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David Wilkerson

David Wilkerson (1931 - 2011). American Pentecostal pastor, evangelist, and author born in Hammond, Indiana. Raised in a family of preachers, he was baptized with the Holy Spirit at eight and began preaching at 14. Ordained in 1952 after studying at Central Bible College, he pastored small churches in Pennsylvania. In 1958, moved by a Life Magazine article about New York gang violence, he started a street ministry, founding Teen Challenge to help addicts and troubled youth. His book "The Cross and the Switchblade," co-authored in 1962, became a bestseller, chronicling his work with gang members like Nicky Cruz. In 1987, he founded Times Square Church in New York City, serving a diverse congregation until his death. Wilkerson wrote over 30 books, including "The Vision," and was known for bold prophecies and a focus on holiness. Married to Gwen since 1953, they had four children. He died in a car accident in Texas. His ministry emphasized compassion for the lost and reliance on God. Wilkerson’s work transformed countless lives globally. His legacy endures through Teen Challenge and Times Square Church.
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David Wilkerson emphasizes that true faith begins with a complete surrender to God's care, requiring active trust in His ability to perform the impossible. He illustrates this through the story of Abram, who learned to trust God in dire circumstances, affirming that faith reveals God's faithfulness even when situations do not change. Wilkerson points out that often, God allows us to remain in challenging situations to transform us and deepen our trust in His power. He highlights the experiences of the three Hebrew children and Daniel, who encountered God's miraculous power only in the midst of their trials. Ultimately, the sermon teaches that faith is not just about escaping difficulties but recognizing God's unwavering presence and faithfulness through them.
Have Faith in God's Faithfulness
Faith begins with a total abandonment of oneself into God’s care, but our faith must be active, not passive. We must have full confidence that God can and will do the impossible. Jesus said, “With God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26). “With God nothing shall be impossible” (Luke 1:37). In short, faith says, “God is enough!” The Lord was making Abram a man of faith by leading him into an impossible situation. He wanted to hear his servant say, “Father, you led me here, and you know best. So I’m going to stand still and believe you to do the impossible. I’ll put my life in your hands, fully trusting that you won’t allow me or my family to starve. I know we’ll be preserved because you promised I would have a seed!” Our faith is not meant to get us out of a hard place or change our painful condition. Rather, it is meant to reveal God’s faithfulness to us in the midst of our dire situation. God does at times change our trying circumstances. But more often, he doesn’t - because he wants to change us! We simply can’t trust God’s power fully until we experience it in the midst of our crisis. This was the case with the three Hebrew children. They saw Christ only when they were in the midst of the fiery furnace. And Daniel experienced God’s power and grace when he was thrust into the lions’ den. If they had suddenly been pulled out of their circumstances, they never would have known the full grace of God’s miracle-working power. And the Lord would not have been magnified before the ungodly. We think we’re witnessing great miracles whenever God ends our storms and crises. But we can easily miss the lesson of faith in such times — the lesson that says God will remain faithful to us through our hard times. He wants to raise us above our trials through faith, so we can say, “My God can do the impossible. He’s a deliverer, and he’s going to see me through.”
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David Wilkerson (1931 - 2011). American Pentecostal pastor, evangelist, and author born in Hammond, Indiana. Raised in a family of preachers, he was baptized with the Holy Spirit at eight and began preaching at 14. Ordained in 1952 after studying at Central Bible College, he pastored small churches in Pennsylvania. In 1958, moved by a Life Magazine article about New York gang violence, he started a street ministry, founding Teen Challenge to help addicts and troubled youth. His book "The Cross and the Switchblade," co-authored in 1962, became a bestseller, chronicling his work with gang members like Nicky Cruz. In 1987, he founded Times Square Church in New York City, serving a diverse congregation until his death. Wilkerson wrote over 30 books, including "The Vision," and was known for bold prophecies and a focus on holiness. Married to Gwen since 1953, they had four children. He died in a car accident in Texas. His ministry emphasized compassion for the lost and reliance on God. Wilkerson’s work transformed countless lives globally. His legacy endures through Teen Challenge and Times Square Church.