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The Power of His Presence
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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Sermon Summary
In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the need for a revelation of God's presence in our lives. She highlights the importance of being honest before God and allowing Him to reveal our sins and weaknesses. The preacher references biblical examples such as Isaiah and Daniel, who were humbled and crushed in the presence of God. She also mentions a future manifestation of God's presence, described in the book of Revelation, where there will be a great earthquake and the heavens will open, revealing Christ sitting on His throne. The preacher encourages believers to seek a demonstration of God's power and to pray for a revelation of His presence in their lives.
Sermon Transcription
The power of his presence is my message this morning the power of his presence heavenly father We're not going to behold you then we're going to behold you now Not in some distant time, but beholding your presence now Manifest yourself in our midst today You promised to manifest your presence Give us a taste of that the awesomeness of it the glory of it the power of your presence amen, and All the men that are upon the face of the earth shall shake at my presence Ezekiel 38 20 all the men that are upon the face of the earth shall shake at my presence and The mountains shall be thrown down and the steep places shall fall and every wall shall fall to the ground There's a very ominous scripture in the Bible that brings a lot of comfort to some Christians and it's it's this Matthew 7 22 now, please don't follow me. I'm going to be going through so many scripture. You can't just put your Bible down It's all there. I tell you Many will say to me in that day Lord Lord Have we not prophesied in thy name and in thy name we've cast out devils in thy name We've done mighty wonderful works. Then will I profess unto them? I never knew you depart from me either work iniquity Now that comforts the majority of Christians. Have you ever heard a Christian who believed that applied to them? It's often. Well, that can't be me. I've never prophesied. I've never cast out devils. I've not done these great works I've never met a Christian who believe that applied to them But let me give you a warning from the Holy Spirit this morning It does apply to everybody in this place now It has to do with everybody who has eaten the bread of life Who who has tasted of the living water everyone who's had communion if you've ever taken communion here Luke 1325 when once the master the house has risen up and he has shut the door And you begin to stand without and you begin to knock at the door saying Lord Lord open unto us He shall answer and say to you. I don't even know whence you are Then shall you begin to say but we've eaten and drunk in your presence and you have taught Amongst us and he shall say I tell you I know you not at all depart from me you work of iniquity You may be able to slouch off the first but you can't put off this warning Because these are those among the well-fed those who have been well taught Who ate the spiritual bread and drank the spiritual drink in the very presence of Christ? Those who've had communion in other words those who are to be called by his name those who are in the house It's possible to feast on the Word of God to drink his living water to hear revelation truth and still not even Enter into the power of his presence. If you go to the book of Ruth you see Ruth who is a type of the believer and You see her Leaving all forsaking everything a type of being born again and you see her tasting of the first fruits That's being filled with the Holy Spirit. She still hasn't met Boaz the type of Christ you good in the second chapter She saved and filled with the Holy Ghost and typing it. She's never even been in the power of his presence She's not even met Boaz yet. You says that possibly? Yes I know a lot of Christians saved and filled with the Holy Spirit who have never really known anything about the power of his awesome presence Now what was their iniquity because Jesus did call them workers of iniquity the iniquity of these who have been eating and drinking in? His presence heard this revelation knowledge and truth is that they did not tremble in his presence They did not tremble in his holy presence the devil's trembled But they did not the earth shook and the hills melted like wax the walls were crumbling in his presence, but they stood in his presence frivolous unbending unbroken Refusing to be melted or smitten or convicted David the psalmist said why not tremble or at the presence of your God? When Israel lost the fear of God and what they no longer trembled in the presence of the Lord they became brazen they became light and Surface they became wicked and their preachers became bags of wind That's what the scripture said Israel has dealt treacherously against me saith the Lord. They say evil shall not come upon us We will not suffer We will not have sword or famine and the prophets shall become wind and the word is not in them They have a rebellious spirit as the cage is full of birds or their houses full of deceit Therefore they become successful and they've grown rich They are wax and rich and they overlook the deeds of the wicked they don't care for the poor anymore the fathers yet They continue to prosper the prophets are blind and my people love to have it that way Isn't that tragic and the Lord goes on in the next verse and says will you not fear