As a teenager he accompanied his father to hear the famous Baptist preacher Charles Spurgeon. Afterward, young Oswald told his father that if there had been an opportunity at the service, he would have given himself to the Lord. His father quickly answered, "You can do it now, my boy." And there on a London street with his father, Oswald Chambers quietly surrendered his life to Jesus Christ as his Savior and Lord...
[World War I broke out, and so...] Chambers then joined the staff of the YMCA and with his wife, Gertrude, known to all as Biddy, was sent to Egypt to minister to the English and Australian troops stationed in Zeitoun and Ismailia...
In 1916 the YMCA planned evangelistic crusades throughout all the Egyptian military camps with Chambers as the evangelist. Chambers wrote in his diary of the meeting at the Ismailia camp: "We had some magnificent decisions, and I would not allow any singing or even bowing of heads but just told them to come out before all their comrades if they meant business, and out they came."
Just another reason to admire this mighty man of God. Thank you, Oswald, for your example of not using emotionalism or manipulation to drive people to convert, and for helping them make a firm, bold commitment. If people can't even stand up and acknowledge their love for God at the moment they're making the decision to allow Him to be Lord of their life, how in the world are they ever going to be courageous about it later?
I tell you, whoever acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man will also acknowledge him before the angels of God. But he who disowns me before men will be disowned before the angels of God.
~ Luke 12:8-9
