I cannot yet understand what the brethren saw in me to dare trust me to undertake so great a responsibility toward God, toward them and the cause, and at such a needy time. God is my refuge. He only can keep and guide me. His strength is my only hope.
Brethren, no man can glorify God in this place while laboring in his own wisdom and his own strength. He must be swallowed up in God, lost in His will, and moved on by the anointing of the Holy Ghost. Surely, for the sake of His own dear Son, for the sake of His own bleeding cause, and in answer to your united, earnest, continued prayers, He will save me from myself, be my wisdom and strength, and hide me out of sight in Jesus. Believe with me for it; pray to this end, and we together will make the fight of our lives for Him, and if need be, die in the harness together for His glory.
The field has never been more needy. The golden grain, all over this great land of ours and to the ends of the earth, is dead ripe for harvest, and no adequate forces in sight to reap it. Already we are years behind in marshalling and training our forces. O God, can we never make it up? The general men who can give themselves wholly to this work are entirely inadequate.
What are we going to do? Well, we are not going to spare ourselves; we are Your servants, God’s servants, and we put ourselves and all that we are and have unreservedly on the altar of His service. But brethren, we must have your help; yea, your counsel and leadership. Alone we cannot touch the fringes; but with all of you we can make the devil know we are in the land. Let every pastor and evangelist be a man for God and do his best. Get one or two to help you and go in to plant the banner of our King high over every earthly banner. Clear out the stones, make a highway, and lift up the standard for the people. God has brought you dear brethren to the Kingdom for just such a time as this. Men and angels are looking down to see what you will do.
Lord, we are ashamed of ourselves. You have done so much for us, and we have done so little for Thee. How long have You been waiting on us, Lord, us men whom You baptized with the Holy Ghost? Look on still. We have heard Your call. Don’t give us over; we are coming. Help us, Lord! Our hands we place in Thine; lead Thou us on.
Eudorus N. Bell, a former Southern Baptist pastor, was elected as the first chairman (general superintendent) of the Assemblies of God, 1914, 1920–23. He was publisher of Word and Witness and later supervised the printing of The Christian Evangel (later The Pentecostal Evangel). This exhortation to the brethren of the Fellowship is adapted from The Pentecostal Evangel, November 27, 1920.
*The original article appeared without a title. This title is added for editorial purposes only.
