Open Air: Holy Hubert
(The following article was written sometime ago, and I can’t vouch for its accuracy. But, this man did make quite an impact. Holy Hubert died a few years ago.)
Hubert T. Lindsey was one of the great Holiness preachers of our times. During sixty years of Ministry he has conducted crusades in over 50 nations, established 12 churches and authored 5 books. America’s best loved and most hated preacher, Lindsey is perhaps best known as the father of the Jesus movement that swept America in the late ’60s.
During this time more than 3 and a half-million hippies, radical socialist, Satanists, Hare Krishnas, Buddhists, Moslems and Jews found Christ as a result of Hubert Lindsey’s life and ministry.
Given that nickname “Holy Hubert” by the underground newspapers, Lindsey had been preaching 32 years when God called him to leave his crusade organization and go to America’s radical, seething universities and preached Jesus to the students who were enjoying a prelude to hell.
Violent reaction to Holy Hubert’s bold evangelism put him in the hospital a dozen times at California’s radical Berkeley campus. He was blinded in 1965 during a vicious attack by a mob of protesters. Twice he miraculously regained his sight, but blindness returned 18 years after the attack.
Beatings by the Black Panthers, the Hell’s Angels and the Manson family are only part of the price Hubert Lindsey has paid for preaching the Gospel to this generation.
Born in Georgia in 1914, Lindsey had his first brush with death in 1938 when he was shot in the pulpit while preaching in Kentucky.
Later, in 1946, he was stabbed in a Tennessee church.
In the ’50s, Lindsey’s life was again threatened by a gang who beheaded his songleader as a warning!
After completing his theological studies, Lindsey was tutored in the Torah and Jewish culture by one of his converts to Christ, Rabbi Ziegler. The professor became Lindsey’s associate for 15 years.
As a respected Bible conference speaker and author of numerous books, Hubert Lindsey has brought the message of a living Savior and Christian holiness to men and women of every walk of life. A renowned memory expert, “The Walking Bible” has been quoting the New Testament and two-thirds of the Old Testament for 60 years!
Today he pastors a church in Birmingham, Michigan (no longer) and is president of Hebron Press, and publishing house dedicated to the timeless message of Christian perfection and republishing Holiness classics.
Dr. Lindsey, A.K.A. “RED LINDSEY” A.K.A. “Holy Hubert” was born on May 21, 1914, in Georgia. His family, a prominent family with a Baptist background, later settled in Birmingham, Alabama. This is where it all started for him.
At the age of thirteen years old, Hubert won the most freckled face boy contest in Birmingham. It was from this point that he had his debut in the movie industry. He was rewarded with a contract with Hal Roach studios in California. Hal Roach was the producer of the famous children’s show, “The Little Rascals” and later “OUR GANG” comedies. Hubert was one of the original Little Rascals; playing the original cast of the Alfalfas.
The original name for the character Alfalfa was “Freckles”. Hubert participated in the silent movie era, then went on to produce two of the sound series. One of these series was duly noted by The Pie Eating Contest of the which, Hubert said that he enjoyed most! (this has not been confirmed to be true as of March 2001…M.S. Metzger)
It was from this point that Hubert’s mother, a strict but Godly woman, started interceding for Hubert’s soul: that he might come to the Saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.
He tells in His testimony of how, at the age of 15, he came home one day and as his mom was talking to God downstairs, God was talking to him upstairs. He goes on to say that the Lord was showing him how lost he was, his sin, though minimal at 15, had found him out it was at that point that he knew that he needed a savior. He there and then called out for Jesus to save his wretched soul.
Hubert was always an awkward and backwards lad who could never remember a thing. Feeling the Lord’s calling to preach on him at 15; He knew that he must retain knowledge in order to remember the Word of God; for the sake of his preaching.
He prayed and asked the Lord to give him a better memory to remedy the situation. The Lord answered him in an unsuspected way. God gave Hubert a memory course. The Lord revealed to Hubert something in which the scientists would find out for themselves later in life and confirm to the world.
The Lord revealed to Hubert to write everything down in three distinct colors: red, green, and blue.
