I WON BOTH HER HUSBANDS
HE DRANK A TOAST TO JESUS
"I'LL GIVE TWO 'FIFTHS'"
THE DOG STARTED THE FAMILY ALTAR
I WON THE CONTRACTOR
SAVED IN THE BATHTUB
SHE HAD NEVER HEARD OF ADAM AND EVE
THE SOUL-WINNING COURSE SAVED HIS LIFE
IT PAYS TO BE A LOUD-MOUTH
CONVERTED UNDER HIS CAR
HE DIED AND WENT TO KENTUCKY
HE PREACHED TO ONE MAN
FAMILY SAVED THROUGH "DEDICATION SERVICE FOR HOME"
SHE WALKED THE AISLE DURING THE OFFERTORY
"IT'S WONDERFUL!"
"I HAVE BROTHER HYLES' BLOOD IN ME"
THEY COULDN´T GO TO THE MOVIE
I'M HALF JEW MYSELF
"PLEASE, JESUS, SAVE JIM!"
"BLESS ME, REVEREND"
I STAYED IN THE GIRLS' DORMITORY
SAVED ON THE EXPRESSWAY
THE PRODIGAL SON
SAVED ON THE WAY TO PRISON
"KEEP PREACHING IT."
"I DON'T FEEL IT"
HE'S A DEACON NOW
SHE WON SEVEN PEOPLE ONE HOUR AFTER HER HUSBAND DIED
SEVEN PEOPLE WON BECAUSE THE PREACHER PAID THE BREAD
MAN
SAVED ON HIS SON'S CASKET
WINNING THE "MEANEST MAN IN TOWN"
AT THE WRONG HOUSE
THE CEDAR PULPIT
THE FRIENDLESS RANCHER
I PUMPED THEM TO SUNDAY SCHOOL
"DEAR LORD, KILL THIS MAN"
THEY PRAYED FOR THE PEWS
THE DEATH OF MY FATHER
HE PAID HIS OLD DEBTS
"YOU'RE MY BEST 'FRAN'"
THE CORPSE WHO WON A SOUL
THE WINNING OF THE CITY COUNCILMAN AND HIS WIFE
AN ENTIRE FOOTBALL TEAM SAVED
SHE WAS A HE
PREACHING ON A BOX IN A GARAGE
"I DON'T WANT TO GO HOME"
A CHEMICAL ENGINEER SAVED ON AN AIRPLANE
I WON HIM UP A TREE
"WHAT'S A BLOODY MARY?"
THEIR CHILDREN ATTENDED THEIR WEDDING
HER HUSBAND CAME IN
THE CUSTODIAN IS A SOUL WINNER TOO
HE HAD STUDIED FOR THE PRIESTHOOD
TOO TIRED TO SHOUT
UNORTHODOX WAYS OF WINNING SOULS
HE MADE THE BAPTISTRY
MEDICAL DOCTORS I HAVE SEEN SAVED
ONE SHOUTED, ANOTHER FROWNED
A LIVING ROOM REVIVAL
"WE 'BUSTED' EVERY BOTTLE OF THAT CASE OF BEER"
A LAWYER GOT SAVED
THE BROTHERS WHO WON EACH OTHER
HE COULDN'T EVEN SPELL THE WORD "JESUS"
WINNING THE BEST MAN
SOUL WINNING AMONG POOR CHILDREN
A FIVE-DOLLAR TIP
FOREWORD
The richest and fullest life known to man is that of
the Christian who has learned the blessedness of personal
soul winning. To the soul winner God gives a unique
joy, an incomparable satisfaction, and richness of life.
To the person who is constantly engaged in winning others
to Christ, God gives even more. He allows the sweetest,
most unusual, and even humorous events to happen. Perhaps
the dear Lord realizes that the person busily engaged
in soul winning does not have the time or even the desire
to pursue the normal events of life which bring laughter
and pleasure. Hence, He interjects into the life of
the soul winner such experiences that more than compensate
for whatever sacrifices soul winning necessitates.
The following pages are given as an enticement to the
Christian with a prayer that many will enter into this
fuller life that is available for all of God's people,
and will thereby, "shine as the stars forever and
ever." The author begs leniency from the reader,
for he fully realizes that the excessive usage of first-person
pronouns leaves him vulnerable to criticism. He does
not wish to become known as the "Master of Soul
Winners," but has a burning desire to be a better
soul winner for the Master.
MEET THE AUTHOR
Jack Hyles began preaching at the age of 19 and has
pastored for over 33 years. These pastorates include
churches that varied in membership from 19 to over 48,000.
All of these pastorates, other than the present one,
were in the state of Texas: First, the Marris Chapel
Baptist Church of Bogata, Texas; then to the Grange
Hall Baptist Church in Marshall, Texas; from there to
the Southside Baptist Church of Henderson, Texas; and
then to the Miller Road Baptist Church of Garland, Texas.
He pastored the Miller Road Baptist Church for over
7 years and saw this church, under the Lord, grow from
a membership of 19 to over 4,000. It was from the Miller
Road Baptist Church that he was called to his present
pastorate at the First Baptist Church in Hammond, Indiana.
Dr. Hyles has been Pastor of the First Baptist Church
since August, 1959. This church has a membership of
over 86,000 and has averaged for the past 6 years over
23,000 conversions and 7,300 baptisms per year. For
many years the church has been acclaimed to have the
"World's Largest Sunday School." During Dr.
Hyles' ministry the First Baptist Church has increased
in property evaluation to over $30,000,000.
Besides his position as Pastor, Dr. Hyles is Founder-Chancellor
of Hyles-Anderson Schools, which enrolled over 3,800
students last year. The schools are operated by the
First Baptist Church and are housed in separate facilities
away from the church property. Dr. Hyles has served
as President of the Baptist Bible College in Denver,
Colorado.
Dr. Hyles is the author of 29 books and pamphlets,
exceeding over 9 million copies in sales. Many of his
sermons are also available on tape.
Dr. Hyles' experience covers numerous evangelistic
campaigns, Bible Conferences, etc. He has preached in
virtually every state of the Union and in many foreign
countries. His annual Pastors' School attracts thousands
of preachers from every state and many foreign countries.
I WON BOTH HER HUSBANDS
About five years ago I won one of her husbands. A few
days ago I won the other one. Oh, you are asking for
an explanation? Here it is:
On my regular Friday afternoon soul-winning visitation,
Friday, January 27, 1961, it was my privilege to win
a Catholic man to Jesus Christ. His wife was already
a Christian and had prayed for him for years. The next
Sunday he came forward in the services and was baptized.
About a year later it was found that he had cancer
and could not live long. He lingered about a year and
was in and out of the hospital during this period. Finally,
he was sent home to die, but the strangest thing happened.
He would not go to the bedroom; neither would he use
a hospital bed. He wanted to die on the sofa in the
living room. Here he stayed for weeks. This was the
same sofa on which he had been saved. This was the place
where he wanted to die.
One morning I was summoned to the house, and in a few
hours he died in my arms. Our right hands were clasped
just as they had been two years before at the same place.
Both of us were on the sofa just as we had been two
years before.
It has been several years now since that event. Recently
his wife fell in love again; but once again, she had
fallen in love with a Catholic. Upon our first meeting,
it was my privilege to win him to the Lord Jesus Christ.
He, too, was baptized the following Sunday, and is very
faithful to attend all the services of our church, even
the Wednesday evening services.
It became my privilege to unite this middle-aged couple
in marriage. As I walked back to the study after the
ceremony, I rejoiced as I thought that "I had won
both her husbands." Both of them had been Catholics,
and each became a faithful member of First Baptist upon
his salvation.
The aforementioned couple are faithful and active members
of the First Baptist Church of Hammond, Indiana. Not
only do they attend regularly the Sunday morning, Sunday
evening, and Wednesday evening services, but they are
very loyal and generous Christians.
HE DRANK A TOAST TO JESUS
"I drink a toast to your Jesus!" These blasphemous
words were said by probably the meanest man I ever saw
converted. When I told him about Christ, he opened a
can of beer, toasted it to Jesus, and asked me to leave.
He cursed as I walked to the car. However, he looked
so much like my father, I could not get my mind off
of him. Again and again I went to his home; again and
again I was asked to leave.
Word came that he was in the hospital. I went to the
hospital to see him. He was courteous until I mentioned
Jesus. Again I was asked to leave.
I looked at him and said, "Dutch, suppose you
are right and I am wrong. Suppose the Bible is not true
and Jesus is not the Saviour and there is no Heaven
or Hell. What have I got to lose?"
He replied, "Nothing. We both go to the grave,
that's all." Then I said, "Dutch, suppose
I am right and you are wrong. Suppose there IS a Heaven
and a Hell. Suppose Jesus is the Saviour."
His mouth dropped open and the most startled look came
across his face. "I would be in a fix, wouldn't
I? You know, Preacher, you can't lose either way, and
I only have a 50-50 chance." Then he shook himself,
regained his composure, and told me he was not interested
in "that stuff."
God had spoken to his heart. Within a few days he called
the church office, begged for a preacher, and was saved.
The next Sunday he walked the aisle and was baptized.
After he was baptized he sat on a chair at the edge
of the baptistry, and only half dressed, he looked into
the water and said, "Aha, you old baptistry! You
think you are so hot! I have drunk enough whiskey to
fill you twice. But, bless your heart, I ain't never
gotten so much fun out of whiskey as I had getting baptized
in you awhile ago!"
Today Dutch is in Heaven. He received Christ as his
Saviour, and all because of persistence. We kept going
and going. Yes, the old fellow is toasting Jesus today,
but not quite like he did before. This time it is a
genuine toast, with heavenly manna and heavenly juice
in Christ's presence.
"I'LL GIVE TWO 'FIFTHS'"
"Okay, I'll go to church with you tonight-but
just to keep you from nagging," Leon said.
He did come to church; he heard the message on the
subject, "The Funeral of the Old Man." He
was a drunkard.
He was a big, barrel-chested, broad-shouldered, contractor-but
a drunkard. I went back during the invitation and asked
him if he would be saved.
"I don't know what being saved means," he
replied, "but I sure would like to have a funeral
for my 'old man.'" He came down the aisle, buried
the "old man," and became a new creature in
Christ.
In a few days he went back into the tavern again. "The
drinks are on me!" he shouted to the boys in the
tavern. This time the drink was Living Water as he stood
up at the bar and preached the Gospel of Jesus Christ
to his old crowd. This he did every week while I was
his pastor for many years. He became one of the most
effective soul winners I have ever seen. Almost any
Sunday morning you could see him with a motley crowd
of visitors coming in the church. People who were sitting
over near where they sat moved over quietly to avoid
the odor. When the invitation came, one by one they
would come, professing their faith publicly in the Saviour.
When Leon was saved, I told him he should give a tenth
to the Lord. He said, "Preacher, I don't know what
this 'tenth' business is, but I have two 'fifths' in
the car I am willing to give up for Jesus."
The last time I saw him, he was still after souls.
A few months ago I preached in Fort Worth, Texas; he
brought two souls down the aisle to Jesus Christ that
night. At last report, he was a deacon in his church
and was busily engaged in soul winning.
THE DOG STARTED THE FAMILY ALTAR
A few years ago during the Christmas season I went
to a home on a Friday afternoon. The husband was there
alone. He was so pleased to see me and pleaded with
me to come back in the evening as he and his wife were
having domestic problems. That evening I did return
and led them both to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.
It was a beautiful sight. We knelt at the sofa beside
a beautiful Christmas tree, and each of them was sweetly
converted. I knelt between them. Our heads were bowed,
our eyes were closed, and we were praying, when suddenly
I felt a cold, moist something on my cheek. It felt
like a piece of liver, though I must confess I have
never had a piece of liver on my cheek! I opened my
eyes and found it was a Cocker Spaniel dog.
Being afraid he would interrupt the soul-winning experience
and be used of Satan to keep the people from Christ,
I grabbed the dog around the neck, stuck his nose in
a pillow on the sofa, and held him firmly. (All of this
time the couple was praying and being saved.) The dog
squirmed for a while. I squeezed his neck harder. Then
he became motionless. I thought to myself, "Brother,
I guess I have won two souls and killed a dog!"
I was afraid I had choked him to death. What a joy
it was when all of us got off our knees to know that
not only had the couple been saved but the dog was still
alive. I guess he had decided he enjoyed kneeling with
us; in fact, after we got up, he remained in the kneeling
position with his nose between his paws.
A year later during the Christmas season I related
this story from the pulpit. The couple came to the platform
after the service and told me this amusing yet wonderful
story:
The night after they were saved, at the same time,
the dog came to the same sofa and got in the same position
as if he were praying. He continued to do this every
night until the couple decided that they had better
do the same thing; hence, they started a family altar.
The man then informed me that for one year they had
been having devotions, and every night the dog had joined
them.
Probably by now you are snickering or laughing, but
I wonder if that dog had more Christianity than some
of our readers.
I WON THE CONTRACTOR
"I would like to talk with you concerning the
contract for another building." These words I spoke
to Mr. R. D. Estes upon the completion of a new auditorium
for a pastorate in Texas. The building had not yet been
dedicated, and I was handing him the final check when
I made the aforementioned statement. He was somewhat
startled. He realized that our church had gone in debt
to construct the auditorium and was amazed that we would
be interested in a contract for another building so
soon.
"Where will this new building be built?"
he asked.
"Oh," I replied, "it has already been
built." Then I proceeded to tell this 65-year-old
contractor of the building not made with hands, eternal
in the heavens. He was a very strict businessman of
the old school, so with little emotion he heard the
story of Heaven and the contract that Christ had already
made and purchased with His own blood. At the conclusion
of hearing the old, old story, Mr. Estes knelt to pray;
and with a substantial check of final payment in hand
he prayed the sinner's prayer and received the Saviour.
The next Sunday we dedicated the new building that
he had built. He was the first convert to walk the aisle
in the new structure and was baptized in the first baptismal
service. "I built the building and then got a building
from this job," were the words of this well-to-do
contractor as he left the service on Dedication Day.
While preaching in Texas recently I had the blessed
joy of seeing this contractor come to the services and
was pleased to find out he is still attending God's
House, hearing God's men preach.
SAVED IN THE BATHTUB
A few years ago I was in a Bible Conference in Houston,
Texas. After a morning service, I returned to my room
at one of the large motels on the north side of Houston.
To my surprise, the door to my room was open and I heard
singing coming from the bathroom. After checking the
room number with my key, I realized I was in the right
room. Perhaps someone else was in the wrong room.
I hollered through the door, inquiring who was there,
only to find it was the Negro maid cleaning out the
bathtub. She was actually down in the tub cleaning out
the ring.
I asked her if she were a Christian. She said, "Mercy,
no! I am as mean as the devil." I got my Testament
out and showed her the plan of salvation. All the time
she was in the bathtub. After I showed her how to be
saved, she knelt in the tub and received the Saviour.
I have laughed many times about this and have jokingly
said, "I guess I am the only preacher in the world
who ever won a lady in a bathtub!" This is just
another of the many unusual experiences that God gives
to soul winners. We should be on the lookout constantly
for people who need the Saviour.
I have won people to Christ in train stations, in bus
depots, on airplanes, in grocery stores, in barber shops,
in shine parlors, in service stations, in garages, in
school buildings, on ball diamonds, and in many other
places. There are many hungry hearts waiting for someone
to tell them the story.
SHE HAD NEVER HEARD OF ADAM AND EVE
A few days ago a lady in our area whom I had won to
Christ died. Upon hearing of her death, I relived the
experience of her salvation.
One Friday afternoon I went to her home and found immediately
that she was a Catholic and had been reared near Rome,
Italy. (She was in her mid-fifties when she died.) After
chatting with her for a while, I brought up the subject
of her salvation only to find that she knew absolutely
nothing about the Bible. So I started from Adam and
Eve and explained salvation's story to her in detail.
I told her that one time God made a man named Adam
and a woman named Eve.
"Is that right?" she replied.
"Yes, He made Adam out of dust and He made Eve
from Adam's rib."
"Well, isn't that unusual!" she replied.
"Then God fellowshipped with Adam and Eve in the
Garden of Eden."
"Oh, how nice."
"Then one day something happened. Adam and Eve
did something wrong. They ate the forbidden fruit and
ran from God's presence and were spiritually dead."
"Oh, how sad that they did that," she remarked.
Then I proceeded to tell her that immediately God promised
He would provide a sacrifice through the seed of woman.
I told her that Jesus was that sacrifice and that He
died on the cross.
She could hardly believe what she heard. "Isn't
that nice! That is so fine."
Then I proceeded to tell her that He died for her.
"Oh, that makes it better."
Then I told her about Heaven, and she could hardly
believe what she heard. She was like a little boy at
the zoo for the first time and was almost clapping her
hands for joy as she heard for the first time not only
the story of Christ but the story of Adam and Eve and
really what the cross was all about.
When I asked her to bow her head and pray the sinner's
prayer, she did so gladly but unconsciously prayed in
Italian. When she finished praying, she looked up and
asked, "Am I saved now? Will I go to Heaven when
I die?"
