I have seen men mightily used of the Spirit who were later put on the shelf by God. The Lord told them, “I’m sorry, son—I love you, I forgive you, and my mercy will come through for you. But I can’t use you.” To me, this is one of the most dreadful things that could ever happen. Yet it happened to Saul, the king of Israel. “Samuel said to Saul, Thou hast done foolishly: thou hast not kept the commands of the Lord thy God, which he commanded thee: for now would the Lord have established thy kingdom upon Israel for ever. But now thy kingdom shall not continue…” (1 Samuel 13:13-14).
What sad words. God told the kind, “Saul, you could have had my blessing in your life continually. I had great plans for you, plans to use you mightily. But you wouldn’t deal with your sin. You became bitter and hardhearted.” From that moment Saul was no longer of use to the kingdom.
That’s where it all ends when you continue in sin: You become absolutely barren and fruitless.
The Word declares that the fear of God is a fountain of life (see Proverbs 14:27). In the same verse we read that this fear helps one avoid the snares of death. In Proverbs 3:7 we read, “…fear the Lord, and depart from evil.” And in Hebrews 12:28 we are instructed to “…serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.” Those who desire to walk in the fear of God will soon be led into the full revelation of the promises and provisions that God has made available for us.
Perhaps God is dealing with you about your sin right now. He has shot his arrows of conviction in your heart, and you’re feeling a sense of guilt over your sin. Don’t panic! That is the gift of God. He’s planting his divine power in you, teaching you, “Only through my holy fear will you depart from your sin.”
Once you’re convinced of the exceeding sinfulness of your sin, you’ll be ready for the comfort of the Holy Spirit. The book of Acts tells us, “Then had the churches rest throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria, and were edified; and walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied” (Acts 9:31). Do you see the writer’s point here? As these first-century Christians walked in the fear of God, they received the comfort of the Holy Spirit.
Yet, what exactly does it mean to walk in the fear of the Lord? In short, it means reminding yourself of his warnings. And it means allowing the Holy Ghost to bring your sins out into the open for you to acknowledge and cast them far away from you. In doing this, he’s laying the foundation to fulfill every one of God’s promises to you.
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David Wilkerson (1931 – 2011)
Founder of Times Square Church in New York City with over 100 different languages spoken in the congregation. Wilkerson wrote many powerful books such as: The Vision and Cross and the Switchblade. His ministry was prophetic as God called him to be a watchman to the Church in North America. He gave clear messages on repentance to the Church.Wilkerson also founded Teen Challenge where there are hundreds of centres for Christ-centered drug recovery and addiction recovery. He also organized and spoke at pastors gatherings in many countries where he gave prophetic strong messages to encourage pastors and leaders.
Recommends these books by David Wilkerson:
The Vision and Beyond, Prophecies Fulfilled and Still to Come by David Wilkerson
Knowing God by Name: Names of God That Bring Hope and Healing by David Wilkerson
God's Plan to Protect His People in the Coming Depression by David Wilkerson
David Wilkerson is an American Christian evangelist, most well-known for his book The Cross and the Switchblade. He is also the founder of Times Square Church in New York, an interdenominational church.
Wilkerson is well-known for these early years of his ministry to young drug addicts and gang members in New York City in the 1950s and 1960s. He co-authored a book about his work with the New York drug addicts, The Cross and the Switchblade, which became a best-seller, selling over 50 million copies in over thirty languages since it was published in 1963. The book was included among the 100 most important Christian books of the 20th century.
For over four decades, Wilkerson's ministry has included preaching, teaching and writing. He has authored over 30 books.
David Wilkerson is the founder and president of World Challenge, Inc., a nonprofit organization incorporated on September 22, 1971. Reverend Wilkerson, the author of over thirty inspirational books, is perhaps best known for his early days of ministry to young drug addicts and gang members in Manhattan, the Bronx, and Brooklyn. His story is told in The Cross and the Switchblade, a book he co-authored which became a best-seller. (The story has been read by over 50 million people in some thirty languages and 150 countries since 1963. In 1969, a motion picture of the same title was released.)
For over four decades, Reverend Wilkerson's evangelistic ministry has included preaching, teaching and writing. Throughout that time a distinctive characteristic of his work has been his direct efforts to reach the neediest members of the population with help for both body and soul. Even now, the almost 70 year-old minister often goes out alone or sometimes with an assistant to walk through the streets of New York City, along Broadway and Eighth Avenue or down 42nd Street and nearby "Crack Alley" on 41st Street. His mission is always to seek out the lost, the disoriented, and the addicted , to tell them of the power of the risen Christ to set them free.
David Wilkerson, born in Hammond, Indiana on May 19, 1931, was married in 1953 to Gwen Carosso. The Wilkersons' two sons are ministers, and their two daughters are married to ministers. They have 11 grandchildren. The Wilkersons served small pastorates in Scottsdale and Philipsburg, Pennsylvania, until Reverend Wilkerson saw a photograph in Life magazine of several New York City teenagers charged with murder. Moved with compassion he was drawn to the city in February 1959. It was at that time he began his street ministry to what one writer called "desperate, bewildered, addicted, often violent youth.