‘God wants to use our generation’

The audience at the Friday night Candidates Seminar had just witnessed a powerful drama about the life of Salvationist pioneer Joe the Turk, a courageous evangelist who took Christ’s message to the streets.

Then Colonel Janet Munn, principal of the College for Officer Training (CFOT), told a gym full of potential officers that God is looking for people from the current generation to demonstrate a similar evangelistic spirit.

“Because we believe in who God is, we believe that in this generation God is able to do a new thing and can raise a generation of people—of Salvationists—who are sold out to Jesus Christ,” Munn said.

Munn said God would “turn our cowardice into courage” and offer creative ideas, such as Joe the Turk employed, to reach America’s cities.

“Joe the Turk declared, ‘California for Jesus!’ How about ‘New York for Jesus’?” Munn said to applause. “How about ‘New Jersey for Jesus’? and ‘New England for Jesus’? and ‘Pennsylvania, Ohio, Kentucky, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and Delaware for Jesus’?

“The Lord’s heart burns for our cities, for our communities, and for our nation, and other nations. He desires to use us in our generation just as surely as He used Joe the Turk in his.”

Munn said that while most people in the crowd had surrendered their lives to Jesus Christ, she called on them to “surrender more deeply than ever.”

“There is more, there is more, there is more … allowing Him to capture us with His passion, with His beauty, with His courage, and with His creativity,” Munn said.

As she called people forward to the mercy seat to pray about their futures, Munn called on Salvationists “to fight for justice, to champion the cause of the oppressed, and to stand up for righteousness and for justice.”

“Who knows how God wants to use people in this room?” said Munn. “Say, ‘God, use me in my generation. I don’t know what it’s going to look like, but I give myself to You. Not because of who I am, but because of who You are. I give myself away for Your purposes.’”