Dr. Jack W. MacGorman
I have read the exposition (Five Commitments of Repentance) of the Deuteronomic Cycle set forth in the Old Testament account of Israel’s experience with God. Again and again as you pointed out Israel flourished when serving God faithfully. But during their prosperity they tended to forget God, relapsing into former idolatries with the inevitable result of being overrun by their enemies. They never seemed to learn from the consequences of their folly.
You have portrayed this “Deuteronomic Cycle” vividly, and have issued a prophetic call to believers especially but also to the nation we all love to make the needed commitments to repentance.
Dr. John W. (Jack) MacGorman, Distinguished Professor of New Testament, Emeritus, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
Pastor Jon Marc Church
We invited David Lange to speak at our church, Katy Park Baptist Church in Sedalia, MO. We called the 3 day weekend a “Spiritual Renewal Weekend”. David had shared with me the 5 commitments and his passion for calling “the Church” to repentance and a recommitment to holiness.
I was not entirely sure how the message would be received, especially “Abstaining from Immorality” and “Honoring the Sabbath”. These 2 sections have become areas of compromise even in the church. The church has rolled along with the culture to the point where, by our actions, you cannot distinguish between believer and non-believer. I was glad to see our church encouraged and challenged by David’s message.
David presented a strong message and call back to the right living, God requires. But, as a church member commented, “David shared what God’s word says in such a humble way that we did not feel judged in a legalistic manner. Rather we were encouraged to seek God and discover, based on His word, what that would mean for us personally.”
I would definitely recommend both David as a speaker in your church and the book for personal, group, and or a church wide study.
In Christ,
Jon Marc Church
Pastor of Katy Park Baptist Church of Sedalia, MO
Katy Park Baptist Church
The largest attendance in the history of our church was the Sunday following the Five Commitments Weekend. We had 142 in worship and 101 in Life Groups. We have also witnessed many God moments since then. A man that one church member had been witnessing to for years shows up at church all of the sudden. Another member admitted that he needs to read the Bible more than watch Basketball and he is a die-hard Jayhawks fan. One couple wanted to talk about baptism and growing closer to the Lord. She said, “God is tugging on my shoulder to get closer to Him and I feel our time on earth is growing short and I want to get things right before it’s too late.”Another couple shared that they have been talking to people at work about the commitments and how far our country has come from the foundations it was founded upon. One father apologized for inviting people to lunch on Sundays. He had committed a long time ago as a business owner not to work on Sundays and God has honored that; then, he realized that by asking others to lunch he has caused people to work.
Many others have discussed how their commitment to honor the Sabbath needs to change. Many have now discovered how obedience is equal to blessing and are excited to how God is going to work in their lives. Everyone agreed that this was a beneficial and eye-opening conference. They want to keep the 5 commitments in front of them always.
Testimonies from Katy Park Baptist Church