Over these 20 years of full-lime evangelism.

I have proved the

absolute reliability of the Promise of God and the interesting
application of His Word in situations which were both normal and
abnormal Promises which God gave to me, when a teenager, have
met the need of my life years later.

Together with the infallible, inspired, word of an unfailing God, I

have been given the treasure of faithful friends who have guided and
encouraged me.

At the close of 1984.1 can look back on a period of preaching,

teaching, travelling and hospitalisation which has confirmed to me
again words which have always been an encouragement to me
"Great is Thy Faithfulness".

Following the appearance of "Under His Wings" and the testimonies

of help and blessing received, I have been convinced that I should
produce this further record of God's leadings and dealings from 1968
to this date.

I shall record herein some of the lessons I have had to learn and
unusual experiences through which I have passed, together with
unexpected periods of blessing. All these have brought with them
maturity and stability with enrichment of life.

As we travel together through these years I want you to find personal

strength and practical encouragement for your pilgrim mountain
treks and valley experiences.

A much wider area of activity and travel will be crossed in this

personal record than in "Under His Wings" and if when you lay it
down you feel assured that God is not dead but very much alive and
deeply interested in you, His people and the world around us, then
my writing will not be in vain.

UNDER HIS WINGS

Under His wings I am safely abiding

Tho' the night deepens and tempests are wild

Still I can trust Him—I know He will keep me,

He has redeemed me and I am His child.

Under His Wings, Under His Wings,

Who from His love can sever

Under His Wings my soul can abide,

Safely abide forever.

Under His wings what a refuge in sorrow

How the heart yearningly turns to its rest,

Often when earth has no balm for my healing

There I find comfort and there I am blest.

 Under His wings, oh what precious enjoyment;

There will I hide till life's trials are o'er;

Sheltered, protected, no evil can harm me,

Resting in Jesus I'm safe evermore.

Hedley Murphy

NINETEEN SIXTY-EIGHT was a year of destiny for Ulster and memories of that year will linger long
in the minds of thousands who witnessed the unusual events which took place. There were days of
anxiety, fear and tension mingled with a sense of achievement and progress.

It was that year that Ulster had its first "Civil Rights" marches with their accompanying riots, burnings
and bitternesses. The controlling Political Party and Governing Cabinet party came under much severe
pressure and its divisions were the cause of much public mud-slinging between sacked and resigning
Ministers of State and members of the Government. It was also the year of the long, hot summer, when
for six weeks no rain fell on the Province and in many areas water was rationed. The New Ulster
University in Coleraine took the first few steps to open its doors to those with a thirst for knowledge.
For these and many other reasons thousands of people will remember 1963. Some will do so with a
sense of achievement and others with regret and feelings of failure. I will remember it for many
reasons.

My diary for that year had been fully entered for crusades and weekend rallies, and it revealed a new
dimension in my work of Evangelism. I was to travel further than I had ever been before, speak at more
meetings and lead more souls to Christ than in any other single year of my life. My field of service
extended from Dublin in January to Scotland. England, Switzerland, Ulster, Canada and United States
of America by December. Like each year for the previous seven years, my work had its normal routine
course of meetings together with its highlights which left their deep impression on my impressionable
and receptive mind. I was, however, aware as the year proceeded that there was something different
about it, but was not sure if this was related to the fact that this was the seventh year since severing
connection with the insurance world and taking a step which I had seriously contemplated for sixteen
years and one which was to change the course and contour of my entire life. It was in January. 1962.
that I became known as an "Evangelist". While this is not an official title or qualification but merely
denoting one who does the work of an Evangelist which is to communicate the message of Christ's
gospel realised little that day what the future was to hold.

You are invited to settle down and join me as together we go back over forty years and I will try to tell
you things which may help you to know the will of God and create within your heart the desire to know
the power of God. I will tell you in these pages some of my innermost feelings both of deflation and
elation and in one or two instances put the "Record Straight" where for years many have been under a
misapprehension.

I assure you these pages are not released for record purposes alone but sincerely desiring that they will
be of spiritual help to the hundreds of young people I have got to know during my ministry and whose
faithful support is greatly appreciated.

During these years of "full-time" service God has given to me many Friends whose love and loyalty
has meant more than I could ever express and I only wonder how I could have carried on His work
without them.

As I write, the calendar shows February, 1969. so even 1968 is history, and this month I return to
Magherafelt for the reunion of our Mid-Ulster Crusade which was held in August last and proved to be
a real link with a past generation of Evangelists in Ulster. Hundreds of people gathered nightly until the
1,000 seater marquee was dwarfed and an annex tent had to be erected in the same field. Numbers
reached 2,200 people on more than one occasion and this stirred memories in the older folk who had
lived through an era of evangelism in Ulster forty-fifty years earlier when the power of the Gospel
changed thousands of lives. Many people accepted the Saviour in the "Mid-Ulster Crusade" and have
proved over these recent months the reality of that experience. There will be more details of the trials
and triumphs of 1968 in the last chapter of this book.

The hymns which you will find between the chapters are among my favorites and each of them has met
a need in my life at different times.
I WOULD REJECT the fact that I am emotional were it not for the deep stirring which certain hymns
and their tunes have had and still have upon me. I resist emotion and sometimes feel afraid of it, yet I
have an inner sensitiveness to atmosphere and often judge people and places, meetings and messages,
upon the atmosphere they create or fail to create. When not more than four years of age I was stirred by
the singing of a hymn and that scene has never left me. Sitting in the living room of our small home in
Limavady, Co. Londonderry, I was deep in thought at the words my mother was singing as she engaged
in her daily tasks. Her voice carried these words to my ears . . .

He knows, how much I love Him,

He knows I love Him well;

But with what love He loveth me,

My tongue can never tell.

I responded with one of those profound but childish questions "Mama, how do you know He loves
you?" and the impression I received that day lingers fragrant in my mind to this hour. I am absolutely
confident that God has woven into the fabric of my life some of these great hymn messages. As a small
boy attending "Old-fashioned Gospel Meetings" I was always much more Impressed by the singing
than the preaching. Such words as "Almost Persuaded The Harvest is Past. Almost persuaded doom
comes at last . . . ," or "Where will you spend Eternity?" nearly broke my young boyish heart.

It seemed to be an accepted fact that I would one day have a personal encounter with Christ. My entire
life was geared to this moment and yet there was no reason why I should have such an experience more
than any one else .My mother had personally dedicated her first-born son to the Lord on the night I was
born and although encircled by devout Evangelical Christian relatives it was carefully explained to me
that I would require this personal interview with God when I must accept His terms and His findings
with regard to my personal condition and His Son's ability, through the Cross at Calvary, to forgive me
and remake me after His own will. Often in those early years I desired this experience and even at
times despaired of ever being able to grasp all that was involved. It is easy to recall with perfect clarity
events in my life when I had deep longings for the knowledge that I was a Christian. These times of
soul-stirrings usually occurred during attendance at special Gospel Services, but they would pass away
and I once again was able to put spiritual matters into a third-class compartment of daily life.
My father was serving in the Royal Ulster Constabulary (the Armed Police Force of Ulster) and was for
a time a law lecturer at the training establishment in Enniskillen, Co. Fermanagh. It was in this centre
of Ulster's lake district that my spiritual exercises reached a climax. On a Thursday evening in
November, 1940, I personally met God and bowed to His authority and acknowledged that Jesus Christ
was Lord. My 12-year-old mind was well aware of my condition and the need to come to God for
Salvation. Sitting alone in my home engaging myself with scholastic studies I suddenly became aware
that I was alone. This was a strange experience in view of the fact that this routine had been followed
each Thursday for many months. That night I was deeply impressed with the thought that my parents
and sister, who were at a weekly service, might not return to our home if the Lord should return for His
Church. This would result in me being left alone since I was not a Christian and could not expect to
participate in what the preachers called "The Rapture of the Church." As this impression gripped my
thoughts, I was forced to leave the studies and settle down in that room to ponder the absolute
hopelessness of my position. Not being a Christian, I was without God and without hope and was
thrown into a state of almost despair. That "aloneness" I felt and feared that night was shattering and
the fear of being left alone outside Heaven eternally tormented my young mind. In an effort to break
free from this power, which I now know was the convicting power of the Holy Spirit, I tried diversion
of thought in singing and, opening a hymn book, commenced to sing words which God used to break
me.

What will you do in that great day,

When heaven and earth shall pass away;

And you from out your lonely tomb,

Shall stand in judgment's awful doom?"

I had had enough and in a final attempt to break free from the grip of fear I left that room and in the
darkness of wartime blackout climbed the stairs to my bedroom. It was at the top of the stairs it
happened. Standing alone in the darkness and without any prior thought, I prayed. To me this was the
most serious moment of my life and an experience I shall never forget. Therefore, I can recall the exact
words used in that heart-cry of a perishing soul. "Oh, God," I said. "The Bible says Christ died for
sinners and I believe that I am a sinner and I believe He died for me." It was all over, that was all I
could say, and my knowledge of the Bible satisfied me that, having come to God as a sinner and
accepting Christ as my Saviour, I instantly became a Christian. God had accepted me that moment and
a new life was created within my body. It was a life which the Bible calls "Everlasting Life".

Within minutes of that experience I was to become aware of the subtle evil power of Satan. Before
reaching the bottom of the stairway I thought, "I can't be a Christian I saw nothing and felt nothing.
There is much more to it all than that." In simplicity I accepted this lie from Satan and lost at once the
inward peace and joy which I felt when talking to God. It is clear to me now that I did not trust God but
believed the Devil regarding God's acceptance of me. This left me in doubt and uncertainty so I said
nothing to anyone about what had taken place.

Hundreds of young people have had the same experience and have suffered much in their minds
through Satan suggesting that God is not to be trusted and we cannot be sure if He has really accepted
us or not. It was three weeks later that I became convicted about my attitude to God and was helped
while listening to a preacher. It was to me a matter o! God doing what He said He would, namely,
accepting me as a sinner, or else not doing what He said He would do. I settled in favour of the
integrity of God and that was the end of my struggle. At that time I knew nothing of the struggles I
would have in the future, little doubting, the fighting with God, the overcoming of self-will, and the
crushing of my personality. Having accepted the fact that I was now a Christian, I mentioned this to my
mother and was confirmed in my belief when she told me then for the first time that from the day of my
birth she prayed tirelessly that God would give to me this experience of salvation before entering my
teens. I was at that time just 12 years old. this gave strength to my convictions and assured me that God
hears and answers prayer.

I dare not ask you to stay while I relate the experience of those early years, but even during those days I
knew that I was "Under His Wings". One word could describe the four years that followed my
acceptance of Christ as Saviour and the longer I look back at that period the more convinced I am that
it was just "failure". Outside my family circle no one knew that I had become a Christian—this was
weakness and cowardice on my part I tried to keep up with my friends to enter into all the activity of
youth and never thought that I could have enjoyed a fuller life if Christ had been brought into my
confidence and experiences. I wanted Christ indoors but to be alone outdoors, and you must have found
that this does not work and leaves the poor creature who tries it powerless, worthless, fruitless and
restless. My love for sport and organizations filled all the free time I could acquire and there was just
no time for Bible Study or Prayer, or even Christian witness. There did not appear to be any awareness
of my responsibility to serve the Saviour Who had delivered me from my misery, fear and sin. This
attitude is all too common among young people and too often we give way to the inner surging desires
of nature and resist the voice of God and fail to become an effective witness in His Great Church and
thereby a great help and blessing to our friends.

As the time for me to engage in some form of employment approached, my mind turned towards the
City of Belfast. One hundred miles from home did not seem too far and the opportunities there for sport
and entertainment were obviously greater than in a market town. Schooldays were all finished, I was a
man at last, knew all there was to know about life, was ready to take on the world. My immature mind
could not readily decide which course I should take; I thought various branches of the armed forces
were waiting for me, industry had its doors held open to receive me. Life seemed to stretch far ahead
and I could almost get along without God or His direction.

Coming down to earth I was glad to accept a Junior Clerk's post in the aircraft industry in Belfast and
arrangements were made for my departure from Enniskillen. It was October,. 1943.
THE CITY OF BELFAST, with wartime restrictions and the "black-out", when street lighting was
reduced to a minimum and shop window lighting was forbidden, proved a great disappointment to my
ambitious mind. Duties in an industrial office with hundreds of other clerks failed to grip my interest or
fire my enthusiasm. I attended the Services in Apsley Hall and on Saturday evenings in Victoria Hall.
While enjoying times of Christian Fellowship, I was not really committed to anything. My life was
without purpose and direction. I was open for any offers or suggestions which may have been put to
me.

Engaging in my favorite sport of soccer one Saturday afternoon, I was exposed to wintry conditions
and did not take necessary precautions after the match, so from that day I became a victim of rheumatic
fever. Six months had now passed since leaving Enniskillen and now my parents' home was in Belfast.
The signs of the fever soon manifested themselves but I chose to suffer the pain and depression which
is so much a part of rheumatic conditions. Finally, after weeks, I agreed to visit the doctor and was
ordered a three-month rest in some place where I would be alone. My entire nature rebelled against this
course of treatment but when I got to bed that evening, found it a merciful relief. It was the end of the
road for me God had overtaken me. His will had crossed mine and although not knowing it then I was
at the turning point in my life. On that mild, calm April evening, while the sun was still warm in my
bedroom and my rebellious will stormed and tossed in defiance, mother said to me, "God has put you
here for a purpose, make sure you find out why He has allowed this to happen to you."

Three months seemed a long time and that room was small and uninteresting and I felt that the Lord
was hard and cruel to do this. It was next morning before I bothered to pray and it was indeed a short
prayer, "Lord, why have You put me here? Please tell me and tell me soon. Amen," I was not much
used to praying but when in a corner I could try to pray myself out of it. During that day my thoughts
went back a few weeks when I had been asked if I ever thought of being baptized as a Christian. I had
replied, "No. I don't intend to be baptized ever so leave me alone." Now in the stillness of that room I
could hear my voice and those hard words. I thought I had discovered the reason for my condition and
why God had put me in this room. Perhaps He wants me to repent and be baptized, I knew enough from
the Scriptures to know that every Christian ought to obey the wishes of Christ and be buried with Him
in baptism. Quickly I prayed that day and said, "Lord, I'm sorry for what I said and how I said it and I
will, if I'm ever fit enough, get baptized according to the will of Christ."

My condition rapidly grew worse, rheumatic fever with a minor heart condition, followed by a nervous
breakdown accompanied by St. Vitus Dance. A top medical consultant was called in and confirmed that
my condition was serious and that I could become an invalid even so young in life.

During the weeks that followed I was thrown into deep spells of depression and did not want to see the
next day, I longed to break free from my ailments and run away. This was the road back to God and it
was hard and I would never want to tread it again, A friend sent me a book to read which proved to be a
real challenge at this critical time. The book was entitled "The Man God Uses", by Oswald J. Smith, of
Toronto one of the highlights of 1968 for me was to sit with Dr. Oswald Smith in his study in Toronto
and discuss how and why he had written this book.
My condition was such that it was impossible to read or remain still in the bed, or even to focus my
vision properly. It was at this time that mother would come and sit at the open window and read
passages from the book. It was a call to consecration and Dr. Smith related how he had prayed, "Lord,
make me a man after Thine own heart". In the awful hopelessness of my physical and nervous
condition I was able to understand that God was calling me to dedicate my life to Him, but my my
body was weak my will was strong and I did not hesitate to tell God that this was not the life for me. I
had things I wanted to do, places I wanted to go and people I wanted to see, and I feared that God's will
for me would be an obstruction to the fulfillment of these personal desires. As the days darkened and
my condition worsened, so the call of God became louder. In my soul I could hear His call, "Son, give
Me thine heart". But in reply I said, "No, Lord". The words of St. Paul rang in my ears until I felt like
weeping "I beseech you therefore that ye present your body a living sacrifice", and again and again I
said, "No, Lord, I cannot do it". For several weeks I wrestled with the deep soul stirrings and would not
entertain the thought of surrender. Early one morning while it was still dark my physical and spiritual
condition reached the point of crisis. I wakened out of one of the short spells of sleep which I was able
to have and discovered that I was physically paralysed unable to move a finger or turn my head to the
side. I felt ice cold sweat on my neck and face. There was a sound of drum-beating in my ears and as I
became fully conscious I knew this was the sound of my strained and labouring heart. I knew I must be
dying, my condition had reached the point where the continuing tossing and twisting had changed to
hopeless paralysis. It was then I cried in desperation to the Lord to spare my life until the morning.
"Don't let anyone come in here and find me dead, Lord," was my prayer. My eyelids refused to close
and my gaze hung helplessly to a spot in the ceiling and I heard singing in my mind. It was the
congregation at the Easter Conference in Belfast where I had been two months earlier and the words
tore at my heart:

"Must I go and empty handed,

Must I meet my Saviour so?

Not one soul with which to meet Him,

Must I empty handed go

Oh, the years of sinning wasted,

Could I but recall them now,

I would give them to my Saviour,

To His will I'd gladly bow."

II was clear at that moment that I was being called home because I would not yield to the call of
God and would not allow the Man Who died (or me to rule me. The struggle was over—I was broken,
the nail-scarred hand of the Saviour had smashed my stubborn will. I prayed, I cried, I yielded. "Oh,
Lord," I said. "If you will give me 100 per cent, health I will be 100 per cent. Yours as long as I live, I
surrender, I surrender, I surrender." My body relaxed, my eyes closed, I turned on my side and fell fast
asleep. The warm bright morning sun filled the room as I stirred, and recalled the crisis I had been
through. For a moment I felt regret, Satan whispered—You fool, you were afraid, you shouldn't have
done it—but the Lord was there and put him to flight. Reaching to the table beside the bed for the old
Hymn Book, lying open at the hymn which had tortured me for weeks, I took it in my hand and prayed
those sacred words, "Take my life and let it be consecrated, Lord, to Thee." Line after line and verse
after verse poured from the hidden depths of my heart and only the Lord knew how much I meant
them. I now had a deep personal affection for Christ, such as I never had before. He had smashed me,
He had mastered me. He was about to re-make me and I loved Him more than I could express.
Although unable to speak properly due to my illness I could sing and I'll never forget the words that
were so precious to me that day.His forever, only his, Who the Lord ana me shall part; Ah, with what a
rest of bliss. Christ can fill this longing heart; Heaven and earth shall fade and flee, Firstborn
light in gloom decline; But while God and I shall be, I am His and He is mine.

The days that followed were fresh with the fragrance of His presence. The Bible was real and t
devoured its pages as I slowly recovered from all the physical handicaps I had experienced. I was on
the altar 100 per cent, to go anywhere, do anything which my Lord indicated. The furthest Island on the
planet was not too lar to go for Him. The darkest corner of earth was not too dark. I now prayed the
prayer of Oswald Srnith. "Lord, make me a man after Thine own heart."

Within a few more weeks I was allowed to join the family downstairs and soon took my first walk
with the aid of two sticks along the Lagan embankment. It was wonderful to be out again, to feel the
fresh air. to see the green grass and the flowers and to know now in a new way the One Who made
them grow.

Four months later I visited the heart consultant for a checkup and he told me after a prolonged
examination. "You have made a remarkable recovery, you are 100 per cent, fit just take care of yourself
for a while." I stepped outside of his room and prayed. "Thank you. Lord, for 100 per cent, health, now
I will be 100 per cent. Yours forever." The Lord and I walked out together that day to face experiences I
had never dared to anticipate but I have learned in these twenty-four years the warmth and protection of
a life "Under His Wings".
WHILE EACH MONTH my physical condition changed for the better, I found that the spiritual crisis
had left marks on my life which would never be removed. I rejoiced to find that my wrestling with God
was not only an emotional experience but resulted in my entire concept of life being changed. There
was nothing in the world of greater importance to me now than to know the will of God and to do it. I
had now received definite instructions from the Lord through the Scriptures and on more than one
occasion as I prayed "Lord, teach me to do Thy will" I was directed by the Holy Spirit to Isaiah,
chapter 61, verses 1 and 2: "The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me because the Lord hath anointed me
to preach good tidings unto the meek, He hath sent me to bind up the broken hearted, to proclaim
liberty to the captives and the opening of the prison to them that are bound. To proclaim the acceptable
year of the Lord and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all that mourn."

Bible Study began to appeal to me and a deeper understanding of spiritual things seemed to grow
within me. It must have been daily that I was asking the Lord to show me what He desired to do with
my life. One evening almost twelve months after that crisis night I sat in a service listening to a
dynamic preacher, who, pointing to the congregation, said, "Don't ever ask the Lord to give you
anything to do for Him until you have done the first thing He has told you to do, that is to be baptised."
I heard the Master's voice there and promised the Lord in that service that I would go and do this thing
at once.

Two weeks later I was baptised in Oldpark Gospel Hall in Belfast and applied for membership of the
Assembly that met there. The act of being baptised was to me an outward symbol of my dedication
twelve months earlier. I was, of course, most anxious to know the will of God for my life now that I
had obeyed in this first step and on that same evening in my room I enquired of the Lord if He would
reveal something of His plans for me. As I knelt in prayer I was not aware that my Bible lay open on
the bed before me and waiting there or some indication from the Lord my eyes were captured by the
words of Scripture which I know now were used to direct me. It was 2 Timothy, chapter 4, and I had
never before seen those verses in the Bible. I read with eagerness the words. "I charge thee therefore
before God and the Lord Jesus Christ Who shall judge the quick and the dead at His appearing and His
kingdom, preach the Word, be instant in season out of season, reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long-
suffering and doctrine . ..." I thought as I read, the Lord must want me to be a preacher but I don't want
to do that. and anyhow I'm not fitted. It was because Satan immediately agreed with me. if he didn't
really give me the thought in the first place, that I read on and tried to keep an open mind. Verse 5
really reached my heart from the Lord—"But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work
of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry." Those moments stand out clear in my mind and I am
still amazed that I rebelled against this revelation and even said "No, Lord, this can't be right". I was
willing to travel to any corner of earth and endure any conditions but the work of an evangelist could
only mean being "a full-time preacher in my home territory." Possibly my personal idea of this was
wrong but before getting into bed I told the Lord He would need to show me something else. The
verses I really wanted were "I will give thee the heathen for thy inheritance" or "I will lead thee
whithersoever thou knowest not". My heart was sad and for twelve months my prayer was "Lord, show
me Your will for my life". I would say. "Lord, not an evangelist, please. Lord, something else, anything
else". Although I was Still in my teens. I had some knowledge of what would be involved in doing "the
work of an evangelist" in my homeland and at the same time try to remain absolutely dedicated to the
Lord. I turned away, and refused to accept this situation and presented many excuses to why I would
not do this thing.

One night while praying as usual and trying to discover a different path and one of my choice, the Lord
compelled me to accept His Word and very humbly I bowed again and agreed that I would do
whatsoever He said, provided He would go before and protect me in all ways. Although I accepted now
that my life's work would be preaching the Gospel in my homeland, I still felt that the Lord might let
me start with a call to somewhere overseas and so my prayer now became, not "what will I do, Lord?"
but "where will I go, Lord?" It would not be to any great profit for me to relate for you the various
paths through which He lead during the next four or five years. There were months of very clear
directions from the Lord whereby I was convinced He wanted me to go to Central Africa, then when I
agreed to go, the burden lifted. Some of the countries to which He directed my attention over those
years were South America, India, West Indies, Australia, Canada, Europe and the Republic of Ireland.
All of these countries occupied my thoughts for many months each, and the call to each was so clear
that I always became convinced that this was to be the centre of my life's work. It is remarkable that in
each case I objected to going for one reason or another and only after a time of struggle did I yield to
His will. These were very precious days when I walked in close fellowship with the Lord and always
feared lest I would make a mistake.

After my illness I did not return to work for almost two years but took up extra studies at a Belfast
college. I had no ambition to qualify or seek a personal career, so I became employed as a junior
salesman in the retail footwear trade and always knew that this was but a stepping stone to my life's
work and the fulfillment of the Divine Call. There was one period during my stay in that shoe store
when my spiritual experiences reached a crisis. I had formed a close association with the girl who later
became my wife and while we talked together in detail of all that I had experienced in the "Call of
God" and agreed that we would face the future together and accept the will of God, yet I found a deep
desire that God would change His mind and not ask me to go through with this thing. It was then that
the South of Ireland was laid on my heart as a possible area where I could serve the Lord. The year was
1949, and I just did not want to go to that difficult and discouraging part of my island home. I talked
much to the Lord about it but would not do anything positive until He awoke me one night and said, "I
have somewhat against thee because thou has left thy first Love, remember therefore from whence thou
art fallen and repent arid do the first works, or else ..." (Rev, 2, v. 4. 5). At once I agreed to accept His
clear direction and made arrangements for accommodation in a Christian guest house in South Ireland.
The following Friday I made one of those serious decisions which would result in the termination of
my employment in the footwear trade. With deep feelings of fear and weakness, held back only by the
strong urge to do the will of God, I climbed the stairs to tell the manager that I would want to be
relieved of all responsibilities the following week. To me this was a crisis, the way ahead was
becoming clear, God had called and I was going out with Him. Standing outside the manager's door. I
heard that familiar voice once more, it was the Lord and He said, so clearly that I could not doubt, "The
trial of your faith being much more precious than gold . . . ." The burden and sense of direction left me
and it was as though He said to me. "Go back and wait."

Very few people knew of these personal soul stirrings and my outward deportment and behaviour did
not give reason for anyone thinking that my ambition was to be "a man alter God's own heart".
Disappointed. I returned to the fitting stool, the smell of leather, the Saturday shopping crowds and I
was depressed that once again having responded to a clear directive from God the only message I
received was "Wait thou only upon the Lord".

During these years there were certain verses in the Bible which became part of my life and without
which I would have had many lonely hours and longer spells in spiritual darkness. Over and over again
I was told, "I will instruct thee and teach thee in the Way that thou shall go " " Ye shall not go out with
haste nor go by flight for the Lord thy God shall go before thee and the God of Jacob will be thy
reward." "ye shall go out with joy and be led forth in peace." I had come to regard all these experiences
as being very precious and was not willing to share them with anyone. God and I had an understanding
which I felt was so personal that no one else could possibly appreciate it. I just did not want to talk to
anyone on this subject but cherished all these trials and testings in my soul.
BEING CONVINCED THAT in the near future God was really going to commission me in His service
and knowing that each of these experiences were but stepping-stones, I decided to inform the elders of
the Oldpark Assembly how I felt regarding the Lord's will for my life.

Twelve leaders of my local Church listened intently as I told them briefly much of what you have just
read. I only desired to share these personal encounters with them in order that they would join in prayer
and be in a position to extend to me their cooperation when the time arrived for me to move into the
sphere of God's choice. I greatly appreciated the sympathetic hearing I was given by these leaders and
their obvious interest was a great encouragement. The first helpful suggestion they made was that I
should become a teacher in their very large Sunday School. Thereby I could gain experience in
preparing and preaching simple Gospel messages. Satan had often used the fact that I had never ever
preached to either adults or children to discourage me in my mission. It seemed to me a most foolish
thing to discuss with my elders the possibility of me "doing the work of an evangelist" when I had
never once been on a platform or taught a Sunday School class, yet I was convinced beyond doubt that
God had spoken and called me to serve Him.

It was on a Sunday afternoon as I was checking my lesson for the class of boys I had been given that
the Lord spoke again and revealed His will. From the words of Matthew 28, verses 19 and 20, I learned
for the first time that the Lord was calling me to a worldwide ministry. Never before had I read those
words and found them meaning so much, "Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptising them in the
Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost, Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I
have commanded you, and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world." It was thrilling
that afternoon as I realized that God and I were still on the same course and this further charge made
sense out of all the mystery of the previous years. He had asked me to go to Africa, Europe, India,
South America, West Indies, Canada, Japan, Southern Ireland, and with His help I had been able to say,
"Yes, I will go." Now He was saying, "Teach all nations." I had learned enough now to know that He
specialised in miracles so did not doubt His ability to bring me into an international ministry. At that
time I had no idea at all how this could possibly take place.

I was called into an elders' meeting one evening and offered my first opportunity to preach. A lady had
requested that her home be used for Old-fashioned Cottage Meetings and her request had been
considered, and now I was to be put in charge of this new venture. All necessary arrangements were
made and the district in which she lived— Joanmount, North Belfast was visited and people invited to
the services. They were to be held weekly on each Wednesday night. Clearly do I recall going up to
take my first meeting, my notes were in my Bible and I had my message almost word perfect in my
mind. Eight o'clock was the hour for commencing but no one turned up and after thirty minutes the
lady made tea for the two of us, and that was my first meeting over. Sermon unpreached, heart heavy
and feeling disappointed, I walked the mile and a half home determined to try harder for next
Wednesday. The attendance the following week was exactly the same just the two of us, but on the third
Wednesday one of the elders came along and our congregation was increased by 50 per cent. He made
the situation worse by telling me to go ahead and preach, and this I did for twenty minutes on the
subject, "The Just shall live by Faith." We three then had our tea and I left. However, the people began
to come along and the room was filled some nights with twenty-five people and two elderly folk were
restored to the Lord.

About this time I crossed the sea to Scotland to join other young men from Ireland and England on a
"preaching holiday". This was my first visit to Scotland and proved to be a most enjoyable introduction
to that beautiful country of Galloway. Mr. Willie Scott, who was engaged in full-time evangelism, had
arranged these holidays, and dozens of young men have occasion to thank the Lord for those days spent
together in prayer, tracting and preaching. We lived in the home of the Davies family in Creetown,
Kirkcudbrightshire, and that year Mr. Scott's tent was pitched in Wigton. This holiday was the first of
three which I spent in this way and I enjoyed the experiences and profited from them. Names come to
my mind which revive memories of those days, Newton Stewart, Glenluce, Anwoth, Gatehouse-of-
Fleet, Castle Douglas, Sandhead, Portpatrick and Stranraer. We called in the homes of the people and
preached in their streets and in the evenings held meetings in tents and halls.

