 [Click here to go to Times Square Church Pulpit Series multilingual site]

                        The Making of a Man of God

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
            Plain Text File + Home Page + Subscribe + Copyright
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

By David Wilkerson
May 27, 1991
__________

          I want to tell you about three men whom God used
          mightily - and how God used failure to produce
          godliness in each of them.

          We hear so much talk today about how to be successful.
          It is time the body of Christ learns to recognize the
          scriptural pattern God uses to produce His chosen
          servants. And the hard truth is this: Pain, torment,
          sorrow and failure have produced the men and women of
          God who have stirred their generations.

          Consider Job, the man who failed in his motives. Job
          said, "I have never harmed anybody - I know I have been
          righteous." Although Job was a godly man who shunned
          evil, it is evident he was convinced of his own
          righteousness. After reading the book of Job, you'll
          wonder how God could have had such high regard for a
          man who was so proud of his own goodness. Yet God knew
          what He was doing when He allowed Satan to prove and
          test Job for a season.

          Consider also David, the man who failed in his morals.
          Can you imagine such a steadfast man of valor falling
          into such blatant sin? How could David have fallen so
          low as to indulge in adultery - and then commit murder
          to cover it up? Can you comprehend that, even after all
          this, David was still called "a man after God's own
          heart"?

          Consider Peter, the man who failed in his mission. He
          had an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ and a
          personal call on his life from the Lord. He was
          entrusted with the keys to the kingdom. Yet this
          disciple and friend of Jesus later stood on a hillside
          weeping, having rejected and cursed the very Christ he
          so loved. But in spite of his failure, Peter became a
          man who was miraculously transformed - and who served
          as God's spokesman at Pentecost.

          Finally, consider Jesus - the Son of God, who was
          touched by all of these men's infirmities and testings,
          and who is touched by ours as well.

          What are the processes used in the making of a man or
          woman of God? What forces and pressures does God use to
          produce righteousness in those who love Him? What deep,
          hard, cold battles must a person face who wants the
          touch of God? If you really want to know the answer,
          first be warned: Don't pray, "Jesus, put Your hand on
          me and use me," unless you are willing to face the
          trials that must come.

          For instance, when you read the biography of a
          missionary who has been mightily used of God, don't
          expect to find a story of constant romance, adventure,
          beauty, love, honesty, happiness and victory - not at
          all!

          At times you'll find the deceptive character of Jacob
          jumping out at you from the pages. At other times
          you'll read of heartache and discouragement - of people
          who often cry out, "I'm so inconsistent, so inclined to
          sin. How can God ever use me?" You'll find stories not
          of adventure, but of tears and sorrow, of people who
          cry themselves to sleep. The pages of such books are
          filled with tears, fears, suffering and failure.

          If you desire to become a man or woman of God, I must
          ask you: Have you spent time on your knees beseeching
          God that Christ be formed in you? Have you longed in
          your soul to become a real follower of God who walks in
          the Spirit? If you have not been obsessed with your
          desire to be a man or woman of God, then you have
          missed the mark entirely. Because your heart and your
          lips should cry out, "Jesus, make me into Your own
          image! Let me become Your bondslave!"

          I have never once believed that I have attained this.
          Yet still, there is one thing I want more than anything
          in the world: to become a true man of God. I want my
          living and my dying to bring glory to Jesus.

          If you really want to find out about the processes that
          produce godliness, then study what happened in the
          Garden of Gethsemane. Look at Jesus, the Son of God,
          because He is our example. All the forces that were
          arrayed against Job were there in the Garden, arrayed
          against Christ. The tempter who came against David on
          the rooftop also sought to tempt Jesus in the
          wilderness. All the tormenting forces that plagued the
          soul of Peter also mounted an onslaught against our
          Savior in the Garden. There is not a trial facing us
          that Jesus did not face Himself. He is touched by the
          feelings of our infirmities and afflictions - every one
          of them. And to be like Christ, we must be willing to
          face what He faced.

