Unfulfilled Promises

From Dutch Sheets:

Periodically, I like to mention quotes from America’s Founders and Framers. Declaring statements made in the past by God—and those made by others at His inspiration—does more than just honor Him and our predecessors. It releases God’s power from yesterday’s words and promises into today.

The last two verses of Hebrews 11 shed light on this. “And all these, having gained approval through their faith, did not receive what was promised, because God had provided something better for us, so that apart from us they would not be made complete” (Hebrews 11:39-40).

Some promises made by God to people are multi-generational and not intended to be fully accomplished in their lifetimes. Those to whom the promise was made are sometimes only the “womb” in which the “seed” is planted. The succeeding generation(s) furthers the growth, brings the seed to birth, and stewards that which is born.

The Greek word translated as “complete” (teleioo)(1) in the above verse, Hebrews 11:40, also means “to finish; to mature; to reach the intended goal.”(2) Think about the ramifications of this: there are many promises God has made to individuals who are now in heaven that He cannot “finish” or fulfill without us. What He started through them cannot “mature” or “reach its intended goal” until we grab the baton and run our leg of the race. This is profound in its significance. Why wouldn’t the Lord want us to know and declare America’s destiny – that which was written and declared at the beginning? He can’t finish it without us. Here are just a few statements and facts from America’s past we should agree with and declare:

Government

In 1643, John Winthrop, who stated that “we shall be as a city on a hill…” organized the New England Confederation, consisting of New Plymouth, New Haven, Massachusetts, and Connecticut. Their Constitution, the first document in America where colonies united themselves, read,

“Whereas we all came to these parts of America with one and the same end and aim, namely, to advance the kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ, ...for preserving and propagating the truth and liberties of the Gospel.”(3)

William Penn, author of the book No Cross, No Crown, which he wrote while imprisoned in the Tower of London, was the founder of Pennsylvania. His first legislative act, “The Great Law of Penn,” stated,

“Whereas the glory of Almighty God and the good of mankind is the reason and the end of government, and government itself is a venerable ordinance of God...let there be established laws as shall best preserve true Christian and Civil liberty, in opposition to all unchristian, licentious, and unjust practices, whereby God can have His due.”(4)

Penn asked God to make Pennsylvania “the seed of a nation,”(5) and God answered his prayer. Our Declaration of Independence was decreed there in 1776. Four times, the document references God: as our Lawmaker, Creator, Judge, and Protector. The Liberty Bell that rang in Philadelphia that day had inscribed on it: Proclaim liberty throughout the land to all the inhabitants thereof (Leviticus 25:10). Our Constitution was written in Pennsylvania in 1787, born through prayer, which was requested by Ben Franklin. In this Constitution, our government’s three branches were formed according to Isaiah 33:22. “The Lord is our Judge…Lawgiver…King; He will save us.” The righteous seeds Penn and others planted produced a righteous nation and government. We must command these truths embedded in America’s fabric to come alive once more.

Education

One hundred six of America’s first 108 colleges and universities were founded on the Christian faith. Students at Harvard and Yale were required to read the Scriptures twice daily. Harvard’s founders stated: “All knowledge without Christ is vain.” Its motto was “For Christ and The Church.” Yale’s founders stated that “Every student shall consider the main end of his study is to know God in Jesus Christ.” Princeton’s motto was “Under God’s Power She Flourishes.” The first president of Princeton, Jonathan Dickenson, said, “Cursed be all learning that is contrary to the Cross of Christ.” The great pastor and revivalist, Jonathan Edwards, was the 3rd president of Princeton.(6)

Noah Webster, who published the first American Dictionary of the English Language in 1828 said, “Education is useless without the Bible.”(7) “The moral principles and precepts contained in the Scriptures ought to form the basis of all our civil constitutions and laws.(8) Webster also said, “The principles of genuine liberty, and of wise laws and administrations, are to be drawn from the Bible and sustained by its authority.”(9) Profound!