It was on one of these visits that I first stood among the ruins of the late Samuel Rutherford's Church at
Anwoth. The roof was gone and the cool breeze blew softly through the vacant window frames. Grass
and graves covered the floor of that sanctuary where one of Scotland's spiritual princes preached in the
seventeenth century. As a few of us walked and wandered through the ruins we sang the hymn which
has been associated with Rutherford, "The Sands of Time are Sinking." We were reminded by a local
Christian that Samuel Rutherford's personal prayer in his days of spiritual power was "If one soul from
Anwoth, meet me at God's right hand. My heaven will be two heavens in Immanuel’s land.

Working with Willie Scott and the other young men strengthened my desire to become engaged in the
work of the Lord and from each of these holidays I returned home with deeper desires to be in His will
and at His disposal. I got the impression in those days that some of my work in evangelism would be in
Scotland, but never did I realize I would be privileged to work so much and with such happy fellowship
as I have already experienced in that land.

As the weeks and months slipped away I continued to pray daily for the Lord to show me His will and,
now that I knew that I was not be located in any particular mission field, I was concerned to know
where I was to commence my ministry and therefore endeavoured to equip myself through Bible Study
for the work which lay before me. Through correspondence I studied the Scriptures with The Moody
Bible Institute, Chicago, U.S.A., and enjoyed this form of consecutive study.

II felt strongly that I ought to attempt some other form of evangelistic effort to experiment with and
discover if I had any preaching ability.

On a Wednesday afternoon, in response to a deep inner urge which I accepted as the leading of the
Holy Spirit, I travelled to a small village seventeen miles from Belfast. Years earlier I had lived in
Greyabbey and now it seemed right that I should return there and commence a weekly service for
young people in the Orange Hall. I called that memorable afternoon on my former schoolteacher, who
was a devoted Christian lady, and told her of my interest in reaching the young people with the Gospel,
When she told me that some Baptist fellows had already commenced such meetings in that hall on
Wednesday evenings I knew that I had misunderstood the direction of the Lord in this regard or else He
had some other purpose in bringing me to that village that day, I well knew that the Baptist people who
were conducting the meetings could do a much better job than I could and I had no hesitation in
accepting that the Lord had directed them to that place before me.

Satan abused me greatly on my way home. I felt depressed and greatly misled and was almost
convinced that I had never ever known the Lord's voice and that everything which had happened in the
past was only in-my imagination. I just did not know the difference between the Lord's leading and my
own personal ambition, Satan told me. Arriving home that evening I felt I was finished with the whole
affair. I was tired of being led in so many directions and finding them to be nothing more than a cul-de-
sac. The following morning I felt no better, and although I was supposed to be selling shoes my mind
was distressed and I tried to make completely new plans for my life which would have nothing to do
with preaching or anything related to it. During the morning I stepped outside the shop to view the busy
street and breathe fresh air. After standing for only a few minutes I was aware of a piece of paper
blowing up the street and striking my foot. I stooped to lift it and said inwardly with a great degree of
indifference. "This is possibly a message to cheer me up,but I don't want cheered up, I'm finished with
the whole business." The words on the leaflet said "I testify", "I come quickly", and as these did not
convey anything I just stuck it into my pocket.

Electric trams were still in extensive use at that time in Belfast and, sitting on a hard wooden seat
upstairs on one of these, I travelled home for my lunch that day. I remembered the leaflet in my pocket
and thought I would look again and discovered that it was folded and there was writing inside, and this
proved to be the most valuable communication I ever received outside of the Bible itself. I ask you to
read these words and try to feel something of the impact they had on me that day. See how suitable they
were in the particular circumstances and you will appreciate why I regard them as so valuable. All that
was written on those two inside pages was Scripture and the words constituted a vital message from the
Lord.

"Now after the death of Moses, the servant of the Lord, it came to pass that the Lord spake unto Joshua
the son of Nun, Moses' minister, saying,

"Moses, my servant, is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the
land which I do give to them, even to the children of Israel.

"Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you, as I said unto
Moses.

"From the wilderness and this Lebanon even unto the great sea toward the going down of the sun, shall
be your coast.

"There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life : as I was with Moses, so I
will be with thee : I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.

"Be strong and of a good courage : for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land,
which I sware unto their fathers to give them. Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou
mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses, my servant, commanded thee : turn not
from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest

This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth but thou shalt mediate day and night that thou he
law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt mediate therein day and night, that thou mayest
observe to do according to all that is written therein : for then thou shall make thy way prosperous, and
then thou shall have good success.
 . "Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou
dismayed : for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoeer thou goest" (Joshua 1. v. 1-9).

These words reached my heart and restored my soul. Nothing could have met my need so fittingly and I
rejoiced in the joy of full surrender sitting on the top of that old tram. Light had shone into the
darkness. I had been afraid and dismayed but now He had spoken, "Fear not . . . neither be thou
dismayed

My soul could cry out again, "Anything, Lord, anything."

AS THE WAY AHEAD became clearer and my confidence in the leading of the Lord strengthened, I
discussed more freely these soul exercises with a close circle of friends. Over the years I had heard
from my mother fragments of her own personal convictions but now I wanted to know more and try to
fill in the picture as she would see it. As a late teenager my mother's heart had been set on missionary
work in China and the Lord had given her a burden for "A million a month in China who were dying
without Christ". Her soul exercises culminated in complete dedication and surrender to the will of the
Lord. Time proved that the Lord had other work for her to do and China was not to be her field of
service. In the will of the Lord and according to His plan my father and she were married in Apsley
Hall. Belfast, and together endeavoured to follow the path of the Lord's choice for their life.

During the years of mother's deep interest in China she had been much moved by reading an account
of missionary enterprise in that land by Mr. Archibald Glover. His book, "A Thousand Miles of Miracle
in China," is something of a missionary classic and has been a blessing to many thousands. My parents
agreed that if the Lord would give them a son they would give him back to the Lord for His service and
if possible for China. In Mr. Glover's book mention is made of great suffering and hardship and this
was experienced by his family, which included his young son Hedley. When I was born there was no
hesitation in giving me the names Hedley Glover in the hope that the Lord would one day take me to
China's millions. The first six weeks of my life were rather hazardous —during that time I lost rather
than gained four pounds in weight, it appeared that the Lord had only given me to my devoted parents
that they might hand me straight back to Him. Friends whom I know today tell me that as they watched
in those days they never thought I would survive The family doctor was in daily attendance and a nurse
lived in our house. In response to an appeal from my parents the doctor checked the treatment I was
receiving from the nurse and. whatever he discovered, he dismissed her at once and sent her home, and
with the correct treatment I began to gain strength and eventually attained the honourable weight of 14
stones and rose to 5 ft. 11in.

The interest and prayers of my parents have undoubtedly had their effect upon my life and they are not
without their own personal revelations from God concerning their family.Memories of my childhood
are built around my sister, Gretta. who being a little older than I, took me to school. much to her
embarrassment and sometimes was responsible for caring for me, much to her distress. I was anxious to
go to school and started at about 3 years of age. and sometimes the teacher had to ask Gretta to take me
home and out of her way. I was regarded in school in those early days as "Murphy's Band" and am
greatly amused to find that in more recent times certain rigid people have called my Crusades
''Murphy's Band". I made a lot of noise in school and usually had a whistle or mouth organ concealed in
my jersey and had no hesitation in giving a "recital when I felt like it. In later years I enjoyed the
practice of teachers bringing an older brother or sister down from a senior class to listen to a pupil who
was not able to repeat poetry or rhyme tables off which should have been learned at home. Often I
would deliberately stumble and forget my lines and in fury the teacher would send one of her "pets" to
a senior class for Gretta to come and listen so that she could tell my parents Always when Gretta had
arrived I would say my lines without a mistake and chuckle to myself and then she and I would laugh
when we got home.

Another highlight of 1968 was my visit to her home in America and to enjoy the fellowship of her
circle of friends and renew our own close friendship, not only with her, but her husband David and
darling daughter Heather, When I was 5 years old I ceased to be the youngest and spoiled member of
our family. On a Sunday morning in October I was called to see her the first time my baby brother. I
was greatly impressed, but can recall thinking that he looked very small and would be no good to me so
far as playing games was concerned. In the intervening years he has made considerable progress
physically and is better known today for his work in Gospel Radio and Film Outreach, being founder
and executive director of Evangelical Outreach Ltd., Ireland. A later chapter will deal with my
involvement in the radio ministry of the "Irish Gospel Hour".

Our family was now complete and like the most of my readers we have our happy memories and funny
episodes which we like to recall from time to time. My father's position in the police force demanded
that we lived in several areas of Ulster and this involved us in changing schools and dialects and I
acquired a love for the rural countryside which I have never lost, and often in the hectic rush of modern
evangelism, with people pressing, noisy airports, and overcrowded trains, I yearn for the lanes and
hedges, the lakes and rivers of rural Ireland. Not only was our family united in a Christian home and
harmony but we were also united in the Christian faith, my sister at the age of 7 years received Christ
and my brother James at the age of 9 years.

Since this is not a book about my family, I resist the temptation to relate stories, both funny and sad, of
our lives together. A few years ago I received a tape-recording from Gretta when she was in Canada.
She had learned to play a harp (we couldn't think why, unless it was in anticipation of better days
ahead), and she played and sang a hymn which we have always associated with her. I invite you to sing
it with us now to the tune "In the Upper Garden".
ON THE 9th MAY. 1951, I became husband to Irene McNeill and the wedding took place in Oldpark
Hall, Bellast. Our personal friend. Mr. Samuel Jardine, officiated in his typically gracious manner.
Irene's parents had both passed on to be with the Lord so there was a measure of sadness at their
absence. A tour in Scotland and a visit to the Ayr Bible Readings were included in our honeymoon and
then back to a new life and the necessary readjustments. Together we waited for the Lord to open up
the future and reveal His will. Daily I prayed "When, Lord?", and one day the answer came. I walked a
busy thoroughfare and as usual was mentally talking to the Lord about my future, when He spoke to me
so clearly with these words, "Joseph was 30 years old when he stood before Pharaoh." The immediate
effect this had upon me was startling and stepping into a shop doorway I said, "Lord, if that was You
speaking to me, say it again." and He did so just as clear and loud as before. Now I was thinking and
everything began to fall Into place. I recalled that Joseph was 17 years old when God gave him the
vision of the sun, moon and stars and also the sheaves, and yet he was 30 years of age before the vision
was fulfilled. It was clear to me now that I was also 17 years of age when in the night hours He called
me and revealed Himself to me and I was now being told that I would be at least 30 years old before
the fulfillment. That day I was 25 years old and so there would be a further five years or more of
waiting. While this saddened me yet it was also a relief to know that I was still on course. Then I
thought. "What will the Lord want me to do over these live years?" and stopping in another shop
doorway I asked Him for information regarding His will covering the next five years and, just as
clearly as before. He spoke to me in one word. "Ballysillan". At first this did not make sense to me.
because I knew that Ballysillan was a district nearby where I lived " at that time 1,500 new houses
were in the course of erection, but what I could do was not clear to me then.

That evening I went up in the darkness and surveyed the building sites. There was mud and materials,
houses and huts everywhere, and not a soul living around. As I stood there alone and asked the Lord
why He had said "Ballysillan" my mind accepted that right here I should acquire a site on which to
build and then evangelize the people who would live here. My mind was made up, I knew what I was
expected to do and the next day I commenced. The search for a site proved more difficult than had
been anticipated. Estate agents offered me four sites over the following six months, but when the
triplicate applications were made in each case to the City Fathers they were flatly refused. I wanted
to obtain and secure the site before discussing the work with anyone, but now being at a dead-end I
brought the matter before the elders of the Oldpark Assembly.

They thought this was an excellent idea but advised me that they could not finance this new work
owing to their heavy commitments. 'I was glad to have their fellowship and sympathy and
assurance that certain Assembly offerings would be earmarked for this project. I then visited
Christian men who lived adjacent to this new area and invited them to a meeting to discuss
procedure. A wholehearted response was (most encouraging and about eight men stood ready to
commence the work as soon as the site was secured. There was a piece of ground at Ballysillan Park
which I had been told was suitable for our purpose but in my eyes it was only an old dumping-
ground. The land was most uneven and covered with tins, tyres and bottles, and it just was not what I
felt desirable. However necessity proved to be the mother of invention and reluctantly I again
applied for permission from the City Fathers and after some weeks this was granted. Only then did I
discover that no one knew who owned the piece of ground. Months followed when I called on agents
and solicitors and, following every given clue, I just could not make progress. One name given to me
was that of a publican who had tried to build a public-house on the site. I visited this lady and she told
me I was wasting my time as no one knew who owned the ground, but she revealed the builder's name
who had built the pre-war houses nearby. I called at his last known address to find his wife left alone
and she had forgotten the owner's name but remembered the estate agents. The following morning I
seemed lo have reached the end of the search. The estate agent said he would be happy to let me have
the ground if he could trace the owner. The gentleman concerned had not been seen for two years and
all letters sent to him were returned. I now had his name and set out to find him if he was in the country
or even in the body. During these days I was fully committed to the Lord for His help and guidance and
without this, progress was impossible.

Silting at a coffee one morning with a business friend who knew the man for whom I was looking, he
excitedly told me that the said gentleman was sitting alone at another table in that very lounge. Without
a moment's hesitation I approached him and introduced myself and enquired if he was Mr. ———.
"Yes," he said, "what do you want?" "Can I have your piece of land in Ballysillan Park?" I asked. "Yes,
certainly, and I'll be glad to get clear of it." he said. He agreed to call with his agent that day and sign
the ground over for the nominal fee of £40. The committee of workers accepted a lease on the ground
for 999 years with a yearly head rent of £9 and so we were ready to commence in "Ballysillan".

Plans were drawn up for a brick hall costing over £4,000 with voluntary labour, and when we
commenced to clear the site on the 1st June, 1954, we discovered that foundations had been laid for
two semi-villas as far back as 1937 when the building programme was stopped. It was clear to me that
God had reserved this site for His work and I felt highly honoured to be a cog in this great programme
wheel. With some guidance from builders we were able to use the existing foundations and extend
these to meet our need.

A treasurer was appointed and it was carefully made known that "all gifts for this work would be
appreciated", and as the money became available so we moved forward. A brick manufacturer offered
us all the bricks we would require on extended credit and we were able to use our surplus funds to pay
bricklayers. One Friday as I called with the treasurer to collect the money for the builders he told me
that there would be no money left for next week and perhaps I should tell the men to stop working lest
we were not able to pay them. I struggled with this situation and thought if I tell them to stop tonight
they might never start again and the walls are only three-quarter way erected, or could I not trust the
Lord to send enough to pay them for next week. On the other hand, if we made them redundant for one
week this would be bad for the Christian image. I called the senior man from the scaffolding to sign for
the money that day and said nothing to him, but he requested a special favour from me. He asked,
"Would you mind if we stopped this job tonight as we must get another one started or we shall lose it.
We will return in two weeks and finish this one." I said, "That will be all right provided you're not
longer than two weeks . ..." I was learning some wonderful lessons of God's, ways and the wonder of
His work. After six long weeks the men had not returned and neither had we received any money from
anyone. The time was spent in filling-in the site and clearing the area around the hall. One Sunday
morning a lady asked why the work had stopped and I told her. She said she had thought it was lack of
money and then said, "When the bricklayers return let me know as I want to pay them their wages until
the work is done." The following morning when I called at the site they were busy at work and
expressed their regrets at the delay in returning. Many other wonderful signs did the Lord give to us in
those days. He supplied men and materials just when they were needed and when the roof was about to
be put on the only firm that would do it demanded the full sum of £600 before they would start and our
hearts were encouraged when another lady came and offered us the money for the roof.

After two years of building and praying, working and worrying on Saturday, 13th October, 1956, we
opened the doors of Ballysillan Hall to the public. Veteran evangelist William Gilmore, approaching his
ninetieth year, spoke, together with Mr. Annesley Logan (Carrickfergus). On the following night my
joy was full as almost two hundred people packed the hall for the Gospel Service. Here they were, the
men and women from "Ballysillan". The partly built houses of two years ago were all filled and that
afternoon ninety-six children turned up for our first Sunday School. My wife, my brother and myself
were the only workers on that first Sunday afternoon but from then on the work has grown with today
over three hundred young people connected to the various youth departments and many God-given
workers.

During the months which followed the opening we were greatly encouraged in seeing several
conversions among both adults and teenagers At the suggestion of the elders of the Oldpark Assembly
to which the new converts were taken — we commenced holding ''Breaking of Bread" Meetings on
Sunday mornings and established a New Testament Assembly, on the first anniversary of the opening
of the hall. God was training me during these months but now I was to experience new problems and
accept greater responsibilities than ever before. For years I was committed to the New Testament
principles for the gatherings of Christians and with a sincere desire to carry these into practice, thirty-
three people met to celebrate the Lord's Supper on 13th October, 1957.

Thai night God endorsed the step we had taken by giving us one of the outstanding cases of conversion
which we have seen in that building. I had been warned by elder brethren that soon we would
encounter the usual traffic of disgruntled people who move from one place to another and always turn
up where a new work is commenced. Unfortunately I did not take this warning seriously and was quite
unprepared when i discovered that moves were on hand to direct this God-established work into certain
lines which run contrary to the Scriptures.

Periods of heartbreak attended our efforts as certain, who had joined us, forced their will and opinion
in an effort to compel us to conform to the traditions of certain teachers and opposed efforts we made to
reach the people with the Gospel. I record these sad acts as a warning lo any young men who in the
future may seek to establish something for God and may not be aware of the activities of these minority
groups whose greatest weapon is scandal and ridicule. The Lord continued to bless His word and His
people and in the passing of time by one means and another He brought calm and peace which now has
been enjoyed for some years

. Our first campaign was held the following year and was called "Inter-Estate Crusade", covering
Ballysillan, Tyndale and Joanmount, the latter area being the scene of my first house meetings years
earlier to which no one came on the first two nights. The speaker in the crusade was Mr. Noel Flanagan
and nightly the hall was filled with the people to whom God had sent me. One hymn will always recall
those meetings and revive memories in the hearts of those who stood together, worked together, and
prayed together.
MY SECULAR EMPLOYMENT was with a well known insurance company and my spare time was
more than filled with work in the new struggling Assembly and more than ever travelling over Ulster
preaching the Gospel in places to which I was invited. I felt that I would never want to do anything else
but what I was doing at that time and inwardly hoped that the Lord would allow me to settle down in
this work which was so dear to my heart. The plan of God was unfolding for my life and this always
developed in matters which seemed of little importance.

A gentleman and his wife requested that they might share in the fellowship of the Assembly at
Ballysillan and at the interview they had with elder brethren we learned that, while they lived a short
distance from our hall, they had never accepted any invitation to attend our Gospel Services, but in
their homes listening to a Gospel Broadcast from Tangier. Morocco, they both accepted Christ, and
now wished to associate themselves with us. The interest of many was captured by the effects of
Gospel outreach by radio and in a short time most members of the Assembly were listening regularly to
"The Voice of Tangier".

My brother James was playing an important part in the Assembly, being superintendent of youth work
and assisting with the overall running of affairs. He. with others, felt that an Irish-produced Gospel
programme, beamed over this station, would have a special appeal in Ireland. Correspondence
developed between him and Dr. Freed of "The Voice of Tangier" and arrangements were made to
produce an audition tape for consideration On the first Saturday in 1959 a male voice choir, with
pianist and announcer, met at the Y.M.C.A. in Balfast to make their first recording. I had been invited
to put the short message into the programme It was made clear to me that the tape might not be
acceptable to the station for one reason or another, and therefore I was being invited to be the speaker
because a "good speaker" might be offended if the tape was rejected, but they were sure I would not be
offended .... That Saturday afternoon "Irish Gospel Hour" was born and has been heard around the
world for almost ten years by millions of listeners. The story of God's provision for this radio work is
not mine to tell, but I have been honoured to be associated with it from the beginning. It is generally
known that "The Voice of Tangier" had to close down in Morocco and God gave to Dr. Freed the
powerful voice of "Trans-World Radio" in Monte Carlo and it was over this new station that "Irish
Gospel Hour" was first heard. The night we heard our first programme was rather wonderful and we
were bowed in thankfulness to God for what He had wrought. We had been told that this station could
be picked up in many parts of the world and sitting there that evening with the dial tuned to Monte
Carlo God seemed to say again, "Go ye therefore and teach all nations . . . ," and I recalled five years
earlier when He said to me, "Joseph was 30 years old when he stood before Pharaoh." It was soul-
thrilling to see His plan and pattern on the fabric of my life.

The Irish Gospel Broadcasting Fellowship soon moved into recording studios which had been provided
by God, and through sacrificial gifts of Christian friends, professional equipment was purchased and
programmes of high quality were produced. Days of difficulty were experienced and often the only
door left open to those responsible was prayer and over and over again the Lord met the need of the
hour and the work prospered. The studio block soon became a centre of activity with recordings being
made of choirs, soloists and instrumentalists. Letters from listeners brought great encouragement and
the postmarks carried their own message to my heart. From France, Germany, Africa, America, the
West Indies, Norway, Sweden, England, Scotland and each corner of Ireland from all nations they
came. Each of those responsible for this Radio Outreach were aware that only the Lord could keep such
a work in existence and therefore the criticism which sometimes reached us from those who had no
vision and who professed to "walk in the old paths" only assured us that we were in the will of the
Lord. Once Satan ignores a work for the Lord we can be sure that it is worth little, but where the Lord
is working Satan will be objecting even he can only get Christians to do it.

God sent His chosen personnel to share in the work of Ihe "Irish Gospel Hour" and soon an efficient
team was responsible for all the work. A registered company was formed to undertake contracts with
local radio stations and to hold in its trust all the expensive equipment. The company was called
Evangelical Outreach Ltd., with an accountant. Mr. Jim R. Johnston, as its chairman and seven council
members. In 1968 my brother, who had steered the entire project from the beginning, resigned his
appointment as art teacher at a secondary school to become full-time executive director and he was
joined by our secretary. Miss Hazel Knox. Years of heart exercise had preceded this step and now the
work had so developed, with nine programmes being produced weekly, that it was quite impossible to
carry on properly without full-time staff.

Gospel broadcasting on this scale had never before been attempted in Ireland and therefore much of the
early work was of a pioneer nature. It was also in 1968 that Evangelical Outreach entered the field of
Gospel films and in a remarkable set of circumstances was able to purchase the first Arreflex camera to
be used in evangelism in this country. The entire equipment was purchased at a cost of £3.000 and is
capable of producing high quality sound films for TV epilogues and Bible teaching purposes. The
marvels and miracles of this work must be recorded by other writers who are better able to tell of these
things.

Another side of the outreach of this Fellowship was summer crusades with the radio team and these
have been a great blessing to the hundreds of young Christians who have shared in their holidays the
work of evangelism. Later in this book I will tell of our visits to the Isle of Man and Portstewart,
Northern Ireland, and share with you some of the trials and triumphs of those crusades.

It was at one of our crusades in Douglas. Isle of Man, that we learned a hymn which had then, and still
has, a deep effect on all of us. Miss Vera Scott sang it as a solo one at the Bible Reading Session and
its words brought message to our hearts :
THE YEAR WAS 1959 and I felt that I could claim to have fulfilled my vows to God. I was active in
the work of a local church, arranging Gospel and Bible Teaching meetings, house visitation, youth
work, missionary meetings, travelling many miles per month to speak at youth and adult meetings and
weekly recording sessions for our international radio programme. My daily employment was such that
I could arrange this hectic life so that all departments were kept operating, but I was working at full
stretch, I never forgot God's promise when I was 25 years of age and I had waited for those five years
to come, now they had arrived and I wanted to think that His purpose and plan were fulfilled in both
""Ballysillan" and "The Irish Gospel Hour".

At no time was I over-anxious to become an evangelist and my involvement in Radio Evangelism

convinced me that I would encounter difficulties which before had not been envisaged. I would have
been very pleased if the Lord could have left me in the work which I was enjoying and was willing to
give my whole life to this varied programme, which was taking up so much of my time. This was not to
be so and I found, like Moses that the "Pillar of Cloud" was to guide and lead me on. One Thursday
morning I was reading the Scriptures and again from Joshua 1 the Lord spoke to me. This time it was
verse 11 which rose out of the page to catch my eye, "... Prepare you victuals, for within three days ye
shall pass over this Jordan to go in to possess the Land, which the Lord your God giveth you to possess
it ... ," I was convinced that these were instructions for moving forward because on the same morning I
had read again the words "Every place that the soul of your foot shall tread upon that have I given unto
you", so it was not enough to send my voice by radio across the continents but I must tread the ground
personally. I felt sad that day and wondered what "the three days" could mean. I knew it was not three
literal days nor could it be three weeks. My employers would require one month's notice of my leaving
and I knew that for years the Lord had said, "Ye shall not go out with haste, nor go by flight, for the
Lord will go before you and the God of Israel will be your reward" (Isaiah 52, v. 12). I had always
accepted from this that nothing would happen in a hurry and there would be no panic.

That same evening while reading in Ezekiel, chapter 4, I was shocked to read these words in verse 6, "I
have appointed thee each day for a year." Therefore the three days of Joshua 1 in my case was to be
three years. I knew then that I would go into full-time evangelism in three years' time. To-day, when
certain people object to preachers filling their diaries for three years in advance, I rejoice that my Lord
had no difficulty in telling me where I would be and what I would be doing three years hence and on an
earlier occasion He told me my movements five years hence. Very often these objections are on a
personal, rather than scriptural, basis.It was now my desire to hand over to others the various duties I
was performing at Ballysillan and this was difficult since no one knew of the deep stirrings within my
heart. Not for two more years did I make my plans known and then only to those who were accepting
responsibility in the Assembly affairs. The word began to spread and people began to ask questions,
"Where are you going?", "Why are you going?", "When are you going?". My answers to these
questions were too personal to go into detail and I was still asking the Lord for clear direction. The
South of Ireland was uppermost in my mind and I was invited to visit Merrion Hall, Dublin, and also
Cork City. It became clear to me that my first venture as an evangelist should be to visit areas in the
Republic of Ireland to which I had been invited and from which we had received letters in reply to our
Gospel broadcasts.

Early in December, 1961, a farewell meeting in my honour was arranged by the responsible brethren in
Ballysillan Hall and friends from a wide area were invited. Here, for the first time, I told publicly the
story of the Lord's leading and call to service. To me this was very emotional, the entire setting, the
surroundings, the evidences of God's grace and power before me in that meeting and the thought that
was soon to leave them made this a very difficult meeting, and at the same time a memorable one.

The next week I walked out of the city office of the insurance company with which I was employed.
My national insurance card was in my pocket, the last bridge had been burned, I was on my own I
thought and Satan walked beside me. My mind was full of doubts, and fear gripped my soul as it had
never done before. I had received my last cheque from Head Office and my expense account was
closed for good. If God cannot be trusted now I'll be destroyed. I walked up High Street in Belfast,
through Corn Market and into Ann Street. I felt frail and weak, foolish and fearful, and I prayed: Lord,
will you speak to me: let me know You're with me. I feel so alone". For no special reason I turned into
a Bible shop and it was there He spoke to me. The Lord had His message waiting for me. I was on a
printed card set up on the counter and I read it and bought it. and to-day it still lies before me : "The
Lord hath chosen thee. Be strong and of good courage and do it: fear not nor be dismayed, for the Lord
God, even my God will be with thee. He will not fail thee, nor forsake thee until thou has finished all
the work" (1 Chron. 28, vv. 10-20). This was what I needed, my Lord had spoken peace, and I went
home happy in the knowledge that He was with rne. It was this very passage He gave to me about
twelve months earlier when I knew I must tell my colleagues in Ballysilian and yet did not want to do
so.

The day following that experience I left home to drive to Mountrath, in the centre of Ireland, I cannot
express in cold print my feelings as the miles passed on that Dublin Road. When I reached the home of
Mr. and Mrs. R. L. Duggan of Mountrath I still felt the need for some more confirmation from the Lord
and as we sat at the table I read the words framed on the wall: "Fear thou not, for I am with thee." My
first Sunday in full-time evangelism was spent with a few warm-hearted Christian people who met each
Sunday morning in what was the Methodist Church in Mountrath. I really enjoyed that day, and can
recall how meaningful it all was. During that first visit into the South of my country I spent nights at
Cork, Bandon and Skibbereen. and returned home at the end of the month much wiser and more
experienced than when I left. Within a few days I was back in Dublin for a week-end conference of the
members of our Radio Fellowship and the male voice choir. Meetings in Merrion Hall proved to be a
blessing and the Lord encouraged our hearts by saving at least one precious soul.

I do not intend to give you a weekly or monthly account of my activities but will endeavour to pass on
to you lessons I have learned in some of the areas and crusades in which I have worked. My diary was
far from full in those days and I was often concerned as to how I was going to receive invitations to
preach, but I determined with the Lord that I would never invite myself for either a campaign or a
single meeting and that I would never "drop in when passing" a local church or assembly in the hope of
being invited to preach. I felt very strongly that if the Lord had called me and I was in no doubt about
that. He would provide enough work for me, and if He failed to do so then I certainly was not going to
try.

