Progress of the Work Among the Jewish People
By F. C. Gilbert
There have been a number of interesting experiences in the work among the Jews this summer which indicate that the Spirit of the Lord is really at work among these people. The more the Jews learn of our people, the more they are inclined to the gospel of the Lord Jesus and to the message of God for today. While attending the North Dakota camp-meeting this summer, I met several Jews who were present at the meeting. One young man came to me at the close of the service, and said, “I wish you could give that talk in every city in the United States. It would be such a help to the Jews as well as to the Gentiles, and it would enlighten the people.” The young man’s heart seemed to be touched. There was another man at the same camp-meeting, who came from quite a distance to spend a few days. I had a number of talks with him, and found him to be quite interested. There were several things that rather puzzled him, but these seemed to clear away after we opened to him the Word of God as seen in the light of present truth. On Sunday morning I gave a talk on the work among the Jews, to the German brethren. He was present, and frequently nodded his head in assent. At the close of the talk, he asked the privilege of speaking a few words. He said he would like to tell them a few things in confirmation of what was said, and also to state some matters that would make other things still clearer to their minds. It was certainly interesting to hear that Jew talk to our people about the Jews and their manners. He told the brethren that, while it was true that the Jew was cut off when he became a Christian, they should remember that the Jewish people who did not know the gospel had been wrongly educated, and that the Christian people must bear with these poor, prejudiced Jews till they became enlightened. It was very evident from the way the young man talked that he was not far from the kingdom. Before he left the grounds, he came to me and said: “Well, Brother Gilbert, I want to tell you that I am not going to open my place of business any more on the Sabbath. As for being a Christian and believing in Jesus, time accomplishes a great deal. I am glad that I am here, and I have been greatly helped. Please send me a New Testament, and some day everything will come out all right.” We certainly hope and pray that the Holy Spirit will lead that man to fully give his heart to the Lord Jesus. At the Lowell, Mass., camp-meeting, one young man, a Jew, was baptized. This young man has been passing through a bitter experience. He was one of the first converts we had about six years ago through our mission work in Boston, and was one of the most interested and enthusiastic young Christians I believe that I ever saw. He was with us at the Good Tidings Home, Concord, Mass., for three months, and seemed to be growing in grace splendidly. His people kept coming after him, and finally they got him away. For five years we knew nothing of what had become of him, but we felt that some day the Lord would bring him back. Earnest prayers ascended to God for this young man, as his case was such a promising one. The Lord heard the prayers. Some months ago he came to see me, and told me all about the experiences that caused him to leave. He was so sorry he had lost his grip on Jesus, and said he still loved the Saviour. While I was at the sanitarium at Melrose a while ago, he came to see me, and there he decided that if the Lord Jesus would forgive his great sin and pardon his iniquity, he would serve him the rest of his life. The blessing of the Lord came into our little meeting, and he was surely accepted. Since then he has been endeavoring to let his light shine in his home, and while his parents and relatives have been persecuting him bitterly at times, still we believe that he will yet win his wife to the truth. Only a day or two ago I saw her at her home and had a long talk with her, and she gave me to understand that she did believe, and that she did want to know more about the Lord Jesus. A Jewish woman on Long Island, New York, is about ready for baptism, and it is evident that unless the Lord works a miracle, her husband will leave her. But she feels so thankful for what the Lord Jesus has done for her since this light came to her that she is willing to endure anything for Jesus’ sake. We trust that God will give her grace and strength to walk in all the light. There are many other Jews who are interested in the truth; and while it takes a long while at times to see the seed develop, we feel sure that the Holy Spirit is at work among them. Word comes to us from the workers in different parts of the land, of Jews who are interested in the truth. There are some in California who seem about ready to decide to obey the truth, and a Jew of about forty was recently baptized in Salt Lake City, Utah. A number of Jews have attended tent-meetings in different places this summer, and many questions come17to us from workers in the different parts of the field who desire to know how to work for the Jews. We are endeavoring to do what we can, with the help of the Lord, to answer the many questions which come to us. It is very difficult to convince some of the Jews with reference to the gospel until they come to learn more of our people and of our work. During the past two months we have sent out many thousands of pages of tracts, and we believe that they will prove a great blessing to many. The needs of this work are great. We should have more literature to scatter among the people, and especially we need laborers who will interest themselves in these lost sheep. We have had about a dozen Jews at the Good Tidings Home this summer. Some have been there part of the time and others all the time. We believe there is yet a great work to be done in connection with the Good Tidings Home, and we ask all our people everywhere to pray for the work at the home. One young Jew went there with his brother who was sick. He was there but a few days when the Spirit of the Lord came upon him, and sent a strong conviction to him that what he saw and heard was the truth. He arose one evening in the prayer-meeting, made a confession, and said that he wanted to be a consecrated Christian. The Lord has visited us at the home, and there have been others who have been converted and given their hearts to the Lord. Looking at the work from various points, we feel to thank God and take courage that the Holy Spirit is working for the Jewish people, and we believe that we shall yet see a great work done, and that many of these sons of Abraham will come to the light. We ask a special interest in the prayers of the people of God for this work for the lost sheep of Israel. F. C. GILBERT.