Joe Crews

All Rights Reserved
Published by Amazing Facts, Inc.
P. 0. Box 680, Frederick, Maryland 21701
1st Printing 1983 1OM
Printed in U.S.A.

Table of Contents

An Unending Chain 4

A Mysterious Double-Takes 7

The Ones Who Almost Got Away 11

Lost and Found In Bangalore 17

Strange Impressions and Inner Voices 21

Mafia Hunter Captured for Christ 30

Secondhand Influence 39

Radio Miracles - A Church Switches Sabbaths 45

Preachers Under Pressure 49

They Paid the Price 52

Desperate Demons 59

Is One Soul Important? 63

An Unending Chain

All of us have heard amazing stories which bordered on the supernatural and the unreal. Every one of the true-life adventures you are about to read is of a supernatural order even though they happened to real people with whom I am personally acquainted. I think you will agree that more than human power was operating to perform the life-changing miracles in each case.

Every evangelist will tell you that the delicate business of leading people to Christ is a mixture of bitter-sweet. There are thrilling plateaus of victory interspersed with devastating disappointments. In no other occupation is there more taxing of the emotions. Souls are won and souls are lost, and the evangelist feels the constant strain and stress of those fateful decisions. He struggles and suffers with those who are trying to break lifelong habits of sin. He agonizes in prayer for those who because of his message are about to jeopardize their jobs, their families, or their reputations.

He faces the constant temptation to soften the testing requirements of the moral law for those who have so much to lose by compliance. Sometimes the circumstances seem grotesquely contrived by some evil power to make good people suffer if they follow Jesus all the way. In some situations the evangelist's faith is tested just as severely as the one who is trying to break away from the flesh and the world.

I am hopeful that these stories of spiritual conflict and victory will encourage many to be more committed to soul winning. The Lord Himself becomes responsible for the results if we will only make ourselves available to be used. God does not want us to worry and fret over the apparent consequences--good or bad--of our witnessing efforts.

Sometimes the most obvious, abject failure turns out to be the most glorious victory for truth. A dramatic illustration of this point involved an incredible chain of events and people over a period of several years. Every one of the individuals involved is a personal friend of mine, and I can verify the accuracy of the story.

The first link in the chain was forged in a small city in southern Alabama many years ago when Evangelist Cecil Graves set up a tent to hold a series of meetings. Although much money, time, and prayer was invested in the effort, the entire crusade appeared to be a total failure. Only one young man, a student in the local university, was baptized as a result of the extended series. His name was Bill Reynolds. But Bill wanted to be a preacher, so he dropped out of the university and went to Collegedale, Tennessee, to attend Southern Junior College.

After graduation Bill joined the evangelistic team of J. L. Shuler in Greensboro, North Carolina. For six months he visited the homes surrounding the crusade tabernacle, inviting people to attend the meetings. For almost a year the protracted series continued, and scores of people made decisions and were baptized into the remnant church. At the age of 11,1 was one of those who committed all to Christ in that series. I shall never forget waiting my turn in the baptismal line and watching the man just ahead of me as he entered the water. He was 111 years of age. Moments before, I had listened breathlessly as he described the great starfall of 1833 which he had witnessed as a small child. The spiritual impact of that day has remained with me through all the intervening years.

But let's return to Bill Reynolds and his witness. One of those whom he met in his door-to-door visitation was Tom Bost, a young man who eagerly responded to the invitation to attend the crusade. Soon Tom walked down the sawdust aisle of the tabernacle-church to surrender his life to Christ. After his baptism he started knocking on doors and witnessing to neighboring residents also. A 16-year old boy was impressed by his earnestness and promised to start receiving Bible studies. His name was Max Ritchie.

Probably rio one who entered that tabernacle had so many factors working against a commitment to Christ as Max had. As a confirmed atheist and evolutionist he had amassed a remarkable array of material to support his religious doubts. But under the convicting influence of the Spirit-filled lessons, all the walls in Max's life began to crumble. He walked forward just as the rest of us had done, and placed his life on the altar for God. But for Max the cost was higher than anyone anticipated. His family reacted violently to his newborn faith and lifestyle. The subsequent storm of opposition and persecution finally forced him to flee from his own home. The teenage exile, with no possible means of support, turned to the newly developed government project entitled Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC for short). Along with other jobless youth he was sent to a training center in western North Carolina, where he was assigned temporary living quarters in a tent. His workmate was a young fellow by the name of Phil Young. Max began to share his faith with Phil, and by the end of their course Phil had made his decision to be baptized.

After being mustered out of the CCC, Phil was caught up in the military draft and conscripted into the army. Just before leaving for England on a troop ship, he gave Bible studies to his mother who accepted his new faith. Then he shared the truth with his sister Mary Jo, who was in nurses' training. She accepted Christ arid began to witness to her Catholic roommate, who also opened her life to the truth.

On the way to England Phil studied the Bible with his bunkmate, Don Spicer. By the time the ship docked in Liverpool, Don had made his decision for baptism also.

The story could go on and on because this chain has not yet been completed. It can truthfully be reported that thousands of souls have been won to Christ and His message as a result of that Alabama tent meeting which seemed to be such a miserable failure. While I studied for the ministry at Southern Missionary College my classmates included Tom, Max, Phil, Mary Jo, and Don--all studying for Christian service. Bill Reynolds, Max, and Phil became ministers and have been responsible for leading thousands into the truth. Tom is a very active soul-winning doctor, and Don is a teacher in a Christian college. Mary Jo married a literature evangelist. Her mother became a very successful literature evangelist also. Later Phil led his brother to Christ, and Max won his brother, too.

Isn't that an exciting true story of the way God uses people to win other people? This is the only way God can reach souls for His Kingdom. Angels would volunteer in a second to teach the truth to human beings. Their highest joy would be to lead souls to their Master. But God has reserved that high privilege for people just like you and me. He promises to be responsible for the results if we will let Him use our voices to speak for Him.

A Mysterious Double-Take!

Two young men with the same last name provided the scenario of one of my most amazing evangelistic experiences. I first met the Campbell boys in 1944 while studying at Southern Junior College in Collegedale, Tennessee. As a senior theological student I had been assigned as a monitor in the men's dormitory. Ray Campbell and Manley Campbell, though unrelated, resided on the particular floor where I had supervision. They were both in high school, and neither had very much interest in religious things.

In every way consistent with my peace-keeping assignment I tried to help the two young students in a spiritual way. My efforts apparently failed, because both of them finally departed the campus before the school year was over, and their relationship with the church, as I remember, was very much in question.

Almost 20 years rolled by before I had any further contact with either of the young Campbells. In the mid-'60s my family and I moved from Fort Worth, Texas to another pastorate in Louisville, Kentucky. During the first few days of getting acquainted with 600 new parishioners I was introduced to June Campbell. Drawing me aside this vivacious lady said, "I hope you can help my husband while you are here. His name is Ray Campbell, and he remembers going to school with you at Southern Junior College. He has never been in church since leaving there, and has absolutely no interest in religion."

Of course, I remembered her husband very well, and promised to do everything possible to restore his interest in the truth to which she was so deeply committed. I soon discovered that Ray drove a taxi and smoked a big black cigar. I also found out that he was trying to avoid me at any cost.

Since Ray and June had two boys in school with my two sons, I knew it would not be long before our paths would cross. They also had a blonde teenage daughter named Linda, who was a sweet, dedicated Christian like her mother.

I placed Ray on a special prayer-and-prospect list which I always carried in my pocket, and initiated a deliberate program to cultivate his confidence and friendship. The old college contact provided a tremendous springboard, and in spite of early opposition I could detect a gradual softening in his attitude. First there was social interchange; then an occasional visit to school or church programs. Finally, Ray began sitting with his family for almost every Sabbath worship service.

I will never forget the morning Ray gave his heart to Jesus. In those days it was my custom to give an invitation at the end of each sermon. Almost every week someone came forward to seal a commitment for baptism or rededication. As I made a simple appeal that day, Ray slipped into the aisle and met me in front of the altar. With deep emotion he gave me a bear hug and by that time his entire family had joined him, weeping with joy.