It was in those early days that the title of this book brought its comfort and confidence—"Under His
Wings"— and my testimony as I look back today, back to boyhood, back to sickness, back to testing,
back to broadcasting, back to Ballysillan, back to disappointments and battles.
I had an invitation to conduct my first Gospel Campaign in the Gospel Hall at Ballyhalbert, Co. Down.
In this tiny seaside town God had blessed His word for many years and I was happy to work with the
Christians there and fruit from that Campaign is still evident to this day. My visits to Ballyhalbert are
always a pleasant experience.

It was in July of 1962 that we commenced what became annual visits to Porstewart, Co. Derry. The
"Irish Gospel Hour" team spent their holiday on a caravan site and each evening we held open-air
services at the Harbour. I am convinced that our very best must go into our open-air witness. so we
erected a platform of tubular steel with drapes and a top quality Public Address System. Those
meetings were a great experience for us all and we rejoiced when two elderly ladies accepted Christ as
they listened at an open-window nearby. Later a teenage boy confessed Christ while standing in the
crowd which sometimes grew to 350/400 people. On the Sunday nights we used the Town Hall for
After-Church Rallies and this was very new to us, but the Lord brought many people to the services
and helped us greatly and we rejoiced to learn of others who accepted Christ in that hall.

Each year since then some part of our summer outreach has centered on Portstewart. The interest and
numbers have increased until 1967 when we held our second Ulster-Scottish Crusade in that town hall,
we used Closed Circuit Television to relay the services to the minor hall and still we could not
accommodate all those who tried to attend.

The idea of Ulster Scottish Crusades developed out of my contacts with Wallace Kirkland in
Motherwell, who organised a large party of Scottish Christians who were willing to spend their
holidays in a Gospel enterprise in Ulster. In 1966 and '67 parties from England. Scotland and Ireland
joined together for two weeks and the outcome was a great spiritual blessing to many. Each morning
upwards of two hundred met in the Town-Hal! for Bible Study and Prayer and then in the evening we
held our Gospel Rally at 7.45 p.m. This was always followed by Coffee, tea or minerals and the Late-
night Extra commenced at 10.00 p.m. until 11.00 p.m., hundreds attended both services nightly. There
were nights which hold fragrant memories for many of us. Dozens of young people bore testimony to
the great personal experiences they had had with God during those days in Portstewart. We hope to be
able to visit that town occasionally in the future.

II was also in 1962 that I visited the Radio Station in Monte Carlo and this was a great experience, to
meet for one week in Conference with Christian leaders from 13 different countries. To listen to their
personal stories of trial and triumph in the field of Radio Evangelism and then to share a special service
in the Remembrance of Christ. This was something I can never forget. At the Remembrance service
each person was encouraged to take part in his native language and there was not one moment's
confusion or lack of reverence. It was, to me, very apostolic and for this I gave thanks.

Other visits that year included, Motherwell and Huther-glen in Lanarkshire, Aberdeen and Barrow-in-
Furness in Lanes, and one week in Newsham Park, Liverpool.

I was beginning to learn that God was going before me and making the crooked places straight. He was
opening doors which I could never have opened. Invitations were reaching me which I had never
sought and I was just beginning to prove God's ability to perform the impossible. One evening during
the Portstewart meetings I received an invitation to visit Larne in Co. Antrim for a Campaign the
following year. This was kept in my mind for some months before we finally made the arrangement.
January, 1963, was the month decided upon and none of us had any idea what God was about to do in
that town. Weeks before the opening night of the Campaign, Satan launched an attack on the
arrangements through one or two men who, like Eli long ago, had lost their Spiritual Vision and
Vitality. These not only resisted the proposed meetings but threatened to boycot them. It was therefore
in a greater sense of weakness and dependence upon God than I had ewer known that I drove one
Sunday morning to Lame lo commence the Campaign. I can even now recall every corner on the road
Snow and ice covered the surface and seemed lo add to the difficulties of having meetings at that time
of year. As I journed that day a verse of a hymn forced itself upon my mind and the words seemed to be
God's message for the month that lay ahead. I sang again and again

"He makes the Rose an object of His care,

And Guides the eagle through the Pathless Air;

And surely He remembers me,

My heavenly Father watches over me."

God took over those meetings and blessed the efforts of the local men who arranged them and upon
whose hearts had laid the burden at the beginning. I will always value the exercises of Tommy Boyle
and Norman McCall who with older men like Mr. W. Henning, Mr. Tom Graham, Mr. James McCall
and others guided those meetings and gave to me the opportunity of seeing a great work established for
God.

On the closing night, after five weeks of preaching, the people filled every available space in the
Gospel Hail. The main Hall, the platform, the Minor Hall, the kitchen and entrance porch were packed.
I was able to announce that 26 people had given me their name and addresses and indicated that they
had accepted Christ. Alter the first week of the meetings the Minor Hall had to be used for the
overflow. Over a hundred people waited nightly after the services to pray. Men and women wept
openly as they prayed for sons and daughters by name. I think all those who were prayed for, accepted
Christ before the Campaign finished. Time and space forbids that I relate here the astounding stories of
conversion. There were students (including three young men from the Grammar School 1st. Rugby
team), sons and daughters of Christian leaders, and outsiders who lived hard lives. We reached the
place where we knew we were outside it all and only looking in on a great work of Ihe Holy Spirit. The
thing I found hardest to understand was how in the midst of such work of God, some Christian could
remain distant and resist this manifestation of Divine power.

Throughout the five weeks, prayer was offered daily for Mr Hunter Hanvey. He was one of the best-
known businessmen in the town but had neither time nor love for the Gospel Members of his family,
together with his wife were in the Assembly in Larne and the fellowship in prayer of so many
Christians was a joy to witness as they prayed again and again for "Hunter." After the second week Mr.
Hanvey started to attend the meetings and this thrilled all those who had an interest in him. I talked
only a little with him and got only little encouragement. The last Sunday night he took his place and we
just waited for the moment when he would accept Christ, but he left and went out into the night. I had
three more nights for Bible Teaching and this, much prayed for, man, attended each of these. Again he
went away on the last night, but returned when the hall was empty and looking me straight in the eye
he said "How would I know I was a Christian?" This was the moment for which we had prayed. This
was the climax for which we had hoped. We sat down together in the minor-hall and calmly, without
excitement or emotion, Hunter Hanvey accepted the Saviour. The conversion of this man and his
subsequent testimony has been a terrific encouragement to me. Many of his friends said he would only
last six weeks as a Christian and some gave him six months, but after six years he is still rejoicing in
the experience of that evening.

I left Larne a happier and much wiser man than when I went and I feel even now that I will go on
thanking God for those days and the lessons he taught me there.

The majority of those who accepted Christ during that Campaign are still witnessing for their Lord.
Some have gone to heaven and others have left the country, while others just did not appear to make
any progress. A hymn which became a living part of our lives during those memorable days was
My desire to reach as many people as possible in as short a time as possible by all means possible was
frowned upon by some Christian leaders in Ulster. These men objected to the use, in evangelism, of
Radio, Music, choirs, etc. etc. and anything that was to their minds "new." I was therefore fully aware
of my position in their eyes, but did not regard their frown with any degree of seriousness. Even in my
short lifetime I could recall times when these men condemned other things which they now accepted
without question, and I was confident that their objections were purely their private view and not at all
related to scripture,

Easter, 1963, was, to me, one of those crossroad experiences in my life, but in this book I intend to
draw a veil over the sordid events which brought shame on the Belfast Easter Conference, and I will
not again put on record the deeds and statements of certain extremists (six years ago I published a
document with facts and names and details of that incident)- Therefore, at the expense of allowing
some other fellow evangelist to make shipwreck on the hidden rocks of fleshly carnality. I will only
mention here that I found the guiding hand of God leading me very clearly into a closer walk with
Himself at that time. Some people felt that I should not have later written to the conference committee
asking them to remove my name from their list of "approved preachers" because of the behaviour of a
small minority group of convenors, but after serious thought and prayer I could find no other course
open to me. I would make it clear that the vast majority of the convenors were not in agreement with
the action of their colleagues against whom I bear no hard feelings nor make any charges. As I write to-
day I do not know if any of those responsible for the crisis of 1963 still serve as convenors.

I found myself completely cast upon the Lord and more anxious than ever to serve Him without
interferences. My plan for future evangelism began to reveal itself to me but I stood alone at the cross
roads. From different quarters I received attractive offers and I was also fully aware that many doors in
my immediate circle would be closed to me because of the action of these men. Again and again I
received this message from the Lord "Sit still until thou see how the matter will fall." I made no
decisions in those days and to-day I have no regrets. God seemed to allow me to pass through that
experience so that I would never feel obliged to become a "man-pleaser." I was delivered that year from
"The fear of man which bringeth a snare," and in great personal weakness I have endeavoured to follow
the path of the will of God. Looking back from my vantage point in 1969 I know that I could never
have attempted nor engaged in the work for the Lord which has been my honour to do, if I had not been
freed at that time from the bondage which threatened to engulf me.

From experience which cost me a lot I would implore any young men who are soon to respond to the
call of God and go into full-time service, determine in your mind whom you are going to serve, decide
on a course of absolute obedience to the word of God and have a ruthless determination that no one
person or system will dictate the will of God for your life. The Bible and church history makes it very
clear that "The Man God uses" is the one whose eye is focused on Christ and whose ear is tuned to His
voice alone.

Two further events in 1963 will linger long in my memory, and have had lasting effects on my mind
and life while I became increasingly active in travelling and Preaching in Ireland, Scotland and
England.

Memories of the Largs Bible Readings in Ayrshire, nights in Wishaw and: Stranraer linger with me, yet
our first visit to the Isle of Man marked a mile stone in my Service for the Lord.

I had always kept a secret plan in my mind that one day I would like to take a party of Christians to the
Manx Pleasure Island for a Holiday Crusade. During a week-end visit in 1962 I investigated the
possibilities of this and doors began to open and I was greatly impressed with the facilities Which the
Corporation of Douglas were offering to me and also the interest shown by a Committee of
Businessmen who called themselves "Isle of Man for Christ Crusade."

For months I worked on the project and on Friday, 16th August, 1963, our chartered plane arrived in
Ronaldsway Airport at 11 p.m. Others came by steamer and that night 70 people had arrived in Douglas
for the "Irish Gospel Hour" first "away from home" Crusade. The month previous we had been in
Portstewart for our second year and we were all now on the tip-toe of expectancy. The well-known
Villa Marina Gardens were opened for us each evening with the free use of Deck-Chairs, Band-stand
and excellent Public address system. Publicity was given free by the Manx Tourist Board. Saturday was
spent in preparation and displaying banners on the Promenade and an opening reception for our party
and Isle of Man Christian Leaders was held on Saturday night. I had invited one of Ireland's best
known Bible Teachers to join our Party and to bring us God's message each morning. "Willie Mullan of
Lurgan," as he is affectionately referred to, spoke to us that Saturday evening and also each morning
for the following week and his messages were richly blessed to us all. Evidence of how they were
appreciated could be seen in the increased numbers at the morning sessions which reached over 200 on
some occasions.

A local Church Hall was loaned to us for our Sunday morning Remembrance meeting when over 90
Christians gathered to remember the "Lord's Death." An open-air meeting on the promenade in the
afternoon attracted a large number of people. We placed an electronic organ on the promenade and the
Electricity Authority sent an Engineer \o connect power for us to use the organ and a Public Address
System. The crowds overflowed unto the roadway and had to be controlled by the police. The opening
service in the Loch Prom. Church was in the form of an After Church Rally and was attended by about
600 people. Our hearts were filled with rejoicing as four people decided for Christ after that service.
Nightly, hundreds gathered on deck chairs in the beautiful Villa Marina Gardens and others accepted
Christ there. One evening a man and wife walked the promenade and were attracted by the music in the
Gardens which were normally closed at 6.30 p.m. He had just come out of hospital to which he was
admitted in England two weeks earlier after a suicide attempt, their marriage was breaking up and this
holiday, which was being paid for by friends, was the last': hope in keeping them together. They walked
into the meeting and took their seats and then left at the close. She said to her husband, "what did you
think of that?" "I was going to ask Christ into my life" he replied. "So was I but I was afraid of
upsetting you," she said. Together they came back and bowed in tears of repentance and left with arms
linked together rejoicing in God's love and Christ's Salvation. Our hearts were cheered and thrilled as
we flew out of Ronaldsway Airport at the end of a great ten days when the Lord blessed His People and
touched not a few lives.

it can be easily understood why we returned to Douglas for the following two summers and had to book
more and more accommodation as parties joined us from England and Scotland. A mixed choir from
Belfast helped one year and Ernest McQuoid with "The Sowers" from Chester, England, helped us the
following two years.

The Isle of Man is a very beautiful and attractive holiday playground and various groups now visit it
regularly to present the Gospel message, both to the children and adult population which can reach
500,000 in the summer season. The only local Commercial Radio Station in the British Isles at present
is operated very successfully on the Island and W3 received good coverage for our Crusades with daily
announcements of our meetings. One out-come of our Manx Crusades was a Contract to Broadcast
with Manx Radio for half an hour per night and for the past few years we have been producing a
number of Gospel Programmes over the local station and have received encouragement from the
residents as they write of having been blessed as a result of these programmes.

During one of these Crusades we got to know the Caley family and their son, Peter, aged eight years,
showed a keen and very serious interest in the Gospel. After an evening service in the Broadway
Baptist Church which we hired one year, Peter said he wanted to become a Christian. He and I went to
the Vestry to talk and then Peter prayed and I am sure this was a model prayer (or anyone who would
want to accept Christ, I do not think I shall ever forget his words as together we knelt. With the honest
sincerity of a child he said "Lord Jesus thank you for dying for me, I love you so much I wish I had
died instead of you—come into my heart Lord Jesus—thank you for coming in—Amen." In a moment
he turned to me and said. "Mr. Murphy I'm a Christian," and I said "How are you a Christian Peter?"—
"Jesus is in my heart." to which i replied "How do you know Jesus is in your heart?" and almost
exasperated he said, said, "Sure I asked Him'." This was surely the faith that saves, and Peter has lived
to prove how real that was.

The following year at our I.O.M. Crusade when Dr. F. A. Tatford brought the morning messages and
once spoke on Baptism, Peter and his sister got baptised one night in the open sea before a crowd of
some hundreds and I'll never forget the joy this gave to so many of us.The pattern of those Holiday
Crusades has been followed each year since as we have endeavoured to gather young Christians for
United efforts in Evangelism during their Holidays.The last Sunday of August proved to be the second
mile stone I reached that year. In response to some correspondence which I had with a man I had never
seen and whose name meant little to me then. I went to the district of Aughrim, in Co. Derry, for a one-
day visit. The name of James Corbett was to mean much to me in the months and years that followed
and I have much cause to thank the Lord for bringing this honoured servant of his into my life. As I
motored north that day from Belfast to the western shores of Lough Neagh, I wondered why I was
going to a district I didn't know, to meet with people I hadn't met and I could not help but feel that the
Lord was in all this. I spoke at the Sunday School at 11 a.m., shared in the Breaking-of-Bread meeting
at 12 noon and preached the Gospel at 6 p.m. I enjoyed this visit and my first experience in that
assembly and in view of recent events in my life I appreciated the warmth of Christian fellowships. In
the car-park after the evening service a delegation of responsible brethren Invited me to return to
Aughrim for a Gospel Campaign as soon as it was possible. It was agreed that we would all pray about
this and keep the following February in our minds for a proposed campaign

James Corbett was a man Who had much experience in the work of the Lord, but like few others had
retained a retiring disposition, and a humility which was unusual. He had a gracious, gentle manner in
dealing with matters which could have been explosive in other hands. I soon became aware that he was
not only the anchor which held the assembly in place, but he was, under God, the pillar who held it up,
I know this opinion is also held by the responsible Brethren who worked with him and who now desire
to follow in the path of service to the Lord which James trod. Typical of this man was a letter I received
from him during the months which: followed my visit, in which he pointed out that two servants of the
Lord who worked with the Christian Workers Union had commenced meetings in Aughrim Orange
Hall nearby the Gospel Hall. James Corbett wrote to me stating that we would not announce or
commence our special meetings until Mr. Boland and Mr. Grant had finished their Campaign and asked
my prayers for these men and the district. Our meetings therefore did not commence until March, 1964,
and often I feel I could write a book on those weeks and God's miracles of Saving Grace and the
numerous lessons I learned from James as we visited every home in the district within a radius of three
miles of the hall. God was teaching me much and I was very happy with the teachers he was using for
my spiritual education.

I will record here just one incident from my Holywood, Co. Down, Campaign that year which still stirs
happy memories. Plans were well laid and much preparation put into the Campaign by those who
worshipped in Downshire Road Hall, In Holywood, which lies only five miles from Belfast along the
Lough shore. The newly-built Queen's Hall was booked for the after-Church rallies on the Sundays,
commencing 12th October, 1963. This was a real step of faith by those responsible, and God honoured
it in giving us a large crowd each night and a packed hall on the closing night. One Sunday evening I
spoke on the subject, "Choose ye this day whom ye will serve," and stressed that we could either serve
"The World," the "Flesh" or "The Devil." During the days that followed I met three ladies, a school-
teacher and two housewives who accepted Christ as a result of that message. In each case I asked them
what it was in the message which concerned them and I was amazed when one said she felt she had
been serving "The World" and another said she had been serving "The Flesh," while the third confessed
that she was gripped by "The Devil" (she had been a practising mormon). None of these ladies knew
each other before that night, nor did they know of each others conversion I was much impressed with
the zeal and enthusiastic endeavours of the Christians in Holywood. For some weeks before the
Campaign they had morning prayer meetings commencing at 7 a.m. for men and at 8 a.m. for the ladies
and these continued for the month of that Campaign.

I arrived in Holyood from Barrow-in-Furness in Lancashire where I greatly enjoyed preaching every
night for three weeks in Risedale Hall. I met many ex-Irish people who had gone there to live during
the depression of the 1930's The Lord gave us times of blessing in Barrow and several accepted the
Saviour and others dedicated their lives to Christ Often I find a longing to depart from my schedule of
preaching and travelling and return to many of these places to speak with friends whom I got to know
and who have become an encouragement to me during my visits.

The first meeting of the Trans World Radio British Council of Management was held in London on the
1st. December. 1963 and I was happy to accept an invitation to serve on that Council. I therefore visited
for the first time the city of London and took my seat at the inaugural meeting of the Council. Being the
guest of Mr. David Ginnings. I attended the services that week-end in Cholmeley Evangelical Church.
This resulted in further visits to this Church which I have enjoyed and have engaged in preaching and
teaching sessions with the Christians there.
On the first Sunday in March 1964, I returned to Aughrim in Co. Derry. I was very inexperienced in
working in a rural district and relied greatly on the counsel of Mr. James Corbett. The special services
which had just finished in the Orange Hall had been much blessed of the Lord and the many
Christians in that area were in good spiritual condition, so from the first week it became clear that the
Lord was about to do a great work

In order to give a true account of those days I must state that I experienced bitter opposition from
certain immature Christians who lived in that area. They not only refused to attend the services but did
everything possible to hinder others from so doing. I found some of the finest Christians in Ireland
living in Mid-Ulster and have had much pleasure in knowing and working with them and this
may be the reason why Satan has raised up such wicked opposition, to the word and will of God, in
misguided Christians. This was the type of situation in which I could best prove God's faithfulness and
power. All my life I have thrived on opposition and to have the awareness of the Lord's presence with
me and to know that the opposition was Satanic, only drove me very close to the Lord, and I relied on
Him for every step we took and every message preached. In the second week of the meetings, as the
attendances grew, extra chairs and seats were brought from Magherafelt. Aughrim being the name for
a farming district, the hall sits in the corner of a field with only an Orange Hall and School nearby
and the little town of Castledawson one and a half miles away, and Magherafelt about two and a half
miles east. God was working in the hearts and homes of the people and every day James Corbett drove
me from farm to farm inviting everyone within a three mile radius of the hall. I know that many people
attended the campaign only out of respect for this man. For the sake of the Gospel he had served
these people for years, he visited the sick, he cared for the teenagers, he advised about farming, and it
was to James they came in all their troubles.

A young man accepted Christ on the third night of the Campaign and our joy was full as we stood aside
and watched the Lord at work. Numbers increased nightly until one night about seventy people were
standing in the little minor hall without a seat on which to sit. Many young people accepted the Saviour
and in a number of cases these were teenage sons and daughters of men who had resisted the meetings
and endeavoured lo prevent them from taking place.

I could mention names of men and families who worked hard in those days and whose warm
fellowship I apprectated and still do but I dare not mention some without mentioning all and since the
Lord decided to take James Corbett to Himself only three years after this memorable visitation of the
Holy Spirit, I feel free to put on record my esteem and appreciation of this man.

Alter about four weeks preaching, James and I were leaving the hall one night in semi-darkness and
almost unwillingly because of the deep sense of the Lord's presence and the fact that some special ones
had accepted the Lord that night, James quietly sat down on the back seat and buried his head in his
hands and began to give thanks to God for all His marvellous blessings. I sat beside him as he wept,
rejoicing that so many of his former Bible Class members had accepted Christ. He said to me as we
left, "I have lived for years to see this. I have prayed and hoped and now I arn finished, I am satisfied
with all the Lord has done." I was ever learning from this man and here I could see a passion for souls
which surpassed anything else in his life. As I drove home I asked the Lord to give to me a love for
souls like that.

The exact number of those who accepted Christ during those days is not known but was in excess of
the twenty we have been able to follow up. Three sisters received Christ one night while the husband of
an assembly member who would not come to the meetings was visited in his home and he and his son
accepted Christ. This went on until every heart was full of expectancy and we worshipped and praised
the Faithfulness of God in it all. We closed that campaign with only one young man still burdening the
heart of James Corbett. He had invited him often and had prayed much for him, but "Billy" seemed
unmoved and disinterested and often in the midst of our rejoicing James would shake his head and say,
"I wish Billy" would only accept the Saviour." It was three years later that I received a telephone call
from Aughrim. I knew the voice to be that of James although he never said who was speaking, but gave
me certain instructions and then hung up the receiver. The next day I travelled north to Aughrim to the
house where someone would be waiting for me, and when I arrived I was really delighted to find
"Billy." He was in great spiritual trouble and deeply concerned about becoming a Christian at once. We
talked together for over an hour and God allowed me to see one of the most amazing cases of
conversion, I ever witnessed, as "Billy" bowed and received Christ as Saviour and Lord of his life. I
drove as soon as possible to tell James the news, he was waiting for me and as he wept with joy he took
me by both his hands and said, "It's all finished now, I can go to heaven anytime, the work is done."

Five months later a telephone call to London city informed me that the Lord had honoured my dear
friend and guide and called him into His immediate presence. I know that the Lord brought this great
man into my life to teach me many things and I thank my God upon every remembrance of Him.
 THE SCRIPTURAL INDEPENDENCE OF AND THE UNSCRIPTURAL INTERFERENCE
WITH EVANGELISTS

When Christ ascended to His father's right hand He gave gifts to men. Eph. ch. 4 v 8-12. One of these
gifts is that of the Evangelist. Not only is the gilt of Evangelism a personal gift to an individual, but the
Evangelist is himself a gift to the Church. In one sense all Christians are evangelists, in so far as all
have the personal responsibility to tell others about the Saviour, but it appeals to me in this way, in the
world of business we have "Agents'' and "Representatives" and the difference is defined thus: the agent
gets paid for what he does on a commission basis while the "Representative" is on the staff and the firm
employing him accepts responsibility for his salary and expenses, There is no difference in the Spiritual
standing and status of any Christian as compared with another, but in their service for their master I see
that God has many many agents who serve Him in various capacities and their reward is sure, but he
has also called some to be full-time servants in His Vineyard and He accepts responsibility for all their
expenses and material needs, I appreciate that this may be a weak illustration, but it nevertheless does
carry a lesson.

A man cannot assume the position of a full-time evangelist without some special direction from the
Lord. Before one can resign their secular employment and cast themselves upon the Lord they must
have received some very clear instructions from the Lord Himself to do just that. There has been a great
tendency in this century for men to take upon themselves the position of a full-time worker and commit
their home and personal responsibility to the Lord without any clear direction from heaven. The gift of
the Evangelist is God-given and one becomes "The Servant of the Lord" and therefore must have been
called of the Lord or else he will be a misfit and a greater hinderance than a help in the harvest field.
There appears to be a romance about Evangelism that creates deep desires within the heart of some to
"Get out into the Work" but this must controlled, because if these desires are not dedicated to the Lord,
then the alternative is to "Go out into the work" and depend upon human instruments for your support
and thereby become the servant of man. I do not believe that the Lord ever intended His Servants to be
under the direction of men but the reason so many are, is due to the lack that they did not receive the
necessary, Divinely-inspired instructions with that accompanying power of the Holy Spirit. I write for
those who are seriously considering the call of God to full-time service and not to those who already
are engaged in such.

I do not judge others, nor do I have any authority to instruct or admonish those who are "The Servants
of Ihe Lord." If, while I live in an hotel, I decide to tell the waiter and waitresses how they should do
their duty and when they should take time off, and how to arrange their programme for the tables, I
know that the manager would want to speak to me and would ask me to refrain, pointing out that he
was their master, not I, No one would think of doing what I have suggested, but to-day one of the evils
and hindrances in The Lord's work is this human and carnal desire in the heart of some to tell the Lord's
Servants what they should do and where they should go. I know the Lord is grieved with this and
would rebuke these people if they were near enough Him to hear Him. Unfortunately, I have much
evidence to support this devilish practice and know of some excellent servants of the Lord who are
harrassed and tormented with this kind of thing. In one case certain elders threatened to cancel a
Campaign in their Hall if the invited Evangelist dared to visit another assembly which was not "In
Fellowship." Not only is this action without scriptural support, but it is satanically inspired. The
Evangelist is responsible to His Lord and must be left to perform the will of His master without
interference.

Evangelists are human beings and are subject to the temptations which beset all men, and it is therefore
very easy to surrender ones standing and God-given position in the face of great strain, it is not the
evangelist that is to be blamed, but those who place him in the position whereby he either does what he
is told or does not get the opportunity to preach, and hence suffers financially. The Servant of the Lord
does not depend upon preaching for his income, else he would starve when taken ill, but the tendency is
to relate the income to the amount of preaching one does, unless the Servant has the assurance of His
Master's Call. I appreciate that I am writing here of very personal matters, but then this is a personal
book and someone has got to say these things and I feel this is the time to say them. There must be a
return to the principles of the New Testament and error must be exposed somewhere and I know
something of the personal sacrifice which is involved in standing for the simple, yet sacred pattern,
which is presented to us in the Holy Scriptures.

The Apostle Paul made it very clear that He was not answerable to any man or committee of men and
that he was responsible to the Lord alone and was free to do according to the will of his master. The
pioneer spirit of the great apostle seems to be missing in this modern age and the lack of aggressive
evangelism in unevangelised areas is an indication of our departure from the Lord's plan for His
Servants when He said, "Preach the Gospel to Every Creature." Not once in the entire Bible is there a
call to the world to come to where the preachers are, but again and again the preachers are commanded
to go to where the people are. There is an idea in the mind of some that unless there is already a group
of Christians in an area it is wrong to commence a Crusade in the Gospel. While there is much to
commend this idea to our natural self, yet we must go to wherever men and women live and tell them,
in a way they can understand and by all means at our disposal the soul-saving, life-changing message
of Christ and His Cross.

I make this personal appeal, hands off the Evangelists, interfere not with another man's servant. Let us
all go forward to work together to finish the programme given to us in the last words of Christ on earth
when He said, "Ye shall be witnesses unto ME in Jerusalem, Judaea and Samaria and unto the utermost
parts of the earth."
My first experience as a chaplain at a Boys Evangelical Camp was most revealing and enjoyable. For
one glorious week in July, 1964, I returned to my youth and became "All things to all boys that I might
by all means win some." In Ramsey, Isle of Man, with one of the youth camps from Victoria Hall,
Belfast, I became a member of the "Yellow" team and this involved me in washing dishes, setting meal
tables, playing football, rugby, cricket and table tennis. As the week went on I found that I could endure
the pace better, but at the beginning I could only play any game for ten minutes or so without rest, but
this improved, and so did I, until I could keep going for thirty minutes without a rest. The "work of an
Evangelist" is varied and is certainly not confined to Bible Study, ieter-writing, afternoon teas and
preaching. Over the years I have been prepared to take an active interest in the affairs of those I try to
win to Christ. I have listened to their beat-groups, I have sat in their fast cars and played their games,
just that I might get to know them for the sake of the Gospel.

In Ramsey I spoke to these senior students each morning and evening and the camp officers conducted
a lunch-hour prayer meeting and it was a great pleasure to see fellows who had accepted Christ the
previous evening, coming to the prayer meetings. I do not know of any better way of bringing young
people to Christ than through Evangelical Camps.

A highlight of that year was when three of the most lively and rebellious fellows in Camp came to my
room after 1 a.m. and told me that they desired to become Christians and could not sleep. After putting
them through a tough time of questioning and being assured that they were really sincere and broken-
down in heart, I directed them to the scriptures and they each had a real heart experience as they wept
and prayed for forgiveness. As we sailed from Ramsey to Belfast I talked to each fellow in the party
and was very pleased to find that all those who had gone to camp that year without Christ had found the
Saviour while there. I have been privileged to work at these camps since that first experience and have
rejoiced to see God working in breaking rebel hearts and answering prayer of parents and camp
officers.

