How Did I Get Here, Part 4

Holbrook Campmeeting ends today after ten days of effective preaching, gospel singing, praying, youth and children's activities and family reunions. I was invited to share for a few minutes last night in the service regarding the work in Venezuela (visit us at www.venezuelaforchrist.blogspot.com). I sat on the altar about 10 feet from where I knelt in the sawdust in 1962 and said, "Yes" to God's amazing gift of call in my life.

Holbrook was then and continues to be a tremendous influence on my understanding and practice of ministry.  I heard some of the great preachers of the day at Holbrook:  Dr Charles Cochran, John Ozley, Gene Winfrey, Billy Hardeman and many others.  I witnessed the passionate faith of generations of Christians, most of them now gone on to glory: Major Williams, Hambrick Smith, Essie Turner, Winnie Talent, Winnie Lathem, Charlie and Ethel Lathem, Carl and Myrtle Smithwick, Jack White, and so many others.  Oh, how they labored, prayed and sang and witnessed to their faith at Holbrook.

One thing was always clear at Holbrook: people mattered to God.  They (we) matter so much God gave His Son to save us from our sins. God was so passionately in love with us he spared nothing for us.  We are called to do the same.  That truth was lived out in the fervent praying and singing and preaching at Holbrook.

Last night we had finished singing the last verse of "Just as I Am."  A few had responded to the invitation.  Then the preacher asked if there wasn't someone else who wanted to give their life to Jesus.  We sang one more verse and two 12 year old boys almost ran to the altar and were each converted.  I had known one of the families for all of my 58 years.  As he came rushing to the altar these words came to my mind, "I now repent with bitter tears, Lord, I'm coming home."

That young man knelt in the altar weeping over his own lost condition.  He prayed the sinner's prayer and the Lord graciously heard and answered his prayer.  When he stood up he was surrounded by generations of family and they all hugged and tears flowed and his sorrow was turned to joy.

He will never forget last night.  I may not either.  While I have experienced that transformation and have witnessed it thousands of times, it was a sacred moment and indicative of what Holbrook has taught me.

People need Jesus.  They do not simply need to believe in Jesus. They do not simply need to join the church.  They do not simply need to identify with the Christian ethos.  They need Jesus to save them from their sins.  Conviction and repentance precede saving faith.  While much of the church of my generation says little about repentance or conviction, at Holbrook it has been and still is taught and practiced.

More than once the bitter tears of conviction and repentance have fallen from  my eyes into the sawdust on the floor of the Arbor.  Since that time in 1962 I have done about every job possible at Holbrook - except for Grounds and Maintenance - they know better.  I have preached dozens of times and led the singing at countless services, chaired the association and worked with the Youth and done the publicity and re-written the by-laws and... well just about all.

Yet none of that is more precious than what I witnessed last night.  That boy was me so many years ago.  I marvel at where God has taken me since then.  But I hope it is not so far away as to forget what Campmeeting has taught me.  People matter to God and conviction and repentance are necessary prerequisites to saving faith.