From that day Ray never wavered in his decision. After his baptism the family moved to Hinsdale, Illinois, to begin a new life of service as medical missionary workers in a Christian hospital. Later, Linda wrote to ask if I would perform her marriage to a fine young man she had met in college.

Soon after Ray's baptism I was called to Maryland to develop a daily radio ministry called Amazing Facts. Almost immediately I was booked for evangelistic crusades all across the states of Maryland and Delaware. The very first one was scheduled for Laurel, Maryland, within a few miles of where we lived.

The day before the series opened in the National Guard Armory, Pastor John Cameron and! were visiting a number of people whose names had been turned in as potential interests. We were making quick calls to give an invitation to the crusade. As I looked down the list I was startled to see the name of Ray Campbell. I commented facetiously to John, "It looks like this Ray Campbell really gets around. I just baptized him a few weeks ago down in Louisville. He and I were in school together years ago."

Naturally, I had more than ordinary interest in following up that name. The address led us to an antique shop on Highway #1 right in the middle of town. As we walked into the store, a man stepped forward to greet us. Suddenly he stopped, gave me a penetrating look, and exclaimed, "I know you! Weren't you in school at Southern Junior College a few years ago?"

I said, "Yes, and I remember Ray Campbell, but it couldn't be you, because I baptized him in Louisville not long ago."

He said, "Oh, I know who you're talking about. We roomed on the same floor. You probably remember me as Manley Campbell, but my middle name is Ray and I've gone by that name for many years."

Just at that moment a pretty blonde teenager walked from the back of the store and Ray said, "I'd like you to meet my daughter, Linda."

I couldn't believe my ears. Here was an exact repeat of the other Ray Campbell. Both had blonde daughters named Linda. But my amazement increased as our conversation continued. This Ray had also left the church at the time he dropped out of school.

I can still remember the strange sense of divine appointment that swept over me as I listened to Ray describe his years of alienation from God. Somehow I knew that this was where I was supposed to be at that moment. But if I expected a favorable response, those hopes were quickly dashed. Ray curtly declined my invitation to attend the evangelistic meetings. "I'll not ever go back in a church again," he said.

"But you must attend at least once just for old time's sake," I insisted.

"Never," he said. "Besides, you'd never get my Catholic wife inside a Protestant church."

Through an open door in the rear of the store I could see an attractive red-haired lady standing by a refrigerator. On an impulse I asked, "Ray, if she wanted to come to the meeting, would you come with her?"

"Oh, sure," he laughed, "but that would never happen."

"What's her name?" I inquired.

"Mildred," was the answer.

Without a moment's hesitation I walked into the kitchen and introduced myself. I said, "Mildred, Ray and I were in school together 20 years ago. I'm a minister now and will be speaking tomorrow night at the Armory. Would you come and hear me speak?" Ray had followed me through the door just in time to hear her say, "Yes." As he stood in open-mouthed amazement I grabbed his hand and said, "I'll see both of you tomorrow night at the Armory." Then with a hasty goodbye, John and! made a very fast exit through the street door.

The next night I anxiously watched the people who streamed across the huge open arena to the seating area. The Campbell family had been in my prayers all day, and I was fighting the growing fear that Satan would create obstacles to keep them from attending. The song service had already started when I spotted Linda's little red-haired sister on the edge of a group entering the door. Then I could recognize all four children and the parents as they were welcomed by the greeters.

Little did Ray and Mildred realize what a variety of people and circumstances had been employed by the Holy Spirit to bring them to that first meeting. In fact, they didn't even understand why they were drawn back night after night for the next four weeks. It was completely out of context for them to be so interested in the things of God. But something very wonderful was happening in the lives of that family, and when the call was made they responded to it. What a joy it was to see those parents and children buried in baptism at the end of the crusade!

The sequel to the story adds another amazing facet to the 20-year tale of the two Ray Campbells. This Linda also, while attending nearby Columbia Union College, fell in love with a fine Christian young man and asked me to officiate at her wedding.

Was there no miraculous oversight of events in those two families? Did I just happen to be assigned to the places where these old-time friends resided? Why did that unknown Laurel church member turn in the name of Ray Campbell to be visited? Any number of small details could have altered the happy results in both cases. But God arranges for the right people to be in the right place at the right time, and in the glorious Kingdom to come we will learn from the angels about their part in bringing all those three factors into perfect focus. That's why heaven will be such a wonderful place.

The Ones Who Almost Got Away

In casting the net of the gospel there is always an acute consciousness that only a certain few will be caught for the Kingdom. Many will never be near where the net is cast, while others may barely elude the arm of the fisherman. Jesus said, "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind." Matthew 13:47.

What about those who seem to miss the golden moment for decision and salvation? Is it a mindless happenstance that one soul is captured for Christ and another, in hit-or-miss fashion, slips away into hopeless oblivion?

Every evangelist is constantly aware that some souls in the audience may be hearing their final invitation to be saved. This has happened repeatedly in our Amazing Facts crusades. One dear lady, in a Wisconsin series, gave a little sigh during the song service and fell over against her companion, dead. In Toronto a man attended every night for the first two weeks and made his decision for baptism, but dropped dead one morning as he picked up his tools to go to work. I had to conduct his funeral rather than his baptism before the crusade ended.

In Napa, California, just two weeks after her baptism at the close of our crusade, a young mother's life was snuffed out in a head-on collision. In Birmingham, Alabama, during an Amazing Facts crusade, a beautiful girl died just a week after hearing and rejecting the last invitation she would ever hear.

These are not unusual occurrences. I deeply believe that God arranges the circumstances for individuals to hear the message of salvation. Whether they accept or reject the opportunity, a door is opened for them to make a decision. It is the work of an evangelist to watch for these souls as one who must give an account.

As a watchman on the walls of Zion he must blow the trumpet and warn of every approaching spiritual danger. It will not always be pleasant to speak the full truth of the Word of God. He will often be criticized as legalistic and unkind for pressing the claims of unreserved obedience to all of God's requirements. In an age of compromise and conformity every true preacher of the Word also runs the risk of being called a fanatic. These are Satan's little strategies for discouraging those whom God has called to stand between the living and the dead. There must be no toning down of truth--no muffling of the trumpet. It is not charitable to comfort guilty sinners with platitudes and homilies. It is no favor to sleeping church members or sin-weary worldlings to leave them with a false sense of security.

These are not ordinary times. We dare not give the impression that there is no imminent danger. Every sermon should be proclaimed with urgency. No tame, lifeless warnings will arouse those who have been hypnotized by TV and anesthetized by a massive bombardment of the senses.

Let me share with you the remarkable stories of two people who almost got away when we cast the gospel net. One was almost lost because of my mistake, and God graciously gave me a second chance three years later to win that soul. The other one simply resisted all that I could do to reach him, but God took me halfway around the world 25 years later to make another contact--this time successfully.

In 1980 I was invited to return to India for a three-week series of speaking appointments. Almost 25 years earlier I had been forced to leave that country by government order, because of my evangelism. The Hindu government did not appreciate the fact that I was baptizing many Hindus into Christianity. I was caught in a sudden crackdown on foreign missionaries who were turning Indian nationals from their traditional religion.

For many years I had been on a blacklist which prevented me from getting an entry visa into the country. But by 1980 a new regulation permitted foreigners to visit India for thirty days or less without an advance visa. It was on this basis that I joyfully prepared for the most exciting trip of my entire life--a trip I never expected to be able to take.

After two weeks of special devotional meetings in Poona, I flew to Bangalore, South India, where my family and I had lived from 1952 till 1956. How eagerly I looked forward to that visit and the opportunity to see many old friends. It had been exactly 26 years since I had conducted my first evangelistic crusade in that city. About 15 college-age young people had assisted me in that large tent series, making it one of the most memorable I ever held. Now I anticipated seeing them again and getting acquainted with their children.