The leaders of the assembly at Ballysillan Hall, Belfast, gave me an invitation to conduct a Gospel
Campaign there in September, 1964. It was a great personal pleasure to return to that district which
God had laid on my heart years earlier and to re-visit the homes where I knew the names of all the
families and to bring these people again to hear the message. While we had some marvellous nights and
much co-operation from the assembly, members and people from over a wide area, we did not see
many results from that Campaign. The best results which have been seen in Ballysillan have been
through the weekly Gospel services for both adults and children. My heart is still very much in that
place and on every possible occasion I find good reason for visiting the work there.

The village of Greyabbey is only three miles from Bally-waiter and it was to the former that I had felt
God sent me years earlier. Now I had dates reserved in my diary for a Campaign in Ballywalter, Co.
Down. Memories of childhood were built around these villages and the beach and bathing places where
we often spent the summer days. A small group of Christians had been serving the Lord in Bethel Hall
for many years and I was glad to associate with them in preaching the Gospel. The numbers attending
grew until the hall was packed and several accepted Christ. Individual cases cannot be gone into, but on
the final night there were five who professed faith in Christ and some of these have proved that a real
work of God was responsible for their profession.

Over the years I have been impressed with the fact that one obvious hindrance to any evangelistic effort
is to hold a campaign in a recognized place of worship. If we really desire to reach the people who are
not connected with the particular centre in which we are working, then we

Must move out to an independent building. This also applies to Christian people who do not feel
inclined to support a Gospel Campaign in a Church building other than their own. Over and over again
I have proved this to be true and where we have engaged public halls or erected tents people have
attended who would not do so otherwise. Very quickly we must accept this fact and then proceed to do
something about it. In many cases local assemblies of Christians are just not reaching the people of
their area because they will not move out to where the people will come and listen.

An invitation from the assembly in Carluke Lanarkshire, to conduct a Gospel Crusade in March, 1965
proved conclusively the absolute necessity of going out to where the people are. A campaign
Committee was formed, headed up by Wallace Kirkland, of Motherwell, and including several local
Christian businessmen. The Maranatha Youth Choir formed the body of a special crusade choir and
Christian leaders over a wide area were invited to help and support the effort. Carluke Town Hall was
the centre chosen for the services and during the months previous to the commencement, the entire area
was visited by bands of young, energetic Christians. Thousands of homes were reached in this way and
very much hard work was involved in the various departments such as Choir practices, Counsellor
training sessions, and prayer meetings. Hundreds of people attended nightly with around 650 people on
the Sunday nights. God honoured His word and endorsed the step taken by the committee to "Go into
all the World," and over thirty people registered their acceptance of Christ during those great days of
Christian fellowship and evangelistic outreach. All those who carried the burden of responsibility
together with those who worked so hard in other ways felt it was all well worthwhile and enjoyed a
deep sense of achievement when it was all over.

By this time many fields of service were opening up to me and life was becoming very hectic. I loved
the work to which I had been called and with more zeal than sense I accepted bookings for Campaigns,
conferences, camps and Rallies. This made very heavy demands on my time

and body, as in addition I tried to keep up with radio recordings, correspondence, and follow-up
programmes. There was just no time available (or relaxation or recreation and I am now convinced than
an Evangelist requires both leisure and pleasure which comes Irom diversity of thought and occupation.
The Evangelist who does not need a holiday needs a vision.

Those who engage in the ministry of the Gospel are well aware of the pressure which is experienced,
and I know very few evangelists who do not sulfer in one way or another from the nervous strain and
mental exhaustion of nightly meetings, Christians ought to keep this fact in mind when entertaining
"Trie Preacher" and should not expect him to always be on top form and they should appreciate the
many demands which are placed upon his limited strength and weary mind. I soon became aware that I
was either doing too much preaching or else I was just getting old. Medical advise which was given to
me then was that I must reduce the amount of work I was taking on and relax as much as possible.
Like many others I had fixed opinions about certain things of which I knew only little. I had often said
that Tent Evangelism was out-of-date in this modern age and that people would not attend tent services.
Desertmartin is a tiny village in Co. Derry not far from Aughrim and Magherafeft. Some Christian men
in that village requested that I should go there for a Campaign, but there was not a hall large enough to
hold the numbers which would be expected to attend. My friend, Mr. James Corbett and others,
undertook to provide a tent to seat about 400 people and they, with others, accepted responsibility for
the Campaign. The weather in June, 1965, was ideal and the tent soon proved too small to hold those
who came nightly to the services. Prayer meetings were held in the Desertmartin Union Hall nearby
and soon God manifested His presence and power. Some families were united in Christ and some who
had been prayed for, for years, made the decision to accept Christ. The blessing reached all age groups
and towards the end of the Campaign every night, I was being told of one and another who had
accepted the Saviour. At the end of five weeks preaching, almost thirty people told us of their faith in
Christ and, as is my custom, I spoke on subjects which would instruct young Christians in their early
life. A baptismal service was arranged for the week after the tent was taken down. The river, which
flowed through the field where the campaign was held, was used for the baptisms and those present that
night have never forgotten it. The local paper stated that there were over 500 crowded on the river
bank, as nine adults responded to the will of God in being baptised. Others who did not wish to be
baptised in the open-air, were given an opportunity of doing so in Aughrim Hall the following week. At
times as I look back over my life I become deeply moved at the goodness and 'faithfulness of God in
not allowing me to run my life as I had thought was best. There is a real inward satisfaction in knowing
that I have been mastered by the strongest hand in the Universe and that I am being kept by His power.
Even in recent weeks as I have driven past the tent site in Desertmartin and watched the river flow
under the bridge, I feel like shouting aloud, "How good is the God we adore." Following that Crusade I
engaged in what had become our annual activities, Evangelical Camps, Rallies in Port-Stewart and
Crusade in Douglas, Isle of Man,

Looking through my dairies, there is much I could record here, but your patience would not endure all
that I might enjoy. These pages will therefore be confined to lessons which I have learned, which could
be a help and blessing to the reader. I dare not stay to tell you of the Largs, Ayrshire Campaign, when
the well-known Barrfields Theatre was filled to capacity on Sunday nights and the coffee bar we
opened in the cafe of Mr. Wise. Neither can we linger to speak of visits to Merrion Hall, Dublin,
Victoria Hall, Belfast, Newsham Park Chapel and Crete Hall in Liverpool. In all these and many other
places I enjoyed the warmth of Christian fellowship and valued greatly the opportunities given to serve
the Churches there.

If, as you have walked with me down these years, you feel stirrings within your heart, and longings to
know the will of God and to do it, then my writing has not been in vain. Perhaps as you read, you have
lived through some of these experiences with me, because you have personally "Walked with God" and
just now you fear the final step of total commitment. I would be happy for you to step on my
experiences that they may bring you strength and guidance. None who read these pages could possibly
know what the Lord would do with them if they were yielded to His will. In one of my dark" days I
heard a preacher say, "It is as easy for God to put a bag of gold nuggets on your doorstep as it is for a
coalman to put a bag of coal in your cellar," and this thought has been a great strength to me often.
There is no doubt at all that you can trust God for the unknown 'unknown morrow interested in living
for the Lord and being in the centre of His will. The future of the work of Christ depends on on these
young people and I am satisfied to know that 'many of them will be instruments in the Lord's hand in
future days, if the Lord should delay His coming. Many can see to-day, that there is a great change of
outlook manifesting itself among our younger people and they are trying to express themselves in their
presentation Gospel to their own people in their own groups. It is the responsibility of each age group
to serve their own generation and Paul speaks of this in Acts 13 v 36 when he referred to the fact that
"David served his own generation. "It is this generation of Saints who will evangelise this generation of
sinners. I am often amused and a little concerned to find young men trying to preach like old men and
insisting that we must do to-day the same things which they did 50 years ago. This just does not work
and God does not expect each generation of preachers to operate in the same mould or system.While
the Gospel message does not change and never will, yet it is clear that our methods of presentation
must change from generation to generation. Young men should not regard older men as futile and
worthless, but must realise that they have been called to serve their "own generation" and many of them
have done this most acceptably. Neither should older men look upon the rising generation of preachers
with scorn or criticism because they have been called to serve "Their Own Generation." The risen Lord
is the one who dictates the policy for evangelism from generation to generation and no one dare
interfere with His instructions.
Consett, in Co. Durham, is situated on a hill a few miles from Newcastle-on-Tyne and is renowned for
snow and storms in January. In 1966 that is just Ihe type of weather we got for our Crusade. To me this
was new territory and I had never before met the men who had come out to the airport to meet me.
Three weeks of unknown experiences lay ahead and here again God proved to be more than we had
faith to expect. The first night in which we saw that beautiful ex-Wesleyan chapel filled to capacity was
a real thrill. The Christians who worship there had worked hard and although attendances were small at
the beginning, we got the breakthrough in the second week, I experienced my first venture into the field
of television while in Consett, On two evenings I was the guest of Tyne Tees Television and spoke on
their epilogue programme. This was a marvellous opportunity to reach about two million people with
the Gospel and to announce the Crusade meetings, I have many happy and stirring memories of those
nights and of many who accepted the Saviour there. God started a work in those days amongst the
young people which has continued to this date, and resulted in others being won for Christ through the
work of the After-Church coffee-Bar. It is always a pleasure to re-visit Conselt and I am now looking
forward prayerfully to another Crusade there in 1970. God willing.

In March of 1966 I was again in the centre of a spiritual movement in Springburn, Glasgow. I am ever
aware that I do not carry the Blessing of God, nor do I create it. but if God is planning to bless a certain
area, then I am selfish enough to want to be there when the Blessing falls. It is therefore necessary to
keep close to Him and always be in His will and to be guided by the Holy Spirit. The Christians in
Springburn rejoiced to see some accept Christ who had been prayed for over the years and the numbers
who packed the hall on some evenings were most encouraging. An alcoholic and his wife accepted the
Saviour there and a young wife who was separated from her husband not only got right with God, but
went and found her husband and began to live together again.

For our first Easter Crusade I took a house party to PortStewart and booked the Town Hall for evening
rallies over the week-end. It was not clear how this would work out at this time of year, since we had
only held meetings there in the heat of the summer. About 70 people comprised our party and the rallies
were taken by the "Irish Gospel Hour" radio team. Jim Law, of Airdrie, Scotland, had by then become a
close associate and his outstanding ability as an organist was appreciated by us all. Albert Mairs, of
Coleraine, Ireland, had become our recognised pianist and I feel sure that we would not be able to find,
in Christian circles, anyone who could handle those instruments any better than Jim and Albert. On that
Easter Sunday night, with over 500 people packed into the Town Hall listening to the music and
singing Easter hymns, led by my brother, James, and enjoying the solos of Clive Ahmed, I felt sure that
this was the green light from God for our plans for the first "Ulster-Scottish Crusade" to be held in that
hall later that year. God marked that first Easter with blessing, and when we reached Monday night it
was just impossible to get all the people into the hall who desired to attend. Our party terminated on
Tuesday and we all returned home with thankful hearts for God's provision and care.

Before the much-looked-forward-to "Ulster-Scottish Crusade" in July, I fulfilled engagements in many

scattered areas from Weymouth to Portsmouth, Eastbourne to London, Largs to Motherwell, Derry to
Dun Laoghaire and a tent Campaign in Antrim, Northren Ireland. Saturday, 16th July, was a great day
as parties of young people arrived in PortStewart for two weeks holiday with a difference. Five guest
houses were used to accommodate the visitors. They came from Glasgow, Motherwell, Ayr and
Edinburgh, in Scotland, and from Chester, Manchester and Consett, in England, and from many parts of
Ireland. That night we held our dedication service in the Town Hall and afterwards James, Albert and
Jim Law formed the Crusade choir and field their first practice. Wallace Kirkland was our soloist and
he was responsible for the Scottish party being with us. The opportunity to have about 150 people
living in Ihe same town for the same purpose and praying for the same results was a real
encouragement and proved to be a great blessing to us all. During the next two weeks about 170 people
gathered every morning to pray and study the Scriptures. The afternoons were spent on the beach or
touring the countryside. The Crusade service commenced at 7.45 p.m. and finished at 9 p.m. and the
late-night-extra commenced at 10 p.m. and finished at 11 p.m. The ladies opened a coffee bar in the
Town Hall so that most of those present waited for their supper and attended the two nightly services

. Several found The Saviour in those meetings and it was during that Crusade we decided to announce
another "Ulster-Scottish" Crusade for the following year in the same place. We did not feel that we
could improve on the 1966 one but as we opened the 1967 Crusade there seemed to be no limit to what
the Lord was ready to do. Joiners extended the platform to hold a larger choir and accommodate the
Hammond Organ and the Grand Piano. For the first time in our work we used closed-circuit television
and relayed the services to the minor hall. The Crusade theme song that year was "When the trumpet of
the Lord shall sound" and Murray Smith, of Maddison, Scotland, was our soloist. For the second year
in succession we had Marion and Rae Lamb, from Motherwell, as our duettists. The crowds attending
exceeded our expectations and on the Sunday nights both the main and minor halls could not
accommodate the people who wanted to attend. In the morning sessions around 250 people gathered to
pray and study the Book of the Revelation. One morning holds certain memories for many and I have
talked since to people in England and Scotland who only recall it with deep emotion. I had been talking
about the Holy City, the New Jerusalem and the Lord came very near and opened our vision to
anticipate the glories of what lay ahead. In closing I asked the congregation to sing the words of a
hymn which was new to us and simply called "Until Then." The chorus has words like these: "So then
my heart will go on singing, Until then with joy ill carry on until the day mine eyes beheld the city,
until the day God calls me home." This was the most moving of the Crusade and as Christians
worshipped Christ the power of God took over in the Crusade and several accepted the Saviour. This
particular hymn became part of our lives in those days and at a late-night barbecue in a nearby
ballroom later that week (wet weather forced us indoors) about 450 people stood and sang again those
words are so full of hope and expectation.

A remarkable sense of satanic opposition was experienced during the first week of that year's Crusade.
Everything was going as we would have desired, the attendances were good, over 220 people were
living in the town for the crusade, the choir and soloist were singing well but satan had his finger on
our pipeline. Many of those who were sharing in the work felt keenly the power of the opposition. An
undercurrent was obviously at work and I watched with horror as the frame-work of the crusade began
to shudder. I was receiving complaints from one group about another almost every day and tiny
fragments of friction were beginning to hurt one and another. Keen young Christian ladies wept as they
talked to me about the sense of satan's power and young men appealed to me to do something to restore
stability to every department of the work.

I called a special meeting on the Saturday morning in the Town Hall and talked to the entire company.
After assuring them that I too was aware of the undercurrent and of those who had given Satan a
foothold I read to them Ihe translation of Psalm 46 v. 10 which states . . , "Relax and know that I am
almighty." We prayed together and left feeling that we were on the brink of a break through. The
Almighty God came to our rescue and we rejoiced together in Salvation and restoration coming to
some. The greatest lesson I learned that year was never to undertake such a project with such a large
group of holiday makers. It is better to have a small group of dedicated workers than a large group with
several who have no real sense of their responsibility. We never really get too old to learn lessons and
I'm still learning some and have a lot yet to learn. I often wondered why large Christian organisations
enforced such strict rules when planning Christian holidays and thought the idea of a "Black List" of
those who just cannot co-operate with others, was very hard.

In the years that I have been taking parties to Isle of Man, Portstewart and Europe I am beginning to
understand. Christian tours can be an excellent way of spending a holiday but these can be so easily
upset by the one or two who want the privileges without the responsibilities.
As guest leader of a holiday party I travelled for the first time to Norway. A group of Christians from
Scotland were joined by some from Ulster at Prestwick Airport and together we flew to Oslo for two
weeks touring and Christian fellowship. It was probably this experience which encouraged me to
consider developing the idea which we had used in the Isle of Man and Portstewart, of taking groups of
Christians on holiday tours for the purpose of Evangelism, and Spiritual development. I have
discovered that there is a great need among Christian youth for someone to organise such tours and
activities where holidays can be spent profitably.

A Crusade later that year was conducted in Scrabo Hall, Newtownards. This hall was only about 12
miles from my home in a market town where the Gospel had been preached for many years. Scrabo
Hall was a comparatively new effort in that area and the modern hall had only been about six years in
use. The leaders of that work had set themselves the standard of the Word of God for their conduct,
service and fellowship. They extended their fellowship to all the Lord's people who wished to associate
with them. It was easy to get the local people to attend the Crusade and soon the new balcony had to be
used to accommodate those who wanted to hear. Many accepted the Saviour during those memorable
nights and a large number were added to the members who were associated with that work. I could
occupy much space here relating amazing stories of Conversion which took place there and how
families were united in Christ. The Lord gave us all much reason to be thankful for that visitation of the
Holy Spirit.

New places and new people always create new problems for me. It was therefore with a degree of fear
and uncertainty that I travelled to Brierfield, in Lancashire, in October, 1966, for a Gospel Campaign.
The Christians there dispelled my doubts and fears at once and I rejoiced at their warm-heartedness and
zeal in evangelism. I felt et home with them from the commencement and the Lord did a great work in
several hearts and lives of people there. The co-operation and appreciation shown by these people still
stir me as I recall those days. While we do not expect to get attendances at Campaigns in England
similar to that which we get in Scotland and Ireland, yet in Brierfield we were delighted to see capacity
crowds on several nights with extra seating used in the hall and on the platform. Some of my happiest
memories of seven years evangelism are of days and nights in Hebron Hall. Brierfield,

The changing and developing township of Motherwell, in Lanarkshire, was to be the scene of my final
crusade in 1966, Wallace Kirkland had carefully planned the visitation of the area and had harnessed
the energy of about 100 young people. Hundreds of doors were knocked and thousands of people
approached on the street with invitations for the crusade. On one Saturday around 10,000 pieces of
literature were given out in the busy shopping areas of Motherwell. The Sunday services were held in
the large Methodist Church and numbers reached the 750 mark, but during the week we were in the
Old Ebenezer Hall, in Camp Street. Many of the young people who had shared in earlier Crusades at
Carluke and Portstewart, worked hard and shared in the outreach of this Crusade. A few accepted
Christ, we had hoped to see more but had to bow to the sovereign will of God. I have learned that
results in a Campaign are not related to the physical energy expended. Often the mistake is made of
insisting upon certain physical efforts and personal sacrifices or the completing of a detailed
programme of preparation before we can expect the Blessing of the Lord. I cannot accept this at all,
neither can I give to you a formula for blessing. We know not whence it cometh or whither it goeth.
God will not be forced to work for us as we would expect Him to do so. I have seen great movements
of the Holy Spirit in the most unexpected places and in what I would think to be the wrong conditions
and I have watched in wonder to see very little accomplished alter hours and weeks of efforts where the
conditions were ideal for the Holy Spirit to work. We must accept that God is working even though we
cannot see it at the time. It is of little value if we ask the unconverted to trust God's word if we do not
trust it ourselves. One aspect of my Crusades in almost every place is the correspondence I receive after
I leave the district telling me of certain people who accepted Christ during those services but did not
tell anyone until later.

As the year died away and a new one dawned I was able to thank the Lord for all the way He had led
me and for His great faithfulness. In Largs, Ayrshire. I joined in the New Year's Eve service of
thanksgiving and praise. It was good to be with the friendly Scots as they assembled lo greet the
dawning of a new year. We then visited their homes, prayed and sang hymns. Our fellowship was good,
our drinks were soft, we went to bed in the morning.
 As the first few weeks of 1967 slipped away I found that my strength was failing, and in weariness of
mind I could not see how I was to fulfill my obligations and commitments to the various groups and
committees who were working on the preparations for their crusades throughout the year. The previous
months of travelling and speaking had taken their toll of my energy and I was undergoing medical
treatment with instructions that I must cut down on many of my activities. On one or two occasions it
seemed that I just could not take the evening service owing a weakness of body but never once had I to
cancel a meeting or get a substitute. Even in my weakest moments, when my inner longings would drag
me far away from people and platforms, I always received strength from the Lord to carry on. The Lord
proved to me in those days that He was caring for my mind and body as well as my soul.

The new hall in Queen Street, Paisley, Renfrewshire, had not held a Gospel Campaign from the date of
its opening six years earlier. I met the elders and deacons of "Bethany Hall" and had made plans for an
outreach in the Gospel in February, and I was keenly looking forward to being with them. This proved
to be a God-given experience which seemed to put me back on my feet. I commenced that campaign
with strong desires to finish, within the next few months, all active, aggressive evangelism, but as I left
those Christians after the closing service, I was restored in both body and soul. Never can I recall such
warmth of Christian love and fellowship, and never have I left any group of Christians with such
emotion. The climax of that Campaign came on the closing night. A Mr. B . , .. for whom many had
prayed, was often invited to the services, but was present on only one night. He was to be with us on
the closing night but leaving his wife and daughter at the hall he left before the service commenced,
God was very near in that service, and at the close two girls accepted Christ and were counselled by
Mr. John Sandlan. When I met the girls later I was shocked to find that one of them was the daughter of
Mr. B ... and it was then that I learned that he had not come into the service.

Waiting in his car outside, his daughter of 16 years rushed to tell him of her joy in finding Christ, and
he was so moved that he immediately came into the hall to speak to me. Together we talked and later
with his wife he came to the vestry and accepted Christ. Our joy and rejoicing was great as we
witnessed the moving of the Holy Spirit in Salvation without the aid of a preacher at all. Many gathered
late that evening to sing, and praise the Lord for all His goodness. Others accepted Christ during those
wonderful days, giving us much cause for thanksgiving. It was agreed that we should hold a special
afternoon service for "Senior Citizens." No one knew how many retired folk would attend, but
refreshments were made ready and over 70 turned up. I was greatly impressed with the singing and we
found the words and tune of an old hymn soon became our favourite as we continued these services
each Thursday. Memories of over 100 "Senior Citizens" singing "God is calling the prodical come
without delay," never fail to move me and I still look forward to my visits to Bethany Hall on Thursday
afternoons, when I am in Scotland. This meeting is now a much appreciated weekly activity in the life
of the assembly there. Mr. John Peacock is the able leader and God has used this unusual service to
meet a real need in the lives of the people. I shall always thank the Lord for taking me to Bethany Hall
at a time when I needed their fellowship more than they needed mine.

Strengthened from this experience and after a rest at home I visited Romford, in Essex, for a Campaign.
This proved to be very different from either Scotland or the North of England. For the first time I
encountered opposition on the basis that the "Christian Brethren" were not members of the World
Council of Churches. This could have been very funny if it had not been a serious indication of the grip
which the W.C.C. has upon the minds of the uninitiated. There are peculiar problems in that part of our
Islands which may account for the lack of Gospel activity and progress over the years since the war and
all other Christians should take these things into account when considering the work and workers of the
Gospel, when faced with such satanic opposition. The Lord was pleased to bless the efforts of the
Christians there and in Afler-Church rallies and worker lunch-hour services, we were encouraged to
witness the Lord working.

My first visit to East Scotland was to Leven. in Fifeshire. The most effective aspect of our Campaign
there was with the youth when we commenced a coffee-bar in a local Church Hall. It soon became
clear that there was a need for this. Some accepted Christ and others made progress in Spiritual things.

During the Israeli war of that year I was living in London and holding special services in Cholmeley
Church at Highgate. I was finding that just as places differ so do people and where people differ so do
their need. There was a real appreciation in Cholmeley and I greatly enjoyed the annual "Cholmeley
Week-end" which is a big occasion on Their calendar. We preached each Sunday in the open-air park
within ear shot of the grave of Karl Marks and acclaimed with triumph that Christ was still alive. This
was followed by a service in the Church, but the general public showed little or no interest in the
message. It is my experience that the greater London area is less responsive to the Gospel of Christ
than any other place I have ever been. The Christians living there require the prayer support of all who
love the Lord, as it is so easy for young Christians to become discouraged.

Abingdon Hall, in Parlick, Glasgow, is renowed for its Evangelicalistic enterprise. For many years they
have held an annual Campaign and in places I have been I have appreciated the help of the Abingdon
Hall Choir, it was therefore with pleasure and expectation that I visited that assembly and they all
warmly received me into their fellowship. They worked and prayed together and I was much impressed
with their activity which the Lord rewarded in the salvation of men and women, I had experiences there
which still give me strength and encouragement. A Glasgow bus passed the end of the street each day
where there appeared a large poster announcing the Campaign. One day the driver said to his
conductor, "Let's go to that Campaign some night." They came along one evening with the conductor's
wife and the Lord spoke to them and each of them waited to talk with me and the men accepted Christ
while the lady re-dedicated her life to Christ. Later the driver's wife accepted Christ in her home. I
appreciated the willing workers in Abingdon Hall who preached in the open-air every night before the
service in the hall and visited the homes of the people.

I am often asked for my opinion on how a campaign should be advertised or presented to the
"Outsider." My answer is, "In every way possible," because I have proved that no one way always
supersedes another. As in Abingdon Hall, the large poster attracted the attention and it was the personal
verbal invitation that brought others to Bethany Hall while good newspaper advertisements have
brought many to Campaigns who would never come otherwise. The standard of the "Handouts" should
always be top quality and the wording free from gimmicks. The services should be presented as being
of interest and value to all classes and the impression given that it is in "Your" interest to be there and
not so much that we are standing on the brink of bankruptcy if "You" do not Come.

It was a small, well produced leaflet pushed under the door of a caravan that brought Sean (Irish for
John) and his wife to the Campaign in Newcastle, Co. Down. A party of young men had come from
Belfast to help us cover the town one Saturday afternoon in October ,1967, and when some of them
told us they had visited the summer caravan site and put invitations under the doors of the empty
caravans, we thought that they would have shown a greater degree of common sense. On the second or
third night of the Campaign in that typically Irish town nestling at the foot of the famous Mountains of
Mourne, four strangers came into the Hall. No one knew them and this was strange in a rural
community and they continued to attend. Later I was invited by the older lady of this group to visit the
young couple who accompanied them nightly. ! was surprised and delighted to find that they all lived
on the caravan site and had received the invitations put there by our young men. On the evening
arranged for me to go for supper, the four of them were present at the meeting, but only the older
couple and young lady left. sitting alone in the Hall alter everyone had left was Sean. I sat beside him
and he told me he wanted to accept Christ before he left that night. He asked me one question, "Does
all that you say on the platform apply to Roman Catholics as well as Protestants?" On being assured
that the Bible did not recognise any difference he said, "I am going to ask Christ to be my Saviour,"

Later that evening his young wife of only a few months bowed her knee and received Christ. Although
the caravan site was about half a mile from the hall, they neither saw the posters nor newspaper
advertisements, nor had they received a personal invitation. In Newcastle I visited a blind man in his
home and before he ever came along to the meetings he accepted the Savior. Other young people who
found Christ during those days gave the local Christians much joy. I have good reason to thank the
Lord for the kindness and warm-hearted support shown to me by the people in the Mourne district.

I have now formed many firm opinions about the work of evangelism. It is clear to me that if we are to
fulfill the commission of Christ to "Preach the Gospel to every Creature," we will require to put much
more effort into the work than just knocking doors and placing advertisements in the press and then
willing for the people to come to us When Christ told His disciples to go and preach the Gospel, He did
not tell them how they were to do it, but left it to their own intelligence and ability to reach as many
people as possible in as many ways as possible in as short a time as possible. I must not criticise
another servant of the Lord if he is trying to reach the lost souls of men for Christ. There is much room
for improvement in all our feeble efforts and our responsibility is great.

I have found that those who get discouraged in the work of the Lord and have ceased to be effective,
spend their '.time telling others what they should do and what they should not do. These men and
women do not impress me, neither do they hinder me, because I have learned the reason for their
discontentedness and the bareness of their lives. Young men and women who are trying to serve the
Lord must beware of this type of opposition which is more subtle than outward opposition. One
preacher told me that I must not go to Scripture Union groups in secondary schools or Christian Union
activities as this was against the word of God. Others have spoken against the us of music in the
presentation of the Gospel as being opposed to Scripture, while others condemn youth activities such as
summer Camps etc. The time has come for all this nonsense to stop. We are running out of days for
serving our Lord. Let this generation rise above the cobwebs of traditionalism and move out to reach
the masses whose ears have been stopped by the inconsistency of exclusiveness. I always appeal for
Christians to put themselves at the disposal of the Lord and be willing to do His will regardless of the
consequences. We must move out to where the people are, we must not spare ourselves in any way and
regard not the scorn or criticism of those who have left the harvest field to wander in the by ways of
carnality. With all these established opinions about evangelism and a dedicated mind and will, it was in
the closing months of 1967 that I commenced to lay Ihe foundation for the biggest Gospel effort in my
life, to reach as many people in Ulster as possible during the summer of 1966. I have been much
impressed with Ihe words of the late F. B. Meyer, "NOTHING THAT BRINGS MEN TO CHRIST
CAN BE CALLED WRONG."
.Merrion Hall, in the heart of Dublin City, was founded as a direct result of the Great Revival which
swept over Ireland during the period 1859-60. The Hall was opened in 1863 and has stood as an
effective testimony to the Power of the Gospel of Christ and a witness to thousands who pass its doors
daily. Well-known names of Christian leaders have appeared on the honourable list ot speakers in
"Merrion" right down the years and as a young man I learned to regard the gatherings in that place with
awe and respect.

