Gather

In Psalm 32, we see a passage of Scripture that can remind us of God's abiding presence with His people:
7 You are my hiding place; You shall preserve me from trouble; You shall surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah
8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye.

When we feel vulnerable, we can be reminded that God is with us, and He will provide strength for us.  The Bible tells us that His perfect love will cast out fear, and we can hide ourselves in His holy presence, described in Psalm 91 as the shadow of His wings.  When we are afraid, we can turn to God and appropriate His peace.   2nd Timothy tells us that He does not give the spirit of fear - He has given us power, love, and a sound mind.  His peace can be released in our hearts and minds so that we think and act with clarity.

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It is important that we admit our need for the power of Almighty God, our source of security.  Psalm
46 says:
(1b) God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear, Even though the earth be removed, And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;
3 Though its waters roar and be troubled, Though the mountains shake with its swelling.

Dr. Billy Graham actually read from Psalm 46 in his stirring comments at the national memorial service after 9/11 - more on that later.

On this Monday following the commemoration of the horrific events of September 11, 2001, we can remember one of the immediate responses - at Faith Radio, we began to learn of prayer gatherings that were being spontaneously organized.  Members of Congress stood together across party lines to sing "God Bless America."  Perhaps, at last, this tragic set of circumstances would usher in the spiritual awakening that many had been so desperately desiring.

But, it was not to be - while national security began to take different forms, and Americans searched for safety, they by and large did not seek it in the Rock of Refuge.

It is interesting that now we are seeing world events that are producing a wave of spiritual responses. Noted Christian leaders will be participating in a national "solemn assembly" next Wednesday called, "The Gathering." According to a press release, chief organizer Dr. Tony Evans has said that the Bible calls for a solemn assembly with fasting and prayer when God’s people have grown away from Him and want to renew their relationship.

He says the meeting has no political agenda: “God doesn’t ride on the backs of donkeys or elephants,” according to Dr. Evans. “Christians cannot be so entrenched within political parties that we are not free to speak the truth to those in power. The Church should be the conscience of the government, clearly and respectfully holding political leadership accountable for following God’s principles.”

Taking place in Dallas, a pastor event will be held that afternoon, with a nationwide simulcast that night.  Montgomery's Frazer United Methodist Church and Dothan Community Church will be host sites in the Faith Radio broadcast area.

This week at the Dothan Civic Center, church and community leaders are calling area Christians to the "Prayers of the Righteous" event on Wednesday night - from the original vision of Dothan Community Church's pastor Charles Lewis, it has now grown to a number of area churches.

I became aware recently of a prayer effort that took place recently in Korea. According to CBNNews.com, it was called the Korea Uprising.  The article says that:

Uprising is a global prayer effort designed to take on a crisis facing the Church. Pastor Jerome Ocampo, founder of Jesus Revolution, calls it an inability to reach and inspire young people.

"That's why they don't go to church. They are more inspired by music, sports, distracted with technology, with their cell phones. These are the weapons of massive distraction," warned Ocampo.

South Korea was chosen as the host site because it is indicative of a troubling spiritual trend. As the story points out, churches looked to that country as a beacon - it's still the second largest missionary-sending nation in the world. But, in the last decade, the Christian population in that nation has dropped from 25 percent to 15 percent.

Rev. Dong Park told CBN News: "Materialism and secularism have crept into our churches. Also, the scandals involving church leaders have affected the integrity of the Church. The Church has failed to be salt and light and the people's hearts are far away from God. I believe prayer is the key that will solve our problem."

The article points out that, "On the last day of the event, the delegates gathered near the North Korean border for prayer, worship, and the re-unification of the Korean Peninsula. They asked God to empower young people like he did David to defeat the Goliaths of their generation."

That's powerful praying.  That's an expression of hope.  We need to see hope in our world today.

The BillyGraham.org website posted last Friday a transcript of Dr. Graham's memorable address at the National Cathedral following the events of 9/11.  He said:

Yes, there is hope. There is hope for the present because the stage, I believe, has already been set for a new spirit in our nation.

We desperately need a spiritual renewal in this country, and God has told us in His Word time after time that we need to repent of our sins and return to Him, and He will bless us in a new way.

There also is hope for the future because of God’s promises. As a Christian, I have hope, not just for this life, but for heaven and the life to come. And many of those people who died this past week are in heaven now. And they wouldn’t want to come back. It’s so glorious and so wonderful. That is the hope for all of us who put our faith in God. I pray that you will have this hope in your heart.

So, we need hope, and Jesus Christ is the source of our hope.  We can also rest on the fact that our hope is not found in the outcome of an election, but in the power of Almighty God.  Sure, I believe that we are to vote and participate in that process, but we cannot look to political leaders for spiritual salvation.   No one person can save our country, but as He has established our nation, God is more than capable of bringing a nation to Him, on His terms.

We also need each other - we do!  We are called together in the body of Christ, for the Spirit of God to move through us.  As we unite in the common bond of His love and power, we can be convinced that we will see results in the form of greater devotion to God.

Finally, our response to world events can either be faith or fear.  The commemoration of 9/11 reminds us that we live in a world where we can feel vulnerable and insecure - if we give in to fear, it chokes out faith.  In faith, we can boldly stand, knowing that our lives are in His hands.