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A Private Moment for Times Square Church
Carter Conlon

Carter Conlon (1953 - ). Canadian-American pastor, author, and speaker born in Noranda, Quebec. Raised in a secular home, he became a police officer after earning a bachelor’s degree in law and sociology from Carleton University. Converted in 1978 after a spiritual encounter, he left policing in 1987 to enter ministry, founding a church, Christian school, and food bank in Riceville, Canada, while operating a sheep farm. In 1994, he joined Times Square Church in New York City at David Wilkerson’s invitation, serving as senior pastor from 2001 to 2020, growing it to over 10,000 members from 100 nationalities. Conlon authored books like It’s Time to Pray (2018), with proceeds supporting the Compassion Fund. Known for his prayer initiatives, he launched the Worldwide Prayer Meeting in 2015, reaching 200 countries, and “For Pastors Only,” mentoring thousands globally. Married to Teresa, an associate pastor and Summit International School president, they have three children and nine grandchildren. His preaching, aired on 320 radio stations, emphasizes repentance and hope. Conlon remains general overseer, speaking at global conferences.
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Sermon Summary
In this sermon, the speaker reflects on the life and ministry of Pastor David Wilkerson, who was used by God to bring the message of Christ to the streets of New York City. Pastor Wilkerson preached with the demonstration of the Spirit and the power of God, reaching out to gangs and young people in the city. He constantly pointed people to Jesus Christ and the cross, emphasizing the power of the Holy Spirit and the faith that lifts us out of mediocrity. Pastor Wilkerson's life and ministry serve as an example for the church to confound the world system and serve and comfort people in need.
Sermon Transcription
I'd like to call the sharing that the Lord has given me this morning a private moment for Times Square Church. It's our time to mourn and to celebrate the life of our beloved founding pastor, David Wilkerson. He passed away suddenly on Wednesday in a motor vehicle accident. And the Lord has been speaking to my heart this week that we need a private time. Because by May 14th, cameras of the world, the eyes of the world will be here on this church. There will be a lot of places streaming in. There are millions whose lives have been touched by Pastor David Wilkerson. And people will be coming from all over the world. And we as the body of Christ that are assembled here in New York City are going to be called to serve and comfort people. Now, we have every opportunity to come into this house. And every time we look at the glory of this sanctuary, every time we clap our hands and sing songs like we just did, we're going to have that constant reminder of our founding pastor and how he let Jesus Christ so use his life and so brought glory to the name of Christ and touched our lives and led us in a way that we should go. Every time the raven truck goes out, every time somebody feeds a hungry person, every on-call medicine with a mission trip that goes to Haiti and around the world, everybody who builds a shelter in the name of Christ in Mexico and other places. Everything, every ministry, everything we do will always be a reminder to us. So we will have that constant reminder. We'll have a chance to say thank you daily. But the people who are coming from around the world, we had over 300 requests the first day from dignitaries, denominational leaders and such like. So that's 600 seats in the sanctuary on day one, and that's only the first day. We are most likely going to be called as a congregation to give our place and to allow those who are coming from around the world to gather here and to mourn and to say goodbye to their friend. Many ex-drug addicts who have gone on into ministry, one of the hallmarks of Brother Dave's life in ministry is that people were radically transformed by the power of Almighty God. Not only transformed, but many went on into ministry, became great soul winners in their own right, and this is their only chance to come and say goodbye to their spiritual father. I think if you and I are to model the imprint of David Wilkerson, who was truly a servant to the body of Jesus Christ, and I know you remember the message he spoke where he said that Jesus took a towel and washed the feet of weary travelers. And I think if God gives us that privilege on May 14th, we would be a wise congregation to take that privilege and allow those who have only one opportunity to come into this sanctuary to say goodbye to perhaps next to Jesus Christ, in many cases the best friend that many people ever had. We are going to be updating our website, and obviously next Sunday I'll be speaking and giving you further details on that. We're presently searching for a rather large facility. Madison Square Garden right now is under renovation, and half the seats are out, so we can't get that. And we're looking at the Javits Center and other