Lon Solomon speaks at convocation

At the Monday Nov. 8 convocation, Lon Solomon told students how he went from being a Jewish seeker, caught up in alcohol, drugs, gambling and immorality, to a sold-out disciple of Jesus Christ and a pastor.
Having grown up in a Jewish home, Solomon said, he could only become one of three things: “a doctor, a lawyer or a failure. And being a preacher [was] definitely number three.”

His search for truth began at age 15 with his rabbi and led him through eastern religions and drugs and alcohol, all which left him empty, unfulfilled and ever more mindful of his depraved condition. While in college, he came to know an eccentric street evangelist who gave him a Bible.

After reading his Bible for about a month, he came upon Matthew 11:28, which says, “Come unto me, all you that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Solomon said the verse brought him to his knees.

After confessing his spiritual unbelief and confusion, he told God that he would give his life to him, but reserved the right to take it back in one month if he did not experience the rest and peace that God had promised.

“If you’ve ever given your life to Jesus, you know what happened next. God moved into my life — hook, line and sinker, boat, anchor, oars, everything.”

After about a week, he said, “Oh, my gosh; I have just backed into the answer of the universe!”

With Christ as his savior, Solomon kicked his destructive habits and graduated from college. He went on to get masters degrees in theology and Near Eastern studies and teach Hebrew and Old Testament.

In 1980, he became pastor of McLean Bible Church, a large non-denominational church in McLean, Va. Under Solomon’s leadership during the past three decades, the church has grown into a megachurch with a popular radio ministry. In 2005 he earned his Doctorate of Divinity degree from Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary.

Solomon closed his talk by citing 1 John 5:11: “This is the record: that God has given us his son, and that he has given us life in his Son. He who has the Son of God, has eternal life.”