me? Why will you not tremble in my presence? Their hearts were so fixed on prosperity. They didn't even acknowledge his presence finally I'm not going to rail against God's people. I don't believe in that but I've got to make some comments on the flippancy I see in Pentecostal charismatic meetings today in conventions and conferences and in churches Where is the awe the majesty the trembling in his holy presence anymore? Why do we call the Almighty God of this universe daddy? Why do we come into his exalted presence with our filthy rags of flesh applauding him instead of falling on our face You know many times you people applauded this morning You applauded when they sang you applauded when I got up and I'm not railing on you I'm not spanking anybody, but if we were really in the awesome presence of God, there wouldn't be anybody clapping their hands except for his glory When Isaiah came into his presence he was humbled and smitten Smitten when the Lord's glory filled the temple even the seraphims covered their face with two of their wings They cried out. Holy. Holy. Holy is the Lord of hosts the post of the door were moved at the sound of his voice Isaiah cupped his face in his hands and he cried out woe is me. I'm undone. I'm unclean. All God's people are unclean What does that say to you when a holy man of God a holy? Prophet comes into the brilliant presence of the Lord and he has to confess his sins Ass and a voice that shook the earth and they trembled this wasn't daddy standing in front of them These weren't King's kids asking for blessings the Bible said but a great quaking fell upon us all and we fell to the ground Daniel's knees buckled. He said there remained if no strength in me. My vigor was turned to corruption I retained no strength. My face was toward the dust. I fell down in his presence Does that say something to you and me? When a beloved man of God a holy man like Daniel Sees the flaming eyes of God and can't even stand up or hold his head up How different today There was a charismatic meeting recently and a woman preached of I mean she preached the masterful sermon and they gave her a five-minute standing Ovation if it had been from the throne of God Everybody in that place would have been on their face repenting and seeing their sins as Isaiah and Daniel did Shouldn't we as an audience be on our face when his presence appears Should we be judging sin in our life? Shouldn't our self-righteousness drain out of us Where do you find meetings today where people quake in the presence of the Lord and cup their hands in their face and say? Where is me? I've been living an adult. I've been living in sin. I've been compromising. I'm not truly devoted to the Lord Jesus Christ Now we're to come into his courts with praise and thanksgiving but not frivolously or presumptuously Let me tell you what a wicked King by the name of Darius said and he said more than many Charismatic prophets and preachers have ever said and this is an ungodly King who's just seen a demonstration of God shutting the mouths of lions And he says it to all of us here's here was it here was his warning all that dwell on the earth and every Dominion in my kingdom Tremble and fear before the God of Daniel because he's a living God and he has dominion I'm asking everybody in my kingdom to tremble in his presence wicked King We don't tremble out of fear We trembled the awesome power that's our disposal We tremble it is awesome holiness not because it's arrayed against us, but before us on our behalf Not to bring fear but to bring the awe of glory Do you know that the child of God who really knows the Lord if you've really been in his presence You become less concerned about your rights and your blessings and you become more enthralled with his presence The casualness will give way to a dignity Do you know there was a time you couldn't come into a truly Spiritual service People whispering there was at all There was a husband people came Because he'd been locked in his presence through the day and they came in not gossiping They came there sat there in the presence of the Lord. It was awesome. It was holy. There's dignity I'm so sick and tired of the likeness and the frivolity in the shallowness Informality gives way to reverence and a holy esteem There've been times I've been in the presence of the Lord I passed out once in a meeting and I was in the third heaven and I saw his glory didn't see his face But I was in his actual presence and in his glory for half an hour And when I came out my wife couldn't talk to me. Nobody dared talk to me There was an aura there was a sense of his presence Nobody dared tell a joke in my presence because I had the glory of his presence And if I'm just his servant and I had a touch of it, what's it like when his actual presence appears? Will there be any joking will there be any applauding? No Our meetings have become like entertainment centers I'm so sick of it. I don't allow any clapping it. I don't allow any plotting doing my preaching anywhere I go God's about to do something new folks. The charismatic renewal is not the last outpouring before Jesus comes It's the Feast of Tabernacles and that's a holy manifestation of the actual presence of Jesus Dealing with sin and iniquity and bring us into the heavenlies in Christ Jesus a new bread of men who have been in his presence. I Want to make a few statements concerning the awesome power of his presence first of all God's people are becoming powerless because they're getting away from the power of his presence becoming very weak Let's look at Jonah for an example Here's a prophet