How We Can Seize the Moment * Dutch Sheets & Larry Tomczak * GiveHIM15 * 1/23/2023 - Direction

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• • 6 min read       https://www.givehim15.com/post/january-24-2023

January 24, 2023

How We Can Seize the Moment

 

 

In a recent article, our friend, Larry Tomczak, shares some poignant thoughts and an appropriate challenge to the Church of America. He urges us to take advantage of the momentum created in the midterm elections. At this moment in history, leaders in the church must be as passionate as the recent Representatives who stood up to others in Congress, demanding change. Larry begins with a powerful quote from William Booth, founder of The Salvation Army:

 

“‘I’m not waiting for a move of God. I am a move of God!’(1)

 

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“One of the oldest books I possess was written over 150 years ago by General William Booth, founder of the Salvation Army. ‘In Darkest England and the Way Out’ is a classic manual outlining God’s strategy for turnaround in a nation. Knowing that the only hope for America in our dark time is another Great Awakening, we should celebrate the midterm elections as a sign of God’s intervention to set our nation back on the right track. This can occur as we follow ‘the General’s’ example of personal passion for God, which helps ignite nationwide revival and reformation.

 

 

“I just returned from a roundtable of senior leaders in California, led by one of my closest and longest friends, Dr. Che Ahn. In his latest book, Turning Our Nation Back to God Through Historic Revival, Che says the following:

 

 

‘Our world is in desperate need of revival. In this crucial moment of time, I am convinced that revival - true historic revival - is on God’s agenda. I believe we are being offered a divine invitation by God right now, as He is beckoning us to recognize the amazing and powerful ways He has moved in the past, so that we can act as a bridge in the Spirit to contend for an even greater move of God in our generation. What God has done before, He will surely do again!’

 

 

Unifying, Not Fearing Christian Nationalism

 

“The midterm victory presents traditional conservatives with a wonderful opportunity to come together in unity for God’s purposes to be fulfilled. ‘But be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment’ (1 Corinthians 1:10). Don’t fall for the media-created ‘Christian Nationalism’ label designed to put fear in godly, patriotic Americans and cause a hesitation to stand up for our Judeo-Christian heritage!

 

 

“Living in turbulent times characterized by a departure from the Biblical foundations upon which our nation was established, it’s important that we pledge to remain steadfast in fervent prayer, faithful proclamation of the Gospel, and fidelity to restoring our nation. This is essential in order to see national repentance and the spiritual awakening for which we pray.

 

 

Following Our Founders

 

“‘When in the course of human events it becomes necessary for one people…’ - with these words our Declaration of Independence begins.

 

 

“The signers continued by affirming ‘Nature’s God,’ ‘self-evident truths’ and our ‘Creator.’ Then our brave Forefathers, putting their very lives on the line, ended their statement of convictions by declaring, ‘with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor.’(2)

 

 

“At another historic moment, a courageous leader named Nehemiah led the people of God in a similar pledge, recorded in the Bible (Nehemiah 10:28-39). They promised to uphold marriage as God intended (v30) and ‘obey carefully all the commands, regulations, and decrees of the Lord our God’ (v20).

 

 

“It’s time for patriotic, principled men and women who love and fear God to do likewise. I submit the following framework for our pledge of solidarity to capitalize on the momentum of this moment.

 

 

OUR SOLIDARITY PLEDGE

 

 

1. “We Pledge to Obey God, Not Government, Regarding the Sanctity of Life and Marriage.

 

“Scripture tells us, ‘Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind’ (Romans 12:2). Therefore, any secular rulings contrary to God’s will for unborn babies, marriage and family cannot be honored by His obedient children. We will remain charitable but resolute that we will not capitulate.

 

 

“The most innocent and defenseless in our midst must always be protected and given ‘the right to life.’ And since the Bible begins and ends with marriage, we will remain faithful to uphold natural marriage between a man and a woman. The two legs upon which our society stands are these: the sanctity of life and the sanctity of marriage.

 

 

1. “We Pledge to Honor Our Nation’s Scriptural - Not Secular - Heritage.

 

“Our Founding Fathers established our nation on Judeo-Christian foundations and pledged obedience to God and His standards. As a result, we’ve been blessed like no nation in history.

 

 

“Until recent generations, we basically remained faithful. Now, however, we find ourselves seriously adrift from those principles that made America great. We pledge our efforts, with humility, to reclaim our godly heritage as ‘one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.’

 

 

“Founding father, Daniel Webster, reminds us:

 

 

‘If we and our posterity shall be true to the Christian religion, if we and they shall be always in the fear of God, and shall respect His commandments, if we and they shall maintain just moral sentiments and such conscientious convictions of duty as shall control the heart and life, we may have the highest hopes of the future fortunes of our country…but if we and our posterity reject religious institutions and authority, violate the rules of eternal justice, trifle with the injunctions of morality, and recklessly destroy the political constitution which holds us together, no man can tell how sudden a catastrophe may overwhelm us, that shall bury all our glory in profound obscurity.’(3)

 

 

1. “We Pledge to Trust in God’s Protection Amidst Judgment, While Praying for Spiritual Awakening.

 

“The prophet Ezekiel was a ‘watchman on the wall’ who warned people of impending judgment for continuing to violate God’s righteous standards. Child sacrifice and disregarding divine standards for marriage and family brought discipline intended to turn people back to God.

 

 

“For the remnant who remained faithful, God reassured them that amidst severe punishment, righteous ones like Noah, Daniel, and Job were supernaturally protected (Ezekiel 14:14). May we stand on their shoulders and experience similar deliverance.

 

 

“In the meantime, we must heed the promise of 2 Chronicles 7:14: ‘If My people who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.’

 

 

“Like our forefathers, we should encourage one another and declare in unison: ‘With a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor.’”(4)

 

 

I choose to make this pledge with Larry. We must do more than glibly quote, “Freedom is not free;” we must LIVE like we believe it. Whatever the cost, we must pay it at this time in our nation. God, our grandchildren - and a billion souls - will thank us.

 

 

Pray with me:

 

Father, we thank You for early heroes of the faith like Ezekiel and Nehemiah, later ones such as Daniel Webster and America's Founders, spiritual leaders like William and Catherine Booth, and many more. We also thank You for modern heroes of the faith like Che Ahn, Larry Tomczak, and others like them who contend earnestly for the faith delivered to us.

 

Raise up a new generation of heroes. Give us leaders with strong backbones, passionate hearts, biblical foundations, and selfless motivations. In his book, Che calls this season a “crucial moment of time.” We agree with him that we are “being offered a divine invitation by You right now…What You have done before You will surely do again!”

 

We pray that many in the Church will respond to this challenge from Larry. It is so basic and fundamental that we should all embrace it. The God who intends to arise and see His enemies scattered at this point in world history will first have to arise in the hearts of His people. May we, like William Booth, BECOME “a move of God!”

 

As always, we ask these things in the only name that gives us access to You, Father: Jesus.

 

 

Our Decree:

 

We decree that a remnant - a growing remnant - is arising. They are determined and committed believers who are becoming the seeds of revival.

 

 

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Click on the link below to watch the full video

 

 

 

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1. https://salvationarmyeet.org/i-am-a-move-of-god/

2. https://portal.ct.gov/SOTS/Register-Manual/Section-I/Declaration-of-Independence-US-Constitution

3. https://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/danielwebsterplymouthorationcomplete.htm

4. https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/declaration-transcript