In my 18 years of being a Christian, I’ve come across some wonderful pastors who have helped me in this sanctification process. I’ve listened to others and I commend them for their hard work in spreading the message of the Gospel throughout the world, but in this journey, there has been a select few who have stirred up my appetite for the Lord and helped mold what I am supposed to be in the Kingdom of God. Not a week goes by that I do not listen to at least one of these great men. I enjoy their preaching so much, I cannot list them in any particular order. They have all been equally inspirational in my spiritual development.
Here are my top three pastors and why I choose to listen to them:
- Billy Graham
Billy Graham is arguably the greatest evangelist who has ever lived. I had heard of him but never tuned into one of his sermons. While visiting my mother, a Billy Graham sermon came on. For many years, she would listen to a multitude of preachers on TV. While listening to him, I remember thinking I had never heard preaching like this before. A fire and brimstone type-of-preaching if you will. A preaching that does not sugarcoat on what it means to live for Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world. A preaching that made me uncomfortable in my sin. A preaching that talked about sincere repentance and how to walk this new journey in Christ.
As Dr. Graham spoke to droves and droves of people, young and old, I recall how captivated they were–not in Dr. Graham himself, but the words to which he spoke. You could almost see an active self-examination taking place in their heads, very attentive and in full concentration mode. I was experiencing this too as I listened. It was the first preaching that had me thinking ouch and Amen at the same time. The kind that truly makes you search within, check your conduct, and compels you to be accountable for your actions if you want the Christian title. It went far beyond the Jesus loves you and forgives your sin preaching I was used to. This preaching felt alive, as if Scripture itself was standing on that stage.
I could have easily turned the TV to another channel because my mother had dozed off from working earlier that morning . But I could not bring myself to change the channel, nor did I think of doing it. This was good, solid foundational preaching. It was not what I wanted to hear but what I needed to hear and I loved it. I’m so thankful for the work Dr. Graham did.
Dr. Graham was a humble man, and a man with a tremendous gift. The calling on his life and the way he approached it was absolutely remarkable. There are millions from around the world standing in the heavenly realm because of his evangelism. He allowed himself to be God’s vessel to bring many. I know it was not easy, though. Dr. Graham said being a Christian is hard. “I’m a flopping failure,” is the way he described himself trying to be a Christian absent of the Holy Spirit. In addition to the everyday temptations of Christian living, Dr. Graham spoke of nearly dying from contracting Malaria overseas to nearly dying in a plane crash, and there’s no telling how many devils wanted him dead. The size and impact of his ministry must have infuriated the kingdom of darkness. Nonetheless, Dr. Graham went on to be with the Lord in 2018 at the tender age of ninety-nine. What a legacy he left and to this day, I still listen to his sermons over and over never tiring of the truth of God. Billy Graham’s sermons were the Genesis for my love of Truth of God preaching. What an extraordinary servant of the Living God.
- Marcus Rogers
Around 2017, while wasting time scrolling through Facebook, I ran across a fired-up, modern day Apostle Paul named Marcus Rogers. The energy and conviction to which he preached was breathtaking. I knew right away this was a man who’s in love with the Lord.
Back then, I had never heard of a Marcus Rogers. He was a member of our military preaching on Facebook and probably the only online pastor back then. The more I listened to him, the more I began to see why. His voice, his style of preaching is what lukewarm pastors and parishioners scatter away from. His preaching offends, but only if you’re not living right. You’re either going to hate it or love it. But everything Marcus preached lined up with things I had read in the bible. As much as it hurts, I could not deny the truth. Listening to it was going to make me a better Christian and I have been listening to it ever since.
At the time Marcus Rogers began preaching, you had to peer through a microscope to find similar preaching online and off. Prosperity preaching was still running strong. People were flocking to it like moths to a fire. How do you draw large crowds of people? Tickle their ears. Furthermore, one could not deny the financial gain from it. I’m not suggesting that everyone who preaches this way motive is money but the bible clearly says to speak the truth in love. This is what Marcus does. He also preaches grace – the unmatchable love of Jesus Christ, just as effectively. Marcus has and will always be vilified for this form of ministry but God did not call him to cower down to the masses. He called him to preach what thus saith the Lord – Deliver My message. God says we are not to add nor subtract from Scripture.
