The second incident I desire to relate, occurred at the time when the Lord
made it very clear to me to go to a certain place in South Dakota to hold a
meeting in a new place. This also was on Friday and I knew that the Lord
was directing me to go on the following Wednesday. I was in need of a suit
of clothes, as what I had was not fit to wear in public. I was also in need
of carfare. An elderly sister was staying with us and together with my wife
we had prayer and agreed that the Lord would supply these needs before
Wednesday morning. While we were in prayer the Lord made it clear and
definite that He would grant our petition. As we arose from our knees, I
said, "Thank God, I have the money by faith." The elderly sister said,
"Well, I suppose you will have to write to some of the well-to-do brethren
and tell them your need." "No," I answered, "The Lord will tell them. I
might make a mistake if I undertake to write to any of them." "You will not
have the money then," she said. "Yes, mother," I said, "You will see before
next Wednesday morning that I will have all I need." She doubted and said
she would see.
The following Sunday we went to Colfax, Minnesota and held a service and
received one dollar, and I said, "Thank God for one dollar." Then on
Monday, I received a letter from a brother who lived near Sisseton, South
Dakota which contained a check for seven dollars. The check was from a man
whom I did not know that I had ever seen, and he did not know my address,
but drove fifteen miles with a team and in a lumber wagon to another
brother who knew my address. He told him to send it to me immediately, as
he was impressed that I was in need. The old mother knew this brother and
said he was well-to-do, and could well afford to send it. I said to her,
"Did I not tell you that the Lord knew to whom to speak." She was very much
astonished. I also received another letter in which there was a check from
a brother whom I had not seen for four years. He wrote that while he was
coming from Crookston, Minnesota to where he had been working, and was
nearing Wadena, Minnesota, the Spirit of the Lord told him to hurry to the
bank before it closed and send Brother Susag five dollars. In his letter he
said he thought I must be in great need and that he hurried and reached the
bank in time to get the money. He further said, "May the Lord bless you and
use you to His glory."
Wednesday morning I started for Saint Paul, Minnesota with thirteen dollars
in my pocket. Arriving there, I was looking for a second hand clothing
store. I stood on the street praying for the Lord to direct me and He said,
"Samuelson, Samuelson." I walked around a few blocks and suddenly I looked
up over a store and it said, "Samuelson Second Hand Clothing." Going in,
the merchant asked if he could help me. I said, "Have you a Prince Albert
coat and vest that will fit me." He looked and said, "Just your fit," and
walked over to a show case and brought the coat and vest and put it on me.
It fit like it was made to order by a tailor. You could not see that it had
even been on a man before. He said it was an eighty five dollar coat and
vest, and it surely looked like it. It had silk facing on the lapels. I
took off the coat, and put my own back on. I felt that I did not dare ask
him the price. He said, "Aren't you going to take it." He took my coat off
and put the coat back on me. Then I prayed the Lord for courage to ask him
the price, so I said "What's your price?" He said, "A dollar and a half." I
caught my breath and said, "What did you say?" He repeated, "A dollar and a
half." I said, "Have you a pair of new trousers that will fit me?" I had to
have the silk facing taken off, for fear I would be asked to the altar for
too fine a suit.
I not only bought the coat and vest, but one new and one second hand
trousers, and all came to $4.50.
Going to Arlington, I was dressed in the finest suit I had ever had in my
life. I overheard two ladies speaking about me. One said, "You can see that
man has seen better days by the fine clothes he wears." I wore that coat
and vest for many years, and couldn't wear it out. Finally I got too stout
and then I gave it away.
* * * * *
At one time the Missionary Board was writing of the need in the
Scandinavian countries, and wanted me to go immediately, though they were
unable to finance me. Also the leading brethren of the Scandinavian
Publishing Company at St. Paul Park almost demanded me to go. I prayed and
wept, and said to the Lord, "Haven't you got any one else to go as you know
I am a poor man, in debt on my home, and would be leaving my family in
need, shifting for themselves." For three days it got darker and darker for
me. Finally the third day toward evening I got desperate, and going into my
bedroom, I prayed earnestly, not knowing where a penny of carfare would
come from. As I was praying I said, "Listen, Lord, you know I am honest and
earnest. Do not let me be deceived. I'll take one of these Bibles on the
table, and close my eyes and throw it up in the air and catch it and the
scripture my thumb is on when I catch it, I'll accept as an answer from
you." I did so, and my thumb was on Mark 10:29-30. "And Jesus answered and
said, Verily I say unto you, there is no man that hath left house or
brethren or sisters or fathers or mothers or wife or children or lands, for
my sake and the gospels, but he shall receive an hundred fold now in this
time, houses and brethren and sisters and mothers and children and lands
with persecutions, and in the world to come, eternal life." I said, "Amen."