Scientists would later discover that there are four major color cones in the human eye that help to stimulate the memory system of the human brain. Of course God already knew this!
As a result Hubert, wrote down the Holy Scriptures in red, green, and blue; 5 times in each color, and quoted it 5 times for each color. By this he memorized the New Testament of the Holy Scriptures in six months.
Hubert adds that he was so forgetful that his mother would send him to the store for baking powder; he’d quote powder all the way to the store and bring back soda. “Hee hee hee, excuse me I’m gettin’ blessed!!!” One of Hubert’s great expletives.
Brother Lindsey declared: “In the thirties, I was shot in the pulpit. In the forties, I was knifed by a gang of drunks in a church in Tennessee, In the fifties they cut my song leaders head off and threw it in a ditch; put a note on the pulpit that read; Your Next!”
Hubert was a God fearing man with one important message in each generation that he preached to; “Christ and Him crucified!” He never compromised with sin and sought that all men might know Christ through faithfulness to preach the gospel.
Hubert had many experiences worth noting; and yet the volumes of his life and ministry would be so vast that the world could not contain them.
After receiving his call to preach, his father ran him off from home and said, “We won’t have a preacher in this house.”
So off Hubert went at the age of fifteen, working in the logging camps of Louisiana; then to the coal mines of Kentucky, where he was to save his money to attend the Southern Baptist Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. He graduated; received his masters and taught Greek there for a while.
During his early years of ministry he was privileged to build and establish 11 Baptist churches.
He preached also with some of America’s greatest Gypsy Smith jr., Bob Jones sr., Mordecai Ham, Dr. Donald Barnehouse, Billy Sunday and many more. One of his greatest opportunities was the privilege of winning to Christ, a leading professor of the Hebrew Theological Seminary; named Rabbi Zeigler.
He accomplished this by debate of the Old Testament scriptures in Genesis 49:10. “The scepter shall not depart Judah, nor a lawgiver between his feet until Shiloh come, and unto to Him shall the gathering of the people be.” Proving that in all of their captivities to other nations.
The Hebrews were always allowed to practice their laws from Moses, including that of capital punishment, until Rome’s oppressive rule. He continued to say that Annas the High Priest of Israel cried out “Behold, the scepter has departed from Judah and Messiah has not come.”
It was at that time that Jesus was twelve years of age; and found teaching in the temple. Brother Zeigler. in turn went home and led his wife to Christ. They in turn sold all that they had, and traveled with Brother Hubert for 15 and a half years, tutoring him in Judaism.
The realization was given that the earthly ministry of Jesus was strictly to the nation of Israel. And that His teachings were the purest form of God’s Law given to Moses, and since all have sinned and have fallen short of God’s Law; Jesus Messiah must become the perfect sacrifice for atonement for not only Israel’s sin, but also the sins of the whole world.
Now establishing the NEW COVENANT OF GRACE, not of man’s human efforts. But the free gift of salvation and the gift of righteousness; not achieved but freely received through the Eternal work of Messiah dying on the Cross for us to purchase us to become the Sons of God to all those who believe and trust on His name that they might receive the gift of eternal life.
This did not take place until the time of Jesus’ Crucifixion, so up until this time Jesus only taught the Law and not Grace, to the Jew and not to the church.
This revelation shed new light on Dr. Lindsey concerning the earthly ministry of Christ, to the Nation of Israel; compared to His heavenly ministry to His Body, THE CHURCH.
In the 1960’s Brother Lindsey was called of God to dissolve his staff of over seventy-two men, and to lead one of the greatest spiritual awakenings of the 20th century,”The Jesus Movement” Brother Hubert was sent of the Lord to the most riotous campus on the North American Continent,”BERKELEY.”
Hubert went to Berkeley not known, no backing of the religious community, not financed by a Christian group: just called of God. For three and a half years Hubert stood eight solid hours out of each day preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ to the socialist, communist, Buddhist, Hindist, Marxist, Blasphemist, Atheist, anarchist,ugliest group of radicals you’ve ever seen. And just about any other “ist” for that matter.
