Brother." Then I said, "You see me, don't you?" "Yes," he said. "I see you, shake hands." Then he asked me how far I was going, saying that he would like to have a talk with me.
I told him I was going to Bismark, to which he said, "It is too bad that I change at the next station."
That ended the conversation. They seemed to have no more to say.
* * * * *
When I was holding a meeting in a certain state, some of the church said there had been a couple of preachers holding services across the street from the Church of God chapel, and some of the saints had attended their meetings and became confused. They wanted me to preach against it. I said, "I cannot do that. The Word of God says, 'Thou shalt not judge a strange servant.' But I will pray the Lord to help me to meet them to get acquainted with their teaching." I did pray earnestly that I might meet them. Later I came to a town where I had to stay all night. I found twelve preachers there who were trying to start a new spiritual mushroom or work, and of the twelve preachers, two of them were the association preachers who had been holding the meetings across from our chapel in the town previously spoken of. I went to their service that evening and sat and prayed earnestly that if God was displeased with this new work they were trying to start, that the minister who was going to speak that night would have the hardest time preaching that he ever had in his life.
A minister arose to preach. His preaching was Biblical, but he had a hard time, while the other ministers kept on praying, "Lord, give the brother the anointing." He worked and perspired until all of a sudden he sat down. The ministers huddled together and talked and prayed and finally sent one of their number out into the audience to talk with the people. He finally wound up at me. He asked me a number of questions, whether I was saved and sanctified, and then left. But the ministers seemed to be dissatisfied, and sent another minister to me to investigate. At last he said, "I suppose the sermon tonight scared you." I said, "No, that was a good sermon and I have been preaching that way for over thirty eight years. That is the way the apostles preached."
"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 association."
The association 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 God 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 God to stop him immediately. He lost his voice and could not continue speaking.
* * * * *
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 hardships 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 Saturday, 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 compassion 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 passed 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 God. 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 pass 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 circumstances." 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.
When I went to his house, his wife said, "What do you think about my husband?" I answered, "He is pretty low, but I am going back to see him tomorrow morning at nine o'clock." She said, "He isn't going to live that long." I told her he was not going to die, but going to live, and she said, "Who said so?" I answered, "The Lord."
Next morning I went back and eight nurses met me and one said, "What did you do to that man yesterday? He had one foot in the grave and now he is going to live." "Of course he is going to live," I said. Then they said, "But what did you do? We have never seen anything like this." "Well," I said, "I did what they used to do in olden times." "What was that?" they asked. "Prayed," I said. "Yes," they said, "that helps."
Going into his room, he was smiling and I began to talk to him about the Lord. Then he said, "I do not believe in those old women's fables." I said, "I am going to get you to believe in God." He replied, "You can't do it." I answered, "By God's help I can, for where you are, I have been, and where I am, you can come. If I can only gain one point with you I can get you to believe in God." (He was a professor at the University of North Dakota). I had to come back in the afternoon at three o'clock and the next morning at about nine. When I came in he said, "You are too late. The doctor was here with two specialists and I told them I wanted to get up and go home; I am well. They answered me, 'You stay in bed; you are a sick man. There are no T B germs about you but we are studying about what kind of medicine to give you.'" He then asked me how I would have answered them, if I had been here, and I said to him, "I would have said to them, 'The God of Heaven that you don't believe in, heard prayers and smote those germs and made you well.'" He said, "If you had told them that, there would have been a panic."
The next morning he got up and went home. I was sent to Europe on a special mission the next day by the Missionary Board and the church. After returning in January, one Monday morning I went to the Northern State Bank on business and on opening the door into the bank, who should I meet, but this professor. My hands went up and I said, "Glory to God! Here is the man the Lord kept out of the grave last August." Up went his hands, and he said, "Bless God. God Almighty did something for me."
I regret that I have not kept a record through the years. The only record I have is for the first eleven months I was pastor in Brookings and White, South Dakota. I preached 272 sermons, made 178 pastoral visits, wrote 202 letters, traveled almost fifteen thousand miles during that time, and in my fifty years ministry, have had a stated salary only about six years. In my first ten to fifteen years, I preached (at intervals) as many as six sermons a day, three in Norwegian and three in English. In all I have preached something over 17,000 sermons, and have traveled over one million miles. I have crossed the Atlantic Ocean seventeen times one way, and preached a good many times on fifteen of those voyages.
Returning to America in the late fall of 1939, many people asked me who I thought was to blame for the war. They named a number of the leading rulers of the warring nations, and then they added, "The devil." I said, "None of them are to blame for the war." "Who then?" they asked. "Backslidden, professing Christians," I said. Then they asked if I thought America would get into it, and I answered, "Most assuredly." However the majority of them said no, and they also said that our American boys would never leave American soil to fight. I told them that our boys would not only go to Europe to fight, but to almost all the Islands of the sea. Then they asked how long I thought the war was going to last, and I told them "1949." A goodly number laughed me to scorn. Not long ago, I received a letter from my oldest son who said, "I have been checking up on you dad and everything that you said would happen, has come true up to the present date." The actual fighting is over, but thousands of our men are in foreign lands, and no peace. If the Lord does not get an opportunity to perform a miracle, another war will start before any real peace.
