[BRETHREN B. F. RICHARDS AND G. W. REASER IN CHARGE.]
Program of the Day.
The picture directly above represents the entrance to a Buddhist temple. The structure
Our daily program is as follows: Family worship, for all of the workers in the mission, and for those who are from time to time giving themselves to the Lord; at 10:30 A.M., Bible study for all who desire to attend; at 3:00 P.M., prayer-meeting and song service; at 7:30 P.M., a Gospel service each evening in the year. In the latter meeting we pursue the plan of presenting the Gospel as the power of God unto salvation, and, while we lift up Jesus before the people, appeal to them to accept Him as their personal Saviour. As we see from two to fifteen hands lifted up each night, for divine help, it leads us to thank God that we have a part in the wonderful work of leading men to Christ. At this date (March 29) fully 150 souls have in some way expressed a desire to forsake the ways of Satan, give themselves to the Lord, and in His strength lead a new life. Some of these have had bright experiences, and are very promising cases. We confidently expect to see them, and many others who shall hear of the Saviour and His wonderful love, here in the Mission, among the redeemed before the throne of God.
After the meeting, the men take their bath, and then retire, and the Mission is left to the care of our night-watchman, and the heavenly watchers, until the workers are astir again in the morning.
Testimonies.
In our after meetings we give each convert an opportunity of publicly confessing Christ. The following testimonies were taken by a shorthand reporter on March 28, 1898:—
1. “I praise God for His love to us all. My desire in the future is to follow Him, to be guided by His words, to obey His laws and testimonies, and to walk in that straight and narrow path which my Saviour has provided for me, that I may do just as He wants me to do.”
2. “There is no doubt in my heart but what Jesus does save. I know there was a time when I was saved, and I feel to-night that the Lord has taken me back again. The time was when I gave my whole12life to God’s service. The hours of the day were spent in God’s service, and I would go to bed with thanksgiving on my lips. I would wake up in the morning, and it would be praise to my God. That was the happiest time in my life, and I feel to-night that God has taken me back, and my desire is to serve Him more and more each day, and go on.”
3. “I feel that I have never served God at all; I want to make a start.”
4. “I have tried to live a Christian life in my own strength, but I have made a complete failure of it, and I realize now that I need help, and I want to come to God for help.”
5. “I thank God that I am saved-to-night.”
6. “I can not say anything; I don’t feel like speaking. I am endeavoring to serve God.” (This man had a good experience, but it was difficult for him to speak what was in his heart.)
7. “I feel that His grace is sufficient to keep me in time of trouble.”
8. “My friends, I want to say that I took a start last August to serve the Lord, but I found that I was not close enough to the Lord. Since I have been attending these meetings off and on, I have become convinced that I never understood the Bible, altho I had learned it, I believe, from beginning to end in my boyhood days. And I have had such a longing and such a desire to receive more light, and I believe the Lord wants me to be an instrument in the world to bring others to His throne, and with the help of God I will do it.”
Here are some expressions taken at another meeting:—
“My blessed Saviour has given me strength day by day.”
“I praise the Lord for His keeping and saving power.”
“I know there is power in God to keep me from falling.”
“I praise God to-night He has been kind to me and keeps me and saves me.”
Surely it is good to know that bodies are being helped; but it is better to know that God through the Mission is building characters.