Aside from those who had worked with me as a young missionary (27 years old at the time), I did not expect to find anyone who would remember me from those years gone by. Over a quarter century had turned my hair gray and added other aging features that I prefer not to dwell upon. In a teeming oriental city of four million people, I knew it would be utterly impossible during my short visit to locate anyone who would recognize that young evangelist of long ago.

But I was mistaken!

On my second day in Bangalore I hailed a motor ricksha to drive me to the house we had occupied in 1952. I wanted to get pictures of the old familiar places to show my wife when I returned home. As I stepped into the ricksha a man suddenly ran from the other side of the street. Tapping me on the shoulder he said, "Pardon me, sir, but didn't you once hold meetings here in Bangalore?"

"Yes," I answered, "I held meetings in a tent on Residency Road."

"Your name is Crews, isn't it?"

My mind simply reeled in disbelief! Here was a man who recognized me from 26 years ago, and even remembered my name. I stepped out of the taxi to get a better look at this mysterious stranger, who immediately identified himself as another ricksha driver from the nearby taxi stand.

In our brief conversation he explained that he had attended every one of the evangelistic meetings in the tent, and when he told me his name a flood of memories broke loose in my head. John Henry! How could I forget that name? Even though the face before me was unfamiliar, I distinctly remembered visiting in the home of John Henry, answering questions and working for a decision. But he had been one of those who got away. He had escaped the gospel net and was still uncommitted to Christ 26 years later. It was incredible!

The driver of my ricksha was getting impatient with the delay, but I knew this was not just a coincidental encounter. I asked the earnest man before me if he still believed what he had heard so long ago. "Yes," he replied, "I'm very much interested still. Will you be speaking anywhere while you are in Bangalore?"

"Yes," I replied. "Can you be at 9 Cunningham Road on Saturday morning at eleven o'clock?"

He said, "I'll be there without fail."

With that assurance I took leave of the amazing John Henry. Can you fill in the rest of the story for me? He came to that meeting on Sabbath morning, responded to the appeal and made the decision which had been postponed for 26 years. If I had harbored any question as to why the Lord had brought me halfway around the world, the answer was now clearly revealed. If nothing else had been accomplished on that 20,000-mile journey, one soul had been gathered into the family of God.

Was that one man worth the money, time, and effort of making that trip? Without question. I am reminded of a costly voyage that Jesus made across the stormy Sea of Galilee. It probably involved more time than my flight to India, and certainly was more life-threatening and uncomfortable. Yet Jesus ministered only to one man on that dangerous mission. A single soul was delivered from demons and sent forth with the joybells of salvation ringing in his heart. If the Master counted that poor, demented wretch as worthy of so much of His valuable time, how can I doubt that God sent me to India for the sake of John Henry? The Gadarene demoniac was so obscure that his name is not even mentioned in the Bible. But to Jesus he was a precious jewel to be rescued from the power of the enemy at any cost.

I've tried to calculate the incredible odds against the perfect meshing of circumstances that put me back in touch with John Henry. How could I ever expect to meet that one unknown man in a city of four million people during a seven-day visit? I did not remember him. How could he find me, or even recognize me after 26 years? God had it all arranged. He led me to that one certain street corner where his taxi stand was located. He made sure that John was not on another call for those brief moments when I stood across the street looking for a ride. And surely God anointed his eyes with divine recognition so that my name and face were instantly resurrected in his memory. And the Word of the Lord came again the second time to John Henry, just as it did to Jonah in the long, long ago. And this time he obeyed!

My second story of one who almost got away from the gospel net took place in the state of Ohio. In 1969 I held a crusade in the city of Newark where the Amazing Facts broadcast had been aired for two years. It was a tremendously successful series with over 300 attending each night. Our evangelistic team was hard-pressed to keep up with visiting the 200 non-church members who attended regularly.

In each worker's meeting as we sifted through the attendance cards, the name of Barbara Russell always appeared. Her address was Zanesville, Ohio, a small town about 30 miles away. Someone always suggested that this had to be a committed church member driving in from such a distance. After all, the crusade was not even advertised in Zanesville, and none there could know about the meetings unless they were members of the sponsoring churches, one of which was located in Zanesville.

So Barbara Russell's name was always laid aside, although with some faint twinge of doubt. All of us realized that there was a small possibility she was a visitor, but no one could spare the time to make that long drive. There were too many others who needed to be worked with. So Barbara's name was not on the list of 50 who were baptized at the end of the crusade.

Three years later I was invited to speak every night at the Ohio campmeeting held in Mount Vernon, Ohio. Every night I made a call for decisions to follow Christ and His message. Afterward I would meet with those who came forward to help them claim the beautiful promises of God. About 75 precious souls laid hold of salvation during those ten nights of evangelism.

One evening after meeting with those who had responded, a tall, attractive girl from the group asked if she could talk to me in private. She seemed quite agitated and distressed. In tears she described the opposition her husband had always given to her baptism. For three years she had been under conviction to take the step that she made that evening, but now she was very fearful of how her husband Bob would react.

Then she said, "Brother Joe, l am from Zanesville, and I attended your crusade three years ago in Newark. In spite of Bob's opposition I traveled that distance every night to hear you preach. I almost made my decision then, but no one ever visited me and I was afraid of my husband."

Suddenly a little bell began to clang in my head and a little light began to flash. "What is your name?" I asked.

"Barbara Russell," she replied.

Instantly the picture snapped into focus. In a thousand years I could not tell you the feelings of regret which flooded over me at that moment. When this dear lady had been in such desperate need of encouragement and help, we had failed her. Because of our mistake she had suffered three years of miserable delay in following Jesus all the way.

I explained to Barbara why no one had called on her during the Newark crusade, and she understood. But I have never forgiven myself for the unnecessary suffering which our oversight imposed on that honest-hearted young woman.

She said, "Tonight Bob is with me, and I know he will be unhappy with my decision, but I want to be baptized immediately. God has given me another opportunity and nothing is going to hold me back." I walked with her back into the huge auditorium where her husband and little girl were waiting. He was friendly, but in a restrained way, and I could sense an undercurrent of resentment against me as well as Barbara.

After returning to my home in Maryland I heard the good news that Barbara had followed through on her decision to be baptized.

Two years later I returned to Newark for a second crusade. Imagine my surprise on the opening night to see the entire Russell family sitting in the audience. Bob faithfully drove from Zanesville night after night, eagerly drinking in the truths of God's Word. At the end of the series he and his daughter, Tina, were among the 50 who were buried in baptism. Bob entered the literature ministry and has developed into an ardent soul winner. Recently he and Barbara drove from Ohio to West Virginia where I was speaking at another campmeeting. They wanted to talk to me about some plans that Bob has for getting into the full-time gospel ministry.

When I think about Barbara and how she almost got away, I tremble and promise myself again that I will never be careless with the names of interests God gives me in a crusade. In His great love and mercy God allowed me to redeem that mistake. The Word of the Lord came the time to Barbara Russell just as it came to Jonah and to John Henry. And this time, by the grace of God, I was there to help her make the right decision!

Lost and Found In Bangalore

When I returned to India in 1980 my wife urged me to try to locate Antony and Margaret, a young Indian couple who had worked for us during our three years in Bangalore. I agreed to make inquiries, but we both knew that the chances of success were just about zero. We didn't even know the last name of the family. They had been half-believers in Christianity, and had become parents of two little girls while living in our compound. LuAnn especially wanted to know what had happened to hose babies.

After my arrival in Bangalore I was staggered by the swarming mass of humanity which overflowed the streets and sidewalks. In the 25 years since we left there the population had doubled to four million people. Mentally I scrapped the very thought of looking for Antony. It was ludicrous even to consider such a search.

On my second day there I engaged a ricksha to take me to our old place of residence so that I could at least take pictures to show LuAnn. That is when I met John Henry, who had attended my crusade a quarter century earlier. As the ricksha drove down the familiar street toward our house, I suddenly recognized the barber shop which had been operated by a young Hindu friend of mine. He would come to the house every month to cut my hair with his ancient hand clippers. I had pleasant memories of sitting out in the yard under the banana tree while he trimmed my hair and practiced up on his small stock of English words.

