@ 1 was sitting in my easy chair, tired and exhausted from my work, physically very much affected by excessive strain, In my ‘congregation many were seeking for the precious pear! and many hhad found it already. My congregation was growing in every respect. I was full of Joy, hope and courage. As for me, T did my work with great Joy. My brethren were animated by a spirit of unity and my sermons and exhorations did not fal to impress them. My church was always crowded and the whole nelghbor- hhood was more or less moved. To the degree that my work was Inereasing, 1 felt myself persuaded to continue with my task to the utmost exhaustion. While pondering on all these things, sleep overtook me, however, T firmly believed everything 1 saw appeared to be real and I would like to share it with you, [A stranger entered the room without knocking at the door. His satures expressed gentleness, intelligence and firmness of character. He was well dressed and carried with him a number ‘of instruments used in chemistry which gave him a peculiar appearance. The stranger came towards me and while extending his hand to me, he asked: “How about your zeal?" At the be- inning of his question T thought he wanted to inquire about my health, Therefore, T was very happy and did not doubt that this stranger would be pleased with me, too. It seemed to me as if 1 could show him my zeal in an obvious manner, when he re- ‘moved from my heart compact bundle. He took it, welghed it carefully on his seale and said: “It weighs 100 pounds.” T was hardly able to hide my joy at this result and when T saw him putting down the result with a serious expression and proceeding to examine more thoroughly these 100 pounds, Tle broke the bundle down into atoms and put them in the melting-pot over the fire, After the mass was refined, he put it aside and let it cool, While cooling, it separated into different layers. which, after he touched them with hammer, separated from each other and were weighed individually. The stranger put down carefully the weight of each picee on a sheet of paper which he handed to me with a pitiful look saying: “May God save you!” ‘Then he left the room. On the sheet, the following could read Analysis of zeal of N.N., candidate for the erown of glory" Gross weight 100 pounds. After careful analysis itis found that 10 ths, are Fanaticism zeal without knowledge? 23 tbs Personal ambition 19 Ibs, Love of money 15 bs, Pride of having a denomination of his own 12 Ibs Love of power 1 Ibs ove of own talents 4 Ths Love of God 3 Ibe. Love of men 100 ts Total Know Christ, have fellowship with Hi essenger A Minister's Experience and make Him known VOLUME 23, FEBRUARY — 1969 ISSUE 2 ‘The pecullar way of the stranger and the look he gave me when leaving had already disturbed me very much. However, when looking at the result of his examination, I became depressed to the utmost. I tried to deny the correctness of the figures, when, all of a sudden, a clearly audible sigh, uttered by the stranger ‘who meanwhile had gone into the adjoining entrance hall, per- suaded me to think about it more calmly. Ia the great darkness ‘whieh had fallen upon me and which prevented me from reading * the sheet in my hands, T cried out: “O Lard, save me!” I kneeled at my chair, my eyes fixed on the paper. Suddenly the Daper changed into a mirror and my true heart could be seen in It. T recognized, felt and confessed everything and begged the Lord with many tears to save me from my “ego,” and then I ‘woke up with a loud ery of fear. In earlier years 1 had prayed to be saved from hell, but now the Prayer to be delivered from my “ego” became more important ‘than anything else. Also T could not find peace until the purifying fire came to search my heart, exposing to the light everything Thad, This light has remained in my heart to this day and when the provings and tears of my pilgrimage will come to an end, ‘then I will throw myself at the feet of my beloved Jesus in Heaven to thank Him for the revelation of the day on whieh He showed me where I stood and on whieh He put my foot on the better, more beautiful and narrower path. (On the day of revelation, it will be clarified how much influence this visit, which searches the heart, will have had on my entire work. Note: ‘The above article was found in the archives of Brother 8. J. Braun, and it is believed was given to him by older brothers, perhaps even from the time of Brother Froclch. Brother S. J. Braun often spoke about this article in his family circle. We are passing it on in the hope that it will be understood in the sprit ln whieh Brother S. J. Braun spoke about it, namely that it presented a fair analpsis of the average preacher in the word.” MESSENGERS NOT DELIVERED? I your Messengers are returned fo us, we are unable to send any more mallings to you untl, we are furnished with your new correet address. BEFORE you move, please send us your pew address including zip code, along with your former address, Send to; MESSENGER . . . 