Then I got a phone message from Saint Paul Park saying, "We have been
looking for you. Why don't you come?" My answer was, "I have no money."
They said they had a check for thirteen dollars for me. I answered, "I am
coming."
From there I went to Chicago to meet Brother E. E. Byrum who was president
of the Missionary Board. He took me into a room and said, "It is almost
cruel to demand you to go when we have no way to finance you, but the need
is so urgent, and we know you have faith and the only thing I can do is to
lay my hands on you and pray for you." He did so, praying and weeping, and
when we got through he took out his purse and emptied it into my hand. It
contained 94 cents. How I got there, I do not know.
I spent some time in Norway and Sweden visiting the churches holding
revival meetings. From there I went on to Denmark where I spent thirteen
months helping the dear faithful workers in raising up eight new
congregations, making a total of thirteen. In 1916 the Missionary Board
sent $25 per month for seven and one half months to wife and the children.
Before leaving Denmark, I visited all thirteen of the congregations which
were there at that time, and preached my farewell sermon. In each place
they gave me an offering and a large size envelope, thick and fat and
written on the outside, "Not to be opened until on the North Sea or the
Atlantic." When I opened them, there were many letters from different
persons in each congregation expressing their appreciation for the help and
blessing I had been to them. If I am not mistaken, there were 153 in all,
and there was sufficient money in those letters to almost pay for my first
car, a Ford. The promise previously quoted in Mark 10:29-30 was verily
fulfilled.
* * * * *
Once I was in great need of at least one hundred dollars and I had calls
for three meetings at the same date. From one of these, I knew I would
receive a hundred and twenty five dollars, and another, one hundred, but I
knew the third could not give more than fifty. For three days I stayed home
and prayed, and the Lord said I should go to the third, which I did.
On arriving at the place, I found they were closing a union meeting in one
of the large churches the following day. They told me that the evangelist
required them to forward him $500 before he would start his meeting, also
$300 at the close of his meeting and $200 for his singer.
Monday night I began our service in the Church of God. One got saved.
Tuesday night the crowd could not all get in the church. The Presbyterian
minister of the town was there and he said it was too bad the people could
not get in and offered us the Presbyterian Church free of charge. It was
the largest church in town. We accepted and announced our meetings to be
held there for Wednesday night. The church was packed and overflowing. Many
were outside who could not get in. A 32nd degree Mason came to me and said,
"Have you ever preached in a Masonic Hall?" I said I had preached in the
Masonic Temple in Chicago, so he offered to get the Masonic Hall for me. I
thanked him and accepted his offer, so the balance of the meeting was held
there. It was filled for every service.
When the two weeks meeting was over, the church gave me $52.50 and the next
day I was asked to come to a chain store; the manager said the store always
gave a present to every evangelist who came to town. Then he said, "There
is a present for you. What do you need? My wife says you need a pair of
shoes, so go over to the counter and pick out a pair. They are fourteen
dollars a pair." Then he said, "Come and sit down. I want to talk to you."
Reaching his hand in his pocket he handed me a five dollar bill and said,
"That's from me." Then the man who let me use the Masonic Hall came in. He
said to the merchant, "Are you trying to persuade Mr. Susag to go with you
to Norway to fish?" The merchant answered, "I wish I could." "So do I," he
answered. Then he continued, "Mr. M., you know that you and I are about as
low down in the mud as we can get, and every evangelist that comes to town
is digging the hole deeper; but this man has kept on for two weeks doing
his best to dig us out." The merchant answered, "That is right." Then the
Mason handed me a check for ten dollars, and turning he said, "When--" and
he walked away with tears in his eyes. Later on I understand he got saved
and went to glory.
As I left the station that day for my home, many people came to the station
to see me off and shook hands with me, leaving money in my hand or slipping
it into my pockets. After I got on the train, I counted the money and found
I had $187.00 instead of the fifty I had expected. Again God proved Himself
to be the God that He says He is and His promises are true.
* * * * *