In this life you meet all sorts of people. People you know that will do great things and people you know that CAN do great things. The difference is in their willingness to accept the hard road within the task at hand. A long time ago this man heeded the call of His Lord to do great things. Tonight, he rests with his Savior.
One of the most influential men in my life...David Wilkerson. A man of conviction that led by example. A man that wasn't swayed by trends and fads. A man that earnestly desired to hear the voice of His God to the point of granted request. I will never forget the impact the movie "The Cross and the Switchblade" had on my life. I remember watching it in a church basement with Pat Boone and Erik Estrada as the leads. This was the true testimony of David Wilkerson's call to evangelize to the gangs of NY. The acting was a bit over the top but the message was clear...Jesus loves you. One of THE most famous examples of modern day grace is on clear display in the scene where Rev Wilkerson is street preaching. His bold response to Nicky Cruz's threat to cut him up into little pieces has stayed with me for more than 27 yrs:
"You can cut me up in a million pieces and lay them in the street,"..."Every piece would still say I love you."
This, my friends, is what the gospel is all about. The unwavering grace of a God rejected and dejected by His own children for the sake of their own lusts. Driven by a love and a passion that surpasses logic, He became a man to save them from themselves and give them a place at His table. This unmerited favor is called grace my friends...grace. To love the undeserving of it and to longsuffer great pains for those that would never do the same for you. It is so perfect...so beautiful...so real. The most powerful force in the universe...love. This is what I saw that drew me into the arms of a God that has never left my side even in moments where I have left His and this was displayed in a simple movie adaptation of a novel called "The Cross and the Switchblade". Over 27 yrs ago I watched this movie and saw for the first time the powerful change those three little words can bring about..."I love you". It has stayed with me throughout my life and has been the cornerstone of my existence ever since...even in times of darkness. This man's legacy is found in the millions of lives that came to know as I have...Jesus loves me and I am so blessed to open arms and receive it. Thank you Lord for Your love and for raising up such a one that had the boldness to speak plain of it.
Good night my brother...see you soon :-)
One of the most influential men in my life...David Wilkerson. A man of conviction that led by example. A man that wasn't swayed by trends and fads. A man that earnestly desired to hear the voice of His God to the point of granted request. I will never forget the impact the movie "The Cross and the Switchblade" had on my life. I remember watching it in a church basement with Pat Boone and Erik Estrada as the leads. This was the true testimony of David Wilkerson's call to evangelize to the gangs of NY. The acting was a bit over the top but the message was clear...Jesus loves you. One of THE most famous examples of modern day grace is on clear display in the scene where Rev Wilkerson is street preaching. His bold response to Nicky Cruz's threat to cut him up into little pieces has stayed with me for more than 27 yrs:
"You can cut me up in a million pieces and lay them in the street,"..."Every piece would still say I love you."
This, my friends, is what the gospel is all about. The unwavering grace of a God rejected and dejected by His own children for the sake of their own lusts. Driven by a love and a passion that surpasses logic, He became a man to save them from themselves and give them a place at His table. This unmerited favor is called grace my friends...grace. To love the undeserving of it and to longsuffer great pains for those that would never do the same for you. It is so perfect...so beautiful...so real. The most powerful force in the universe...love. This is what I saw that drew me into the arms of a God that has never left my side even in moments where I have left His and this was displayed in a simple movie adaptation of a novel called "The Cross and the Switchblade". Over 27 yrs ago I watched this movie and saw for the first time the powerful change those three little words can bring about..."I love you". It has stayed with me throughout my life and has been the cornerstone of my existence ever since...even in times of darkness. This man's legacy is found in the millions of lives that came to know as I have...Jesus loves me and I am so blessed to open arms and receive it. Thank you Lord for Your love and for raising up such a one that had the boldness to speak plain of it.
Good night my brother...see you soon :-)
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