On an impulse I had the driver stop in front of the shop. To my great surprise and delight he recognized me when I walked inside. What a pandemonium of joy broke out! He hugged me and shouted for all his friends to come. His hair was now as gray as mine, and we must have been about the same age. He treated me exactly like a long lost brother, and I truly was moved by his genuine affection. I told him where I was staying, and later he came to cut my hair once more, this time sitting in the yard under an avocado tree.

My spirits were elated at the two emotional contacts within an hour--John Henry and my barber friend. But these were as nothing compared to the events of the following day. You may find it hard to believe what I am' going to tell you now, but it happened exactly as I relate it. Within 24 hours of my entering the Hindu barber shop Antony just happened (?) to walk into the same shop. The barber recognized Antony as the boy he had seer working in my home 26 years earlier, so he told him about seeing me and where I was staying. Within half an hour Antony was knocking on my guest-house door. What a reunion that was!

I learned the sad news that Margaret had died eight years before, but he took me to the homes of his two daughters, each of whom had three children of her own. It was hard to believe that those tiny black babies that my wife had taught Margaret how to care for had now become wives and mothers.

I cannot help but feel that God had a mysterious providence in bringing those particular people back into my life again. When I preached that final sermon in the church and John Henry made his decision at last, there were some other very interested listeners. The Hindu barber was there with his daughter and grandson. Antony was there with his two daughters, two sons-in-law, and six grandchildren. Only eternity will reveal the results of that strange week which brought so many "impossible" coincidences. I believe seeds were sown which will bear a rich harvest in eternity.

Another delightful surprise in Bangalore was to meet Jacob and Jasmine, an Indian couple whose lives had interrelated with mine since 1953. Both were U.S. citizens living in Berrien Springs, Michigan, but they just happened to be visiting India in 1980 while I was also there. With doctoral degrees in education they had come to India to conduct a teacher-training institute and also to investigate the possibility of starting an orphanage. As directors of a non-profit corporation which donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to educating the needy children of India, they were deeply interested in developing a pilot program for the homeless and orphaned children as well.

Let me tell you why it was such a special treat to meet these educational specialists in Bangalore. In my mind's eye I always look past Jacob's well-tailored suits and see him as he appeared for the first time in my evangelistic meetings. The year was 1953 and I was conducting a n-week tent crusade on one of the prominent boulevards in Bangalore. Night after night I watched the slight teenager as he listened with rapt attention to every word of the sermon.

Later I visited his humble little mud-walled house to get better acquainted with this Hindu lad who seemed so eager to learn the ways of Christianity. We sat together on the cow-dung floor and I was filled with wonder at his keen grasp of truth. Though deprived of almost every amenity of life and struggling for simple survival, Jacob had a tremendous zest for life and an insatiable appetite for learning.

He was one of the first to step forward when the call was made to accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour. After his baptism Jacob could only talk about finishing high school and studying for the ministry. In spite of severe opposition he enrolled in theology at Spicer Memorial College near Poona. With financial assistance from my wife's parents Jacob completed his four years of training and received his degree, with honors.

Soon after graduation he married Jasmine, a beautiful girl from Ceylon who had been a classmate at Spicer, and together they moved to that island field to begin their ministry. I did not see Jacob again until 1963, when he arrived in the United States for a year of advanced studies at Andrews University. By that time I had returned to the States and was pastoring a church in Louisville, Kentucky. Jacob and Jasmine, with their little girl Sherryl, came directly from New York to spend the first few days in America with us.

What a thrill it was to see how God had molded the life of that poor little Hindu boy! With great power Jacob preached to my packed church and called them to a commitment to missions and evangelism. That congregation never forgot the dramatic testimony he gave that day of his humble origin and conversion. There were few dry eyes as he bore witness of that special moment in the old Bangalore tent when he walked forward to renounce every vestige of Hinduism and surrender his life to Jesus.

Subsequently, Jacob and Jasmine settled in Berrien Springs, Michigan, studied for their doctoral degrees and organized R.E.A.C.H., Inc. for helping meet the educational needs of India's poor children. Almost every year they return to southern Asia to supervise personally this ministry of love which has enabled thousands to obtain a Christian education.

In 1979 I held an evangelistic crusade in Lansing, Michigan, and the Jacob family drove over 200 miles each weekend to attend the meetings. By then they had added a son to the family also, twelve-year-old Mark. During one of the calls for decision Mark walked forward to accept Christ as his Saviour and Friend. He wanted me to baptize him, but was unable to be present for the closing baptismal service of the series. So a few weeks later the family drove all the way to Maryland for a special baptism just for Mark. It was one of the highlights of my ministry to bury Mark in the watery grave just 25 years after I had baptized his father in faraway India.

Do you understand now why it was something special for me to meet Jacob and Jasmine in Bangalore in 1980? We were able to revisit together those memorable places where the first rays of Bible truth began to lift the veil of ignorance from the life of a little Hindu boy. I confess to you that I could not see the far-reaching consequences of that lad's decision at the time it happened. I was happy, of course, but Jacob was just one of many others who were baptized that day. I did not have even the faintest indication that someday his Christian influence would help mold the lives of thousands of Indian children.

Can't you see that evangelism is the most satisfying work in the whole wide world? By winning only one soul you might set the melodies of heaven ringing in a thousand other hearts, and the chain won't be completed until we join hands with all of them around God's throne.

Strange Impressions and Inner Voices

Sometimes God works in a most mysterious way to bring about His divine purpose. Although He will never force the human will, the Holy Spirit often creates powerful intuitions which lead people to carry out His plan. In certain instances those strange impressions are so unreasonable that they may raise questions about the judgment of the individual.

Such was the case when Floyd Miller pressed one of his convictions upon the Amazing Facts Board. For some inexplicable reason Floyd, the Amazing Facts manager, wanted to place the daily broadcast on an bscure radio station in a small Ohio town near the Michigan border. No one on the Board had ever heard of the place, and the entire idea was contrary to recent new policies which had been adopted by the Board. It had been voted that all future contracts for radio time should for large stations covering areas where evangelistic rusades were scheduled.

But Floyd, to the irritation of all the Board members, was insisting that we make an exception to the policy and approve his suggestion. He could offer no rationale for wanting that particular station to carry the program, but it was obvious to everyone that he was obsessed with the idea. It was also clearly evident that every other member of the Board was against doing it, but Floyd would not let go. He argued and pleaded in the face of unanimous opposition. Finally, he presented an emotional appeal that we allow a three-month trial contract on the station, with a further review and vote at the end of the period. Because the cost was minimal and because the group had grown exceedingly weary of arguing the issue with Floyd, we voted to approve the station.

For weeks there was not a single response from the program as it weakly beamed into the surrounding rural communities. Then one day a long-distance telephone call came from Waldron, Michigan. A very excited man was on the line. He had been listening to the little station in Ohio and his whole life had been transformed. For years he had been searching for truth and now for the first time he had learned what the Bible really teaches. Harlyn Smith raved on and on about the miraculous changes which had come into his life through the broadcast. He was trying to get all his friends to tune i to the program. In a recent town-centennial parade h had covered his old car with signs advertising th Amazing Facts broadcast, giving the time and station and had driven down Main Street among all the float and bands.

I was delighted to hear that one person, at least, was being reached by the program. I passed on th encouraging word to Floyd. Two nights later I was awakened about 12:30 a.m. by the insistent ringing of my bedside phone. Half asleep, heard the voice of Harlyn Smith saying, "Brother Joe, I just had to call you again and tell you how much I love you for sharing the truth with me through your broadcast. I'm so excited I can hardly sleep, because of what God is doing in my life. Tell me, would you accept my farm as a gift to your ministry if I make out the deed to Amazing Facts?"