What God began in America is not “finished”; it hasn’t “reached its intended goal.” He needs our agreement and commands in order to complete it. Use these and other facts regarding her founding, find more through research and study, and declare them. When you do, this will generate power.

Pray with me:

Father, You are the great Olam El, the Everlasting God, who declares the end from the beginning. When our forefathers were stating their faith in You, declaring Your plans and heart for America, and covenanting to partner with You in fulfilling them, You looked ahead and saw us. You knew You would have a people in this hour who would arise in faith and agree with what was declared back then. We are that people.

As we do so, our faith is not in our ability to declare and command perfectly. It is not in our wisdom, understanding, or abilities. Our faith is in YOU, YOUR mercy offered through Christ, and YOUR ability to work all things after the counsel of YOUR will.

With this faith, we command Your purposes into our government, established under You and Your Word. We declare that You are our Lawgiver, Judge, and King. We declare that the seeds of righteousness planted in our land are not dead; they will bring forth righteous fruit. And we declare that the weeds and thorns will be uprooted and destroyed.

We declare over our education system that evil and perversion will be uprooted. We declare that Christ and His Word will once again be honored. We declare that all knowledge not rooted in Him is vain, and cursed be all learning that contradicts the Cross of Christ. We declare that to know Him is the highest goal of all learning. We command a return to truth and a rejection of deception.

We pray and command all these things in Yeshua’s holy name. Amen.

Our decree:

We decree that we embrace our God-given roots and destiny, thereby allowing God to finish through us what He started in America.

Click on the link below to watch the full video.

https://youtu.be/yeUVOikvoVk


_____________________________

1. James Strong, The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible. Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1990. ref. no. 5046.

2. Ibid, ref. no. 5046.

3. “The Articles of Confederation of the United Colonies of New England; May 19, 1643.” Avalon Project, https://avalon.law.yale.edu/17th_century/art1613.asp. Accessed 15 July 2024.

4. William J. Federer, America’s God and Country [Encyclopedia Of Quotations]. FAME Publishing, Inc., 1994. p. 503.

5. Leo Godzich, Faith of Our Founding Fathers. The National Association of Marriage Enhancement Publishers, 1982. p. 78.

6. Ibid, pp. 105-111.

7. William J. Federer, America’s God and Country [Encyclopedia Of Quotations]. FAME Publishing, Inc., 1994. p. 676.

8. Ibid, p. 678.

9. Ibid, p. 679.

Copyright © 2024 Dutch Sheets Ministries, All rights reserved.

I'm A Christian, So Why Should I Vote?

"I knew I was at the right rally"

The apathy of many in the American church will prove to have been one of the greatest all-time disgraces - if not THE greatest - in her history. My Faith Votes, quoting from the Christian Post, tells us:

“As many as 104 million people of faith, including 32 million self-identified Christians who regularly attend church, are unlikely to vote in the upcoming 2024 Presidential Election on November 5 mainly due to lack of interest, research from the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University shows (emphasis mine). The findings of the study released Monday by longtime Evangelical pollster George Barna and his team of researchers(1) are based on data collected in two related surveys of a national sample of 2,000 U.S. adults during August and September 2024.”(2)

My Faith Votes reports:

“Why did so many regular churchgoers indicate that they won’t vote? One reason could be that many churches are failing to urge congregants to steward their God-given civic responsibility. According to Barna, ‘...an estimated five million regular churchgoers would be likely to vote as a result of that simple exhortation.’ [Let that sink in: 5 million!]

“‘What a great way for believers and churches to use their platform – not by replacing their spiritual mandate with political emphasis, but by teaching people to live a culturally engaged life based on biblical principles,’ Barna continued. ‘And it’s not only voting for the next president, but also determining who will hold many other federal, state and local offices, and what will happen with numerous referenda.’ When Christians could be the deciding factor in matters of life and death, good and evil, how can we stay home?

