OUR RECENT EXPERIENCE by O. A. Olsen

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jan 9, 1900

OUR RECENT EXPERIENCE.

By O. A. Olsen

“Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: by whom also we have access by faith into his grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope; and hope maketh not ashamed, because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.” Rom. 5: 1–5. “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.” James 1: 2–4.

After the close of the annual meetings in the several Conferences and missions composing the European field, I contemplated spending considerable time working among the churches in Sweden, and after that in Norway; but this plan was not carried out. The financial crisis through which Christiania is passing began to work hardships for our publishing house, and this called me to that place.

During all these years we have come into business relations with many different firms as well as persons. For some we have done work, from others we have bought material of different kinds; and in the business transactions, notes have been given for payment, also bills of exchange, and the plan of indorsing as security for payment, one for the other, had become a common thing. All seemed to go well till the financial crisis came on last summer, under the pressure of which many of these firms began to fail, being unable under the financial pressure to make the necessary arrangements with their creditors. Now began our difficulty. When we saw the crisis coming, we made every preparation to stand the storm, and thought we were in a fair way to do so; but when many firms, which had our names as indorsement on their notes, failed, the publishing house was brought into serious trouble, as it was utterly impossible for it to meet these added obligations. Therefore we had to declare suspension of payment, and seek for an arrangement.

This situation brought a great trial upon all connected with the work. Our publishing house has all the way along had the very best of standing, and enjoyed the fullest confidence of the business public. It is our pioneer institution, in the work in these northern countries, and is held and treated as the representative institution of the message; hence,

for this institution to fail would be a terrible disaster to the work, a calamity from which the work could never recover itself. It would place a stigma upon the cause, from which it could never be cleared.

Now the question arose as to what we should do? Yes, what could we do? Jehoshaphat of old, when he learned of the great army that was coming against him, “feared, and set himself to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.” So did we. “And Judah gathered themselves together, to ask help of the Lord: even out of all the cities of Judah, they came to seek the Lord.” 1 Chron. 20: 3, 4. We did the same,—not that we gathered in one place, but each company of believers met, and all our isolated brethren and sisters took part in this seeking of God with an earnest heart, and thanks be to the name of the God of Israel, he heard our cry for help.

In our distress we could but say, “O our God, wilt thou not judge them? for we have no might against this great company [this great embarrassment] that cometh against us; neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon thee.” And we did not seek in vain, for to us the word from the Lord has come, “Thus saith the Lord unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God’s.” Verses 12, 15.

The Lord has wrought for us in a most wonderful manner. Never before had I lived the experience recorded above. I find a vast difference between reading of and living an experience. A new life has sprung up in many hearts, a new power has come to some of our workers. Testimonies of praise and triumph are heard from many lips. The more heartily they have taken part in the seeking, the greater is the blessing received. Even the canvassing work has received a new impetus; yes, we may say that every branch of the work has shared in the spiritual blessings that have followed in the wake of the great business reverses we have suffered.

Not only was the publishing house here at the center threatened, but the depositories in Copenhagen, Denmark, Stockholm, Sweden, and Helsingfors, Finland, were also shaken to the foundation, and things looked exceedingly dark. But while we sought the Lord, we also sent word to our brethren in Switzerland and Germany, and they have nobly come to our rescue. Also the Foreign Mission Board sent us money that we had previously paid out, and by this means, together with what has come from our own sales, we have been able to meet all the obligations in these different depositories; and never before have we so much appreciated the blessing of the verse, “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!” Ps. 133: 1. A friend in need is a friend indeed.

As for the publishing house itself, we found it necessary to ask our creditors for time in which to make arrangements to meet our obligations; and they have kindly granted us six months, for which we are indeed thankful. Under these circumstances the work continues to go forward. Wherever we have discerned anything that we could correct and set right, we have done so. Every worker connected with the office is seeking the Lord with an earnest heart, and as a consequence, is enjoying much of his blessing. The whole church has come to realize that God is dealing with us in love, and that he is turning this severe trial to a glorious victory.

“But you are not out yet,” says one. No; but we have sought God, and have had many unmistakable evidences of answer to prayer; and now we have taken up the word, “Believe in the Lord your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper.” And in this faith we are going forward, praising God that his mercy endureth forever. We are fully aware that no human arm is able to render us the needed assistance, but the same God that has wrought so many deliverances for his people in the past, is just as able and willing to do it now.

We have appealed to our brethren in America for a loan with which to pay up the banks, and thus restore the credit of the institution, and give us the opportunity to handle the property to the best advantage. All our brethren in Scandinavia are earnestly praying that God will open the way for them to help us meet this emergency, and this we believe he will do.

Some have suggested, Let the institution go to failure. No; we can not do that; for it would be ruinous to the character of our work here. Nothing could please the enemy of God more than this. No; we believe God will be glorified in working a deliverance for his own cause in this matter. I have hesitated for some time in writing these things, but the Spirit of the Lord is moving on my heart to write, and thus give glory to the name of the Lord. I feel forbidden to think or speak unbelief, as it brings darkness and not light. I will trust and not be afraid.

Personally, I have never enjoyed so much of God’s presence as in this trial. At first a chill like death seized my whole being, and I felt more like a statue than a living being. But God has revived my soul, strengthened my faith, given me new courage and a remarkable degree of freedom and trust in God. To the Lord belongs all the praise. The scripture at the beginning of this article has entered into my late experience as never before. Now we shall wait on the Lord, trust his promise, and pray and believe that he who “is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,” will redeem his own pledge.

Christiania, Norway. O. A. OLSEN.