The rest of that conversation was not too clear, because of the sleepy state of my mind. I vaguely remember accepting his offer and trying to respond sensibly to his animated profusion of praise and gratitude. The next morning I could barely remember the high points of what was said. Frankly, I had begun to wonder if Harlyn Smith was not just an emotional talker, and I had little faith that he would carry through on his extravagant offer.

Imagine my surprise a few days later when I opened an envelope containing a legally registered deed to a five-acre Michigan farm and house. I immediately called Harlyn to thank him, and to seek for more information about this remarkable man. He assured me on the phone that I could sell the property at any time, even though he was presently residing in the house. All that I could accurately determine in the conversation was that the farm had been willed to him by his deceased parents.

I told Harlyn that I would like to meet him personally the following month when I would be conducting an evangelistic crusade in Lansing, Michigan. I had no idea where Waldron was located, but Harlyn fairly shouted the information that it was only about 85 miles from Lansing.

Following that call I had one more telephone contact with Harlyn before leaving for the Lansing crusade. He phoned to tell me that he had printed a special handbill for his area, advertising the meetings in Lansing. He had hired an artist, prepared the copy and paid for the printing. On the brochure Harlyn offered free transportation to anyone who would call his telephone number. I was delighted that he also promised to attend the meetings every night that his work schedule permitted.

You can imagine my mounting excitement as the opening night approached. The high school crusade center was well attended for that first meeting, but I had no opportunity to meet the people before the sermon. Afterwards, as the crowd was leaving, an angular, youthful-looking man approached me accompanied by a couple with a small child. It was Harlyn, of course, and he introduced me to Ed and Marilyn Jarzemski, a young Catholic couple who had responded to his handbill. They were all enthusiastic about the message and promised to return as often as possible.

Even though Harlyn had to miss a few meetings due to his night work, Ed and Marilyn missed only one subject in that four-week crusade. Night after night they drove that 170 miles with their little boy in tow. It was not easy for Marilyn, because she was expecting another baby within a few weeks. More than once the car gave trouble and they had to spend the night in Lansing.

When the first call for decisions was made, Harlyn, Ed, and Marilyn came forward to accept Christ and His message fully. Later, I drove the 85 miles to Waidron to visit both families and to see the house and farm which had been given to Amazing Facts. What a joy it was to fellowship with those delightful people! They bubbled and radiated with the enthusiasm of new believers.

For the first time I was able to inquire deeper into the circumstance which led Harlyn to make his sacrificial gift to Amazing Facts. I was astounded to learn that he had donated every single asset that he owned in this world. The old home place left to him by his parents provided the only security for his future. He had no other place to live except the farmhouse. Yet he urged me to go ahead and sell everything, and put the money into radio evangelism. "God will take care of me," he said. "You must put your program on more stations so that others can learn the same truth I have learned."

In spite of Harlyn's insistence I knew there was no way we could deprive him of his inheritance. I was finally able to convince him that we had to transfer the deed back to his name again. He was deeply disappointed. But my heart went out in love and gratitude to one of the most unselfish people I have ever met in my life.

Even though his gift was returned to him I know heaven counted it in the same category as the widow and her mite. He had truly placed all that he had on the altar for God.

As I watched Harlyn and Ed and Marilyn come out of the baptistry along with 54 other precious souls, I was struck with the wonder of God's love and providence. Three souls were born anew into the Kingdom of God because of that "crazy" conviction of Floyd Miller that a little obscure station should carry Amazing Facts. As far as I know there were no other responses to the daily broadcast on that station, and it was dropped soon afterward. Nevertheless, God had accomplished His purpose, and even Floyd lost his intense impression that it should remain on longer.

During that Lansing series two other examples of unusual guidance through "inner voices" or convictions were brought to light. Larry and Muriel Clifford were a staunch middle-aged Catholic couple who resided on one of the quiet streets of Lansing. Their son Bill lived with them and attended the nearby University. For some unknown reason the Amazing Facts handbill was not delivered to their mailbox until Tuesday, three days after the crusade opened. Everyone else got theirs on Friday. After getting home from work, Larry read the handbill and noticed that the subject for that evening was "The Beast of Revelation 13." He was interested, so he told the family to get ready quickly to go with him to the meeting.

The subject was like a bombshell to the Cliffords, and on the way home Larry told his wife and son, "Joe Crews is anti-Catholic and we're not going back to those meetings any more." Everyone accepted his decision as final and there was no further discussion.

The next day after work Larry hurried home and shocked Muriel and Bill with the announcement, "We're going to the crusade tonight, so hurry up with the supper." They asked, "What changed your mind since yesterday? I thought you were never going again."

Larry said, "1 did feel that way, but last night! stayed up late reading the sermon and looking up all the texts. The man is right. I have a strong feeling that we must go back and hear more."

Not only did they return once more, but every night for the rest of the series. They invited Larry's sister Elsie, and she also attended every night. By the end of the crusade Elsie's daughter had started coming each evening, and all of them had made decisions for baptism.

No one in the Clifford family--not even Larry himself--can explain how that strange reversal of feeling took place so quickly. The work of the Holy Spirit is no subject to human analysis. Three years later I returne for another crusade in Lansing, and Muriel served as on of the greeters at the door. What a thrill it was to loo down into the happy faces of 54 of the 57 who had bee baptized in the first series.

During my stay in Lansing I had the privilege of visitir with a fellow minister with whom I had been associated earlier in Maryland and Delaware. Jon Hamrick and I had often crossed paths in the Baltimore area as we filled speaking appointments in various churches.

While eating together one day in Lansing, Jon told me one of the most incredible stories I have ever heard about the mysterious role of "inner voices" in reaching people. The experience took place just before he moved from Maryland. He was preaching one Sabbath in the Westminster church, one of the most beautiful little chapels in the rolling hill-country of Maryland. I have spoken there on several occasions, so I knew all about the physical setting of the sanctuary.

As Jon neared the end of his sermon that day he was suddenly seized with an intense conviction that he should change the closing hymn for the service, and use the same song that had been sung to open the meeting. It was such an irrational thought that Jon resisted with all his might. The closing song was already printed in the bulletin, the organist was already primed and practiced for the announced number, and there was no earthly reason to make a change. But in spite of all he could do, the strange compulsion stayed with him and even grew stronger.

As he closed the sermon Jon finally surrendered to the urgent inner voice that he could not silence, and as he put it, did the most stupid thing he had ever done in his life. He announced that they would sing the same hymn which had been used in the beginning of the service. A few eyebrows were raised, but at least that insistent voice was no longer driving him.

As he greeted the congregation at the door afterward, a man whom he had never seen before gripped his hand and looked intently into his face. "Why did you sing the same song to close the service that you did to open it?" he asked.

"I really don't know," Jon replied. "I just had an unshakable conviction that I had to do it."

The stranger said, "I'll tell you why you did it. Yesterday I was released from prison after serving fourteen years behind bars. I'm here because I promised my mother to attend church with her today, but I'm an atheist. I've never believed that there was a God. As I sat here this morning listening to the opening song, I thought to myself, What fools these people are to be singing songs of praise to a God who does not exist. Then it occurred to me how I could prove they were wrong. In my heart I composed a challenge--if there is a God let him cause this congregation to sing the same song to close this meeting as they are singing right now."

Jon said the man's eyes filled with tears at that point, and he said, "I will never doubt again that God exists. You would never have sung that song unless God had made you do it."

The goose bumps stood up on my arms as Jon finished telling me that experience! What if he had not obeyed that divine impression? How many times do we resist' doing things that God moves us to do just because they don't seem to make sense? It is only when we live very close to God that we can recognize His voice. Sometimes we might miss the joy of winning a soul by failing to recognize the mysterious intuitions of the Spirit in our own hearts. What an incentive to pray without ceasing and to be submissive to God's will at all times.

Someone may raise the objection that dreams and impressions are not really God's way of guiding into truth. We must agree that these sensory manifestations cannot be the final test of right and wrong. All the avenues of the mind, including every emotional feeling should be subjected to the acid test of the Word of God. But this does not mean that the Holy Spirit cannot lead and convict those who are submissive to His will.