of God Jonah really enjoyed the presence of the Lord He had been given a vision of the prosperity of Israel that God was going to restore Israel and he loved that kind of Revelation knowledge. He loved being in the presence of the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords Jonah must have really been close to the Lord or he could not have possibly heard such clear direction as he received Arise go to Nineveh and preach to that great wicked city. No man gets that clear direction unless he's been in his awesome presence Nobody gets that clear direction as he really knows the Lord It had been an exciting up to this time it had been exciting Experience or he could go around God is wonderful He could sing and shout in the presence of the King because they've been no demands made on him yet It comes the time the presence of Lord makes a demand on you There was a personal demand being made rise up and preach against sin He was to go and threaten the whole society. He was supposed to go preach hellfire and brimstone to a whole society But Jonah rose up to flee to Tarsus from the presence of the Lord The Lord had told him to go preach prosperity to Israel. He would have obeyed If the Lord had told him to go to preach to the kings of Israel and tell them the Great Restoration is coming He would have gone but Lord, I am NOT going to go preach hellfire. I'm not going to denounce sin I'm not going to threaten anybody with divine judgment and Especially not to such a corrupt society. Is there that? He refused to call Now you remember who he's refusing now. He's refusing him whose train is filled the temple From him whose face is as lightning his eyes as flame of fire And his arm is a polished brass He's running from him Whose very gaze buckles your knee. He's not running from anybody else. He's running from the presence of all my he God Why does a man flee from the presence of the Lord? You think Jonah was afraid of the Ninevites? No Was he too proud was he stubborn? No, if you want to know why Jonah ran away from Nineveh Toward Tarsus take a look inside your own heart. You don't have to look very far He was afraid of the sin in his own life You can't be bold as a lion when there's corruption inside because only the pure bold is a lion That Jonah had sin in his life There was corruption in Jonah And he knew he could not stand before that wicked crowd and preach against him because of that which was in his own heart That's the reason many parents who find their kids on pot their kids running around They can't take his stand because they know their kids have seen things in their life They can't stand up. I know preachers It can't stand up and thunder against sin because they took a look in their own heart and they melted like wax Because there was a corruption inside their own heart Do you know why you can't talk to your neighbors about sin on the job? You can't stand up and announce and pronounce judgment against sin now You do it leveling it because you but you can't do it because you've seen something in your own heart You've seen the compromise and you can't do it Jonah had sin in his life Therefore now which teaches another do you teach yourself? You that preach a man should not steal do you steal When you preach that a man should not commit adultery. Have you been committing adultery? There have been times in my ministry over past years that I could not thunder against sin Because I looked inside and I saw something that grieved me But one day when I saw his flaming eyes I Said Lord never again. Will I be uncomfortable around a man of God? Never again. Will I have a man who walks close to Jesus look beyond make me tremble Never again. God helping me. Will I ever have to sit in a house of God when the Lord's presence comes down mightily and feel? uncomfortable And tremble because of sin never Thank God he purged me Stripped away the dross and made me fit to come into his presence faultless and accepted in the beloved But you see when you've got sin in your life, you're going for a crisis you're going for a submarine ride for sure You'll go to the very gates of hell Now the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights And I tell you he was not a captive of the devil. He was a captive of the Lord It was if the Lord had said to the devil. It's he could said to the whole now. It's my fish This is my servant You can give him a ride You can take him down and give him a glimpse of hell But you can't hurt him and when he settled the same question you drop him off on the shores of obedience He's my man. You can't touch him I'm gonna look you right in the eye and tell you That a person who is filled with the Holy Spirit and living in the heavenly seated with Christ Jesus cannot be touched by Satan. No way He cannot be touched by the enemy First of all the reason I know that I can't be Possessed by demons because the devil can't even find me because my life is hid in Christ Jesus He can't even find me secondly when God cursed the devil and the demons He said you shall eat of the dust of the earth and my Bible said I was raised from the dust Not no dust you got dust in you he'll come and eat it You get the devil's ground he can get you now The devil can move around you and circumstance your circumstance. He give you ride in the belly of a whale But when you sell the sin question and you're ascended with Christ in heavenly places in Christ Jesus And you've accepted the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. You are absolutely immune from any possession of Satan because you are seated the right hand of the Father here in