I Found My Cross

 

I was born in Philadelphia Pennsylvania in 1957 raised by my mother, and stepfather along with two younger brothers and three sisters. I was highly influenced at an early age by peers and my environment, which included alcohol, gangs, poverty and drugs. By the age of sixteen I was heavily involved in gangs and the use of heroin, which resulted in continuous run-ins’ with the law and the juvenile court system. At seventeen I was arrested for a burglary and told the officers I was eighteen so that instead of them taking me to the youth detention center they booked me as an adult and I was sent to the county jail were I wanted to go because most of my friends were there. At my trial I was sentence to 4 to 23 months time served and sent to an eighteen-month drug recovery program in North Philly. I remain there for ten months and thought I was doing alright until I received a weekend pass with one of my roommates and we went out, got high and I robbed a guy on the streets and was arrested and sentenced to 3 to 23 months in the county jail.

 

After ten months I was released on condition that I would move down south with relatives and finish my parole in NC (which was a highly unusual request granted). Upon release I told my mother that I had to leave right away for NC before I had a chance to go back to the neighborhood because I felt as though if I went back to that environment I would not make it out again alive.

 

Upon arriving in Durham, NC in May 1977 I experienced a different culture i.e., people waving at you and saying hello, how are you doing instead of who are you looking at or gritting on. Young adults and adults in my age group seemingly having it all together going to school, and working.  So when in Rome do as the Romans do. So I signed up to attend a technical school especially since I was fortunate to have my high school diploma.

 

I received it when I was at the drug treatment program in Philly. My mother received a call from a vocational training program (OIC) I participated in, in conjunction to high school that I never finished and told her they had my high school diploma and did I want to graduate with the next class even though I didn’t know any one there.

 

So here I was in North Carolina starting a new with some hope for a better life. But it didn’t take long before I started to find myself associating with people involved in drugs alcohol and all that go along with it. Even though I finished school for heating, ventilation and air-condition trade and married a women who loved me and still do to this day with all I took her through. I found myself heading quickly to an early demise from this life.

 

On April 20, 1984 I was in Southern Pines, North Carolina in a hospital detoxing from heroin and alcohol use. Reflecting on many things in my life some which included:

 

• Just leaving behind a wife of five years with one five year old daughter and twins (boy and girl) two years old with no hope of what the future will be with me or without me.
• Current court case pending.
• Neglected financial responsibilities
• Concerned whether or not I would be able to maintain any employment.
• Lost of Driving license
• Money owned to drug dealers, loan sharks, relatives, and friends.
• Failing liver and health.

 

And reflecting on how my life just seemed to be a merry-go-round on and off of drugs and alcohol, in and out of jail. Seemingly getting on the right track periodically and then it seems like before I knew it there I was again going directly pass go straight to jail, institutions, or some kind of early death.

 

At the age of twenty- seven (27) I began to realize that this was not the life I wanted to continue to live that was not only detrimental to me but also to those around me that I loved. So in that hospital room I went to my knees and said If there is a God, God I am tired of living the way I am living help me to live how you would want me to live I am ready for real change. At that moment something supernaturally came over me that confirmed in my most inner being that there was a God who heard my prayer and was there to help me. I got off of my knees and said thank you Lord and went to sleep and slept all night. Something that I could not do the first few days I was at the hospital.

 

The next day I had a peace over me that I had never experienced before that deepened my belief in this God that heard and answered my prayer (A peace that remains today).

 

When it was time for me to receive my detox dose of methadone I told the doctor that I would not be needing that any more I had found someone who would help me with this problem. The doctors insisted that I continue the detox program to reduce the heroin withdraws. I gave in and took my dose and immediately became sicker then I had ever been since being there. This was to me just another confirmation to continue to believe in the God that hears. 

 

For the next few days at the hospital the eyes of my understanding was being open to where I was seeing life differently and was willing to take responsibility for all my wrongs and any consequences ahead. For inside of me resided a peace that I had never experienced before that gave me the confidence that God was with me and I had a new desire to earnestly do what was right.

 

I left the hospital drug detox center program early against everyone’s recommendations, doctors, wife, relatives, and friends. Depending upon the God that had found me and heard me. After getting home to the wife and kids I purchased a bible and started to read it through continuing this Christian journey with the Lord that heard my cry and saved me from the impending grasp of an eternal hell. Along this journey unfortunately without being disciple by true mature uncompromising Christians of God. I took two unknowingly detours. One was being involved with Alcohol Anonyms and Narcotic Anonyms where I excel up to the regional leadership level until the year 1990 when I realized that as Jesus said He was the way the truth and the life. N-A says it is the way. As I told and still tell many who are involved in that fellowship. N-A is a way to help stay drug free but what use is it to go to a burning hell sober.

 

My other detour was involvement in the Word of Faith Charismatic movement at Christian Faith Center in Creedmoor NC and Mount Zion Christian Church in Durham NC where I graduated from there Bible College in May 1998 and left in 2002. Some of the problems with these and other like churches (organizations) are the health, wealth, and prosperity teachings. This teaching is a perversion of the gospel of Christ. It centers on self not others; prosperity not sacrifice, body religion not pure religion, entertainment not true worship, and truth distorted not love of truth. 

 

Fortunately, by the grace of Almighty God and the deep desire within me to know and do just His will I was able to escape the trap set by man made traditions and the leaven being served in this popular movement.

 

Since leaving the word of faith (charismatic) movement I have been even more committed to the great commission to go into all the world and preach the true gospel of Jesus Christ.

 

I do this through the grace and mercies of the Lord Jesus Christ.  I keep to the words and command of Jesus: If any man will come after me let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow me. I do this through the grace of God literally by obeying His word and symbolically by carrying a 4X4" by 12ft long cross throughout the city I reside in Durham, North Carolina and in my many travels preaching on the streets passing out tracts witnessing that Jesus Christ was crucified, buried, and resurrected for the sins of the world but also preaching repentance of sin and the dangers of hell fire.  

 

I strongly believe that as the true born again believers continue to contend for the faith that was once given to the saints

 

 

We must……According to II Timothy 4:2-5 (Amplified Bible)

 

Herald and preach the Word! Keep your sense of urgency [stand by, be at hand and ready], whether the opportunity seems to be favorable or unfavorable. [Whether it is convenient or inconvenient, whether it is welcome or unwelcome, you as preacher of the Word are to show people in what way their lives are wrong.] And convince them, rebuking and correcting, warning and urging and encouraging them, being unflagging and inexhaustible in patience and teaching.
For the time is coming when [people] will not tolerate (endure) sound and wholesome instruction, but, having ears itching [for something pleasing and gratifying], they will gather to themselves one teacher after another to a considerable number, chosen to satisfy their own liking and to foster the errors they hold,
And will turn aside from hearing the truth and wander off into myths and man-made fictions.

As for you, be calm and cool and steady, accept and suffer unflinchingly every hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fully perform all the duties of your ministry.  

 

 

Bondservant of the Lord Jesus Christ,

 

William Taylor Sr.