I told her that if she had put her faith in Christ
as her Saviour, she would go to Heaven.
"Well, I just did. Didn't you hear me?" She
did not realize she had prayed in Italian.
I replied, "Maybe you did and maybe you didn't.
I heard you pray but I have no idea what you said."
"Oh, I prayed in Italian, didn't I? I guess I
will have to do it again."
You should have seen the look on her face when I told
her that God knew Italian very well and that He had
heard her prayer and saved her soul. She seemed pleased
not only that she was saved but that God was so well
educated.
Happily she came forward the next Sunday professing
her new-found faith in Christ. Though she died soon
after, she no doubt is in Heaven having some "Italian
fellowship" with Christ.
THE SOUL-WINNING COURSE SAVED HIS LIFE
A number of years ago I taught my little course on
soul winning at the Trinity Baptist Church of Jacksonville,
Florida. After the course, one of the men was driving
back to his home town to get his wife and return to
the evening service. He stopped and offered a ride to
a hitchhiker on the way and proceeded to use the soul-winning
method of the "Roman Road" on the hitchhiker.
After explaining the wonderful story of salvation,
he led the man to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.
It was one of those unusual experiences when Heaven
bends low. In tears, the hitchhiker reached in his pocket
and pulled out a deadly weapon, showed it to the soul
winner, and said, "I secured this weapon a while
ago with which to commit a murder. I got in your car
with the plan to kill you, rob you, and steal the automobile.
If you hadn't won me to Christ, you would now be a dead
man."
He handed the weapon to the soul winner. He even returned
with the soul winner to the service that evening, came
forward during the invitation, and professed his faith
publicly in Jesus Christ. Not only that, but he stood
behind the pulpit and spoke to nearly a thousand people
concerning his salvation.
It was an experience never to be forgotten to see the
soul winner, the potential murderer, and the weapon
all before us with the two men arm in arm, rejoicing
because it pays to be a soul winner.
Here is at least one fellow who owes his life to a
simple little soul-winning course taught to a small
gathering one afternoon in Florida. Soul winning always
pays!
IT PAYS TO BE A LOUD-MOUTH
One time while I was preaching in Dallas, Texas, I
took time off to drive out to the nearby town of Garland,
where I had pastored for nearly seven years. I enjoyed
looking at the little city and reliving some wonderful
experiences. The biggest blessing of all was driving
up and down the streets and pointing to houses where
I had won folks to Christ.
I chuckled as I passed one house four doors from the
church where I had pastored. I told a friend who was
with me the unusual story behind the conversion of this
couple.
One Sunday morning a handsome couple walked into our
services and said, "We have been hearing you for
weeks. We thought we would see what you looked like.
We live four houses from the church, and though we are
Methodists, we attend church nowhere. We try to sleep
on Sunday morning, but we can't sleep because of your
hollering. No matter how hard we try, we simply cannot
get our rest. Since we have to hear you anyway, we thought
we would come to see what you look like."
One evening the next week I went to their home and
led them to Jesus Christ. As long as I was Pastor in
Garland, they were faithful and loyal members of our
church.
They had also become interested in our church as they
had seen the people carrying folding chairs across the
street between Sunday school and church. We did not
have any Sunday school space and had only enough folding
chairs for the auditorium. Hence, we borrowed an empty
house across the street. People would come to Sunday
school and then carry their chairs across the street,
leaving the auditorium empty. An hour later the Sunday
school pupils would come back across the street bringing
their chairs with them. If someone came early to preaching,
he had no seat; the building was empty.
The aforementioned couple saw several hundred people
carrying chairs across the street from the church, and
their curiosity was aroused. Since they had been "hearing"
the preaching anyway, whether they liked it or not,
they simply had to come and see what was going on.
Maybe it pays to be a loud-mouth after all!
The couple mentioned still faithfully attends the services
of their church.
CONVERTED UNDER HIS CAR
When I got to his house, he was working under the car.
He was lying face up on a creeper and could not see
me as I arrived.
"Hyles Mechanic Service!" I shouted.
"Who called you?" he asked.
"I was not called," I replied, "I was
sent."
"Well, roll yourself under and see if you can
see what is the trouble."
I got another creeper, laid down on it, and roiled
myself under the car with him.
"Looks like to me you need the valves ground,"
I shouted.
"How can you tell from under here?"
"I am not talking about your car. I am talking
about you."
"Who are you?" he asked.
"I am Pastor Hyles of First Baptist Church."
Then he became inquisitive, and I explained to him
that he needed Christ as Saviour to make him a new creature
and that he was in worse shape than the car. With both
of us lying on our backs looking up at the bottom side
of the car, I told him how to be saved. When time came
to pray the sinner's prayer, he closed by saying, "Lord,
I am just coming for a general overhauling." I
didn't know whether to laugh or cry, so I did both.
The next Sunday he came forward in our service professing
his faith in Christ.
HE DIED AND WENT TO KENTUCKY
The midnight ring of a pastor's phone usually means
that Someone has a heartache or a sorrow. I had such
a call recently. Someone's unsaved relative had a short
while to live. I went to the hospital and found that
he was aware of his condition and knew that death was
imminent.
Hurriedly I told him the story of Christ and that through
faith in the finished work of Calvary he could be saved.
He and I both agreed that we should hurry as his minutes
were few. I placed my mouth close to his ear and talked
distinctly and rapidly.
I asked him if he completely understood. He whispered,
"Yes."
I asked him if I could pray. He answered affirmatively.
I prayed very briefly, realizing that this moment might
be his last one. Then I asked him to pray, and this
he did just above a whisper. Then he took my hand as
a token of his acceptance of Jesus Christ as Saviour.
I looked up and saw him weeping and smiling for joy.
Quickly I wanted to lead him to assurance as time was
precious. "Now do you know you are saved?"
I asked.
"Yes, I do," he whispered faintly.
"Do you know you are ready to die?"
"Yes, I know that."
"Can you say to me that you are now a Christian?"
"Yes, I can."
Then I asked, "Since you are so near death now,
where are you going when you die?"
He looked up with a smile on his face and said, "Kentucky."
I guess this is the only time I ever laughed in the
face of a dying man. Little did I know that if a person
gets saved he will someday die and go to "Kentucky!"
(There are some who would prefer purgatory and maybe
a few others who...well, enough for that.)
To say the least, the man was saved. He thought I was
talking about where his body would be placed. He got
the idea and I think chuckled on his way to Heaven.
Believe me, I doubt if he is in Kentucky today, but
I thank God he is in Heaven.
HE PREACHED TO ONE MAN
One reason that personal soul winning is near to the
heart of God is that God's heart beats so for the individual.
The Psalmist reminds us in the eighth Psalm that God
is mindful of every person and desires fellowship with
each individual.
A number of years ago something happened that so graphically
illustrates this. While I was pastoring in Texas, we
helped to start sixteen branch churches. One of these
was pastored by a young high school football player
named Carmen Hartsfield.
One Saturday Carmen came by the church dressed in his
overalls and asked if he could borrow some folding chairs
for his branch church. One of our men, whose first name
was Cortez, volunteered to help Carmen in the loading
and unloading of the chairs.
When they arrived at the little church in the country,
they unloaded the chairs and prepared for the services
on the Lord's Day. Cortez, the layman, said to Carmen,
the young preacher, "I feel a little backslidden
today. I feel my spiritual battery needs recharging."
Carmen informed him that he had his Bible with him
and that his prepared message for the next day was in
his Bible. He suggested that Cortez sit down in the
little chapel and that he would try out the sermon on
him. Cortez did so while Carmen opened his Bible, read
the Scripture, and preached the full-length sermon.
Cortez, who was a very demonstrative-type Christian
started hollering "Amen" while Carmen was
preaching to him. Suddenly the side door of the chapel
opened and an 18-year-old lad peeped in. (How would
you feel if you entered a country building on Saturday
afternoon and saw a man in overalls preaching to a congregation
of one while the congregation of one responded loudly
with "Amen"? That's how he felt!)
The young man was a little startled but nevertheless
took off his hat and had a seat in the chapel, thereby
doubling the size of the congregation. Carmen kept preaching,
overalls and all. Cortez kept hollering "Amen"
as the fellow looked more and more confused.
After the entire message was concluded, Carmen asked
the congregation (of two) to bow their heads for prayer.
Then he asked, "Is there anyone here who is not
saved who would like to be saved? If so, would you raise
your hand."
To Carmen's utter surprise the young man raised his
hand for prayer. Carmen then announced that the congregation
would stand and sing "Just As I Am Without One
Plea." As Cortez sang the solo, the other half
of the congregation came forward, knelt at the altar,
and received Christ as Saviour.
This is just another illustration of God's interest
in the individual.
The young preacher is now pastoring a thriving Baptist
church in the state of Maryland. It was my privilege
to fellowship with him just recently.
FAMILY SAVED THROUGH "DEDICATION SERVICE FOR HOME"
As I have taught soul winning across the country, I
have said again and again, "Get the Gospel to every
person some way. Do not leave without presenting the
Gospel to them."
Sometimes a person is having home problems and will
ask you for help concerning his home condition. Start
with Romans 3:10 and tell him how to be saved; this
will help the home. Perhaps a person is having trouble
with his children and wants some help. Start with Romans
3:10; getting saved will help him rear his children
right. Suppose a person is having some business difficulties.
Start with Romans 3:10 and show him how to be saved;
this will help him become a better businessman.
It is always dangerous to get off the subject. It is
a good idea while talking to a lost person to stay on
the subject of salvation and to get the Gospel to him
some way before you leave.
I was visiting in the city of Hammond and knocked on
the door of a third-floor apartment. A man, his wife,
and four children lived there. I had the most difficult
time getting them unsaved, or shall I say, getting them
to admit they were unsaved.
"Are you a Christian?" I asked.
"Oh, yes," replied the man. "I have
been a Christian all my life, and my wife became a Christian
when she was three years old in the Catholic Church."
Of course, this did not ring true, so I backed up and
started again.
"Have you been saved?" I asked him.
"Oh, yes," he replied, "I have been
saved all my life, and my wife was saved when she was
three years old in the Catholic Church."
Again I backed off and tried. "Are you born again?"
"Oh, yes," he said. "I have been born
again all my life, and my wife was born again when she
was three years old in the Catholic Church."
"Well,'" I said, "since you are saved,
born again, and on your way to Heaven, let me show you
some Scriptures about Bible study so you and your family
can have Bible study together." (I was going to
show him Romans 3:10 and the plan of salvation and get
the Gospel to him.) Was I surprised when he answered
that he and his wife were taking a Bible correspondence
course from a fundamental school at that time!
"Are you sure you are regenerated?" I asked.
"Oh, yes," he answered. "I have been
regenerated all my life, and my wife was regenerated
when she was three years old in a Catholic Church."
(Boy, was I on the spot!)
Then I thought of a good idea. I said, "How would
you like for me to discuss the family altar with you
and show you how your family could pray together every
night?" (Once again I was going to start with Romans
3:10 and get the Gospel to him.)
"There is no need for that," he answered.
"Each of our children is required to have a private
prayer time each day, and we have a family altar each
night. We know how to do it because we do it regularly."
"Are you sure that you are God's child?"
I asked.
"Oh, yes. I have been God's child all my life,
and my wife became a child of God when she was three
years old in a Catholic Church," he answered.
To be quite honest with you, I could not think of a
single way to get the Gospel to him or even to get him
to admit he was lost. Prayerfully I continued my conversation,
and suddenly the Holy Spirit led me to say this: "My
dear brother, since you have such a good home, what
you need to do is have a formal dedication service for
your home. My, you take correspondence courses, you
study the Bible, you have family altar-you certainly
should have a regular formal dedication service for
your home."
His eyes lit up like headlights on a car! He liked
that idea tremendously. "When could you get a copy
of that service?" he asked.
"It just so happens I have a copy of it now,"
I answered.
"Aren't we lucky?" he said to his wife. "The
Pastor has a copy of this formal dedication service
with him."
He sent his children to the bedroom to dress. (They
were in pajamas already.) They came back with white
blouses and shirts on. His wife went in and fixed her
hair, and he went in and got a white shirt and tie on
and came back for the formal dedication service. I proceeded
with the service.
"In this service," I said, "we start
off with Scripture reading. My first Scripture is Romans
3:10." Then I read all the Scriptures I had been
trying to read for an hour, using them as Scriptures
for a dedication service of the home. After I had told
the entire plan of salvation using the "Roman Road,"
I then said, "Now let us bow our heads, please,
for our dedicatory prayer."
I prayed a prayer asking God to bless the home and
then asked the man to pray a prayer after me. He gladly
did. I inserted the sinner's prayer, "God be merciful
to me, a sinner, and save my soul. I do now receive
Jesus Christ as my Saviour and trust Him to take me
to Heaven when I die." Then I asked the wife to
pray the same prayer, followed by each child.
By the end of the prayer time, we were all weeping.
"That concludes the service," I said. "By
the way, when did you say you were saved?"
Then he replied, "I have been saved all my life,
and my wife was saved when she was three years old in
the Catholic Ch .... Oh, no, no, no! I just got saved
a minute ago when I prayed that prayer!"
"I did too," said the wife, and a little
revival meeting broke out.
It always pays to get the Gospel to everyone with whom
you talk. Get the Gospel to them some way. Many can
be reached.
SHE WALKED THE AISLE DURING THE OFFERTORY
A Catholic lady was saved in her home. She was asked
if she would be willing to make a public profession
of her faith in Christ. She inquired as to what this
meant. We told her that she should come forward in the
public invitation the next Sunday morning at our church.
This she agreed to do, but never having been in a Baptist
(or even a Protestant) service before, she was confused
about when to come forward. We simply told her, "When
the other people come forward, you come forward too."
She understood this. She said, "When do the other
people come forward?"
We explained to her that every Sunday many people come
forward professing their faith in Christ and that she
would see them coming down the aisle. We told her that
when she noticed others coming to the altar, she should
come to the altar too.
Sure enough, the next Sunday morning she was sitting
back in the back of the building next to the aisle and
waiting for the opportunity to present herself as a
new convert and follow the Lord in believers' baptism.
She had remembered very carefully that she was to walk
the aisle when the others walked the aisle. However,
never having been in a Baptist church before, she had
no idea when this would be in the service.
The service progressed as usual until offering time.
On the last stanza of the offertory, sixteen ushers
came down the aisles. Her mind began to click: "When
the others come forward, I am to come forward,"
she thought. Hence, she stepped into the aisle and followed
the ushers to the front.
Our ushers were trained to line up across the front;
she lined up with them, sixteen ushers and one lady.
They placed their hands behind their backs waiting for
the prayer; she placed her hands behind her back. (I
guess she thought this was "Men's Sunday"
as far as being saved was concerned.)
In many churches this would have ruined the service.
In our church it made the service. To the glory of God,
we stopped the offering and told the people that the
lady was making her public profession of faith in Jesus
Christ.
"IT'S WONDERFUL!"
Mr. Carter was his name. He was a cancer patient in
Baylor Hospital in Dallas, Texas. As I witnessed to
him, he was antagonistic. The harder I tried the more
angry he seemed to get. His rudeness embarrassed his
wife who was observing the conversation from a nearby
chair.
After seeming to have failed, I simply bowed my head
and began to pray. As I prayed, he suddenly shouted,
"I believe it, and it's wonderful!"
When I finished praying, I asked him if he had received
Jesus Christ as Saviour. He said, "I just did,
and it's wonderful!" He prayed a prayer of thanksgiving,
interrupting the prayer occasionally to say, "Lord,
it sure is wonderful!"
Upon completing his prayer, he turned to his wife and
said, "Honey, it is so wonderful to be a Christian.
You ought to be one, too."
"Well, I think I am a Christian," she replied.
"No, you ain't!" he said. "You ought
to try it and get what I got. It's wonderful!"
I then proceeded to tell her how to be saved, being
interrupted periodically by Mr. Carter's saying, "Do
it, honey. It's wonderful" She then began to pray
the sinner's prayer only to hear him say again and again,
"Ain't it wonderful, honey! Ain't it wonderful!"
She, too, received Christ as Saviour.
Salvation is not the result of a feeling, but isn't
it refreshing to be present when faith manifests itself
in joy?
I gave him a little Testament to read. Three weeks
later I was called to preach his funeral. As I approached
the pulpit of the funeral home in McKinney, Texas, I
noticed his hand on his heart and in his hand was the
Testament I had given him. "It was his last request,"
said Mrs. Carter. A new Christian like Mr. Carter best
described his salvation with the simple words, "It's
wonderful." As I left the hospital and as I left
the funeral home, as the soul winner I could best describe
my joy by simply saying, "It's wonderful!"
"I HAVE BROTHER HYLES' BLOOD IN ME"
A call came from the hospital that one of my members
whom I had won to Christ was seriously ill and in desperate
need of blood. My last impression was to contact as
many men as I could. They all went to the hospital,
but none of them had the right type blood.
It became so urgent that I even went to the hospital
to see if my blood were the right type. (Brother, that
is really urgent!) To my surprise and their delight,
my blood was the exact match.
As they were giving her the transfusion of my blood,
her color began to come back, and she faintly asked,
"Whose blood is this?"
