Books: Personal Experiences of S. O. Susag
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S. O. Susag >> Personal Experiences of S. O. Susag
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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.
* * * * *
TRIP TO EUROPE IN 1939
The Lord made it very clear to me that I should go to Europe again. I
expected to stay four years. When it was understood that I was to sail for
Europe, a number of people in a certain congregation requested me to stop
over as they wanted to send greetings, so I did, thinking also that they
might give me a little offering to help me on the way, but for some reason
they failed to do so.
The war broke out in Europe. I was able only to visit the churches, and
late in the fall of the same year I was ordered to leave these countries.
After being home for some time, I met the wife of a minister and she asked,
"Where have you been, Bro. Susag? We haven't seen you nor heard of you for
so long." I told her I had been to Europe. "Why, no," she explained, "you
were in such and such a congregation," (naming a place where I had stopped
to receive greetings to carry to Europe). Then she said, "They said that
you had not gotten any further than New York, as you did not have the money
to go any farther." Then I told her, "The Lord made it very clear to me to
go, so I went."
After leaving this place for New York I was sitting on the train reading my
Bible when a train man came along and said, "Are you reading the good
book?" After answering yes, he asked if I was a minister. I answered,
"yes," and he asked where I was going. I told him I was on my way to
Europe. "Do you have the finances supplied?" he asked. I told him I
traveled by faith. "To what church do you belong?" he asked. I told him,
the Church of God. So he explained, "My pastor is Brother ----; What is
your name?" When I told him, he said, "Why, I have heard of you." As he
left he said, "Pardon me, I will see you again before we come to our
divisional point." Later on he came and handed me a sum of money, so my
needs were nicely cared for.
On hearing of my experience, the sister exclaimed, "Why! God's promise, 'My
God shall supply all your needs,' was fulfilled at that time."
* * * * *
ARRESTED FOR BEING A GERMAN DOCTOR
In 1915 I was on the Atlantic ocean on my way to Europe, and the captain
came to me a number of times on the voyage, saying, "I am afraid you are
going to have trouble if an English boat catches us before we get to
Norway, because you claim to be a Norwegian by birth and a minister. We
think you are a German by birth and a doctor. We had one sailing with us
the last trip from Saint Paul, Minnesota and he spelled his name 'Susage'
and was a German and a doctor. You spell your name 'Susag.' He had a goatee
like you and looked just like you, and we think you two are brothers. We
believe you are an American citizen, and if you acknowledge that you are a
German and a doctor, we believe we can be a help to you. We will guarantee
to the English people that we will take care of you and take you back to
America the next trip."
I thanked him and smiled and said, "But I am still a Norwegian and a
preacher, and I believe I am going to stand the test."
Sure enough a number of us were apprehended by an English war ship, and
they sailed us into Kirkwall, Scotland and put nine of us (me included)
under arrest. The fourth day a high official came from London to examine
our papers, and I was the first one to march in between two rows of
soldiers with bayonets on the guns ready for action. The captain and first
mate were present to see how I was coming out. Finally a soldier called,
"Halt!" and I assure you, I stopped and smiled at them all. I saluted the
officer and handed him my papers After he had examined them thoroughly, he
said to me, "Where were you born, Reverend?" I said, "in Norway." "What
City?" "Stienkjer," I answered. "Will you tell us that in your own tongue?"
I did so; then he folded my papers nicely and handed them, back to me,
smiled and saluted and said, "Pass on; you are ok." I enjoyed the
experience very much.
* * * * *
THE LORD GETS ME A CLERGY PERMIT ON THE RAILROAD
When the Lord saved me, he called me into the ministry. I knew the ministry
were securing half fare on railroads, but did not know that they had to be
ordained before they could get it. But I did know that the Lord had
ordained me for the Ministry. So I went to the depot agent in my home town,
and asked him if he would sign for me so I could have the benefits of
clergy rates. He had known me for some years, so told me he could if I
would swear that I was a preacher. I said, "No, I can't swear. If you can't
take my word for it, I'll go without a permit." He said, "If you can't
swear, I will sign for you." So I sent in my application to the clergy
bureau, and a few days later I received the permit, but there was a little
slip with it which said, "Are you wholly engaged in gospel work, or do you
do some secular work?" I studied and prayed about it and wrote the clergy
bureau and sent the permit back and said, "When I travel, I do nothing but
gospel work, but when I am home, I preach twice on Sunday and once a week,
and through the week I do whatsoever my hands find to do. I do not want any
railroad bill against me in the day of judgment. So if you find upon this
explanation that I am worthy of your courtesy, I will be very pleased to
receive the permit, and if not, I thank you."