Throughout my years of full-time ministry it has been my privilege to occupy the platform in
"Merrion" on numerous occasions and always with a great sense of my inability to follow in the train of
such great men as. Hudson Pope. C. F. Hcgg. Henry Pickering. Harold St. John and W. E. Vine. Part of
January,1968, had been reserved for my Dublin visit and as on other times I was the recipient of the
warm-hearted love and fellowship of the Christians who worship in that place. The Bible leaching
sessions on Friday nights and Sunday mornings have always presented me with a challenge together
with the evangelistic service on the Sunday nights. One aspect of a visit lo Merrion Hall is the
opportunity it presents to visit the other Assemblies in that city on what has been called 'The speaker's
FREE night" and to try to help the Christians who gather. Many who will read these pages will recall
with interest "Northumberland Hall." Dun Laoghaire, "Sydney Hall." Black-rock, and "Fairview Hall."
God has blessed me in a personal way as I have served Him in the City and District of Dublin and I
look forward to future arranged visits to that area A return visit to Lanarkshire for a Campaign in
Uddings-ton, followed in February. Again this was new ground tome and gave me an opportunity to
meet new people and fit in with a new programme. The Lord touched many hearts and some accepted
the Saviour who had been interested in Spiritual things for years. It was here that we worked on the
idea of "Youth Discussion Nights" and they were so successful that I have conducted many of these
since in other places..

It was good to have the support of many in this campaign who had worked in other efforts and some
who had accepted Christ during earlier visits to the Shire. On my return home we held one of our
preparation meetings for the Mid-Ulster Crusade which was timed for August. An invitation had been
extended to the Radio fellowship to hold their annual Crusade in the Mid-Ulster town of Magherafelt
and so in order to use this opportunity to the greatest possible advantage, it was decided to invite all
Christians in the entire area to help and pray for this project. In the Manor Hotel, in Moneymore, we
held our preparation meetings and invitations were posted out to every known Christian leader who had
shown a real interest in the work of Evangelism. This was something new and unusual but proved too
much to some who were not used to working on this scale. Around 60 men attended the first meeting
and I was greatly encouraged to find that so many were willing to work for the cause of Christ in the
Gospel. God had shown to me that this was the way we had to do this thing and I was not the slightest
interested in the objections which reached me, nor the wicked insinuations that were being made. I was
inviting Christians to unite under the banner of the Gospel and to rise above their petty differences and
barriers and come out to a common ground to serve the Lord and to put their weight behind the Gospel
in their own district. The way in which so many did this was a sign of the working of the Holy Spirit in
their lives. At that first preparation meeting we appointed men to be responsible for their home area in
which prayer groups would be arranged and the visitation of homes would be carried out. About 10
towns and villages were covered in this way and the interest began to grow from that early night. It
should be clear, to any who want to see it, that if we are to get the message of the Gospel access to the
greatest possible number of people in any area, then we must use the energy of all the Lord's people. I
personally believe that the day of the exclusive, parochial, Gospel effort is on the wane and we must
admit that only in very few of our Gospel Campaigns do we teach the people who really matter and all
too often the neighbours around the corner do not even know that we are engaged in a Special effort.

The planned Crusade was to be controlled by Evangelical Outreach Ltd., Irom the Ballast office and
thij proved to be acceptable to the hundreds of Chtistians who were anxious to share in the rescue of
their ftiends and neighbours.

A pleasant return visit to Liverpool with a Campaign in Ctete Hali proved of interest to me and of
Blessing to some Few people can appreciate that the Evangelist is often faced wilh the challenge of
completely different altitudes in differenl areas. While many worked hard and put much into those
meetings, yet there was a lack ol real concern shown by some. The idea of going all out lor the sake of
the Gospel just did not appeal to them, but I was encouraged by all those who prayed. who visited the
homes and who brought their friends, if those who read this booklet have shown a coldness or lack of
interest or an unwillingness to sacrifice for the Gospel in your Church or district. I would like you to
know that your attitude can be a great obstacle to the others who do want to serve and see the Blessing
of the Lord.

Easter at Portstewan once again proved a time of relaxation and refreshment when many heard the
Gospel in the Town Hall rallies and some accepted Christ.

In the last week of April we had our second preparation meeting in Moneymore for the Mid-Ulster
Crusade, Reports were received from the area representatives and more detailed plans drawn up for
visitation and means of communication. Gathered once again were men who had different views on
many things and in some cases complete strangers to each other, but there they were with one united
desire that their fellows should hear the Soul-saving message of the Gospel. Those of us who were
responsible found much to cheer us that evening as we saw our hopes and desires being fulfilled. The
entire area for twenty miles around Magheralelt was now effectively covered and our extensive
publicity campaign was ready to be set in motion.

Thy Renfrewshire Gospel Campaign Committee had invited me to conduct a two month Campaign in
that Shire during May and June and I moved to Scotland for the opening Rally on the 27th April. We
opened the Campaign in the Town Hall. Renfrew, on the Sunday night and God was pleased to convict
and convert a young married lady that very night. She had gone to visit her mother and was
disappointed to find that mother had gone to the Town Hall. Although it was late she went to ths
meeting to wait for her and there God spoke to her and she received Christ, Through this her mother
also accepted Christ on a later night.

Space, nor your patience, would not permit me to record the many striking cases of conversion which
took place in Renfrew ana of the capacity crowds that filled both Albert Hall and the Town Hall. One of
the young men visited a home with invitations and contacted a blind man who said he would love to
come, but could not get along because of his condition. Transport was arranged for him and he attended
the first Gospel meeting in his life. Later that week in conversation with one of the elders, he personally
accepted Christ. His joy was a great blessing to witness and on one evening after the meeting he came
to me and said, "Mr. Murphy. I was thanking the Lord there that I was blind and not deaf, otherwise I
would not have been able to hear the message." Young people from the secondary school also received
Christ, together with senior citizens. After four weeks we moved the location of the Crusade to
Elderslie and on Sundays used the West Kirk, while during the week the services were held in thn
Gospel Hall. Numbers here were much smaller than at Renfrew and much prayer was made for people
in the village of Elderslie. Parties travelled from many areas and the Lord saved some on these visits,
but still we prayed for the local people. One feature of this Campaign was the 10 o'clock Sunday
morning prayer meetings which were well attended and when some of the new converts attended and
showed signs of life, we rejoiced at the power of God in their lives.

In the last week of that Campaign three people who lived right nearby the Hall, confessed Faith in
Christ and caused great rejoicing. In the Church on Sundays, hundreds gathered and there we were to
witness some marvellous cases of conversion. I shall never fgrget the heat that built up in those June
evenings and the necessity to sit in shirt sleeves with all doors and windows opened. I was tired and
almost exhausted when I left Renfrewshire, but with a host of happy memories and a heart full of praise
and thanksgiving to God for His rich Blessings.

A week-end in Northumberland Hall, Dun Laoghaire, was followed by our third preparation meeting in
Moneymore. To us the "Count Down" was going to plan and we launched our literature Campaign that
night, 20,000 handouts, with over 1,000 car stickers. Large road-side hoardings were already carrying
notice of the coming Crusade to be held in a 1,000 seater marquee.

That night we prayed and committed our plans and the people to the Lord and left to meet again for our
final prayer meeting in the Marquee the night before the Crusade was due to open. This was to be the
largest project I had ever attempted and its very nature gave rise to anxiety and concern. Although I
knew that the Lord was more than able to carry us through and our team of workers was the best we
could have had and everyone was doing their part as they should, still I felt weak and full of fear as the
day approached.

For two years I had looked forward to my first visit to the well-known Capernwray Hall, at Carnforth,
in Lancashire. I arrived on Friday, 5th July, and commenced giving morning and evening talks the
following day. The international flavour of these services was interesting and I was glad of the
opportunity to talk to folk from several countries, concerning the wonders of the person of Christ and
the word of God.The manner in which the Lord worked that week,in so many young hearts,was
something that amazed me. At various hours of the day and night,young men and women were asking
for private interviews and many of them made a decision to accept Christ. As I left that international
gathering of young life, it became clear to me that this was the material that God would use to bring a
new generation to Christ and I was happy to have a share in reaching through these new converts
others who were yet unborn. Within forty-eight hours of my arrival at home, I was off again for
another Christian Holiday in Switzerland. Over fifty of us flew from Glasgow and Belfast to Geneva
and arrived at one of the; most modern and luxurious Bible Schools in the world. At Emmaus Bible
Institute, overlooking Vevey on the beautiful shores of Lake Geneva, we tried to relax and in a
Christian atmosphere we enjoyed the opportunity to study the Bible atmorning and evening
devotions. Once again the Lord blessed some lives and revealed to others His will for future service.
We prayed together many times for the planned Mid-Ulster Crusade and as the day ap--preached,
the burden of prayer seemed to be placed on many hearts.

On Saturday, 10th August, about two hundred and fifty"; people gathered in the Marquee to
dedicate ourselves for the Crusade and to pray. The Choir of local Christians had their final practice
under my brother, James, and Jim , Law was at the Hammond Organ, with Albert Mairs at the
piano It was a warm Sunday afternoon as the hour for opening the Crusade approached I was greatly
cheered to see car load after car load arriving in that hay field.

Here were the people for whom we had prayed this,was the moment for which we had waited.
We were trusting God that afternoon in a new way. I now knew how feble was all our efforts if
the Lord did not take this large ; crusade under His personal care and perform miracles

At 3.30 p.m. the service opened and the folk were stil coming, until I think there was around 800
people gathered.the good music and the singing of the choir appeared to reach many hearts and as I
delivered the message, I was' aware of the help and presence of The Lord, yet also very conscious of
the activity of Satan in distracting the mind and preventing freedom of expression. Night after night the
people came and how we thanked the Lord for His goodness in meeting our great and varied need. The
Marquee was packed to capacity at the close of the tirst week and on the second Sunday people had to
sit outside. We were seeing signs of the working of God upon hearts and some had told us they had
accepted Christ. I was faced with a new problem now. there were so many oeople attending thai the
Crusade was becoming impersonal and i was concerned about the hundreds of Non-Christians who
were leaving that field every night without anyone to speak to them. I decided that the Christians
should be asked to gather in the area behind the choir for prayer, as we sang the closing hymn and this
would give non-Christians the Opportunity to join there also. This was the turning point in the Crusade,
as Christians showed their desire for blessing in coming forward to pack all available space to pray and
to bring their friends with them. This was something new for me to attempt, because I had seen crowds
coming forward at meetings and very little being accomplished and so I wanted to avoid anything
which would look like mass conversions.

The Lord honoured and blessed this decision and almost every night some accepted Christ after these
prayer meetings. Such was the attendance that it was decided to extend the duration of the Crusade and
also erect an extra tent to hold those who each night had to sit or stand in the field. The closing nights
were filled with memories and emotion as God answered prayers and many responded to the Call of the
Gospel. Christians with long experienca and moderate outlook told us that such a visitation of the Holy
Spirit had not been witnessed for over forty years.

To me 1968 was a different year and I was being compelled to take notice of God's movements. In spite
of physical exhaustion and nervous tension I was rejoicing that the Lord had done such great work
from the early days of that year and I knew well that without His power end enabling, nothing could
ever have been accomplished Invitations were received from several areas for the team to conduct their
annual Crusade there next year. We had reason to know that the entire province of Ulster had been
affected in one way or other by the Spirit of God through the Mid-Ulster Crusade. Thousands who were
not able to attend the Crusade have now seen the Sound Film which was made during those memorable
days and some have been blessed through that also.

Just one further campaign stood between me and my much-looked forward to tour of U.S.A. and
Canada. Most of September was spent at Hope Hall, Warrington, and I quickly seemed to return to
normality from the hectic days in Mid-Ulster. Much work had been put into the arrangements for the
Hope Hall Campaign and I was pleased to meet people I did not know and through them see God work
again in Salvation and restoration and Dedication. I can sincerely thank the Lord for taking me to
certain places during my ministry and Warrington is one of those places. I will not ask you to stay to
learn of detailed events and of those lives were changed, nor of the Blessing which the early morning
prayer meetings were to many, but to me memories of such worikngs by God are very precious.
My return home was just long enough to pack my case and collect my wife and passport and leave
again for Winnipeg, Canada.

Over the previous two years I had considered invitations to visit "The States" and Canada, but I could
not feel that the right time to do this had arrived until 1968.

Flying into Boston en route for Detroit my wife and I had our first glimpse of the great continent of
America. After a few days of sight-seeing with my sister and her family I flew north to Canada and the
beautiful city of Winnipeg. For months a United Crusade Committee had been planning an Evangelistic
Crusade to be held in a Civic Auditorium. Several local Churches or Chapels, as they are called there
united for this city-wide effort. I was happy to be in Canada and to share in their Annual Thanksgiving
Conference on 12th October and then spend the next week in preparation meetings for the Crusade
which was timed to commence the following Sunday

. It was at one of these Bible teaching and Prayer sessions that I had the opportunity of leading a lady to
trust the Saviour. There was an added pleasure in this, since she was the first sign ol Blessing on my
ministry in Canada. You will appreciate how we all felt on the tollowing night, at another meeting,
when her husband waited to talk wilh me and then accepted Christ. I was interested to watch these
keen, dedicated Canadians, together with ex-liish and ex-Scottish Christians as they planned and
presented the Crusade to their people. The St. James Civic Auditoriaum was well filled for the opening
service which was attended by the Mayor. An excellent choir had been formed for the occasion and the
entire Crusade was well conducted by the Committee responsible and God very soon marked it in rich
Blessing. There were nights of deep emotion as certain relatives of Christian families came forward to
be counselled and left rejoicing in Christ, I could not possibly give you many details of conversions in
the space here available, but it is with thankfulness to God that I recall those weeks and the kindness of
the people. Modern miracles of Salvation were wrought in those nights and I shall always look forward
to being re-united with those who served and those who were saved in Winnipeg.

At that time I had the wonderful experience of travelling out into the famous prairies of Canada. The
Annual Conference at Fortier gave to me memories I shall never forget. No one could have explained
or described to me in words what I was to see of flat plains and miles upon miles of grain. As far as my
eye could see there was not a hill and some of the fields covered 300 acres of ground.

Fortier Gospel Chapel stands on the edge of a field and was almost dwarfed by the visitors massive cars
which parked at random on all sides of it. The small, wooden building was packed for the services and
all retired to the basement for a lavish meal between sessions. This was a real experience which
brought Heaven very close and gave pleasure to my mind and heart.From Winnipeg I flew on to
Edmonton. Alberta for two weeks of a varied programme, Bible-teaching, Evangelism. Youth Work and
Visitation, The Lord blessed His Word to some during those days and I enjoyed greatly the opportunity
of seeing that changing, modern city and meeting some who had Irish connections. One day I was
taken by friends to see "the Rockies" and we spent one night at Banff. Nothing I have ever seen in
Norway, Switzerland, or British Isles could compare with the magnificence of that area. The visitor to
Banff spends most of his time looking up and standing in awe at the beauty of the rugged snow-capped
mountains which seem to reach down to touch the shopping area. Those who have been there can only
understand how I felt as I stood in amazement and wonder, appreciating again something more of the
greatness of the Creator, it was at Banff on the 11th November with snow falling heavily and darkness
settling that we all went for a bathe in an open-air swimming pool high up in the Mountains. This of
course was a sulphur hot-spring with under-water temperatures around 100°. On my way from
Edmondton to Detroit, U.S.A., I stopped off at Winnipeg for one night to share in a Thanksgiving
meeting and to meet some of the converts from the Crusade. Here we rejoiced and gave thanks for
prayers answered, families united in Christ, sinners converted and Christians blessed. Early the next
morning we flew out of that lovely city to enjoy a few days rest with my sister in America.

I can accept the claim that the Chicago Airport is the busiest in the world since I have watched the
circling planes waiting for long periods to be called down to the runway. My week-end in that city was
all to short, but I have a deep feeling that God took me there. A tour of the famous Moody Bible
Institute was a Spiritual encouragement to me. I marvelled at the size of the building, part of which
accomodated 1,000 male students and other floors housed lecture chambers, libraries, administration
offices and right on top the very effective Moody Radio Station. During a lunch-hour programme I was
able to speak to many thousands of listeners and within minutes received some telephone calls from
appreciative listeners. Dr. Cuthbertson, President of "Moody" talked to me of the simple faith in God's
providing, which is the foundation of all the work carried on throughout the Institute and its world-
wide Correspondence School. He summed up the position thus "Without the daily provision of God this
entire organisation could not continue." From "Moody" I was driven across the city lo "Emmaus Bible
School" and while this is much younger and smaller than its sister college. 1 could not help but be
impressed with the wonders which the Lord can accomplish through dedicated men who are prepared
to trust Him to supply all their need. The Christians who worship in Norwood Chapel showed me much
kindness and I greatly enjoyed the service I conducted there.

An invitation was extended to me to conduct a United Crusade in Chicago in the not to distant future.
Prayerfully, and with much peasure, I anticipate another visit to that city which has, for so many years,
been closely associated with the work of the Lord.

1968 was certainly a year with a difference, but it was quickly ebbing away. The last month of the year
was not the ideal time to stand beside the Niagara Falls, yet early one morning five of us left our motel
to visit the famous "Falls" shrouded in morning mist. We had travelled hundreds of miles by car from
Lansing. Michigan, to Toronto, where my next Crusade was scheduled for early December. Like all
others who have watched and listened to the Niagara Falls. I found much to captivate the mind and
enthral the imagination.

Danforth Hall, in one of the suburbs of Toronto, was the centre for a short Crusade, which was directed
specially at youth. The opening night was marked by the attendance of Irish emigrants who travelled
from many parts of that vast and overgrown city. People who had left the Emerald Isle years earlier and
some whom I had forgotten, turned up to welcome me to Toronto. Nine nights proved too short for the
Crusade as the interest and attendance grew nightly, but my heavy programme would only permit a
visit of this duration Toronto, for me. holds many happy memories, ranging trom Ihe hospitality in the
homes ol the people to co-operation In every department of the Crusade. Some accepted Christ and
ethers caught the vision of Evangelism. Possibly the great moment of my visit to that city was when I
sat and talked with Dr. Oswald J. Smith, the 82 year-old Christian Statesman. Evangelist, author and
pastor. We visited his 'People's Church with its main auditorium seating 3.000 people, looked over the
library and office block and sat in his study and in a special way I recalled the days of spiritual
struggle, 24 years earlier when I wrestled with God in facing the challenge of dedication as presented in
Dr. Smith's book "The Man God Uses." The years that had past, with their trials and triumphs, their
disappointments and doubts, all seemed to recede from my view and I was back there in thought at my
personal PENUEL in the mid-night hour and almost uncontrollably I was saying "Lord make me a man
after Thine own heart."
With two of Dr. Smith's latest books personally autographed, I flew out of Toronto greatly encouraged
and anxious to return in response to further invitations. A few nights in Bible-teaching with the
Christians in the Lansing area brought this memorable tour to a reluctant end. On one of those days I
was guest of the local Radio Station on an hour-long programme, telling thousands of listeners what
and why I believed.

As the V.C.10 jet reached out into the night-sky over the Boston waterfront, travelling towards the
dawn of a new day, I could only reflect on a year which was soon to slip from my grasp, but which had
been so full of service and yet so dependant in every detail on the goodness and guidance of a Faithful
God. Looking through the aircraft window at the expansive wings, gleaming in the night-sky and
holding our flying hotel in its proper place and on its desired course, I could appreciate in a new way
the thoughts of Moses when he said "The Eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting
arms." Davids 91st. Psalm almost recited itself in my drowsy mind and I clutched at verse 4, ". . . .
Under His Wings shalt thou TRUST." I was glad to be reminded, although 30,000 feet above the ocean
that my POWER for living in His Will came from His "Everlasting Arms" while my PROTECTION
came from "Under His Wings."

And I was now happy to be on my homeward journey to Ireland to take up again the work He had
given me to do.
Returning from my first major trip to the United States and Canada I prepared immediately for a long
anticipated compaign in Apsley Hall, Belfast. Three generations of my family had worshipped there
and any childhood memories of singing and preaching were found in that place. In the heart of an
industrial, working class area under the shadow of Belfast's huge Gasometer, the Apsley Hall had
opened its doors for well over 60 years to the hundreds who thronged the district. As a boy. I learned to
admire some of the Elders of the Assembly my grandfather, James Knox, being at that time one of the
leaders both in Sunday School and open-air outreach. One man, around whom much of the work
revolved, was Stanley Mawhinney. I was enthralled by this man and his unusual ability as a song-
leader, speaker and shepherd His friendship was valued by me and many others. It was said of him, "He
picked Ins friends carefully' and I was often thankful that I could have opportunities of talking with him
and gaining advice from his great wealth of experience.

"Stanley" had planned and spear-headed the 1969 campaign and was responsible for the Assembly
moving out 10 an independent hall for the Sunday night rallies The Smyth Halls on the Lisburn Road
were hired for after church rallies and God honoured this progressive step by filling the large hall each
night and several accepted Christ. It has been clear to me that unless "The Assemblies" are prepared to
move out to where the people are and use independent buildings they must learn their ineffectiveness
will lead to complete extinction.

I enjoyed being in service in Apsley Hall with all its history of great movements of God and its richness
in gift and talent. Friday night was youth night and I experimented with a new approach which I have
used often since in many other places. We had a talk-back session when any young person could speak
from the floor of the hall and express criticism or comment. As a result of this some rebellious ones
accepted Christ and with other adults on other evenings gave us all cause for thanksgiving. On the final
evening we had a Baptismal service when about a dozen people publicly obeyed the Lord in the
Scriptural Ordinance, One great lesson which most Elders must learn is the way in which to care for
young converts. These people require a spiritual love and often much care and communication. It
grieves me often to find that after much preparation, prayer, planning and the Lord giving spiritual
power, blessing and salvation that the Assembly is either unprepared or just incapable of "Caring for
the Lambs". As a result the converts find neither a haven nor a place within the local church. It is no
credit to any elder to say, "We had a good campaign but none of the con verts came into fellowship."
God will always find a spiritual home for His children and will require from the shepherds an account
of their stewardship. Early in '69 we were planning another "Ulster-Scottish" crusade to be held in a
1500 sealer marquee in Garvagh, Co. Londonderry. This was to be on the same basis as the Mid Ulster
crusade in Magherafelt the previous year. The count down to this involved forming Prayer groups,
mixed choir, publicity and house to house visitation. The Mission Hall, Garvagh was placed at our
disposal and the ground given by Mr. T. B. F. Thompson whose help in so many areas of the crusade
proved to be invaluable. Young people on literature outreach work from Victoria Hall, Belfast covered
the villages around Garvagh with leaflets and gospel messages a couple of months prior to the opening
date in August and slowly the entire area became alive with expectancy. To give a fair and honest
account of the months of labour it is necessary to mention the opposition of satanic forces working
through certain few persons who claimed to be Christians with exclusive rights to the throne of God
and hold the key to the Divine Will of God. As a warning to all who read I must make this clear that in
Ulster the Christian church is being blighted as the Spirit of God is being hindered by a dying minority
of Christians who oppose and obstruct by deceit and lies any work of God which is not under their
control. God has marked these men and over the past 15 years I have seen their barrenness and
carnality resulting in lack of blessing and scattering of the people of God. Assemblies and local
churches have suffered numerically and spiritually through the narrow-mindedness of a few, whose
greatest desire is to have the preeminence. Young people have to consider if they can afford to waste
their time and energy in such environments or separate themselves to walk the pathway of obedience to
the will of God.As plans and preparations for the Ulster-Scottish Crusade in the large marquee in
Garvagh were developing, I continued to crusade m Chorley. Lanes, in February. Belhany Hall. Paisley
in March and Cholomely Evangelical Church, Highgate, London in April. I have always valued the co-
operation of Christian leaders in these places which each give me cause for thanksgiving to God for His
blessing. Following an Easter Youth Conference in the Isle of Wight, I later re-visited Romford for my
second Crusade there
As a continuation of our summer tent crusades which had started in 1969, first in Magherafelt and then
in Garvagh, the following year a tent was erected in Larne. This was a never to be forgotten occasion,
initially because the tent stayed up only a week or so when 60 m.p.h. gale force winds tore the canvas. I
was contacted in Belfast and asked to come immediately. When I arrived the tent resembled a
clothesline, with canvas blowing in strips and flapping against the platform, still laden with flowers and
musical instruments, but now exposed to gale and wind. The seats were toppled over; the scene was
one of chaos and devastation.

The local police inspector kindly supplied some men; a furniture van was provided and the musical
instruments rescued. next the secretary of the Orange Order was contacted and I was able to book the
Orange Hall in Larne, for that night. The Radio and Television Companies both helped, by taking
photographs and making announcements, so that the population of Northern Ireland would know, that
evening, the meetings would be continuing in the Orange Hall.

Many members of the churches in Larne united with us in prayer and visitation. The whole district was
visited, the town of Larne, as well as neighbouring villages such as Glenoe and Glenarm. Friends were
brought in cars; the people came until the place was packed. On that night it was reckoned the audience
in the Orange Hall was in excess of 700. Most important of all, the Lord was there, because people
were saved. I think that somewhere around thirty told us that they had accepted the Lord Jesus.

One feature of interest concerned the Mayor of Larne, who very kindly co-operated in opening the
Mayor's parlour on the Sunday afternoon and inviting distinguished guests, the local M.P. and other
Members of Parliament to his parlour for tea, bringing them afterwards to the afternoon service.
Information later received intimated that the Lord saved some of these men at the time.

Those were days my helpers and I will never forget, because having been to Larne earlier, as was
recorded in the first edition of "Under His Wings" and the Lord having then saved many souls, those
believers became workers in this united Crusade. Many who were saved at that time were still in 1970
manifesting the signs of Divine Life and proving a blessing to others. So we do thank God for Larne
and for every remembrance of great days there; days when even the Orange Hall was packed, corridors,
aisles and balcony. A choir was formed of Larne folk. Many of the young people worked so hard,
practising the singing and bringing the Gospel to their own people. Thus we thank God for Larne and
for what HE did there, as well as for the work of Christ ians of various churches.

I have always been encouraged to find a Crusade uniting Christians. There is so much in the world
today that divides Christians and so much criticism of each other and of one section of the Christian
church opposed to another section that I feel it is part of my calling to unite them. When I see those of
varying denominations praying together, working and rejoicing together, I feel that we must be getting
near to what Pentecost was, when the Bible tells us that the Christians had all things in common and
they were altogether in one place. It would be ideal if every Christian in Northern Ireland could be
assembled in one field for one great united meeting, that we could sink all our differences, and standing
on The Word of God ACCEPT it entirely. We MUST uphold it, EVERYTHING THAT IS IN THE
WORD OF GOD; and reject everything that is not.

"1 970" was also the year of my visit to Ballywillwill, on the outskirts of the mountains of Mourne at
Castlewellan. The venue was a tin structure set close to the road, yet known to so many people. It must
have stood there for a I most a century. The Christians responsible invited me for a campaign in 1970,
in the month of January. The usual publicity and advertising were done and I think everyone was
amazed at the way the people came. The Lord obviously moved over a wide area. People came from
Newcastle of course and from as far afield as Annalong, Kilkeel, Banbridge, Ballynahinch and
Saintfield. The Lord saved many, many souls and encouraged the saints. Indeed the crowds were such
that the brethren in charge decided, there and then, to build a larger hall. This they did and standing on
the site today is a beautiful, new hall called Ballywillwill Gospel Hall.

One of the young men present at that time in 1970 was Walter Watson. His name is very well known
now because of the Iron and Steel Company, which he has built up, a few hundred yards from the Hall.

To bring many of his relations and family connections to the meetings Walter used his car. leading to
their being brought to the Lord. It was the co-operation and hard work of so many of these dear
Christians that resulted in people some nights sitting outside the old ha II, on the tarmac, listening
through the windows. This is something you can't explain. There is no human explanation for it. It has
nothing to do with the Preacher. It is purely the Lord deciding to work in an area and the Christians
uniting and praying. Folks, who were saved at that time, now, fourteen years later, give us cause for
great rejoicing. Some joined other churches, some have gone abroad, they have engaged in all kinds of
Christian work. Together we thank God for that because that's the evidence of Divine Life in them. We
thank God for the memories of Ballywillwill. I have been back there since, of course, and enjoyed other
times of blessing. The spiritual growth of the young people in that new hall, which is attracting people
and uniting Christians in that area, I have been pleased (o wit ness even to this year, 1984!

1 feel that a report of 1970 would be incomplete without a mention of the Crusade in Stirling which
was organized by the Scottish Counties Evangelistic Crusade Movement held in the Town Hall under
the direction of Mr. John Robb.

It was an exciting occasion and interestingly enough, young people from Northern Ireland came some
from Ballywillwill to ]0in70to 100 from Scotland, housed in the local school. In the mornings, they had
times of Bible Study. Every afternoon, this large team of young people invaded the housing schemes,
estates and tenement buildings, with Gospel Literature to invite folk to the evening service in the Town
Hall. Large crowds came. Much work and planning were involved. Much time was devoted by many in
support of that Stirling Crusade and I enjoyed being there, with those young people, getting to know so
many of them and appreciating their fellowship, their singing and enthusiasm. The Lord saved strange
cases, unexpected cases; ladies and gentlemen and young people accepting the Lord Jesus as their
Saviour made that crusade well worthwhile and encouraged those who were responsible for planning it.
I don't think that any record of my movements or events in recent years would be complete without
mention of my visits to Bermuda. About this time, 1970, I was beginning to realise that my ministry
was becoming more wide-spread, and to see what the Lord meant when he said earlier to me, "Go ye
therefore and teach ALL nations." In an intensive way I had covered most areas of the British Isles with
Crusades, Conferences and Week-ends. Then came an invitation to visit the beautiful paradise island of
Bermuda.