Paul was forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the Word in Asia, and when he made plans to go to Bithynia, "the Spirit suffered him not." Acts 16:6,7. In certain cases God guides people in a remarkably direct manner, especially if they have no other way of finding the truth.

Bob Darnell, my brother-in-law, told me about a truly miraculous experience he had in Beirut, Lebanon, which illustrates this point. He served for 27 years as an administrator of mission work throughout all the Middle Eastern countries, including Egypt, Iraq, Iran, Turkey, Syria, and Lebanon.

Change takes place very slowly in those Moslem countries, and Christian work advances also at an exasperating snail's pace. Even small indications of interest are counted as important break-throughs in dealing with the Arab world. This is why Bob was so excited by a report given at one of the ministerial councils in Beirut.

One of the Lebanese pastors traveled to the meeting by bus, and had to change buses in a small town just south of the Dead Sea. While waiting for the bus to leave he fell into conversation with a local resident, who shared the information that one Christian lived in the town who kept Saturday for the Sabbath.

Naturally, the pastor was tremendously interested in knowing more about that man who kept the Sabbath, but all he could learn through his brief conversation was the name of the Sabbath-keeper.

Later Bob heard the pastor report on what he had learned in the bus station. The town was familiar to him, but he knew there was no real Christian work in that lace. It was both puzzling and encouraging to hear that t least one person was observing the true day of worship, and Bob determined to visit the man as soon as the council was over.

A few days later, accompanied by two local pastors, Bob started on the long bus trip south, hoping to reach the town before nightfall. During the hot, tiring journey one of the pastors became ill and had to leave the others to find medical help. Bob and the remaining pastor stayed on the bus until it arrived at a junction city where a change had to be made.

It was almost dark when they discovered to their great dismay that the last bus for the night had already departed for their destination point. They had no choice but to hire a taxi to take them the last 20 miles into the town where the Sabbath-keeper lived. By the time they arrived it was after ten o'clock and they started looking for someone who could give them further information. Even without an address they assumed that the man would be well-known to most of the local people in the small town, but the problem was finding someone to ask! The streets were empty, and every house was closed and, shuttered. There was no response as they knocked on door after door. Later they learned that a bandit gang had been attacking the town and no one dared open the door after dark.

For an hour they drove up and down the deserted streets searching for any sign of life. Finally, ir frustration, they instructed the driver to take them bad to the larger city where they might find lodging, at least for the night. As the taxi turned back down the main street in the center of town, Bob gave a final look down the darkened side streets. Suddenly he saw a light streaming from an open door at the end of a street, and a man stood in the door silhouetted by the light.

The taxi braked and whirled quickly down the street toward the lighted house. To their surprise the man did not slam the door as the three of them tumbled out of the car and approached the house. Instead he stepped forward to meet them with extended hand, and said, "Welcome! Welcome! I have been waiting for you all day. Please come in! The food has been prepared and is on the table for you."

Bob said, "What do you mean? How did you know we were coming? Who are you?"

The man, of course, was the very one they were looking for. He said, "Last night in a dream God told me that three men would come to see me today with a special message. I knew you would come. I've had the food prepared all day, waiting for you."

You can be sure that three very subdued men sat around that table to eat. Even the taxi driver stayed to listen as Bob shared truth with their eager host. They discovered that the man had learned the Sabbath truth by his own independent study of the Bible. He did not know that there were any other Christians in the world keeping the Sabbath. For hours they studied together that night, piecing together for that sincere soul the great doctrines of truth for which he hungered. He was later baptized into the body of Christ, and became a powerful witness of God's transforming grace.

Do you understand now why the other pastor became ill on the bus, and had to abandon the trip? God's instruction was that three men would come to the man's house, and that is the exact number who walked up to meet him at the door. Had the ailing pastor not left the group, there would have been four making the call that night.

What a revelation of God's supreme love for just one soul! He made all the complex arrangements for the right number of people to be at the right place at exactly the right time. In another hour the man would have abandoned his waiting and watching, because the promise of his dream would have failed. How can anyone doubt that God still shapes circumstances to bring honest hearts into contact with His truth? And if we are not willing to be used for fulfilling God's purposes He will utilize angels or other people to get them done.

In fact, sometimes God uses little children to work out His designs of salvation. It was certainly that way in the life of A. D. Walker of San Antonio, Texas. I had the privilege of baptizing A.D. when he was almost 70 years old. He waited a long time to take that final step of surrender to Christ. Actually, he had been fighting a losing battle with his conscience ever since God confronted him years before as a young husband and father. A.D. knew that someday he would have to settle his account with God, and join his faithful wife Bonnie as a member of the church. He knew it because no man could ever forget the dramatic event which placed him under eternal obligation to God.

How could A.D. forget? Every time he looked at his little tow-headed Billie, the scene came before him again. And when Billie became a man and had children of his own, A.D. was still reminded every day of his life how God used that first-born son to save him from certain death. On the day of his baptism A.D. told me how it happened and why he knew that someday he would have to stop running. He had been a soul under siege by God ever since that fateful night when he was tending the pumping station in the oil fields of Oklahoma. The little building where he worked was located about a mile from his home, and A.D. had worn a rough path through th fields as he walked to the station late each evening an then back home in the early morning. He didn't particularly care for night duty, but it did allow him a little more time to be with two-year-old Billie, who was the joy of his life.

His encounter with God took place at two o'clock in the morning. While A.D. dozed in his straight chair, leaning against the wall of the little pump house, something very unusual was taking place back at his house. Billie stirred in his sleep, sat up drowsily, and then slipped silently out of his bed. Opening the front door with some struggle, the tiny form started stumbling down the path leading to the pumping station. No one knows how long it took the two-year-old to negotiate that dark path for over a mile, but at two o'clock in the morning A.D. felt someone shaking him and heard "Daddy" over and over again.

As he leaped to his feet he realized the building was vibrating almost off its foundation, and a dull roar indicated that the pressure valves were stuck. Grabbing Billie into his arms he dashed madly through the door to an outside emergency control panel. Yanking the proper relief valve he listened to the powerful jets of steam as they screamed into the night sky. Slowly the roar subsided and the building stopped its shaking. A.D. stood there holding Billie close, knowing that within seconds the station house would have exploded, blowing him to bits.

That is the story A.D. told me on his baptismal day, and I've never forgotten it. He said, "After God used Billie to save my life. I have never been free of the conviction that I owe my life back to Him. Now I've settled that debt to God and I'm truly happy." Son Bill was there for the baptism and also his children, but aside from A.D. himself, Bonnie was the happiest witness to that beautiful scene. Her prayers of many years had finally been answered.

Mafia Hunter Captured For Christ

One of the most unusual people ever baptized in an Amazing Facts Crusade was Dave Green. Some aspects of his experience are so novel and unbelievable that I have actually feared to put them into print. Many have heard reports and snatches of stories about Dave's pursuit of the Mafia and God's pursuit of Dave Green until he has become almost legendary in a sense. It would not be necessary or helpful to explore all the twists and turns in this long saga of one man's search for truth, but I shall share with you those features of the story which reveal God's persistent and providential plan to rescue every soul who is willing to be saved.

As an eye witness of Dave's ultimate decision to follow Christ all the way in baptism, and later as a fellow-evangelist in the Amazing Facts ministry, I learned many details from Dave about the long preparatory process which led to his conversion.

I first met him personally in 1971 when he was in attendance at the opening night of my Tucson, Arizona evangelistic crusade. I can distinctly remember that my spirits were not very high on that particular occasion. The attendance was not the greatest, and the pastor had assured me that neither the church nor the city were really prepared for this Amazing Facts Crusade. In fact, a few minutes after stepping off the plane, Pastor Bill Zima had apprised me of that discouraging situation.

