Personal Experiences of S. O. Susag

by S. O. Susag

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.

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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.

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