March 13, 2009
You would think that by  now I should know better than to plan too far ahead about what to write about. -- I had several things planned for this week, but how fast that changed when I saw and read what I'm about to share with you.

I'm sure some of you have heard of Pastor David Wilkerson. He is the founding pastor of Times Square Church in New York City, where he launched a ministry to gang members and drug addicts in 1958. - He is a highly regarded mentor to other pastors in evangelical circles and travels the world holding conferences for other Christian pastors.
I personally receive his newsletter entitled, "World Challenge", a publication that prints many of his sermons. -- Most of you know how I rant against the church and its leadership for its "watered-down, ear candy" messages. -- Not so this guy!! - He speaks with authority and talks about the judgement God will bring against any individual, church, or government that dares to cross the mighty teachings of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ.
It is my humble opinion that if we had more leaders and teachers like David Wilkerson, our church wouldn't be in the condition that its in today.
Having said that, Pastor Wilkerson, in his blog this past weekend, predicted an imminent "earth-shattering calamity" centered in New York City that will spread to major urban areas across the country and around the world - part of what he sees as a judgement from God.
He goes on to tell his readers that he is "compelled by the Holy Spirit to send out an urgent message" about his prediction.
"An earth-shattering calamity is about to happen," he writes. "It is going to be so frightening, we are all going to tremble -- even the godliest among us."
It will engulf the whole megaplex, including areas of New Jersey and Connecticut. Major cities all across America will experience riots and blazing fires - such as we saw in Watts, Los Angeles, years ago," he explains. "There will be riots and fires in cities worldwide. There will be looting --- including Times Square, New York City. What we are experiencing now is not recession, not even a depression. We are under God's wrath. In Psalm 11 it is written, "If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?"
"God is judging the raging sins of America and the nations," claims Wilkerson. "He is destroying the secular foundations."
Pastor Wilkerson concluded his message by saying, "I do not know when these things will come to pass, but I know it is not far off." He then adds, "I have unburdened my soul to you. Do with the message as you choose."
After such dire words, Wilkerson was asked how people should respond to his message and he answered, "I can only answer by sharing what the Holy Spirit is speaking to my own heart and what I am to do. --- I shared that I was led in a practical way to lay aside a month's supply of food --- because I have witnessed the panic in the wake of terrorism."
He summed up by saying, "This is what I hear the Holy Spirit speaking to my heart concerning my own spiritual response to impending calamity. It is simply this: stand still and see the salvation of the Lord."
Wilkerson also sees a spiritual application to his message, calling Christians to exhibit peace and hope in God's salvation in the midst of fearful times.
"My warning is just one voice among many who are saying the same thing," writes Wilkerson. "We may all tremble for a season, but those who truly know God's word will be quickly comforted by the Holy Spirit. We will be baptized with a great peace - a supernatural quietness - which will be a tremendous witness to the fearful multitudes." 
One of the many Christian leaders with a similar message is Dr. Gary Dull, pastor and founding member of The Faith and Freedom Institute.
"America was founded with a spiritual basis, but there are those who want to to make it a purely secular nation, " said Dull to an NBC reporter.
"Because of the rejection of God and His values, we can expect nothing but His judgement. All one needs to do is to read in history and find out how that when a nation forgot God, God forgot the nation."
Romans 2:5 says, "But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God's wrath, when His righteous judgement will be revealed."
A past Vice-President of Southern Baptist Convention is hoping believers pay attention to Wilkerson's message. "I have known David Wilkerson for more than twenty-five years as well as many of his friends and associates," said Pastor Wiley Drake. "He is a godly man and I believe he is listening to God. I encourage each Christian to read and heed what God is saying through our brother."
While I realize we have lots of different prophesies circling around us today, and many of them errant, I want to share this story that was written by Janet Porter, a representative of Faith2Action: -- "In the fall of 2001, Pastor David Wilkerson, of Times Square Church in New York City, was warned by God that a calamity was coming. For six weeks they felt an intense burden and enormous heaviness. A critical need for intercession was so profound that Pastor Wilkerson cancelled everything on the church calendar -- mission's conferences, youth events and every guest speaker." 
"For six weeks, there wasn't a sermon. Instead, there was intercession for our nation with weeping and repentance. They knew something was coming and that something was bad. And that something was soon. So they prayed. And prayed --- and prayed."
“Then Wilkerson felt God was telling him something that seemed rather bizarre. He felt God telling him to make sandwiches - lots of sandwiches. What were they for? Who would eat them? - That part wasn't clear, but his church did what they believed God was telling them anyway."
"And on the 10th of September they stayed up all night making hundreds and hundreds of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. By morning they had about two thousand sandwiches. -- At 8:46 a.m. the first plane hit the World Trade Center and Times Square Church was ready to feed and minister to rescue workers and victims of our nation's worst attack."
!!Wow!!
Making sandwiches all night is a strange thing to do. If someone told me to stay up all night making sandwiches, I'd probably tell they they were crazy. -- But if David Wilkerson say's he's heard something from God today, I think we'd be crazy not to listen.
The prophet Jeremiah pleaded with wicked Israel, "God is fashioning a calamity against you and devising a plan against you. Oh, turn back each of you from your evil ways, and reform your ways and deeds. But they will say, it's hopeless! For we are going to follow our own plans, and each of us will act according to the stubbornness of his evil heart." (Jeremiah 18:11-12)
Isaiah 13:9,11,13 states: "See, the day of the Lord is coming - a cruel day, with wrath and fierce anger - to make the land desolate and destroy the sinners within it ---------- I will punish the world for its evil, the wicked for their sins. I will put an end to the arrogance of the haughty and will humble the pride of the ruthless.  ------------ Therefore I will make the heavens tremble, and the earth will shake from its place at the wrath of the Lord Almighty in the day of His burning anger."
One more, the prophet Zephaniah said in 1:14-15, "The great day of the Lord is near -- near and coming quickly. Listen! The cry on the day of the Lord will be bitter, the shouting of the warrior there. That day will be a day of wrath, a day of distress and anguish, a day of trouble and ruin, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness...."
The conditions of sin and chaos are all around us and the Lord's words are crystal clear as to the results of these conditions. --- but those of us who know the Lord and are aware of the coming trials must do all we can to reach those who are walking in the shadows of darkness in this sinful world.
Jude 20-23 says, "But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit. Keep yourselves in God's love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life. Be merciful to those who doubt, snatch others from the fire and save them....."
Finally brothers and sisters, remember the teachings of Peter when he said, "But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. Do not fear what they fear; do not be frightened." 
(1 Peter 3:14)
Until next time,
Red