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False Apostles, False Prophets (Spanish)
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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This sermon emphasizes the importance of seeking the Holy Spirit's guidance and discernment in the face of false prophets and doctrines. It calls for a deep reliance on prayer and a genuine connection with God to open and close doors in our lives and ministries. The speaker shares personal experiences of God's faithfulness in answering prayers and leading in challenging situations, highlighting the necessity of staying fervent in prayer and seeking God's will above all else.
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We're delighted to be with you in your beautiful country. And we're here for one reason. I'm 75 years old now, and all I want to see is the Holy Spirit to change us and to heal us. And we have to invite him. He has to be invited. Before I speak to you, I want to tell you what I feel in the Holy Spirit. The Lord is trying to put a wall around this nation to protect you, protect your churches, and protect you from what Paul the Apostle prophesied. He said in the last days there will be false prophets there will be false doctrines and you have to have the Holy Spirit the discernment of the Holy Spirit so you will know what is God and what is flesh. And I'm going to ask you to join somebody who will pray for you We have a network of pastors and churches all over the world. We told them we were coming here to your nation and they are praying for you. Thousands in the United States are praying for you. They are praying that this nation that's been protected up to now you've had good solid foundation. You have solid preachers of the gospel. I want God and if you're full of the Holy Spirit you want the Lord to be a wall a fire around your country around your churches around your people I want you to stand once more and ask the Holy Spirit to build a wall a wall of fire around this nation and to break the powers of the devil allow nothing to hinder the true work of the Holy Spirit Will you lift your hands and will you pray everyone lift your voice invite the Holy Spirit tonight and ask the Holy Spirit to put a wall around your country and that's important. We declare that this place is holy we declare that the Dominican Republic belongs to you we declare that this country is in your hands that the servants and the servants of God are in your hands Holy Spirit we ask you to start building a wall of words of truth a wall of fire around this nation lift a wall against the lies against the deceit of false doctrines lift a wall around the ministers guard them protect them take care of the families lift a wall around the people for your glory oh God of the heavens Spirit of God lift a wall right now a wall of truth a wall of the Spirit a wall of discernment that protects this people that protects this nation in the mighty name of Jesus Hallelujah now give him thanks thank you thank you Holy Spirit you may be seated we will be here the next two days for conference I understand there are four services tomorrow and then all day on Saturday as well I want to speak to you tonight just as a father I want to speak as a father at 75 years of age I'm a father I've been preaching for 50 years and I just want to speak to you from my heart there are a few scriptures I want you to be referred to Revelation 3, 7-11 you can read it you may be seated this is a pastors conference some of you may not be in the ministry but I want to talk to pastors and pastors' wives and all the Christian workers that are here tonight these letters written in the book of Revelation are addressed to angels which interpreted means pastors seven letters written to seven pastors and in this particular letter written to the pastor of the church of Philadelphia God is speaking about opening doors and closing doors He said to this pastor and I want you to listen because these things were said and they were spoken for our teaching that's what the Bible says that you put your name in this and Jesus said to this pastor He said I know your heart you're a patient person you love me but you're weak and he said I want you to know something I'm the one who opens doors and closes doors and this pastor was facing an issue evidently he was facing doors that were closing on him he would go this way the door was closed he went another way the door was closed everything he tried everywhere he went the door was closed and he was in a dilemma and the Lord was concerned about this man before I go any further I ask you the question tonight are you facing a door that's closed on you you've prayed that God would answer and nothing is happening and you're here tonight facing a closed door what is it that you prayed for what have you been asking God to do God says I know your heart I know your love for me I'm not angry at you but he said there's something you've got to know you can't push the door open no one else can open the door for you you can't work it open you can't connive it open I'm the only one that opens doors and closes doors I counseled with a pastor this past week he was so discouraged he said everything I've asked God to do I have believed God I'm living right I believe my heart is right my heart is right but the doors are shut everywhere I go nothing opens he said I've had it it's enough he said I'm leaving the ministry he said God doesn't answer my prayers anymore and I think that's the reason a lot of people stop praying a great prophet told me his name was Leonard Ravenhill he wrote many books he took me aside one day he said David preachers don't pray they start out praying but then they just go on and do it on their own talent and then finally the doors start