places, because thousands and thousands of people are headed this way. We have to be able to accommodate them as best as we're able to do so. If anyone has any information or inside ability, if you could call Lane Paulson at our office, and we may have to get several locations, and we're looking at that right now. We'll have buses here to take people to these locations, so please be patient with us. We'll try to get the information onto the website and to you as quickly as we can. I spoke with Brother Dave last Monday morning, and he was very tired. I just had a chance to encourage him on the telephone and tell him I would be down next week to visit him. I didn't realize the circumstances then, and he said, I'm looking forward to that. And he didn't know the Lord was about to take him home. I will be visiting him. Pastor Theresa and I will be leaving for the airport right after this service this morning. I thank God for the comfort in my heart and in yours that we're mourning, and we should because we're designed by God to do that. The days of mourning will be upon us for a while, but weeping may endure for a night, but joy is coming again in the morning. Thank God for the joy. I get tremendous personal comfort from the thought of Brother Dave dancing around the throne of God. I saw him dance on this platform one time, quite unexpectedly. I don't even know what provoked it, really. I don't think in the natural, he was a very good dancer, I have to be honest. But there was such a grace on him, he just suddenly left his seat and started to dance all over the platform, and there was such a grace, he was in another place. And the first thought that came into my mind was, this must be what it looked like when David was dancing behind the ark as the presence of God was going into Jerusalem. I felt like I should join him, but being very white, very Canadian, very ex-cop, I couldn't bring myself to do it. But it wasn't my moment anyway, it was his moment. Pastor David noticed everything. He had an eagle's eye. One time my watch broke on Saturday night, and I need a watch to get through the service, and so I went down to Duane Reade's to buy a watch. And they didn't have any, strangely enough. So it was 10.30 or so at night, and I'm thinking, where am I going to get a watch? As I was heading back by the church, there's a guy with a little table on the corner over here selling watches for $6. So I thought, well, I'll buy one of these. Not only did you get a watch, you got a Herr's watch, you got cuff links, you got a tie. So I bought a watch, and I went home, and it worked. I thought, well, it just needs to work for one day, so I wound it up. And then I thought, after the service, I'll give it to some kid, or I'll just get rid of it and buy a watch. And so I'm standing in my seat, and I'm worshiping like this, and suddenly this voice right here says to me, where did you get that watch? Now, we are in the middle of worship. I don't have a lot of time to explain, and Brother Dave, he had a hard time hearing from his right ear. So I didn't know what to do, so I just leaned over and I said, I bought it from a guy on the corner last night. And then it was quiet for a while, we're worshiping, and then this voice comes again and says, don't we pay you enough? I learned, I stood, when I first sat on the platform 17 years ago, the Holy Spirit told me, I followed a rather strange instruction, but he said to me, don't turn to the left hand or to the right hand of everything that you're going to learn here. And don't turn this church in any other direction but the one that you're going to be taught. I remember telling Brother Dave that, I didn't fully understand that instruction, because in those days, I had absolutely no inclination of ever pastoring this church. I was actually quite surprised the day that Brother Dave told me that I would be the next pastor. It was in 2001, again, we were worshiping. He leans over to me and he says, it's time now, you're ready. And we're still in the middle of singing, so I said, ready for what? And he said, you're ready to lead this church. And then he just, that was it. He was a man of few words, but when he said something, he meant it. I learned more in the 17 years of standing next to him and listening to him worship. You know, people can try to teach you things and they can declare themselves to be one thing or another. But when you get to hear a man worship for 17 years, 16 actually, he hasn't been here for almost a year now. But when you get to hear a man worship, you learn a lot about him. And he would be worshiping God about a foot away from my ear. And he would be crying out constantly for the presence of the Holy Spirit. Because he knew without the Holy Spirit, none of us were anything. None of us had the power. And he told me so many times, Carter, if the Holy Spirit doesn't come, church is worthless. There's no point in meeting. He said, if God's Holy Spirit ever leaves this church, let's just close the doors and move on. There's no point to meeting. And he would, most of the time, while you're singing songs, he'd have