In the Kentucky mountains an evangelist had been holding some gospel meetings and had the joy of seeing souls saved by the grace of God. However, the work was not without disturbances, for the drunken element would come and often “shoot up” the meeting. Things got so bad that women and children were afraid to attend.
However, the break came when Charlie Harris, one of the worst men in the community, got saved. Prior to his conversion he had cared nothing for his wife and family. He was always on hand at the meetings, drunk, and with his gun and moonshine, which he would sell outside the little school-house where the meetings were held.
One night he was shot, and soon after his two children died. This sobered Charlie, and one evening he sat in the school room, two seats from the front, and listened to the gospel message.
After the service he came up to the front and said, “I want to be saved!” The evangelist and others knelt down with him, and that night Charlie took Christ as his Saviour and Lord.
It seemed almost too good to be true. Many of those who knew Charlie said it wouldn’t last long; he would soon be drunk again and shooting up the meeting. But the change was real, for it was the work of God, and Charlie began to grow in grace and to be concerned for the needs of others.
He was especially concerned for the children. When the evangelist came back from a month’s absence, he found a Sunday school in progress, and they had asked Charlie to be superintendent. He had never been in a Sunday school before, in fact, he had never heard of one. Then not long after that they started a weekly prayer meeting.
Charlie was a very humble man, with nothing of this world’s goods, yet he was rich in Christ and heavenly things. He would walk 20 miles to talk to a man about his salvation, such was his love for souls.
“For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.” Titus 2:11-1411For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, 12Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; 13Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; 14Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. (Titus 2:11‑14).
ML-01/22/1978