BORN TO PREACH

One day all the pieces of the puzzle of my life came together. I finally got it loud and clear. It was a beautiful September afternoon in lower Manhattan. It was my lunch hour, and I was standing on the corner of Broadway Nassau, passing out tracts, my new witnessing venture. When above the sounds of the hustle and bustle of the day, the voice of a former acquaintance rang out my name in disbelief, “Dorsey! Dorsey! Dorsey! Is that you? What in the world are you doing? He inquired. Where have you been? Talk to me!” I had to smile to myself; it really was a strange sight! Me, LD, Dorsey as I was called by the guys; passing out Bible tracts on the Second Coming of Jesus, in downtown Manhattan during my lunch hour. Just three months ago, if someone told me I would be doing this , handing out tracts. I would have said they were crazy. But my life had dramatically transformed by the Holy Spirit in three months. The “new” born again me now lived for witnessing, and sharing the love of God. Paul: states in 2 Corinthians 5:17: “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

I began to tell my friend about the wonderful Saviour I now found and joyfully served. His presence in my life changed everything for the better. I was back in church after being away for about two years. I had been re-baptized in the evangelistic tent effort just a few weeks ago. I now had peace of mind, and now my marriage was filled with happiness, trust and security. I told him I was not the same person, the same LD he used to know. I told him that this all started after the Lord Jesus Christ had miraculously delivered me from Satan and the demons that possessed me and the witch and coven that claimed me.

As I retold the story of my deliverance with all of the passion of that vivid, life altering experience ; I blurted out these words, “I just love the Lord so much for what He has done for me, I just wish I could do this for Him full time.” As those words rolled off my lips, it seemed like someone put all of downtown Manhattan on mute. For a moment, for an instant, all the voices and hustle and bustle of noon day were hushed! Everything went quiet. Then I heard a voice say unto me, so clearly, so calmly, so positively; “You can if you are willing to sacrifice, go to Oakwood.” Then everything resumed.

I love the definition of the word sacrifice. Webster says sacrifice is – “the surrender or destruction of something prized or cherished for the sake of something considered as having a higher or more pressing claim.” I was amazed. I was delighted, I was astounded. Yes, I was willing to sacrifice my life as it was then, for the life Jesus said I could have witnessing for Him full time. On that fateful night, May 21, 1976 when I was delivered the Lord said to me like He said to the cured demoniac after He set him free: Mark 5:19, “Go home to thy friends and tell what great things the Lord has done unto thee , and hath had compassion on thee.” In other words the LORD says Go Ye! Go tell your family! Go tell your friends! Go tell the stranger! Witness! Tell them of my mercy. Tell them of my goodness. Tell them of my forgiveness. Tell them of my power. Tell them of my faithfulness. Tell them of my compassion. Tell them of my authority. Tell them of my peace. Tell them of my joy. Tell them of my love. Tell them to hold on. Tell them I am coming again. The results of his labor are recorded in Luke 8:39, 40: “Then he went his way, and published throughout the whole city how great things Jesus had done unto him. And it came to pass that when Jesus was returned, the people gladly received him for they were all waiting for him.”

At that very moment in time, everything became crystal clear to me. Finally, all of pieces fell into place. I knew what I had to do. I knew what I wanted to do. I knew what I was invited to do. I knew what I was commanded to do. I knew what my purpose in life was. I knew I was born to preach.