When the prophet Isaiah foretold the coming of Christ and his kingdom, he outlined what Christ’s true ministers would be like. In doing so, he defined our ministry in these last days when he said, “I want you to know the marks of the true people of God, those who will be ministering just before the Prince of Peace comes to reign.”
The prophet begins with these words: “Behold, a king will reign in righteousness” (Isaiah 32:1). Then he adds, “A man will be as a hiding place from the wind, and a cover from the tempest, as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land” (32:2).
Clearly, Isaiah is talking about Jesus here, and he goes on to tell us that a true servant of God will proclaim the all-sufficiency of Christ. Indeed, such a believer shuts himself in with Jesus, trusting his Lord to make his soul a well-watered garden. He lives in quiet confidence, his spirit at rest and full of peace. And he testifies, “I sat down in his shade with great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my taste. He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love” (Song of Solomon 2:3-4).
Isaiah points out two distinguishing marks of the righteous servant: he has discernment and he knows the voice of God distinctly: “The eyes of those who see will not be dim, and the ears of those who hear will listen” (Isaiah 32:3).
When Christ first saw Nathaniel coming toward him, he cried, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!” (John 1:47). In other words, “Look, brothers, here comes a man who is not a hypocrite. There is no immorality or deceit in him. He’s a clean vessel.”
Then Jesus turned to Nathaniel and said, “Hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man” (1:51). He was saying, “God is going to open up to you continuing revelations.”
Beloved, God makes this same covenant with you and every believer whose life is above reproach, with no hidden sin or dark secrets. Such a servant receives a continuous flow of the revelation of Christ’s glory. Determine in your heart today to pursue God with your whole heart so that you may continue to hear his voice.
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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.