The doctor answered that it was "Brother Hyles"
blood."
She opened her eyes and faintly whispered, "Oh
boy! I know I will go to Heaven now. I have some of
Brother Hyles' blood in me."
THEY COULDN'T GO TO THE MOVIE
In a former pastorate we visited the same home week
after week after week. A different couple from our church
went by each week. Finally it was decided the Pastor
should go by. I took with me a soul-winning partner;
we knocked on the door and waited for a response.
To my surprise, the man came to the door dressed up,
and all the family appeared prepared to go out for the
evening. They were sitting on the sofa and chairs in
the living room.
"Come on in," he said. "I have been
expecting you." Then he proceeded to tell me the
following story:
"We have been visited by your church every Thursday
night for weeks and weeks and weeks. We gave up watching
our favorite television programs. Tonight we had decided
to go to a movie to avoid having to listen to someone
else from your church. We got dressed and began to go
out to get in the car and go to a movie when I said
to my wife, 'I can't do it, I can't do it, I can't do
it!'
"You can't do what?" she asked.
"I can't leave home to go to a movie. I won't
enjoy it. All I will do is sit in the movie wondering
which nut from that church came by to see me tonight!'
(Little did he realize that nut was the Pastor.) 'My
curiosity would kill me if we went. Let's just get out
of the car, go back in the living room, sit there with
our good clothes on, and see who it is.'
"So come on in. I have been expecting you! I know
what you are going to say. I have heard it over and
over and over again. Now that my curiosity is satisfied,
get it over with."
I told him the same thing he had heard before, but
this time God spoke to his heart. He, his wife, and
his family received Christ as Saviour; and the next
Sunday morning they walked the aisle professing their
faith publicly.
He was baptized that night, as I remember, and became
one of the finest members of our church. The last I
heard of him, he was president of a school board for
a Christian school, and a successful businessman. He
and his family are still busy for God in their church.
I´M HALF JEW MYSELF
It is amazing how the Holy Spirit can give wisdom and
leadership to soul winners. A year or so ago I was out
soul winning on a typical soul-winning day. I knocked
on a door to make what I thought would be another average,
usual call.
Immediately upon hearing the purpose of my visit, the
little lady said that she was Jewish and would not be
at all interested. She was obviously cool to what I
was saying. I prayed for the Lord to give me wisdom
and for the Holy Spirit to lead me as I talked to her.
Suddenly I said, "I am glad to hear that you are
Jewish because I am half Jew myself." (With my
Texas' accent, I was somewhat less than impressive.)
She looked a little startled to find that I was half
Jew. I then proceeded to say, "And besides that,
I have an Elder Brother who is all Jew." This really
shook her up. I could tell that she did not have any
idea that I was talking about the fact that I had become
a new creature in Christ and that He was my Elder Brother.
Still she said nothing. (Perhaps she was stunned.)
I continued, "Yes, that is Right. I am half Jew,
my Elder Brother is all Jew, but any day now I will
become all Jew too."
By this time her curiosity led her to exclaim, "What
in the world are you talking about?" Then I explained
to her that Jesus, my "Elder Brother" was
born to Jewish parents and reared in a Jewish home.
I explained how I had been born again through faith
in Him and that now He had become my "Elder Brother."
Then I explained that Jesus was coming at any minute
to change me into His likeness.
I could tell she was very interested, and in a matter
of a few minutes she, too, had an Elder Brother who
was a Jew, was half Jewish herself, and was expecting
to be made in His likeness at any moment.
As you go soul winning, ask the Holy Spirit to lead
you. It is wonderful to follow His leading.
"PLEASE, JESUS, SAVE JIM!"
"Please, Jesus, save Jim. Please, Jesus, save
Jim."
These were the words spoken to God by a fine Christian
lady in many a prayer meeting. For months and months
I heard her pray, "Please, Jesus, save Jim. Please,
Jesus, save Jim." Sometimes she would crawl as
she prayed. I would remind her of God's promises, and
she would keep crying, "Please, Jesus save Jim."
Jim was her drunkard husband.
Months passed, and one Christmas night (Christmas came
on Sunday that year) Jim came to the services. He sat
on the back row in the left corner of the church. His
wife, strangely enough, was not sitting with him but
was sitting in the back of the auditorium near the middle.
How she had prayed again and again, "Please, Jesus,
save Jim." In the middle of my sermon that night,
Jim jumped up and said he could not wait any longer,
he had to get saved right then! I stopped the message,
received him at the altar, and he was marvelously converted.
Suddenly I heard a commotion coming from the back.
The salvation of her husband was more than she could
take. She started crying, "Thank you, Jesus, for
saving Jim!! Thank you, Jesus, for saving Jim!! Thank
you, Jesus, for saving Jim!!" She walked down the
aisle hugging everyone who was available and crying,
"Thank you, Jesus, for saving Jim." She came
to the platform and literally picked me up and shook
me like a bottle, all the time crying, "Thank you,
Jesus, for saving Jim!" (I felt like crying, "Please,
Jesus, save Jack!")
What a time we had that night as many others followed
Jim to the altar and received Christ as Saviour.
Keep on praying, keep on witnessing, keep on hoping,
keep on working-God's promises are for us as much as
for the lady mentioned above.
"BLESS ME, REVEREND"
A few years ago my mother was visiting in my home.
(At that time she lived in Texas.) It was my soul-winning
day, and so I asked Mother if she would like to go soul
winning with me. Though she was already in her seventies,
she consented to go, and we had a wonderful afternoon.
First we led a little lady to Christ in her beautiful
new home. (She is still a faithful member of our church.)
Then several minutes later and several miles away we
led a little lady to Christ who had an eight-year-old
daughter who was still the size of a baby, retarded,
afflicted, and blind. (Mother was particularly impressed,
as her first baby, born years ago, never walked or talked
until she died at the age of seven.)
We then went across the street and won a seventeen-year-old
girl whose entire life is spent in a wheelchair.
After these wonderful experiences, we then drove to
Indiana Harbor, which is several miles away, where we
had the name and address of a lady who was unsaved.
We drove down Main Street and found the address to be
a store building. After inquiring we were informed that
she lived in the rear of the store building in a humble
apartment.
She greeted us warmly in a Spanish accent; in fact,
she spoke with very broken English. How pleased she
was that a pastor had come to see her. She asked me
if I had come to bless her. Knowing that if she got
saved, she would be blessed, I replied affirmatively.
Oh, how pleased she was that the pastor had come by
to bless her!
Then upon hearing that she could be forgiven of her
sins by coming to God for herself, that all the penance
had been paid by Jesus on the cross, that she could
pray to God for herself, and that she herself could
even become a priest, she was so ready to accept salvation
as a gift from God. After she had prayed the "sinner's
prayer," she assured me of her intentions to walk
the aisle the next Sunday. (This she did.) As I started
to leave, she said, "Father, you forgot to bless
me!" Then I explained to her that God would have
to bless her, but I would pray with her and for her.
How faithful she was through the years. Every Sunday
she would make it a point to come to me between Sunday
school and preaching to give me a word of encouragement
and a warm smile. Though she was up in years and lived
with a son many miles from our church, she got up early
every Sunday and came these miles. Many of these Sundays
she had to ride a bus.
She was poor (but rich); she was simple (but great).
When she would go on a trip, she would always drop a
card to the pastor. Sometimes the words were misspelled,
but love was obvious in every line.
There was only one heartache in her life, and that
was her unsaved son. Again and again she requested prayer,
and again and again she asked what it would take for
her son to be saved. How burdened she was for his salvation!
Then one week upon returning from vacation, a note
was in my box telling me that "a Mrs. Rodriguez"
had died. She had been buried in my absence. She was
just "a Mrs. Rodriguez" to most of the people
in the church, and to many she was just a little hard-to-understand
Spanish-speaking lady who sat back in the back during
the service. Her offerings were never big, her talents
were few, but I felt that I had lost a real friend.
My mind wandered back to the afternoon my mother and
I had been in her home to "bless her."
The following Sunday morning I told the story in my
message. At the end of the message, who do you think
came forward receiving Christ as Saviour? It was her
son. Now in Heaven she has found out what it would take
to win him.
Though this dear lady has gone to Heaven, her son still
attends the services of the First Baptist Church of
Hammond.
I STAYED IN THE GIRLS´ DORMITORY
Once I spoke at a Bible Institute in Georgia. When
I arrived at the college, I was taken to my room. Was
I surprised to find that I was staying in the girls'
dormitory! Yes, you got it right the girls' dormitory.
This was enough of a shock, but that wasn't all. I stayed
in the back corner of the girls' dormitory, which meant
that I had to walk past all of the rooms and through
a big parlor to get to my room. In the parlor there
were sofas, pianos, etc. where the girls would lounge.
Hence, when I entered the dormitory I had to cry loudly,
"THERE'S A MAN IN THE HOUSE!" Then the girls
would scamper, each to her own room, peeking out the
door to be sure I was safely tucked away in my own room
before they came out again. What embarrassment! Can
you imagine coming in after a service at night, hollering
loudly, "There's a man in the house!" and
then walking awkwardly past the dormitory doors and
down the parlor to your room!
We had a wonderful conference. On the closing night
I spoke on a burden for lost sinners. After a wonderful
service and a time of fellowship around the altar with
many of the people, I returned to my room. For the last
time I was to walk into the dormitory, holler loudly,
"There's a man in the house!" and timidly
walk down the middle of that parlor that seemed to be
a four-lane highway down the middle of Main Street.
To my surprise, however, all the girls were waiting
for me at the door. I immediately thought perhaps they
were giving me a little farewell party. Then I noticed
that each girl had her housecoat on, her hair rolled
up, and the usual "junk" on her face. Can
you feature how I felt when I walked in the dormitory
to find all those girls waiting for me in such a condition?
(I guess I felt like Solomon when he came home at night!)
When I inquired as to the purpose of their waiting
up for me, they all began to praise the Lord with tears
running down their cheeks, telling me of some wonderful
things that had happened. Several of them had gotten
so burdened for their loved ones that they had come
back to the dorm and made long-distance calls to them.
Several loved ones had been saved over the telephone.
What a tremendous revival we had as we rejoiced over
the salvation of mothers and fathers!
One girl had called long distance to Pennsylvania,
and with a sobbing voice she won her daddy to the Lord
Jesus Christ.
Winning folks on the telephone is not really a new
thing with many soul winners. It has been my joy to
win several people to Christ over the telephone. Just
a few months ago, after our evening service, a young
man was so under conviction that he called me and said
that he had to get saved immediately. I told him over
the phone how to be saved. I prayed with him; he prayed
the "sinner's prayer" and was sweetly converted
over the telephone. The next Sunday morning he came
forward and was baptized.
There is a fine lady in our church now whom I led to
Christ over the telephone a few years ago. This is just
another way of winning souls for the Lord Jesus Christ.
As I left the Bible Institute I was made to rejoice
that I had stayed in the girls' dormitory. My awkward
walk and timid crying of "There's a man in the
house!" became worth it all as many of the girls
had become telephone soul winners.
SAVED ON THE EXPRESSWAY
One of the darkest days in a pastor's life is when
he leaves a church where God's blessings have rested
through the years. Such was August 23, 1959, when our
family left the Miller Road Baptist Church of Garland,
Texas. The day was brightened, however, with a wonderful
experience.
Two couples had driven from Fort Worth, Texas, (about
fifty miles away) to be in our services. One of the
men introduced himself as being someone whom I had won
to Christ. Since I did not recall such an experience,
I asked him when this took place. Then he told me a
wonderful story. These were about his words:
"I was driving down the expressway one morning
about 6:00 on my way to work when I decided I would
like to hear some music on my car radio. The first station
I got was carrying a program that was a religious one,
and some fellow named Jack Hyles was hollering, 'You
better get born again or you will go to Hell!'
"The program was obnoxious to me. I even cursed
as I turned it off and made note of its location on
the dial so I would not make that mistake again. The
next morning on the expressway about the same time,
I decided to look for some music but watched the dial
very carefully so I would not even get close to this
'Hyles' fellow.
"The more music I heard, the more my curiosity
was roused as I wondered what that nut was saying this
morning. Finally my curiosity insisted that I turn him
on again. I liked him even less than I had the day before.
Again I cursed him and wondered why the F.C.C. would
allow him to remain on the air.
"The next morning at the same time and the same
place I looked for music when again my curiosity got
the best of me and I wondered what he was screaming
about this time. Again I turned to the same station.
Again I was disgusted. Again I cursed. But this particular
morning as I reached for the dial to change the station,
you, Brother Hyles, said,
'Hey, you on that expressway, don't touch that dial.'
I was startled but obeyed.
"Then you said, 'Now pull the car over beside
the expressway and stop.' This I did. Then to my surprise
you said, 'Now open the door and get out of the car.'
I found myself obeying again, and even obeyed you when
you said, 'Now get on your knees beside the car and
ask God to save you.'
"Praise the Lord, I did what you said, and I was
saved beside the expressway shortly after 6:00 that
morning! Now I have driven from Fort Worth this morning
to thank you for winning me to Christ."
The strange thing about the entire story is that I
do not remember making such statements (I hardly ever
remember anything I say that early in the morning),
but I do recall that for a number of years I broadcasted
live from the auditorium from 6:05 to 6:30 a.m. over
KSKY in Dallas.
I thought this was a wonderful story but had little
hope that the fellow would hold out considering the
uniqueness of his conversion. A few years later I was
preaching at the Rolling Hills Baptist Church in Fort
Worth, Texas, on a New Year's Bible Conference program
when I told this remarkable story. After the sermon
a fellow walked up, put his hand out, and with quivering
lips and moist eyes said, "I am that man, and I
am now preaching the Gospel."
THE PRODIGAL SON
As a young preacher I was invited to preach a revival
meeting at a rather large church in Houston, Texas.
I was told as I entered the elaborate auditorium that
the church was not emotional and that emotional practices
and methods should not be used. (Boy, did this cramp
my style!) It was a very formal church with much ritual.
I preached Sunday night and nothing happened. Monday
night nothing happened. Tuesday night nothing happened.
Wednesday night nothing happened. I prayed nearly all
night Wednesday for God to give us revival. About 5
o'clock in the morning sweet assurance came that we
would have revival. I went to bed for a few hours sleep
with the perfect peace that revival was coming that
night.
That night after I had preached, a lady whom I had
won to Christ in the afternoon came forward; but during
the sermon the strangest thing happened.
I preached on the subject, "The Prodigal Son."
It was the fifteenth time I had preached that particular
sermon, and it was my custom to name the characters
in the story. I had always called the prodigal son "Bill"
and his brother "John." I would explain that
Bill went off to a far country and spent all, while
the brother, John, stayed with the father.
This particular evening I started the sermon something
like this: "Tonight I am preaching about two brothers.
One was named..." (To save me I could not think
of the name "Bill.") I told a little more
of the story, hoping that I could think of the name
of the prodigal son as I told it. Then I said again,
"This boy who left his father and went into a far
country was named…er...ah..." (My mind was
still blank. I could not think of the name "Bill"
to save me.) I told some more of the story, and finally
in desperation I shouted, "His name was...er...ah...ah...his
name was John!"
Now I had used the brother's name for the prodigal
son. So I thought I would use the prodigal son's name
for the brother and simply exchange names for the sermon.
I said, "His name was John, and his brother's name
was..." (I still couldn't think of the name, "Bill.")
So I backed up and tried again. After having for the
first time called the prodigal son John instead of Bill,
I again said, "His brother's name was..."
and still I could not think of "Bill."
By that time some folks were snickering a bit, and
I said emotionally, "His brother's name was...er...ah...er...ah...oh,
his brother didn't have a real name. They just called
him 'Little Bud.'" So I proceeded to call Bill
"John" and John "Little Bud."
Boy, did I have a time with that sermon, trying to
remember to call Bill "John" and John "Little
Bud" and not even remembering the name "Bill"
at all. I finally stumbled through the message, gave
the invitation, and let my mind wander back to the prayer
meeting I had the night before and the assurance that
I thought God had given me that revival was coming that
night. Certainly revival could not come out of this
message, I thought.
Just before the invitation dosed, a young man walked
toward the aisle. When he got to the aisle he turned
to walk to the rear of the building. When he got to
the back row, he stepped over some people and threw
his arms around a lady sitting in the center of the
back pew. They both began crying and rejoicing. They
broke to the aisle, literally ran down the aisle, and
fell on their faces in the altar.
The Chairman of the Deacon Board was sitting on the
front row. When he saw what happened, he fell on his
face and hugged both the young man and the woman. Suddenly
the Pastor literally jumped into the altar weeping and
praising the Lord. The choir was so overcome they could
not continue singing the invitation song. Real revival
broke out. (To save my soul, I could not imagine what
was happening; I just knew I liked it.) Finally the
Pastor composed himself enough to ask me to lead the
closing prayer. This I did, and confused as I could
be, I walked toward the exit door.
Suddenly I felt a hand on my shoulder. The church secretary
literally pulled me around and shouted, "How did
you know?"
"How did I know what?" I asked.