closing I never forgot that I believe this the only ministry that God approves is that which is born in the secret closet of prayer I was told by some people who were part of a great church thousands of people they were talking about this wonderful pastor he said he is so talented he could do this without the Holy Spirit he has that much talent I don't care how big the church is I don't care how beautiful it is if it's not born in prayer if it doesn't move in prayer God doesn't approve it I don't care how many there are if it's done in the flesh if it's built on talent one day it will shake and one day it will fall 52 years ago I pastored a small church in a small town I had about 75 people one of my first churches I was 21 years old and after about 2 years a revival came to that church it was filled you had to come early to get a seat and I was one of the first on television Oral Roberts was on television I was on one station people came from miles and for 2 or 3 years a tremendous awakening but a lot of the people who were from a distance organized their own groups and began to die out until I was back to 75-100 people I had a choice I could accept it and say this is what God has chosen for me God loves these people and I will be satisfied to marry them and bury them socialize with them and thank God for this congregation and for a while I was satisfied but something stirred in my heart I didn't want a bigger church I wanted to see people saved and after a year nothing was happening and when nothing is happening and I wasn't praying I meditated I went to the Bible to get a sermon on Saturday scribble out a sermon and just get by but I was sick inside because the same people hearing my messages were not being moved were not praying I couldn't move them the reason I couldn't move them because my own heart was not stirred they told me I preached a good sermon there is no fire no vision but a sickness in my soul we say we are a Pentecostal church is this Pentecost? nobody is getting saved no weeping just come and talk in tongues and occasionally some singing and shouting I said Lord if this is Pentecost I don't want it I used to come home and watch television I liked cowboy movies I'd spend hours I know you don't do that because you do it on a computer Holy Spirit came on me He said remember what your father taught you my father was a powerful preacher He said David God always makes a way for a praying man you may not afford an education but God will open doors if you become a man of prayer no door will close I will open doors one day I went to my prayer room I said oh God I'm a dead man I once prayed I once cried out to you you sent a revival people were saved what happened? and I looked in my heart God said if you pray instead of watching that television I'm going to use you I'm going to change you I got my Bible and for months I went out in the woods by myself and I read the word I devoured the word I wasn't looking for sermons I said Jesus I want a true Pentecost and I began to cry out to God at first it was a lot of discipline but after a while when you set your heart to seek God and he sees that the Holy Ghost comes and he begins to draw you and he pulls you and he melts you and now you're praying not to ask for something but to get to know him until nothing else matters but the call of God wherever it may be and to know his heart I used to go out and prophesy I'm not a prophet but I've prophesied to the trees I preached my heart out to the trees and while I was preaching to the trees I would fall in the spirit the spirit came and one day I said Lord why are you stirring me up what's going on in me I couldn't understand I went to church one Sunday and I collapsed the spirit came on me I had to be taken home I went into my prayer room there was a magazine called Life Magazine and there was a picture of seven boys indicted for murder they had killed a polio victim and I began to cry and the Holy Spirit whispered this is what it's all about I'm going to open a door go to New York City try to reach them go to the court and try to minister to them I have no money I'm a country preacher and I stood there and I said here I am and the Lord said I open the doors and I close the doors wait a young man comes up and another he said you're a preacher from the newspaper they dragged you out of the court we don't love the police we don't like what they did to you it was a gang leader that was the beginning of a ministry to gangs all true ministry every open door comes out and birthed out of prayer I prayed for months before coming here what's my message I can show you in my office notebooks notebooks with 20 years of sermons I picked one out the other day in that one year about 30 sermons I leafed through them I said no close it I'm the only one that knows what's happening there and when you stand there I'll tell you what's happening I'll show you the need and this afternoon about 4 o'clock the Holy Spirit came He said you're going to talk tonight how I open and close doors and the need of this country is to remember how God opens the doors if God's going to do something in this country it's not coming out of a committee I don't care if you're Pentecostal Baptist, Methodist Episcopal have all the meetings and meetings are necessary God does use planning but it has to be birthed out of a man out of the heart of a man out of the heart of a woman who's been shut in with God you know what's happening today pastors get discouraged they see a church over here lots of people are coming they have big screens big music programs and little by little everybody is sucked into that church some churches are having to close their doors and then the panic hits the heart rather than go to prayer until God changes our outlook until we get messages from