Still, I had some small indications that all was not hopeless. As I picked up my air freight boxes at the American Airlines counter, the handsome young attendant who processed the papers asked me this question: "Are you related to the Joe Crews who is on the radio every day?" He seemed really pleased when I said Yes and invited him to my lectures in the high school beginning the following night. He said, "My wife and I listen to your broadcast regularly, and we surely will attend the meetings." He was true to his word, and along with Dave Green, he and his wife Teri were among the first-nighters who were not exactly crammed into the spacious auditorium.

After his initial blunt assessment of the picture, Bill Zima softened somewhat in the car as we drove away from the airport. He told me that in spite of the lack of interest names, his church had been following a two-week schedule of round-the-clock prayer and fasting for the success of the meetings. My spirits revived considerably with that bit of news. I knew this was the most important ingredient in the preparation package for a crusade.

Yet the opening night was not nearly what we had hoped it to be. In fact, the first week was well below the normal attendance we would ordinarily expect from the amount of advertising done. I spent more and more time in prayer, and the church responded with an increased dedication of time and effort. In the second week of the series the whole picture suddenly began to change. People came from all directions and began to fill the auditorium. We were overwhelmed with the names of those who were making decisions for Christ and His truth.

On the last day of the crusade over 70 souls had sealed their commitment by baptism, including Dave Green and family, and the American Airlines attendant and his wife. I especially was thrilled to think that God gave us the very first person I had met after getting off the plane in Tucson. As an evangelist I always pick out people--usually the most unlikely appearing people--from among those who attend the opening night of a crusade, and claim them in faith for the first baptism. In this case I had started praying for Jim and Ten even before the first night arrived. And God answered those prayers.

In order for you to understand why there was also special rejoicing over the baptism of Dave and Tammy Green you must know some of the background of the family. Dave had grown up in the tall-corn state of Iowa in a devout Catholic home. He was educated in the parochial schools of Waterloo, where he also became more and more questioning of the religious traditions of his parents.

After serving a stint in the U.S. Navy Dave began to look for some employment. Unfortunately, his military service had led to a total rejection of religious values and plunged young Dave into a sea of addictive vices. Everything he put his hand to do seemed to backfire in his face.

Finally he drifted south to Tucson, Arizona, and landed a job as a cub crime reporter for the Tucson Citizen. In spite of a growing alcohol problem he developed an expertise in researching and exposing the operations of the notorious Mafia organization. Fearlessly he tracked the devious activities of Joe Bonanno, the Tucson-based crime boss. Deeper and deeper he delved into the tangled and sordid underworld connections of the international crime syndicate. He had every reason to believe that his life was in jeopardy because of his editorial exposures of the day-to-day movement of the Mafia leaders.

Dave's work with the Mafia began to attract the interest and respect of other news organizations around the country. He became known as a dedicated and unrelenting enemy of organized crime. Soon he was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize for investigative reporting. For Dave that was the pinnacle of all he had longed to accomplish in his professional career. But at the very same time his personal life was unraveling in an alarming way and at a terrifying rate. The punishing effect of his undisciplined lifestyle on his physical health now began to appear. The indulgences and excesses of many years finally started to even the score.

He seemed to move in a haze of booze and smoke, police lights and sirens. He was conscious of a growing alienation from his sweet Lutheran wife, Tammy, yet there was nothing he could do to stop the dizzying cascade of self-destruction. He had a beautiful home with a swimming pool; he had fame, glory, and success; yet Dave Green was one of the unhappiest of men. He had no peace of mind.

In a strangely contradictory way, while he was immersed in the affairs of the flesh, Dave had a deep drawing toward the things of God. In fact, he harbored a secret conviction that he should be a priest or a preacher. At times he would study religious articles and read portions of the Bible, but always with unsatisfying results. He began to research various churches and their beliefs, including Tammy's Lutheran faith, but one after another he rejected every form of organized religion which came under his study.

It was at this particular point in his confused, mixed-up world of flesh and spirit that something happened to Dave which started to swing the pendulum of his life in a new direction. A crime had been committed and he was dispatched as usual to interview the victims and write up the story. It was the kind of thing Dave excelled in doing, and he had a particular interest this time because the story had a human-interest angle that would draw special attention to the article. A local pastor and his family had been terrorized by a drug-crazed young man with a gun.

As Dave questioned the family about their ordeal he realized that this story could develop into a prize-winning feature article. It was dramatic in the extreme. After lining up the entire family against the wall the youth had asked the minister three questions: "Do you believe in God? Do you believe in Jesus? Do you believe the Bible is true?" To each question the minister gave an affirmative answer. Then the intruder shoved the gun closer to him and said, "I'm going to ask those questions once more, and the first time you say Yes I will blow your brains out right here in front of your family."

Slowly he repeated the questions and the pastor gave the same unflinching response as before. In apparent confusion over this turn of events the youth threw down his gun and ran from the house. Later, after being captured by the police, the distraught young man declared that he would have killed the minister if he had not answered Yes to his questions. He had believed that all preachers were frauds and would show their true colors under threat of death. When the pastor calmly asserted his faith under the muzzle of his gun, the spaced-out youth could not cope with it.

In his interview Dave discovered that the minister was

Bill Bassham, pastor of the Seventh-day Adventist church, and the longer he talked with him the more amazed he became. Secretly he also had wondered about the sincerity of these men of the cloth, and in some ways he was just as incredulous as the addict over the response of this preacher. In his own probing way he tried to discover a chink in the armor that might expose some weakness in Bill Bassham, but the longer they talked the greater his admiration and respect grew for the man.

Like a magnet Dave was drawn back again and again to discuss his doubts and to ask questions of the only minister he had ever met who could give him the right answers. Weeks stretched into months as the friendly dialogues continued. At times Dave would perversely test the pastor by calling him, half.intoxicated, at two o'clock in the morning to come and study the Bible with him. Patiently Bill Bassham proved his genuine love and concern for the irascible reporter.

In the meantime Dave was becoming frightened by the reluctant concessions he was being forced to make, and the changes which were slowly taking place in his life. Undeniable conviction was tearing his protective veneer of skepticism into shreds. His only defense now seemed to be escape from the permeating spiritual influence of Bill Bassham. The opportunity presented itself when Dave moved into another house. He decided not to release his new address, and simply to cut himself off from any contact with his preacher friend.

Bill had no idea what had happened, and he could do little else but pray for the elusive investigator. For Dave the separation simply plunged him back into another deadening round of drink and dissipation. And this time the physical and mental stresses brought him almost to the breaking point with his family.

It was during this period of his lowest morale that God reached out to remind Dave that He was still there. One Sunday morning while Tammy was at church Dave began dialing the television channels to see what might be interesting. One silver-haired speaker caught his attention because he was talking about astronomy, one of Dave's special interests. He listened in fascination as the marvels and mysteries of space systems were skillfully depicted. Then slowly the knowledgeable commentator on the program began to lead his viewers into questions about the origins of the universe. Suddenly the sentences became interspersed with "God" and "Creator," and the final segment of the program openly espoused biblical creationism as the true explanation of all existent life and matter.

In spite of its religious connotations Dave was deeply impressed by the scientific accuracy of the program. He listened as the speaker, George Vandeman, invited the viewers to write for free material to "It Is Written." Then came the shocker for Dave Green. A byline was thrown on the screen stating that this program was sponsored by the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Bill Bassham's church! Instant replays of conversations with his old crime-victim friend filled Dave's mind. He was struck with an overwhelming conviction that God was pulling him back to those great truths which he had tried desperately to remember no more. Now they were filling his thoughts again and he was in a ferment of conflict and indecision.

Dave went into his bedroom and fell on his knees. For the first time in his life he cried out to God deeply and sincerely to show him the way. A deep sense of peace and assurance came into his heart. Now he knew what his course must be. He would contact Bill Bassham and take up his studies again with the man who had been able to stir his original interest in religion.

When Dave called Bill's church office number, a secretary informed him that Bassham was no longer the pastor. He had been transferred to the administrative offices of the conference in Phoenix. Dave was dismayed at this news, but he copied down the phone number of the Arizona Conference in Phoenix and dialed it immediately.