Christ Jesus and you can't tell me a Demon can go with you You can't cross the veil I have a demon follow you. I Want no part of it no part of it I've seen the supremacy of the Lord Jesus Christ and the glory of a resurrected life at the right hand of the Father In this crisis Jonah looks at his heart and In the belly of the well, he said they that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy And suddenly he sees himself for what he really is. He said I've been lying all the time I've been lying about the pride that's in my heart There's been deception in him. There were blind spots that have been unexposed up to this time up to this time he'd been walking as the Gentiles and Ephesians in the vanity of their own minds having their understanding dark and alienated from the life of God to the ignorance that was in them because of the blindness of their own heart and in the Belly the well Jonah cries out forgive me and he deals with the lying vanities in him That was God at work I Told the conference the other night. I'd much rather fall in the hands of the devil than fall in the hands of an angry God You see the Lord told us to go into all the world and preach the gospel and we looked inside our own hearts and we Melted and we don't go Because we can't look at the mirror But it was by reason of Jonah's affliction He cried out to God and prayed and confessed and confessed and renewed. God's not going to turn you over to Satan He'll not forsake you in your crisis He allowed the devil to take you in his submarine and show you a glimpse of hail He'll let seaweed and dark water swirl around your head and God will allow a crisis to be created in your life So that just knowledge won't get you out. You have to have a revelation. You have to be honest before God And when he reveals the ugliness in you and humbles and crushes you then he reaches in and said Satan That's as far as you can go spit him out Hallelujah Now let me tell you secondly that it's in the presence of Christ that sin is exposed as Welks as wax melts before the fire so that the wicked perish at the presence of God The enemy shall fall and perish at thy presence The heart cry of mine and I believe it should be the heart cry of every church that loves Christ should be for a Demonstration a revelation of the awesome power of his presence. We should be praying that Consider what happened to Peter when he got a Demonstration when Jesus committed himself to give him a revelation of his presence. Do you remember these words? Now when he left speaking, he said to Simon launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a drought Now remember this picture Simon was there probably touched him Simon sat there pushed the boat out and Simon was in the boat with him and Simon sat there while for hours Christ taught the crowd He'd spent a whole night after that trying to catch fish and nothing came Now He'd seen Christ that day he'd heard him and probably touched him He was with in arm's length he was in the presence of Christ, but he had no revelation of who he was Christ did not committed himself to give Peter a revelation of his presence. I want you to notice something now Then Jesus said I want you to cast out again and cast your nets on the other side Because Christ was about to manifest himself to Peter Listen to it. They enclosed then a great multitude of fishes and their nets broke and they beckoned under their partners which were in the other ship and they filled both ships so that they began to sink When Simon Peter saw it what a manifestation of the presence of Christ When Simon Peter saw it he fell down at Jesus knees saying depart from me for I'm a sinful man. Oh Lord What happens when Christ says I'm going to commit myself to you do you remember the story in the Bible of the disciples that came to him Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover and the feast day many believed in his name When they saw the miracles which he did but Jesus did not commit himself unto them because he knew all men he knew what was In them. He said I will not commit my presence I will not commit a revelation of my presence to those who follow me only for the fish and the loaves and the Mousetides and the wonders in America. I will not manifest my presence. I will not commit myself to you I know what's in you you want me for what I give you You don't want me for who I am. I will not manifest myself to you. I will not commit myself to you There are many many people that think they've been in the presence of the Lord They come to a meeting and people being healed They cry we want to see the science and the wonders and the miracles and I believe in science and wonders and miracles I believe that that that is just the automatic result of a demonstration their presence of Christ First of all people fall on their knees their sins are exposed and those who need healing get healing without anybody touching them It's simply because they're in the presence of the Lord And he said you people you you you you follow me for the miracles But I'm not going to commit myself to you and I go to many services where people claim so many things You know, they want to wave crutches around And say look what we've seen No, it's what we've experienced of him the Christ has committed himself. We've had a manifestation of his presence And I sit in the service and I hear a lot of noise I hear people clapping, but I don't see or feel I'm actual manifestation of the real presence of Jesus Said I'm not gonna commit myself to you. But now here's Peter Peter been there all day He hadn't seen or heard. He didn't hear