"How did you know to preach on the prodigal son?"
she said. "A year ago the twenty-year-old son of
our Deacon Chairman left home and had not been seen
since. To our surprise, when we arrived at church tonight,
there he sat. He was the young man who came forward.
His mother was the lady on the back pew. His father
is the Chairman of our deacons. He came home tonight
just as the prodigal son did! Who told you that he was
here so that you could preach on the prodigal son?"
Knowing nothing about the story, I was beginning to
see the picture of how God had given revival. I turned
to go back to my room and praise the Lord for the wonderful
victories, and suddenly the secretary turned me around
again and said, "Who told you his name was John?"
I was stunned beyond speech. My "mistake"
was the leadership of the Holy Spirit, and it was He
who made me forget the name "Bill."
By this time I needed to get to my room to rejoice
when she turned me around again and said, "And
who told you that he has a little brother who stayed
at home whose nickname is 'Little Bud'?"
I returned to my room rejoicing that God has chosen
the weak things of this world to confound the wise and
that in our weakness we are made strong.
SAVED ON THE WAY TO PRISON
A little lady stood timidly at the Greyhound Bus Station
in Dallas, Texas, trying to generate enough courage
to pass out a Gospel tract. Finally this little introvert
took a few from her purse and gave one to each passenger
boarding a Greyhound bus. It was 7:00 in the morning.
A few days later I received a letter from the state
penitentiary in Huntsville, Texas. As I dictate this
experience, I hold the letter in my hand. May I quote
from the letter, which is over thirteen years old:
"Dear Jack F. Hyles and Mrs..... I am writing
this to tell you about myself and what a wonderful job
I think you all are doing trying to bring God's Word
to sinners like myself.
"I will tell you about myself. I have been to
Texas prison two times and have lost my family, my wife,
and three children. I lost them and then it seemed I
didn't have anything to live for or anyone to care what
happened to me. So when I was released from prison last
May the 2nd I started drinking and got in trouble again.
I have a crippled leg but no one would give me a job
so I could do the thing I wanted for my babies. They
are in Buckner's Orphans Home in Dallas and I don't
know where my wife is. My babies think I am working
in Huntsville. They don't know I am in prison.
"Here is how I got this little tract from one
who cares. I was standing in the Greyhound Bus Station
on January 16 around 7:00 a.m. I had just got out of
the county jail in Dallas. I was in a deep study about
what to do and where to go as I thought I was all alone
in this world. Someone walked up by me and handed me
this tract and smiled and went on. Then I looked down
and read it and started thinking about what it says
and made up my mind to get this life of mine straight
and live for our Lord and Saviour and try in some way
to take God's Word. I know down in my own heart that
I was never alone. God was with me and waiting for me
to open my hand, heart, and mind and let Him come in.
I know in my heart how wonderful life can be with our
Lord. I have been down to the bottom drinking and in
prison. I know that if you will ask, you shall receive.
I know He will help sinners. I wish there was just some
way I could put it on paper what He had done for me
and what He means to me.
"Tell Mrs .... she will never know how happy she
has helped make my life by just handing me that tract
that morning. May God bless and take care of you all
and keep you. Carry on your work for God. Mr. E.R.H."
What a wonderful story about what a little bit can
do! But the story doesn't end there!
A little over a year passed. One Sunday night at our
church in Garland, Texas, after we had had several come
forward for salvation, a man came down the aisle and
said, "My name is E.R.H. A little over a year ago
I wrote a letter from the penitentiary telling you how
I was saved through a tract given me by a little lady
at the Greyhound Bus Station at 7:00 a.m. on January
16. I am now out of the penitentiary and have come many
miles to see if I could meet Mrs ..... and thank her
for winning me to Christ."
What an impressive and spiritual scene when Mrs...,
short and thin and timid, extended her hand to the convert
and received his gratitude for her winning him to Jesus.
"KEEP PREACHING IT"
A number of years ago in the Miller Road Baptist Church
of Garland, Texas, a retired preacher came to visit
our services, and then began one of the sweetest of
life's experiences.
He had been preaching for nearly a half a century and
had known personally Billy Sunday, Paul Radar, and many
of the old patriarchs. The old preacher's name was James
Moore. He looked like I think Moses must have looked
in that he had snow-white hair and a sweet, Christian
smile. He was in poor health, and his voice was squeaky
from preaching thousands of sermons.
We secured for him a platform rocker and let him sit
in the altar during the services. He would rock as I
preached, clapping his little hands together and faintly
saying, "Amen, amen, amen."
Oftentimes he would come to me after a service and
say, "That was good preaching, Billy." I would
remind him that my name was Jack, not Billy, and he
would reply, "Oh, that's right. You preach so much
like Billy Sunday, I thought you were he." I would
hug him and kiss him and thank him for his encouragement.
Regularly he would come by on Monday morning just to
remind me of a mistake that he made when he was a kid
preacher. It was always the same mistake I had made
the Sunday before. Yet he never once criticized me;
he was always telling of "his" mistakes. Many
a Monday morning I hugged him and kissed his bearded
chin. He was a dear, sweet encouragement to me.
One Sunday night near midnight a call came from the
local hospital. The nurse there said that an old, white-haired
man was dying and was calling for a "Brother Jack."
Knowing that I preferred the word "brother"
to "reverend" and that my first name was Jack,
she thought that perhaps he was calling for me. Immediately
I rushed down to the hospital to find that it was my
dear Brother Moore who was dying. He had just suffered
a heart attack that was to be fatal. As I walked in
he looked up, and with a breathy voice he said,
"Come in, Brother Jack. I am just about to go
to Heaven. In just a few minutes I plan to see Peter,
James, John, Elijah, Moses, and others. Is there anything
you want me to tell them for you?"
To save my life, I could not think of anything to have
him tell Elijah for me. I just hadn't thought lately
about what I wanted to tell Moses, Paul, and Peter;
so timidly I said, "Tell them 'Hi!'"
Then he spoke to me about some things he wanted me
to do for him after he went to Heaven. (These things
I carried out to the letter after he died.)
Then he did something that you could tell was planned.
He took the oxygen mask off his face, reached out his
hands and placed them around my right hand, looked at
me, and forced his last words. They were, "Brother
Jack, …k-k-keep...preachin' it!"
He placed his right hand over his heart, formed a cross
with his left arm over his right, and dropped his head
to his chest, whereupon I thought that I must be hearing
the rustling of angel's wings. I stepped out in the
hall as the angels came and took his spirit to the presence
of his Saviour.
After I felt the job was finished, I stepped back in
the room. His head was still on his chest, and his arms
were still crossed. All that could die of him had died,
and I bowed my head and promised the Lord that I would
"keep preachin' it."
"I DON'T FEEL IT"
Salvation is not the result of a feeling but the result
of faith. Though sometimes a feeling comes as a result
of salvation, I think there is a definite danger in
stressing the feeling, for anyone who knows the plan
of salvation and trusts his eternity in it is saved.
When some are saved, they cry; others laugh; some do
nothing. Occasionally, however, a person is saved who
expresses his joy in a unique way.
Such was the case of a lady who visited our services
in Garland, Texas, where I pastored for nearly seven
years. Her daughters had been saved in our church, and
she would attend on Sunday evenings though she was a
strong Catholic. Her daughters would pray fervently
for her salvation, but her answer was always a negative
one. She did, however, enjoy coming to our services.
She thought my preaching was, to say the least, unique,
and she came with her daughters often to hear me.
She was a lady of refinement and some means, and I
prayed diligently that God would save her. One Sunday
night I felt impressed to go back and speak with her
during the invitation. "Wouldn't you like to be
saved?" I asked.
"Yes, I would," she replied, "but I
don't feel anything. When I get saved, I am going to
feel it.'"
"Salvation is not a feeling," I said. "It
is by grace through faith."
"But I want to feel it," she replied.
"Forget the feeling," I said.
Then she said, "Pastor, if I ever get saved, I
am going to have a feeling before I do."
A little bit frustrated and irritated, I said, "Come
on to the altar, and let's see if we can get it."
She then said, "It won't do any good. I don't
feel anything." But she did follow me reluctantly
to the altar.
When she got there, I said, "Now let's kneel and
pray."
"It won't do any good. I don't feel anything,"
she said.
Like a general of the Army, I said, "Kneel anyway!"
She knelt, making a "cross" as she did, and
placed her hands under her chin like a little child
saying "nighty-night" prayers. Then she said,
"This is silly. I don't feel anything, Pastor."
I then prayed for God to convict her and save her.
Then I asked her to pray. "It won't do any good,"
she said. "I don't feel anything."
I replied, "Pray anyway. Ask God to have mercy
on your soul and save you from your sins. Tell Him that
you are trusting Jesus today."
"But I don't feel it," she said.
I said abruptly, "Pray anyway!"
She began to pray cautiously and doubtfully. "Dear...Lord
.... have mercy on... me a...sinner…and save-Brother
Hyles, I think I am beginning to feel it-my soul. I
DO NOW RECEIVE JESUS-I am feeling more, Brother Hyles!-as
my Saviour and trust Him to take me to Heaven. I FEEL
IT NOW! I FEEL IT NOW! I FEEL IT NOW!" she cried.
She continued praying the "sinner's prayer"
and put her faith in Jesus Christ as her Saviour. One
of her daughters, who is not a real emotional person,
suddenly stood to her feet and said, "Hallelujah!
Mother just got saved." She was baptized shortly
afterwards and is still a faithful Christian. One of
her daughters is now the wife of a successful pastor.
Of course, she was not saved by "feeling it."
She was saved by trusting Jesus. However, it is certainly
an occasional refreshment when someone enjoys salvation
enough to be demonstrative. The secret to all of it
was the praying and witnessing of those two daughters
and the fact that they were not weary in well doing.
Paul reminds us in Galatians 6:9, "And let us not
be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap,
if we faint not.”
HE´S A DEACON NOW
I thank God for every conversion and certainly minimize
none, but occasionally there comes across our path an
unusual experience of salvation that makes us rejoice
more than usual.
In our church we have a fine lady with three wonderful
children who for years prayed for their unsaved husband
and dad. Our church prayed, and my own heart was burdened
about his salvation. Again and again we witnessed to
him, but to no avail.
Recently his son was preparing to go to Tennessee Temple
College, and it came to the last week of his life at
home with his dad still unsaved. I became especially
burdened about him that particular week, and I simply
had to go by to see him again. The son was to leave
for college at noon on Sunday, immediately following
the morning service. I went by on Saturday to make one
last effort to give the young man a Christian father
at least one day while living at home.
As usual, the father was courteous but seemingly disinterested
in becoming a Christian.
I left the home that Saturday with a heavy heart, feeling
that I had failed. Trying to salvage something out of
the visit, I pleaded with the man to come to church
with his family the following day. I said, "Paul,
you only have one more chance to sit in church with
your son before he goes off to college."
The next morning their 13-year old daughter rushed
to me saying, "Dad's here! Dad's here! Dad's here!"
The boy going away to college caught me in the hall
and said, "Pray for Dad. He is here!"
Hundreds of our people were thrilled and electrified
to see him in the service. Hundreds were praying during
the entire service for the salvation of this one man.
(Bear in mind, the son was leaving for college as soon
as the service ended.)
The invitation came. He did not come forward. His son
put his arm around his dad and pleaded with him to be
saved. Still the answer was "no." The invitation
was now coming toward its close when I felt I simply
had to go back and speak to Paul.
"Paul," I said, "this is the last chance
you will ever have to look at your family while they
are all at home and say to them, 'You have a Christian
father.' In a few minutes your son will leave home for
the last time. Let him say good-bye to a Christian dad."
I could say no more. I was weeping so much I could not
speak, when suddenly Paul broke for the aisle, came
to the altar, and received Christ.
During the rest of the invitation I kept saying to
my Music Director, "Have the choir sing louder."
He reminded me after the service that the choir could
hardly sing at all for weeping.
In a matter of a few minutes Paul, as a Christian,
said good-bye to his son. That night during the invitation,
Paul reached over to his wife and said, "I don't
have to sweat so much now!"
In a few days I received a lovely letter from the daughter
telling me about her new daddy and what a wonderful
dad he had become. I doubt if he has missed any service-Sunday
morning, Sunday night, or Wednesday night-since he was
saved. He is truly "a new creature."
Just recently the aforementioned convert was dedicated
to be a deacon at the First Baptist Church of Hammond.
He is one of our most faithful and active members.
SHE WON SEVEN PEOPLE ONE HOUR AFTER HER HUSBAND DIED
God's people should witness at every opportunity. Ezekiel
24:18 is a striking passage of Scripture that tells
us that Ezekiel obeyed God's commandment the next morning
after the death of his wife.
One Sunday morning two very attractive ladies came
to visit our services. They were neatly dressed, but
it was obvious that they were not regular church-going
people. They were very striking in their apparel and
attractive in their appearance. Each lady was perhaps
near 25 years of age.
I met them at the front door and welcomed them to the
services. "Is Pastor Hyles here?” they asked.
"I am Pastor Hyles," I replied.
"Well, we have come to get religion," they
said. (Oh, brother! There are millions of people who
already have religion but who are in desperate need
of Jesus Christ and the new birth.)
I asked them why they had this sudden urge for religion.
They replied that the night before they had been to
a movie and seen "A Man Called Peter," the
story of the late Peter Marshall, who for a number of
years was Chaplain of the Senate. They said that this
movie had stirred them to realize their need of religion.
Since I am not for Hollywood movies or the usual "religion,"
I pursued the conversation even further.
They stayed for the message, and they got more than
religion. Both of them were born again that morning.
The next Sunday each lady brought her husband. Both
of the men were very handsome and charming. They, too,
received Christ as personal Saviour and were born from
above. All four of the young adults made beautiful Christians
and served the Lord faithfully.
One day I received a call about noon that one of the
young men had been taken to the hospital. That morning
on the job he had taken a severe headache and lapsed
into unconsciousness. I rushed to the hospital and arrived
just at the time of his death.
As I walked in and began to speak a few words of comfort
to the wife, she said through her tears, "Come
in, Brother Hyles. I want you to meet a friend whom
I won to Jesus Christ just as my husband was dying."
I could hardly believe my ears! To think that while
her husband was lying a corpse she could sweetly introduce
me to a new convert whom she had just led to the Saviour!
She assured me that God's grace was sufficient, and
I told her that I would meet her at her home an hour
later to discuss plans for the funeral service.
When I arrived at her house, she said, "Come,
Pastor. I want you to meet some new converts."
Then she introduced me to six people that she had won
to Christ since I had talked to her an hour before in
the hospital. These were people who had come to give
her consolation and had found salvation.
Think of it! In approximately one hour following her
husband's death, she had won seven people to Jesus Christ.
This lovely, charming, and talented young lady had found
something real and even better than religion. She had
realized that a Christian should seize upon every opportunity
to win others to Christ.
SEVEN PEOPLE WON BECAUSE THE PREACHER PAID THE BREAD
MAN
At the First Baptist Church we try to reach all classes
of people, but much of our time, effort, and money is
spent in an attempt to reach those for whom few really
care. The work with the deaf, the class for the Spanish-speaking
people taught in the Spanish language, the class for
the retarded children, the work with the educable slow
who are teenagers and adults, the church-owned rescue
mission, the many bus routes, and other things are but
expressions of our love for the often unwanted ones.
One of our works has to do with the poor and hungry.
One day while in one of my more unselfish moods (which
come far too seldom, I think), I took a ten-dollar bill,
changed it into smaller money, and went to a poor section
of town to see what fun I could have giving it away.
I saw about forty little children on a playground watching
the ice cream man go by. I called him back, and you
should have seen the faces of the little children as
they were awarded their ice cream bars. (Many of them
still come to our Sunday school.)
While walking around the poor neighborhood, I noticed
a bread truck stopping in front of a house. The bread
man got out, put two loaves of bread in front of the
door, and knocked. I watched him pick up the bread and
start back to the truck after finding no one at home.
I stopped him and inquired as to why he was not leaving
the bread.
"These people don't pay their bills," he
said.
"How much do they owe?" I asked.
"$1.67." I took some change from my pocket
and paid their bill.
"Do you live here?" he asked.
"No," I replied.
"Are you a member of the family?"
Again the answer was, "No."
"Oh," he said, "just a good friend."
Again I replied in the negative.
With a puzzled look, he asked, "Do you even KNOW
these people?"
"No, I do not."
I will never forget the look on his face as he scratched
his head and said, "What are you, some kind of
a nut?"
"Yes, I guess that is what you think I am,"
I replied, "some kind of a nut."
About that time an old car drove up behind the bread
truck, and a very poorly-dressed lady got out and ran
to the bread man. "How much do I owe you?"
she asked.
With the puzzled look still on his face, he replied,
"Nothing. This fellow just paid the bill for you."
"Who are you?" she asked.
"I am Brother Jack Hyles, Pastor of the First
Baptist Church in Hammond."
In just a few minutes I won seven people in the family
to Jesus Christ, and they all were baptized the next
Sunday morning.
One of the greatest sins of the New Testament church
is that we have forgotten the down-and-out, the needy,
the handicapped, the lonely, and the unloved. There
are many people in your neighborhood and mine that could
be reached if the church had a heart.
