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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 showing mercy and kindness to others as a form of comfort, sharing a personal story of a church member who felt supported during a difficult time caring for his ailing mother. He highlights that true mercy is often found in simple, everyday actions, such as a smile or a sympathetic word. Wilkerson reminds us that we cannot extend comfort to others if we are preoccupied with our own struggles and fail to recognize God's mercy in our lives. The sermon encourages believers to be merciful, as those who have received God's comfort are called to share it with others.
Comforted of God
Every time you show mercy, every time you are kind and gracious to another believer, you are giving comfort. A man from our church stopped me after a recent service and said, "Brother Wilkerson, let me tell you why I attend this church. My ninety-year-old mother just recently passed away. But for the past four years she was bedfast and I took care of her. "At the church I used to attend, every Sunday I had to leave service early to go and tend to her. After a while, the pastor got tired of it and before the whole congregation he told me, 'If you're going to go, go now, before I start to preach.' "Here at Times Square Church, no one has ever said a word to me about leaving early. That may seem like a small thing to you, but to me it's a very big thing. I have not had to explain to anyone here that I was going to leave early to get home home and take care of my mother." Mercy must be shown in the ordinary, day-to-day things. Sometimes mercy can be just a smile that conveys understanding or an arm around someone's shoulder. It can be as simple as a sympathetic countenance or a word to someone who's hurting. You can never offer mercy if you're constantly thinking of yourself: "God must be mad at me. I'm going to take a fall — I just know it." How can you offer comfort to others when you have not yet learned to draw comfort in God's mercy to you? "That we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. . . . whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation" (2 Corinthians 1:4, 6). Merciful Christians are the Lord's comforters. They can show and speak mercy and lovingkindness because they have experienced the incredible comfort of God's mercy to them.
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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.