Fifty-Six years ago tomorrow (Sunday), I was in attendance at the Grace Baptist Church, Middletown, Ohio. It was the church’s anniversary and there were some eight-hundred in attendance. Roy Kemp, from Texas, was the guest speaker. I was standing in the last row of pews singing the invitational song. About the third stanza into the song I whispered to a godly friend standing next to me, "I think God’s calling me to preach, but I can’t speak before people.” Promptly, he put down his hymnal, and without saying a word, took his Bible and pointed to Exodus 4:10-12, "And Moses said unto the LORD, O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue. And the LORD said unto him, Who hath made man's mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind have not I the LORD? Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say."
I went forward that day, took my pastor’s hand, looked him in the eye, and said, “God has called me to preach the Gospel.”
Thank you Lord! It's been, to say the least, quite a journey. But no matter the circumstances, Thou hast been with me every step of the way.
Note to pastors, evangelists, and missionaries: Preach tomorrow as though it were your last sermon!
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