Preaching as an apostle or the prophets of old Brother Lindsey faced the mob crowds every day ready to give an answer to every man of the hope that lay within him.
Standing face to face with people like Jerry Rueben, Eldrige Cleaver, Hell’s Angels, Black Panthers, the S.D.S., the Manson family, hippies, prostitutes, and the like; preaching Jesus to one and all.
In ‘65 no one stood with Hubert when he first arrived at Berkeley. He was beat up over 150 times in the first year for preaching Jesus outdoors on the campus.
One Black Panther stood over Hubert beating him with blood running out of his eyes, blood running out of his nose with a broken nose, blood running out of his mouth with a broken jaw.
One man stood by and cried out,”stop man you’re killing him, you’re killing him.” The man beating him said in reply, “I’m going to kill the Blankety blank!” Hubert spoke through that broken jaw before he passed out and said, “I’ll Love you till the end!”
Next week another black man went to hit Brother Lindsey, and that same Black Panther wheeled the first man around and said, “Hey man you see me? Do you see the color of my skin? I’m a soul brother like you, but if you lay one hand on preacher Hubert, you’re gonna lose your teeth, and I’m gonna be the one to do it.” That Black Panther later got gloriously saved under Hubert’s ministry.
Hubert, “Holy Hubert” as the hippies called him, was notorious for running into a demonstration of thousands and taking away their microphone system, and preaching to the radicals.
Things like, “Do you want a Revolution? I said do you want a revolution? I can’t hear you radicals do you want a revolution?”, by this time he would have all the hippies and socialist listening and would go on to say, “…You don’t need a revolution on the outside, NO!!!, You need one on the inside, and the greatest revolution you will ever have is when Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God comes into your hearts.”
The Dr. Billy Graham once asked Brother Lindsey, “Dr. Lindsey, what is the greatest demonstration that you have ever broken up?”
Dr. Lindsey replied, ” 35,000″
Billy Graham said “One Man!?”
Hubert replied, “Jesus was with me Dr. Graham!”
Billy Graham said, “May I quote you on that?”
Hubert said, “You may.”
(Steve’s note: Again, I can’t verify all that is said in this story until I read his biography, but it certainly is safe to assume that “Holy Hubert” had a powerful ministry. Let that encourage you to be bold.)
May 3rd, 2007 at 4:05 am
Woah, this is indeed something…
May 3rd, 2007 at 7:18 pm
I am deeply touched.
How wonderfully awesome!
I want to be “Brave and Bold” like this man.
October 25th, 2007 at 9:12 pm
I remember Holy Hubert Lindsay’s open air preaching on the 2400 block of Telegraph Avenue, Berkeley, California about 1966. I was a lad of 15 joining with some in the crowd throwing pennies near the feet of “Hube” in mock tribute. Now I would like to pay tribute to Hubert Lindsay for the glory of the all knowing God who awakened this kid in a big way. I am so glad our Lord used this red faced man born for controversy to reach myself and so many others during that era. It’s well recognized that there was a large scale awakening among youth for the next decade. There were plenty of others involved (does anyone remember Ray Chisholm) but few who matched the fearless preaching of Holy Hube. Thank God for this work.
October 25th, 2007 at 10:11 pm
Amen! That is awesome, Robert. Good to hear about the fruit!
June 9th, 2008 at 10:44 pm
While Holy Hubert Lindsey went off to preach on the streets he left his wife and three children at home with no food, no money, and no help. If it was not for his father I don’t know what my mother would of done. He would preach aginst one thing then come home and do the oppistie. So while your all sitting back and thingking how wonderful this man was I know that he preached to glorify himself and not the Lord.
June 25th, 2008 at 11:31 pm
Many Jews hate Jesus, some of Hubert’s kids hate him….. not much difference!!! I personally witnessed hundreds of Divine Healings of the Lord under Dr. Lindsey’s ministry as I traveled across the country with him. I also witnessed miracles of God’s Divine Judgement on the opposers of this ministry. As I remember conversing with Brother Lindsey in one of these circumstances, I asked, “Brother Hubert, how do you know who God will judge and who He will not.” He replied, “Brother, that is up to God! Our job is to try to win them!”
