Author, Pleasure of His Company, (2014)
Exec. Dir. of
Christ for the Nations Institute (CFNI)
Former Senior pastor, Freedom Church, Colorado Springs,
CO
Founder of both Dutch Sheets Ministries and the United States Alliance for Reformation
Author of numerous books: Intercessory Prayer, Authority in Prayer, etc.
Graduate, Christ for the Nations, Dallas, TX
Married to Ceci, two adult daughters, one grandson
Guest Bio
Dutch Sheets: Intimate Friendship with God
The 700 Club
CBN.com
–A PERSONAL LOOK AT GOD
Fifteen years ago Dutch’s wife, Ceci, told him he was going to write a book that would be titled, The Pleasure of His Company. A year ago, he finished writing the book, which is about friendship and intimacy with God. Dutch says this book is his gift to the Lord and the Body of Christ. It is based on his faith journey with thoughts and word, studies of the lessons he has learned over the years on how to tap into God’s intimate being. It is not as “teachy” as his other books – it is very candid and personal, giving a glimpse at some of the joys and pains Dutch has experienced. Years ago he realized he was more religious than anything else. He knew that he needed to honor God, but Dutch says the first twenty-five years of his life he didn’t know Him. When he got the revelation that God was a loving God that wanted a relationship with people - it “rocked his world.” After a period of time, Dutch wanted to emphasize quality in his time with God, not quantity (i.e. reading a certain number of chapters of the Bible or praying for hours – these are all still good, but Dutch saw that he was trying to earn God’s love which was based on his efforts and not on who God is and Jesus’ finished work on the Cross. Then Dutch’s thinking became all about God, on which he prioritizes everything in his life. Dutch says it’s not how long you spend time with God (quantity), it’s the quality. No matter where you are with your walk with God – He wants to draw you closer to Him.
FINDING THE LOVING HEAVENLY FATHER
While in college in 1973, Dutch was traveling fast but going nowhere. He had been running from God for two years, pursuing alcohol, drugs, and rock and roll. Though raised in church – his father was an evangelist turned pastor – and committing his life to the Lord at an early age, he rebelled at age 17. The rebellion started when his father had an affair with the church secretary, leaving the family, and finally marrying her. Dutch and the rest of the family’s lives were shattered. His mother found a job in a meat market, while Dutch and his brother found part-time jobs. Somehow they survived. However, they didn’t fare well emotionally. Dutch says his brother and he rebelled, turning away from God and everything associated with Him. His younger sister was also emotionally devastated. Deep down Dutch knew this wasn’t God’s fault but the pain was so awful and his confusion was so great that he simply could not cope with it. The lowest point for him was when he held his mother in his arms as she sobbed and said she no longer wanted to live. He says at that moment he became a very bitter and hate-filled young man. But God was very patient with him.
Two years later at a bar named The Boars Head, God found him, while he was listening to a rock band, and was stoned out of his mind. Dutch says God asked him, “What are you doing here?” God’s voice was so clear it might as well have been audible. The question wasn’t a rebuke but rather a sincere prompting of his heart. The Lord also said this was not who Dutch was and he would never find fulfillment and peace in such lifestyle. Dutch was shocked and amazed that God would pursue him even in a place like that. Dutch asked God what He was doing there. The Lord told Dutch that He came for him. Dutch was instantly sober and left the bar to walk and think for a while. They had several more conversations over the next couple of months until Dutch was finally healed enough to respond to His seeking. He was like a prodigal returning to a father’s embrace – he walked back into the arms of the loving Papa God. When he did he found more than pleasure; he discovered purpose as following the Lord put him on a new path. Dutch says that when he saw God as his Abba Father, it all changed him. When he was growing up, God was someone to be afraid of – it was the literal fear of God. Then Dutch began to understand God’s father heart. Dutch began to believe for the first time, that he could be God’s friend. He also started to believe that he could hear God’s voice.
FAITHFULLY PRAYING FOR AMERICA
Since the summer of 2012, Dutch started a new position as Executive Director of Christ for the Nations Institute (CFNI). This role brought him back to his alma mater. He believes God has been developing him into a mentor/spiritual father for the students, which he still is faithfully doing. Dutch says things are going well at CFNI and it is exciting to see what God is doing in this generation. This generation will surprise people. They have a passion for God and spiritual maturity that Dutch hasn’t seen. God is raising them up as pastors and for the marketplace.
Dutch’s heart is still set to pray fervently for America. He has faithfully been praying for our nation for years. He issued a critical call to prayer in October 2000. On March 16, 2010, he released an even more urgent prayer appeal for our country because he felt like America was facing “horrendous crisis of monumental proportions, a season much like Israel in the days of Joel.” To review Dutch’s 2010 insight, the prophet Joel warned of devastating judgment coming to Israel, but laced the warning with hope and God’s mercy if certain things occurred. Dutch stated that we, as a nation, are in serious trouble. Americans are a confident and optimistic people, which is often good, but it can also create a dangerous denial and crippling passivity. Listen to these words from Joel – they are accurate for us today: What a day! Doomsday! God’s judgment has come. The strong God has arrived. This is serious business!… Shake the country up! God’s judgment is on its way – the Day’s almost here! (Joel 1:15, 2:1; The Message)
Now he says the prayer movement has gone through a shift and died. A weariness has caused it to die and it is hard to get people to pray. Dutch feels that there needs to be a rebirth of the prayer movement. In February 2014 he is launching a prayer movement called “Give Me 15.” This movement is to commit to giving God fifteen minutes a day to pray for revival. On his website, www.dutchsheets.org and on an app there will be daily focused prayer points. Dutch believes God will bring a lot of leaders together and give them strategies for this time. He wants the leaders to take the prayer point to their one of seven mountains (family, religion, education, business, government, media, and arts and entertainment).
For 2014, Dutch believes we have moved into the 3rd Great Awakening. He has been seeing signs and wonders on a regular basis. He has seen more signs and wonders (like people being healed of autism and cancer) in the last 10-15 months than he has in the last 10-20 years. Dutch says the prophets are saying that we will be seeing signs and wonders in America. There is a huge breakthrough. Signs and wonders are and will be happening with great regularity. This year is exciting for the Church and the Harvest.
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