          There are three trials that every true man and woman of
          God eventually will confront:

                 ------------------------------------------

                             l. A Cup of Pain

                 ------------------------------------------

          To be a man or woman of God, you must at some point be
          served a cup of pain. Listen to Jesus' words in the
          Garden: "O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup
          pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou
          wilt" (Matthew 26:39).

          Jesus had spent His whole ministry fulfilling the will
          of the Father. For three years His life and mission had
          headed straight toward his cup of pain: the Cross of
          Calvary. Yet you can hear the pathos in His words when
          He turns to His disciples and says, "Could ye not watch
          with me one hour?" (verse 40). Whatever pain was in
          that cup forced Jesus to sweat drops of blood and to
          cry out, "O God, if it's at all possible, deliver Me.
          I'd rather let this cup pass - it's too heavy a burden
          for Me!"

          As Job was being served his cup of pain, he cried, "He
          hath cast me into the mire....Mine eye poureth out
          tears unto God" (Job 30:19, 16:20). In other words, "I
          am sorely pained, and I can't see my way!" David said
          that when he was served his cup of pain, he made his
          couch a bed of tears: "I water my couch with my tears.
          Mine eye is consumed because of grief" (Psalm 6:6-7).

          Dear saint, I don't know what your cup of pain may be.
          But many of God's precious ones have prayed for years
          for their deliverance - and are still waiting for it. I
          believe in healing; and I believe we will have
          afflictions. But I also believe in healing afflictions.
          David said, "Before I was afflicted, I went astray: but
          now have I kept thy word" (Psalm 119:67).

          Don't think just because you have pain that the devil
          must be attacking you - that you are not living
          according to the Scriptures, that you have sin in your
          life and you're being judged by God. David stated a
          very simple truth about himself (and us) when he said
          that had he not been afflicted, he would not have
          sought the Lord. To say the devil was causing David's
          pain suggests that the devil was driving him to the
          Father.

          At times I've had to endure physical pain for years.
          Each time, I have prayed for God to heal me. Yet
          through the pain I could feel God was working in my
          life, driving me to the Cross and keeping me on my
          knees. And after each painful episode passed, I could
          say it had been good for me.

          Do you want to be a man or woman of God? Do you want
          the hand of God on your life? Then you'll drink your
          cup of pain and bathe your bed in tears. You'll weep
          not so much from feeling physical pain, but from a pain
          that's much worse. It's the pain of being bruised and
          rejected by friends - the pain that parents feel when
          teenagers trample their hearts and become strangers to
          them. It's the pain that fills the hearts of husbands
          and wives when walls of silence are built up and first
          love disappears.

          Oh, how tragic it seems: the turmoil within, the
          difficulties at home, the restless, sleepless nights -
          knowing that God is real, that you're walking in the
          Spirit and loving Jesus with all that's in you, and yet
          still you're being forced to drink a cup of pain. The
          Bible says, "Many are the afflictions of the righteous"
          (Psalm 34:19). And even though God promises to deliver
          us from them all, it still hurts when we go through
          them.

          When Jesus was in His hour of pain, Peter approached
          Him with a sword in his hand. In essence, Peter told
          Jesus, "Master, You don't have to go through this! I'll
          head them off. You go ahead and run - get out while You
          can!"

          A lot of well-meaning Christians are like Peter. They
          run around with swords, ready to cut off the ear of the
          devil. They say to those who are hurting, "Run while
          you can! You don't have to put up with this. God's a
          good God - you don't have to drink this cup at all!
          Claim your deliverance and be done with it!"

          Beloved, don't try to run from the cup of pain He gives
          you. Jesus said to Peter, "Put up thy sword into the
          sheath: the cup which my Father hath given me, shall I
          not drink it?" (John 18:11). You see, Jesus could drink
          it now because He saw who was serving the cup: it was
          His heavenly Father.

          Even when you don't see the purpose behind your
          suffering, you can drink the cup of pain when you see
          the hand of the Father serving it. It may burn, sear
          and scar you; it may shake you. But you don't have to
          be afraid, because the Master holds the cup. You are
          not drinking death, but life!

