Vern Edmonds

I do want to praise God for the Gospel. I was born and raised in the state of Kansas, in a sod house, but that home was like a palace, because in that home was a princess, and that princess was my mother. She was a child of the King, which made her a princess. It was a humble home, but God was there. Many times when trouble would come in the neighborhood, my mother would get on her knees and pray, and the trouble would disappear.

I was carried to my mother one day, after an automobile accident, with internal injuries and my ribs broken up and down both sides. The doctor said I was going to die. My father was not a Christian and he fell in a heap on the floor. My mother knelt by my bedside and told God how wicked I was. She could not say one good thing about me, but went to God in prayer and asked Him to have mercy on me until I could get saved. In a week’s time, I was back in school, healed by power divine. There is praise in my heart for that miracle. I knew I was going straight to Hell. I cannot describe the terror that was in my heart. The Lord has done a lot for me.

I love the family of God. They are my friends. I’ll tell you a good reason why they are my friends. When my daughter had diphtheria and the health officers quarantined us and said that she would not live, these people prayed. Today, my daughter is strong and well. God loves His people, and He loves to answer prayer.

My son-in-law had peritonitis. His stomach was turned to mush, and the doctors said he would not live. I called my friends again to pray. They prayed for my son-in-law, and he was healed by power divine. I testified to this one Sunday evening. The next evening, eleven people went down to Sears and Roebuck, where my son-in-law was working, and checked up on my story. The Lord just does everything. My son-in-law made a $6.40 commission on things they bought!

That mother of mine was a real Christian. She never was ashamed of her God. We used to go to a little town for dinner. We would sit around a big table and get the “All you can eat” for a quarter (fifteen cents for children) and it seemed like there was always somebody there who would make light of mother’s religion. But it wasn’t that way when their family was sick. They would call on the telephone, very humbly, letting her know they were in trouble, and that they wanted her to pray; however, they didn’t like the humble way of the Cross. At the table she bowed her head as if they were not there. She knew some day she would want help from Jesus, and He helped her, too.

One day the insurance man came and he wanted to insure us against hail. Hail was very common. I have seen the corn stalks that were tall beat right into the ground and a wheat field beaten right off. One can hear these storms about five miles away, and Father was afraid of them. The insurance man got along pretty well with my father. He said, “All right, I will talk to my wife.” My father began to get a little faint-hearted at the point of the conversation where he told my mother that he could insure against the acts of God. My mother looked at him in horror, to think he would insure against the acts of God! Why? We needed God! She said, “You just let it go this year. I will pray. We will see what God does.” He agreed.

By and by there came a hailstorm. It is no small thing. But that mother of mine—who wasn’t ashamed to pray before the neighbors in the city, in the church, in the schoolhouse, or in the home—went to her knees and prayed. The hailstorm just kept coming; it didn’t seem to intend to stop. When the tears began to roll down the cheeks of that old mother of mine, something happened. It touched the heart of God every time. He just stopped that hailstorm right along our fence. That is what He did. He loves His people.

I can say with all my heart, God loves me. I know I have the peace of God. I know I am at peace with God. I know I love God. I love God’s people. Ashamed of them? Why should I be?  A clean, pure, virtuous life—be ashamed of that? I cannot point to one sin and say, I am proud of that sin. I am ashamed of it.

When I got saved, I had several confessions and a restitution to make. I owed fifteen cents, and I sent one dollar. But when it came to making those confessions, I backed off. Then my daughter became sick. The neighbors came in and told us what to do if the child died, saying the law would take care of us. The enemy said, “If you make that confession, it will ruin things for you.” The Lord said, “You better make that confession before she dies.” I made the confession. Before that, I could not pray a prayer that went any higher than my head. When making the confession, I got on my knees and sent up just a little prayer up, but what a big answer came back; she was healed by power divine!

I was teaching school at that time and some of the folks knew all about what was going on—how we didn’t call the doctor. They were giving some good sound advice to get some medicine. I said, “I am counting on God.” They didn’t know what a battle I was having. When my daughter got well, they asked, “What did you do?” I said, “I made a confession I should have made a long time ago.” A lot of religious people were around there too. Right away they had a lot of business right over yonder!

Thank God for the old-time religion that will work in your home, at midnight, in the morning, and any time you need help. Be sure you have channels free before you start praying. Be sure to make things right. I know a lot of people can’t get prayers answered. I’ll tell you why. They are not cleared up. Just go ahead and clear up inside and out. You will get your prayers through in a hurry.

There are nineteen of us—children, grandchildren, daughters, and sons-in-laws. We have not given one drop of medicine to them in thirty-two years. This is a wonderful Gospel. It makes you clean inside. It gives you happiness down on the inside. You don’t have to be ashamed of it. I love the old-time religion.