Standing at the Doors of Hell. Kingdom of Power, Part 15

In our day and age it is very hard to believe in good news. Politicians proclaim it, but it results in either tax hikes or strikes. At work, good news generally means more work. Also, most good news items via the phone or from door to door merchants or online are shams. "Good news" is generally faced with suspicion. There must be a catch.

A few years ago while I was attending seminary, I went to see Nicky Cruz in Geneva, Switzerland. I can still remember most of what he said, even though I had a hard time understanding his Brooklyn accent. He was full of fire for the Lord, and his testimony blew my mind.

He used to be a warlord of Mau Maus, one of the most vicious and brutal gangs in New York City. At that time Nicky didn't want to have any connection with Christianity. He lived in his own little world of crime, and he was highly esteemed among his gang members.

One day though, a simple country preacher from rural Pennsylvania showed up on his streets. This preacher, David Wilkerson by name, had heartily given up his rural life in Pennsylvania to face the very doors of hell, reaching out to those who seemed unredeemable: criminals, thieves, crooks, liars...all because God had told him to do so.

Nicky and his gang mocked this preacher. They ridiculed him on every possible occasion. They cursed him, humiliated him, yelled in his face, still David kept on coming back, day after day. The Mau Maus could have easily killed him, but he never showed any fear. He was on a mission for God, and no one could stop him, for God was more real to David than anything else. After all, His Heavenly Father had given him this mission for a reason. He knew without a doubt that His Father would protect him.

For some reason Nicky was attracted to this preacher. Even though he despised any notion of God, he found that David had guts, something that he admired, and David's courage amidst danger is what motivated Nicky to attend his service that night.

That night God's Spirit convicted Nicky, and he found himself bawling his eyes out in front of strangers-and even some of his gang members. He surrendered to God and welcomed the Good News of the Kingdom that was preached. He not only became an ardent believer of the Most High, He joined the ministry, and now he travels to inner cities all around the world to reach out the unreachables: the criminals, the thieves, the crooks, the prostitutes...

Nicky will always remember the ardent love David bestowed to those who were lost, and now he has that same passion: to bring hope to the hopeless, light amidst darkness. He is the one who knows what living in hell means, and he will follow God wherever He leads. God has become his only focus, and he can't help but testify about how God saved him from the slums on New York City (See http://nickycruz.org/ ). Through him, many hardened criminals have given their life to Jesus, and every one of them is now ardently serving the Lord, free from the bonds of their past and overjoyed by the presence of the Most High.

This is what happens when we realize the Good News of the Kingdom. We are not only saved, we are filled with a passion to serve our loving God and testify about what He did for us.

Are you on fire for the Lord? If not, spend time with Him. You won't be able to remain indifferent. Experiencing His love will change all that!

Rob Chaffart

Standing at the Doors of Hell. Kingdom of Power, Part 15

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