The family mentioned above is still faithful in their
attendance to a fundamental church.
SAVED ON HIS SON´S CASKET
It was a typical Sunday morning at the Miller Road
Baptist Church in Garland, Texas. At that time, the
church was very small. A lovely young lady walked in
carrying a baby in her arms. At the end of the message
when the invitation was given, with the baby still in
her arms she walked the aisle, receiving Christ as her
Saviour.
Two days later I went by to see her husband. He was
in the garage working on the lawn mower. I told him
the way of salvation, and he received Christ immediately.
A few days later the aforementioned lady's brother
moved in with them. Two of our men went by, and they
led him to Jesus Christ. Shortly afterwards, the brother
was killed in a car accident. At his funeral I told
the story of the three conversions mentioned above.
At the end of the message, the deceased boy's father
stood to his feet and said, "Preacher, I would
like to be saved." He then stepped toward the aisle
of the little funeral chapel, walked to the front, threw
himself over the body of his 25-year-old son, and received
Christ as Saviour. When this happened, others followed,
and the sweet revival atmosphere permeated the funeral
home.
What happens to converts like these? The last I heard,
the man who was won in the garage became the Superintendent
of the Sunday school of a church in Colorado and then
later at a church in Texas. The man who was saved leaning
over the form of his son? At last report he was Chairman
of the Board at a Methodist Church.
Whether in the altar of a church with a babe in arms,
in the living room of a home, in the garage repairing
a lawn mower, or in a funeral chapel, it pays to go
soul winning.
WINNING THE “MEANEST MAN IN TOWN”
Sunday morning nothing happened. Sunday night nothing
happened. Monday night no one was saved. Tuesday night
nothing happened.
I was preaching a revival meeting in a little country
town that was reputed to be literally filled with bootleggers.
Discouraged, I went to my room after several nights
and resolved to pray all night if needs be for revival
to come. In the wee hours of the morning, God gave me
the answer: Since there were so many bootleggers here,
why not try to win the meanest man in town?
At breakfast the next morning I asked the pastor who
he thought was the meanest of the bootleggers-in other
words. the meanest man in town. He immediately gave
me the name. (Let's call him Mr. J.D.) I said, "Let's
go see him."
"Not on your life," replied the pastor.
"Then I will go alone, but I wonder what he is
going to say when I tell him that you said he was the
meanest man in town?"
"Let's go," said the pastor.
We drove up in front of the bootlegger's little shack,
which was just barely large enough for a bed. He was
out in the front yard cooking breakfast on a piece of
iron over a homemade fire. He lived in a typical hermit
fashion with no kitchen and no table, just cooking out
of doors and roughing it. It was just about sunup when
we got out of the car.
I walked up to him, stuck out my hand, and said, "Are
you J.D.?"
"Yes, I am," he replied gruffly.
With forced courage I said, "I understand you
are the meanest man in town."
He abruptly asked, "Who said that?" The pastor
gulped. (This is putting it mildly!)
"Never mind," I replied. "I just wanted
to tell you something. This is a wicked town, and when
it goes to Hell, it will be on your hands. If you got
right with God, scores of others would too. Not only
will you face your own sins, but you will face the sins
of the entire area. I have come to tell you how to get
right with God."
I proceeded to go down the "Roman Road" with
him, and to my delight, and yes, even surprise, he dropped
to his knees beside the improvised stove and received
Christ as Saviour.
Word spread around the little town like a prairie fire
that J.D. had "gotten religion" and that he
was going to "join the church" that night.
So they came from far and near to see if it could be
true. Sure enough, there was J.D. sitting right in the
middle of the auditorium, all dressed up in his Sunday-go-to-meetin'
clothes. Many bootleggers were there-some in the audience,
some looking in, and some sitting in their cars on the
outside.
When the invitation came, old J. D. pulled down his
coattail, stepped out in the aisle, and, walking like
the county sheriff, made his profession of faith in
Christ. Eleven others followed, and the little town
saw revival in the next few days,
There are no impossible cases! Again and again in the
Word of God we are reminded that no one is beyond the
reach of God's love and grace.
AT THE WRONG HOUSE
I was visiting a Mrs. Turner on Indiana Street. Now,
Indiana Street is only one block from Truman Street.
Since the words "Turner" and "Truman"
are a lot alike, I accidentally went to Truman Street
instead of Indiana Street. I came to the right number,
however, knocked on the door, and asked if Mrs. Turner
were in.
"No," she said, "My name is McDowell."
I said, "This is Indiana Street, isn't it?"
She said, "No, this is Truman Street," and
then I realized that I had the right number but the
wrong street.
I turned to walk away when suddenly the Holy Spirit
prompted me to witness to Mrs. McDowell. I told her
my name and where I was from, and immediately she went
into near-hysteria. When she finally gained control
of her emotions, she said, "I can't believe it,
for when you knocked on the door, I was on my knees
next to my sofa asking God to send a preacher by to
tell me how to be saved."
>From then on it was easy. I did tell her how to
be saved, and she did receive Christ. I thought I was
on Indiana Street looking for Mrs. Turner; the Holy
Spirit led me to Truman Street to win a Mrs. McDowell.
A similar experience took place a few years ago when,
as I was winning a little lady, she prayed, "Dear
Lord, thank you for answering my prayer of this morning
that you would send a preacher by my house today."
A few days ago I was in Texas and saw one of my converts,
a Mrs. Tillett, whom I won to Christ years ago after
finding I had the wrong house. I had knocked on the
door and asked for a certain lady.
"She lives a few houses down," answered the
lady at this house.
"But are you a Christian?" I asked Mrs. Tillett.
She began to weep, and in a few moments I led her to
Christ.
Shortly afterward her husband was saved, and a few
days ago we rejoiced with each other about this experience
which took place many years ago.
One of the ladies saved at the wrong house is still
a faithful attender of the services at the First Baptist
Church of Hammond.
THE CEDAR PULPIT
When in my early twenties I was out soul winning one
day in a little East Texas town called Marshall, where
I attended college and where I pastored for three and
a half years. I drove out on the Longview Highway to
visit a Mrs. Clark. There in a beautiful brick home
I led her to the Lord Jesus Christ.
As soon as she was saved, she began to beg me to go
across town and witness to her unsaved sister, Mrs.
Hamilton. I promised her that I would, and in a few
moments I was on my way. Since Mrs. Clark lived several
miles west of Marshall and Mrs. Hamilton lived at the
extreme east end of Marshall, it took me about twenty-five
minutes to make the drive.
When I arrived at Mrs. Hamilton's house, I knocked
on the door and she answered very quickly. I said, "My
name is Jack Hyles. I just won your sister to Christ,
and she was very insistent that I drive over and tell
you how to be saved."
"Oh, yes," said Mrs. Hamilton. "I am
already saved. My sister couldn't wait until you got
here. She called me on the phone and led me to Jesus
Christ"
The next Sunday both couples came forward during the
invitation and professed publicly their faith in Jesus
Christ. Mr. Hamilton made me a lovely cedar pulpit,
and to this day the same pulpit is used in that little
country church.
Isn't it refreshing to find a new Christian winning
souls so soon?
THE FRIENDLESS RANCHER
He was a 72-year-old rancher with a beautiful diamond
ring, and obviously a man of great wealth. He sat down
beside me, and I struck up a conversation. "Where
do you live?" I asked, as we traveled on a TWA
jet airliner.
He said, "On a ranch between Phoenix and Tucson."
I asked him about the size of the ranch, and he informed
me that there were hundreds of acres and many houses
with scores of workers. He was obviously a big-time
operator.
"Do you and your wife live alone in your ranch
house?" I asked.
"My wife died a few months ago," he said.
This was my cue.
Then I asked, "Do you ever think about having
someone come and live with you?"
"Oh," he said, "if I could find somebody
who would come and live with me, a friend to keep me
company, I'd give anything in the world." He had
chauffeurs and servants, and he owned a big ranch with
hundreds of acres, but he was as lonely as he could
be.
I said, "I know Somebody Who would come and live
with you."
"You do? Does he live in Phoenix?"
I said, "He sure does. He lives everywhere."
He said, "Who is it?"
I proceeded to tell him about the Lord Jesus Christ
and how He indwells all who put their trust in Him.
I told him that Jesus is a "friend that sticketh
closer than a brother," and that once a person
trusted Him, he would never be left or forsaken.
This wealthy old rancher began to tremble and weep,
and on the TWA jet airliner he bowed his head and unashamedly
prayed the "sinner's prayer." I then led him
to assurance that Christ was with him and in him. He
believed and was happily converted.
As I got off the plane, he winked at me and gave me
the "high sign."
"We'll be seeing you," he said.
Yes, it was "we" then, for he would have
Someone to go home and live with him.
I PUMPED THEM TO SUNDAY SCHOOL
Occasionally I am asked to tell about the first soul
I ever won. The first people that I won I actually didn't
win, but I was the one responsible for their being saved.
The day after I got saved, I told James, one of my
playmates, that I was saved. I remembered that the preacher
told me I now had a mansion instead of a shack. (I didn't
know what a mansion was, but I lived in a shack, so
I knew a mansion was better!) My friend startled me
when he asked, "What is a mansion?"
My first attempt at soul winning had been thwarted
by a limited vocabulary, but I was not to be denied.
I asked him if I could "pump" him to Sunday
school on my bicycle the next Sunday and he agreed.
He lived a mile from the church. I got on my bicycle
the next Sunday morning, rode a mile to his house, and
pumped him to church. I then rode a mile back, got his
brother, George, and pumped him to church. Then I rode
back, got his kid brother, and pumped him to church.
Still I wasn't satisfied! I went back again, got his
big sister (Boy, was she fat!), and pumped her to church.
(First I pumped up the tires!)
I had ridden my bicycle a total of eight miles before
Sunday school. The preacher talked to each of the four,
and they were saved. The funny thing was that after
they were saved I lost my burden to pump them-they walked
home!
It is strange that something like this should come
across my mind, but this simple story shows that real
salvation brings with it a desire to tell others. I
could not win a soul to Christ because of a lack of
vocabulary, but I did have a bicycle and I could pump
my friends to someone who could tell them how to be
saved.
I have won hundreds and thousands of souls since then,
but I doubt if any has given me more satisfaction.
"DEAR LORD, KILL THIS MAN"
Occasionally in soul winning the startling is necessary.
One day while visiting on the north side of Hammond,
I was having an especially good time winning souls.
(In fact, I won twelve that day.) Toward the end of
the day my faith was increased, and I was greatly encouraged
when I came to a house where the man began to knock
at Christianity. He said he didn't have any time for
that "junk" and that he had no confidence
in my religion.
Though I would not advise this for a regular practice,
I said, "Well, if I am a fake, then so is my religion.
Let's find out. I am going to bow my head and pray for
God to kill you," whereupon I bowed my head to
pray and call his bluff.
As I began to pray for God to kill the man (I don't
know whether this is good theology or even good ethics,
but I did it!), I felt a tap on the elbow and heard
him say, "Hey, reverend, don't pray that!"
I just kept on praying something like this:
"Dear God, help him to get saved now or kill him."
Again he tapped my elbow and said, "Reverend,
I am ready to get saved now!" This he did, and
he had, I think, a wonderful experience of salvation.
One of my assistants was out visiting recently and
had an urge to pray similarly. (Maybe he had been running
with me too much!) His faith was not quite as big as
the faith of his boss, or perhaps he was more sane than
the boss; but he prayed for God to break a man's leg
because the man seemed to be antagonistic toward God.
A few days later the man called the church to tell
my assistant that there must be something to this Christianity
after all because he had broken an arm! Now he was ready
to talk business.
Now I am not sure why it was an arm instead of a leg,
but I am sure there is something to this Christianity
business. There is something to this soul-winning business,
too. Would to God we had some Christians who would do
it regularly!
THEY PRAYED FOR THE PEWS
Thank God for soul-winning laymen. Recently I was reliving
an experience that took place the night before the dedication
of a new building in a former pastorate. The new building
was an auditorium, and it was a large one. There were
208 new pews in a building 130 feet by 100 feet.
The midnight before Dedication Day I went into the
new building, bowed at the altar, and began to pray
for God to bless the services the next day. The lights
were out, and the only light was supplied from a shopping
center across the street.
While kneeling at the altar I heard a noise in the
back of the building. I looked back and saw the silhouettes
of two men. Immediately I thought of burglars. There
were so many nice new things in the building that could
be stolen. So I got on my hands and knees and crept
back to where they were. I could just see the headlines
in the paper the next morning: "Young Pastor Captures
Two Escaped Convicts!" Stupid me, it never dawned
on me the headlines could have read, "Young Pastor
killed by Two Escaped Convicts." Nevertheless,
here was my chance to be a hero.
Just before I was to leap on them and capture them
single-handed in a blaze of glory, I heard one of them
speak, and I recognized that the voice was the voice
of one of my good men. They did not yet know of my presence,
so I continued to listen. I heard something more beautiful
to my ears than music.
These men were putting their hands on each pew in the
auditorium and praying for the power of God to rest
upon each pew. One would place his hands at one end
and the other at the other end, and they would say something
like this: "Dear God, send Your power upon the
people who sit in this pew tomorrow and every Sunday;
and though our church is getting big, help it always
to have the Spirit of Christ and the blessings of God.
Thank you, dear God, that our families were saved here,
and may our church always be as it is now."
They did not know it, but I listened while they prayed
over every one of those 208 pews. I chuckled, I cried,
I laughed and had to stifle shouting. When they had
prayed over the last pew, I revealed to them that I
had been there all the time and had joined them in praying
that God would send His power.
The next day 2,550 people overflowed the auditorium
and 52 people were saved. Some of these were folks led
to Christ by these two men who quietly and humbly had
given nearly all their night before Dedication Day to
praying for souls.
THE DEATH OF MY FATHER
People often ask me why I stress soul winning so much.
There are many reasons, but one of the main ones is
wrapped up in the story concerning the death of my father.
On January 1, 1950, my father sat in my service-about
five or six rows back. He was a rough, tough man and
used to be an amateur wrestler. I was his preacher boy.
On December 31, 1949, I found my father in a tavern.
I walked inside that tavern and said, "Dad, you're
going home with me this weekend. You're going to Marshall,
Texas, with me today and I'm going to preach to you
tomorrow on New Year's Day."
Dad looked at me, shrugged his shoulders, and sort
of half drunk said, "I'm not going."
(He weighed 235 pounds, was over 6 feet tall, and was
every inch a man.) I said, "Dad, you weigh almost
twice as much as I do, but you are going with me. If
I have to drag you bodily, you're going with me."
I took my dad to the car and on to Marshall, Texas.
On New Year's Eve night we had a Watch Night service,
a blessed time. I said to my father, "Dad, are
you having a good time?"
He looked at me, smiled, and great big tears rolled
down his whiskered cheeks as he said, "Son, they
don't have this much fun where I stay."
I took him outside the building and said, "Dad,
I'm so happy! I want you to be one of my deacons. I
want you to get saved."
Dad began to cry, "Son, I would love to be one
of your deacons."
"Dad, would you receive Christ?"
He didn't receive Christ that night. The next morning
I preached to him. He actually dug his fingernails into
the pew as he wept and cried, but he didn't come. I
closed the service and said, "He'll come tonight!
He'll come tonight!"
That afternoon we went out in the pasture near the
little country church. I put my arm around his big shoulders
and said, "Daddy, I've always wanted you to be
a Christian. I'm a preacher, a pastor; but, Dad, you
drink, you curse, you are separated from Mother; our
home is broken. Wouldn't you receive Christ as your
Saviour?"
My dad put his arm on my shoulder, looked me in the
eye and said, "Son, I'm going to do it! I'm going
to do it! But I'm going to do it in the spring or early
summer. I'm going to Dallas to sell out and I'm going
to come to East Texas and buy a little fruitstand or
grocery store and go in business down here. I'm going
to hear you preach every Sunday. I'm going to receive
Christ and let you baptize me."
That was January 1, 1950. I lived for the spring and
the summer. Every time I baptized anyone in that little
country baptistry, I pictured myself taking my big old
dad and lowering him into the water and raising him
in newness of life. I looked forward to that day. I
longed for it. I lived for it.
On May 13 I preached a radio sermon at 9:00 a.m. Then
I went out to the little parsonage in the country and
sat down to read the DALLAS MORNING NEWS. The telephone
rang. "Reverend Jack Hyles, please. Long distance
calling." I answered, and a man on the other end
of the line said, "This is Mr. Smith. Your dad
just dropped dead with a heart attack on the job."
I put my head in my hands and said, "Dear God,
it isn't fair! It isn't fair! I've been trying to get
folks right with God, and now my own dad has died and
as far as I know was unprepared."
I wept and prayed as I went to Dallas, Texas, and followed
the hearse down to the little cemetery in Italy, Texas,
and watched them put my dad's body in the grave. A few
days later I went back and knelt on the mound under
which my daddy's body rested and said, "Dear Lord,
You help me and I'll preach every Sunday like my dad
was in the crowd."