I have not built any chapels large or small, but I have started about fifty or more congregations in this country (America) and in Europe. Also I have raised quite a sum of money to build chapels and to help ministers and missionaries in need. I have raised thousands for church and missionary work in general, seventy per cent has come from the brethren of Norwegian descent, fifteen percent from the Danish descent, ten percent from those of German descent, three percent from the Swedish, and two percent from Americans. The percent here mentioned is for the work in Scandinavian countries only.
* * * * *
While holding a meeting in Bowbells, North Dakota, after a few days three families quit coming and I went out to the farm to see them. When I arrived at the first farm, the other two families were there visiting. After conversing a while, I asked them why they had not been out to the services of late. Finally the man who was the head of the house said, "We did not like it when you said the preacher could not forgive sins." I answered, "If you have wronged the preacher, and ask him his forgiveness he can forgive you, but there are some sins that even the Lord cannot forgive. For instance, if you owe ten dollars to your neighbor over the hill, and you are not willing to pay him, you can keep on praying as long as you live, and the Lord could not forgive you if you are not willing to settle with him. Of course, if you didn't know where he was and couldn't find him, the Lord would forgive you all right." The man answered, "We will come to the services," they said, and some of them got saved. Unbeknown to me, he had owed his neighbor ten dollars for four years and was unwilling to pay, but after he became willing he got saved and paid his debt.
* * * * *
One man got saved in a meeting in South Dakota, and the Lord reminded him of twelve ears of corn which he had taken from his neighbor's field to feed his own oxen. As he went by on his way to town, he said, "Yes, I'll attend to that tonight." So after dark he filled a bushel basket with corn and took it over and emptied it into the man's hog pen, feeling good that he had done his duty. The next morning after worship, the Lord spoke to him and said, "I suppose today you will go over and settle for the twelve ears of corn." "Why I took that over last night," he protested, "But you took that over to the hogs, and they were already fed." So he went over and confessed to the man. We can see by this that it was not the corn the Lord was so interested in as his humble confession.
A certain brother who was a farmer needed a threshing machine badly, and an agent visited him to see if he could make the deal. They were agreed on prices and terms, but when they talked over the time of delivery, the agent acknowledged he could not get it to him in time for fall threshing, so the deal fell through. Another agent, hearing of it decided he would go and see the farmer. This time the deal went through, with the promise that the machinery would be delivered in time.
The brother mortgaged his farm and the threshing machine for forty five hundred dollars, but when harvest time came it had not come. He wrote the manufacturers, and they said that as soon as they could get it built and shipped, they would do so. The farmer became desperate. He took the sales contract to an attorney, but he found a clause in it that prevented him from doing anything about it. It looked as if he would lose all his threshing income that fall as well as the machine and his farm too. Many earnest prayers went up that the Lord would intervene in his behalf.
During harvest time that year, he lost hundreds of dollars in not having the machine.
Finally in January, the machine was shipped from the factory. The freight train that was pulling it got within three miles of the town. It was pulling up grade slowly, and in turning a sharp curve the whole car which was carrying the threshing machine loosened from the rest of the train, and tumbled down a steep embankment, completely demolishing the whole thing. The railroad paid the damages, and the brother was released from all responsibility.
A good many went out to see the wreckage, and none could understand how the car would become disconnected from the train. They did not know our God, and the way he answers prayer.
* * * * *
When I was holding a meeting at Grand Forks, wife wrote me that an epidemic of small pox had broken out in the neighborhood, but that it was not necessary for me to come home because, she said, "I put the children and myself into the 9lst Psalm and we will remain there until the scourge is over" and I thank God, it did not come near our dwelling.
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No apology is made for writing this book, recording the incidents and experiences herein found. As Elijah's God is still the God of the universe and today He hears the prayers of the humble and delivers them in time of need. The author is acquainted with the persons mentioned herein, and has a personal knowledge of the things related. No doubt some will question the truthfulness of some of the statements made in this volume. But the truth must not be withheld because of a few skeptics and unbelievers. Some doubted the miracles wrought by the apostles. One good minister in California said one time, when introducing me to the ministers at a ministers' meeting, "This brother can relate more incidents than anyone I have ever known, and if I did not know Brother Susag, as well as I do, I would have said he lied." I answered, "If I did not know him as well as I do, I would have said he lied, too."