the heart of God that touch and melt people we go to some big conference to learn how to learn the secrets to buy the books and buy all the tapes empty your pockets because it costs a lot of money and nothing happens there's a pastor and his wife came to me backstage in our church he was from Europe he had a church of about 600 and it was falling down in attendance and he got panicked came to the United States spent two months traveling to churches all over America to find a secret some way to build his church back up he came backstage he was weeping he was leaving to go home the next day he said Pastor David and he told me the story he said I've been to all these so called great movements and I found nothing there was no true spirit they were all human efforts human entertainment left my soul dry Holy Spirit came on me I turned to the pastor and his wife I said you built your church on prayer you knew how to call on God you spent hours on your face now both of you neither of you I said I say this in love you don't pray you don't see God they began to weep they said that's it we receive it we're going home and if nobody wants to join us we're going to seek God once again 20 years ago now I told you I'm 75 I've been preaching over 50 years but 20 years ago I was walking the streets of New York and cocaine had just broken out most of the time it was heroin but a horrible invasion of cocaine crack cocaine hundreds were dying I was walking down 42nd street in Times Square and the drug pushers were selling the drugs and they were saying this hey I got the good stuff I got the pure coke I got the stuff that will kill you and that was the advertisement death the ultimate high and for years I knew in my heart if death becomes the ultimate high we're lost it'll be chaos and this is what they're selling this is the ultimate high sniff this and die I started weeping I said oh God we're losing a whole generation and I began to cry out to God right in Times Square Broadway and 42nd street and I said God there's only one little church on a side street will you raise up a church right in Times Square and confront this raise up a testimony if you do that find a young preacher I'll support him I'll raise money for him I'll come and preach for him and the Holy Spirit whisper to my heart no you do it you love this city you do it I backed away I said Lord the only buildings are theaters they're not going to let a church come into a theater and the Lord said I open doors and I close doors I went home I said how do you do this I'm an evangelist I don't know how to pastor I pastored when I was young but now where's millions and millions of dollars come from then I remembered how God opens doors you don't just say I take a word and I believe it and run with it faith comes by hearing hearing by the word you go to the word and you begin to pour over that word and the Lord told me that still small voice you remember how I started folks there are 500 I think 480 near 500 of those drug centers around the world now and almost everyone were birthed out of individual prayers of young men that got division somebody got stirred somebody began to pray I spent months just praying I walked the streets of New York and just weep and cry for souls I wasn't looking for a big theater I said Lord just give me a little theater Lord if you can anything but I remember and I can tell you from my heart it was those hours laying on my face said God this is impossible to human flesh folks I had what they call success I had an open door around the world but that doesn't mean anything that opens doors to people but that's not what moves God's heart you see after the years I have experience I know how to raise money a lot of things I didn't know when I was a young man but now I had some knowledge but I couldn't think my way through this no way neither do you when you face a door that's closed you can stay up all night and try to figure out when financial doors close when the doors all around you begin to close in on you there's nobody to go to that's a problem we're looking for somebody some good man of God some prophet give me a word some mature man of God some mature woman of God I'll tell him my problem and maybe I can get an answer now thank God for counselors thanks God for men and women of experience and maturity but I'm not going to embarrass my God anymore if I go to a man if I go to somebody else it'll only be after I've been with him and anything a man tells me he's only going to confirm what God told me can I tell you that God is shutting doors? I see God shutting doors of churches all over the world you say here comes the negative preaching no I see God working all over South America Latin America God's moving in many places but at the same time church after church after church the doors shut the Episcopalian church in America is split in two in England the church of England shutting down huge churches shutting the doors but he's also shutting down Pentecostal churches Baptist churches a lot of Evangelical churches that are full the people are there but God has shut the door he said Ichabod this church is not mine when God says Ichabod doesn't matter what happens I don't care if people are lined a mile away if the man in the pulpit the man who heads this if he's not seeking God he may have failed God but he has a repentant heart he has a broken heart he has no ego he's not trying to keep up with somebody he's not competing with somebody he's willing to take the lowest seat in the house and what his real concern is to give the full gospel a complete gospel including the message of heaven and hell and the preaching of the cross of Jesus Christ and the cross of Christ with all of its sacrifice and all of its conviction for sin all of its merit and everything the cross