it was going in one ear now the other There was the very Son of God, but he didn't know who he was His sins hadn't been exposed yet You know Jesus had been teaching surely in that teaching of Christ his sins would have been exposed His sins were not exposed He didn't see his own heart and then suddenly the Lord looks at Peter and sees a hungry hearth And he says I'm going to show him who I am I'm gonna reveal myself to him says Peter cast out and when he sees that great thing fear comes over him and Suddenly he goes to Christ and he falls before his knees and takes his feet and grabs and said Oh depart from me Son of God, I'm a wicked man Why did Peter say that because he had a revelation of who Jesus was he was in the actual presence of the Lord the Holy Spirit revealing him Hallelujah Peter James and John and the sons of Zebedee were exposed in their sins because they were witnessing a supernatural revelation The demonstrations of the presence of Christ they weren't dancing they weren't applauding or shouting or laughing They were smitten for their sins. They were on their knees. They couldn't stand in his holy presence You know what would happen here this morning if everybody in this house had spent time with God this morning or yesterday Getting into his presence honoring him focusing on him becoming detached from material things and Focusing everything within us all our energies on Jesus Christ and him ascended we came into this place Asking for him to commit himself to us He won't commit himself to harlots and prostitutes of the spirit. I Mentioned it the other night in the the crusade That the the sin of Sodom Was that the woman was not needed? That spiritual sodomy that spiritual homosexuality the woman is the church And many people don't need it. They're running all around this. I don't need the church The body of Jesus Christ is is the man see the lesbian that said he didn't need the man That's Christ many people have a form of godliness, but they really don't know him. They don't need the man and then the real sin of Sodom was that the virgins were marrying homosexuals and not having intercourse because Lot had two virgin daughters the scripture says and then when lot fled he called for sons-in-laws So they were married and they were not having intercourse and that's a type of many people who go to church But they are spiritual sodomites Because they have not had intimacy They're married. Yes, they sound married to Christ, but they don't know him. They've not touched him There's no intimacy with him Christ did not committed himself to them yet because there is no desire to go all the way with him Please turn the tape over for the remaining part of this message So we I feel God's more concerned about the spiritual homosexuality the spiritual sodomy than the physical And if we'd come into this place this morning Saying Oh Jesus manifest your awesome presence Not one of you could toy with the sin that he's told you to lay down Not one of you could stand You'd have your hand in your face saying Oh God. I see things that I didn't know were in me. Oh God, there are lying vanities in me. There are things that you've been telling me to do. I've lost my burden for souls I don't weep and cry for my unsaved anymore. I'm so attached to material things. I'm so attached to this world I'm not what I used to be How many of you could remain unbroken It's not just a matter of being clear before the eyes of God It's a matter of saying how short we've come of the glory of the Lord. We've fallen so short of his glory Now John the Revelator said there's a day coming when there's going to be a mighty manifestation of his presence And I believe it's not far away He said it's going to start with a great earthquake. The Sun's going to become black as sackcloth The moon won't be able to shine. It'll return to blood The stars are going to fall like figs shaken in the wind the heavens are going to open like a scroll every mountain island is going to be moved out of its place and There before the eyes of all mankind will be manifested Christ sitting on his throne and the kings of the earth and the great men the rich men and the chief captains and the mighty men every Bondman every free men hid themselves in the dens and the rocks of the mountains They said to the rocks and mountains fallen us hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb Before that happens the prophets you see it in Isaiah. You see it in Paul You see it Malachi all predicted that the Redeemer Christ is coming to his church Zion Before he comes and he's going to give the greatest commitment Manifestation of his presence that Christ has ever given to the world the Redeemer Isaiah 5920 the Redeemer shall come to Zion and unto them that turn from transgression Paul said there shall come out of Zion to deliver and shall turn away Ungodliness from Jacob and he shall take away their sins, but Malachi I put it best How succinctly he put it and the Lord whom you seek Shall suddenly come to his temple. I'm going to believe the Word of God And who the Lord whom you seek shall suddenly Come to his temple Then who's going to abide the day of his coming who among you are going to be able to stand when he truly appears Because he's coming like a refiners fire and like fuller soap He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver and he shall purify the sons of Levi that's the ministry first He's going to purge them as gold and silver That they may offer unto the Lord an offering and righteousness and I will come near to you in judgment. I Prophesy I tell you now in the name of the Lord with