his hands in the air and he'd be saying, oh, Holy Spirit, come. Oh, Holy Spirit, bless the people. Oh, Holy Spirit, give strength. The whole time, he'd be praying. When you'd think he was singing, most often, he was praying. And I learned more about the heart of Pastor David Wilkerson in those moments than anything. There was more there than any other thing I had an opportunity to learn and to see. I want to read to you the official obituary that's going to be posted very shortly. This is our moment, folks, as a church. This is David Wilkerson's funeral service for Times Square Church. We may not be able to meet, as I said, on May the 14th together. And so this is our time to celebrate the life of our spiritual father. David Wilkerson, a man of unlimited faith. Loving husband and father. Doting grandfather. Friend to the outcast and hurting. Fearless witness of Christ's saving power. Passionate voice for God to his church. Tender supporter of widows, orphans, and the poor. A spiritual father to generation upon generation. From the destitute to the powerful. From adults to teenagers. From loved ones to strangers. From every walk of life. These traits only begin to define the life of David Wilkerson. For over six decades, he served the Lord faithfully in ministry. Founding and leading outreaches that have grown internationally with each decade. Behind it all has been an unwavering belief in God's love for every human being. And his relentless desire to reach them. Brother Dave, as he liked to be called, was known literally to millions for his unlimited faith. He believed God could change the lives of gang members and transform the most desperate drug addicts. And the Lord did. He believed a dynamic church could be launched in the heart of Times Square, New York City. And God brought it to pass. He believed he could be a man who loved his wife and children well. And he did. David Ray Wilkerson was born on May 19, 1931 in Hammond, Indiana. To a line of devoted Pentecostal preachers. After he was ordained in the Assemblies of God in 1952, he met and married the love of his life, Gwendolyn Carasso. Who would serve beside him in ministry for 57 years. From the very beginning, Brother Dave applied a creative, innovative spirit to ministry. In an early pastorate, he drove a car up the aisle of the church to illustrate a humorous point. Yet he preached from anguish and pain. Believing that God works through our weakness. He knew that God confounds the wisdom of the world to reveal himself. And that truth was proved again and again by the ministries that Brother Dave founded. In 1958, he traveled from his small church in Phillipsburg, Pennsylvania to reach out to gang members on trial in New York City. He had never been to New York. He had certainly never met a gang member or a drug addict, according to his brother, Don Wilkerson. He just came here with his simplicity, his naivety, whatever you want to call it. And he changed people's lives. As Brother Dave's friend, McCandish Phillips, the New York Times reporter wrote, His method was an absolute model of simplicity, directness, and non-sophistication. He just went out to the streets and mixed with the kids and reasoned with them face to face, often quoting the Bible, and it worked. Out of that bold move was born the Teen Challenge Ministry, a Christ-centered drug and alcohol rehabilitation program. The ministry became well known through the book, The Cross and the Switchblade, which has sold over 50 million copies and been translated into 30 languages. The ministry has grown to reach more than 1,000 centers in the United States and 80 other countries. The Lord then stirred Brother Dave to found Youth Crusades, his evangelistic ministry to young people. An entire generation became inspired that their lives mattered greatly to God. Brother Dave also wrote prolifically, his books inspiring generations of readers toward a life of holy devotion in Christ. The dozens of books he produced were filled with powerful insight, clarity, and conviction. He lived out the Christ-like example he wrote of, speaking continually of his own weaknesses and of Christ's faithfulness to him. Like his namesake, King David of old, Brother Dave served God's purposes in his generation. He preached with uncompromising passion and relentless grace. He was not one for fanfare, acclaim, or ceremony. He turned down invitations to meet with world leaders, yet he would give everything he owned to support a poor orphan or a widow in distress. His last mission on earth was to be an advocate for the poorest of the poor, to provide relief and support for hungry children, widows, and orphans in the U.S. and in impoverished countries. The outreach he founded to do this, Please Pass the Bread, ministers to thousands of children daily through 56 outreaches in eight countries. He ran his race well, and when he was finished, he was called home by his Lord. David Wilkerson impacted the lives of literally millions, and the God-inspired works he founded now outlive him. The impact of his life is immeasurable, not only in his preaching, writing, and