                 ------------------------------------------

                          2. A Night of Confusion

                 ------------------------------------------

          To be a man or woman of God, you also must face a night
          of confusion. Jesus said, "My soul is exceedingly
          sorrowful, even unto death" (Matthew 26:38). Can you
          imagine the Son of God saying this? Didn't He know He
          was about to claim all victory over hell, death and the
          grave? Didn't He have an innate sense of guidance and
          destiny, knowing the Father was with Him? After all, He
          had told His disciples, "A little while, and ye shall
          not see me...because I go to the Father" (John 16:16).
          He knew in His prophetic vision He would face this
          hour.

          Yet the hardest part of faith is the last half hour.
          The night of confusion always comes just before the
          victory, just before the light dawns. But rest assured,
          dear saint: Before the power of Satan is broken, you'll
          face your night of confusion.

          It will seem that your sense of purpose and guidance
          has been lost. When David's night of confusion came, he
          said, "Therefore is my spirit overwhelmed within me; my
          heart within me is desolate" (Psalm 143:4). In Peter's
          dark night of confusion, he became afraid and cursed
          his Master.

          When Job faced his dark night, he said, "Lo, he goeth
          by me, and I see him not: he passeth on also, but I
          perceive him not" (Job 9:11). A move had taken place in
          heaven - a checker moved on the board of Job's life -
          and he responded by saying, "Lord, I haven't trusted in
          my riches. I haven't hidden my sins. I've been honest;
          my integrity hasn't left me. Why must I suffer? Why do
          I have to face this confusion, something I don't even
          understand?"

          Like Job, many Christians cannot understand why they
          must suffer. They wonder, "Lord, I've not cheated
          anybody. I'm not seeing another man's wife. I don't
          have any dishonesty in me. Why should I have to face a
          night of confusion? Why can't I get clear guidance?"

          Imagine the terror of David, the fearless warrior-king
          ruling a mighty nation, as the prophet Nathan came to
          him and exposed his sin. David wrote three beautiful
          psalms about his night of confusion, when he could not
          understand why he had sinned. He wrote, "It's too hard
          for me. My sins have overwhelmed me, and my foolishness
          has deceived my heart." After all the years of reaching
          out to God, David could not understand how he could
          have been so foolish. "Why?" he must have wondered.

          Like David, many godly people today face a moral issue
          in their life - and in their night of confusion they
          say, "God, why me? My heart was searching after You,
          and suddenly sin overwhelmed me. It plagued my soul."

          Don't think that a person who has been used by God has
          the answers to these questions. Even the most humble
          servant of God doesn't hear clearly from the Father all
          the time. I've known what it is like to face that
          divine silence, to not hear God's voice for a season.

          I have walked through periods of total confusion, with
          no apparent guidance, the still, small voice behind me
          completely silent. I've had times when there was no
          friend nearby to satisfy my heart with a word of
          advice. All my patterns of guidance from before had
          gone awry, and I was left in total darkness. I could
          not see my way, and I made mistake after mistake. I
          wanted to say, "Oh God, what has happened? I don't know
          which way to go!"

          That's some positive confession to make, you say. But
          you too will face that kind of confusion when God
          begins to test your commitment to Him! Thank God, it is
          only a dark night, and it will pass - because the Lord
          desires to make our path clear.

                 ------------------------------------------

                          3. An Hour of Isolation

                 ------------------------------------------

          Finally, as a man or woman of God you must face an hour
          of isolation. These words came from the lips of Jesus,
          God's own Son: "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken
          me?" (Matthew 27:46). Job said of God, "He's become
          cruel to me. I cry in the day and I rise in the night,
          but He hears me not." David said, "I am forgotten as a
          dead man out of mind" (Psalm 31:12). He also cried out,
          "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Why art
          thou so far from helping me?" (Psalm 22:1).

          The hour of isolation comes when it appears God has
          hidden His face, and none of your friends truly
          understand what you are going through. But, you ask,
          does God really hide His face from those He loves? Is
          it possible He lifts His hand for a short while, to
          teach us trust and dependence? The Bible answers
          clearly: "God left him, to try him, that he might know
          all that was in his heart" (2 chronicles 32:31).

