Today I want to dedicate a testimony about two Christian men who are a living example on how to obey God in all things, no matter the circumstances. The story happened in the early 1900. and the two men are Mr. Storm And Mr. Monsen.
THE BLlND AND LAME EVANGELIST‘S HEALING BEFORE AN AUDIENCE OF 2,500 PEOPLE IN STAVANGER, NORWAY
If people think that the day of miracles has passed, they are greatly mistaken. God is performing them every day before our eyes, but people don’t believe it , and therefore they don’t see it. “If thou canst believe, thou shalt see,” is the divine law in the kingdom of God.
I shall give you a short description of this man’s healing as I heard it from his own lips here in Drammen, on Sunday evening, August 8th, before an audience numbering about 1,000.
Twelve years ago Monsen was labouring as a chimney sweep in the city of Skien. One day he fell from the roof of a house on to the pavement (about 60 feet), and broke the spinal column in two places. He was picked up unconscious and brought to a hospital. Here he lay for a long time unconscious, in terrible sufferings. He was attended by the very best physicians, but they could not do much for him. His sufferings were so intense that for a whole year he had to be attended by a physician three times a day.
Not long after the fall, as he was lying in the hospital he became entirely lame on the left side, and on the right from the waist down to his feet, and also blind. His mother was visiting him on the very day that he lost his sight. She asked him about it, and he dared not tell her, but later his conscience smote him, so he had to telephone the sad news to her, and bid her to forgive him for not telling her the truth. He had been converted shortly before his fall.
Several years went by with great sufferings, which he tried to ease by taking morphine. But one day he awoke to the terrible fact that he was fast becoming a habitual morphinist. He then asked God to deliver him from it, and the Lord did, and since that day he has never touched it.
During this time he had been moved from Skien to the city of Stavanger, and was living there. While here he became acquainted with a young man by the name of Storm, whom the Lord gloriously saved. He was the son of a high officer in the army, and when God saved him his family had no more use for him. But God had use for him in His service–praise the Lord for ever! God laid upon the heart of these two men that they should begin a mission and preach the Gospel on the streets, and wherever God opened a door for them. But remember, good people, that they were both poor, and one was blind and lame and had to be carried and nursed almost like a baby. But they prayed to God, and He helped them. Glory to His Name!
They had to have a wagon in which Monsen could lie. So Storm made a sketch of one, and they got it made, and God provided the money. It was a light wagon with a canopy, and Storm was the horse that pulled it about with its precious load for six years. In this way these two men went about on the streets of Stavanger and other cities out in the country, in the hospitals, prisons, private houses, churches and halls, and preached and sang the Gospel of God’s everlasting grace and the glorious salvation through faith in His Son Jesus–the Messiah. Oh, what a spectacle before the world! Oh, what a sight for bishops, preachers, and church-people! Oh, what foolishness and what a laughing stock! Yea, and what heavenly wisdom and powerful grace made perfect in weakness through suffering and praise and poverty. Glory to God for ever and ever! “Hallelujah! is always Monsen-Storm’s battle-cry.
Glory to God for ever and ever! Hallelujah! is always Monsen-Storm’s battle-cry
After a while God laid it upon their hearts that they should begin a night mission for fallen men and women. They had nothing to begin with except prayer and faith in the promises of God. But they prayed, and God soon gave them a fine house. Now they have several buildings situated on a small island near Stavanger, where they continue this work for drunkards, and they have places for 25. In five years there have passed through their mission over 5,000 men who have received food, clothes, and a bed, through the grace of God and the loving kindness and labour of these two men, one of whom has been lame and almost totally blind for twelve years. Do you see, dear reader, how God has chosen the weak things of this world to confound the mighty? Glory to His Name!
But now we come to Monsen‘s healing. In the month of January this year God laid upon their hearts to go out into the country some miles from Stavanger to hold some meetings. They had been invited by the people at a certain place.
Storm carried Monsen out and placed him in the wagon and pulled him to the station. When they got on the train God’s spirit came upon them, and they had a very precious time on the way, singing and praying and testifying. God also blessed their meetings to the edification of the saints and salvation of souls. On their return to Stavanger, Monsen became in great agony of mind through weakness, but more so for the salvation of souls in Stavanger. The Spirit spoke to him and said: “When you come home call a large meeting and speak about these themes: ‘Is Jesus the Son of God? ‘Is Christianity true?’”