founding of world-changing ministries, but in his love, devotion, compassion, and ability to stir our faith for greater works. David's son, Gary, offers this word to all who knew and loved his dad. I know if my father were able to encourage you with his words today, he would invite you to give your all to Jesus, to love God deeply, and to give yourself away for the needs of others. Brother Dave's final blog posting, titled, When All Means Fail, is a fitting word of departure to all those whose lives he touched. Beloved, this is what he said, God has never failed to act but in goodness and love. When all means fail, his love prevails. Hold fast to your faith. Stand fast in his word. There is no other hope in this world. David Wilkerson's passing is a deep, personal loss for many. Yet we rejoice knowing he lived life to the very fullest, in devoted obedience to God, and with a radical love for Jesus. Hallelujah. He often told me, Carter, take the lowest seat in the house. And he said, as the scripture says, if somebody more honorable than you shows up, you won't be embarrassed. And it's a good place to be, and Brother Dave did that. He took the lowest seat in the house. I remember in a convention one time when he introduced me as his pastor, how humbling and terrifying that was to hear those words come out of his mouth. How it showed the character of the man, a hundred times my superior, yet willing to be under the authority of somebody he had actually trained in Christ. I remember the day he told me, you are my pastor now. You are free to speak into my life. You are free to help me, to govern me, to help judge, and keep me safe. Of course, I would never abuse that position. He started to encourage me about a year ago to sit in his seat. I told him, not on your life. Because if you show up... So we had this standing joke between us. I said, I'll sit in your seat two weeks after your memorial service. One time he told me, he said, oh Carter, I'm really afraid I'm going to outlive you. And I said, well then you lose if you do. If I get to heaven first, I win. Well, I'm not going to sit in his seat. We're actually going to wrap it up and deliver it to the Wilkerson family after the memorial service. For them to have. Could you turn to Deuteronomy chapter 34? Please, if you will. I want to talk about where we as a church find ourselves today. Lord Jesus Christ, as we unlock the word today, I pray that you give me the anointing and touch of heaven to make this real. To each of our hearts. Help us to see the truth. God override our frailties. And lead us into the future. Thank you for the touch of the Holy Spirit. Thank you for the strength of God. Thank you for this congregation. Thank you for Pastor David's life. Thank you for the love of Jesus. And the strength of the Holy Spirit. We stand as your servants today, Lord God. Ready and willing to obey you. Willing to follow in the footsteps of Jesus Christ. As our founding pastor did. Help us not to walk too fast nor too slow. Keep us from turning to the left or to the right. Of all that we have learned. Guide us. I pray for unity in the body. Keep us unified. Lord Jesus Christ, deliver us. From all evil. And let us not be led into temptation. I pray God you keep this testimony intact. That the integrity of Christ will always be found here. Help us to know how to govern. The financial affairs of this church. The spiritual direction. The ministries to the poor. To the addicted in our city and throughout the world. Increase the testimony of Christ. And give us the grace, Lord. To be servants to all. Father, we ask this in Jesus' name. In the last chapter of Deuteronomy. This group of people. The people of Israel. Brought out of captivity. By a man called Moses. Found themselves in very much. The same place that we are in today. Moses was used of God to stand against hell. And called him out of darkness. He didn't come in strength. He came in weakness. Pastor David came to New York City. Not with strength. As a matter of fact, Nicky Cruz said he was so skinny. It wasn't worth beating him up. He didn't come as an eloquent preacher. He didn't come dazzling people. With his ability to put words together. He came in the demonstration of the spirit. And the power of God. He stood on the street corner. And he began to preach to gangs. He went into hovels and dens. And he began to reach out to young people in the city. And he's a type in our generation. Of somebody who lays hold of God. And stands as Moses did before Pharaoh. And says, let the people go. People that society. People that the casual observer would say. Have no help. No hope. No future. They'll never get out. They're under bondage. They'll never be free. The psychoanalysts having examined Nicky Cruz. Declared him unredeemable. That's in his record folks. Unredeemable. Too given to violence. Too twisted. Too inwardly damaged. To ever be a functioning member of society. But David Wilkerson stood before him. And said, Jesus loves you. And with those three words. It's as if they went. They penetrated down the corridors of all the abuse. All