represented if the cross the blood is not held before the people God shuts the door and even though God loves that people and God still loves that servant I'm telling you this I see more and more churches and pastors compromising they don't want to offend anybody they want to preach a smooth, soft gospel they don't want to offend people that would leave the congregation let me bring this to a close in a moment God answered prayer and he opened the door he opened the door to the most beautiful theater in New York City and for 20 years Times Square Church has been blessed with people coming to the altars in nearly every service and God has answered the cry of my heart before I close this is one thing I want to say before I close I thank God for all of these drug centers around the world I thank God for Times Square Church but you see now I'm what they call an old man I've had young preachers ask me what's your greatest problem now what's your greatest concern after all these years of preaching after all these years of preaching and from my heart I have to tell you it's this battle to stay on my knees the battle because I want to say to my father Lord one more time before I go home draw me back to the closet don't let me drift away I see your church drifting I see so many people preaching just a happy gospel I hear nothing about the judgment that's coming I don't hear prophetic voices I see no people weeping and I don't want to go home I don't want to face Jesus knowing in my heart while I'm still here oh yes and this is what Jesus said to the Philadelphia pastor he said you have a reputation of being a man of God that you're right that you're holy that you're dead oh that hit me today and I'm not trying to work on your emotions I'm preaching to you from my heart with this I close what's your reputation people think you're a good man good woman I hear people say when I walk by or behind my back oh he's a praying man God uses that man and in my heart I said oh God there are times I feel so dry and empty that people only knew my true heart they would know the weakness they would know the doubts that sometimes flood my mind but oh God I can't pray just because I want to I can't come back to the secret closet I can't get a fresh burden for souls and that's you Holy Spirit God unless you do it in my heart but more than anything in the world I thank God for my family I thank God for all he's done in my life but now and pastor this should be what is in your heart and all the sisters that are here oh God once again one more time in these wicked days come on me by your spirit make me a man make me a woman of prayer I want it and I want to start it tonight please stand now come Holy Spirit with the love of God draw us forgive us for neglecting you for looking elsewhere forgive me forgive us forgive your church oh God in the next few days turn our hearts change us do something supernatural that's the only hope for the church in the Dominican Republic I have asked the Holy Spirit to make this a different kind of conference we have nothing to sell we didn't come to raise money first of all this won't take long but I have to do this this meeting is sponsored by a number of denominations we had lunch this afternoon with a group of leaders and as soon as I finish preaching tonight I felt a prompting of the Holy Spirit in my heart that we should pray tonight for the leaders if you're here tonight may I tell you this you may be the leader of a denomination or a fellowship or leader of a charismatic group or whatever it may be and I know what the devil would like to do get you so busy and so burdened with the care of those you love and the devil would love to draw you away from the power and the anointing that caused the Lord to put you in place I want the Lord by His Spirit to do for me because I submit myself tonight to the prayers of this congregation I'd like to have all the leaders come and stand here for prayer bring your wives with you for the prayers of this people all right may I just say this to you that are coming we do this in honor of your call right now I have over 5,000 people praying for me that God will keep me on my knees that God will give me a fresh vision a new brokenness I want hundreds that are here tonight to pray for you and I want the Holy Spirit to do something no man can do you didn't come here to have an American preacher chastise you and try to tell you what to do but I know you recognize the anointing congregation will you lift your hands wherever you are and would you pray for a fresh anointing and a renewed touch of the Holy Spirit upon all these that are leaders come now Holy Spirit everybody lift your voice call upon the Lord this is the future of the church this is where God is leading let all of us call on the Lord Lord for every leader for everyone called to lead others touch us again touch me again woo me and call me draw me back to your heart draw me closer Lord you're coming soon now is the time to renew our hearts not just everybody ask for a new touch of the Lord right now Lord touch me tonight come Holy Spirit touch everybody in this house because we ask you to come and touch us oh Lord hallelujah heal our sisters heal their bodies heal their spirits encourage their hearts tonight that God is still with them God still has his hand on them thank you Jesus thank you Holy Spirit thank you Jesus thank you Lord glory honor and praise to your name almighty God hallelujah thank you for your presence Jesus thank you Holy Spirit holy holy holy hallelujah digno de alabanza digno de hola arriba Honor and praise to your name, oh my glory, bless the Lord, oh my soul.
False Apostles, False Prophets (Spanish)
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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.