Tuesday, July 24, 2012

July 24 - Why I'm fasting ... starting tomorrow

Declare a holy fast;

call a SOLEMN ASSEMBLY.

Summon the elders

and all who live in the land

to the house of the Lord your God,

and cry out to the Lord.

Joel 1:14

 

A solemn assembly has been declared in Charlotte. Have you ever heard of one of those?

 

Let me introduce the concept with recent reflections from Billy Graham. This aging preacher doesn’t speak often nowadays. Therefore, it’s worth paying attention when he does …

 

The bad news: “My heart aches for America and it’s deceived people,” he says, as he references a Dark Knight massacre, further silencings of public prayer, and “the terrible downward spiral of our nation’s moral standards.”

 

The good news: Well, it’s not just good news, he says! “The wonderful news is that our Lord is a God of mercy.”

 

The conditions, then, for God’s abundant mercy: The great old preacher continues his previous sentence on mercy, saying, “… and [our Lord] responds to repentance.”

 

Repentance is always the first and necessary precondition for mercy and restoration. Based on today’s lesson and yesterday’s, here are several more devotional practices that lead the hope and healing for a nation …

 

The Lord says, in 2 Chronicles 7:14, if my people who are called by my name …

·         humble themselves,

·         and pray

·         and seek my face,

·         and turn from their wicked ways [which is repentance again],

then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” The Lord adds a few more preconditions in Joel 1:14, at a similar time of national distress, saying,

·         “Declare a holy fast;

·         call a solemn assembly.

·         Summon the elders and all who live in the land to the house of the Lord your God,

·         and cry out to the Lord [which is prayer again].”

 

Thus a solemn assembly is being called in Charlotte. It’s purpose is humbleness, prayer, and seeking God’s face.

 

And to prepare myself, I am starting a forty day fast tomorrow in preparation for the September 2 event. (I’m not sure of the complete details of my fast other than it will involve a curtailing – not elimination – of food and of television. I’ll tell you more on Sunday.)

 

For more information, watch the video at

http://www.charlotte714.com/714-story/

 

In Christ’s Love,

a guy who wants to be

hungrier for God

than for food

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1 comment:

  1. AMEN! As Martin Luther said, "This is most certainly true!" I will fast 40 days from TV replacing the time with prayer. May God have mercy on our country!
    DonnaSigmon@earthlink.net

    ReplyDelete