In Memoriam: Charles D. Brooks

By Koot van Wyk

Three great evangelists in the Adventist church are said to be EEC; CEB and CDB e.g. Earl E. Cleveland, Charles E. Bradford and Charles D. Brooks. C. D. Brooks, as he is known to me from youtube is one of my number one favorite preachers. I must confess that I am a CD-Bolic. I am hooked on Charles D. Brooks. Listen to any of his sermons on You Tube and you will understand what I am saying if you are a beginner with Brooks, I suggest you click on “Little Willy” by C D Brooks which is an excerpt from a longer sermon dealing with “God in Bad Company”. Little Willy video on You Tube is only 14 minutes. If you carefully listen to these 14 golden minutes, you will be a different person. It is impossible to be the same person when he finishes. People call him a “black preacher” meaning that he preaches mainly for Ebony but even though I am Ivory, I could not get enough of him. I am from Africa where Ebony and Ivory in good relay use brings fantastic harmony. The essential ingredient that makes this possible is both sharing Christ as link. And that is what C D Brooks was, since he died on Sunday 5^th of June 2016. His voice was switched off by God. The Last scenes are not going to be moonshine and roses and God in His infinite glory, decided to let him sleep. His task was completed, he has run the race without looking back or to the sides, he arrived at the line and God nodded satisfactorily. I am sure of that. The man had me on the edge of my seat with his sermons. Said he “when we get to heaven there will be three surprises: one, you going to be surprise that you are there; two, you are going to be surprise that some are there whom you have gossiped about and thought they will not make it; and three, you are going to be surprised that there will be some missing whom you thought that they are doing such a good job surely they would be there”. His prayers were on the mark: “Save us from sin. Pre-opinionated ideas. Rebellion, selfishness. save us from ourselves o Lord.” His sermons should be transcribed, translated in many languages and published. CDB was born under the same moon as my father., both in 1930. A while ago I was anxious to make contact with him by e-mail, probably in 2014, but it was not possible. The titles of his sermons are very interesting: “When God got robbed”; “What happened 5 minutes after Christ died”; “I am God I change not”; “Deep Darkness”; “The Punitive death of a Righteous Man”; “The Mark of the Beast”; “The Test and the Testimony”; “What seekest Thou?”; “Who changed the Sabbath?” (1978).; “Special message to the last generation”; “20 failing desires”; “The Unpardonable Sin”; “Harbingers of the End”; “Revival and Reformation”; “Its High Time”; “Special People”; “Demons at Play”; “Preach the Word”; “God in Bad Company”; “Naaman the Leper” and many more. God in His infinite glory took ordinary human beings and played their lives like harps bringing out the sweetest melodies that one can imagine. Talking about the much rejected concept of verbal inspiration by theologians, if there is not an inspiration from his words to you, you are probably focused on something or someone else. God uses people to speak to people not angels, as a rule. As an exception, yes, but not as a rule. God used Brooks to speak to me and I will continue listening to this favorite preacher of mine on You Tube. Thanks Lord for Your mighty role in his life.