Steve P. Holcombe, the Converted Gambler: His Life and WorkAlexander, Gross
Religion
Steve P. Holcombe, the Converted Gambler: His Life and Work
Alexander, Gross
Holcombe, Steve P., 1835-; Methodists -- United States -- Biography
I was holding a series of Gospel meetings in Atlanta, Ga., on one
occasion, and had been talking from Acts ii., 38, "And ye shall receive
the gift of the Holy Ghost." In the address I undertook, as best I
could, to show that He, the Holy Ghost, convinces men of sin, and that
He reveals Jesus to poor sinners as their sin bearer and life giver, and
that it is He that produces that change in men which we call conversion
or regeneration or the new birth; and that He, the Holy Ghost, is the
comforter of God's people, in their loneliness and trials and conflicts
here in this world of exile, as well as our teacher to guide us into the
truth. When I had gotten through, I said, "Now we will have short talks
from others, and no one will talk more than three minutes." Up jumped a
street preacher, who began saying that I had been talking about the
Holy Ghost, but I did not know what I was talking about. He knew all
about Him, and would tell them about Him. (This was pretty trying, but I
kept mum, however.) He then began a harangue. When his time was up, I
stopped him. "You are going to limit the Holy Ghost, are you? You are
going to take the responsibility of stopping Him, are you?" "No, but I
am going to stop you, and that at once." And at once he stopped.
I never allow those who testify to abuse others. Some will begin to talk
about the gambling hells. I stop them and say: "No man will go farther
to stop these things than I, but this is not the place for that kind of
talk." Others, as soon as they are converted, begin to find fault with
the churches, and abuse the ministers. I do not approve of this, and I
discourage it. I am sorry to know that many who are conducting Gospel
meetings are inclined to find fault with Christians, magnifying
themselves and their work and underrating the churches and the work of
their faithful pastors.
Some of these Mission workers have spent the best part of their lives in
sin, never looking into the Bible--have been converted only a short
time; have had a little success; got the big-head, and think they know
better how to do God's work than those dear men who have been good all
their lives and made a study of God's Word.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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