A few days later, the permit was returned to me with a letter saying,
"Please accept our courtesy. We are not afraid of being imposed upon by a
man like that."
When I was ordained, the brethren said, "Now you can get half fare on the
railroads." "Well," I said, "I have had that almost seven years already."
When I explained to them they were astonished.
* * * * *
A WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE
I was the evangelist at the South Dakota State Camp Meeting one year. After
the meeting was over and I had received my offering from the committee, a
brother came to me and wanted to give me $50 extra but I refused to accept
it. "Why," he said, "Don't you need it?" "Yes," I said, "I need it badly,
but I do not feel I can take it." "Well," he said, finally after much
persuasion, "If you won't take it, I'll put it in the bank. For the Lord
told me to give it to you, and I don't want it, and it will be there until
you call for it."
About nine months later, I needed money and wrote him to see if I could
borrow it until the next camp meeting. He sent it right away and wrote
saying, "Thank God, it is out of my hands, and I'll never take it back
again." At the next camp meeting, I tried again to pay it back, but I
failed, so I went to prayer and asked the Lord what I should do. The Lord
said, "You give Brother Renbeck fifteen dollars for a new suit, and you
keep the rest for your family." (In those days one could get a good suit
for fifteen dollars).
I looked for Brother Renbeck and finally he came. He had been weeping,
although he still seemed happy. "Why have you been weeping?" I asked. "I
need a new suit, and I went out and prayed and the Lord told me I could get
a new fifteen dollar one." I reached my hand out and said, "Here is your
fifteen dollars." He stepped back and said, "No, no! I couldn't take it
from you. You need it worse than I do." I explained to him how it was, and
he accepted it and praised the Lord. In those days we didn't know any
different than to trust the Lord.
* * * * *
AN EXPERIENCE WITH TWELVE MINISTERS ON THE TRAIN
At one time while on the train in North Dakota, I sat down in the company
of twelve ministers, representing that many denominations. While listening
to them I decided that this was the time for a little fellow to keep his
mouth shut. One young minister appeared to be the leader in the discussion
standing with his Greek Testament in his hand. Finally he turned to me and
said, "Are you a minister too?" I told him I was. "What denomination do you
belong to?" I told him Church of God. "Well," he said, "If you belong to
the Church of God, you have a horn in our side." I had met three of them
once and they surely horned me. I said, "Yes, I've got a horn and I pity
the minister that hasn't got one." (The horn represents power in
scripture). "But," I said, "I use that on only one preacher." "Who is
that," he said. "The devil." "Well," he said, "If you have one you have not
showed it to us because you have kept still." Then turning, he pointed to
each of the ministers individually asking each one what visible church of
God he belonged to, and each answered, naming their own denomination. Then
he said, "I belong to the visible Church of God Congregational." I spoke up
then and said, "I belong to the visible Church of God." Then he slapped his
hand on the arm of the seat and said, "You've got me, Brother." Then I
said, "You see me, don't you?" "Yes," he said. "I see you, shake hands."
Then he asked me how far I was going, saying that he would like to have a
talk with me.
I told him I was going to Bismark, to which he said, "It is too bad that I
change at the next station."
That ended the conversation. They seemed to have no more to say.