the witchcraft. All that was sent to keep this young man in captivity. And unlocked every door. Right to the core of his heart. And by the power of God. Nicky Cruz came out of darkness. And has become one of the greatest evangelists of our generation. His family are all living for God. And they are marvelously wonderful men and women of God. Let the world say about you what it will. Jesus loves you. Doesn't matter what the world says about you. The power of God can set you free. And he stood before hell. He stood. And that was the hallmark of his life. Coming to Times Square for example. To establish a church. Even the established church. Much of it said it will never happen. Can't happen. Can't be done. Impossible. But brother Dave never thought that word existed to God. With God all things are possible. He believed that if he was led of the Holy Spirit to do something. It just simply would happen. There was no questioning about it. You simply moved in the direction that God was leading. And here we are. Today. Moses led the people as a faithful shepherd. Through all their struggles. And he constantly opened to them the provision of God. For their hunger and their thirst. And he did it miraculously. There was this. This tangible evidence of the glory of God. As they walked through their own personal wilderness. They saw this provision. Just literally falling out of heaven. Every day. Water came out of the toughest of places. A way was made. When everything seemed impossible. A way was made. And we see it around us. This church in a sense is a type of manna from heaven. The provision of God. The ability of God to do what can't be done in the natural. Yet God did it. And Brother Dave would open the Bible. And constantly lead us to Jesus Christ. Constantly lead us to the cross. Constantly to the power of the Holy Spirit. Constantly to the faith that God is always looking for in a heart. To lift us out of mediocrity. And into that which God has. For every life and every heart that will open to him. So that we as the church of Jesus Christ. Can literally confound this present world system. This society that tries to live and be God on its own. But never could be. Instead the Lord says no. I'm going to reach out. I'm going to take the weak. I'm going to take the foolish. I'm going to take the poor. The nobodies. The nothings. The drug addicts. The prostitutes. Those even who are wealthy but know that they are inwardly poverty stricken. Without the life of God. I'm going to take these. I'm going to lift upon them. And confound the world through them. That has always been the plan of the church of Jesus Christ. There is no plan B. There are no surveys necessary. Brother Dave opened this word. I don't know about you. But brought my mind and spirit and thinking into a dimension of God. For which I am forever thankful. Through his preaching I came into a personal freedom. From areas in my heart and life that were always about a foot behind me. Trying to catch me. And through the preaching of the new covenant. I was brought to a place as you have. Of understanding. That the whole Christian life is to be lived. By accepting the sacrifice of God's son. For our atonement. Accepting the Holy Spirit is the power of God. To bring the promises of God into a reality in all of us. That it's not. I'm not accepted by my works. God doesn't even deal with me. He deals only with his son. And if his son is speaking my name at the throne. It doesn't matter what the devil throws at you or me. We have the right to condemn that voice. We have the right to say Satan if you got to get to me. You got to go through Jesus Christ. There is no other way you can get to me. If I am in Christ. For the devil to condemn me. He has to be able to condemn the son of God. And you and I have to understand that. Brother Dave brought us in. To the fullness of the understanding of the new covenant. He told me many times. Carter the new covenant. Is the key. To not only the church of Jesus Christ. Standing in the last days. But the church of Jesus Christ. Being victorious in the last days. The new covenant. Is the key. Moses brought the people to a place of promise. And in Deuteronomy 34. He saw it with his own eyes. And he could describe it so wonderfully. And it's amazing the similarity. In the latter part. Of brother Dave's life and ministry. The Lord brought him into the new covenant. I remember when I first came here in 1994. He shared with me. He said I have a promise of God. That is yet to be fulfilled. And he showed me in the Psalms. He said I will show to those who fear me. He says I will show them my covenant. He said God gave me that as a young minister. But I don't understand what it means. But the Lord is going to show me his covenant. And in the latter part of his ministry. And life. The new covenant was unlocked. And what an incredible victory it has been. For all of us. And the Lord took Moses. To a mountain as it is. And he showed him the promised land. He saw it. He saw where the tribes would be. It was a supernatural visit in a sense. Because he could see the whole of