Just as the Apostle Paul and the prophets of the Bible, Pastor Rogers has taken a beating from the religious for his style of preaching. But if the bible is truly being preached, why is there even a style? Christianity is an exact theology. Belief (faith), repentance, forgiveness, and holiness. As far as grace goes, salvation alone is grace in and of itself. This is the doctrine of Christianity, and Pastor Rogers’ ministry embraces the doctrine of Jesus Christ full throttle. His ministry has grown over the years because he does not back down from the criticisms. God keeps blessing his boldness because there are still those who have a craving for deliverance and righteousness. This preaching does not coddle or encourages comfortability in sin. It puts billboard emphasis on faith without works is dead in that works is a byproduct of each and every holy-field spirit. It’s a pot of truth mixed with a helping of grace all in the name of love. Amen to the pastors who are hunting for souls to fill God’s Kingdom.
- Isaiah Saldivar
Hold onto your seatbelts because this pastor is blazing through the darkness of social media like an oceanic volcano. I was introduced to Isaiah Saldivar by watching another Christian YouTuber. He was speaking on the authenticity of Isaiah and had nothing but remarkable things to say about him (shout out to Jalen Wilson). So, I flipped the channel and was moved by his preaching and I have never looked back.
Before becoming a soldier in the body of Christ, Isaiah was a proud atheist. As with most staunch atheists, his intelligence superseded most. At the same time, it was his weakness. For years, he had allowed his intellect to keep him out of God’s Kingdom. He even admitted to cursing God. After some nudging from his sister to attend church with her, Pastor Saldivar capitulated and went with her declaring it would be his last time. Without any foreknowledge his life would change forever, the Holy Spirit infiltrated and took possession of what the devil thought was his. A fire was lit up inside of Pastor Saldivar on that day and until this day, Satan has been unable to quinch it.
All the passion, the fire, and all the fervor Pastor Saldivar had for the world has now been doused onto the sick, the infirmed, the distressed and those who just want to be kept in the name of Jesus Christ. He teaches a strong message of repentance and deliverance. Many sinners and Christians did not know about the power of deliverance or even knew they needed it. The words demonic influence was not being preached as it should have in the brick-and-mortar churches. Because it wasn’t, many would use their own power using ritualistic, mundane prayer, two-hour repentance, and self-help books to combat these forces, not fully understanding their strength was no match. Many underestimated their need for Holy Spirit deliverance. In serving God, the church had all but eliminated the significance of the Book of Acts. It assumes the miracles of the New Testament was just biblical times stuff. But the God we know and love does not change. Neither do people. We need help. The church dismissed the healing power of the Holy Spirit and had forgotten that Jesus’ mode of operation was not only to save but to heal. Pastor Salvador’s ministry addresses this issue and between he and Pastor Rogers, a revival has begun in hearing this preaching. Social media was designed to distract and weaken the Church but in turn, it has lit a fire. The Spirit of God is instructing many the importance of faith and repentance because the end times are approaching. Pastor Saldivar has pioneered the Deliverance Maps around the country and they are growing in number. His ministry has addressed a dire need which never should have been a need.
These preachers have several things in common but if I had to sum it in one word, it would be fearlessness. It takes a special kind of disciple to preach the most unpopular aspect of Christianity – sin and repentance. It must be said nevertheless. This is how we get delivered. They preach this message with absolute passion and conviction. Whether one person is tuning in or a million, I firmly believe their delivery and message would not change.
Just as in the case of Jesus’ ministry, their biggest enemy has been the church itself. The criticism is that their teachings lack grace – but if grace is love then love is telling people what’s going to shake them out of their comfort zone: truth. Christians cannot solely depend on men for the Word. We must not merely read, but assess and study the Word for ourselves. In doing so, God will reveal the motivation behind every pastor’s ministry. We can also understand why Jesus would tell one of the most religious, Old Testament-law-abiding men (Nicodemus), that he must be born again. Religion was not enough.
Billy Graham quoted, “No one talked about hell more than Jesus.” To gloss over and water down Jesus’ message on the subject is sacrilegious.
There are two spirit realms flowing throughout the earth – evil and Good. These pastors’ objective isn’t to establish friends or amass followers. It is to win people over to Christ. These men understood the assignment set forth by the Father:
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.
And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.
Matthew 28:19-20