          I can honestly say Jesus has never been more real to me
          than He is today. But I can also say there is nothing
          you can do when you get on your knees and discover the
          heavens are as brass. You cannot pray to break through.
          You feel nothing but emptiness and defeat. And your
          heart cries out, "Oh God, where are You?"

          Does that sound strange to you? Have you never faced
          this? Then you have never truly been to the Cross or
          Gethsemane. God says, "In a little wrath I hid my face
          from thee for a moment" (Isaiah 54:8). But He also
          says, " (I) redeemeth thy life from destruction; who
          crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies"
          (Psalm 103:4). He promises He will extend tender,
          loving mercies in our times of isolation. Job said in
          his hour, "He knoweth the way that I take: when he hath
          tried me, I shall come forth as gold" (Job 23:10).
          David said in the midst of his hour, "I will sing of
          the mercies of the Lord forever" (Psalm 89:1). His
          faith remained intact; nothing could touch it. And
          Peter, on the day of Pentecost, rose above his
          miserable failure to stand confident as he preached,
          "This is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel"
          (Acts 2:16).

          We know these were all men of God. The Bible says God
          acknowledged the righteousness of Job. And He
          hand-picked David, saying to the prophet Samuel, "This
          is the one - anoint him!" We know God's hand was on
          Peter as well. Yet each of these men experienced great
          testings.

          But what does all this have to do with you and me? Here
          is one practical application:

          After one of my evangelistic meetings in San Francisco,
          a certain young man walked into the prayer room. I had
          met him years before when he attended one of my
          crusades, and he had cried and prayed and walked out of
          the prayer room with true joy in his heart. But now he
          looked totally forlorn; I had never seen such a sad
          young face in all my life.

          The young man said, "Mr. Wilkerson, I don't know which
          way to turn. I have no joy, and God seems to be far
          away. I'm being tempted, and I'm afraid I'm going to
          backslide and lose my touch of God. I walk the streets
          in fear and trembling!"

          I put my hand on the young man s shoulder and said,
          "Son, this is your hour of trial. God is testing you to
          see what is in your heart. Will you repent, accept His
          forgiveness and keep coming to the Light? God has not
          forsaken you."

          Suddenly tears began streaming down his cheeks. He
          said, "You mean God really isn't mad at me after all?"
          No, I answered. Then he asked, "Is my restlessness and
          despair the result of some terrible habit in my life?"
          I said, "You'd have to answer that." He replied, "No, I
          don't think so."

          Then suddenly he began to see the light. It was not
          God's fault - it was his own neglect of prayer and
          hunger for the Word! At that moment, the Spirit of the
          Lord began to minister hope to him, and he raised his
          hands and praised the Lord: "Take me through, Lord.
          Restore my faith!" When I left him, he was thanking God
          for bringing him back to a solid commitment. The Holy
          Spirit was beginning to shine forth in him again.

          There is a gospel song that says, "Standing somewhere
          in the shadows you will find Jesus..." That song must
          have been written by a tested man of God. You see, the
          battle I face in my ministry is not in my home; I have
          a loving wife and wonderful children. I have thousands
          of friends around the country who appreciate my
          ministry; my battle is not there. I have never loved
          the Lord more than I love Him now. I have never desired
          God more in all my life.

          But the more I pray, "God, use me - open my eyes so I
          can see Your glory," the more I can feel the enemy's
          forces arrayed against me. I feel myself being crushed
          as Jesus was, and I cry out, "Oh God, I can't endure
          it. Take away this cup of pain!" Like David, I want to
          say, "Oh that I had wings like a dove! For then would I
          fly away, and be at rest" (Psalm 55:6).

                 ------------------------------------------

                      I Know in Whom I Have Believed.

                 ------------------------------------------

          I know what it means to pray for - and then receive -
          the thousands of dollars needed to sustain this
          ministry. I've known what it means to walk for a whole
          year with Jesus leading me every step of the way, His
          voice behind me saying, "David, this is the way. I know
          what it means to get out a pad and a pencil, and to ask
          God questions and have Him answer them for me.