When they came home they laid the matter before the Lord in prayer, and were convinced more and more that it was from God; so they announced in the papers that a meeting would be held in the “United Workmen’s Hall” (Arbeider-somfundet), which they had often used free of charge. On Sunday afternoon, January 17th, they continued to wait on God. All ministers and Christian people were invited, and all Rationalists and Freethinkers and Socialists also. The day came, and the hall was filled to its utmost capacity, when there were at least 2,500 people present.
On Sunday morning Monsen was so weak he could not lift a glass of water with his right hand and his left had been lame for twelve years. His lameness had become worse and worse. He could see dimly the light with one eye, but the other was entirely blind. For all these years that he and Storm had worked together, he had not once been able to see his brother’s face. But now the day had come that he should see this young man who had offered himself for him, and pulled him about and cared for him like a baby.
When he came on the platform lying in his wagon as usual, when he spoke he began to shiver of soul-agony, and cold sweat was pouring forth. He had no thought of God healing him, although both he and many Christians had prayed for his healing, he had not the faintest idea that God would heal him that day. His only burden was to prove to the people that Jesus was the Son of God, and that Christianity was true.
A MODERN MIRACLE!
After singing a hymn, and prayer, he spoke to the people for an hour, then he became so weak and exhausted that he had to stop. A terrible, solemn stillness had fallen on the assembly. The Spirit filled the hall with the glory of God. Storm, his companion, was lying on the platform beside the wagon praying. Monsen himself was sweating, wholly exhausted. All at once he felt a choke go through his body from head to foot. He lay a while longer, when suddenly there came on him a mighty stream of heavenly power, that went in through his head and passed down his whole body.
As the power went through him his joints and bones were cracking, and he thought he would be broken all to pieces. Suddenly a light shone about him, and a voice said, ”Ludvig, arise and walk!” He raised his right hand to his head, and thereby struck the glasses he wore so they fell to the ground, looked around, and for the first time saw his brother Storm. Then he began to realise that God had healed him, and he arose, clapped his hands and shouted: “I am healed! I am healed! I can see and walk!” and stepping on the floor he walked over to a chair and sat down, while he was clapping his hands and shouting: “Hallelujah, glory to Jesus!”
I am healed! I am healed! I can see and walk!
While this was taking place on the platform, the people in the audience became greatly excited. Some fainted, others cried and shouted for joy, praising God; others were talking and swearing, saying: “The whole is only humbug and a spiritualistic seance.’’ Monsen-Storm were crying for joy and praising God, who had in this way before such an audience again given proof that Jesus is His Son, and that Christianity is the true religion. Some of his old friends in the audience gathered about him on the platform, and they wept and praised the Lord together.
After some time had elapsed, somebody sent for an automobile in which Monsen-Storm were driven to their home, while a great throng of people were gathered on the street. When they were passing through, the people shouted and waved their hats. Monsen, the lame and blind evangelist, had walked out before them all a living witness to the grace and power of Jesus Christ. But there was one elegantly-clad person who threw a stone after them as they were driving away. He represented the mob that crucified our Lord and Saviour, and that mob is the same at all times and in all places.
Much has been written in the papers about this modern miracle of healing. Doctors, preachers, believers and unbelievers have talked about it, discussed it pro and con, wondered at it for a little while, and forgot it.
Monsen-Storm go about and preach the glorious gospel of salvation and healing, through faith in the Lamb of God. They have been in many cities in Denmark, Sweden and Norway. Monsen now reads his Bible without glasses, he walks without canes, he is healed, and speaks often three times on a Sunday to large audiences numbering thousands. Is it any wonder that crowds gather to hear him? Is it strange that people will hear and see these two men whom God has made as one through poverty, suffering, and a glorious ministry to the fallen, and lastly through this wonderful healing before so many people? We who heard his life‘s story, Sunday evening, August 8th, will never forget it. It was the most powerful address we have listened to of its kind, full of convincing truth delivered by a living witness to the power of Jesus, before a packed audience that was held spell-bound for an hour and a half. God got all the glory, and we went away happy, and believing in Jesus only, mighty to save. Hallelujah!
These two evangelists are at present in Christiania holding evangelistic services. Anyone desiring further knowledge of the brethren can write Pastor T. B. Barratt, whose name is universally known among Pentecostal people. They have spoken at his meeting-place in Christiania, and he knows them well.
What our eyes have seen and our hands have felt, that we preach unto you, that ye might believe.
Your brother in Jesus,
ANTON TARANGER
Pastor, Baptist Church,Drammen, Norway.
August 27th, 1915.