Brother C. E. Brown, present editor of the Gospel Trumpet, upon introducing me to a number of ministers at the Anderson Camp meeting, also stated that I could relate more actual incidents and experiences than anyone he had ever met.
Many ministers and the laity as well, have through the years wanted me to write a book of my experiences, even ministers of other movements. But I am afraid I have waited too long to remember hundreds of incidents that have taken place during my ministry. People say that when I am under the anointing of the Holy Ghost when preaching, the incidents flow from my lips like a stream.
My earnest humble prayer is that these incidents and experiences may prove a blessing and an inspiration that will quicken the faith of those in need whose help can come only from God.
As my name is S. O. Susag, I think it is fitting to say as the distress call of a ship is SOS, that I have heard the distress call in my fifty-two years ministry, hundreds of times from the evangelistic field, and missionary fields in other lands, from insane asylums, hospitals, sick rooms, and the Lord has heard prayer, and wrought many miracles, almost unbelievable. To God belongs all the glory and praise.
* * * * *
One time I received a distress call from Geo. W. Green and family who were living that time on a farm near Hancock, Minnesota, to come and pray for a sick child. They were living six or seven miles out of town, and no one was there to meet me, so I had to get the taxi to take me out. I arrived late in the evening. Going into the house, I learned the child was already dead. All the occupants of the house, both up and down stairs, were sick in bed with the flu, thirteen in all. Sister Green was the only one able to get out of bed to let me in. I had no way to get back to town, but as we were talking and praying, a doctor happened along and stopped and came in and asked Sister Green to make him a strong cup of coffee and sandwich. He said, "This is the third night since I was in bed, and I need something to strengthen me." He filled out a burial permit for the child so it could be buried. And he said, "You can't stay here tonight." I told him I had no way to get back to town, so he offered to take me. I went and the next day I returned with the undertaker. The road to the cemetery went through the town, but the leading lady, a social worker (I presume) forbad us taking the body through town. So we had to detour several miles out of our way. An epidemic of flu broke out in the town and I am told that this lady was the first one to die with it. At the Green home the Lord restored the entire thirteen to health, and protected me. Throughout the years I have been protected from all manner of contagious diseases where I have been called to pray.
* * * * *
Brother Edward Ahrendt and I were holding a meeting in Grand Forks, North Dakota. One evening the call was made, and the altar was filled with seekers. Brother Ahrendt and I started at opposite ends to pray and instruct. As I knelt, the first one was a woman and I felt as if I had knelt by a barrel of devils. I was surprised that she was professing to be a Christian. Lifting my hand in astonishment, I said, "Sister G—you are possessed with devils." After the altar service was over, Brother Ahrendt and I laid our hands on her and commanded the devils to come out in the name of Jesus, which they did. The next morning we had prayer and testimony meeting and she arose and testified and in a way she excused herself. I said, "Sister, be careful or the devils will enter into you again." Evidently they did, because the other women in the rooming house told me that in the evening when she arrived at her room to go to bed, the devils rolled her up like a ball with her heels almost on her shoulders, and her sufferings were horrible. They prayed and did everything they could to help her get straightened out, but to no avail. They tried to find Bro. Ahrendt and I, but we had moved that night to another place. No one seemed to know where we were. They called up all the saints that had phones, but without success. Finally, two of the sisters started out going from house to house among the saints that had no phones, and at four o'clock in the morning they reached the house where we were stopping. We went over as quickly as possible, and when we went up onto the porch, she straightened out instantly. The devil was going to play possum on us. Brother Ahrendt and I had a consultation, as he had never had any experiences with cases of devil possession before. He said, "Brother Susag, Saturday night when we prayed for her, there was no manifestation showing that she was possessed." "Well," I said, "There is no need of them having to be thrown around by the devil when you know they are possessed," so I said I would pray and we would see how it would come out, because I knew there was a need of full agreement. We phoned Brother Gus Niles and asked if we could come to his place with Mrs. G——. When we got there, we went into a room and locked the doors. Brother Ahrendt prayed in one corner and Brother Niles in another corner. I gave her a chair by the table, and I sat opposite. I said, "Sister, I have known you for four years and all that time you have deceived yourself and the saints and the ministry. You have had no salvation all this time. Now tell me what the devil had you do when you came home from meetings." She said, "One time when I came home, I went out to the barn to feed milk to the calf, and he wouldn't drink, and I got angry and took a small club and struck him. He bawled and broke the rope and jumped through the window and ran out into the woods." When she was telling this, her hand flew up and she commenced beating the air with it and she could not stop. I let her continue beating for a time, then I said, "Lord, stop that arm," and it did stop. Then I asked her what the devil got her to do other times when she came home. She said, "Another time when I came home, husband's dog had gotten into the house, and I opened the door to get him out, and as he went through the door, I kicked him in anger because I hated my husband," and as she said this, she started kicking the table and then she fell on the floor on her back still kicking the chair and the table. Just then Brother Ahrendt came running and said, "I rebuke the devil in Jesus' name." He had become convinced that the devils were there by now.
