Brothers and sisters, ever since our
     fellowship began five and a half years ago,
     Jesus has been lenient toward our backslid-
     den brethren.  No one ever really died be-
     fore.  Now in the last few months has brought
     on the deaths of several brethren.  One,
     named David Chestnut has only lost his life
     in the last week or two.  He was saved on
     August 2, 1975, and was a group leader in
     the Staten Island fellowship.  A few months
     ago he left Jesus and went after the things
     of this world, namely friends and parties.
     He was at work on February 7 when the ele-
     vator he was on got stuck between floors.
     He reached out to the floor directly above
     him.  As he did this, the elevator began
     going down again and he was caught between
     the wall and the top of the elevator.  He
     died instantly. Apparently, he didn't know
     what hit him nor did he have time to call
     out to Jesus.  He was backslidden.  That
     night his "close" friends went out and partied.
     Some friends.  He was 20 years old.

          Also, an original brother here at the
     school named John Moran was burned to death
     in a boarding house in Scranton, Pa.  He was
     found on the-stairway attempting to escape,
     having beeb in the company of a Prostitute.
     Firemen theorize that he was trying to escape
      but he was overcome by smoke and collapsed and
     caught fire Six others died with him.

          Another brother by the name of Hector Real
          of the old Orange fellowship left once.
     Nothing was heard from him for a long time
     until the fellowship contacted him about
     coming to a big meeting.  He consented, but
     was depressed at the time.  The next day,
     when the fellowship was scheduled to pick
     him up, his uncle informed us of his death;
     Hector "gave up" and jumped off his apartment
     building and died.
 
  In all this Jesus gave them all many chances to repent
and they didn't as far as is known. "We must all appear before the
Judgment seat of Christ." God forseeing their unfaithfulness through
a lifetime tool them now and made them accountable now. This should serve
to sober us up and warn us not to take advantage of Him, knowing that
at any time, He could call us to Him to give account. "A sword, a sword
is sharpened and also polished,sharpened for slaughter, polished to flash
like lightning."

      A positive thing happened right now, even as this article
is being written- the school has been in contact or contacted many
backsliders who are close to coming back to Jesus. Remember to pray for all our
backslidden brethren.

Febuary 1977 Lamb Ledger
printed as it appears in ledger