Full Text of the Excerpt

Obviously, you've had a long career, but where did all that begin?

JOHN THOMAS MOORE:

I was in high school. Just before I finished high school, I just dedicated my life and everything over to Jesus Christ. He began to speak to me. As a young man, they didn't quite understand what was going on and what was happening to me in school. At that time you could go to the library and get books and things and read. So I went to the library; I got the Bible, the Bible commentary, and anything concerning salvation, and began to read and study. The Lord just anointed me with his word, showering, blessing power upon me. I began to move—

CHRISTOPHER WEBER:

You said that when you were in high school, the Lord started talking to you then.

JOHN THOMAS MOORE:

Yes, he did, just like me and you are talking. I heard the voice of God speak and I sat a listened. I was brought up in the church from a young man. My uncle was an archbishop and my grandmother was a world missionary. I was brought up in the church. Get up on Sunday morning, take your bath or whatever you have to do. Then you go in the room and everybody kneel down and prayed. Mother prayed, Grandma prayed, then Uncle prayed, then we'd go and eat breakfast. Then we'd do the same thing at the breakfast table. Then we'd get ready to go to Sunday School, from Sunday School to the 11 o'clock service. After that you eat, then go back at 6 o'clock for the evangelism service and (YPHA). I grew up that way. I never was a worldly person. I never did deal with the world. I never smoke, I never drank, I never chewed, I never done nothing—none of the worldly habits.

CHRISTOPHER WEBER:

Especially with your family but also in general, it sounds like your family had a big influence on you.

JOHN THOMAS MOORE:

Yes, that's right.

CHRISTOPHER WEBER:

Can you tell me just a little about your family? What was your family like?

JOHN THOMAS MOORE:

They was great people. They was religious people; they went to church and all that. My grandmother worked in service for people, then she would come home and get us ready to go to church through the week days, whatever the [unclear] was. We just got along fine. Raised our own chickens, our hogs, and our gardens. We got along fine. We didn't have to go to the store for nothing, just maybe a little something like flour. Then she got in contact with this other man so we didn't have to do that. So I was brought up to work and serve the Lord, and do what he said do.

CHRISTOPHER WEBER:

Now, was this Atlanta they were bringing you up in, or was it someplace else?

JOHN THOMAS MOORE:

No, my parents moved. My daddy worked with the planer mill. He graded lumber for the planer mill. So they moved to Durham, North Carolina, and I was only five years old when they moved here. Then I made Durham my home. [My father] lived here till he got killed [clicks tongue and pauses] . So he went out one night—you know how mens do, you know. My grandmother said, "Don't go tonight, son." Grandma said, "I don't feel like things are going to be right for you. I don't think you need to go." He said, "Mama, I just—" She said, "You go ahead on, but you're going to regret it." And he did. In the morning about 5 or 6 o'clock Mr. Ellis D. Jones, the undertaker, came and was talking to Momma. He said, "We found this young man. I know who the young man is, and you know who he is, too." She said, "Oh, yes, my son." He said, "I didn't want to tell you so, but it is." They had beat him up and thrown him on the highway. They had run all over his legs and just crushed the bones and everything. So they carried him to Lincoln Hospital. They had to amputate his legs. So when they carried him through and I saw him, I screamed. Momma said, "Hush up." So I went to the [unclear] , "Momma, Daddy gonna die, Daddy gonna die, Daddy gonna die." She said, "I said hush, boy!" But it all came out of me; the Lord said, "He gonna die, he gonna die." After they did the operation, three weeks later he died. I said, "I told you, Momma." She said, "You shut up." Always been a person with the Lord [unclear] . Whenever he'd tell me to go talk to you, and I'd make myself plain and sit there and [say], "Thus said the Lord," it always would happen. I always been an anointed person by God. I could just go to people and pray for people and they'd get healed, get deliverance. I was at the Church of God and Providence in Bragtown; the pastor had given me to have eleven o'clock service. [unclear] give out Scripture and give me some. I was sitting there, and this man and his wife came in, and they was blind. I was sitting there, and the Spirit began to talk to me, and my body was beginning to shiver. I said, "O God, what is it?" He said, "Go lay your hands on the husband and wife." I anointed my hands with consecrated olive oil—I know you know what that is—

CHRISTOPHER WEBER:

Yes, sir.

JOHN THOMAS MOORE:

I went and anointed them and said, "Thus says the Lord." I put my left hand on him and my right hand on her, and I just began to pray on the Spirit. When I got through their eyes came open and they began to sing, shout, holler, and praise God. The pastor there, he said, "I didn't get a chance to preach. Why'd you do that?" I said, "I didn't do it. Thus said the Lord!" He said, "But I had a message!" I said, "Look, me and God had the message." She said, "I'm so glad. We've done been everywhere. The Lord told us in the Scriptures this morning that he was going to bless us, and I obeyed God." From that day on, they've been going and going and going and doing. Now I am 64 years old, and I am still striving and working for the Lord. I've done things for people, opened up their eyes and healed people from several things. I don't call myself no healer, I just do what God says do. God just has blessed and blessed and blessed….