* * * * *
EXPERIENCE WITH TWELVE OTHER PREACHERS
When I was holding a meeting in a certain state, some of the church said
there had been a couple of preachers holding services across the street
from the Church of God chapel, and some of the saints had attended their
meetings and became confused. They wanted me to preach against it. I said,
"I cannot do that. The Word of God says, 'Thou shalt not judge a strange
servant.' But I will pray the Lord to help me to meet them to get
acquainted with their teaching." I did pray earnestly that I might meet
them. Later I came to a town where I had to stay all night. I found twelve
preachers there who were trying to start a new spiritual mushroom or work,
and of the twelve preachers, two of them were the association preachers who
had been holding the meetings across from our chapel in the town previously
spoken of. I went to their service that evening and sat and prayed
earnestly that if God was displeased with this new work they were trying to
start, that the minister who was going to speak that night would have the
hardest time preaching that he ever had in his life.
A minister arose to preach. His preaching was Biblical, but he had a hard
time, while the other ministers kept on praying, "Lord, give the brother
the anointing." He worked and perspired until all of a sudden he sat down.
The ministers huddled together and talked and prayed and finally sent one
of their number out into the audience to talk with the people. He finally
wound up at me. He asked me a number of questions, whether I was saved and
sanctified, and then left. But the ministers seemed to be dissatisfied, and
sent another minister to me to investigate. At last he said, "I suppose the
sermon tonight scared you." I said, "No, that was a good sermon and I have
been preaching that way for over thirty eight years. That is the way the
apostles preached."
"Well," he said, "We didn't know there was anyone preaching like that."
Then I said, "But he had a hard time." "Yes," he answered, "He said he had
the hardest time he had ever had in his life, and he has preached from the
Atlantic to the Pacific and from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico and had never
met anything like that he said." "Yes, and he was preaching against me." He
replied, "Yes, and it was you that made it hard for him." Then I said, "I
prayed earnestly that the Lord would make it hard for him, if the Lord was
dissatisfied with his association."
The association must have died because I never heard of it again. It turned
out that the two ministers at that place were the two which held the
meeting previously spoken of.
Once at the South Dakota State Camp Meeting, on account of the weather, we
had the services in the chapel. One day a man came who said he was a
minister. No one knew him, but he looked like a good man. He asked for the
privilege of preaching and it was granted him. After he had been preaching
a while it was evident to all that he was badly confused, so the spiritual
ones commenced to lift their hearts in prayer to God to stop him, which He
did, insomuch that he left the platform and went to the stove to spit,
trying to clear his throat. However, there was nothing in his throat. He
tried again to speak, but he could not, so finally went out and left the
grounds. We never saw him again.
Brother Thomas Nelson and I held a meeting in Wisconsin and we had the same
kind of an experience as the one given above. The man in this case was a
professor in college and a real orator, but his religious doctrine was
unscriptural. Brother Nelson and I had given him the privilege of
preaching. We gave one another an understanding glance to be agreed in
prayer asking God to stop him immediately. He lost his voice and could not
continue speaking.
* * * * *
DISCOURAGEMENT BLINDS A PERSON
At one time I was holding a meeting at Badger, South Dakota. The meeting
was fairly good in a way but I expected results and hoped to see souls
saved. I worked and fasted and prayed, but to no avail. It seemed there was
no conviction upon sinners. When that meeting was over, I decided to quit
the ministry, thinking to myself, "What is the use to go on this way,
enduring hardships and sufferings and not seeing any souls saved." I
thought I must be a failure, so going home, I went through Minneapolis,
Minnesota to visit my sister. After the evening meal I thought I would take
a walk. As I strolled up Lake Street, I saw to my left in the middle of the
block, a large sign, 'Revival Meetings, Minnesota's Greatest Evangelist.' I
became interested because I had lived in Minnesota many years and had never
heard his name before, so I decided to attend. By the time he was half
through his sermon, my discouragement had vanished. I thought, "I'm a
better preacher than that; I can preach the Truth." So I went back to
preaching with fresh courage and determination.
