A union prayer service, the last of the season, was to take place in
one of the churches on the following Wednesday evening. I was impressed
on Tuesday to announce to the mission audience that we should on that
occasion attend this union service. I made no mention to them of the
message the Lord was trusting me to give, nor did I know how he would
have it delivered. My soul was heavily burdened, and a great fear took
possession of me, as I entered the basement of that church, which was
soon filled with members and pastors representing the various
denominations, also many of the mission attendants. The subject I well
remember--"The Forgiving Spirit." It was beautifully discussed and
handled, causing me to think that under these circumstances the Lord
would possibly excuse me. In order to find out, I reverently opened my
Bible. My eyes fell on one word in big capitals--"JONAH." Oh! I must
obey; but how? I waited and watched. Soon came a call for voluntary
prayer, and I received my cue when Brother Smith of the Seventh-day
Adventists prayed. Testimony was next in order. Following one or two
brief testimonies, I mechanically arose, and gave out the message just
as it had come to me from the Lord, and then sat down--_a great burden
now off my soul_. Painful silence followed, but finally a brother
(Sunday-school teacher) arose. "Let us see what this means," he said.
"I will read Ezekiel 3"; and he proceeded to read. Then a brother on
the opposite side spoke--"I will read Ezekiel 4." Pastor M--- next
said, "And I will read Matt. 6:21, after which we will proceed with
our testimonies." But they did not. They could not. After a long
silence only one arose. She gave an honest answer, promising God never
so to offend him in the future.
On my way home Satan said to me, "Now you're in for it." Sure enough. I
comforted myself by audibly singing as I walked along, "Jesus Lover of
My Soul." Maybe you think I was frightened and miserable. Not so. I
could not have been happier; for the load was lifted, my conscience was
clear.
On the following Monday evening we expected one of the pastors, by
previous appointment, to preach in the mission. We waited. He never
came. I was sent for to come to his parsonage the following morning,
and there I learned this: "At a special ministerial meeting, which took
place on Monday morning, the Woodland pastors took action with regard
to the attitude assumed toward the churches by the woman, Mrs. Florence
Roberts, now in charge of the City Gospel Mission. A motion was made,
seconded, and unanimously adopted to boycott said mission and said
worker."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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