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Hand-written Documents from theThompson Calbert/Tlitha Ann Hopper Family Bible |
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The following documents were transcribed from notes placed in a “Family Bible” that belonged to Thompson, Calbert Hopper and his wife Tlitha Ann (Wilhite). Thompson was born March 6, 1873 in Gest, KY, died October 10, 1945 in Frankfort, KY, of tetanus following suicidal laceration of his throat. The original documents were yellowed, brittle, and frayed around the edges from age, but they were mostly legible. People who lived in Gest, KY in 1998 and who remembered Thompson, remember him as a devoutly religious man who sometimes uttered unsolicited and surprising comments about his religious points of view. His ‘home church’ in Gest, KY, was a Methodist church. He appeared, however, to have attended a ‘Pentecostal’ church while living in Muncie, Indiana. It would not be uncommon for him to shout “Hallelujah” or “Praise God” during services in a Pentecostal church. It would (and did) understandably make a Methodist congregation uncomfortable… The Family Bible is in the custody of Thompson’s granddaughter, Martha (Hopper) Voorhies in Frankfort, KY (2001). Martha is the daughter of Alvey Hopper , youngest son of Thompson, and wife Etta (Maude). These were probably written sometime after 1922 when Thompson and his family moved from Muncie, Indiana (where he worked at Ball Brothers), back to Gest, KY.
Gest, KY Dear Saints.I felt like I wanted to praise the Lord for his goodness and mercy to me and also others that are around me. I sure do like to read the little paper Christian Triumph. It surely is worthy of its name. Triumph means to over come so we can say thanks be unto God which always causeth us to triumph in Christ. I have put the paper in several homes this year so I feel like I am preaching the gospel to a few of my country neighbors. It is not always the big things that counts for God. He says thou hast been faithful over a few things I will make thee ruler over many things. Enter thou into the joy of the Lord. We are told in the Bible that a man planted a grain of mustard seed in his garden and it grew to be one of the greatest herbs in his garden insomuch that the fowls of the air lodged in it. Now the cause of its growth was that the man cultivated it. He kept the weeds cut from around it that would have stunted its growth. Did we ever think about our spiritual growth whether or not there was something in our lives that was hindering us from growing and getting stronger. Possible it would be good for us to look in the garden and if we find the weeds growing. It would be well to cut them down. The plant had to have some water to make it grow. The successful gardener always waters his plants in the time of a draught. We some times have spiritual draughts. Do you give up and quit praying and reading God’s word. If you have you had better take a look in the garden and see if your plant is growing or withering away. I was living in Indiana a few years ago and was working in a glass factory. One morning my wife was late with breakfast and she was hurrying up to get me to work on time, so she got the meal ready and says come on to breakfast. Before this she always came into the sitting room for prayer at that time. We had [not prayed that morning.] And she said hurry up you will be late. So I said to her Let’s have prayer. We had better lose our job than to lose our souls and we prayed. Brethren, we are living in a time of hurry and haste and the only hope I can see for the Christian World is to keep out of the tide. T.C.H. NOT RECEIVED THE RIGHT KIND OF FOODDear Brother Stone, Reading the paper "Living Word" I am reminded of a hungry man sitting own to the table to eat and after eating all that has been set before him, he is obliged to leave the table hungry. The good testimonies of the Lord’s healing of his people these days, when there is so much of unbelief, should inspire our faith to press the battle to the gates -[of hell??] In John’s Gospel, 21st ch, and a clause in the 16th ver that Jesus is testing Peter’s love for him so after he found out that he was true he saith unto him feed my sheep. Now here is where the main strength of a Christian lies is in the food that he receives for his spiritual body and if he fails to get the right kind of food he is going to weaken as much so as if he fails to receive his temporal food. Now in these days there is lots of [sheep feeders?]. But as we see, there are so many preachers now days that are going off to college to prepare themselves to preach and they go for 5 or 6 years and they get all and then they come back to tell us the whole story of the cross just how we can get saved and how to get sanctified and how to receive the precious Holy Ghost, and about the witness that you have received it, and how you have got to live to retain him of which is all good and acceptable with the Lord. But they got it in so short a time and I have been in a Holy Ghost school for about 29 years and my little head and big heart has not been able to retain the 16th part of what he has to teach me. The preachers get their diploma in the 5 or 6 years schooling and I have been in the training or teaching of the holy spirit of the above member of years and my father in heaven has never said anything about giving me a diploma, So I guess he has something more for me to learn so I will not be in any hurry about asking him about it. Not long since a newspaper reporter so insisted upon me for my subscription for his paper that he says how can one keep warm alone as much as to say that unless I read his newspaper or papers or books treating on the line of salvation that I would freeze to death spiritually. I was in a measure confounded at his suggestion to me as an inducement for my spiritual warmth I thought that if this was my only resort that there was for me it would not be long until I would be in the iceberg and froze to death. But I thank God that we are not alone, for Christ is in us the hope of glory and the Holy Ghost is a flame of fire and if he is in you. You will be comfortable warm and icebergs will melt and run away. So if you have the Christ as an indwelling savior you are not alone and the Bible is sufficient; and if you read and obey it the warmer your experience becomes. While I don’t condemn reading newspapers and books where they treat on the right subjects. It takes all kinds of peoples to make up the kingdom of this world but it takes only one kind of people to make up the kingdom of heaven. John, 3rd ch 3rd ver Jesus said except a man be born again he cannot se the kingdom of God John 17th ch 21st ver Jesus prayed to the father that they may all be one as thou father art in me and I in them. That they also may be one in us that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. Heb, 2nd ch [?] ver For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one For which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren. |