Of Every Christian that I have ever met, that was in their time of Trials, there is Truly only one that I have ever witnessed, that never griped, complained, or filed grievance to, or against the Lord….. That was Hubert Lindsey. He knew that following the Lord,. in His Divine Will was the only path that we should follow to keep in the Blessing of the Lord, and to stay in His Peace and Grace. Hubert followed the Lord as a Humble Servant of God, despite his loss of family, cheating wife, critisism from those he loved, his loss of eyesight, (which would have made most people want to quit), his stroke that left him paralytic for many years, abandonment of fellow churchmen…. One thing that I Testify of a Truth: Hubert Never Gave Up on God, or the Salvation Ministry of Jesus Crucified for a Lost World of Sinners. So for those who would oppose him, I say…. Find Jesus!!! Hubert would have wanted that!
comments welcome at lovefromjesus@aol.com
June 26th, 2008 at 8:54 am
Claudette…
Hubert Lindsey took this writer to the Grace of God in 1987 where my heart and life was converted to Christ. Hubert’s preaching impacted my life, retored a marriage, and made me conscious to the presence of Christ. So conscious, I have continued with Christ for 21 years because of Hubert’s witness. My whole life was changed under Hubert’s ministry and now I am helping others to find this same life changing experience in the Christ. I kept in touch with Hubert until his final hours where he died in a nursing home in N.C. I collected his life teaching’s on audio cassette and still use them today in my personal ministry. Hubert impacted my heart and life with the person of Christ…for which I am thankful for today… 06/26/08. I know many people across this nation that were changed by Hubert’s testimony and commitment. Would it be possible to converse with you personally. My E-mail address is lazerick@cinci.rr.com
Hubert T. Lindsey…born May 21 1914
Hubert T. Lindsey…born in the Spirit….December 22, 1929
Hubert T. Lindsey…died…March 30, 2003
July 15th, 2008 at 11:53 am
This is an impressive story; I wish I had known the man. However, I take objection to the statement that Jesus only taught the Law. It is true that He did not teach the grace of God as clearly as Paul and Peter did. Nevertheless, it was in his teaching at least by implication, such as in the statements “you must be born again”, “all who come to me I will certainly not cast out”, and “he who hears my word and believes in him who sent me has eternal life, and shall not come into condemnation, but has passed from death to life.” There are many such statements that Jesus made which by obvious implication is teaching God’s grace.
July 21st, 2008 at 12:13 pm
Thomas,
The Hubert Lindsey legacy still lives in the hearts of men that recieved the truth about Christ and the Bible that he taught! Hubert sowed the Gospel message and truth of the Bible across this nation for 72 years. If it wouldn’t have been for Brother Lindsey’s firm stance for Bible truth many people wouldn’t be in Christ where they’re at today! They would’ve went back to the world. Hubert persuaded men. Hubert swayed people with evidence and truth…but most of all Hubert operated in demonstration of Spirit and power! I personally am a product of the Gospel that Brother Lindsey preached. Also, I am currently writing a biography about Brother Lindsey, the doctines that he taught, and his life and times in the Lord! At present I have 56 Treatise written (in Word) that agree with and accompany what Brother Lindsey taught. Many people opposed Brother Lindsey and the doctrines he taught. The opposite is true for me.
In your comments you brought up a very common issue that’s not addressed much in the mainstream today! I’d like to touch on it. Hubert Lindsey addressed why Jesus taught Law and was opposed for it… but that does not make it wrong!
Hubert spent his whole life teaching why the Law was given to the nation of Israel only. Saint John wrote, “Jesus came to his own and his own recieved him not!” His own was Israel. From the four Gospels Hubert taught about the Kingdom Message to Israel. From Acts-Revelation Hubert taught why the Grace Covenant was given to both the Jew and Gentile through the death of Savior on the cross. The revelation of the truth about the Grace of God is best described in Ephesian Letter Chapters 2-3. The Spirit of God enlightens men to the truth!
