In Toronto, Canada, in 1956, on the final night of 5 weeks of gospel meetings, Harold Paisley (1924-2015) related how, when and where he was saved by the grace of God. At the outbreak of World War 2, at age 15, running from his godly upbringing, he joined the RAF, afterwards joining the Mercantile Navy. Then, coming home, he joined the Police in Enniskillen, Northern Ireland, but was dismissed due to a lifestyle of drunk and disorderly behaviour. About to rejoin the Navy, he was suddenly awakened to his need of salvation by witnessing a young man being run over by a bus right next to him in Belfast. Later that day, at 10.30pm on Friday 24th March 1944, he was saved through the words of 1 Peter 2:24. In this recording Mr Paisley proceeds to tell how he was then baptised and received into assembly fellowship, and also relates what he had been doing during the first 11 years of his life as an evangelist. The last minute of his message provides an insight into the kind of preaching that God was pleased to use so mightily in those days to the blessing of many:
“Let the young man that God has saved 12 years ago tell you tonight that Christ has died, and His blood was shed, and if you are going to be in heaven you’ll have to have Christ as your Saviour. If you die without Him it will be hell and the lake of fire for all eternity. It’s heaven or hell; it’s turn or burn; it never ends; it never ends; ’tis glory or despair. But Christ has died, the bleeding victim, the Lamb of Calvary, the spotless Lamb of God. Behold tonight ‘the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world’. May God save someone in the meeting for His name sake! Shall we pray.”
