This Is Our Defining Moment

"If England should remain 1,000 more years, may the future generations look back on us and say this was England's finest hour!"

-Winston Churchill after the Bombing of London during WW2

Since June 2007, almost everywhere I go I have been asking congregations the question, "What is going to be our defining moment?" It was not long after that, that same phrase began coming up in the presidential election; it's coming up is business articles I read; and every time I pray I keep hearing the Holy Ghost say, "…you are in a defining moment in history!

It has been said that there are moments in history when a door for historic change is blown wide open. Great revolutions that overthrow the status quo occur in the vacuum created by these openings. It is in these moments that key men and women, pastors, churches-even entire generations become the hinge of history, that pivotal point that determines which way the door will swing.

We are in a defining moment in the history of the United States as well as the history of the church in the US as we know it now! While I could go on and on and on about everything that is wrong with the church in America; I believe the church in America- those who have abandoned all desire of being recognized, being first, being exalted; we have abandoned that fleshly carnal desire for a greater desire; a desire to see Jesus made famous again, a desire to see the real church of Jesus Christ rise up and be that catalyst of love, power and true holiness our generation has never seen!

Webster's Dictionary states the word defining as the following:

1a to determine or identify the essential qualities or meaning of;
2a to fix or mark the limits of: demarcate; b. to make distinct, clear or detailed in outline
3a to characterize, distinguish (this is the definition I like)

A moment can simply be defined as a spot, a moment…a sliver of time…

While many are defined by the clothes they wear, others are defined by the school they went to or the career they chose; some are defined by the cars they drive, the houses they live in, or by the denomination they chose to affiliate with.

Sad to say, too many are allowing themselves to be defined by a sin or a belief system or a political idealism that is totally contrary to the Word of God!

Our defining moment involves a decision. Are we going to follow Jesus with all our heart? Are we going to allow the Word of God to shape our politics, our philosophy and our belief system? Or, are we going to cave in to the demands of a sin sick, narcissistic, unregenerate society that simply wants to silence our voice of reason and righteousness?

I could weave a walk through the Word and illustrate quite a number of people in the Word are there because they had a defining moment with God! But to save time I want to leave you with three thoughts:

1. Our defining moment will be marked by a genuine attitude of repentance and brokenness.

Acts 3:19 still commands us to repent and be converted! Keep in mind, Peter is speaking these words to a group of people who are absolutely convinced they are doing it all right! They are God's chosen people! They had the Law! They had angels! They had the sacrifices!

But they had lost the power of the reality of who they were serving!

When you make up your mind you are not simply serving Jesus for the free ticket out of hell card, you will begin to find true life and life more abundantly!

When was the last time you looked around and was broken over the lost-ness of humanity? When was the last time you helped a homeless person? When was the last time you looked at the news and became grieved over the direction our nation was headed?

I spoke publicly last November that God was stripping the church of some of its political clout, because we have begun to trust our connections in Washington, instead of trusting in the Lord our God!

Will we repent because we sense the Holy Spirit convicting us of our carnality, our carelessness, our superficial spirituality; or will be have to repent because things get so bad we have no other place to turn but to God?

For those who chose to walk in repentance and true holiness, God is going to provide supernaturally both physically, spiritually and financially!

2. Your defining moment will be marked by a distinct hunger and thirst for God.

Matthew 5: still says "Blessed are they which hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled!"

Almost everywhere I go there is a renewed hunger and thirst for God I have not seen in last seven years Pam and I have been traveling. I say almost everywhere, because, not everyone is hungry and thirsty for God! They are hungry, but they are hungry for power, prestige and promotion!

3. Your defining moment will always be determined by your response to the Word of God and the Spirit of God.

I am afraid we have settled for getting just close enough to God to feel His tug of conviction, His brooding Presence, but not close enough for Him to totally change us!

Change me O God until I am totally changed into another man! A man of true holiness and true righteousness, one that completely radiates the true image of Jesus! And help me to always obey the voice of Your Spirit speaking in my heart!

Help us to take full advantage of this defining moment!