the promised land. Now you can't with your natural eye see that. But he saw it in the spirit. All the places where the people would dwell. What kind of a victory there would be. In their living. And very shortly after that vision. In verse 5 it says in chapter 34. So Moses the servant of the Lord died there. In the land of Moab according to the word of the Lord. And he buried him. In a valley in the land of Moab. Over against Beth Peor. But no man knows of his sepulcher unto this day. Moses was 120 years old when he died. His eye was not dim nor his natural force abated. And the children of Israel wept for Moses. In the plains of Moab 30 days. And so the days of weeping and mourning for Moses. Were ended. Brother Dave once told me. He said Carter when I die. Don't talk about me just move on. You have the Holy Spirit. Church has the Holy Spirit. He said don't let a shrine to me. Ever be erected. In Times Square Church. He knew he was an ordinary man. Indwelt by an extraordinary God. And that what he had become. Was within the realm of reach. Of all who would obey God. Moses died after seeing. This vision of the promised land. And his body was taken away by God. And so the people who loved him the most. Didn't even have a body to say goodbye to. Just like us today. We have to say goodbye. But it's as if God took his body into another place. And we don't have a body. We won't have a body here to say goodbye to. And then the season of weeping. It was 30 days. In the book of Deuteronomy. And so it is appropriate. I've prayed today not to break down in this pulpit. I've had some tough mornings. But I thank God. There's always been a comforter there. I broke down really hard a couple of days ago. And Pastor Tim Delina called me. And I couldn't talk when I answered the phone. And he just said I know. I understand. He said I just wanted to tell you I love you. And he just kept talking to me. And I couldn't answer him in the beginning. It was just a difficult morning. Weeping may endure for a night folks. But joy comes in the morning. Now turn your Bible over to the first chapter of Joshua. Because the question arises for us today as a church. Where do we go from here? Now when I say, when I refer to Joshua in this book. I'm reading it in the context of Joshua being every pastor in this church. Every leader, every elder. Everybody in the leadership position. Everybody who's leading somebody. This applies to you. Now after the death of Moses the servant of the Lord. It came to pass that the Lord spoke unto Joshua the son of Nun. Moses minister saying. Moses my servant is dead. Now therefore arise and go over this Jordan. Thou and all these people. Unto the land which I do give to them. Even to the children of Israel. Now that's the place of covenant. That's the place of freedom in Jesus Christ. It's the place of those who are weak becoming strong. That's the place of facing the giants folks. That's the place that that initial generation rejected it. And they chose to believe an evil report. And turned away from that which God had promised them. There's a season now. Where the Lord is calling us. To something much greater than we've ever known before. Individually. To go in and possess our inheritance in Jesus Christ. You and me. Becoming everything that God has called us to be. Not backing away because of unbelief. Not looking in the mirror and saying it can't be done. Putting away the old resumes and the lies of the devil. And saying no Lord. No Lord. New York City can't go to hell when there's still a church. And there's a body of believers. Not just Times Square Church but others throughout the city. New York City can't die in its sin. While the testimony of God is still here. And we refuse to look at the giants in the days ahead. But we're going to go in and possess our inheritance in Christ. And in the power of the Holy Spirit. Within us. We're going to be the people that God has called us to be in this city. We're going to be salt. We're going to be light. We're going to stand. We're going to be a voice for righteousness and truth. We're going to be comfort in time of sorrow. Direction in time of confusion. The strength and power of God is going to be known in His church. Verse 3 says, Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon. That have I given to you as I said unto Moses. From the wilderness and this Lebanon. Even to the great river, the river Euphrates. All the land of the Hittites. Unto the great sea towards the going down of the sun shall be your coast. There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life. As I was with Moses so I will be with thee. I will not fail thee nor forsake thee. Be strong and of good courage. For unto this people thou shalt divide for an inheritance the land. Which I swear to their fathers to give them. Only be strong and very courageous. That thou mayest observe to do according to all the law. Which Moses my servant commanded thee. Turn not from it to the right hand nor to the left. That thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest. This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth. But thou shalt meditate therein day and night. That thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein. For then thou shalt make thy way prosperous. And then thou shalt have good success. Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage. Be not afraid neither be thou dismayed. For the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest. Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people. Saying pastor the host. Command the people say prepare your victuals. For within three days you shall pass over this Jordan. To go in to possess the land which the Lord your God gives you to possess it. In other words prepare to move. That was the command that was given. Get ready to go on a journey. Prepare the things that you think you're going to need. For in three days you're going to pass away from this place of death. In three days you're going to begin to know the life of God. And to the Reubenites and to the Gadites and the half tribe of Manassas. Spake Joshua saying. Remember the word which Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you. Saying the Lord your God has given you rest and given you this land. Your wives and your little ones and your cattle. Shall remain in the land which Moses gave you on this side Jordan. But you shall pass before your brethren armed. All the mighty men of valor and help them. Until the Lord has given your brethren rest. As he has given you. And they also have possessed the land which the Lord your God giveth them. Then you shall return to the land of your possession and enjoy it. Which Moses the Lord's servant gave you on this side of Jordan. Towards the sun rising. In other words there are many of us who have found. The rest of the new covenant already. But we're going to go in and fight for those yet who haven't found it. We're not going to settle in in our own personal victory. And say well this is good enough for me. I'm enjoying where I'm dwelling. Let everyone else find what I have found for themselves. No that's not the attitude of the church. No I'm going to fight for you. You're going to fight for me. We're going to fight for each other. In the body of Christ first. Until every man every woman every child has found their inheritance in Jesus Christ. Has found supernatural life. And we're not going to quit until Pentecost comes again. In the fullness of its power in our generation. Brother Dave died believing that there was going to be an outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Greater than the outpouring on the day of Pentecost. In the last days of time. He told me the latter outpouring will be greater than the former. The Holy Spirit will be poured out on your sons and daughters. On young and old. There will be an ability to see. There will be supernatural strength and power. He told me before he died that only the Holy Spirit will be able to get the church of Jesus Christ through in victory in these days. We are going to face unprecedented darkness in our generation. But we have the power of the one who created the universe. Resident and willing to touch us and give us strength to get through this journey. Not only to possess an inheritance for ourselves but to see many many more brought into freedom through Jesus Christ. Praise be to God. Praise be to God. Praise be to God. Glorious days are ahead of us. We're going to pray. We're going to fast. We're going to move out. We're going to believe God. We're going to see God do wonders in this generation. And they answered Joshua. Verse 16. All you command us we will do. And whosoever thou sendest us we will go. According as we hearken unto Moses in all things so will we hearken unto thee. Only the Lord thy God be with thee as he was with Moses. Whosoever he be that doth rebel against thy commandment and will not hearken to thy words. In all that thou commandest him he shall be put to death. Only be strong. And of a good courage. So the question where do we go from here is answered in Joshua chapter 1. We go into the promises of God. The wonderful thing about the church of Jesus Christ is that it's never over. It's always just beginning. It's a kingdom where morning by morning new mercies we see. Thanks be to God. I'm going to provoke you in the coming days until you get up and do something for God. I promise you. There will be no sitting and enjoying the music only in this house. You and I are going to feed the poor. We're going to comfort the broken hearted. We're going to give spiritual help to the blind. We're going to be a father to the fatherless. We're going to be the husband to the widow. We're going to lead them to their husband Christ. We're going to be that which God has commanded us to be. We're going to be salt in New York City. Salt that creates a thirst. It creates healing. It creates a taste. Not a salt that is trodden under the foot of men as useless and discarded. We're going to go into the city. Give God's strength everywhere we go. We're going to trust Him for the supernatural. We're going to press through until touched by the Holy Spirit of Almighty God. In the full