Another time we were holding meetings near and in Fosston, Minnesota. It
was said of us that "those preachers are of the devil." One evening a man
came to the meeting who had blood poisoning in one of his knees. In getting
to the meeting he used a long pole to help support himself. He wanted to
see those preachers who were "of the devil." When he arrived the room was
full and there being no chair for him to sit on, I gave him mine. When we
knelt down to pray I laid my hands on his knee and asked the Lord to heal
him and he was healed instantly.
A few nights later a man came to the service who was possessed with devils.
He was frothing at the mouth and acting like a madman. As I took hold of
him and laid my hands on him we almost wrestled. I commanded the devils to
come out of him, and I told the Lord I would never let Him go until He
delivered the man, and he was finally delivered by the Spirit of the Lord.
Although it was winter time I was as wet as though I had been dipped in the
river. While the struggle was going on all the people ran out of the room.
But the man was fully delivered and then he was saved.
* * * * *
In another of our meetings a sister got saved and received light on
baptism. She had a little baby girl and her husband wanted to have the
child sprinkled, as that was his faith. The mother was to carry the baby
forward to receive this rite, but she objected and said, "No, I cannot do
that; but if you care to, you may do so, for she is as much yours as she is
mine." But the husband would not consent to do that. Well, she didn't know
what to do and went to Brother and Sister Anton Nelson for advice. Brother
Nelson said, "Let us ask the Lord about it." After they had prayed about
it, Brother Nelson said to the sister, "You go and carry the baby and we
will come along and pray for you and it will all come out all right."
At the Sunday service that the baby was to receive this rite, there were
seven children in all being subjected to this ceremony. The minister came
to this sister and said, "What is the name of the child?" The sister
answered, "Anna Marie." Then the minister said, "Anna Marie, do you forsake
the devil and all his works? Do you believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and
will you upon this faith be baptized?" (The mother was supposed to answer,
"Yes.") The sister answered nothing. So he read his ritual once more and
again no response. So after asking the question the third time, he said,
"Anna Marie, don't you answer?" At this, the father of the child called out
from the audience, and stamping his feet, said, "Come on, wife, that's
enough!"
You will remember reading at the beginning of this book I told of how my
mother, when I was a child, used to say to me, "Child, O child! You are
more trouble to me than all the other eight children put together!" And
yet, after I had been away in America for twenty-four years, when I went
back home, the very first day my mother had me sit facing her not more than
about four feet away and I listened to her telling me stories about the
most wonderful boy I had ever heard of. After about two hours of this
pleasant entertainment I smiled and said to her, "I have recollections of a
mother who used to weep over this same boy and say, 'O child, what shall I
do with you, you are more trouble to me than all the other eight children
together.'" "O Ja," she said, "but you were the best boy anyhow." I am
fairly good in arithmetic, but that is a problem I have not solved yet.
* * * * *