THE POWER OF ONE
by Flavil Nichols
During the war
between the states; a young woman learned the truth and obeyed the
gospel. Her sweetheart, L. H. Halbrook, was a confederate soldier. He was captured by the
union army and kept a prisoner in Michigan
until the war was over. He was given a
ticket to Nashville, Tennessee,
and $2.50. From there, he returned to Centerville
and found what was left of his home and family. He found his girlfriend and
they were married. His wife studied the
Bible with him, and he soon became a Christian.
He thought the truth was so good and so simple that he began to teach
and baptize many of his friends and neighbors.
He began to preach, but he recognized his need for more training, so he
came to the original Mars Hill
Bible School,
taught by T.B. Larimore. Upon completing
his studies there, instead of going back to Tennessee,
they moved farther south, coming into Walker,
Marion, Fayette, and Lamar counties in Alabama. One of his many converts was Charley
Alexander Wheeler. His wife taught him
to read from the Bible. Along with his
wife, C.A. Wheeler obeyed the gospel and soon began preaching to others. He started more than 100 congregations and
baptized more than 6,000 people.
But wait, the story is not
ended! One of those 6,000 was my father,
the late Gus Nichols! Twelve thousand
were baptized under his preaching.
Among those baptized by Gus
Nichols, no one knows, nor can know, how many began to preach the glorious
gospel of Christ (2 Corinthians 4:3, 4); but I personally know of several. I, Flavil Nichols,
am ONE whom he baptized and whom he encouraged to preach the truth. And under my preaching, about three thousand
have been baptized. A few among them
preach the gospel also!
Only eternity can reveal the total
results of the conversion of that one girl nearly one hundred and fifty years
ago. The results are not yet all
in! But this shows that TWENTY-ONE
THOUSAND people have become Christians through this single thread in the fabric
of her influence.
Go,
and do likewise (Luke 10:37). YOU are important, too! Dear reader, if you go to heaven, others
probably will be saved by you! For what knowest thou, O
wife, whether thou shalt save thy husband? or how knowest though, O
man, whether thou shalt save they wife (1 Corinthians 7:16)? Let your light so shine before men, that they
may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven (Matthew 6:16). Each ONE is very important.