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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 the importance of prioritizing our appointments with God above all else, highlighting the embarrassment it brings to heaven when Christians treat these sacred moments flippantly. He challenges believers to reflect on how often they allow trivial distractions to interrupt their time with the Creator, comparing it to keeping God waiting for insignificant activities. Wilkerson points out that true effectiveness in our spiritual lives comes from dedicated prayer, which empowers us to accomplish great things for God. He reminds us that neglecting our time with God is akin to hiding our faces from Him, and that the most impactful work we can do is through prayer. Ultimately, he encourages believers to become giants with God by valuing and committing to their relationship with Him.
Becoming a Giant With God
“Trust in Him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before Him: God is a refuge for us” (Psalm 62:8). You must consider your daily appointments with God more sacred and important than appointments with any other people — no matter who they are. How embarrassing it must be for heaven to see the way we Christians fail to highly regard the majesty of our God, the King of Glory. We are often flippant in the way we keep Him waiting. And at the drop of a hat, we will suddenly cancel plans to meet with Him in His courts, all for the most trifling thing! Can you imagine someone keeping the Creator of the universe waiting while he lingers to view his favorite TV program? Yet that is what many of us do! Even worse, we often do not bother to show up in God's presence at all. It is not that we forget our appointment with Him but we willfully refuse to appear before Him! Isaiah lamented, "He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not" (Isaiah 53:3). When I allow interruptions to come between me and my appointments with the Lord, I am hiding my face from Him and not appreciating Him as I should. The truth is, it is impossible to waste time when you are seeking God in prayer. Furthermore, outside the secret closet, the praying man or woman accomplishes more in less time, with less hurry and less effort and sweat. The most effective work for God we will ever do is on our knees. While the prayerless run helter skelter, to and fro, attempting great things, the praying Christian is hard at work moving kingdoms, shattering strongholds, doing great things and, in the process, becoming a giant with God.
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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.