Brother, Do you recall if any promises in the Old Testament being given to Gentiles? Do you recall any of the major or minor Prophets being Gentile? Did God give the Gentiles the Law of Moses on Mount Sinai? Why was the Law of Moses given in the first place? Could a Gentile be a Levitcal Priest? Gentiles were strangers to the covenant of Promise and aliens from the commomwealth of Israel. Gentiles were even considered dogs. Gentiles through history have always been ignorant to the Law of Moses and wouldn’t know a thing about the Law whatsoever even in the days of Christ! Christ had to suffer, die, and raise from the grave so Gentiles could be grafted into the Promise! During Christ’s earthly ministry Gentiles were a law unto themselves. (Romans 2) Besides the Gentiles’ own conscience being a Law unto themselves, Israel’s obedience to the Torah was also a testimony from God to the Gentile world during Christ’s early ministry.
Remember, the Law of Moses was given to Israel before the Spiritual Body of Christ, the Church came into existence. (Christ purchased the Church with His own blood). Jesus was born under Law. Jesus was circumcised the eighth day. Jesus lived under the Law of Moses. Jesus taught the Law of Moses. Jesus never preached the Kingdom of Heaven to a Gentile. Jesus forbidded the Apostles to preach the Kingdom Message to the Gentiles! Jesus told them, “Go not to the Gentiles”! When Jesus healed the Leper…after the healing took place Jesus told him to do as Moses commanded…which was to offer sacrifice unto God according to Law of Moses. Jesus had to obey the Law of Moses to the letter in order to be a sinless sacrifice unto God.
The New Testament of Grace began after Christ’s death and resurrection. A testament is not in force until after the death of a testator. In the New Testament the Law ceased from being taught to Israel only. Grace to both Jew and Gentile brought more from God to humanity than the Law could ever offer to Israel only! The reason for this is because of the omnipresence of the Holy Spirit through the Church the body of Christ. The Grace covenant began through the power of a resurrected Lord! Remember, Christ purchased the Church with His own blood. The body of Christ, the Church, or the Grace Covenant that we now live under…did not exist until Christ give His life at Calvary. Therefore it was never taught during the earthly ministry of our Lord.
The four Gospels teach as Moses commanded. After the death of a Savior the New Testament even defines the teachings of Christ to be the Law of Moses. In the Hebrew letter the Jewish people that the Apostle is addressing (below)were people who followed the teachings of Christ under Law. After Christ’s death on the cross they found Grace and the work of the Holy Spirit. Then, these Jewish believers left Grace and went back under the teachings of Christ under Law. This was apostasy and strictly forbidden! The Apostle warned and admonished this people with the following words! Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on to perfection…
Heb 5:12-6:1…For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection
The Apostle clairified Jesus’s teachings under Law to be (principles of the doctrine of Christ). He goes on to say these princples must be left in order to live under Grace. He desribed leaving the teachings of Christ as going on unto perfection. Perfection was the Grace of God in the Church the body of Christ that this writer is glad to testify about. I wish the distinction between Law and Grace was taught more in the mainstream today! If that were so you’d see alot less people falling away from the faith. Why?
Distinction between Law and Grace is built upon evidence of the Holy Scriptures. Evidence builds faith. Spirtualization from the opinion’s of men builds frustration! There is no spirtualization in making the distinction between Law and Grace. The Bible teaches it! The Law of Moses that Christ taught was a great blessing for Israel…but the Revelation of Church the body of Christ is even a greater blessing for both Jew and Gentile! None of the Apostles taught the teachings of Christ. Why? Christ taught the Law of Moses given to Israel…James, John, Jude, Peter, and Paul taught Grace given to both the Jew and Gentile.
This stuff is different than mainstream teaching but true and faith building! If you’d like I also have a Gospel Tract on the distinction between Law and Grace that you may like. Let me know.
Rick Roehm
lazerick@cinci.rr.com
September 2nd, 2008 at 1:09 am
I remember listening to Holy Herbert in the early 70’s (71 or 72). I thought can this guy be for real. It seems that he has gone the way of a lot of preachers- great on the outside, but leaves alot to be desired with his home life. I was sadden what his daughter said. The gospel is not a one sided coin. If you preach love for mankind and God, then you need to demestrate your love to your family.