A Flash Back

By Ezra Johnson

My book is about me, my family, and a long history of my relationship, friendship, and association with older people.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Page Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Aug 5, 2021
• ISBN: 9781662431661

Book preview

Chapter 1

A Flashback

It was hard to get started again—after starting this book at first in 1980 and stopping a year later. In 2001, I had a desire to write again. Seemly, I could never get formerly started.

Now it is almost fifteen years later, and I have started again. This third time will be the charm. This is more than me and Tennessee Tuxedo this time. As a matter of fact, the suited-up penguin is no were to be found saying, This time, I will not fail. The on-time God is the captain, and he never has failed and never will fail. God is my refuge and strength and a very present help in trouble (Psalms 46:1). Oh, what powerful words.

Trust and believe in God, and his power will give me whatever is needed to complete this book. God has always been my army bearer. As a matter of fact, he guides and protects me all around.

The date that I restarted to complete is December 10, 2015. It is 4:08 a.m. This is a regular wake-up time and a time of meditation and devotion. What a privilege and blessing! Indeed, it is to wake, arise, and shine in Jesus. I went to sleep last night and woke up this morning with my mind on Jesus. The goodness of God has me happy and blessed as usual.

You are listening to the blessed fellow, Ezra D. Johnson, of Dallas, Texas, who hails from Centerville, Texas. I am known by some other names. Here are the other names I am called or known by: D. Pig that boppet, D-Shucking, Israel, Preacher, Preacher man, Reverend, Super 8, and ever D. My roots began at the old place, in the Hopewell community behind the graveyard in Nineveh, Texas.

One Sunday after Sunday school in 1971, I had a surprising call. Just before the 11:00 a.m. church service, Pastor Rev. H. U. S. Banks called me to the pastor study steps to talk with me. Upon my arrival, he called me inside and told me to have a seat. What a nervous wreck I was. He calmed me down by telling me everything was alright—on it soon would be. He proceeded on and told me he was now ready to accept my calling into the gospel ministry. I cried for a while. Finally, I mumbled out the word for real, Do you really, pastor? He said, I sure do, pig.

This is the only time he called me by my nickname. Pastor went on to say, You have shown me you are ready. Good, gosh, God almighty, what exciting news this was to me. For more than a year, he had to take me through an unbelievable trial. We had many one-on-one sessions and lots of demands to pray, fast, and seek revelation from God through the Holy Spirit. The reverend had heard about my defiant behaviors, which included being disobedient, stealing, fornication, doing drugs, lying, and the lack of luster schoolwork—I still have some weakness.

After more than a year of not accepting my desire to become a preacher, he said the everlasting words to me that I will forever remember, You are now ready. This came after more fasting, praying, repenting, studying, and practicing telling the truth. See, I was a bonified lair. I was also taught pulpit and preaching etiquette. He taught me in so many one-on-one that often for several hours at a time. Pastor was strict boring and very scowling. When he gave me a written test, any score under eighty was unacceptable. The test would be retaken, along with additional questions; from the age of about eleven and a half to past twelve and a half, I exercise. We prayed and studied scriptures basically every time we were together. When visits were short, we just prayed long prayers.

Early in my ministry, this learning to pray paid off with big dividends. Very seldom was I invited to preach. Many times though, I was put on programs to pray. For several years, I was known down-home as Pig by the praying preachers. When I turned fifteen and got ordained, my Aunt Carrie Henderson told folks at Hopewell, Ezra D is a show nuff preacher now. And we need to start calling him Rev. or the reverend. By this time, I had got used to being called whatever people choose to call me. Many of the names I was called were not nice and respectable names, but they were names I had heard many preachers called, so I got used to them. Very seldom was I offended. Some of the names I recall are Jackleg faker, Phony, and old hypocrite. One name I never was called that I heard was counterfeiter.

Preaching is a godly and righteous calling in my eyes—always have been and will be. For more than forty-five years of being a preacher/pastor/teacher, I have regarded it as a sanctified position and calling; no one should ever play with being a representative of God’s Word. God is too real for us to play with. Remember that.

These forty-five years of preaching began on the fourth