One Man's Calling : One Man's Calling, ch 54 by Wayne Fowler |
In the last part Ben and his three friends successfully fight off the Chicago gang and 25 policemen with the help of clergymen and Union men, though the clergy and union generally served as separators. Thank yous, farewells and good-byes said, Jones insisted on staying with Ben. Ben promised to try to get to Los Angeles to visit James. He made no such promise regarding Chicago and Angelo. +++ “Ben Persons, I assume.” The burly, bearded man veritably charged Ben as he bounded off the train. “A shiner and stitches, I see. Battling for the Lord! Ah, you sir, are the envy, though a dreadful way to say it, the envy of every missionary Christianity sends to the wilds. Yes, William Carey, Hudson Taylor, David Livingston, and Ben Persons.” Ben shook Dwight Moody’s hand. “The Colosimos are no more, I’ve learned, but alas, the devil always has more. Your exploits have become known, though, my lad – Chicago, San Francisco, even the high seas! And Colorado-o-o.” Moody tipped his head, looking through bushy brows conspiratorially, still gripping Ben’s hand. His expression said that he wanted to hear the story. “We have a cab waiting, Brother Moody, to take you to a hotel that happens to have a fine restaurant. And here, I’d like you to meet some of San Francisco’s warrior pastors.” Ben introduced two of the pastors, also sporting stitches and bruises. “I simply must know. Has my train transported me to the wild west? Is San Francisco as the conductor pledged, or more like Tombstone?” Everyone chuckled as they proceeded to the horse-drawn cab. Ben turned back to see another well-dressed man. “Billy Sunday! I nearly didn’t recognize you out of uniform.” “Ben. It’s a shame that God’s uniform isn’t as comfortable as baseball’s,” referring to his Chicago White Stockings uniform. They both laughed. “Welcome,” Ben said. Looking at Ben’s injuries, Billy asked, “Am I here to preach, or fight? Because given the choice, I honestly don’t know which way I’d rather go.” They both laughed again. +++ “The Devil says I’m out, but the Lord says I’m safe! The devil says you’re out, but the Lord says you’re safe! Hello, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, my name is Billy Sunday. I was formerly a baseball player but now I’m a saved and sanctified child of God. Are you?” The first meeting was a day service at the Boxer Stadium. Nearly 4,000 people were crammed into a 3500-seat capacity facility. The largest number were not church members anywhere. There were a number more of the curious outside on the grounds along with hundreds of Christian workers from the various churches, all prepared to hand out leaflets, tracts, Wordless Books, and invitations to San Francisco churches. Many had received training on how to witness and pray for people. The excitement was palpable. Billy interrupted the beginning of his message to introduce Dwight Moody, who gave a one-minute welcome, explaining that he would have more for them that evening at the Grand Opera House. Billy Sunday returned to the podium. “I love the enthusiasm in this place!” The crowd’s excitement drowned him out. Waiting for a little more quiet, he continued. “Enthusiasm is as good a thing in the Church as fire is in a cook stove! Isn’t this a beautiful church?” Billy waved his arms about at the great expanse of sky on that beautiful October day. “Now, going to church doesn’t make you a Christian any more than going into a stable makes you a horse!” The audience erupted. “Now let’s get something out of the way. People complain that there are too many hypocrites in church. Yes, there are. But when you go home, look in the mirror. And then see to it that there is one less. “I spoke of the Devil calling you out a moment ago. The Lord calls you safe and waves you home. Well, the Devil, my friends, highest reward for you is hell. And the trouble with many people is that they have just enough religion to make them miserable. And then there comes the Devil’s reward. “Folks, the church is not a dormitory for sleepers, it is an institution for workers; it is not a rest camp, it is a front-line trench. And the Bible is not a story book. It’s the book of life. The reason you don't like the Bible, you old sinner, is because it knows all about you. The Bible will always be full of things you cannot understand, as long as you will not live according to those you can understand. “Now, when can you expect revival? The answer is when wickedness grieves and distresses Christians. But you say, revival is temporary – so is a bath!” Again, the audience responded with boisterous shouts and applause. “A fellow with no money is poor. Am I right? Well, a fellow with nothing but money is poorer still. “Let me tell you something, one reason sin flourishes is that it is treated like a cream puff instead of a rattlesnake. And an excuse is a skin of a reason stuffed with a lie. Now it’s time to be honest with yourself: Are you a Christian? Does Christ live in your hearts? Are you safe, or are you out? “I'll kick it as long as I've got a foot. I'll fight it as long as I've got a fist. I'll butt it as long as I've got a head. I'll bite it as long as I've got a tooth. And when I'm old, fistless, footless, and toothless, I'll gum it till I go home to glory and it goes home to perdition! “Make an altar right where you are and repeat after me.” Billy led hundreds in a prayer of salvation.
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Wayne Fowler
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