          I've stood before people in government and city
          officials, prophesying the words that God had given me.
          Then I've immediately turned around to face nights of
          deep, dark confusion when I didn't know which way to
          turn. I've made multiple mistakes that cast me down in
          despair, and I've cried out, "Oh God, where are You?"

          I've gone into my prayer closet for three or four weeks
          at a time and said, "God, I've got to touch You. I've
          got to be broken." And I've felt nothing but my own
          grief, coldness of heart and the heavy silence of
          heaven. Yet through it all I sensed God was at work.
          "Just hold steady," I've heard the Spirit say to me.
          "Ride out your storm! When the enemy shall come in like
          a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a
          standard against him" (Isaiah 59:19).

          Some of you are going through the flood right now. You
          know what I'm talking about when I say the heavens are
          as brass. You know all about bathing your couch in
          tears. You've been served your cup of pain, and have
          endured a night of confusion and an hour of isolation -
          cut off by everyone you know and love. Nobody can touch
          that need in your heart!

          I once had a woman come to me after I preached this
          message. She said, "Mr. Wilkerson, when I came to
          church this morning, I walked in acting happy and
          carefree. But when you talked about the cup of pain and
          the hour of isolation, I began to weep. I realized I
          was just putting up a front. My husband has left me and
          my home is in turmoil. I've had to cover it all up.
          I've used it as an excuse to hide. But now I know - I'm
          being flooded!"

          That woman was broken before the Lord. I prayed with
          her for God to keep her faith strong, and she left with
          the true joy of the Lord in her heart.

          Dear saint, I believe that when a man or woman of God
          is in the making, enemy forces will come against him
          with great fury. But he can stand up and say, "Though I
          am tried and tested, though all these forces are
          arrayed against me - I know whom I have believed, and
          am persuaded he is able to keep that which I have
          committed unto him against that day" (2 Timothy 1:12).

          That's the time to take your stand! You don't have to
          laugh or rejoice, because you may not have any joy at
          the moment. You may have nothing but turmoil in your
          soul Years ago, I was sitting in the backyard when I
          had a Sunday off. I was reading my Bible and getting a
          message from the Lord. I felt His Spirit in a mighty
          way, and I was just praising Him. Just about that time,
          I looked across the street and saw Gwen talking to a
          neighbor whom, for some time, she had been trying to
          win to the Lord.

          Some other women were there, and they wanted Gwen to
          drive with them around the block to look at a certain
          house that had just been painted. I saw Gwen get in the
          car with these unconverted women and suddenly, in one
          moment, a spirit came over me - and it wasn't God's
          Spirit!

          "She shouldn't do that!" I thought. "The Bible says to
          come out from among the lost and be separate. Why in
          the world is she going with them?" I stomped into the
          house and kicked a chair, saying to myself, "She ought
          to know better!"

          Gwen was gone half an hour, and the longer she was gone
          the more I seethed. When she finally came in the door,
          I was ready for her. "Gwendolyn Wilkerson, I am a man
          of God, and I'll not have you running around with
          ungodly friends in this neighborhood."

          Gwen was dumbfounded. My voice got louder and louder as
          I spoke. She started to cry, and suddenly I heard what
          was coming out of my mouth. I stopped and said, "Honey,
          you know this isn't me. The flood has come - the devil
          is trying to swamp me! Please, just give me half an
          hour. I have to get with the Lord right now!"

          I went into my study and got on my knees. Then I cried
          in repentance, "Oh Lord, I was just worshipping You
          moments ago. I don't know what has happened, but I've
          been flooded. Forgive me!" I had not been living in
          sin. In fact, I had been basking in the anointing and
          praising the Lord. I couldn't understand it!

          As I prayed, I felt the enemy flood in again, trying to
          crush my spirit. So I said, "I claim the cleansing of
          the blood of Jesus," and I began praising the Lord:

          "Hallelujah, the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.
          Hallelujah, the wicked one cometh and toucheth me
          not... .For God hath not given us the spirit of fear;
          but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind" (2
          Timothy 1:7). The more I praised, the madder the devil
          got.