Now I never go to bed on Saturday night without taking
the only picture of my dad that I have, looking at it
and saying, "Dear Jesus, tomorrow when I preach,
I want to preach like Dad was in the service."
I have tried to keep that promise. How important soul
winning is, and how important it is to make every service
an evangelistic service.
HE PAID HIS OLD DEBTS
One afternoon it was my privilege to lead an elderly
barber to Jesus Christ. He soon walked the aisle and
was baptized. With this comparatively unspectacular
beginning follows one of the most spectacular stories
in my ministry.
A few days later in a public service the quiet, unemotional
barber rose and asked if he could speak from the pulpit.
Rarely do I grant such a request, but I felt moved to
do so on this occasion. He said something like this:
"Last week I was saved. Since then I have been
traveling a great deal of the time. I first went to
Brownwood, Texas, to a hospital to pay a bill I have
owed for over thirty years. My oldest son was born in
that hospital over thirty years ago. I had cheated them
out of the bill. Now I am a Christian, so I drove over
150 miles to pay that bill.
"I then sought to find the doctor who delivered
my son and to whom I had owed money for that delivery
for these many years. I paid that debt.
"After settling up in Brownwood, I then drove
to Abilene, Texas, where I paid some more debts incurred
at the birth of another child.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I have driven most of the
week. For the first time in over a quarter of a century
I am free of debt and my conscience is clear. I am a
Christian now and I plan to live as a Christian. I am
the happiest man in the world."
He then left the pulpit to join an electrified audience.
Most of the people knew him and many had patronized
his barber shop for years. Needless to say, it wasn't
long until his wife was saved as well as his 31-year-old
son, the son's family, his teenage daughter, his young
married son, this son's wife, and many others.
Recently I learned of the death of this barber. My
mind wandered back to that public service when he announced
he had made it right with his neighbors because he had
made it right with his God. He is now with Christ because
Jesus paid his debt, and he is receiving rewards because
he himself paid his honest debts.
Soul winning pays.
"YOU'RE MY BEST 'FRAN'"
Many little children are saved because of our bus ministry.
Some of our most blessed experiences have come through
this labor of love. At this time we have several of
our "bus products" in Christian colleges.
It is not unusual for several of these little ones
to meet me after baptism and want my autograph. (One
day I signed a little fellow's Bible and found that
it was the fifty-third time I had signed the same page!)
Not long ago I tied a little four-year-old boy's shoe.
As he walked away, he said, "Mama, did you see
God tie my shoe?"
Often I'll get one child on one side of me and one
on the other side, put my hands behind their necks,
and say, "When I say three, you kiss this cheek
and you kiss this cheek." Then I say, "One,
two, three-" I move back, and they smack each other!
One little girl came not long ago and she said, "Would
you sign my Bible?" I said, "Yes." She
was about six or seven, she wore tennis shoes, and her
hair was straight. Nobody curled her hair on Saturday
night. Nobody polished her shoes. Nobody would greet
her at home when she returned and say, "Honey,
did you learn anything in Sunday school?"
Her father was a drunkard; her mother was a prostitute.
But this little girl heard me say one time that I loved
her. I said, "I love you, honey." And every
time she would pass me, she would say to her friend,
"He loves me. He said he did."
She called me, "Mr. Brother Hyles." She would
say, "Mr. Brother Hyles, you are my best friend."
She would pronounce it "fran." "You are
my best fran." I would hug her and kiss her.
One morning she came and said, "Mr. Brother Hyles,
you are my best fran, and I am moving out of town."
I said, "Honey, I am sorry you are moving."
She said, "I said, you are my best fran, and I
won't be coming here any more."
I said, "Honey, I am going to miss you."
She said, "DID YOU HEAR WHAT I SAID? YOU'RE NOT
GOING TO SEE ME ANY MORE, AND YOU'RE MY BEST FRAN!"
I said, "Well, honey, I am so sorry, and I wish
I could see you, and I hate to see you move."
The little girl, poor little thing, put her hands on
her hips and looked up at me and said, "Well, ain't
you gonna cry?"
And I said, "Yes, I am." And I did. We wept
together and I kissed her good-bye. She had no one to
love her, no one to care for her.
There are thousands of little ones who are like those
our Lord spoke about when He invited the little children
to come unto Him. Let's go get them and tell them of
the Saviour.
THE CORPSE WHO WON A SOUL
On a recent Sunday morning dozens of people flooded
the aisles of our church receiving Christ as Saviour,
and many were baptized. Most of them were won to Christ
by our soul winners. During the invitation a man came
forward and related this story:
"I am an undertaker. This past week the body of
a twelve-year-old girl was brought into our funeral
home. I was going through my usual tasks of embalming
the body and preparing it for burial when suddenly the
stark realization came before me that life is short.
"I looked at the body of the girl whom I was embalming
and fell under conviction. Immediately I dropped to
my knees, cried for mercy, and asked God to save my
soul. I know I am saved. I know that if I died today
I would go to Heaven, and I came to First Baptist this
morning to make it public."
There are two things of interest about this story.
First, there is a girl whose body probably had won its
only soul. There are many people who will win more souls
in death than in life, and no doubt many lives have
been taken for this purpose.
The second thought that came to my mind was a thought
of thanksgiving to God for the testimony of the First
Baptist Church. When the undertaker thought of making
public his decision, he immediately thought of First
Baptist. This is because of our evangelistic emphasis.
When a church makes enough noise about soul winning,
people associate soul winning with the church.
Many folks came forward that Sunday, but none thrilled
me quite as much as this undertaker who was won to Christ
by a corpse.
THE WINNING OF THE CITY COUNCILMAN AND HIS WIFE
It pays to be nice. When soul winning it always pays
not to reveal your identity early. When teaching soul
winning, I suggest that one make some positive impression
in the mind of the sinner before revealing his identity.
This could be done by simply a "Good morning, how
are you?" or "What a lovely home you have!"
A vivid illustration of this occurred in a former pastorate.
I learned that a certain lady had started a campaign
against me. She was not a member of my church. In fact,
she had never seen me, but she had read some articles
I had distributed in the local high school against dancing.
She decided that I was a disgrace to the community and
should be pressured into leaving, so she started a first-class
campaign against me and my ministry.
I heard that whoever she was, she was a very influential
person in town, so I went to the mayor, who was my personal
friend, and asked him if he had heard any rumors. He
suggested that I go and talk to a certain city councilman's
wife, and he intimated that she was the person.
The next day it was snowing (in Texas!). I took my
Assistant Pastor and we went to see the city councilman's
wife. Bear in mind, she had never seen me. When she
came to the door, I gave her a smile, a friendly "Good
afternoon," and told her how lovely her home was.
She invited us in, and I saw a twelve-year-old girl
in the house. "Is this your sister?" I asked.
Blushingly she said, "No, this is my oldest daughter."
"It couldn't be," I said. (Boy, was I pouring
it on!)
"Yes," she said, "we married rather
young."
"Well," I said, "she certainly doesn't
look much younger than you." (Boy, was she falling
for it.)
About that time a cute little curly-headed girl came
toddling in. I picked her up, gave her some candy, bragged
on her beauty, and immediately won her friendship.
After about ten minutes of such behavior, I put my
hand out and said, "By the way, my name is Jack
Hyles," and I prepared to duck. I didn't need to
duck, however. Her mouth flew open a foot (and that
is about how big it had been), and she said, "You
are....Jack Hyles? Well, I already know that most of
the things I have heard about you are not true."
She apologized and invited me to come back to see her
husband that evening.
This I did, and to top it off, I won her to Christ,
I won the city councilman, and I won the twelve-year
old daughter to Christ-and I had won the hearts of the
entire family.
It pays to be courteous, it pays to be nice, and sometimes
it pays to be unknown.
AN ENTIRE FOOTBALL TEAM SAVED
When a person is saved, his life should be changed.
While preaching along this line recently I was reminded
of a wonderful story.
Many years ago I was preaching a revival in a small
Louisiana town in a very small church. One night the
young lady who had the lead in a senior play in a nearby
high school was converted. The next night she brought
her boy friend, Dwayne, with her to the service. Dwayne
was the quarterback on the state championship football
team, and the first night he came, he too was saved.
The following night he brought the entire football
squad with him. They sat on the front rows of the church.
To my delight (and quite frankly, surprise) the entire
squad came forward during the invitation and received
Christ as Saviour. You never saw so many big husky fellows
in the altar in your life as we had that night.
After the service Dwayne and the football squad went
to a restaurant to eat. Of course, everyone knew that
they were members of the state championship football
team. When the food was served, the big burly fellows
started to eat when suddenly Dwayne stood up in the
busy restaurant and said, "Wait, fellows! We are
not heathen any more. We're Christians! Christians pray
before they eat."
All the fellows gulped down the food that they had
in their mouths at the time and bowed their heads. Then
Dwayne shouted again, "Fellows, this ain't no way
to pray. Christians are supposed to get on their knees
to pray."
The entire football squad got out of their chairs and
down on their knees beside the tables. The other customers
watched them thank God for the food, and knowing Dwayne,
I am sure the prayer was a lengthy one.
Within twenty-four hours the entire town knew that
the football team had been saved. How long did it take
the entire town to find out that you got saved? Do they
know it yet?
SHE WAS A HE
I was sitting in a California coffee shop one morning
eating breakfast. (I'm not really a breakfast eater.)
I think I was drinking some juice and I did get some
scrambled eggs that morning. I looked over the booth
behind me and there was a lady, or so I thought. I could
only see the back of the person. I threw my coat over
the back of the seat and accidentally hit the person
behind me. I said, "I'm sorry, ma'am." Then
"he" turned around and "he" wasn't
a woman! "It" was a "he." So I said,
"Please forgive me. I didn't mean to embarrass
you. I didn't mean to be unkind. When I saw you from
the back I really thought you were a lady."
He said, "That's all right." He was very
nice about it.
So I said, "My name is Jack Hyles and I'm from
Hammond, Indiana." He told me his name and said
he lived in that city. He must have been around twenty
years of age. I said, "Look, I'm eating alone;
you're eating alone. Why don't you join me?" He
hadn't gotten his order yet so he came around and we
had breakfast together.
We were chatting, and I told him, "I'm Pastor
of the First Baptist Church of Hammond, Indiana."
He said, "You don't like long hair on a man, do
you?"
"That isn't the issue," I replied. "The
issue is that we both have to die. We both have to face
God. We both have to spend eternity either in Heaven
or Hell. Do you know that if you died today, sir, you'd
go to Heaven?"
"Why no, I don't know that."
There in the booth in the coffee shop I led this long-haired
person to Jesus Christ. He had a wonderful experience
and wept as he trusted Christ. I then paid for his meal
and mine, left a tip, and went my way.
That isn't all the story. I went to my room, got ready,
heard someone else preach, and then I preached. I then
had lunch and went back to my room to work. I improvised
a desk on a chair and was dictating some letters when
suddenly I heard somebody knock on the door. I answered
the door and there was a nice-looking gentleman who
said, "I wanted to come back and tell you what
I did."
"What did you do and who are you?" I asked.
Surprised, he asked, "You don't know who I am?"
"I'm sorry, I don't."
"Why, we had breakfast together this morning!'"
I couldn't believe it! He was the proudest thing you
ever saw in your life. He was smiling like he just discovered
a gold mine. He said, "I thought you'd be glad
to see me." He'd been to the barber shop and gotten
a haircut. He didn't know I stayed in the motel but
here's what he'd done: He came back to the motel where
the coffee shop was, went to the desk, and asked, "Do
you have any reverends staying here?" One lady
said, "I think we have two here," and he said,
"Give me their room numbers. I'd like to talk to
them." He finally argued her out of the room numbers
and came to show me he had gotten his hair cut.
That doesn't mean that the man wouldn't have been saved
if he hadn't gotten a haircut. It just means that in
this particular case, getting saved gave him better
sense, too!
PREACHING ON A BOX IN A GARAGE
One Saturday I was soul winning with one of my daughters.
We went to a house on the north side of Hammond only
to find that no one answered the door. Suddenly we heard
some noises in the garage behind the house. Upon opening
the door to the garage we found about a dozen men having
a drinking party as they worked on a couple of cars.
I witnessed to the man of the house and received in
reply only jeers and heckling from the entire group.
Again I tried to witness courteously; again my voice
was drowned by heckling and jeering.
Suddenly I felt impressed of the Holy Spirit to preach.
I jumped up on a box in the corner of the garage, opened
my Bible, and shouted, "LISTEN TO ME!" Listen
they did. You never saw such a sober drunk crowd in
your life. I proceeded to preach a sermon on the sins
of drinking liquor.
My little daughter hovered in the corner and was afraid
(So was I!), but I was caught out of myself. They stood
silently and stunned as I delivered my message. When
I finished I abruptly came down, took my daughter, got
into the car, and drove off.
The next morning as I walked into my pulpit to preach
I saw in the center of the front row of the balcony
the man who had hosted the drinking party. When invitation
time came he was the first one to come down the stairs
and down the aisle. When I took his hand, he said, "I
am the man who lives in the house where you preached
yesterday. When you finished your sermon, I said to
myself, 'You better get right with God.' Now I want
to be saved."
Within a few weeks over a dozen people in that man's
family and inner circle of friends had been saved, all
because of a sermon on liquor preached on a box in a
corner of a garage. All this was made possible because
a preacher and his little daughter went soul winning
together.
"I DON'T WANT TO GO HOME"
Our church is located in the downtown district of Hammond.
Thousands of transient people walk by the doors of our
buildings. One Sunday night during the song service
I looked back and saw a man in rags with his nose pressed
against our plate-glass doors looking longingly into
our beautiful auditorium. One of our fine men went back
and invited him in. He was amazed that he was welcome
in such a lovely place.
Timidly he had a seat on one of the back rows. He listened
intently as I presented the claims of Christ, and during
the invitation he came forward to receive Christ as
His personal Saviour.
After I had baptized, I went to my office to fill some
appointments and do some counselling and then started
home. For some strange reason I felt compelled to go
back to the auditorium. This I did, only to find the
old ragged man sitting on about the fourth row from
the front. He was alone. He had a songbook and was singing.
I approached him and told him that no one was left
in the building but the custodian and me and that he
must leave so we could turn out the lights and lock
the doors. The old man began to tremble and tears flooded
from his eyes as he said about these words: "Reverend,
I don't want to leave. Don't make me go! Don't make
me go! Don't make me go! Please, reverend, let me stay."
Then he raised a trembling finger and pointed toward
the darkness of the night through the back doors and
said, "Reverend, out there I found nothing but
heartbreak, emptiness, and misery. In here I found love,
happiness, and joy. Please, Reverend, don't make me
go. Don't make me go! Don't make me go!"
Then I thought of the rescue mission that our church
owns and operates. I told him that he could stay there
for awhile. As the old man walked out in the darkness
of the night, I wondered how many millions of others
are in that darkness, uncared for and unloved. Oh, that
the churches might reach them with the Gospel.
This reminds me of an event that took place not long
ago in Hammond. I went by the hospital one morning to
visit one of our men who was having surgery that day.
I talked with him briefly and prayed for him. I needed
to rush to the office to conduct my morning broadcast.
As I walked briskly from the hospital room, I heard
a quivering voice say, "Reverend, Reverend, O Reverend!"
I turned and saw an old man in the bed beside my member.
He was crying. He put both of his hands around mine
and said, "Reverend, please pray that prayer for
me. That same prayer you prayed for him, would you pray
it for me?"
As best I could, I prayed the same prayer that I had
prayed for my member. Then the old man, weeping and
trembling, said, "Thank you, Reverend. I am over
eighty years of age, as far as I know, you are the first
person who ever prayed for me." He was easy to
win to Christ.
O dear reader, there are millions for whom no one cares
and whom no one loves! May we reach them with the Gospel
of Christ and show them God's love for sinners.
A CHEMICAL ENGINEER SAVED ON AN AIRPLANE
A few years ago I was flying to Denver, Colorado. A
very fine-looking, middle-aged businessman was sitting
next to me. Soon I initiated a conversation. After a
brief chat I inquired as to his business. He said, "I
am a chemical engineer," and then he asked me if
I knew anything about chemistry. I replied that I knew
a little. (I know that H20 is water and that I had dropped
chemistry in college for the safety of the building
and the tranquility of the faculty. Since that is a
little, I told him that I knew a little about chemistry!)
He then asked what I thought about a new formula. I
told him that I felt that since the formula was new,
we should not make a hasty decision concerning it. He
was very impressed with that statement and told me that
he felt the same way. He said it was refreshing to find
a layman who knew something about chemistry.
He then called off another formula even more complicated
than the first and asked my opinion about that one.
I replied that there were probably some good things
about that formula but there might be some bad things
also and that probably we should be for the good and
against the bad. Still not realizing my ignorance, he
complimented me again because of the good grasp I seemed
to have on chemistry.
Now that I had succeeded in making my ignorance sound
like knowledge, he then asked me concerning my business.
Suddenly I found myself telling him that I was an ambassador.
This really startled him. He sat up in his seat and
said, "Sir, I did not realize that I was in such
important company. Do you mean that your citizenship
is in a foreign country?"
