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 5th
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.