When I was a young believer and police officer, I started praying, “God, I want to win one hundred thousand people to you before I die.” Now I hadn’t won a single soul to God yet. I had no speaking ability. I’d never spoken in public except one time to share my testimony in front of a dozen people, and while they were introducing me, I was dry heaving in the bathroom.
One day, the police department supervisor called me into his office and asked, “Are afraid of public speaking?”
I said, “No.” Even as the word came out of my mouth, I was trying to reel it back in. It was an open door; God was answering my prayer, and I felt like I was getting kicked through the open door. So they sent me off to police college for a public speaking course.
I got up for the first presentations, and the anointing of God came over me. “Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water” (John 7:37-38, KJV). I knew the words I was speaking were not coming from me. We were supposed to talk about police topics, and I started talking about the Bible.
Finally, they called me into the office and said, “Carter, you’re a nice guy and all, but for your final presentation, you have to talk about a police topic. If you don’t, you won’t pass the course.” So the next day, I got up and said, “I’m going to talk about a police topic: the Bible. When we go into a court of law and swear on the Bible, don’t you think it’s important that we know what exactly we’re swearing to?” I started explaining from Genesis and the snake in the garden, and I finished at the right hand of God in Revelation.
They were supposed to critique my intonation and gestures and how often I made eye contact. No one gave me a critique. One man just said, “If that’s what I’m swearing to, I really got to think about this!” The police college supervisor told me afterward they wanted me to be an instructor at the college for a season.
Go through your open door with faith. God will keep his word and bring glory to his name through you. “I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name” (Revelation 3:8).
Carter Conlon joined the pastoral staff of Times Square Church in 1994 and was appointed Senior Pastor in 2001. In May of 2020, he transitioned into a continuing role as General Overseer of Times Square Church, Inc.