Chuckling under my breath, I answered affirmatively.
(Philippians 3:20-"For our conversation (citizenship)is
in Heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour,
the Lord Jesus Christ. ")
Then he asked, "Do you really represent a king
in America?"
Nothing could be closer to the truth than that, so
I said, "Yes, I do."
Once again he sat up in his seat, startled and impressed.
"With your accent," he said, "I am surprised."
Then I assured him that I had been in this country
representing the King for many years and had picked
up many of the characteristics of this country (far
too many, I was afraid).
Then he asked the question: "Who is the king and
what is the country?"
I said happily, "The country is Heaven and the
King is Jesus," and in a few minutes he, too, was
an ambassador from my Country with faith in my King.
A report came to me several weeks after this experience
that this chemical engineer had joined a Baptist church
in the state of Michigan.
I WON HIM UP A TREE
Recently I was out soul winning. I knocked on a door
of a certain house and no one answered. Someone shouted
in a male voice, "I'm up here.'" I looked
around and couldn't see anyone.
"Up here," he shouted.
I looked up and sure enough the man of the house was
up a tree. He had some kind of shears pruning the limbs
of the tree and was out on a limb. I told him who I
was and he said he would come down.
"Never mind," I replied, "I will come
up where you are." So, the best I could, I climbed
the tree, crawled out on a limb beside the one he was
on, and began to talk with him. I finally asked him
if he knew when he died he would go to Heaven. He said
he didn't and I asked him if he would like to know.
He said he would. I began to read the Scripture to him
and suddenly I thought of Zacchaeus. I asked him if
he ever heard of a fellow in the Bible who was saved
up a tree. He said, "No," so I turned to Luke
19 and told him how Zacchaeus was saved up in the sycamore
tree. He thought that was the funniest thing. I explained
to him that as God saved Zacchaeus while he was up a
tree, God would save him though he was out on a limb.
I told him the plan of salvation, and we bowed our heads
(I did not shut my eyes) as he prayed the sinner's prayer.
I thought, I have won folks to Christ in every conceivable
place; on airplanes, in bus stations, in airports, in
grocery stores, in drug stores, in barber shops, in
shine parlors, in motel lobbies, but never had I won
someone to Christ up a tree. Why not go "out on
a limb" and go soul winning!
“WHAT´S A BLOODY MARY?”
One day I was sitting on a plane when the stewardess
came by and said, "Would you like to have a Bloody
Mary?"
I'll be honest with you. I never heard of a "Bloody
Mary" and I didn't have any idea what it was. I
didn't know it was a drink so when she asked, "Would
you like to have a Bloody Mary?" I looked up, grinned,
and said, "I didn't even know she was hurt."
The stewardess looked at me, grinned a bit, and said,
"Are you kidding me?"
“No, I don't know what a ‘Bloody Mary´
is.”
She told me it was some kind of drink. I'm still not
sure what it is, but anyway she came by a little later
and kidded me about it and I kidded her. When she brought
the drinks up to the area where I was sitting, she had
some kind of whiskey in a glass. Would you believe it?
She tipped over the whiskey glass and poured it on my
lap! There I sat with whiskey on my trousers. She said,
"Oh! Of all the people on the plane you're the
last one I would have wanted to spill whiskey on."
I replied, "At least we agree on one thing: I'm
the last one I'd want you to spill whiskey on."
We both laughed.
"You're a nice fellow not to complain about that,"
she said.
I explained, "Well, I'm not a nice fellow in my
heart, but I'm trying to act nice on the outside."
As I left the plane an hour or two later, the stewardess
stood in door of the plane telling everybody good-bye
and I told her, "Good-bye."
She said, "Could I say something to you?"
"What?"
"You're the nicest fellow I ever waited on."
So I said, "Say, I could do something a lot nicer
than that for you."
"What?"
"I could tell you the best news you ever heard
in your life."
"What news is that?"
"Could I stand here on the side until all the
other passengers get out? Then I'll tell you some good
news."
She said, "Sure." I waited there in the door
of the airplane, and then I took my Testament and told
her about the Lord Jesus Christ. She bowed her head,
prayed the sinner's prayer, and said she was receiving
Jesus Christ.
THEIR CHILDREN ATTENDED THEIR WEDDING
One Saturday in a little country church outside of
Marshall, Texas, I was cleaning the baptistry. (Yes,
I did most everything. I turned the lights on, turned
the lights off, turned the fire on, turned the fire
off, cooked the bread for the Lord's Supper, filled
up the glasses, and then cleaned up the mess.) This
particular day I was cleaning the baptistry so I could
fill it. We didn't have any running water or modern
facilities, so I had to get a long water hose, hook
it up to a hydrant that was quite a distance from the
church, and run it many feet up into the baptistry.
Yes, it was all cold water; there was no hot water at
all!
I had the baptistry almost cleaned when someone came
in the back door of the church building.
"Is the Reverend here?"
I said, "I am the Reverend." I had on tennis
shoes, an old pair of trousers, and a T-shirt!
He said, "Well, you're mighty young."
"Yes." (I think I was 22 at the time.)
"We want to get married."
I said, "Well, I don't marry people on the spur
of the moment like this and besides, look at me, I'm
a sight! When do you want to marry?"
"Now," he said.
"No, I couldn't marry you now, not at all. I don't
believe in that."
"Pastor, would you like to meet our children."
I said, "Your what?"
"Our children." There were six children with
the couple.
"What do you mean?" I asked.
The man said, "We were married to each other and
had six children but we weren't saved. We separated
and divorced. Both of us got saved and now we want to
get married again."
Well, who would turn down that! I put my broom down,
stuck my old dirty rag in my back pocket, and with a
T-shirt, an old pair of trousers, and a pair of tennis
shoes on I said, "Dearly beloved, we are gathered
in the sight of God and these assembled witnesses to
unite this man and this woman in holy matrimony..."
The angels in Heaven bent low and turned their attention
from the big cathedrals of the world to a little country
Baptist Church.
After the wedding, I led several of the children to
Jesus.
HER HUSBAND CAME IN
I was out soul winning one day and knocked on a door
about 4:00 in the afternoon. A very lovely, kind lady
answered the door. I walked in. Normally I wouldn't
have gone in, but the weather was not quite what it
should have been, so I went in, sat down right inside
the door, and left the screen door open. I told her
about the Saviour and we chatted for awhile about Christ.
It wasn't long until tears began to come, conviction
began to settle, and I could tell she was ready to be
saved. I got on my knees to pray but she didn't, so
I was kneeling right in front of her. After she received
Christ, I said, "If you really meant that, would
you place your hand in mine, please." She placed
her hand in mine. It never dawned on me how this looked!
I was on my knees, holding her hand, looking up into
her face, just like a proposal. Would you like to guess
who walked in? You guessed it! Her husband entered the
room! How would you feel if you were on your knees,
looking up into a lady's face, and she was sitting on
a chair
They became members of our church and served the Lord
faithfully.
THE CUSTODIAN IS A SOUL WINNER TOO
Recently we had a wedding at our church. At 4:00 two
of our fine young people were married in our chapel.
Some of the guests arrived early, and one of the families
asked to see the auditorium. Our custodian unlocked
the doors and showed them the auditorium. As he did
so he asked the man, "Sir, if you died today, do
you know for sure that you would go to Heaven?"
The man who had come for the wedding said, "No,
I'm not sure that if I died today I would go to Heaven."
The custodian asked "Do you have a few minutes?
There's still time before the wedding. Let me show you."
So in the auditorium our custodian led a man to Jesus
Christ. Isn't that a wonderful story?
Then I got to thinking of two rather humorous experiences.
I was pastoring in Garland, Texas, and we had two custodians.
We were having a soul-winning campaign trying to win
everybody we could to Christ. One day one of the custodians
came running to my study saying, "Hey Preacher,
come quickly."
"What in the world is it?" I asked.
"We've got a man on his knees but we can't bring
him in." I went over to our auditorium. There in
front of the auditorium in the flower bed between two
bushes was a man on his knees. He was a well-dressed
salesman who sold custodial supplies. The custodians
had witnessed to him and asked him to pray, but they
couldn't win him. He was on his knees, however, so the
men said, "Hold it! Wait a minute, and we'll go
get the Preacher." I then won him to Christ there
because of two faithful custodians.
One of the sweetest, most humorous experiences took
place in a city out West several years ago. I arrived
at the church about 45 minutes early for a service one
morning. Nobody was there but the custodian. He hadn't
met me yet so I walked in and told him my name, but
he didn't hear it very well. We chatted for awhile.
Finally he said to me,
"Mister, could I ask you a question?"
I said, "Sure."
He said, "Do you know, if you died today, you'd
go to Heaven?" (Of course, that sounded word-for-word
like my soul-winning book.)
I said, "Well, I think so."
He said, "Mister, would you like to know so?"
I said, "Well, sure, who wouldn't?" So he
started telling me how to be saved. I let him because
I wanted to see how he would do it. He used my little
Roman Road plan right down the line and told me how
to be saved.
I said, "You know, I think I've done that."
When?" he said.
"Oh, years before I started preaching."
"Preaching?"
"Yes, preaching."
"What did you say your name was?"
"Jack Hyles." I thought for a moment I had
a heart patient. Then I put my arm around his shoulders
and said, "You stay with it! Custodians can win
folks to Christ, too."
Those three experiences reminded me of blessed men
who have been custodians for me through the years, men
who have a heart for souls, men who have a burden for
the unsaved. Maybe today your job is not that of being
the preacher, the choir director, or a deacon. Maybe
you hold an office that would not be considered one
of the big jobs in the church, but you can make your
job big if you'll do the biggest job in the world-winning
folks to Jesus Christ.
HE HAD STUDIED FOR THE PRIESTHOOD
One Sunday night after I had preached, baptized, and
returned to my study, I found a young man waiting to
talk to me. He was obviously a young man of culture
and refinement. This was his story:
He had been to seminary to study for the priesthood.
Questions began to arise as to why they did not teach
more Bible in the seminary, and the professors were
unable to answer these questions to his satisfaction.
These and other things led to his resignation and withdrawal
from school.
He then became a doubter and a "religious drifter."
The following is what he said:
"I have no emotion and no feeling about God or
anything else.
"I spent three years in the service and saw men
die by my side. My thoughts were, 'That's their tough
luck and my good luck. Glad it wasn't me.'
"I had no emotion over anything.
"In January I was invited to the First Baptist
Church. I did not like your preaching at first; however,
I did feel that you were sincere, and I returned. Again
and again I returned. I became more and more interested
in what you were saying. You seemed sincere and honest.
"This morning as you were preaching on Thomas,
the doubter, you spoke of the fact that Jesus loved
Thomas and that He loved also the doubter sitting in
the audience. I knew immediately God gave you these
words for me. I was that doubter.
"For the first time in years I found a lump in
my throat, and my eyes filled with tears. If what you
have is real, I want it."
In a few moments I told him the same old story that
I have told from coast to coast and around the world.
We bowed and prayed, and he received Christ as his Saviour.
It was a real thrill for me to tell him after he was
saved that he had finally become a priest. He had studied
for the priesthood but found an acceptance to Christ
makes one a priest immediately.
The next Sunday night he was in the service again.
The interesting thing is, that night another man came
forward who had also studied for the priesthood in a
Catholic seminary.
This young man is now married and regularly attends
the services of the First Baptist Church of Hammond.
TOO TIRED TO SHOUT
One day I went soul winning with Bob Keyes, who was
then my Assistant Pastor. Bob was an excellent soul
winner and still is. I was doing the talking and the
lady had a little baby who was misbehaving. About the
time the lady was ready to get down to pray, the little
boy said, "I want my bottle."
Mama stuck the bottle in his mouth.
"I don't want my bottle."
She took it out.
"I wanna bottle."
She stuck it in.
"I don't want my bottle."
Then I prayed silently, "Lord, do something about
this little rascal or he is going to mess up the whole
thing." Do you know, he stopped and looked spellbound,
as if he were in a trance. I said to myself, "Well,
glory to God!" For about fifteen minutes that little
baby didn't move. He didn't move his eyes; he just looked.
The lady got converted.
When we left, I said to Bob Keyes, "Bob, praise
the Lord!"
He said, "Amen, but why?"
"Did you see what God did to that baby?"
He said, "What?"
I said, "All of a sudden, at the crucial time,
that baby froze."
Bob said, "Well, I'm sure that the Lord had something
to do with it, but I may have helped a little, because
I had a ball point pen behind the coffee table going
up and down, up and down, up and down. Preacher, I did
that for fifteen minutes, and I'm worn out! I'M TOO
TIRED TO SHOUT."
UNORTHODOX WAYS OF WINNING SOULS
The usual way to do soul winning is to knock on a door,
introduce one's self courteously, and pleasantly present
the plan of salvation. Sometimes, however, God saves
people through the use of unusual and unorthodox methods,
and oftentimes He even uses what we would call the "crude."
While pastoring in Garland, Texas, I had a group of
men who went to the lobby of a fashionable downtown
hotel one Christmas Eve night. They tried to witness,
but no one would listen; so they all stood up in the
lobby and started singing Gospel songs. (Not a one of
them could carry a tune in a sack.)
A crowd gathered to hear, and as soon as enough people
had stopped, the "singers" each took a person
and began witnessing to him. When they lost their crowd,
they would sing again. Again and again they repeated
this procedure.
When I heard about it, I chuckled under my breath.
Was I ever surprised and convicted a few days later
when I received a letter from a successful businessman.
He had written the following:
"I am a businessman. I had to make a trip to Dallas,
Texas, over the Christmas holidays. I begrudged having
to make the trip. You can imagine how lonely I was on
Christmas Eve having to be away from my family.
"I went to the lobby of my hotel just to be with
someone when I saw a motley crowd of fellows singing
Gospel songs in the lobby. I was amused but felt drawn
to them. Suddenly one of them had a Bible open, showing
me the way of salvation. Though I could hardly realize
what I was doing, I did receive Christ then and there
as my Saviour. It became the greatest Christmas ever..."
On another occasion one of our soul winners was driving
by a new shopping center. Many lines were forming where
chances for prizes were being given to each person.
The prizes were to be awarded at a later drawing.
Suddenly my soul winner grabbed a handful of tracts,
took a place next to one of the lines, and started passing
out the tracts. The people, thinking that this was another
chance game, formed a line and began waiting to get
the tracts. The line grew. Someone hollered from the
rear of the line, "What's this a chance for?"
The soul winner, who was passing out tracts as fast
as he could, shouted back, "This ain't no chance.
This is a sure thing! This is a give-away."
"What are you giving away?" The inquirer
asked.
"A free home," was the soul winner's answer.
Folks started leaving other lines for this one. They
did not know it, but they were receiving an opportunity
for a free home in Heaven.
Then there was the fellow who promised the Lord he
would talk to every person he saw walking as he drove
home from work. He stopped and talked to every pedestrian,
and he won hundreds this way.
Then there was the fellow in Hammond who would take
a couple of hours each Saturday to drive up and down
the highway picking up hitchhikers so he could witness
to them.
A member of my church in a former pastorate was won
to Christ by a little boy in San Antonio, Texas. My
member was a truck driver. Once when he parked his truck
in a public place in San Antonio, a little boy ran up
to him and said, "Hi, Mister! Are you saved?"
"Naw," replied the unimpressed truck driver.
"You'd better hurry," said the little boy.
"Jesus is coming real soon, and you are going to
Hell!"
That did it. The truck driver got saved.
Then there was the little girl who was playing church
one day. She was the preacher; her dog and cat and little
brother formed the audience. She "preached"
the Gospel to them, and during the invitation time she
fell under conviction and was saved.
She is now a grown woman but still points to that play
church as the time of her salvation.
HE MADE THE BAPTISTRY
In a former pastorate we were busily engaged in a building
program. There was some problem about the installation
of the baptistry, so one day I walked over and talked
with the men who were doing the work, and we discussed
the problems involved.
One of the fellows (the main one) asked me what it
was they were installing and for what it was to be used.
I explained to him the meaning of baptism and found
him to be very interested. I then took time to remind
him of the question the eunuch asked Philip: "See,
here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?"
(Acts 8:36) I reminded him of Philip's answer: "'If
thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest."
(Acts 8:37).
In other words, I told him that one had to be saved
before he could be baptized. I proceeded to tell him
the plan of salvation, and to my delight he expressed
a desire to be saved.
He knelt in the uncompleted baptistry and there received
Christ as Saviour. The strange thing was, however, that
he refused to get baptized after he got saved though
he did seem to be sincere in his salvation.
Weeks passed. The Dedication Day came for the new building.
To my surprise, down the aisle came the man who installed
the baptistry. He was now ready to profess his faith
in Christ as Saviour and requested that he be the first
person to be baptized in the baptistry he had installed.
It was a wonderful thrill for the people as they watched
the first convert being baptized in the new baptistry
and found him to be the man who installed the baptistry.
ONE SHOUTED, ANOTHER FROWNED
When our daughter, Becky, was ill for several months
I got to thinking about doctors whom I have seen saved.
