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associates think?" I knew they would think I had gone in for
religious "fanaticism," or gone crazy, or lost my mind. It meant
WITHDRAWING altogether from such associations. It meant
associating with humble people! That hit my vanity. But God could
not use me until that vanity was "crucified." That was my first
great decisive TEST!
Yet hundreds have made that decision -- passed that test --
then entered the ministry. But the CRUCIAL turning point was the
SECOND great decision.
Like almost every man who has entered the ministry, I
associated with an organized group of believers, and was SUPPORTED
-- paid a small SALARY -- by them. It was not a great, and rich,
and popular denomination. It was a small group in the Willamette
Valley in Oregon, incorporated as "The Oregon Conference" of The
Church of God. The climax of this first volume of The
AUTOBIOGRAPHY relates how two ministers in that Conference were
able to force me to preach and act CONTRARY TO THE BIBLE -- that
is, I had to do it or accept the only alternative -- cut loose from
their financial support.
Thousands of ministers have faced this crossroad. I could
have reasoned like I suppose they have done: "Well, it's better to
be able to preach AS MUCH of the Bible truth as they will let me,
than not to be able to preach at all! If I am cut off from all
financial support, and from any following, I'd be stranded high and
dry -- UNABLE TO PREACH AT ALL!" Yes, I, too, thought of that line
of reasoning. BUT I THOUGHT FURTHER!
"ON THE OTHER HAND," I reasoned, "God says in the Bible:
'God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by
Christ Jesus.'" Instantly I saw that, if any firm, company, or
church organization of MEN pays your salary, you have to serve
those MEN -- or else!! If I were to serve GOD faithfully, I would
have to LOOK TO GOD for supplying all my NEED -- and HE HAS
PROMISED HE WOULD DO THIS!
God Himself brought about CIRCUMSTANCES to cause me to see,
and make THIS DECISION! I gave up the salary. Not only the
financial support -- but the PEOPLE in that group left me! But God
DID supply the need -- and ONLY the need. God works through us
humans. He does not rain down money from heaven. But He did lay
it on the hearts of a VERY FEW people to support HIS WORK -- so
very SMALL, then -- merely preaching to a handful of people in a
35-seat one-room country schoolhouse.
I could not ASK people to become Co-Workers -- I could not
SOLICIT financial backers -- I could not even INVITE people to
become Co-Workers. I had to trust GOD to cause a few, voluntarily,
on their own initiative, to start supporting GOD'S WORK. But GOD
DID!
YOU are one whom GOD moved to join with me as a Co-Worker
WITH CHRIST. You did it voluntarily. God did cause Moses to ASK
God's own people for contributions -- and the Apostle Paul to ask
CHRISTIANS for help for God's cause -- BUT NEVER THE PUBLIC! I