          Did the devil leave then? No! I felt no glorious
          victory. I could still feel that depressing spirit -
          but I knew God was still with me, because Scripture
          says, "The Lord sitteth upon the flood; yea, the Lord
          sitteth King forever" (Psalm 29:10). The Lord seemed to
          speak to me, "Don't get excited, don't panic. You need
          do nothing. Just ride out the storm. Commit all things
          to Me."

          I went back to Gwen and said, "Honey, my spirit still
          hasn't settled, and it will probably be a while yet.
          But forgive me, please. I'm sorry!" I went outside and
          took a little walk. The devil knew he couldn't get me
          disturbed - so he finally left! The flood subsided and
          I started singing the praises of God.

                 ------------------------------------------

                          Dear Saint, Do You Know
                       What This Flood Is All About?

                 ------------------------------------------

          Perhaps someone reading this is in the flood right now.
          I'll not pray that God delivers you from your cup of
          pain - but I will pray that your faith won't fail,
          because Jesus prayed that for Peter (see Luke 22:32).
          He knew that Peter's trial was God's way of
          strengthening his faith!

          Are you going through a great testing in your life? If
          so, stay in the Word. Run to the Lord and spend time
          shut in with Him. Stop trying to think your way through
          it, and rest in Him. Those who get to the Cross must go
          through Gethsemane. But after the weeping and sorrow
          comes in the morning.

          Beloved Christians tell me their sad stories of lost
          love, prolonged sorrows and illnesses. Often it seems
          as if their trials will never end. They seem to be
          locked in hopeless situations. They experience pain,
          rejection and very little happiness. Or the happy times
          are so few and far between that they begin to question
          the Lord: "Will this dark night ever end? Am I destined
          to a lifetime of trouble?"

          Oh, precious, troubled saint - God has not forgotten
          you. He has bottled every tear you've ever shed. You
          must make Him the joy and hope of your life. You must
          let His Spirit change you, so that circumstances can't
          hinder you anymore.

          God does His best work when He's changing us. That way,
          whatever comes, you will learn to rest above it all -
          seated with Him in heavenly places. Remember: you are
          the object of His incredible love!

          ---
          Used with permission granted by World Challenge, P. O.
          Box 260, Lindale, TX 75771, USA.

                 ------------------------------------------
            Plain Text File + Home Page + Subscribe + Copyright
                 ------------------------------------------

         Times Square Church Information | New Reader Information

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

COPYRIGHT/REPRODUCTION LIMITATIONS:

This data file is the sole property of World Challenge. It may not be
altered or edited in any way. It may be reproduced only in its entirety for
circulation as "freeware," without charge. All reproductions of this data
file must contain the copyright notice [i.e., "Copyright  1999 by World
Challenge"]. This data file may not be used without the permission World
Challenge for resale or the enhancement of any other product sold. This
includes all of its content with the exception of a few brief quotations.
Please give the following source credit: Copyright  1999 by World
Challenge, Lindale, Texas, USA.

This material is solely for personal use and is not to be posted publicly
on other web pages. The Lorain County Free-Net Chapel holds exclusive
rights from World Challenge, Inc. to publicly post these messages on its
web page. You are free to download, copy, print and distribute this
material, so long as you do not post it on a different Internet site. You
may, however, link this site to reference these messages.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

                       This web site is a service of
                          The Missing Link, Inc.
       Linking Troubled Youth and Adults with Life-Changing Programs
                       Web Site - http://misslink.org
               Chapel Site - http://misslink.org/chapel2.html
  Home of David Wilkerson's Times Square Church Pulpit Series Multilingual
                                  Web Site
                      http://www.tscpulpitseries.org

                                ------------

            Copyright  1999 - The Lorain County Free-Net Chapel
                         North Central Ohio, U.S.A.

                                TOP OF PAGE

           Our webmaster welcomes your comments and suggestions.
                 This page was last updated April 5, 1999.

  Why Revival Tarries/ "Help!"/ What's Here/ Sponsor/ Statement of Faith/
   Bible Study/ Around the Piano/ Bulletin Board/ Library/ Pulpit Series