I was planning to visit the United States, in 1971, upon invitation. Thus I was able to accept the
Bermudan invitation, stopping off as I would fly over the island, rightly called a paradise island with its
little, narrow, winding roads and houses painted light blue and pink. I can't ever forget Bermuda. I felt
that when I left there, I left a bit of myself behind. God gave me children in Bermuda. Out there, are
men and women who mean so much to me. My first visit there was merely to survey the island, to meet
the Christians and have meetings in some of the nine assemblies. Whilst there a Crusade was planned,
for the following year, to be held in the City Hall of Hamilton. Hamilton is the main town of Bermuda
and the Pink painted City Hall, which is a tourist attraction, stands out very clearly. The Hall was
booked, the assemblies were brought together for a united Crusade and prayer and planning started as I
left Bermuda to fly on to fulfill my engagements in Canada and America. When I arrived back in
Ireland I kept in close touch with those Bermudan Christians.

Bermuda is an island not only soaked in almost perpetual sunshine but also saturated with the Gospel
of Jesus Christ. The two radio stations broadcast the Gospel every evening and a television station on
Sundays. All the programmes available on either radio or television are Evangelistic services. There are
many many churches, small minority groups as well as the main line denominations. A vast number of
open-air meetings are held in the gardens of the people's homes. Their homes, as you would expect, are
beautiful and beautifully kept and very comfortable. Most of them have large gardens capable of
accommodating upwards of 100 people and it is not uncommon to find gospel services with musical
instruments and singing choirs taking place in the evening when you walk along the roads. Different
people plan to have a weekly meeting in their own garden. Hence, to rally such an island wasn't really
very difficult. Thus we were thrilled to return there after our first visit for a united Crusade in the City
Hall.

This was very new to me of course and I was new to them. They were used to Americans since nee
Bermuda is only 300 miles off the coast of America. They were used to West Indian preaching, they
were used to a pentecostal type of preaching and I just had to try to fit into that.

Each time I moved from place to place the Lord seemed to bring back to me words quoted earlier in
this Book, in Joshua Chapter 1, "Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I
given unto thee. As I was with Moses so I will be with thee. I will not fail thee nor forsake thee." I was
totally committed to the Lord for these new situations and these new experiences. I found that
thousands of miles from home with a strange people with strange customs, in difficult weather, that
God was faithful and He was fulfilling His promises.

The year I undertook the City Hall Crusade, God blessed in remarkable ways and I think the climax of
that Crusade was something very new to me though not strange in Bermuda. An early morning
Baptismal service was held in the private swimming pool of one of the Christians. They met at 7
o'clock in the morning. We gathered round the swimming pool and sang hymns. Those who were to be
baptised went down into the waters of the pool and that was a wonderful occasion. Among the many
young people were an Irish couple, whom I remembered, as they had previously spoken to me. I
learned that they were married and that the wife came from near Cork (Eire). She surprised me by
saying, "I have been saved three times." "That's strange," I said. "You should write a book about that.
I've never before met anyone who has been saved three times. How did that happen?" "First as a baby,
when I was baptised," she replied. Not wanting to embarrass her by asking her to show me where it
talked about that in the Bible, I waited. Then she said, "When I married I was saved again by taking
Communion, my new husband and I had Communion."

We know that Salvation and Communion are not one and the same, you take Communion only after
you have been saved and not in order to be saved. Finally she said. "Now I've been saved tonight."

That girl was in her twenties. She and her husband were baptised. Then with true Bermudan hospitality
everyone who turned up for the Baptismal service was taken to one of the houses of the Christians.
There we had breakfast and what a wonderful time that was. The hospitality and the fellowship in
Bermuda have to be seen to be appreciated.

Following breakfast we all went to one of the local chapels for a Breaking of Bread, remembrance
service. That must have been wonderful for those who we re just baptised at 7 o'clock m the morning;
to be able to sit at the Lord's supper at 10 o'clock.

I thoroughly enjoyed that visit to Bermuda. Bermuda being so small and many of the Christians being
influential: (some of them are very big business people, some professional people) they not surprisingly
have influence on the mass media. So every visiting preacher is expected to appear on television and on
radio. In this way I became very quickly known across the island. If I walked into a shop to make a
purchase, the assistant behind the counter would say, "Ah! I saw you on television. How is the
Crusade?" I think my name and coming from Ireland drew attention and because this is such a small
place, folk get to know you so quickly.

One of the great thrills happened one morning in a cafe. A couple of school girls came in. They looked
at me and then seated themselves a short distance away. I thought. "Ah! Someone else has seen the face
on television." They laughed and whispered together but when about to leave came over to my table.
They sat down and said, "You're Mr. Murphy?" "Yes, that's right," I answered. Then they said, "Do you
know us?" "No I don't think so," I said, "but don't worry about that for I may have been in your home at
some time. I can't remember everyone." These two lovely girls surprised and delighted me with their
reply, "We were saved at the City Hall the other evening."

It is this kind of thing that makes me thank God for ever calling me lo the work of Evangelism. How I
thank God for those who have confronted me in the street or a cafe and said."We were saved al your
meeting the other night." Then realise that this is the work of God. it's not man's work, it's not
something I can organize as it is not within myself. It is just God fulfilling His Promise made to me in
an attic room on the Ormeau Road, Belfast, that He would take me and we would go to all Nations and
preach the Gospel.

There are many stones that fill my heart and fill my mind and give me cause for thanksgiving to the
Lord regarding Bermuda. But there is one particular case I would like to mention. It is that of my very
good friend David Ferries. Into the City Hall, where possibly 500 folks gathered each night came a
gentleman who sitting down in front of me seemed to be smiling up at rne as though he didn't believe
what I was talking about, as though he were critical. I found it hard to ignore him, to get past him
Moreover he came back, night after night. One night as I was walking through the car park up to the
door of the City Hall 1 caught sight of him approaching me. He came over to me and said, "Good
night." I said to him. "I've seen you here before." "Yes," he said. I asked him if he enjoyed the meetings
and he replied, "Yes, very much." I said, "Are you a Christian?" "Yes, yes, I am a Christian," said he
And that was all. Once inside the hall our ways parted. He took his seat and 1 went to the platform.

The following night, exactly the same thing happened. I was walking from the car park to the hall door
and he was approaching from another angle. He ran over to me and said, "Brother, I have something to
tell you." "1 told you a lie last night and could not sleep for thinking of what 1 had done. ""Ohl I am
sorry to hear that What was the lie you told." I asked. He said, "You asked me if I was a Christian and 1
said yes, when I was not a Christian, but praise the Lord I am now. At half-past three this morning I
accepted the Lord Jesus as my Saviour. I could not hold out any longer." That was a great joy but a
greater joy was yet to follow, for he brought to me his Portuguese wife, who had also accepted the
Lord, and his pride and ]joy, a little son, David, the same name as the lather, saying to me, "David
accepted the Lord Jesus tonight at the meeting."

I was so thrilled that a full family-salvation came, and God got the victory. God was proving His
faithfulness and His ability to perform miracles. I was always conscious in those days of His call. 1 was
ever aware of the words He gave to me and of the fact that He brought me from that room in Belfast
where I could have been badly crippled for life with heart failure and various accompanying conditions
resulting from Rheumatic Fever. He gave me the health and ability to travel and to preach. Moreover
He gave Power in preaching to people of another tongue, nation and colour of skin. They too were
turning to Christ. There is no greater task on earth than to bring men and women to Christ.

We left Bermuda soon after the service at which David Ferries and his wife were baptised. I cannot
remember how many were baptised that Sunday morning, but it was over a dozen whom the Lord had
saved. Indeed He had shown the Christians in Bermuda what He was prepared to do. In that area, there
was a Young People's Fellowship which very sadly had broken up over a question of 'colour'. A
problem which kept raising its head. The young 'white' Christians were not any longer associating with
the coloured Christian young people causing the Youth Fellowship to disband. Before leaving that
town, however, we all gathered together in a hall, appointed a committee, started a choir and had
everyone working together. Picnics, barbeques and swimming were some of the activities engaged in.
That, I feel has done them good, enabling them to reach their own young people by working together. If
Christians can't work together, who can, when we have the One Lord who is Lord of us ALL and who
wants us to be united? There should be no divisions among Christians, certainly not on account of
colour, class or denominational barriers. Nothing I like this should be a I lowed to interfere with the
work of the Lord. Thus I am happy that in Bermuda, there is a thriving Youth Fellowship, helped by a
choir. They have open-air meetings, and later when I returned to the island that choir of young people
joined me in the public park where we held meetings for them. I think possibly five times in all I have
been to Bermuda and of course in that situation you meet a lot of people and make a lot of friends. I
shall be so happy when life is finished and we get home to glory to meet brethren and sisters from
Bermuda to whom the Lord directed me and allowed me to bring to Him. That is the greatest honour
that the Lord can confer on any of His children.

At a later date the responsible Christian brethren in Bermuda asked me if I could bring some young
Christians from Northern Ireland out to the island (or another Crusade. They thought the presence of
these young Christians would encourage their own young folk to become involved in Evangelism and
'that' we were happy to plan. Duly some dozen or so young people accompanied me out there on a trip
by plane. Accommodation was laid on, the hall was arranged and that proved a 'holiday' which the
young folk from N.I will never forget. The Berrnudan Christians opened their homes. We were all
invited to a different home each day, for an evening meal. During the day services were held in
hospitals, schools, children's homes and old people's homes and again on radio and television. The
whole island was covered and saturated with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I can only thank God for the
memories of Bermuda.

1 thank Him for this occasion when we had a group with us undertaking all kinds of meetings. We had
an unusual case of conversion. A fellow came into the service one night, who looked as though he
wasn't a regular. With a top coat on he stood out so much for nobody wears such attire, in Bermuda,
nowadays. His hair came well down on to his shoulders. After he had turned up three or four evenings
someone spoke to him in the car park, saying how glad they were to see him and asked him if he would
like to speak to the Preacher. When he replied that he would, they told him where I was staying with
the Irish group. He came up to see me and we sat and talked in a little bungalow. He told me a story,
not all his life story, but of one where there was no lack of money and where his life was completely
lived for self satisfaction. Direct flights link Bermuda with London and this young man did this trip
each month to obtain drugs in London to take back and sell in Bermuda. The rewards for doing this
were very high. So he ended up with his car, his powerboat and everything his heart desired. Recently
his girlfriend had been saved at a Crusade undertaken by an American. She left him on the basis that
she had accepted the Lord Jesus and he was not a Christian. He had seen the banner announcing my
Crusade on Paget Gospel Hall and had started coming.

When I talked to him that night he said, "Man, I wanna get saved." So I told him there was no problem.

"Have I got to sign something. Do I have lo do something or do I have to see somebody?" he said. I
replied, "No, you don' have to do anything, but you do have to see somebody." "Well," said I. "you
won't see him until you die. His name is Jesus, and we're going to talk to Him, together, right here.
When we 'pray', we 'talk' to Him You can only become a Christian when you contact the Lord Jesus
Christ; there is nothing to sign, nothing to pay and nothing to do."

That night m a little chalet bungalow. I knelt with him. I put my arm around him; he seemed lost. His
expensive suit, big American car; power-boat in the bay, nothing mattered now. It was sin, real sin. it
was a Saviour he needed and thank God a Saviour he (found. Not only did 'he' find Christ. In the
meeting the next night sitting beside him was a handsome young man, well dressed and clean shaven.
He introduced me to him. They were in business together. Thai young man waited after the meeting and
accepted Christ also. The night following, my friend came back with yet another colleague, much taller
than himself. He too was saved.

On the Sunday morning, before leaving Bermuda, another Baptismal service was desired, between
twenty and thirty having accepted the Lord Jesus as Saviour. Among them were these three young men
just referred to, and being so well-known they wanted their friends and families to witness their
confession of faith. A decision, therefore, was made to conduct this service, on the beach. Early on
Sunday morning cars pouted down on to the beach. When a great crowd of people had gathered, hymns
were sung accompanied by the young people playing guitars. My friend Roland Pickering walked into
the blue Atlantic Ocean and baptised all these young converts.

Such a thrill that was, an occasion Twill never forget, I'll be looking for those three up in Glory; those
three who had nothing to do and nothing to pay, but who had to meet somebody, and the man they met
was the Christ. Reports still reach me of Bible groups meeting out there, among them those three and
many others. Over the years I have taken holiday groups out to Bermuda to live in hotels. When we
have done that, quite unexpectedly, some of those Christian friends have arrived on the Sunday
morning to convoy all of us to a remembrance service. How rewarding it has been, despite the heat, just
to meet with them and with the Lord at the Lord's supper. Occasionally I lifted my head to see who was
speaking only to discover it was one of these dear brethren. David Femes perhaps or another of those
young men saved on one of my previous visits, now they were giving out hymns, reading the Scriptures
etc. (This is something that cannot be substituted. There is nothing on earth so satisfying as preaching
the Gospel, seeing God work, a life changed, seeing a man who lived for himself and his sin, standing
up to give thanks on a Sunday morning and to thank God for His Son,! That was what I was called to
do. That was what I gave myself to and why I stood firm for what I believe to leave me free to do this
kind of work for the Lord

Bermuda had stamped itself so very definitely on my life. Any record would remain incomplete without
the foregoing and I look forward, in His will to going back there and meeting some of those men who
now lake the Gospel to their 'own people'. On one of my holiday visits, David Ferris asked me to
accompany him on the morning boat out to another island where there was a large prison He told me
that he had started a service out there, every Saturday morning, for the prisoners. That was another
unexpected thrill to stand in a little room, beside David. He played his guitar and sang, m front of many
hard men, men accustomed to all that Satan could give them and still they weren't satisfied. Now they
found themselves in prison for their crimes. What a joy it was to see a fellow like David undertaking
such a work, a work that continues to this day.
For the past thirty years Israel has endured a precarious existence in her ancient land, beginning with
the formation of a Nation in May 1948. By act of the United Nations, five thousand square miles were
assigned to Israel. Subsequent developments have extended this land area to approximately 30,000
square miles. The process, however, has been one of toil and sacrifice, while from day-to-day and
month-to-month her very existence has been threatened by hosti le forces which ring her boundaries. A
generation ago many capable scholars would have dogmatically predicted that Israel would never have
returned to her land and never again been restored politically as a nation.

Today, in spite of the fact that Israel has returned to the Land and has re-established her sovereignty as
a Nation, there are still doubts in many minds as to her future. It can hardly be questioned that a miracle
has happened in the Middle East and that miracle is ISRAEL. Beginning with less than 1,000,000
Israelites or Israelis in 1948, the Nation has grown to over 4,000,000 in the Land. This is the largest
return of Israelis to the Promised Land since the return from Egypt under Moses and Aaron via the Red
Sea. So what is it that gives people the interest and desire to visit Israel, to go there on holiday from all
over the World?

It was a question such as this that caused me to become deeply interested in the Land of Israel, and
more expecially so after conversing with great Christian leaders such as Dr. Freed of Transworld Radio
and Dr. Fred Tatford, Bible teacher and prophetic student of International repute. For some years, these
men had been advising me that in order to have a better understanding of the Bible and appreciate
many aspects of Bible prophecy it was essential to 'go' to Israel. Under their guidance and direction I
organized my first group to visit Israel in 1969.

A group of seventy made up that initial trip. They and I enjoyed that experience, so much, that between
1969 and 1983,1 have visited that country some thirty times and feel that I now know the land, its
towns and cities. I sincerely think and believe that where Israel has about one million visitors a year, it
is the place for Christians to go, to see and to walk 'in' the footsteps of the Christ, to study the Bible
there right on the spot and to worship. So many of those who have been there with me (possibly now
well over one thousand) said, when we were there in the Land, "I have never really worshipped so
much in all my life as I have here."Some of the greatest moments of my life have been spent at the
Garden Tomb. The fact that it is empty is the foundation of our Christian faith. In his letters Paul wrote,
"If Christ be not risen from the dead you are yet in your sins and your faith is vain." I have always
believed in my heart that the Christ was alive, but to go and stand in the rock hewn tomb and to realise
that He lay there, a lifeless form; then quite naturally to Him, He got up and though as rising from sleep
walked away from His grave, was wonderful indeed. This is the Christ we worship, believe in and
present to the people. Have any of the modern critics, any of the modernists of today ever proved a
power I like that in their lives over death, over their own bodies, for a body to be cold, stiff in death for
three days and the corpse to get up and walk away; every part of His body functioning naturally? On
the very afternoon He rose from the dead, He walked five miles to a little town called Emmaus, yet
before they put Him in the tomb they had driven iron spikes through His feet, nailing Him to a cross.
(Those iron spikes would have poisoned the blood system of a natural man.) Yet three days later we
find the Lord walking a dusty country road!! This was the Lord from Heaven in a body prepared by
GOD (who had come into the world to save sinners). He had Power, over Death and to cure every
physical ailment known to man today. He is able to heal and cure wrecked bodies. So I have found
inspiration in visiting Israel. How glad I am that those Christian leaders kept stressing, "You must see
Israel, you must go, it is imperative you be there."

I am sad that tour operators and travel agents have commercialised Israel. Many people go to Israel,
paying too much money for too little, neither seeing the land nor having a suitable person to guide them
and not having proper Bible teaching come home having missed so much.

My groups enjoy singing in a variety of places that are known worldwide; places like Gethsemane,
Golgotha, Bethlehem. At Gethsemane, losing there in the Church has proved a thrilling experience,
likewise to climb Golgotha, where Christ died arid from that height to sing, or in a cave in Bethlehem,
the site of His birth. Equally enthralling it has been to go to Galilee and sing on its shores, then to take
a boat and turn of ft he engine in the middle of the lake and sing again. There cannot be but worship,
thanksgiving and praise.

I now regard my visits to Israel as not only an opportunity for me to study Bible prophecy which is
based in the Land of Israel, but also as an extension of my Evangelistic ministry. Looking back I recall
some 10-12 persons, who accepted Christ, right there, as they followed His footsteps. Furthermore
when teaching Bible principles to groups at night, not a few asked for Christian baptism, that is Adult
Baptism for 'believers' in the Lord Jesus. The New Testament does not know of any unbaptised
Christians. Every Christian mentioned in the New Testament was a baptised one. Thus in our visits
Baptismal Services have been held either in Galilee or in Jordan. Over the years I have seen dear
Christians of many denominations following the Lord's command and being baptised. Such events have
made my trips to Israel not only memorable but well worthwhile as I have witnessed God working in
the hearts of people. There are those in Ireland today, who know the spot where they trusted the
Saviour in that 'Promised Land', so that to both them and me it becomes very precious They can say, as
I have headed this Chapter, "Israel I Love".

Israel is the only spot on a cursed earth that God calls My Land. All who travel like to talk about my
land, my home, my country and what we do at home. It is different there. If you were talking to God
today. He would ask you. "Have you been to My Land'"

He calls that miracle strip, at the eastern end of the Mediterranean. My Land! We cal! it Israel. It is
eternal; it was for an 'everlasting possession'. Today several million armed forces surround her borders
waiting to take possession of her. The Bible declares that Israel is 'An Everlasting Nat Nation she will
never be destroyed. Because God has claimed her for Himself, Israel cannot be taken over by earthly
forces and thank God, by Satanic forces neither. I feel that every Christian should visit Israel sometime
m his or her lifetime. Anyone who contemplates visiting Israel should make sure, however, that he goes
accompanied by someone who 'knows' the country and able to point out the authentic places. The
guides appointed by the Israeli government are not by any means the best suited !o showing tourists
round the country. They neither care for the Bible nor (or the Lord whom the Christian worships. Israel
has also become far too commercialised. It is important that you go to Israel (or the purpose of
worshipping the Lord, and not the sun, which is there of course. I have seen in some of my groups
those who went for the 'sun and scenery'; and they returned home disappointed. They didn't discover
the real meaning o( Israel.

I have been able to study Bible prophecy 'in' the Land. Today the great question is: 'Should Israel give
back part of Her land to the Arabs?' Part was taken over in 1967. A careful reader of the Bible will
understand that that cannot happen; not even when threatened by 200 million armed forces. If it were
2000 million it wouldn't make any difference. Israel is 'today' the length that God intended her to be.
That is very significant for in the last Book of the Bible, Revelation Chapter 14, verse 20, it simply says
that in the last days of the Battle of Armageddon, Israel will be 1,600 furlongs in length. When the
United Nations made Israel a Nation she was not that size, until alter the 1967 War when the Israeli
forces pushed back the boundaries of the land (from Mt. Hermon to Ehat. Therefore Israel stands today
the proper size for the Battle of Armageddon There is just no way that the Israelis could give back any
of that Land that God gave to them, otherwise the prophetic programme could be put back a thousand
years and more. God has made her today, by a miracle, the size that the Bible says she will be when the
Christ will stand on the Mount of Olives. Therefore, from my visits and reading I can see that the strip
of land called Israel is waiting excitedly and expectantly, for what they know not, but Bible students
realise, 'It is the coming back to earth of Israel's King'. Israel is in the Land; the Land is the right size
and the touch down pad for the King as appointed by God is the Mount of Olives While most of Israel
has been built upon with housing, offices, universities, etc., the Mount of Olives has been left in its
natural state. No-one has been able to build there, to mar or destroy it. for the Bible states, 'His feet
shall stand on that day upon the Mount of Olives, which is to the East of Jerusalem.' So often I have
stood and sung hymns on it, preached there and looked across the city. anticipating the moment when
Christ's nail pierced feet will stand on the stony surface of that Mount It is in Israeli hands today. I
cannot see God allowing it to be handed back to enemy forces before His Son returns. I am prepared to
believe that we are much nearer to the end of the Divine Programme for Planet Earth than many would
care to admit. The Corning of Christ as King to rule this earth for a Thousand Years cannot be far
ahead. Vet prior to that He must come to the air to take away His Church, the Christians. This of course
is the Bible programme, not mine. The day is fast approaching when all the Christians will have gone,
leaving none on earth, because He is going to take them all with Him. After a period of time He will
return with them all to the Mount of Olives. This is the assembling place of all those who got to know
Christ, personally. Because of this I would encourage Christians everywhere while they have the
opportunity logo, just to stand on the Mount of Olives.

One morning when many stood there singing the Hallelu|ah Chorus, one of the company said, "You
know, this is just a rehearsal for the real thing and the real thing cannot be very far away " How glad,
therefore, I am that I have been to Israel and been privileged to become acquainted with it so well, to
have walked where Jesus walked, to stand where He stood and to stand not only in history but in
prophecy also. If a clearer understanding of the Bible is desired and a sweeter appreciation of it, then to
achieve this there is no better way than with Bible in hand to walk the Mount of Olives, the narrow
winding streets of Jerusalem, sit on the shore of Galilee, or stand at Megiddoand look at the plains of
Armageddon Follow His footsteps along the Via Dollarosa to where He died at Calvary and having
done that in all probability you will never be the same again.

Israel stands today as a beacon of hope to every Christian. A student asked a great Bible teacher, "Sir, if
you were asked to prove there was a God, could you do so in a very few words?" "Certainly." replied
the teacher, "in two words only, 'The Jew'!" The Jew 'in' the Land today, is the greatest proof that there
is a God and that He is not dead. When the modernists and those who question the Virgin Birth and
bodily resurrection of the Lord Jesus have passed away and their remains lying buried in mother earth,
THIS SAME JESUS who WAS born of a virgin, who WAS dead, who physically, bodily rose from the
dead, will come back to stand on this earth to prove how wrong the critics were. He will fulfill all His
Promises lo those who believe in Him and follow Him. Therefore. Israel brings us the message of the
Birth, Life and Death of Christ; His coming back again to earth and His Reign on the earth for a
thousand years. The heart of every true believer thrills at the thought and wants to sing again and again,
"Even so come Lord Jesus."
These were of a different nature to those so named in history. By the 1970's independent Crusades were
beginning to form a major part of my ministry. Crusades in town halls, marquees and hired buildings
were being blessed by God, convincing me that this was His will tor me. Committee controlled or
interdenominational crusades had never appealed to me.

I found that there were so many comrnittee-minded men. able talkers, adept at discussing, arranging
and planning, but as far as the actual work for Evangelism was concerned, lacking in knowledge
regarding procedure I started in Magherafelt in 1969 with a large marquee, the following year in Larne,
then Newcastle and on the Castlewellan Road. In 1971, a large marquee was pitched in the Ormeau
Park. Belfast, followed in 1972 at Castlerock and in Bangor on the Belfast Road, covering an area
known as Killeen. Here tremendous fellowship and support from local assemblies were enjoyed.
Church groups and young Christians were eager to serve the Lord and found these tent crusades an out
let for that energy. I was so convinced by the independent aspect of these crusades both of their
desirability and validity.

Mr. John Lowe of Carryduff, suggested that 1 might hold a crusade in a new building which he had
constructed at Carryduff, Belfast, before using it for commercial purposes. One evening I accompanied
Mr Lowe to inspect the building and was amazed at the size of it. It housed then four articulated lorries,
five cars with room still for caravans but when empty had the capacity for seating at least 2,500 people.
When 1 expressed that it was too large, Mr Lowe said, "Well, surely it would be all right if you had the
Lord there." Thus rebuked I realised that was all I needed, for the Lord to be with me.

Again, when I mentioned a committee and who would Conduct affairs, Mr. Lowe said wisely to me,
"We will let the Lord run it; you and I will do the work." That settled, stamped upon my ministry now
is the word, 'Carryduff', because together we watched God perform miracles as Christians from various
denominations came together. Singers were invited and instrumentalists of the highest quality. A wide
area over the countryside was canvassed as far away as Newcastle and back down to Belfast. Houses
were visited, churches were given literature, prayer groups were formed; without a committee, without
organization and without an appeal for funds, affairs were allowed to roll forward. Mr. Lowe supplied a
lorry in order that chairs might be collected from churches and work continued until 2,500 seats had
been placed inside that large building. The crusade was commenced, the congregation gathered and the
numbers grew. Amazingly every inch of space was needed. Before the month long crusade at that
particular site had ended, folk were stand ing, looking for seats, some came early into the building to
make sure of a seat before the commencement of the meetings.

It is not possible for me to record how many accepted Christ. Those records are kept in heaven but I
feel safe in saying that some 30 people advised me that they had come to trust the Saviour in those
meetings in Carryduff. God honoured the faith of Mr. Lowe. He blessed the work of the Christians who
rallied to the cause of Christ.

About independent crusades I feel strongly, because whoever has the exercise or conviction is the
person whom God has placed there to control proceedings. Committees often don't have 'the
conviction' that is necessary or the right knowledge. There is something in human nature that wants to
dominate, to control, or a voice to be heard, and that is why I have always encountered critics of my
work. The critics are those wanting to do something themselves, but not being able to do so, want to
take over somebody who 'is' doing something and make that person do it their way. Therefore, I haven't
time for committees and I have no time for critics. I think it was Spurgeon who said that the best
committee he knew was a committee of two with one on holiday.

Having covered the North of Ireland using tents and Town Halls as well as other buildings my whole
attention was now focused on Carryduff. The co-operation of Christians was sought as they were
brought together to pray and to talk of the vision which the Lord had now given me of reaching large
crowds of people. I cannot possibly content myself with having a crusade or a series of meetings at
which unconverted people are not present, this is hypocrisy No evangelist can be satisfied with
preaching the gospel, night after night, to two or three hundred Christians. Born again Christians cannot
be saved over again, so if I am interested in the salvation of sinners, then the sinners must be present.
They need to be notified of the crusade and must be treated in a wav that shows they 'are' welcome and
the message geared to their needs. Thus it was, with the desire that I would reach the unreached that I
went to Carryduff.

Following the Carrydulff Crusade and for months afterwards reports were being received from those I
met of relatives and friends who had accepted Christ. I heard of young people giving testimony at
meetings around the country witnessing to the effect that they had trusted the Saviour in the large 'shed'
at Carryduff. From many quarters others kept saying to me, "When are you coming back to Carryduff
for a not her crusade?" Amongst this number, of course, were Mr & Mrs. Lowe. Because the crusade
had been held on a part of the road known as Lowe's Corner and there was a suitable piece of ground at
that corner, after some discussion, the possibility of putting up a marquee was agreed. It was decided
that an even bigger 'building' than the shed previously used might be needed. When the time came I
was able to hire the largest available marquee in Belfast. I was informed that it would have a sea ting
capacity of 3,000 people. This was really a very big undertaking. Four years had elapsed since the first
crusade and once more the Christians over a wide area rallied round. If a preacher knows anything he
knows that he cannot conduct a crusade by himself, and if he knows a little more he knows he cannot
do so even when supported by the best team of workers available, or with committees or anything else.
Further more he knows that if the Spirit of God is given the place of authority, the place of presidency,
then God can be relied upon to meet the need, all the need, whether the need for workers, for materia Is
and spiritual power to convert sinners, power to save souls. It is all there when a crusade is given over
completely to God and to the domination of the Holy Spirit.

