If you have served with Operation Save America through the years, you are keenly aware that when we go into a city to storm the gates of hell with the Gospel of the Kingdom, one of the first actions we take is to call for a Solemn Assembly. Typically, it will start on a Sunday evening as we try to mobilize the local churches to be involved.
To me, it is one of the most poignant aspects of our ministry. It sets the spiritual tone for the rest of our activities as we seek to meet the righteous conditions laid out in God’s Word. Biblically, we are doing what our Lord required, “And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye” (Matthew 7:3-5).
From this admonishment from our Lord, we corporately deal with our personal sins, the church’s sins, and our nation’s sins. Afterwards, we take on the death camps, the culture of death, and implement the mission to the magistrates.
First, we humble ourselves before God by tackling our personal sins based upon Psalms 139:23, 24, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; And see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”
In the battle to end the American holocaust, believe me, Satan will throw everything at you, plus the kitchen sink, if you dare cross the line of obedience. He will exploit every opening in your life to neutralize and paralyze you. You will be attacked with increased temptations. Evil will pound on your door. Your mind, marriage, family, and church will suffer from the battle from within and the battle from without.
This partially accounts for most of the church turning a blind eye and deaf ear to the injustice and suffering of the preborn. They instinctively know if they touch this, they touch Satan’s crown jewel. It’s electric. All heck is going to break loose in their lives. Who needs the added burdens, trouble, and trials? Right? It’s easier in life to avoid conflict, even though our neighbor we are called to love is being dragged away to the slaughter. God forgive us!
Why is this the case? Revelations 12:17 reveals the indisputable truth, “And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.”
Satan could care less about the lukewarm, carnal church that is only concerned about their best life now. He is deeply concerned, however, about Christians who seek to destroy his works of darkness, lies and murder, (John 8:44) just like their Lord before them (1 John 3:8).
Next, we deal with the sins of the church. Remember, there are 2 categories of sins. There are sins of commission, whereby we outright violate the commandment of God and there are sins of omission.
Planned Parenthood keeps all the statistics of those who partake of their grisly trade. Their records reveal a lot of religious women partake of their bloody services. The documents they sign to procure an abortion demand they name their pastors and churches. BTW, if you wonder why the plea of the Gospel falls so many times upon the deaf ears of the workers of iniquity who staff the death camps, look no further than this hypocrisy in the church.
Obviously, this is a major sin of commission, whereby those who name the name of Christ purposely violate God’s commandment, “Thou shall not murder.” Beyond that, the greater sin in the church are the sins of omission. The Apostle James reveals the essence of this failure before God, “Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin” (James 4:17).
Is it good to love our neighbor as ourselves (Matthew 22:39? Is it good to rescue those unjustly sentenced to death (Proverbs 24:11)? Is it good to speak for those who cannot speak for themselves (Proverbs 31:8)? Is it good to defend the poor and fatherless; Do justice to the afflicted and needy. Deliver the poor and needy; Free them from the hand of the wicked (Psalms 82:3, 4)? Is it good to wash ourselves, make ourselves clean; Put away the evil of our doings from before God’s eyes. Cease to do evil, learn to do good; Seek justice, rebuke the oppressor; Defend the fatherless, Plead for the widow (Isaiah 1:16, 17)? Is it good to practice pure and undefiled religion, which is to care for the widow and orphan in their time of distress and keep ourselves unspotted from the world (James 1:27)? You get the point.
Lastly, we deal with the sins of our nation, which are many and grievous in the sight of the Lord. President Donald Trump has touted as a political campaign slogan “Make American Great Again.” For his reelection campaign, he has revised it by declaring “Keep America Great.” There are some who question whether our nation was ever great, so why push such nonsense?
There was a French historian, however, Alexis De Tocqueville, who did believe America achieved greatness in the world and was curious to learn the secret to our success. He came over to American on a fact-finding mission. The following is what he discovered.
“I sought for the greatness and genius of America in her commodious harbors and her ample rivers – and it was not there . . . in her fertile fields and boundless forests and it was not there . . . in her rich mines and her vast world commerce – and it was not there . . . in her democratic Congress and her matchless Constitution – and it was not there. Not until I went into the churches of America and heard her pulpits aflame with righteousness did I understand the secret of her genius and power. America is great because she is good, and if America ever ceases to be good, she will cease to be great.”
Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people (Proverbs 14:34). It is in righteousness alone a nation finds security and peace (Isaiah 32:17). America will never return to any sense of greatness, while we celebrate with demonic glee our national abominations. We violate God’s truths to our own harm and demise. It is in this context, the book of Joel grants guidance.
“Now, therefore,” says the LORD, turn to Me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning. So, rend your heart, and not your garments; Return to the LORD your God, for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness; And He relents from doing harm. Who knows if He will turn and relent, and leave a blessing behind Him—A grain offering and a drink offering for the LORD your God?
Blow the trumpet in Zion, consecrate a fast, call a sacred assembly; Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children and nursing babes; Let the bridegroom go out from his chamber, and the bride from her dressing room. Let the priests, who minister to the LORD, weep between the porch and the altar; Let them say, “Spare Your people, O LORD, and do not give Your heritage to reproach, that the nations should rule over them. Why should they say among the peoples, ‘Where is their God’” (Joel 2:12-17)?
It would be good brethren to gather with your family and fellow Christians to prayerfully go through these godly instructions articulated by Joel. In the hopes, we meet the righteous conditions God set forth and perhaps, “He will turn and relent” of the judgment we so richly deserve as a nation.