Charisma spoke with David Wilkerson in 2008 during Teen Challenge’s 50th anniversary. Here are some never before published quotes that he shared with us.
Education regrets
“I carried with me all this time
over the years a bit of self-condemnation if I only had more education. I only
had one year of Bible school. My
parents were poor and could not afford college. I had an inner nagging if only
I had been more educated I would be much better in my exegesis of scripture.
But my father taught me to pray. He said ‘God will always make a way for a
praying man.’
“I was so busy in my 30s and did
not have time to read enough. I was hungry for a deeper insight into scripture.
I studied the Puritans and tried to improve my knowledge of scripture.
“I still believe you should get
all the education you can.”
On Preaching and Ministry
“I never considered myself a
great preacher but I saw God move on people.”
“I was never afraid to take a
risk. I moved 28 times and consider myself a pioneer. I was called by God to initiate ministries and bring more able
bodies to run them.”
In the early years I was negative
[prophetic books] and there are a lot of things I would like to take back. I’m
not a prophet, just a watchman. I tried to build on the word of prophets.”
Final Judgment
“The church in America will see a
final awakening from a major calamity. There will be one last revival following
a great calamity. It will shake the world. Everything will change in one hour
or one day to bring down the Babylonian system of greed.”
Drug Problem and Teen Challenge
“Drugs change but problems remain
the same. The need still brings people to their wits end. It has always been a
sin problem. People are getting hooked younger. Before even drug addicts had a
conviction there truly was a God.”
“The power of God’s grace amazes
me more and more. From all over the world I still hear about people saved and
delivered from drugs through Teen Challenge. Thousands upon thousands upon
thousands have been impacted.” (This quote comes from a story I did for the
Pentecostal Evangel).
Prosperity Preachers
“The success philosophy preached
today is a repackaged message from Norman Vincent Peale with few exceptions.”