One of the great disappointments of our day and age in evangelism occurs when preachers do not hand
themselves over, completely and unreservedly to the Holy Spirit. This happens when the preacher is
controlled by other men, by business men or by committees, when certain matters are not permitted
because others don't agree with them. Thus a preacher arrives at a situation where he falls under the
control of certain influential men. Such a preacher has given up on God and how careful he needs to be
lest God gives up on him. So determined to do His will, I undertook a second Carryduff crusade in this
massive marquee. The building of the platform and the setting up of the musical instruments on it were
quite a task. Once again the assembling of the seats and seating arrangements to accommodate the huge
crowds that were anticipated had to be seen to be appreciated. Later to stand upon that platform and see
those seats filled with people was a fitting reward for the amount of physical effort expended by so
many willing helpers.
Friday night was made a Youth night and Youth Fellowships were encouraged to come from many
areas. On those Friday nights there were as many as two thousand young people present. One night
some youth organizations paraded in uniforms. This was appealing to the young people and an
encouragement to see and hear them singing. I also appreciated in the singing, the help of the Edgars,
that well-known trio from Bally nahinch. As well the Word of Life Quartet really won the hearts of
many people, as did the fine singing of Peter Glasgow. All this combined to attract more and more
visitors until on Sunday evenings it was a common sight to note police patrols controlling traffic on the
main road. The police were needed to handle traffic building up and causing a back log into the city.
God was moving and God was seen to be moving. To meet afterward those who were saved was a great
joy and a thrill for me personally. Once the tent was erected, 190 ft. in length and 90 ft. wide, to face a
crusade like that and to look out on those empty seats from the platform was quite frightening. I found
it affecting my sleep. Betimes I woke up in the night imagining the meeting had commenced and I was
standing on the platform but nobody was there to preach to. Other nights I dreamt that as I addressed
the congregation, some rose and walked out leaving me alone, undecided what to do. The pressure on
my mind was greater than I could ever have realised. I thought of all the things that could go wrong.
Happily all I could do was to commit the matter, once again, to the Lord, who sustained me.In such a
matter of financing a crusade like that in Northern Ireland, we are fortunate in having Christian
businessmen more than willing to write a cheque to cover all expenses. What a wonderful thing that is.
Personally I feel that in running such a crusade in a district, 'every Christian' should be given
opportunity of supporting that work no matter how small the amount he or she is able to give. All
believers should be given opportunity to support and subscribe to 'the Work of the Lord'. Thus on the
day of rewards each one will be able to step forward and say, "I shared in that outreach," no matter how
small a part they played.

In order that individuals may participate as just suggested, after much thought and prayer, I decided the
best way was to leave offering boxes at the exits. I am well aware that there are some single-minded
folk in this country who sincerely think because I do this, I live by what is in the offering boxes. May I
humbly comment that it is an eye opening experience to see what is, on occasion, put into them. With
the help of experienced men who specialize in money matters I have discovered that in a congregation
of two thousand people, the boxes when opened would reveal coins and pieces of paper numbering in
all one thousand and two hundred. That does not call for complaint, that is why the boxes a re there. It
is a matter solely between the individual and the Lord as to what each one puts into the box. The
moneys deposited in the boxes in No way will completely clear the expenses of a crusade of the
magnitude of this one here described at Carryduff. The cost of advertising, hiring of instruments,
payment of travelling expenses to singers and others, all amounts to thousands of pounds. Rather than a
I low one individual to settle let he account I think it just to allow even young folk, say out of their first
pay packet, to put 10 pence into that box and walk away knowing that they have had a part in it and a
vital part. The Bible tells us that the Lord stands over the treasury, noting what is put into boxes like
that. While some unlearned people would tell me that the boxes at the back are unscriptural, I am
happy to notice that the Scripture also says the Lord is watching over the boxes and over what is given;
even the widow's mite does not go unnoticed.

How happy we were to call all the workers together for a supper after the marquee was taken down, to
report that all bills had been paid, that all expenses had been met; it was the Lord who met them. I was
able to report that so many had accepted Christ, those that I knew of at that time, although for some
time after that, I heard from church elders of others asking for church membership; those who were
converted at the big tent. No wonder those two experiences at Carryduff have a lasting place in my
thoughts and in my memory. Every time I drive through that district on the main road from Belfast to
the Mourne Mountains, I thank God for the miracle of Carryduff; for what 'HE' proved. Let us
remember, the Lord not only does this for us when we ask Him, but He does it for Himself. He does it
for His own namesake. The Lord's name must be honoured and protected; we cannot allow His name to
be brought down or desmirched in any way. The Psalmist declares that He leadeth me in paths of
righteousness for His namesake. Something I had to learn in the work of the Lord was this, that when I
approach a task such as a crusade which humanly speaking is impossible for me to do; no man can do
it, no body of men can do it successfully and for eternity, because the results of a crusade will not be
clear or seen until the Church is at home in Heaven. The records and the bookkeeping are all done in
Heaven, so it is not possible to assess all the work done in a crusade. It is not possible to know how
many lives have been saved, how many hearts affected or how many young people have responded to
the call of God logo with the Gospel to another country. All this is happening when the Holy Spirit is in
control. Therefore I thank God for the days spent at Carryduff and it may never be repeated. If it is I
hope that I will be permitted to be around to see it, even to watch it if lam not in the centre of it, as I
would like to be.
A feature of the work of the Lord in Northern Ireland is the raising up of men with a vision in order to
establish a permanent witness or testimony in an area. In County Armagh God led a young man called
Kenneth Hughes to build a wooden structure on his farm and invite two other young men to conduct
special Gospel meetings. As those meetings progressed and the numbers attending increased, the
wooden building was extended. This was repeated two or three times until the building held about two
hundred people. Quite a number of souls were saved and a New Testament Church commenced in that
field. It was on the road to Newry out of the city of Armagh. In a short time the Christians who met
there in the wooden structure were able to raise enough money to build a beautiful permanent Hall,
now called the Killeen Gospel Centre in the district known as Killeen. It was a pleasure to visit that
place on several Sunday evenings and indeed to have a crusade in it in the late 70's. In 1 981 I returned
for a Gospel crusade in the fine new building.

What a joy it was to work with enthusiastic, praying men and women who believed that God was able
to do miracles and wanted to do them. I rejoiced to see Him do just that. On the Sunday I commenced
there, a sudden snow storm caused my heart to sink, and their's, as we thought that folk would not be
able to get there, the little side roads soon becoming closed with snow and the main roads unsafe for
traffic. In addition, the lorries delivering petrol to the filling stations went 'on strike' that week-end
creating a petrol shortage as well. With the snow coming down to cover the roads and no petrol to drive
the cars on the roads we were committed entirely to the Lord who caused us now to rejoice when we
saw how these difficulties were overcome. The fact of the snow meant that the farmers were prevented
from working in the fields and consequently free to attend the meetings. One gentleman did get through
with a small lorry with several large drums of petrol. He asked me to announce that any person wanting
petrol could obtain a supply outside the Hall when the meeting concluded. This dear gentleman
supplied gallons of petrol free to anyone wishing to attend the meetings, refusing to accept payment for
it. (Imagine the stampede afterwards of friends wishing to take advantage of so generous an offer.) It
was a tremendous thrill and joy to watch, on a later evening, this dear man waiting behind to talk to me
and then tell me that he had accepted the Lord Jesus, as his Saviour. Since then he has been called
home to his reward. Today there is in the very presence of God, one of my co-workers from Killeen
who shared that January experience with us, brought about by snow and a petrol shortage. Nothing it
seemed could stop those people coming to the meetings. More important still, I was hearing of those
who had accepted Christ coming from all age groups and all kinds of backgrounds.

Along the Newry Road lived a husband and wife with their two children, a son and daughter, and in the
same week during that crusade the entire family accepted the Lord Jesus. Our hearts were thrilled as we
watched people coming and then listened to them praying after a meeting, for those who despite the
conditions cared to wait. Every night after the meeting there was a time of prayer. The ladies played
their part in kindly and generously supplying tea and cakes for all who could stay with us. This gave
me an opportunity to talk to some of them about God's salvation. During that time much counselling
was done and many accepted the Lord.

In my diary that I kept in those days, I had made a note regarding a revisit to Bermuda. That was
something I looked forward to, an opportunity to see again those many friends and the places that I
knew, as well as to engage in the activities that I enjoyed. Coming out of Killeen Centre, one night, a
young man approached me and said, "I have a burden for a little place nearby and wonder if you would
consider some meetings there." "Where is that?" I said. "It is at Milford," he replied. "Where and what
is Milford," I continued. "It is a little village down towards the border about four miles distant," he
informed me. "What is there to preach in, a hut or hall or church or something?" I inquired.

"We might possibly have the use of an army hut, presently being used as a drill hall. Would you preach
in a drill hall?" he then asked.I was glad to assure him that I would preach in any kind of hall, that I
was the Lord's servant and would preach wherever people could be gathered together.

When he said he would let me know about it, I told him it would be a year or more before I would be
free to do so. "Oh!" he said, "that is a pity. I feel that it ought to be this year."

Driving home that night I told my wife of that young man's concern. As we discussed it and recalled
my programme I noted that I was due in Bermuda in the month of June. I began to feel the Lord maybe
wanted me to go to Milford and not Bermuda. Everything humanly speaking would have drawn me
back to Bermuda; the contrast between the two places was tremendous. That night I prayed about the
situation. The next day my decision was made. I would ask the Christians in Bermuda to release me
from my engagement with them. I would go to Milford.

The following evening to my young friend I said, "Look, I do have a little time in June of this year
when I was due to go to Bermuda. However, if I can be of service to you I will come to the village of
Milford to preach, if you can acquire that old drill hall." "I have been thinking it might be better to put
up a tent," he said. "Well," I replied, "that will be all right. If you have the workers to help to put it up
and look after it, that will do well."

Shortly afterwards he informed me the tent was available or at least he could have it for June. Upon
hearing this news I asked, "What size of tent is it?" His next words startled me. "It will hold a thousand
people," he said. I said, "Are there a thousand inhabitants in Milford?" "No, no," he replied, "just a
couple of hundred."

How absurd it seemed to pitch a tent that size when there weren't anything like sufficient people living
near to fill it.

What faith, what dependence on God were needed. Armed with both, a number of men arrived one day
to put up this large canvas marquee. Herein lies the secret. The day before a number of those men had
gathered from different areas. They were assembled by my friend Mr. Derick Bingham for the specific
purpose of engaging in prayer; an open-air prayer meeting was held in the field where the tent was
going to be. (This was nothing new, but a reviving of an old custom in Ireland dating back a hundred
years to 'Revival Days' when crowds met in the open-air to pray for God's blessing.) Believers gathered
from over a wide area and were joined by Christians across the border from the South of Ireland. God
heard and honoured those prayers at Milford.

Groups of young people met to give out invitations and visit [arms and homes During the next number
of weeks we were all kept very busy as it was considered desirable that the meetings should be under-
way before the start of the summer holidays. We were helped tremendously by all kinds of people who
caught the vision of a Gospel Campaign in what was generally known as one of the worst and most
dangerous districts in Northern Ireland. Indeed a Government Minister in England called Milford and
district, Bandit Country. More murders had been committed in that area than in any other in the North.
We were about to move into South Armagh where people sought protection and the armed forces found
it specially dangerous But God was going to do something at Milford that we didn't know about. We
went forth in faith and in total dependence upon God.

As the beginning of June approached and the tent pitched, it was suggested that to rally the Christians
early prayer meetings should be arranged for 7 o'clock in the morning. I believe that those morning
prayer sessions were one of the great features of the Milford crusade. From men whose hearts the Lord
had touched came great support, particularly from the Elim Church in Armagh together with believers
from the Baptist Church. Once again I found myself in a situation where 1 felt the closer I could get to
'Pentecostal' conditions, the better, where all the Christians were all together, in one place, praying for
God's revival blessing. With Norman Paynier I visited homes in the village, knocked on doors, went in
and talked to the people and found acceptance with them because we had no ties what soever with any
sectarian movement or denominational associations. We were absolutely free with a tent in a field to
preach the glorious Gospel of Christ; a Gospel that had not and never will lose its Power.

I commenced the crusade on a Sunday after noon at half -pas! three. a good time for a meeting in
Northern Ireland, not clashing with the times of normal evening services and when it is possible with a
little effort to draw many hundreds to a field, to a hall or tent. The number that gathered that first
Sunday was most encouraging. The early morning prayer meetings from then on were continued and
immediately after the evening service as many Christians as could were invited to wait to pray.

Of those who had remained to pray, while some left for home to attend to necessary duties, certain of
the men prayed on well into the night. On a number of evenings patrols of army personnel and police
arrived at the 'prayer tent' to investigate why the lights were still burning at 11 p.m. When they saw
what was happening, they stayed a while to listen to those men praying. It was not easy to realise that
this was taking place so close to the border with the Irish Republic, just four miles away. The area was
patrolled, day and night, by the security forces. One night some soldiers walked into the tent and asked
the men what so many of them were doing there. One of the Christians said, "We are praying for you."
The soldier replied, "Thank you. We need and appreciate it." Then the soldiers left to continue their
patrol.

On certain mornings, that group of praying believers was joined by members of the police force who
were Christians themselves and wished to share in the prayer meeting. This added to the numbers
already forty to fifty strong in the group who had come 'early to pray. It was a touching thing to listen
to those policemen praying for their colleagues who were in dangerous situations, and for widows of
other members of the force who had been murdered. The atmosphere of prayer was tremendous.

A police officer from the district told me one day that at a briefing, the Chief of Police for that area
addressed those assembled and said, "Now men, things have been very quiet here for the last week or
so and I cannot account for it. There have been no bombings and shootings and no robberies.
Everything is so quiet, I simply cannot understand it. I hope it is not a lull before the storm."

One of the policemen, a Christian, then spoke up and said, "No Sir, I don't think that is the case, but an
answer to prayer, to the prayers of thousands of Christians who are pleading for God's blessing on the
campaign being held in the tent on the roadside nearby."

Every night so many people travelled in cars through the city of Armagh and into the village of
Milford. Anyone living in the North of Ireland at the time knew what a hazardous journey that might
be. Yet no person suffered, no car was stolen or damaged. God protected all who came. He protected
the tent and kept it standing and above and beyond all that He saved souls and answered prayer. Always
I am slow to state how many persons have accepted Christ at a particular crusade. It is better to wait
and return perhaps a year later, to discover how many were really converted. That means lives
'changed'. It is one thing 'saying' you are saved; it is a different thing to 'be converted', that is your life
turned right round. God allowed me the joy of seeing not a few, I believe more than twenty, telling me
that they had accepted the Lord Jesus in 'that' tent, some while the service was progressing, others after
the meeting and some in their homes. To see God working and to be in the centre of the movement of
God is an experience that every preacher longs for and never forgets once it happens.

Milford was a place to which God directed me. It was a place that God stamped on my ministry and in
which today I am still deeply interested. Of it I have so many memories that encourage and strengthen
me. My purpose now is not just to relate stories for your interest. To illustrate the power of God,
however, and how God moves in a district when Christians allow Him to move, may I recount for you
one or two cases that took place in Milford.

First one of my friends who had been involved in the work there was faced with a problem. It
concerned a house he was having built. Promise after promise had been made by the builder to
complete the work, but the promise remained unfulfilled. One evening as I was preparing to go into the
meeting, close beside the tent, my friend approached me and said, "Did you see who has just gone into
the tent? That is the man who is building my house. Maybe I will get the work finished now." (We were
happy because the builder had travelled twenty miles to come to the tent.) After the meeting I was
escorting 'a lady', who had just accepted the Saviour, back into the large tent, to introduce her to my
friend to tell him of her commitment to Christ. At that moment, I saw him in conversation with a man,
unknown to me. I approached them, and excusing myself, told my friend that the lady accompanying
me had just been saved, whereon the 'stranger' turned round and to our amazement exclaimed: "That's
my wife!" Now I discovered this 'stranger' was the builder, who had been talking 10 my friend and
explaining the trouble he had had. His wife had left, they were now separated and he didn't know
whether she would ever come back. That evening, this gentleman and his wile, unknown to one
another, had both been in the lent meeting, not having seen each other for a very long lime. Thus the
Lord had graciously saved her and now reunited, as man and wile, they left Ihe 'field' together to go
home and start a 'new' life. God was mewing. God was doing miracles

In one home that was visited lived a Christian lady, a member of the Baptist Church. She hastened to
assure us of her prayers and at Ihe same time requested that we would pray also for her sister, son and
daughter. "They need to be converted," she said. We gave her the promise she needed and began
mentioning their names in the prayer meetings. In a short time afterwards the sister started to attend in
the evenings at the crusade. What a thrill it was when her sister turned up at one of the early morning
prayer meetings to tell us that she had accepted Christ the night before.

Another evening a young man came to talk to me. He was physically fit and strong, but he too wanted
to become a Christian. As we read the Scriptures and prayed together, that young man accepted Christ.
We left the little hut where this had taken place and walked into the large tent Sitting alone in that huge
place was the lady who had promised to pray for us and who had asked us to pray for her son and
daughter Immediately, she rose, came over to us and as I greeted her and asked her how she was. she
said, "I am very well I am sitting here praying for my son." "Has he been here yet?" I asked her. "He's
standing right beside you now,' she replied. (The young man who had accepted Christ that night her
aon!| Almost precisely the same thing happened the next even ing. The same lady's daughter after
having read the Scriptures and praying accepted the Lord Jesus as 'her' Saviour. I brought her through
to the large tent and her mother was there, waiting for her daughter to see her prayers and ours
answered so wonderfully What rejoicing there was in the village and in the farms around, rejoicing that
spread to the border and right across the border into County Monaghan from where car loads of
anxious people had come to attend those meetings at Milford travelling from twenty to thirty miles
away. God saved some of those people from the Republic of Ireland and that gave us all great joy also.

As the tent was taken down after four weeks of meetings, a list of the names and addresses of quite a
lot of young believers was made. They had accepted the Lord Jesus. Some relatives, family members of
Christians were among the list of those who had accepted Christ also. Along with others Mr. Norman
Paynter and Mr. David Wilson decided that the special work of God should be continued. They put up a
portable building which they had obtained and also acquired a site just across the road from where the
tent had been. From that date the Sunday evening meetings with prayer meetings were continued
together with Children's meetings during the week. God continued to bless the work. To me it was a
special joy to go to that portable hall to speak either on a Sunday or Tuesday night and to meet again so
many of those who have trusted the Saviour. In some cases entire families had been saved, husband and
wife and children. This brought about a real transformation in the home and in their lives.

As time went on the portable hall was so very often packed to capacity, and it became obvious that a
more permanent structure was required. Responsible men were able to purchase the ground whereon
the portable hall was sited. After permission had been applied for and granted, a most substantial
building capable of accommodating many people comfortably was erected there. So the work continues
there until this day affording me such pleasure when I think of the miracle that God performed in an
area where the military and police and politicians had tried to establish peaceful cooperation, without
success. God had moved in, changed lives, saved souls and now set up a pi ace for the re membra nee
of His Son and for the proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Along with Bethesda Hall in Bangor
started by men after a tent crusade and Ballysillan Hall in Belfast, mentioned earlier in this book,
Milford now takes its place in my memoirs. As I regard these places, I find strength and encouragement
to go on because my God is the God of the impossible, performing miracles.
For over a century now Gospel witness and testimony have been carried on in an area in County
Armagh outside the market town of Portadown. Across the British Isles that area is known for its
Evangelical witness and fervour. It is simply called Ahorey. Beside one of the many orchards in South
Armagh in the corner of a field stands a small hall where for so many years Christians have met for
worship. The place was widely known on account of its annual Conference for Believers, a conference
that has been held for more than one hundred years on 12th July each year. In 1972, the responsible
men of the assembly invited me to conduct a Gospel campaign. God showed His hand in blessing and
power, saving quite a number, especially young people of school age. I recall now children aged eleven
to twelve years, as well as mature persons, men and women from the farms nearby who attended and
trusted Christ. Among the number saved were young fellows who commenced Bible Unions in the
Secondary Schools they attended. It was a special joy to me when some months later they invited me to
the Bible Union in their school to share in what they were doing for the Lord.

I enjoyed those meetings in Ahorey and was so encouraged by the great numbers that gathered every
night to listen to the Gospel. In 1976 the same people invited me to undertake another campaign in the
same hall. This was only four years later, but as you have read in this book, I have been in Co. Armagh
many times during the space of those four years. Furthermore Ahorey isn't far from Killeen, nor is it
very far from Milford. God had so blessed in those intervening years, in those areas, it wasn't surprising
when I went back to Ahorey in '76, that right from the start of the meetings the hall was packed nightly.
Again the countryside had been visited and friends used their transport to bring others along. For the
same purpose at Ahorey a bus had been acquired, seating forty-six passengers. At night the young men
drove the bus round the neighbouring districts, regularly arriving back at the hall full of folk eager to
hear and to share in the meetings and the Lord, once more, saved quite a number of souls. I stress that
the Lord saved souls because I am convinced that when the Holy Spirit is permitted to work ungrieved
and unhindered, He will do His ownworkwithoutpressurefromthepreacher.lt is not necessary for a
preacher to make appeals for souls to trust Christ. The Holy Spirit brings conviction which leads to
conversion. Then the work is real and when returning a number of years afterwards the same people
will be found still going on with the Lord.

In 1976 I was delighted to have in the prayer meetings and out visiting with me, some of the young
men who accepted the Lord Jesus as their Saviour in 1972.1 was equally delighted to go into their
school or college to talk with them about the Bible and about the Gospel and to invite the students to
come to the crusade. If the work is of God then it will certainly last. I was encouraged in that '76
crusade by others who came from Portadown and Lurgan, men and women with no church
connections, but under conviction of the Holy Spirit. Later they came to inform me that they had
accepted Christ.
During the 1976 campaign I had a unique experience, something I would never have sought after, but it
happened. I became acquainted with a young woman, whose parents were Christians and for whom
much prayer had been made. She was preparing to leave home and take up employment in another
location. Naturally it was the deep concern of many that before going she would decide for Christ, but
no-one knew if she was interested. On her last evening I said goodbye to her and wished her success in
her new employment. At that point I added, 'If you are t hinking of accepting Christ and would I like to
talk to me I will be available." I returned to my home in Belfast.

I retired for the night and was about to sleep when the telephone rang. The father of the young woman
just referred to said to me, "My daughter to whom you were speaking earlier this evening is very
anxious to be saved Shall I bring her to Belfast, or will you come here?" Considering the length of the
journey and the time involved, I said, "First ask her to speak to me." "She is too upset and is unwilling
to talk on the telephone," he said. I replied. "If you could persuade her to, I might be able to help her."

Shortly afterwards she came on the line. We discussed salvation and the difficulties she had. I told her
that at some stage it would be necessary for her to pray to God and tell Him that she wished to receive
the Lord Jesus as her Saviour. If she would come to God in that way, God would receive her, because
the Bible states, "Him that cometh unto Me, I will in no wise cast out." She told me she understood
that, but still wasn't saved. I said to her, "Now listen, I cannot see you. I don't know whether you are
still with me or not, but I BELIEVE you are still there. You cannot see God, you do not know if He is
with you or not, but you must BELIEVE that He is right now listening to you. "She said, "I do believe
that." My answer was, "Stay on the phone while I pray. As I am praying, you tell God that you want to
receive His Son as your Saviour." I prayed that God would help her and enable her to make a full and
total commitment to Christ. When I said, "Amen!" I spoke to her and said, "Now, tell me, did you ask
God to receive you or did you ask Christ to come into your life or anything I like that?" "Yes, I did,"
she said. Next I asked, "Well, did God receive you?" "That is the problem, I don't know," she
continued. "Well," I said, "the verse states, 'Him that cometh unto Me, I will in no wise cast out'. That
means if you come to Him, He will not cast you out. Now, you have just told me that you came to Him
in prayer. Did He cast you out? Did He turn you away?" "No," she said, "He can't do that. I'm SAVED."
She threw down the phone and I didn't really know what HAD happened. I understand now that she ran
to her father and said, "I've just got saved."

Why WAS she saved? Because she BELIEVED the Word of God, namely, "Him that cometh unto me, I
Will in nowise cast out." Depending on that, she KNEW she had been accepted by God.

She went on to prove the reality of that salvation. There was further cause for rejoicing another night
when her father asked me to ring him. When I phoned, his son spoke to me and said, "I want to be
saved."

I repeated the message I had earlier passed on to his sister, advising him to go to his room and ask God
to save him, then call me again and tell me if God had kept His promise. I am always anxious to find
somebody who asks God save them and who doesn't get saved. I think that this would change the
whole Bible. The young man said, "All right, I'll do that." He rang off and fifteen minutes later phoned
back again to say, "I am saved." "That is marvellous. What did you do?" I asked. He said, "I went to my
room and I asked God to save me. I told Him that I BELIEVED He would, IF I asked Him." "Well,
that's it," I said. "You've got it in writing from Himself, 'I will in no wise' cast out'."

This, over the years of my ministry, has convinced me that 'conversion' is much better left to the Holy
Spirit and not made an issue in a meeting, with a dear tired preacher pleading with people to come to
Christ or to sing a verse again. This is not necessary nor is it Spirit guided. The Lord will do His work,
the person to be saved can be left to travel for miles and then make a phone call and get saved. That
was a remarkable case of conversion.

Just to complete the story. The following year, as I was preaching in the CWU Hall, Lisburn, the next
member of that family, age-wise, one evening waited behind and made a profession of faith in the Lord
Jesus. So God broke in there as He did with other families, saving boys and members of the family and
answering and honouring prayers that had ascended up to God for years.

Thus Ahorey built itself into the fabric of my ministry as I found much for which to thank the Lord
whom we serve. Working with men like the late Mr. R. J. Williamson, the Johnson Brothers, Messes.
Gilpin & Alexander and many others who have kept the light burning and the testimony growing and
progressing has proved abundantly rewarding. When now I make a return visit to that locality, my heart
thrills and I thank God as I look around the Breaking of Bread meeting and see so many young ones
and older folk, who accepted Christ during those crusades.

Two years after the meetings in Ahorey Hall, in June 1 978, a crusade was undertaken on the outskirts
of Portadown. The Ahorey Brethren thought it wise to use their particular tent for the crusade. A site
was acquired at the corner of Mahon Road and the Armagh Road and the Ahorey tent as it is now
known was erected there. As the practice had been in so many other places, the approach was the same.
We went there depending entirely upon the Lord, inviting ALL the Christians in the district to pray with
us, to attend the meetings and bring their friends. In that year of 1978, on the Mahon Road, the Lord
began to show His power and might as He performed miracles.

One night when I reached the tent on the Mahon Road I stepped on to the platform for the purpose of
marking down a few hymns to start the singing. To my surprise I noticed on the ground just beside the
platform, a couple of empty beer cans. I knew that every night some of the young men stayed to guard
and protect the tent, sleeping on the platform but I could not imagine that they would be guilty of
smuggling in cans of beer. When I asked for an explanation from one of the men walking about the
field, he said, "I've no idea what you are talking about." "Come and see," I said. The mystery deepened
when we discovered a packet of cigarettes lying at the side of the tent. The next young worker to arrive,
however, was able to explain what had happened. "The cigarettes and beer cans were I left there by two
fellows who were saved here last night," he said. "How amazing," I said, "but who were they?" "I don't
know, I didn't think to ask them their names," he continued. "They came to the tent very late last night."

Not far from where the tent was sited was a 'road house' where many gathered to eat and drink.
Apparently as these two fellows were leaving the road house one of them said to the other, "Let's go
along to the Gospel meet ing. "The fact that it was almost midnight seemed in no way to deter them.
Arriving at the tent they walked in and were soon surrounded by the young men 'on guard that night.
Both of them had a beer can in his hand. Being thus confronted they asked, "What is going on in here?"
When the 'night watchman' replied, "Gospel meetings are being held here,one of the fellows said, "We
would like to be saved; we would like to become Christians." They were asked if they had already been
to the meetings but answered, "No, we came down here thinking we might hear some preaching."
Hereupon they were invited to take a seat and told that someone would come to help them. One of the
company slipped outside, drove into Portadown where he managed to contact a responsible brother,
one of the elders of Ahorey, and acquainted him with the situation.

What a contrast to a preacher pleading with people to rise from their seats, to come and accept Christ.
Here were two fellows, who having spent the evening drinking, wanted to be saved and had found their
way into a large ''Gospel tent at such an hour at night. A Christian had to be wakened out of sleep and
brought from the town where he lived, four miles away to come and talk to them. That night Mr. Tom
Gilpin spoke to these two fellows and both of them accepted the Lord Jesus as their Saviour. Since then
they have lived to prove the reality of it; indeed one of the two has joined the Baptist ministry. Once
again what a great joy it was to see God working like that. On my two previous visits to the Gospel
Hall many were saved and now, up the road in the tent, God was still saving souls. Among the number
who accepted Christ in those meetings were some members of 'Christian' families who had been prayed
for, for years. Thus I thank God for memories of the days spent among the Ahorey Christians. I thank
Him for their fervour and excitement about spiritual things and the respect in which they are held in the
district, so many neighbours being prepared to come to their meetings.

Following that Crusade that God had so blessed, the Christians in Ahorey decided for the summer
season to have a meeting on Sunday afternoon at a nearby lake where there were parking facilities and
seats. Occasionally on Sunday I was thrilled to be with them to preach to literally hundreds of people
who came just to hear the Gospel, at Marlacoo Lake, well-known to so many around the district.

In 1 983, the same Brethren invited me to have meetings in a tent sited near the lakeside. The Gospel
was preached in the month of June in a tent accommodating up to nine hundred people. There were
times when every seat was filled and the Lord's presence felt. Helped by singers and instrumentalists, it
was a memorable occasion. During that time I had the joy of speaking to so many men and women to
whom God had first spoken. It must be an unfortunate thing for any non-Christian to attend such a
Gospel meeting and not to feel God talking to them; not to hear the voice of God, creating deep desires
in their soul. Nevertheless God did this at those Marlacoo meetings. The help given by so many men
was valued, even those who came and cut the grass, providing a measure of comfort to walk from the
road into the tent, as well as those who gave up their time to look after the tent and sleep there at night.
God has noted all these tasks and the day of rewards, in glory, will reveal how much was done at those
meetings around Portadown and Ahorey over the years. Those who served will find their reward
suitable to their service; nothing that was done for Christ will be overlooked by Him.