everything in me. I see it. I know it He's going to come with a manifestation of his presence They're going to be cut times that you come into the house of God and if you're willing to deal with your sin He's going to manifest himself you don't have to give an altar call when that happens because people exposed and they run they fall on their face before God because Christ is being manifested his awesome presence And you see when that happens you're transformed You're transformed by what you behold You become what you look at you become what you behold But we are with an open face beholding is in a glass the glory of his presence We're cheer. We are changed into the same image from glory to glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord You become what you behold If you're looking at demons all the time If you're looking at prosperity all the time if you're looking at health and wealth all the time you become what you behold Why not look to Jesus and heal all because you're changed into his image by beholding his face Hallelujah Paul said I've determined to know nothing among you nothing. I'm gonna preach anything. He said but Jesus Christ him crucified I'm going to hold on to the head I'm going to come into the fullness of Christ that we may all grow up in all things Which is the head even Christ that he may fill all things unto him be glory in the church That he may fill all things that he may fill your life and your mind and your spirit I've been beholding him high and lifted up How it's purged my heart What's opened his word to me No one tell you what he's about to do for he's about to raise up a new people we're moving out of the Feast of Pentecost Into the Feast of Tabernacles and it just doesn't happen overnight. It's it's it's a kingdom that's changing We are moving. You see when you got saved nearly this was from Luther on that was the outer court Pentecost is the holy place But now it's the Holy of Holies and the Holy of Holies What's there the ark in the mercy seat? That's Christ on his throne And he said they're going to be a people last days that are seated in heavenly places in Christ Jesus who become detached from the world who've gone out to meet him and The Lord is raising up a people a body right now all over the country. I'm meeting them. I'm discerning them. I See here and there not many but just a sprinkling of somebody God preachers and other preachers Baptist I'm at many of them in this Baptist or James Robinson Convention many I discerned the body many many men being awakened seek in the face of God shut in with the Lord night and day a Revelation of who he is a manifestation of his presence sin being dealt with a holy people in a dark age He said if you won't do it, I'll call my people by another name. He'll bypass you You're gonna be left but nothing but empty shadows and dreams You'll come here your choir will go through the motions and that you're going to hear of a fire burning down here a young man That's touched God. You'll see a people. Holy sanctified not caring about what kind of clothes people wear not caring about how what kind? Of job they have but just loving Jesus so possessed with him so obsessed with the vision of Jesus Christ people almost otherworldly Seeking him that have moved out saying he's coming the bride grooms coming go out to meet him The church is not ready and the Lord's not going to come he says not coming until until what every enemy is made his footstool He's not coming before you tell me all the signs that you want about the coming of Jesus He's not coming till every enemy has made his footstool until he has a race of men who bring down the strongholds of the enemy and bring Christ back and glory and Power and authority it never was God's plan for Christians to live in defeat and adultery and sin He's he was coming for an overcoming people and he's getting it ready for moving into the feast of the tabernacles We've been there three or four years now, and it's soon to break out in his glory and I'm not going to miss it I'm moving into the Holy of Holies Purged and sanctified by his spirit I'm going to close in a moment, but I I Had a tremendous experience once for about five hours Being carried out and a stream of praise Way out into the cosmos to pass the stars racing toward the throne the judgment seat and in that black space racing closer and closer to the Lord in the judgment seat I Saw the earth becoming just a little speck in space Just a tiny little speck and it was about to vanish And the Bible said on the judgment day, there'll be no place to stand There's no nothing firm. You're suspended in His grace There's nothing left. The only thing you're going to have when he takes you toward the judgment seat is the knowledge of Christ The fullness of himself and if you don't have that you have nothing and I looked at that little Pin in space it was about to vent little light pin of light is about to just go black I remember in my subconscious mind screaming Oh God That was my whole world My ministry is gone The family the house the car everything's gone So I'm gonna be gone there's nothing left So God my whole world everything I held there is gone and Now I've got to face you And at first there was a moment of fear and then I remembered the judgment seat of Christ for the overcomers is when you're finally Getting the kiss on the cheek That he's going to present you faultless and that the judgment seat you don't have to fear if you've been in the feast of tabernacles If you've been in the holy place, that's just the moment. He comes in and say well done And he puts his