97 W. Tuse. Ave, Barberton, Ohio 44208, Thank you for your cooperation,MISSIONARY Vianopolis, Goias, Brazil January 3, 1968 Dear Ones All, [Last night the music, dancing and drinking extended far Into the night. Centuries ‘of traditional Catholicism have bound {he Brazilians to religious ritual which professes to know God but bay works deny Him. The first six nights of the new year are spent by participants of the “fula” In honor of the “three wise men ina manner totally irrelevant to Seripture and in irreverence to God, ‘The night practices are paralleled by day-time house-to-house Visitation in which the group goes with their giddy costumes and stringed instruments asking. alms. Brother Negro from our church at Brasilinha visited us last night and told us that his brotierindaw who is interested in be- coming Christian, but who Is also a “talented” musielan and ‘dancer, weakened and was amongst those who engaged in the orgy. This was very sickening, but we praise God that he a'so had a more encouraging story to relate. He said another neighbor of his had come fully prepared to partielpate also: however, stier the long two-o-three hour ride by horseback and just before arrival at the “festa” he heeame cconseience-sricken. The Holy Spirit had faithfully convicted him of his sin from what he had learned from the Scriptures at the little chureh in Brasilinha. He humbly turned his horse around to begin the long trek back home in the dark. Both of these men are having a life and death strugsle with the powers of darkness because unsolicited by them, their heritage ‘nas been unseriptural Romanism. Please do pray much for both of them! We who have been bora in privileged Christian families ‘know nothing of the Satanic pressures they need to resist in order to grasp the light of the saving Gospel of our Lord, In His Love, ‘The Melvin Huber Family [A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished. Prov. 23 MERGER ENGLEWOOD, COLO, — The Lord has moved the hearts of the believers to become one congregation in the Denver- Englewood area. Inasmuch as the Denver church building was sold, both the Englewood and Denver congregations will be ‘meeting and worshipping as one group in the Englewood church for the present time. PAGE TWO “Send now Thy tidings of sa'vation ‘To all Thy people here, © Lord! © ‘gather souls from every nation With Thy most precious, pow'rful Word!” AT A GLANCE New Missionary Work Started SANDIEGO — A missionary” work has been stared "it-San Diego with our neighbors in Tecate, Merce. For some time Emil and Molle Hild have been going {oth por town in Mexico to share Chris’ salvation with friends and relatives. Walter and Helen Meister, long with the Wilds and few others, have Sarid boling Sunday afternoon services in Tecate every other Sunday. It takes about an hour to get to this sal town and the extire way there is through the mountains of Southern California Its beautifull Service are held in the unfinished home of an interested family of fifteen. At present thi fly is Hving next door n.a hovel ~ the meeting pace wil be as 8 mansion com- pared to thelr mean living conditions now, A few adults and many young ehildren come fo these services. Some others would Tike to come but can" because of drunken husbands or ether slilgatonn, oo efier the renter services we fo lo nether lite hovel fora mecting with those Interested but who were mabe to ome 10 the firt-mecting. One thing very noticeable a these people exer together Ie tbe atintincss of the children, Only the very smallest ones wigzle around and walkin and ut. The ters, and they range from four to fifteen years of ae, si the songs being taught and listen to Waller as he teaches them Something from the Bible. As was slated, ths is a Work Jost Started and we do not know how it will develop, so we ask that So incu Tecate, Mesto in your prayers forthe missionaries. We're thankfal that we know Jesus Christ as oir Savor and Fiend and beenase of thi, are compelled tel others THE TONGUE “The boneless tonzue, so sinall and weak, can erush and kill.” declared the Greek ‘The tongue destroys a greater horde,” ‘The Turk asserts, “than docs the sword.” ‘The Persian proverb wisely saith A lengthy tongue — an early death Or sometimes take this form instead! “Don't let your tongue eat off your head. “The tongue ean speak a word. whose speed. Say the Chinese, “outstrips. the slecd.” While Arab sage doth this impart “The tongue's areat storehouse is the heart ‘The sacred writer erowns the whole ‘Who keeps his tonsue doth keep sou Attention Readers .. Please remember that oir deadline date for all monthly news fs the 25h of each month Attention Reporters There is no deadline for submission of personal spiritual experiences torial Sta CHRISTIAN FRIENDSHIP MESSENGERBRING YE ALL THE TITHES... “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse that there may be ‘meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lard of hosts, if T will not open the windows of heaven and pour you fut a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive "Malach 3:10, Several years azo we felt led of the Lord to take Him at His Word and began Uthing. Mom carefully kept a record of the Lord's money and set it aside. This went on for atime without ‘any apparent results and at times it was dificult to account for the Lord's portion first and then meet our payments and other obligations. With the Lord's help we persevered and the