Author, In the Gap (2014)
Named to TIME Magazine’s 2013 list of the 100 most influential people in the world
Senior Pastor of New Life Covenant Church - largest Assemblies of God congregation in the nation, 17,000 members
VP of Social Justice for the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference
B.A. Communications, Trinity International University
Masters from North Park Theological Seminary
Married to Elizabeth
Children: Alexandria, Yesenia, and Wilfredo, Jr.
Guest Bio
Pastor Wilfredo De Jesus Uses Prayer as a Weapon
CBN.com
–GAP PEOPLE
“I looked for someone among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found none,” (Ezek. 22:30). In more than 2,000 years, Pastor De Jesus says little has changed, “People are still in distress, and God is still looking for men and women to stand in the gap in our homes, in our neighborhoods, in our cities and towns, in our nation, and in every corner of the world.” Pastor De Jesus says a “gap” represents a place of weakness, vulnerability, and danger. Gaps exist in our countries, our communities, and at home with our families. These gaps look like: gangs, violence, an abusive family member, an unfaithful spouse, poverty, and sexual promiscuity. All of us have the privilege and the responsibility to stand in the “gap” for those around us but often times fear and selfishness holds us back from helping others.
Pastor De Jesus has spent years of standing in the gap helping the disenfranchised and has come to understand what makes a “gap person.” It is someone who protects or supports someone in need, a man or woman who finds courage to sacrifice everything to represent God and block evil from destroying those He loves. An example of such a courageous person in the Scriptures was Nehemiah. He trusted God to use him to make a difference. Nehemiah’s heart was broken after learning the people of Jerusalem were in trouble because outsiders were harassing the citizens, raping the women, and stealing from the people. Yet Nehemiah did not act impulsively. For days, he wept, fasted, and prayed. Before Nehemiah made a request of God: (1) he acknowledged God (praise); (2) he reminded himself (and God) of the covenant He had made with His people; and (3) he confessed his sins and the sins of the people. “When we consider becoming a person who stands in the gap, we must draw on the love, power, wisdom and example of the One who stood in the gap for us,” shares Pastor De Jesus.
PRAYER
“Prayer is a weapon against the schemes and attacks of the enemy. It’s a channel of God’s incredible blessings,” shares Pastor De Jesus. Nehemiah wasn’t a prophet, a priest or a Levite. He was an ordinary man with an extraordinary heart for God. When he heard about the destruction of his homeland, he didn’t walk away or give up in despair. He prayed. Pastor De Jesus says, “Prayer is a weapon that many believers don’t use.” When the pain others feel breaks your heart, don’t act impulsively. Instead, spend time like Nehemiah did, getting the Father’s perspective through persistent prayer.
A few years ago Pastor De Jesus shares how he was preparing for a missions trip to the Dominican Republic and was made aware that Santo Domingo needed ambulances. After praying, Pastor De Jesus felt led to ask the Mayor of Chicago, Mayor Daley, to donate two ambulances. Mayor Daley agreed to supply Pastor De Jesus with two ambulances. Then Pastor De Jesus went back to the mayor to request a letter for safe passage across state lines. They needed to drive the ambulances to Miami where they would be loaded on a cargo ship. Mayor Daley granted Pastor De Jesus’ request. “I knew God was with me, and that it was His job to work in the heart of this man. All I needed to do was ask,” shares Pastor De Jesus.
IN THE GAP
Pastor De Jesus was one of six children raised by a single mother in Chicago’s Humboldt Park, the community where he grew up and still lives. As a young man, he seemed headed for trouble. His father, an alcoholic, abandoned the family when Pastor De Jesus was 8 years old. Pastor De Jesus’ life changed at age 14 when he applied for a job cleaning streets through a city program aimed at helping the youth in the city. Instead of street cleaning, he was assigned to a little church working with the youth who loved the Lord. Pastor De Jesus soon accepted Jesus himself and has stayed with the church ever since. In July 2000, Pastor De Jesus was elected pastor of New Life Covenant Church when his father-in-law retired. Since then the church has grown from a weekly attendance of 120 to 17,000 globally through church plants and more than 130 ministries reaching the poor, homeless, drug addicts, and gang members. Pastor De Jesus’ vision for the church is simple; to be a church for the hurting that reaches people for Jesus. In 2013, Pastor Wilfredo De Jesus or “Pastor Choco” as he is affectionately called by his congregation, based on his love of sweets and chocolate as a child, was named one of Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People. The magazine also featured him on a cover story about the new Latin churches transforming religion in America.
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