“While the survey revealed Christians’ complacency, it also showed that many would appreciate instruction from their church on how to think about the issues from a biblical perspective.”(3)

And in that last point lies a huge part of the problem. Even though many in the church desire it, many Christian leaders – whether from ignorance, deception, or fear – refuse to instruct their followers on the responsibility of stewardship in the area of government.


Senior Pastor Gary Hamrick of Cornerstone Chapel told the Pray, Vote, Stand Summit:

“‘Let me tell you what happens when we are not involved in the political process,’ he said somberly. ‘We open the door for every evil ideology to fill the vacuum. When we decide we’re going to check out, we’re not going to be involved; we’re not going to be politically engaged; all we do is open the door for more of the same evil agenda and ideology. Why is it that so many Christians are sitting out on the sidelines? Why [is there] such political apathy in our world? Because a lot of Christians think that politics is a dirty word that they don’t want to be involved in. “We will leave the world of politics up to the rest of the world,” they would say, and then wonder why every evil has filled the vacuum. If you thought the last 35 years were disturbing, imagine the next 35. …We are one generation away from losing what is valuable and precious and sacred,’ Hamrick warned.

“This trend of political indifference and disgust is in spite of the Scripture’s clear teaching that government — like the family and the church — is an institution created and established by God. ‘Why is it that when it comes to the family, people are protective of the family, Christians in particular? Why is it when it comes to the church, Christians in particular want to care for the church and defend the church? But then when it comes to this third institution, the second one that God ordained, [and] all of a sudden people say, “Well, that one doesn’t need my involvement, that one doesn’t need my participation, that one doesn’t need for me to be engaged.”’”(4)

In the above paragraph mentioning how many Christians may not vote in the upcoming election, the phrase “due to lack of interest” leaped out at me. Think about it – “lack of interest.”

My Faith Votes reported on why we should be interested:

"Watchdog database Stop the Harm reported that just under $120 million in medical expenses were submitted to insurance companies for treatments designed to hide a minor’s gender characteristics in the United States between 2019 and 2023. The database, launched by the medical advocacy group “Do No Harm,” reported about 14,000 minors receiving such treatments within the four-year period. About 8,500 minors received hormone blockers, and more than 5,500 minors underwent actual surgeries to hide their gender characteristics, the database reported.(5)

“ …14,000 minors... 14,000 young boys’ and girls’ bodies – beautifully designed by their Creator – that have been permanently mutilated. Allowing this - either directly by enacting legislation that protects doctors who perform such procedures and prescribe such medications – or indirectly by remaining silent as this goes on – will forever be a great failure of our nation.

“Several of the medical facilities complicit in these ‘gender transitions’ are the nation’s largest children’s hospitals, like the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. These institutions, originally established to heal children, have begun harming children. What’s worse, a report released earlier this year revealed that many doctors have performed procedures on minors or prescribed medications to minors that have not been adequately tested or researched. The same report revealed discussions amongst doctors trying to determine whether a child’s mental illness or disability impairs their ability to give consent – with some doctors arguing it does not. Think about it: doctors are performing life-altering, gender-mutilating surgeries on children too young to fully comprehend what is happening.”(6)

The church’s “lack of interest” in this boggles the mind.


I attended a Trump rally on Monday night [Oct. 21], my first. It was initially planned not as a political rally but a private gathering with faith leaders – a time to pray, worship, and hear some comments from President Trump. So, I thought, why not? Though it did remain a gathering with a strong spiritual emphasis, it was opened to the public and became a political rally, as well. Dr. Ben Carson, a man for whom I have profound respect, shared briefly. He spoke of a recent Kamala Harris rally when a couple of attendees shouted, “Jesus is Lord.” Before mentioning Kamala’s reaction, Dr. Carson referenced Matthew 12:34, “Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.” He pointed out that Harris’ response was immediate, not thought out, straight from the abundance of her heart: “Oh, you’re at the wrong rally,” she said.