It was my intention to go back to Marlacoo in 1984. Indeed the tent was booked and the seating
provided. 1984 is the very year when my book 'UNDER HIS WINGS' is being updated and added to.
However the Lord has seen fit to place me under medical care. For one reason or another I have
suffered two strokes that have made it necessary for me to cancel all my teaching activity and
travelling. Starting from March 1984, it will take twelve months at least before I can re new the work to
which God called me in the little attic room, where I responded to His call without ever having an idea
of all that was involved; the miles, the men, the messages and the miracles. They were known to Him,
but I, a mere man, had to wait for the unfolding of His plan. In His mercy, I still await more unfoldings,
more miracles as He permits in His Divine Will.

Having covered Counties Londonderry, Armagh, Down and Antrim, I was beginning to feel that the
area known as Northern Ireland was becoming saturated with the Gospel. There is possibly a greater
concentration of Evangelical Preachers in Northern Ireland than in any other area of comparable size in
the World. I do thank God for every man who is preaching the Gospel in pulpits, on platforms or in the
open-air and may the Christians in this small corner of Ireland unite behind all these men when they
come to their area. May God bless His Word, add and multiply the blessing of Salvation wherever the
Gospel is preached.
On the south side of greater Belfast, where the M.1 Motorway carries traffic towards Dublin, an
Evangelical Church has grown up, under the leadership of godly men, in the district of Finaghy. The
church is known as Bethany Hall. Over the years it has become widely known for its fervent zeal in the
Gospel. The youth activities in Bethany Hall have necessitated the building of a separate Youth Centre,
a centre that has proved ideally suited to such work. Every week many dozens of young people
assemble on different nights for a variety of activities. It was my pleasure to conduct two campaigns in
Bethany Hall and to work with the young people, augmented by the older members who brought their
neighbours and friends. We were encouraged in each campaign with a few souls accepting the Lord
Jesus Christ. In 1980 it was the idea of the 'elders' to have some Saturday night Bible Teaching
Meetings, in their Youth Centre, aptly suited for an informal gathering. Tea and biscuits were served at
the end of each rally. In November 1980, I commenced Saturday Night Rallies in Finaghy, drawing a
couple of hundred or more people each Saturday night for simple straightforward Bible Teaching.
These occasions proved a blessing to many and indeed folk from the district who had no connection
with Bethany Hall, found there a welcome and valued instruction that led them on in spiritual things. It
was a joy for me to be there, not only in 1980, but also for the next three years on those Saturday
nights. The meetings were so successful that the brethren decided to continue them throughout the
winter from October to March and invited other speakers to be responsible for a month each. Thereby
this became a feature on the Evangelical Calendar in the City of Belfast. People gathered from right
across the city, as well as from the towns and districts on the south side of the city. I look back on those
days with great encouragement and still love to go to Finaghy to see the enthusiasm and listen to the
singing led by Mr. McFadden, ably assisted at the organ by his son John. Singers were invited in duets
and quartets and the overall presentation of the Saturday evening was a feature in the spiritual life of
the city. I trust that this will continue for a long time, with many oilier preachers taking the
responsibility of bringing the truth of the Word of God to the many who gathered there Saturday after
Saturday

Eight miles south of Belfast lies the town of Lisburn where a new work had been established under the
name of Forthill Gospel Hall. I have had a couple of special limes there for Bible teaching and
preaching Ihe Gospel The Lord again, faithful to His Word honoured the preaching of the Gospel and
saved souls, most of whom have followed on with the Lord m Baptism and into the Fellowship meeting
at Forthill. These have been encouraging events as I have surrounded the city—north, south, east and
west with the Gospel, regardless of the district, whether in class distinction, denominational differences
or religious barriers. None of these things has interfered with the Power of God in the simple preaching
of the Gospel of Christ, because Jesus said, "Go and teach all nations and I am with you always." That
means that whether it is preaching or leaching, or us lying in hospital. "I am with you always" applies
here just the same as on every other occasion.
The town of Lisburn has long been known for its Evangelical witness. Most denominations have a
thriving Church. There is also a work which is peculiar to Northern Ireland called 'The Christian
Workers' Union'. This work was commenced by the late W P. Nicholson who saw 'revival' in Northern
Ireland under God in the 1920's and '30's. Following his campaigns across the Province, groups met
independently of Churches, in halls, to maintain a witness and tesimony. One of the great and best
known Christian leaders in Northern Ireland today is Mr. Theo McKibben. He is the secretary of the
Christian Workers' Union for the whole of Northern Ireland and he is responsible for the work of that
Union in their own hall in Lisburn. I have been delighted to work with him in a Gospel campaign,
again on the same basis as I have always worked, that of independence of any association or affiliation.
I have seen God working in the C.W.O. Hall, in Lisburn also Souls have been saved and when I meet
them they will give me encouragement. The interest in Bible Prophecy, in Ihe end events and the
Coming Again of the Lord, have always drawn large crowds to that Hall. Mr. McKibben has told me
that some of the best known preachers in the British Isles have preached there. Over the years God has
honoured the witness and many souls have been saved.

While engaged there an invitation came to me from the Rev. Billy Thompson, also well-known as an
enthusiastic Evangelical Gospel preacher. He is the minister of the Congregational Church in Lisburn.
After prayer and meditation, a date was agreed. The meetings that followed had the backing of many
Christians, some from Finaghy, others from the country. The Church was packed nightly including the
two minor halls. God moved and saved some precious souls, among them a husband and wife. Later,
these two accompanied me on a visit to Israel and while there were baptised in the River Jordan.

For men like the Rev. Thompson and Theo McKibben, who carried the standard high in the town of
Lisburn, I thank the Lord. Their consistent witness and preaching of the Gospel have been_blessed and
honoured. It would be my hope that in the days to come I can return to Lisburn and find the work of the
Lord still in the hands of such men.

In addition to the foregoing I recall visits to many places in Scotland, where I was privileged to serve
with unusually dedicated workers. An assembly of more than one hundred and fifty members, at
Bishopbriggs in the north of Glasgow, was in a state of disturbance and confusion, traceable to a small
cell of charismatic believers, causing some discouragement. To this assembly I first went, on invitation,
a place where a Gospel campaign had not been undertaken for many years. There, once again, I was to
prove that one personality often heads up a Crusade. Such a person, known and respected throughout
that part of Scotland, was Gavin MacGregor, a young man, hampered by a physical complaint that
necessitated hospitalization a few times a year, nevertheless one who had given himself to the work of
the Lord and proved an outstanding leader in the assembly. With the cooperation of other notable
brethren, he organized the Crusade.

Approaching this new ground for me, I was thrilled to discover the amount of visitation and publicity
and planning that had so far gone into the work. As a result a large crowd assembled on the opening
night and the numbers increased as the meetings proceeded. Closed circuit television was installed,
arranged by Gavin , Two sets were placed in the basement, almost the size of the main hall, and the
service throughout relayed downstairs.

Night after night God showed us miracles of salvation, young men and women, fathers and mot hers
and grandparents were saved. What a joy it was to sit beside some of those who accepted the Lord
Jesus It was a wonderful occasion and to be part of that work at Bishop briggs watching the Lord at
work in salvation When I have visited Bishop briggs since, naturally I have looked for certain people,
like the two next mentioned. One evening in the minor hall, locally called 'the lesser hall', over a cup of
tea, I was drawn into conversation with two officers, both senior men in the Glasgow police force, but
more importantly, friends of another officer, a member of the Bishop briggs assembly. As I talked with
them they both showed an evident interest in salvation. What a joy it was the very next evening to have
these two men profess faith in the Lord Jesus.

I left Bishop briggs looking forward lo my next visit. From this vantage point in 1984, I now look back
upon four or five different visits to that locality. It has been, therefore, not only enjoyable to share in
the fellowship and warmth of their love for Christ and their out reach to the community, but also to
have witnessed the Lord at work. On one occasion, a special weekend geared for 'young folk the
rejoicing and thanksgiving were tremendous when three young men were saved on the Saturday night
and on Sunday, the next night, five more trusted the Saviour, some of them being members of families
belonging to the 'assembly'. Mr. Gavin MacGregor, previously mentioned, all too often was the rnan
behind the scenes arranging and working for the furtherance of the Gospel. Yet everyone knew that
very dear to his heart was a son still unsaved. Because of my close affinity for Gavin, I had a similar
desire for this young man, about to leave college and commence work. On one of the final nights of my
meetings, I was about to leave the cloak room when in walked Gavin's son. As he faced me I said to
him, "Are you saved yet?" "No," he replied "What's wrong with you?" 1 continued. "I don't know," he
said. "Would you like to be saved?" 1 queried. "Yes, I would like lo be saved." he said I motioned him
to a seal and in the cloakroom we sat together and step by step we talked over God's wav of salvation,
whereupon he accepted the Lord Jesus as his Saviour. I left him there and returned to the large hall
where quite a good number were still waiting. First to approach me was Gavin, anxiously asking if T
was all right, or was I sick. "No," I assured him, "I was just talking to your son. He's in the cloakroom
putting on his coat." "What is wrong with him?" he asked. I said, "I think you should go now and ask
him,"What's wrong with you, son?" Gavin asked as he confronted his seventeen year old boy.
"Nothing, daddy," was the reply he heard. "I've just got saved!" The scene of joy with tears that
followed and the thanksgiving from the many who had waited behind had to be seen to be appreciated.
What a thrill it was to witness that boy's conversion and to know that alter the years since that
happened he is proving the reality of his confession in Christ. Springburn, which is situated less than
two miles from Bishopbrjggs, I visited twice and on both of those occasions the Lord saved souls.
Afterwards, in journeys made over Scotland, in out of the way places, I have met a number of
believers, who told me they were saved at Springburn, Here I became interested in a really hard case,
especially as this tough man had served in the armed forces in Northern Ireland. I am acquainted with
places in Ulster where he had served and listened to stories about them, where he drank, danced and
fought about political matters. One night, this fellow waited behind alter one of my meetings. A
conversation together resulted in his being led believingly to Christ. The following Sunday I was
invited to have tea with him and with all sincerity that evening he said, "Now I want to go back to
Northern Ireland to tell the people there how 1 have found peace in the Lord Jesus." You may well
imagine how experiences such as these have brought encouragement to my heart. Memories of
Scotland surround other towns and districts that I have visited, like Ayr, Madison near Falkirk and
Edinburgh. At a campaign in Ayr, the Brethren moved to the large Baptist Church in order to
accommodate all the people who gathered together. Hundreds of people came and a number of souls
were saved. From Ayr I moved inland to Madison where I experienced much joy in working with the
late Jimmy Black, whom so many m Christian circles in Scotland knew. A peculiar or perhaps rather a
special man he was noted for his 'tenderness', his love for people and his qualities of leadership Jimmy
was a brother I was privileged to meet on earth and I will be glad to meet him again in glory By the
Queen, for his work in the 'reformatory' at Falkirk, he was awarded the B.E.M. Every week I was in the
district I accompanied him to talk to the boys in that institution, where Jimmy was treated like a father.
There he poured out his heart and pleaded with those boys to come to Christ, and to leave their life of
crime that had put them there Jimmy is now with the Lord having relinquished a life down here during
which he saw the salvalion of many. I also met some interesting and notable personalities at Airdne,
where again the Lord's hand was seen. A feature of the meetings there was the delighiful singing so
much enjoyed and talked about.

In Edinburgh, Ihe 'Christian Brethren' had purchased Ihe Bruntsfield Evangelical Church, capable of
sealing hundreds of people in its ground floor area and surrounding balcony. Discouraging reports
indicated that may ask would be a daunting one, emphasizing that the building was too spacious and
Ihe assembly too few in number to make adequate use of its facilities I freely acknowledge there are
certain things the Lord, alone, can do. Looking back, how reassuring it was lo have Ihe Lord prove to
us that any such fears were unfounded. In fact the church was not large enough lo accommodate all
Those who attended that series of meetings. Some nights part of the congregation had to be seated in
another hall to which Ihe service was relayed.

The results’ are even yet still being revealed. Only a week or two ago I received a letter from the
Orkney Islands telling me that one of the girls saved during the meetings in Bruntsfield has since
commenced in full-time service for the Lord, with Dr. Brian Tatford, in France. Thus there has been
cause for Thanksgiving, again and again, for how Ihe Lord has abundantly rewarded us for any effort
we have put into His work and has given us joy in our souls.

Such a survey of my work in Scotland calls for a mention of my visits to Dumbarton. I was invited to
go there, when 1 was campaigning at Stirling. First I arranged to meet the assembly and verily the
gloomy picture I had been given of a hall, too small and old-fashioned and in a very bad slate of repair.
When I saw the building it was even worse than had been suggested. The thought of planning a
Crusade for the following year was somewhat depressing. Happily my fears were unfounded for later in
the year I was notified that the hall had been burned down. The assembly at Dumbarton is indebted to
the leadership of Mr. Jim Oliver, who being County Architect, immediately set the wheels in motion for
the building of a new hall in the town centre, amidst the shopping area and suitably provided with
ample parking space. A subsequent message from Mr Oliver implied that the brethren had good hopes
that the hall would be ready for the opening of the Crusade and that is exactly what the ''Lord' evidently
had planned. What a delight now it was, one Saturday, to travel to Dumbarton, not only to commence a
Gospel Campaign but also to open that lovely, new hall.

The Mayor and Council Members were all there together with other leading personalities from the
town, expressly invited by the 'Brethren' to be present for the occasion, Tea was provided, and the new
hall was packed with people, giving me opportunity to meet the people and invite them back. 1 enjoyed
my time there, the fellowship and engaging in the different activites, including youth work. Each week
I accompanied the young people to the Reformatory and had the joy of preaching to many boys housed
there for a variety of offences.

The Lord saved souls, both young and old. Perhaps because it was a new building and a new venture,
folk travelled many miles to seethe building. There were nights when the hall was unable to hold all
who came, some being seated in the entrance area and others in a 'lesser' hall at the side. I have been
back since and I feel specially indebted to Mr John Lindsay, who with his wife, runs the well-known
Motor Garage & Sales Centre on the Stirling Road.

On each of my visits to Scotland, John has always put a car at my disposal. For thus providing me with
transport since we first met at Dumbarton and for all 'services' free of charge are more than mere words
of appreciation can express. It is always the same with John, no matter how long I stay or what
distances I travel. He is a bit like God's salvation; I think that is why the Scots people like God's
salvation, because it's free. I owe so much to those dear saints at Dumbarton. I look forward, in the will
of the Lord, going back again and meeting with them, once more.
During my meetings in Scotland in 1983. I began to experience difficulty in distinguishing objects and
people from the platform. Driving too was becoming more of a problem, both stemming. I thought,
from my diabetic condition Upon returning home. I visited a Belfast Eye Specialist. With what he
discovered I was unacquainted, but he gave me little hope of improvement and at best before my eyes
become 'normal' again would be a long time ahead Aided by such kind and cooperative friends,
however, I attended a Professor, who recommended 'laser' treatment on my right eye to dry up any
haemorrhage behind the eye. Sadly this resulted in the formation of an ulcer, causing me great pain and
distress. Unknown to me I was moving into a time of trial and testing, that I might learn God m a new
way and to lean on His Promises.

In the closing hour of 1983, at a Watch Night Service in Aughnm, the pain I was suffer mg became
most distract ing and distressing Then the professor confirmed that this was due to an ulcer on the
pupil. Result ing from the treatment prescribed I have now lost the sight of that eye and the process of
'healing' has taken much longer than was expected.

Of all the places m which I have preached, Ballyhalbert is perhaps the one where the Lord has worked
and blessed in a more remarkable way than anywhere else in Northern Ireland. I was delighted to return
there in January 1984 to fulfill an engagement. The Christians had enlarged their hall, refurbishing it
completely both inside and out and adding a minor hall at the front. The building is now comprised of
three halls, the main hall with minor halls, one at the front and the other at the rear. During the
meetings that followed, all three were filled to overflowing. The Lord (and the Christian friends)
brought in the people from round and about (he Ards Peninsula in ever increasing numbers. Faced with
the task of preaching the Gospel to such an audience was responsibility enough,apart from my health
problems, yet God began to work. Each night of the week, someone told me that he or she had accepted
Christ. Young men and women and older folk received the Saviour. What a joy it was to sit with some
of them discussing how long they had sought after Salvation and right here during the course of those
meetings they had found the Lord.

The atmosphere in the meetings was tremendous, despite the fact that I was suffering from a sickness I
simply could not understand. I almost reached a point when the difficulties I faced seemed virtually
insurmountable. Night after night after the journey from Belfast I was too sick in body to enter the hall.
I had this almost unbearable pain at the back of my eye, necessitating a further appointment with the
professor. He decided to stitch and close the eye to exclude all light, hoping by that means the ulcer
would disappear. A large patch over the eye did not enhance my appearance but neither did it hinder the
meeting, because God was there doing His work. Thus it was very clear to me that a new situation had
arisen wherein God was prepared to put me on the platform, and more than ever now I realised the
work of Conviction, Conversion and Salvation was His alone.

Those meetings concluded, the sickness and continual vomiting combined with the pressure from the
stitched eye and 'healing' ulcer took their toll and I grew gradually weaker. One night I found it
impossible to sleep. Early the next morning my wife drove me to hospital and upon arriving there I just
was unable to get out of the car. On the way there 'a stroke' apparently had rendered me powerless. I
had heart failure and once inside it was discovered that I was also suffering from Pneumonia. Such a
combination had sapped my body, a body in which I had served the Lord, a body that some years
earlier I had 'given' to the Lord, but now showing signs of wear and tear. That day how I would have
liked to pick up a new body. Now I had to learn so much of waiting upon God. Thanks be to the Lord
that the stroke did not have a 'lasting' effect or cripple my body in such a way that I couldn't do
anything more for Him. After three weeks in hospital 1 was allowed home. Physiotherapy helped
restore my limbs and hands to a more normal condition. Once I was able to write and communicate
'regretfully' it was a matter of cancelling meetings,

conferences and crusades all over the British Isles. Doctors, however, advised me that I wouldn't be
able to preach for a year at least. What a long time I thought. Nevertheless to such a decision I had to
bow accepting it as the Lord's permissive will.

Satan tempted the Lord concerning Job and said, "Thou hast put a wall about him that I cannot reach
him." "All right," said God, "you can touch his body, but don't touch his life." The story of Job is so
amazing seen in the words that follow, "Then Satan left the presence of God and attacked Job." The
lessons learned by Job millenniums ago, we still have to learn today. With an uncertain future, I was
wanting to know the will of God concerning me. Sitting in the lounge at home three weeks after
returning from hospital taking tea I relapsed into a diabetic coma. Rushed to hospital, I remained
unconscious for two or three days. What happened on March 8th the hospital implied had been another
stroke. Many friends and prayer partners rallied to my aid. Others came to visit me and talk to me;
some tried to explain this 'trial of faith and Satanic attack'. As for myself I was beginning to learn
something more of what it meant to give myself completely to the Lord. The Lord wanted my body,
intellect and talents. At the same time in doing this I was setting myself up as a target for Satan to
attack. Now my prayer is that God will show His power over that of Satan and send me restoration.

The days and weeks that followed were truly difficult so the fellowship of Christians has been
tremendously appreciated. May I state for the help of some and the encouragement of others, and in the
hope that I might be able to advise 'some' that when visiting someone who has suffered as I have, it is
important to bring to such a patient a message from the Lord'. I now know that Christians can bring a
message of great cheer and encouragement, even to one who is in spiritual conflict between Satan and
Christ. Some of those who came to see me told me they had been talking to God about me and had
been assured that God was going to heal me and give me back the vision that I had lost. Yet the
message from others smacked of the very thoughts with which Satan had been tormenting my mind.
Questions were raised, "Do you think you will ever be well again? Do you think you will ever preach
again?" Such thoughts were put into words by Christians, who surely were unlearned and untaught !
One dear 'lady' said to me. "You know, you will only last about three months." I wondered when she
had last prayed to God (or she wasn't able 10 bring me a message from Him!

Was God going to lead me into new avenues of thought, new depths of experience when I would learn
of Satanic attack upon a human body aid of God's ability to heal, restore and comfort that body? The
year 1984 has thus, so far. been taken up with resting, recovering, attending clinics, hospitals,
rehabilitation centers etc. an entirely new life.

As already reported, the meetings in Ballyhalbert Hall were the last that I had undertaken. That was an
outstanding week and I was rejoiced to learn that nine had professed faith in the Lord Jesus, more
especially as each night I attempted to preach under such debilitating conditions, often violently sick in
body and suffering extreme pain. Alter rny collapse and subsequent hospitalization, my condition
remained critical for some days. Serious as was the situation, my wife's constant probing of the staff
and Consultant for information or explanation elicited from the latter the chilling response, "We have
not done anything with him. I reckoned that when your husband was admitted, he had 48 hours to live.
We wanted to let him die in peace."

I am so thankful for all the Christians who earnestly and faithfully prayed for me, for their concern and
fellowship. Obviously it was not in God's plan for me to die. Once again the opinions of men proved to
be unfounded. God gained the victory as He always will and to Christians who are suffering today and
wonder why, may I ask you to wonder no more. Satan is on the attack because of your association with
Christ. I don't think there is a Christian on earth who would give up that association just to avoid
Satanic power. Our God is able to keep, preserve and protect us, either from the attack or in it. He is
able to deliver us from or out of every temptation. I wan! this to be an encouragement to all those who
have a friend, ill or suffering. When a loved one is taken away or called home to glory and you are
tempted to ask, "Oh, why should this happen?", remember this is all part of Christianity, all part of
deciding for Christ. When I become a Christian, I am 'in Christ' for ever and I shall never perish. Satan
has lost me. Still he will attempt to make life as hard as possible and as miserable. In every subtle way
he will raise queries in my mind as to why God allows this or that. Without doubt God does allow
Satan to attack and so many adversities to assail us, against which we could not stand alone. But praise
God 'HE' gives us strength and out of the fiery trial, He remakes us, and makes us stronger and fitter for
tasks and situations of which wears yet unaware.

During those days in hospital as I gained consciousness, I became aware of what had happened to me
and of my surroundings. The one obvious thought was how badly had I been affected by the stroke I
had suffered. Would I be able to resume my normal activities? Was this the end of the road? Such
thoughts drove me in earnest prayer to seek the will of God and not to question what had happened,
because as previously stated, I do not believe God deals in illness and sickness, though He may permit
His children thus to be tried. Disease, sickness, paralysis, infirmity and pain are all part of the stock in
trade of Satan. He will always attack the children of God and the exponents of the Gospel, with these
things, in order to render them impotent. My concern now was to what degree the Lord would allow
this illness to mar my future plans. It was obvious that all my advance bookings must be canceled.
Forthwith my wife despatched letters throughout the British Isles to those who were expecting me
during 1984, simply stating I would be unable to keep my engagements with them. To me it was very
hurtful and I regretted having to do this.

Day after day I said to the Lord, "Please tell me why you have allowed Satan to attack my body in this
way?" I lay there, unable to get out of bed and unable to see, the stroke having affected my vision. I
was to learn what a great handicap this was, not being able to read and unable to see the nurses who
came to attend me. The will of God I must know concerning this matter and why Satan had triumphed
in laying me low, possibly putting me out of the work of the Lord that had occupied my time and was
so dear and precious to me.

I remember one morning as a nurse took me to another department for X-rays, I was praying as she
pushed the bed along, saying. "Lord, just speak to me; let me know You are there; tell me something. Is
this the end of the road or where DO I go from here? Will I ever be able to see again? Will I ever be
able to stand, or walk, or talk?" As He had done before over so many years, HE SPOKE to me, on that
bed, those beautiful words of Job, words that He wrote on my mind, and I KNEW they were from
HIM! This is something every Christian needs to cultivate; to KNOW the Voice of the Shepherd. Far
too many of us 'think' the Lord has spoken to us when ii is just our own idea or maybe even the voice of
Salan. In John Chapter 10, the Lord declares, 'MY SHEEP—KNOW—MY VOICE'. So especially in a
crisis it is important to know HIS voice and for me to recognise that ii is HE who is speaking.

Right back from those days in the attic room in Belfast, 'I got lo know His Voice'. It had become
familiar to me. Therefore. I knew that HE spoke to me that day as I was being wheeled to Ihe X-ray
Department, and these were His Words: "He knoweth the way that I take and when He has tried me I
shall come forth as gold." That to me was very precious. Yet I could scarcely believe it. I thought, is the
Lord telling me that I am going to be all right? Is the Lord going to heal this body after a lime of testing
and waiting and learning? Is He telling me that? Still I thought it was too good to be true. "Oh, Lord," I
said, "is there something else You want to say to me? Talk to me now because I need You!"

On the way to the X-ray Room I seemed to sense that when that was over it would be back to the ward
and then it would be lunch-time. Meal times in hospital were a great trial to me, because of my lack of
vision I was unable to see the food on the plate. \ dreaded meal times. The day before the incident just
recorded, a friend, Mr. Alfred McCabe from Forthill Gospel Hall. Lisburn had visited me at lunch time.
Seeing my difficulty with the food in front of me. he walked ever and quietly said, "Give me that fork
and I will feed you." That was a remarkable thing to happen and I valued it so much.

But now another day of struggling with the plate and the food I can't see, I thought as I was being
brought back 10 the ward after the X-ray. So I thought, lying there on the bed, I will do what Gideon
did, 1 will put the Lord to the test. I will ask Him for a sign and so I said. "Lord, I want to believe what
You have said lo me. It is my desire 10 believe it. It is the best news I have heard since I came into
hospital. 'He knoweth the way that I take and when He has tried me I shall come forth as gold.' I
prayed. "Now Lord, if that is really from You and if I am not misunderstanding it; and if you are going
lo raise me up and allow me to go back to my work for You; and give me back all the faculties that I
might have lost; just as a sign, an endorsement, direct Mr. Alfred McCabe lo this hospital today and
help me with my lunch." And I left the mailer there.

Nevertheless coming from the X-ray Room I was saying, "Lord, this is it. If Aide comes it will be all
right, but if he doesn't I'll be as far back as ever I want to know that it is You who are speaking. I think
it IS Your voice, but I want to be sure. Lord would you send this busy man, whose business might very
well have taken him many miles away."

My mind thus occupied I arrived back in the ward, my bed was pushed into place. Within a few
minutes the bell was ringing to let us know that lunch was about to be served. At that moment I can
remember saying, "Lord, this is it. Where is Alfie?" My vision being so poor, I couldn't make out what
was happening around me and certainly not discern the movements of the many people who seemed to
be there. Then a girl approached me and said. "There is your lunch, Mr. Murphy." In typical style she
informed me that the potatoes were up there, the vegetables on the right and the meat was on the
bottom, comments I had listened to so often. It made me very sad and that was all that could be said,
and earnestly I prayed, "Lord, I need help." God's answer came immediately. Right at my bedside
someone spoke to me and said, "I'm here, just in time to feed you." "Who is it?" I asked. "Alfie,"! heard
in reply. "Thank God," I said, "you don't know what it means to me that you have come here today."

Then he revealed how the Lord had directed him lo come and do this little job. I don't know how many
days he kept coming, but I valued his every movement, as day after day, he sat down beside me lo
perform this service for me and for His Lord and mine. Such endorsement of the word of God brought
peace to my soul.
Shortly afterwards I began to feel signs of recovery in rny body. When eventually I was allowed home,
slowly but surely, these signs became more pronounced, with some improvement in rny vision. The
power was returning to my legs, enabling me to stand, first with assistance, then unaided, and after,
with help, to walk. Words of appreciation, in this field, are especially due to a young sister for her
tireless efforts. As a physiotherapist she spent time with me correcting my balance, giving me
confidence lo move and virtually teaching me to walk again. My voice gained in strength and my
speech became clearer. Thus I have been enabled since my return from hospital to undertake the re-
writing of this book and to compile its final chapters, to memorize the detail which so wonderfully I
was able to record on tape, and which the typist has carefully reproduced in print. Above all I am
indebted to the Lord Jesus for being with me, every moment, for talking to me and through His Word
for assuring and reassuring me, emphasizing His intention of undertaking and supervising my
treatment. He brought me through to a situation where, as I 'talk' today, I can look back on two weeks
ago, when I was able to participate in my first public meeting, outside Belfast.

It will take another six months, into 1985, before I will be allowed to conduct a 'service' or take a
meeting of any kind. Yet I am happy to wait upon the Lord, who knoweth the way that I take....and
when He has tested me....I shall come forth. That is what He wants to do with all of us. If, as you read
these pages, you have a burden, an affliction, an infirmity, a bereavement in your life, the Lord is only
'testing' you to discover what you are made of; to see what you can stand up to; to find out how 'able'
you are. Just as a runner in the Olympics has to be tested and proved to establish his fitness to run, so
must I for the race I have chosen. To run in the Olympics, I certainly would not be allowed. Before I
would even be considered I would first have, in my own country, to prove myself able to run a certain
distance within a certain time. So the Lord has to test us to see what kind of spiritual material we are
made of before He could assign us a more important duty. Again we might regard the task as being of
little importance, whereas it may prove of great importance to someone else, perhaps. There has to be a
trying, a testing, a proving of oneself. I feel, in the months that have passed and in the months that are
yet to come, God is searching me to bring to light the quality of my life. Slowly I am learning that each
trial and each temptation has to be met in His strength alone, because none of us is a match for Satan.

As this book goes to press in 1984,1 am still in God's school of experience and learning, and it would
be my desire that all those who read its pages might find comfort, encouragement and the pathway of
obedience to the will of God. I await the fulfilment of his many promises to me, not only during recent
months, but from my early Christian experience. These I feel could all be summed up in one of my
favourite passage: referred to earlier in this book. Psalm 46, verse 10, "Be still and know that I am
God", An even more beautiful translation it German is. "Relax and know that I am Almighty".