3.16 Testimony – The power of love transforms a savage gangster
We hope that you have enjoyed God’s love. Today, we will end this series with an inspiring story that was later made into a movie.
David Wilkerson was a country preacher from Pennsylvania who later founded Teen Challenge, which reaches out to street gang members and drug addicts in New York. In his bestseller book which sold 14 million copies, The Cross and the Switchblade, Wilkerson shares about his amazing story.
One night on the 9th February, 1958, David Wilkerson was sitting in front of the TV set watching the “Late Show.” As he switched off the TV, he wondered, “How much time do I spend in front of that TV screen each night?” He figured that it must be a couple of hours at least. “What would happen, Lord, if I sold that TV set and spent that time praying?” Substitute 2 hours of prayer for television, and see what happened.
His life has not been the same since. It was during one of these late evenings of prayer that he picked up a Life magazine. He had been restless in his spirit and wondered what the Lord was saying to him. The Spirit of God kept drawing him to that magazine. As he opened the magazine, he looked at a pen drawing of 7 boys who were on trial for murder, and tears started streaming down his face. He received clear instruction to go to New York City to help those boys.
He laughed aloud. “Me? Go to New York? A country preacher barging into a situation he knows less than nothing about?” Go to New York City and help those boys. The thought was still there, vivid as ever, apparently completely independent of his own feelings and ideas. He was to go at once while the trial was still in progress.
The trial was just the beginning of a long journey. He was led by the Holy Spirit to minister to the drug addicts and gangsters from the slums of New York. It was the love of God in him that transformed even the most savage gangsters.
When he met Nicky Cruz, a vicious teenage knife-fighter and a leader of the Mau Mau gang, Nicky told Wilkerson, “Go to Hell, Preacher.” He replied, “You don’t think much of me, but I feel different about you. I love you, Nicky.” As Wilkerson took a step towards him, Nicky said, “You come near me, Preacher, I’ll kill you.” He replied, “You could do that, you could cut me into a thousand pieces and lay them out in the street and every piece would love you.”
In a dramatic manner, Nicky was later convicted by the Holy Spirit and received Jesus during the altar call of an evangelistic meeting organized by Wilkerson. He became a new creation in Christ and experienced inner transformation from within. His anger was replaced by love. His hate was replaced by forgiveness. He went to Bible school and became a fervent minister of the gospel. He shares his inspiring story in the bestseller, Run Baby Run.
(Reference: The Cross and the Switchblade by David Wilkerson, Chosen Books)
David Wilkerson was a country preacher from Pennsylvania who later founded Teen Challenge, which reaches out to street gang members and drug addicts in New York. In his bestseller book which sold 14 million copies, The Cross and the Switchblade, Wilkerson shares about his amazing story.
One night on the 9th February, 1958, David Wilkerson was sitting in front of the TV set watching the “Late Show.” As he switched off the TV, he wondered, “How much time do I spend in front of that TV screen each night?” He figured that it must be a couple of hours at least. “What would happen, Lord, if I sold that TV set and spent that time praying?” Substitute 2 hours of prayer for television, and see what happened.
His life has not been the same since. It was during one of these late evenings of prayer that he picked up a Life magazine. He had been restless in his spirit and wondered what the Lord was saying to him. The Spirit of God kept drawing him to that magazine. As he opened the magazine, he looked at a pen drawing of 7 boys who were on trial for murder, and tears started streaming down his face. He received clear instruction to go to New York City to help those boys.
He laughed aloud. “Me? Go to New York? A country preacher barging into a situation he knows less than nothing about?” Go to New York City and help those boys. The thought was still there, vivid as ever, apparently completely independent of his own feelings and ideas. He was to go at once while the trial was still in progress.
The trial was just the beginning of a long journey. He was led by the Holy Spirit to minister to the drug addicts and gangsters from the slums of New York. It was the love of God in him that transformed even the most savage gangsters.
When he met Nicky Cruz, a vicious teenage knife-fighter and a leader of the Mau Mau gang, Nicky told Wilkerson, “Go to Hell, Preacher.” He replied, “You don’t think much of me, but I feel different about you. I love you, Nicky.” As Wilkerson took a step towards him, Nicky said, “You come near me, Preacher, I’ll kill you.” He replied, “You could do that, you could cut me into a thousand pieces and lay them out in the street and every piece would love you.”
In a dramatic manner, Nicky was later convicted by the Holy Spirit and received Jesus during the altar call of an evangelistic meeting organized by Wilkerson. He became a new creation in Christ and experienced inner transformation from within. His anger was replaced by love. His hate was replaced by forgiveness. He went to Bible school and became a fervent minister of the gospel. He shares his inspiring story in the bestseller, Run Baby Run.
(Reference: The Cross and the Switchblade by David Wilkerson, Chosen Books)
posted by Joshua Lye @ 11:16 PM
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