When Carson mentioned this Monday night, a chant erupted: “Je-sus! Je-sus! Je-sus!…” I knew I was at the right rally.

And when Franklin Graham – who follows the example of his late father [Dr. Billy Graham], carefully avoiding a political spirit – presented the gospel before President Trump shared, I knew I was at the right rally. He asked those present if they believed in prayer, then he asked us to – in our own words – lift our voices and pray for a minute or so. When the sound of fervent prayer arose loudly over the gathering, followed by Graham’s own heartfelt prayer, I knew I was at the right rally.

And when President Trump said he would stop the disgusting, shameful, unconscionable mutilating of thousands of children, the scarring of them forever and stealing their posterity, I knew I was at the right rally.


There are enough Christians in America to stop this mutilation of children, if they were only interested. To the millions of uninterested Christians who don’t intend to vote, and the thousands of uninterested pastors who refuse to teach and motivate them otherwise, I must confess that I will never, ever understand your “lack of interest.” Gary Hamrick, the Cornerstone pastor, cautioned, “If we see the rising tide of evil in our land and we decide to do nothing, we are ceding ground to the enemy, and we are being unfaithful to our calling as ambassadors for Christ.”(7) Your decision NOT to vote for biblical values IS a vote for their demise. Beware; this self-imposed restriction bears eternal consequences.

Pray with me:

Father, please forgive the American church for our apathy, which is born of poor theology, deception, and selfishness. Some in the church actually believe You don’t care who is in government, as though decisions to oppose Your Son, destroy children’s lives, and promote evil are acceptable to You. They believe that You, like them, are uninterested. Forgive us for allowing these lies in the church.

Help us to rid the church of this deception in the future, and help us to overcome its fruit in this election. At every level, we ask You to give us a government that welcomes You in its gatherings, and doesn’t smirk when Your name is mentioned. We ask You to favor those who know and honor You, who protect the innocent, who rule righteously. Rid us of corruption and dishonesty in our government. Protect Donald Trump, who is so fiercely hated by the progressives and globalists.

And we will never stop asking for and declaring that powerful revival and reformation are coming to America. Signs, wonders, miracles, and millions of salvations, come!

We ask for and declare all of this as representatives of Christ, in His name alone. Amen.


Our decree:

We decree the breaking of apathy off the church in America.

Additionally:

As you make your plan to vote, take advantage of the Voter Hub on My Faith Votes’ website. It is a comprehensive voting resource that helps you with everything from researching your ballot to locating your polling place. Visit MyFaithVotes.org to get started.


Click on this link to watch the full video. https://youtu.be/wUgXtJSOqYY


1. https://www.arizonachristian.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/CRC-Release-Pre-Election-1-Oct-12-2024-Final.pdf

2. https://www.christianpost.com/news/over-32m-christian-churchgoers-likely-wont-vote-in-2024-study.html

3. https://www.myfaithvotes.org/intersect/weekly-news-summary-oct-16-2024#1

4. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=53_8dNwmd-0

5. https://wng.org/sift/report-shows-more-than-62-000-u-s-minors-treated-for-gender-dysphoria-in-four-year-period-1728596059

6. https://www.myfaithvotes.org/intersect/weekly-news-summary-oct-16-2024#1

7. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=53_8dNwmd-0

You can find more information at: https://washingtonstand.com/commentary/to-the-41-million-christians-unlikely-to-vote-this-november-you-need-to-repent

Copyright © 2024 Dutch Sheets Ministries, All rights reserved.

We Must Find Our Governmental Voice

 We Must Find Our Governmental Voice

by Dutch Sheets, 8/9/21

In the 2020 elections, I was accused by some of being too political. I’m used to it - it happens to me every four years. In reality, I have chosen not to affiliate with either political party, so that I can speak without a political bias or motivation. (I freely admit to a biblical bias.) The problem with some people’s perspectives regarding involvement in government is they don’t distinguish between government and politics.