Then the three of us laid hands on her, commanding the devils to come out of her, which they did. Then she got saved and sanctified, and got a sweet settled experience which everyone had confidence in. She later became an able Sunday School teacher and worker for the Lord.
* * * * *
The evening when I said, "Sister G, you are possessed with devils," I looked back in the audience and saw a sister with her mouth open and looking at me with surprise and apparent criticism, as if to say, "What do you mean by saying such things to Sister G?" Just then I saw many serpents crawling in her lap and up her breast and in to her mouth. After the service this woman's sister came to me and said, "Do you know that my sister, Mary, is possessed with devils?" I said, "Yes," and she asked how I knew, saying, "She told me she had just gotten possessed." I said, "I saw them entering."
We took her to a private home and she was delivered by the power of God.
* * * * *
There is always a cause when God does not answer prayer, either in individuals or congregations. I have been speaking of individual cases in this book, where prayer was not answered. Now I will speak of congregational hindrances that I know of personally.
There is never an effect without a cause that produces the effect. In a certain congregation where I held several successful revivals for several pastors, there came a time when the work did not prosper as it had in previous years. By chance after twenty years absence, I stopped in there one prayer meeting night, having business in the town that day. They entreated me to come back and speak for them on a certain Sunday, which I did. The Lord gave us two precious services. They took up their regular Sunday evening offering. After that, they announced that they would take up an offering especially for Brother Susag, which they did, and set the basket in a position where I noticed the contents, which was in the neighborhood of fifteen dollars or a little more. Next morning when I was ready to take the train, I was handed four dollars with the remark, "This is our custom." No wonder the congregation did not prosper, and still these dear people had done their duty, but were unaware of what the hindrance was.
I know of other cases of that same kind, both with other ministers and myself. Once in a camp meeting a young minister was the evangelist, whom the Lord used mightily. One evening they were going to take up the love offering for the evangelist. A nice offering came in, not any too large, and they gave the evangelist seventy percent.
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Once at the Grand Forks, North Dakota Camp Meeting, Brother P. Pederson of Hoboken, New Jersey was to preach. He read his text and related some of his experiences and the Holy Ghost began to bring the people to the altar. He then closed his Bible and said, "A greater preacher than I is now speaking."
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During the depression it looked as though we were going to lose the state camp grounds at Grand Forks. At the camp meeting the Board said there is no other way than to let it go. I said, "No." "Well," they said, "Then you will have to raise the money because we cannot." I said, "If you will give me a free hand, to go at it when the Lord says to, I will." They said O. K. One evening the Lord said, "Now is the time," so I said to Brother Monk, "Let me have a few minutes?" Within a few minutes we had the amount to the cent. Brother Monk said, "This time the devil was licked and the depression also." It pays to pray.
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The first Camp Meeting I attended at Grand Forks, I generally got up at 3 or 4 a.m. and went to the woods to pray. At that time you could hardly find a place to pray.
There were two or three members praying behind every tree before I got there.
The first Camp Meeting I attended in Anderson, I went out early in the cemetery and here they were praying every where.
The pioneer ministers knew how to pray, because they had no sermon outline book to take it from. Their converts knew how, too, for they were taught by the Holy Ghost.
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Once Brother Renbeck and I were holding a meeting in Erskine, Minn. It was 42 degrees below zero every day, and we had to stand the bread by the heating stove and a number of times it froze so hard on the table, before we got through with our meal, that we could not eat it. When we went to bed, we could see the stars twinkling through the cracks of the roof. We took off our shoes and coats and lay down on the bed, and pulled our fur caps down over our ears and put our fur coats over us. Often through the night we would have to turn over because the side that was down got cold. This may seem ridiculous to some, but God knows it is true.
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In 1911 Brother Morris Johnson and I held a meeting on the west coast ofDenmark. At the place where we stayed and slept, we had to climb up aladder through a hole into the room to sleep. The bed was too short forBro. Johnson and too narrow for two, and the bed clothes accordingly.
We could not sleep much after breakfast. We took our traveling blankets and walked out side the town where there were some old grave hills that had been opened to get out the wealth that was buried. It left a deep hollow place in the ground. There was ice in the bottom. We wrapped our blankets around us and lay down so the wind could not blow on us and slept some. That was pioneering in Denmark. In this little town it was really the first great battle for the truth won in Denmark.
Many have said that much of the pioneer work was lost and did not pay. Itis true, some was lost, but what would we have had today without it? I prayGod to rekindle the pioneer spirit and passion for souls and trust in theLord. The opportunities are still here. If I were a young man I would say
End of Project Gutenberg's Personal Experiences of S. O. Susag, by S. O. Susag