arm around you Spotless without fault with exceeding great joy and you stand outside the judgment seat and then when you're ushered into his presence He stands and says my beloved my beloved puts his arms around you and what a rejoice When I went into his presence I Heard the singing of all the angels. I heard seraphims. I heard choirs So someone said they had a vision of heaven Gold streets gold flowers everything is that how boring? I'm boring. I don't want to go to an all-gold City. Oh No, it's more than that. He's saying something about purity and holiness. I Don't need there's no such thing as his actual physical gold streets I don't want to walk on any gold suit because when I was in his presence I didn't see his face, but I I was on my face I passed out in the pulpit for half an hour while the Lord took me into the heavens in his presence I didn't want to see my wife or family. I didn't want to see my godly father who passed on I didn't want to see Abraham Isaac or Jacob. I didn't want to see anybody want to see streets of gold. I didn't want to see mansions I wanted to touch him his presence was so full. He said my right hand her pleasures and glory forevermore and My consciousness I realized in eternity. We're going to have an expanded consciousness that all three eternity We're going to learn more and more of his grace and the ecstasy is going to grow and grow and of his kingdom and knowledge There is no end and all three turn. He's going to tell us of his glory He's going to expand our consciousness and the glory and the joy and the ecstasy will grow and grow and grow It's not level. It's not static. It's ever expanding It was so full. I really believed that if I had stayed there if the Lord had let me just go another five minutes I would never come back. I didn't want to come back It was terrible to wake up Be here on earth, but then I realized that I'm already there you waiting for your heaven I've got my heaven right now. I'm in the right hand of God seated in Christ Jesus. I've taken my position by faith I don't live with bondage or fear I don't permit the devil to take dominion anymore because I know who I am in Christ Jesus. She didn't have any place Now before I close I'm gonna ask him to do what he said he would to just come In a simple manifestation of his presence It's not if I could say how many of you believe Jesus is here and you could raise your hand But that doesn't produce it Doesn't mean he's here He's here because people want to deal with their sin It was said to Nathanael the only disciple it was said to Behold an Israelite in whom there's no guile or sin Behold, you'll have an open heaven I'm going to tell you something the moment you get honest and lay down your sin in your pride The heavens open to you. You'll see Christ like you've never seen him You'll see a manifestation of his presence people will see it in you. Don't know it. They'll touch it You'll be a reap. You won't have to even witness at the job You'll be a reproach because Christ will be so powerful you you'll be a pro reproach everybody around you it'll emanate from you and when people need they'll come to you to be attracted because of the presence of Christ in you and you People are living in sin will want to move away Don't move the next few because there's something about you You have an open heaven you've had a commitment of his presence in your life, aren't you hungry We're gonna deal with sin When as God Place you before the judgment seat right now because that's where he is. That's where we are where his judgment seat I'm not gonna ask you to tell me what it is. You've been sitting here said brother Wilkinson Oh How far I've gone from what you're talking about They call me a prophet I'm not but I do prophesy And I'm prophesying right now God sent me here to tell you this church can miss it And if you miss it, you're gonna miss it in the next few weeks There should be people Sunday night coming in here on their knees up here seeking God before the service So that there's this there's an atmosphere created in this place. There ought to be people calling on God like never before Humbling themselves dealing with sin saying Lord. I want that open heaven. I want my family saved before he comes Hallelujah Jesus Jesus Jesus Manifest your presence There gonna be people all this building suddenly sense your presence Lord, not everybody's going to sense it but some are you're you're committing yourself to individuals right now your presence There's some young people now that have been walking you long enough playing and flirting with their sin There are people here Lord Christians that have been walking with you for years Lord that are not Dealing with that thing in their heart that you put your finger on And the Lord said now is the time I Dealt with you long enough I'm going to come to you this morning Give you a sense of my presence Convict you once more Come all the way or none at all if I'm not Lord Of all I can't be Lord at all Jesus be Lord now speak to us about the sin in our lives If you feel Holy Spirit search and you you see his flaming eyes And you'd feel his presence this morning. You said David. I want him to break me and melt me And take it all You want to lay it down get up and just come up here and stand Bowing his presence and say Jesus here it is. I'm not gonna stick a microphone under your face I'm gonna touch and they're gonna be near you. I just want you to get it out So we can get an open heaven
The Power of His Presence
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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.