measure that He has for us. This church was not established here in New York City to be a monument. This is a living church. This is a vibrant church. This is an alive church. We are going to move into the place of promise with the full provision and power of God. There are wonderful days ahead of us. I do believe that the Lord will be glorified. We're going to be a friend to all churches in New York City. We're not going to be exclusive. We're going to be a friend to the Baptists, the Presbyterians, the Salvation Army, the Methodists, Messianic congregations. We're going to be a friend to all churches. We're not here to be arrogant. We're here to serve all people. We're going to encourage all churches to pray. We're going to believe God for a mighty revival in New York City in these last hours of time. As pastors and leaders, we're going to continue to pray and seek God. We're not going to get involved in serving tables. We're going to spend our time in this book and spend our time on our knees and get a word from heaven for you. Hallelujah. I'm going to miss my friend. Till one day. I wish I had listened a little harder sometimes. But in the last few days, so many things have been coming back. So many things that he said to me. So many words of encouragement. Things that I, sometimes I didn't want to believe them. When he would tell me that he felt his time was short, I would brush it off with a remark of some sort. I wish I would have listened. Every righteous man of God or woman of God generally knows the time of their death. And he knew that he was in the season of his departure. I'm glad I got to talk to him on Monday morning. Told him I loved him. Told him I respected him. I told him whether I'm an annoyance or not, I'm coming down on Wednesday and you're going to sit with me all afternoon. And I said, you can talk to me if you want. And you don't have to talk to me if you don't want to, but I'm coming and I'm going to sit with you. And we're going to spend the afternoon together. And he said, okay, that would be nice. So, I'm leaving in a half hour and I'm going to go sit beside him. And I'm going to tell him that in Times Square Church, until the day that we meet again, we're going to proclaim Jesus Christ. Father, we thank you for strength. We thank you for such a rich and wonderful spiritual legacy. Thank you that we're under the leadership of a man of God who won millions of people to Jesus Christ. We thank you that he was vulnerable, visible. He shared his heart and his own struggles openly. And we saw in him an ordinary man who was made extraordinary by the power of God. Thank you, Jesus. Though we have 10,000 instructors, we have not many fathers. I pray, God, that we would do honor to the name of Christ by following the testimony that you have established here. Thank you for our founding pastor. Lord, we just thank you that we have this moment to proclaim our love for David Wilkerson and our deeper love for Jesus Christ. We bless you, Jesus. We praise you today in your precious name. Could you stand, please? Thank you. We proclaim him. We proclaim him. We proclaim him. We proclaim him. As righteous and holy and worthy of honor. As righteous and holy and worthy of honor and praise. Who, who can make my way steady? Who can maintain my standing and not turn away? Who, who can bear every burden? Who can give my life meaning and brighten the day? Who is he? This is Jesus. This is Jesus. This is Jesus. This is Jesus. As righteous and holy and worthy of honor. As righteous and holy and worthy of honor and praise. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. The Bible says that we're to comfort one another by the comfort that we've been given of God. As we always say here at Times Square Church, men with men please, women with women. Would you hug each other and just comfort each other right now. Praise God.
A Private Moment for Times Square Church
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Carter Conlon (1953 - ). Canadian-American pastor, author, and speaker born in Noranda, Quebec. Raised in a secular home, he became a police officer after earning a bachelor’s degree in law and sociology from Carleton University. Converted in 1978 after a spiritual encounter, he left policing in 1987 to enter ministry, founding a church, Christian school, and food bank in Riceville, Canada, while operating a sheep farm. In 1994, he joined Times Square Church in New York City at David Wilkerson’s invitation, serving as senior pastor from 2001 to 2020, growing it to over 10,000 members from 100 nationalities. Conlon authored books like It’s Time to Pray (2018), with proceeds supporting the Compassion Fund. Known for his prayer initiatives, he launched the Worldwide Prayer Meeting in 2015, reaching 200 countries, and “For Pastors Only,” mentoring thousands globally. Married to Teresa, an associate pastor and Summit International School president, they have three children and nine grandchildren. His preaching, aired on 320 radio stations, emphasizes repentance and hope. Conlon remains general overseer, speaking at global conferences.