Now we will begin to see the glory of God's strategy to save Dave Green. When he placed that call to the Phoenix office it was closed for the day. All the officers and secretaries were in attendance at the annual camp-meeting in Prescott. But one man had come back to the office to pick up some materials and he heard that persistent phone ringing and ringing and ringing. The man was Bill Bassham, and when he picked up the phone his heart almost missed a beat. No one could mistake the characteristic, strained voice of Dave Green.

In that conversation Bill promised Dave that he would send someone to see him as soon as the campmeeting was over. Later he entrusted his name along with the new address to Sherman and Betty McCormick, with instructions to make the contact immediately. Sherman, the associate pastor of the Tucson church, wasted no time in calling on the Greens after the campmeeting.

The young pastor and his wife were eagerly welcomed by Dave, but his wife Tammy was very aloof and cool toward the visitors. She had sought in every way possible to win her husband to the Lutheran faith, and she was irritated that he seemed to be turning in another direction.

When Sherman and Betty made that visit the Tucson Amazing Facts Crusade was already in the last stages of preparation. The high school auditorium had been rented and the advertising brochures were in the mail.

But when Dave was invited to attend those evangelistic meetings he began to draw back. All of his hard-nosed past had associated the word "evangelist" with an Elmer Gantry image. He reluctantly agreed to attend the opening night just to find out what Joe Crews and Amazing Facts were all about.

From that first night the Holy Spirit captured the total interest of Dave Green and his two children, and they did not miss a single topic. Tammy attended only under protest, and did everything possible to discourage the others from listening.

But listening was not enough for the inquisitive mind of her skeptical husband. He questioned everything and verified all historical points in the city library. I spent hours in his home answering objections and closing up every possible loophole. Slowly the defenses fell, and his logical intellect had to concede to the truth. But Dave was a fighter, and he would take nothing for granted.

Little did I realize as we verbally dueled over fine points of doctrine that this man would someday be my own pastor, and later a fellow-evangelist in the Amazing Facts ministry.

When Dave, Collette, and Ty walked forward near the close of the crusade to accept Christ and His message fully, Tammy stubbornly resisted. Many prayers ascended in her behalf, and it was only in the last appeal of the final sermon that the walls of resistance crumbled. What a thrill it was to see her step out to join the rest of the family at the front!

On the day of his baptism Dave asked me if I thought he could ever be a minister. The old conviction had become almost a compelling call to enter the ministry. I encouraged him to let nothing stand in his way of answering that call. He wanted counsel on a school to attend and I recommended my own alma mater, Southern Missionary College, near Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Shortly after his baptism Dave Green, the professional crime reporter and Mafia hunter, resigned from his newspaper post, sold his home, and moved his family to that beautiful Christian college campus in eastern Tennessee where he enrolled in theology. He continued the theological studies for two years until his money was exhausted. Then he accepted a temporary job in Greensboro, North Carolina, as part-time literature evangelist and assistant pastor. He chafed to preach the Word on a permanent basis.

It was during that time I returned to my hometown church in Kernersville, North Carolina, for a speaking appointment. I had lost contact with Dave and did not know that he was living in Greensboro, just a few miles from Kernersville. Imagine my surprise and delight to learn from the church bulletin that he was scheduled to speak for an afternoon meeting in that same church! After a joyous reunion with Dave and his family, I listened in rapt attention to his dynamic presentation. I had absolutely no doubt that Dave was ready for larger responsibilities.

After returning to Maryland I presented a personal recommendation to the Chesapeake Conference that Dave Green be called to pastor the church to which I belonged in the Baltimore suburbs. It was accepted, and that is how I found myself sitting week by week under the powerful, spiritual ministry of the famous ex-Mafia fighter.

Two years later, after almost doubling the membership of the church, Dave was invited by our Amazing Facts Board to become one of our full-time public evangelists. For the next two years he criss-crossed America holding tremendous crusades and leading many to Christ. He was ordained shortly after joining Amazing Facts. The pressures of being away from his family, now increased to three children, finally led Dave to accept the more settled post of pastor again, this time in the state of Iowa.

This amazing story would not be complete without including a brief account of Dave's first convert. John DeCenzo was also a reporter for the Tucson Citizen, and with his Catholic background he shared many things in common with Dave, including his religious doubts and Bohemian lifestyle. The two men often drank and caroused together, much to the dismay of their neglected wives.

About a year before Dave's conversion, John had moved to Phoenix and joined the news staff of another prominent crusader newspaper. Several months later he and his wife Jan became deeply concerned about the religious vacuum in their home, and began to talk seriously about trying to find God. They began to read the Bible, but it made no sense to them. Their one positive conviction was that the Catholic church in which they were raised was not the right religion for them.

After several frustrated attempts to find some kind of spiritual assurance, they were almost ready to abandon the search. In his discouragement John announced to Jan one day that he was ready to declare himself an atheist. "If God exists, why doesn't He reveal Himself to us?" he asked. Just at that moment Jan felt a tremendous pressure on her shoulders, forcing her to her knees. John rushed to her, thinking she was ill, and knelt beside her. As he started to ask her what was wrong, they both heard a voice, clear and distinct, say "I am real. Seek Me and you will find Me."

They looked at each other in amazement and shouted together, "Did you hear that?" Then they were weeping and laughing at the same time as they clung to each other on their knees, overwhelmed by the realization that God had spoken to them in an audible voice. When their excitement had abated somewhat, they began to discuss what to do next. Then John suggested that surely God would not approve their drinking alcohol and smoking cigarettes, so they rushed through the house gathering up all the offending articles. When they had been disposed of, the two sat down to consider their next move. They had no Christian friends and knew absolutely no one who could give any religious guidance. Suddenly, Jan remembered seeing the next-door neighbor leaving his house on Sunday morning with a Bible in his hand.

Later they contacted the neighbor, who proved to be a Pentecostal layman. For several weeks they attended his church. Gradually other Christians learned of their interest and began to press their beliefs upon them, and soon they were in a state of utter confusion. In order to give themselves time to think and to sort out their true feelings, they drove to a Mexican beach resort with the children for a few days of relaxation. There, while swimming in the surf, John heard that same voice again. This time it said," Go to Tucson." Without hesitation the parents herded the five children into their van and headed for Tucson.

John had an uncle living in Tucson, and they spent the night in his home. The next morning they sat in their bedroom wondering why the mysterious voice had directed them here. All at once John remembered Dave Green, his old drinking buddy, and decided to give him a ring on the phone. He had no idea that Dave had been baptized only a few days earlier, but he was pleased when his friend invited him to come over for a visit.

As they drove to Dave's house, John was struck with the thought that this could be an embarrassing encounter. Not knowing about their new Christian orientation, Dave would certainly bring out the alcohol and expect him to celebrate the occasion in the old-time way. How could they let Dave know about their new lifestyle without alienating him completely? Finally, they stopped the van and prayed for God to give them wisdom to be a good witness in the right way.

In the meantime Dave and Tammy were equally concerned about their attitude toward the approaching visitors. How could John possibly understand about their conversion and baptism? He would expect the customary alcohol to be served as soon as he walked in the door. They didn't want to shock and hurt these good friends. Dave suggested that they put all the Bibles and religious papers out of sight until they could break the news gradually. Then they prayed for God to help them witness to John and Jan about the beautiful truth they had learned.

Can you imagine the cautious cordiality of the two families when they met? But both were pleased that the other one did not suggest a drink before dinner. Finally the conversation came around to their work, and Dave casually commented that they would be moving soon to Tennessee. "Why are you going there?" asked John.

"Well, I'm going to get back in school again and do a little studying," Dave answered.

"What are you going to study?" came the next question.

"John, you may not believe this, but I'm going to study for the ministry," said Dave.

John roared with laughter. This was the kind of humor he had heard so often from Dave in the past. But nobody else was laughing and Dave was dead serious. Then the questions began to fly, and both couples were talking at the same time about their recent commitment to Christ. What a fantastic experience it was to be able to tell the truth to each other! Dave said, "Tammy, break out