I don’t really like the political process, though I realize some of it is necessary. What I AM interested in, big-time, is government. So is God. He IS government (see Isaiah 33:22) In fact, the entire account of the Bible is about government and authority, dealing with the question: “Who is going to rule the earth? Will it be Jesus, the Creator or satan, the usurper?” God‘s will and plan is for His governing authority to flow into the earth through people motivated by love and servanthood - starting in the family unit and continuing upward to nations. When this occurs appropriately, it provides covering, protection, justice, peace, and more.

Satan and fallen humans abuse the process. Many Christians, including their leaders, ignore the process, swallowing the lie that “God isn’t interested in government. It is carnal, evil, and corrupt.” This of course, by default, allows satan and the abusers to abuse it even more.

Satan is very cunning. God said this about the devil and, in fact, it is the first thing stated about him in the Bible: “Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast…” (Genesis 3:1). He worked his craftiness and sold the church a lie that we should stay out of government, thereby removing one of God’s most significant channels for delivering His life and blessings into the earth, and allowing him to fill the void.

Our ignorance is empowering satan and destroying us! (Hosea 4:6) We are feeding the beast.

The anti-Christ and anti-Bible abusers of government in America now feel they have the right to:

• kill babies and make us pay for it
• sell the aborted babies’ body parts
• leave them to die on the abortion table when the process doesn’t work well (and celebrate these evil, reprehensible laws with cheering and lit-up buildings)
• redefine marriage
• mock the Creator who called us “male and female”
• force our teenage daughters to shower with boys
• open our borders
• promote socialism
• rewrite our history, steal our roots and redefine our Constitution
• lie to us at will
• and more.

If these are not spiritual issues, and therefore the church’s responsibility to address, I’m not sure what is. And I didn’t even list our government’s fiscal irresponsibility; the way we handle our finances, however, is also a VERY biblical issue. For Christians to try and separate God and the Bible from government is worse than unscriptural, it is heretical. Refusing to make a stand from our pulpits on these and other important issues is as disgraceful as it is devastating. Neglecting our responsibility to speak up and act, literally empowers abortion and other evils of our day.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a German pastor, anti-Nazi dissident, and author of The Cost of Discipleship poignantly stated, “Silence in the face of evil is itself evil: God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak, is to speak. Not to act, is to act.” (1) The great reformer Martin Luther King said, “To ignore evil is to become an accomplice to it.” (2) These warnings are as appropriate and applicable to the church of America today as any time in history. We are even now being weighed in the balances, and our decisions will tip the scales one way or the other. The church must become a voice once again.

Only about half of Americans claiming to be evangelical Christians are registered to vote, and many who are registered don’t bother to do so. Most statistics make it clear that evangelicals could turn any national election in America if we all voted, and did so based on biblical values rather than party lines or personality preferences. Not only does the indifferent church fail to vote or actively involve itself in social issues, most do not even pray regarding the challenges we face in America.

I was in the Sunday service of a large church the weekend President Trump made his decision regarding retiring Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy’s replacement. This decision was one that had the potential of shifting the balance of power on the Supreme Court to a conservative, pro-constitutionalist, pro-life majority, something America had desperately needed since the 1960s. Doubtlessly, the decision was so monumental that it would affect the lives of the children and even the grandchildren of those present that day. That choice by President Trump, and the next Justice he ultimately appointed, will absolutely be two of the most significant decisions of our lifetime.

In light of this decision’s magnitude, I kept waiting for someone to lead in prayer for wisdom and guidance to POTUS Trump, for Holy Spirit to lead him in making the right decision. If not a 15-30 minutes time of corporate prayer - perhaps this was more important than the sermon that day! - then maybe even 10 minutes, or 5, since the pastor himself referred to the congregation that day as “a praying church.” No? At least someone might mention it when praying over the offering or sermon. When no prayer was offered, I held out hope that they would at least encourage people to pray about this on their own. As you have probably guessed by now, it was never even mentioned. I was stunned, grieved, and angry. Tragically, this is the norm, not the exception.