windows fof heaven have literally been opened. We have received unex. pected increases In wages, an advancement in my Job, have been able to purchase a long. essential automobile, make improve- ‘ments to our home which the Lord provided for us and many times have been aided in a wonderful way at the last moment by our Gracious Provider. We have been able to make all our payments and although many times left with only a dollar in our purse have sweet peace and confidence in our great God. We have had a joy in being able to give to the poor and needy and to the Lord's work in a measure we would not have thought possible hefore, Above all and most important, are the manifold spiritual blessings recelved, the answered prayers, strength in time of need and the assurance of fulfillment of the precious promises of God. ALL GLORY BE TO HIS NAME. A SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCE... FFor those who may think that the outward appearance doesn't mean much anymore, let me relate a very recent experience. In my office we sometimes have professional models come in to be Photographed with our product. One day when T was out ill several were there loaded from ear to ear with heavy makeup. ‘A man who often comes into our office, and with whom T had ‘often discussed my Christian convictions, commented to several fof my co-workers, “All I can say is that, ——, who doesn't ‘wear all that junk on her face is much more beautiful than those ‘models will ever be.” I am very thankful for this small exper, fence, for sine none of the women in my office wear much) makeup, I felt that this man rather sensed the inward beauty of God revealed. 3M, A Good Sermon Have you ever paused to wonder What makes a sermon “good?” What off inspires the minister ‘To speak the words he should? He also is but human, and Tas cares the same as we, And yet we e'er require of him ‘The utmost piety. Because he too, must seek his help ‘From God, through constant prayer, ‘That he in love and humbleness His brother's cross can share We must prepare our own hearts firs, God's gracious Word to heed, ‘And cultivate our thoughts that we ‘Accept the fertile Seed, ‘Then pray that God the sower bless For when we do our share God always makes the sermon “good” ‘According to our prayer. Helen R. Pavkov DECEMBER — 1968 The Way Of The Cross Leads Home... Tn the service of Jesus Christ, the longest Journey must ‘a ‘ways begin with the first step. The first step is at most times iffieut, mo better expressed than the Meister’s. wrote from ‘Argentina, “Nowhere is the work easy . . . harvest isa result of abundant and laborious sowing flowed by painstaking (and Sometimes grueling) care. It is God Who does the work, with men being used as His tools. But, tools must be held over the ‘grindstone much of the time if they are to be effective.” We are very aware of this Burmaby, British Columbia (Vancouver), for after nine years of holding services, three per- sons were baptized into the fellowship of Jesus Christ during the past year. ‘On June 7, a recent immigrant from Yugoslavia, 24 year old van Gataiantz, gave his testimony before our group of believers and visitors from Regina, ‘On December 3, we again were thrilled to hear the witness of CChrist’s saving grace evident in the lives of George and Maria Nactman, Once again we were blessed with visitors from our Western Canadian and Northwestern United States conser ‘Though Ivan and Maria had associated with the believers in ‘Yugoslavia, George's conversion is sure proof that “God is no respector of persons” and is “able to save to the ultermost.” Prior to his conversion, Brother George had served in Viet Nam with the French Army" and had limited service in Algiers in the Foreign Legion. We are thankful that now “by Christ’s grace” he is in the Army of God's Children, serving the Captain of his faith, his Saviour, Jesus Christ. Peace, Wonderful Peace ‘The fear of the Lard tendeth to life.” ENGLEWOOD, COLO. — “I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over sinner that repenteth, more than over ninty land nine Just persons, which need no repentance.” Having peace ‘with God and man and desiring to be baptized in the death of Christ are Carl Pfeifer, Dave Jivan and Frank Pfeifer. We truly do rejoice that souls are still seeking Him! Texts For Trying Times When in sorrow, read John 14 When men disappoint you, read Psalm 27, When you have sinned, read Psalm 51 When in danger, read. Psalm 91 When you have the blues, read Psalm 34, When discouraged, read Isaiah 4 When doubts come upon you, read John 7:17 When your faith necds stirring, read Hebrews 11 When the world seems bisser than God, read Psalm 9. When you are lonely and afrakd, read Psalm 23, When you want Christian assurance, read Romans 8:15. When you want rest and peave, read Matthew 11:28, When you grow bitter or eritcal, read 1 Corinthians 18 When you think of investments and returns, read Mark 10: 17 When you nced courage for a hard job, read Joshua 1 When you begin to,worry, read Matthew 6:193M, When your prayers row narrow and selfish, read Psalm 67 ‘When you leave home for labor or travel, read Psalm 121 When you want to know Jesus’ idea of a Christian, read Matthew 57. PAGE THREE