Last weekend, I was extremely privileged to journey with a great bunch of people to an amazing event called the Sacred Assembly, hosted by evangelist and everyday farmer Angus Buchan.
Uncle Angus, as I call him, was moved by God to rally believers from throughout the country of South Africa to pray for the nation I call home. All who gathered were there to seek God’s mercy, favour and direction for our country. The underlying scripture building up to this event was 2 Chronicles 7:14:
If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
Uncle Angus was direct and to the point with his message. He described how in John 1, Jesus is the Word, and how the Bible is Jesus represented in print. He continued by reiterating how important God’s Word is in our lives, and how we need to rely on Him daily. He also gave a stern warning not to adapt God’s word to suit our needs, but to rather live our lives according to the fullness of God’s Word.
As the assembly continued, the stadium echoed together as we declared the Apostles’ Creed (see below) and prayed the Lord’s Prayer (you can find it here). In closing we prayed for forgiveness of our wrongdoings as individuals and as a nation, as well as for God’s blessing on our country.
Apostles Creed
“I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended to hell.
The third day he rose again from the dead.
He ascended to heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty.
From there he will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic* church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen”
* The term catholic church here is describing the universal church – the body of Christ and not just a representation of the Roman Catholic Church.
What stood out most to me regarding the entire event, was what took place afterwards in a press conference, where two questions were asked: When is Uncle Angus doing the next event, and then what next? It was his response that has been resonating with me ever since. His response to the first question was: If anyone invites him to come tell them about Jesus, he will come! However it was his response to the follow-up question that resonated the most with me. What next? ……..It starts with me, he said – not Angus Buchan. It starts with you and I. We have heard the message; we know the truth and it is our responsibility to fulfill God’s command and tell others of Jesus, sharing the hope of Glory we have in God!
Romans 10:17
“So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”
I believe if we want to see change in this country, in our family lives or even just in our own lives, it starts with us. We need to be the change we want to see. The most important aspect of any challenge we face is knowing that we have access to heaven’s throne room. We are encouraged throughout the Bible to make our requests known to God.
Philippians 4:6
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
Instead of complaining all time, start praying for the problems. Just because everyone around you might be grumpy, angry or sad, it doesn’t mean you have to join the band wagon. Rather shine some light into the situation, and aspire to be the person you desire to be.
I have come to point in my life where I am tired of all the negativity, the complaining, and only seeing the bad in situations. I have come to the point where I realize that to make a difference I too need to do my part.
So, in closing I leave you with the words of Jesus:
Matthew 5:14-16
“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”