The next year just before the Minnesota State Camp Meeting at St. Paul
Park, I came home with another load of discouragement. It seemed to me I
was backslidden and that Brother Nelson and Brother Tubbs were going to
deal with me at the meeting and tell me so. I told wife to go on to the
meeting and I would stay home and rest a few days, as I was tired. She
objected and refused to go without me, telling me the saints would be
asking about me, and if I told them you were home they would be wondering
why and I would have no peace, so that was that. We went and I did not
attempt to preach neither Saturday, Sunday, nor Monday. I was waiting,
expecting the brethren to come and have a talk with me. Finally on Monday
afternoon Bro. Nelson came and said, "Let us go out into the timber. I want
to have a talk with you." Then he said, "Brother Susag, what is the matter
with you? You are holding up the meeting. Everyone is expecting you to
preach and you sit there and say nothing." I answered, "Yes, I know that
you know what it is." "Why I don't know anything," he said, "What do you
mean?" I said, "Aren't you and Bro. Tubbs going to deal with me? You know I
am backslidden." "Since when?" he asked. I told him I did not know. He then
said, "We surely do not know anything. It is just an imposition of the
devil. Rebuke him and get into the pulpit and preach." We had prayer, and
rebuked the devil and his accusations, and the spell was completely broken.
A year later at the Minnesota State Camp Meeting, Brother Nelson was not
feeling well, neither was I. One day, Brother Nelson said to me, "What do
you think is the trouble with us? Maybe we are bad boys." I told him, "No,
that is not the reason, however, we do not see many healings and miracles
now." As we stood there talking, we could not think of anything that had
taken place of late.
Just then a sister came up to where we were and said, "Praise the Lord,
brethren." We said, "Amen." "I do not suppose you know me?" "Yes, we know
you," we said, "But we have forgotten your name." "My name is Rasmussen,"
she said; "I haven't seen you, Brother Nelson, since you were down and
prayed for our youngest son who was down with double pneumonia." Brother
Nelson said, "The Lord healed the boy, didn't He?" "I should say He did,"
she answered. "He not only healed him, but changed him from a puny,
delicate child to a strong, husky child--the healhiest one we have." She
went away and we felt we had gotten a reproof, and yet an encouragement,
from the Lord.
Then a brother came along and he said, "Praise the Lord. Wasn't it
wonderful how the Lord restored Brother Krutz?" That was another reproof.
Then a sister came by and said, "Have you heard about Sister Johnson?" We
asked, which Johnson, and she said, "Brother Morris Johnson's mother. She
fell and broke her leg just above the ankle and they took her on the train
to St. Paul and while waiting in the Union Depot for a train for home,
saints came on their way to the camp meeting and seeing her suffering they
had compassion on her, and prayed the prayer of faith, and she was
instantly healed, insomuch that she went back to the camp meeting." After
she left, Brother Nelson started one direction for the timber and I the
other. We felt the Lord had been grieved because of our discouragement and
had reproved us in this way.
* * * * *
On Sunday morning while I was holding a meeting at Rice Lake, I was
preaching on the Joy of the Lord. After speaking a few minutes, the Lord
spoke to me and said, "Your theme today will be trials and
discouragements," so I announced to the congregation that the Lord had
changed my subject, and in my talk, I related some of the worse trials and
discouragements I had passed through. After I was through speaking, a
brother came up to the pulpit and said, "Shame on you, Brother Susag." I
said, "Say that again." He did a little stronger than before, so I said,
"Say it again, for 'all good things are three.'" Then he did say it strong.
He said, "Here you have been standing here telling that preachers get tried
and tempted and discouraged like that--" and he turned and went out.
When he had gone, a young lady came up and asked me for dinner and said
that Brother and Sister ---- were coming to dinner, too. On arriving at
their home, they all sat down to visit. They didn't take off their wraps,
nor ask me to either. They said to me, "Do you know why the Lord changed
your subject today?" I told them it must have been for somebody. "Yes,"
they said, "It was for the four of us." (These four had gotten saved in the
revival I had held the year before.) "We have been tempted and tried so
much," they said, "so we came near giving up." Then they'd said to one
another, "Look at Brother Susag. He is happy all the time. He is not tried
and tempted like we are." But when they heard of my experiences, they said,
"The shame is on us." They were much encouraged and went on in the service
of God. They finally moved somewhere to the northwest and I am told that
one of the brothers became a minister, and the other three Sunday School
workers.
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