In a revival meeting in East Texas one time a leading
doctor in the town was converted.
Then in Garland, Texas, where I pastored for nearly
seven years, we had a medical doctor come forward to
receive Christ. The interesting thing is that we had
a chiropractor deacon, and it was he who was called
on to do personal work with the medical doctor. I found
myself chuckling during the invitation as I realized
that a chiropractor was leading an M.D. to Christ. (Boy,
that is the wolf and the lamb lying down together, isn't
it?)
Then one day here in Hammond a medical doctor came
to be saved. He knelt beside the pulpit to receive Christ,
and as he did, a skid-row drunk knelt on the other side.
I chuckled as I praised the Lord, for the altar is one
place where the ground is level.
This doctor had a little daughter who literally fell
in love with our church. Soon the family moved to Champaign,
Illinois, and they tried to find a satisfactory church.
The parents seemed fully satisfied, but the little girl
could not be happy.
Now in those days our deacons sat on the front rows
in our church, and the little girl was very impressed
by this. The parents asked her why she was not pleased
with the church in their new town. She replied that
she liked First Baptist Church, Hammond, better because
the pastor stood behind the pulpit and the "demons"
sat on the front row!
Thank God that at First Baptist we have no "demons"-it
is a godly Board of Deacons.
Whether one is a doctor or a fallen man on skid row,
the need is the Gospel.
ONE SHOUTED, ANOTHER FROWNED
A number of years ago I went out one night to attempt
to win some people to Christ. My partner that night
was unable to go, and I was tempted not to go, but I
went out alone. I went to a certain house, knocked on
the door, and a fellow came to the door. He had several
children, and as I recall, he had one little boy who
had a birthmark near his eye. I told him about Christ
and we knelt to pray. While he was praying he really
got happy! He began to shout and praise the Lord and
jump up and down. "Glory to God," he said.
He ran out on the porch and clapped his hands. He picked
his wife up and hugged her. He hugged and kissed the
children and cried and praised the Lord.
It looked like an old-fashioned Methodist camp meeting.
What a wonderful time we had! "Boy," l said,
"that fellow really has a dose of old-fashioned
Christianity."
I drove across town to another address. I looked at
the prospect card and decided to make the visit. I walked
in and the fellow did not ask me to have a seat. I stood
up and leaned against the door. I asked him if he wanted
to be saved. He was very stern and abrupt in his answer,
but he said, "Yes."
I asked him if I could tell him how to be saved.
He said, "Yes."
Finally I sat down, but he never did. He continued
to stand, leaning against the door. Not a kind word
did he say. He continued to be very abrupt in his answers.
I talked to him a while longer and finally I said, "Can
I pray?"
He said, "Yeah, you can," but still he was
very cool.
So I prayed and then I said, "Now you pray."
You never heard a colder prayer in your life. (If I
had been God, I wouldn't have listened to it!) Then
I said, "Listen, did you mean that prayer?"
He looked at me and said, "Yeah, I did."
He had not a tear, not an emotion, not even a kindness,
a smile, or a grin-no courtesy at all. I kept prodding
and trying to fund out if he really meant it. I said,
"Were you saved?" Without emotion he told
me he was.
I left saying, "Well, at least I got one tonight.
That first fellow surely got saved. He was really happy.
I'm glad I got to win him, but that last fellow-I wouldn't
give a nickel for his salvation."
The first fellow came to church and got baptized. In
less than two weeks he got mad, quit, and never came
back. He took his children out, and as far as I know,
never went to church anymore.
The fellow who was abrupt was baptized soon and started
winning souls to Christ. He became a deacon, and the
last report I heard he was Chairman of the deacons in
that church. I do not know how many people that man
won to Christ. He and his partner would go out every
week and win many to Jesus Christ.
I remember one time he was out soul winning. He won
a soul to Christ, and afterwards asked the person, "Do
you have any questions about it?"
"Yes, I have one question."
"Well, what is it? Just ask me anything."
"Can I ask anything?"
"Yes, you can."
"Why is it you have one brown shoe and one black
shoe on?" The soul winner had dressed in the dark
and had put on one brown shoe and one black shoe! What
a soul winner! What a Christian!
Recently while I was preaching in Texas, he came to
hear me. He was still on the battlefield for God, still
busy for Christ. You see, it pays just to keep going,
for you never know which one will be the one that is
going to be saved.
A LIVING ROOM REVIVAL
Not long ago one of my deacons joined me for an afternoon
of soul-winning visitation. We had an exceptionally
good afternoon, and as I recall, we won six or seven
people to Jesus Christ. It was one of those days when
sincerity seemed to be on the face of every convert.
During the process of the afternoon, we went to visit
my mother's next-door neighbor. There was a warm and
friendly reception. Shortly after I arrived in the home,
the wife and teenage daughter excused themselves, leaving
only the husband, my soul-winning partner, and me in
the room. I did not know until later that the wife and
daughter had gone to the back bedroom to pray that God
would save the husband.
In about thirty minutes this man in his forties was
sweetly converted. I asked him to go back and tell his
wife, and it was then that we found the wife and daughter
were praying for his salvation. He told his wife he
had just been saved, and then Heaven came down. There
was hugging, crying, laughing, loving, rejoicing, and
almost shouting, all at the same time.
The next Sunday morning he walked the aisle in the
First Baptist Church of Hammond and was baptized. A
few days later I went by to see how he was doing. His
wife said that he had been such a good husband through
the years that she wondered how salvation could change
him. This was answered, however, when she found him
up early one morning. She went to the living room and
saw him on his knees in private devotion and prayer.
Recently upon returning home from preaching in Indianapolis,
Indiana, I called the office to talk to my secretary
about some business. She informed me that the day before
I arrived home the aforementioned man had suffered a
heart attack, was rushed to the hospital, and soon passed
away. Today he is in Heaven; yesterday he was on earth.
Today he is with Christ; yesterday he prepared to be
with Christ today. Hence, he has joined the hundreds
of others that I have sent to Heaven.
"WE ‘BUSTED´ EVERY BOTTLE OF THAT CASE
OF BEER"
These words were spoken at two o'clock early one Sunday
morning. The Hyles household was fast asleep. The phone
rang, and as usual, we did not know quite what to do.
I woke up with a start, and all I knew was that I heard
a bell ringing. I pushed in the alarm button and eliminated
one possibility. By that time, I realized that it was
not the "ding-dong" of the door bell. By process
of elimination I deducted it must be the telephone.
I jumped up and answered it, and the aforementioned
words were the ones that greeted my ears.
"You got to me in that funeral yesterday afternoon,"
he said. "You got to all of us."
The day before I had conducted funeral services for
a little three-month-old baby. As I spoke, I saw the
parents with their seven remaining children weeping
before me. A handful of friends and relatives had gathered
in the small chapel as I reminded them of the grace
of God and of the blessed truth that they could see
the baby again if they made preparation. I witnessed
to a few of them, and two or three indicated that they
were receiving Christ as Saviour.
They had planned a meal after the funeral for their
family and friends. Prior to the funeral they had purchased
a case of beer for refreshment, but they then made their
decision for Christ. So they opened the case of beer,
broke every bottle, and had the young man to call me
at two o'clock in the morning to tell me of the decision.
Then in the Sunday morning service when the invitation
was given, twelve people walked the aisle professing
faith in Christ as a result of the funeral service,
and each of them in his own words said about what the
man said on the phone: "You got to me in the funeral."
What a wonderful story-and yet how tragic it is that
a little three-month-old baby by her death has won more
souls to Christ than millions of Christians have won
by their lives.
A LAWYER GOT SAVED
A few years ago a leading attorney from our area started
visiting our services with his family. In a few weeks
his family transferred their membership to our church.
The attorney, who also serves on the staff of the prosecutor
in the city of Gary, Indiana, continued coming to all
of our public services.
During an invitation on a Sunday morning I witnessed
to him. He replied, "I don't believe in that stuff.
I only come because my family comes." All evidence
showed that he was an atheist. We worked, visited, prayed,
witnessed, and pleaded; but not only did he show no
interest in salvation, he also showed no evidence of
a belief in God.
During our SWORD OF THE LORD Conference in Cedar Lake,
Indiana, that summer, Charles Hand, one of my Assistant
Pastors, claimed this attorney for Jesus. He took his
Bible, opened to Psalm 37:4, and wrote the attorney's
name beside the verse. He did the same thing with John
14:13 and John 15:7. He continued going through the
Bible, claiming God's promises, and writing the attorney's
name.
Within two months I looked over one Sunday night, and
there stood the lawyer in the altar. To be quite honest,
I was surprised; but Charles Hand wasn't. He had taken
God up on His Word. Why don't all of us do the same
thing?
Many of us almost shouted when this attorney was saved.
Over 2,000 people were saved at our church this particular
year, but none brought any more joy than this attorney.
THE BROTHERS WHO WON EACH OTHER
"Would you go with me to see my brother tonight?"
These words were spoken at 11 p.m. They were spoken
to me by one of the men in our church. We were at a
Sunday school class party.
"This is a strange hour for you to have such a
request, Ken," I replied, "but if you say
so, I will go."
It was nearly midnight when Ken and I drove up to Randall's
house. On the way Ken warned me to be ready for anything.
"He may curse you out or throw you out," were
his words of warning. Randall did neither of these but
heard the message of life through Christ. Ken was somewhat
surprised, for Randall was a drunkard and a wicked man;
but the Holy Spirit was working.
About 1 o'clock in the morning Ken, Randall, and I
knelt to pray, and Randall received Christ into his
heart. He woke his wife and children and told them about
his salvation as Ken and I laughed and cried together.
What an experience! What a thrill! What an investment!
The next Sunday Randall came forward for baptism and
membership in the First Baptist Church.
"Would you go with me to see my brother today?"
These words were spoken to me by Randall, one of the
deacons in our church. Yes, this is the same Randall
mentioned above. He is now a soul-winning deacon. However,
Ken drifted away from God and Randall got concerned
about him. Randall and I went together to Ken's apartment
and told Ken of a loving God Who is willing to forgive
and restore. Once again the three of us got on our knees,
and Ken was marvelously reclaimed for Christ. Now Ken
is back with us, and the two brothers are serving God
together.
Like Andrew and Peter, like Moses and Aaron, like John
and Charles Wesley these men are living testimonies
of a brother's concern for his brother and of Christ's
power to save families. Ken's children have been saved,
and all of Randall's family has been saved.
HE COULDN´T EVEN SPELL THE WORD “JESUS”
He was a Mormon but had never been saved. It was on
our regular visitation night when I first met him, and
in a few minutes he was led to saving faith in Jesus
Christ. Soon after, I won his brother to the Saviour.
They were both rough-and-tough bricklayers but became
tremendous soul winners.
I nicknamed him "Bear" because he walked
like a bear and was a massive physical specimen. Though
he could not spell the word "Jesus," he has
in these fourteen years since he has been saved won
hundreds and hundreds to the Saviour.
One Sunday we ate in his home. He and his wife were
so proud of their house because it was lovely and new.
I noticed, however, that one bedroom closet door had
scratches all over it. I inquired as to why that one
door was so marred with scratches. Bear wouldn't tell
me, but his wife told me the reason.
Before Bear got saved he went hunting every weekend.
He would put a scratch on the stock of his rifle every
time he killed an animal. He asked his wife if he could
use the closet door for his soul-winning "stock."
He would place a scratch on the door for every soul
he had won that year. I counted 167 scratches on the
door.
One day Bear picked up a hitchhiker and tried to tell
him about Jesus only to find the hitchhiker was deaf.
He resorted to showing the man a Gospel tract only to
find that the man could not read. Bear stopped the car,
got out, got on his knees, made the form of a cross,
pointed to Heaven, pointed to his heart, bowed his head,
and formed his hands beneath his chin in a prayer position.
The man got the idea, fell to his knees and began to
weep. He pointed to Heaven and to his heart, assuring
Bear that he had been saved.
The man who couldn't even spell "Jesus" now
knows Him, and for these many years has led hundreds
to know Him too. He is still active in his church and
in personal soul winning.
WINNING THE BEST MAN
A church the size of ours has many weddings. I have
conducted as many as three in one day.
If there are unsaved people at a wedding rehearsal,
I close the rehearsal with a brief explanation of the
plan of salvation, explaining to the wedding party that
the home is a Christian institution. Then I give a simple
appeal for the unsaved to receive Christ. This is done
in a way that embarrasses no one.
Recently I followed this procedure at a wedding rehearsal.
The next day, following the wedding ceremony, I walked
out of the auditorium to get a breath of fresh air.
The best man, whom I did not know, followed me to present
me with a thank-you note and a monetary gift from the
newlyweds. When I told him to give it to the bride and
groom as a wedding gift (as I do not accept such gifts
from church members), he was moved with emotion.
Then he said, "Ah...uh...before I go, I would
like to ask you a question. Um...ah...er...you said...last
night...something about this...church business. Well...ah...what
I am saying is...would it be all right with you if I
attended your church a couple of times? I am a Catholic
but a pretty sorry one, and...ah...er...ah...I was thinking
about what you said last night."
"Are you trying to tell me," I said, "that
you want to be saved?"
He replied that he had thought about it. It was my
privilege to lead the best man to the Saviour while
the organ was still playing and the bride and groom
were still in the receiving line.
SOUL WINNING AMONG POOR CHILDREN
Soul winning never ceases to bring blessings. A soul
won many years ago will give dividends for eternity.
Not long ago I was preaching in a city in Florida and
exhorting the people to go out into the highways and
hedges and bring in the poor as well as the rich. I
spoke especially about little children and the importance
of reaching those for whom no one else cares. After
the service a pastor introduced himself to me and then
turned to introduce his lovely wife. As l shook her
hand she said, "I think you know me. I was a member
of your little country church near Marshall, Texas,
many years ago." Immediately I remembered that
she had lived in a little country house and that I had
gotten up early one Sunday, driven several miles, and
brought a group of little children to Sunday school.
She was one of those children. I hadn't seen her for
years, but now she is the wife of a successful pastor.
A few weeks ago I was in Dallas, Texas. After the service
a fine young student at Dallas Seminary approached me.
When he was five years old I had been to his home soul
winning, and often I had driven a couple of miles to
take him to Sunday school. He reminded me that he is
now a preacher and a student at Dallas Seminary.
One day as a kid country preacher I was out soul winning,
came upon a farmhouse, and won several to Christ. A
little cotton-haired girl spoke to me as I left and
said, "Brother Hyles, you are not going to forget
me, are you?" Little did I know that she wanted
to be saved, too. She was saved, and years later to
my delight I found she was a student at Tennessee Temple
College. She then was employed as a faculty member and
shortly after was killed in a car accident.
Not long ago I met a young lady who is a graduate of
Bob Jones University and now is teaching school. My
mind wandered back to the day when I went into her modest
home to help her poor family. The family was saved,
and though very poor, the young lady had a desire to
go off to college.
Now she is teaching in a Christian school.
Yes, there are many other stories like the one above,
and in ten or fifteen years I hope to be able to write
similar experiences about those I won last week or those
I will win today.
A FIVE-DOLLAR TIP
Not long ago I was in a restaurant. I always like to
be courteous if I can, as I was taught as a boy to be
a gentleman in public. I was met at the door by a little
lady who asked, "May I seat you, please?"
I said, "Yes, ma'am." So she escorted me
to a table and asked, "Would you like a menu?"
I said, "Yes, ma'am." Soon she came back
with pad in hand to take my order. It was not a busy
time of the day.
She said, "Are you ready to order?"
I said, "Yes, ma'am."
"Do you want salad?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"Do you want dressing on it?'"
"Yes, ma'am."
Then she put her little pad down on the table, and
her hands on her hips, and said, "Yes, ma'am! Yes,
ma'am! Yes, ma'am! Yes, ma'am! Don't you know how to
say anything other than 'YES, MA'AM'?"
I said, "Yes, ma'am."
She was furious, absolutely furious! She brought my
food and almost threw it at me. I tried to be courteous
and nice, but she never softened. She was curt and harsh.
Well, I knew she must have had a burden so I left her
a $5 tip. I think my bill was $1.55 or $1.60 and the
normal tip would been a quarter, but I thought, "This
little lady needs somebody to cheer her up today."
I then went to the cash register to pay my bill when
suddenly she came up and said, "Hey, mister. You
left some money on the table. You left a $5 bill."
I said, "Little lady, don't folks usually leave
tips here?"
"Sir, is that $5 bill my tip?"
"Yes, it is.'"
"I didn't treat you very nicely and to think that
you'd give me a tip of $5."
"I thought you might have had a hard day or a
burden of some kind," I answered. Then she told
me a sad story. I won't relate the details here, but
it was sad. Her life was burdened, the load was heavy,
and the financial strain was almost beyond beating.
In a few minutes I had the blessed privilege of leading
this little waitress to a saving knowledge of Jesus
Christ.
A cute little thing happened. When I got through leading
her to Christ, I said as I left, "Now let me ask
you a question. Are you sure you're saved?"
She said, "Yes, sir!"
It just pays to try to win folks to Christ everywhere
you go. Next time you eat in a restaurant why not speak
a good word for Christ.