We continue to pay a high price for our forfeiture of government. Two weeks ago Nancy Pelosi blocked a vote on a bill to ban taxpayer-funded abortions for the 58th time. Instead, she and her Democrat colleagues in Congress voted unanimously to eliminate the 40-year-old Hyde Amendment, which prevents taxpayer dollars from being used for “most abortions in Medicaid and other federal programs. It is credited with saving 2.4 million babies’ lives…Republican members offered several amendments that would’ve restored Hyde protection to the budget…Democrats refused to allow consideration of any pro-life amendments.”(3) The article concluded by saying that, “Joe Biden recently rejected the Hyde amendment after decades of supporting it. His proposed 2022 budget also would force taxpayers to pay for abortions.” (4)

None of this would be happening if Trump was still in the White House. He was the most pro-life President we have ever had. The anti-Trump RINOs who claim to be pro-life aren’t. They are actually sometimes pro-life, when it suits their political agenda. The same thing is true of the Christian leaders who opposed him and endorsed Biden. All of these people’s dislike for Trump was greater than their love for the babies. Even without Roe v. Wade being reversed there is much a president can do to curb abortions. Millions of tax dollars are now being spent to abort thousands of babies that had been stopped under President Trump. Maybe some of these anti-Trump folks would like to congratulate Biden again.

If taking the lives of surviving, struggling babies on bloody abortion tables is not enough to motivate the church of America and its leaders to regain their voices, then I simply do not know what could possibly do so. If we refuse to make a stand, do not talk about these issues from our pulpits, don’t pray for and support godly candidates during elections, and won’t pray publicly as congregations regarding important laws, we have no right to complain about the mess our silence helps create.

Thankfully, there is a remnant of the church that is now becoming a voice. The ekklesia is arising and a growing number of determined voices are sounding the alarm. The watchmen have been awakened, the intercessors and warriors are responding. You are probably one of them. If not, get on board. You were born for this time - be an Esther!

Pray with me:

Father, in Christ’s name we thank You for the awakening we see beginning in the church. The sleeping giant is stirring. Cause the alarm clock to become louder and louder. Make it impossible for Christians in America to silence the alarm or override it with other activities and thoughts. Confront us with the reality of where we are in our nation.

We know what You intend to do. Our hearts, though breaking over many issues, are also filled with faith that You are about to change things dramatically. The conscience of a nation will be brought back to life. The heart of a complacent and passive church is being, and will continue to be, awakened. Thank You for Your grace and Your mercy.

We confidently declare that Your grace and the blood of Jesus is greater than all of our sin, that it cleanses us from all sin and unrighteousness. We boldly state once again, and will continue to do so daily, that “America shall be saved!” The greatest revival in history has begun and will bring healing to our land. It still works. Amen.

Our decree:

We decree that we, the church, will involve ourselves in every level and facet of government, releasing the authority and blessing of God into the earth.

____________________________

1. https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/601807-silence-in-the-face-of-evil-is-itself-evil-god
2. https://booktrib.com/2015/01/19/mlk-jr-quotes-appropriate-for-our-time/
3. https://www.lifenews.com/2021/07/29/house-democrats-pass-bill-to-eliminate-hyde-amendment-make-americans-fund-abortions/
4. Ibid

Copyright © 2021 Dutch Sheets Ministries, All rights reserved.

God's Word for Monday, 11/5/18

For for this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God's ministers, attending continually upon this very thing.

Romans 13:6 KJV

That’s also why you pay taxes—so that an orderly way of life can be maintained. Fulfill your obligations as a citizen. Pay your taxes, pay your bills, respect your leaders.

Romans 13:6 MSG