A Solemn Assembly for Revival

Justly, Dr. Tony Evans is our difficulties aren't always the result of commonly accepted causes less understood this was merely natural means spiritual means.

This is the alternative with Dr. Tony, author, speaker and pastor of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Dallas Texas and president of the urban alternative. Have you ever tried to get your point across to someone who simply wasn't paying attention today. Dr. Evans talks about how God deals with that kind of frustration with us. Join with 11 and the World Trade Center was destroyed by terrorists and thousands of American lives were lost, the president of the United States and the Congress called America to a solemn assembly. The normal activities of the nation were suspended when we were affected in a way, we did not expect that shook the very core of our foundation.

It became very clear that whatever we were dealing with was a lot bigger than we anticipated. On that day everybody went to church that was not a time for laughing or joking playing because things were too serious. The president and Congress gathered together in Washington. It was televised on CNN across the nation. It was indeed a solemn assembly because it was a serious situation was a call to a sacred gathering because of a crisis.

We neither understood nor knew how to fix. Similarly, the book of Joel is a book calling God's people to a serious sacred gathering what he calls more than once in these few chapters of solemn assembly, a serious sacred gathering of God's people. Why did he call them to this gathering. We tells you in verse four, chapter 1 what the knowing locusts have left, the swarming locusts have eaten what the swarming locusts have left the creeping locust of eaten what the creeping locust of left the stripping locusts heavy Israel, God's people were undergoing a locust invasion every 17 years the state of Maryland in the city that I was born and raised in Baltimore experiences. This invasion last year was the 17th year and I happen to have been all had to go to Baltimore and I got off the plane and walked down the baggage claim and I'm seeing people swatting in stopping in running because that was the time of the invasion. These things covered cause flying people's hair. It was horrific. They live underground for 17 years and then they come to the surface to make vendor bury their eggs for the next 17 years cycle.

This was a locust invasion in this locust invasion have wrought havoc if you are an agrarian people. That is if you are a farming community in your community survives on the farmland and you have a locust invasion your economy is in trouble because you live and die by the work of the foam bother planting about how this thing. Israel is an agrarian society is an agricultural environment and as you read in verse one.

The locusts were coming in ways what one group of locust didn't get the next group gotten what that didn't get the next group got and went on and on and on and on and on and it was wreaking information.

In fact he says in chapter 1 verse six formation have invaded my land, mighty without number. It's people like the teeth of a lion, and as the findings apply in this his name on vinyl wasted my fig tree splinters in a strip them and cast them away. It was wreaking haptic on Israel's economic stability was an economic crisis. This crisis is described as the day of the Lord. Verse 15 of chapter 1. Alas for the day for the day of the Lord is near, and it will come as destruction from the Almighty locust invasion described in verse one is called the day of the Lord the day of the Lord's destruction. There are two days in the Bible the day of man and the day of the Lord the day of man is when man appears to be calling the shots. Man appears to be running the show is when you say boy I can't believe people would do that because it looks like and are having their way of another day. It's called the day of the Lord is when God decides to no longer let men call shots anymore and where he directly intervenes in the human situation in order to bring judgment that he might bring restoration. In other words, the reason that that was a locust invasion is because God was now making a spiritual point, but God's people backbend like God's people today fail to make the connection between what appears to be a natural phenomenon and the supernatural work of God.

We just think housing mortgages fail when just make me has tanked, because we not make the connection between economic disaster in the day of the Lord.

The Bible notes numbers of ways in which God manifests himself he manifests himself meteorologically in weather patterns. The Bible says here, using the force of nature through locusts and destruction was ruling was the day of the Lord they needed to now understand the spiritual components behind the economic disaster. God said, not just locust. These are locusts my army that is devouring your crops and causing your chaos unless you and I understand that the things in our lives are not merely natural phenomenon take place, but the visitation of God, then we will only use natural means to fix it and not spiritual means to get it right but call for solemn assembly because there was a crisis that they could not fix one of the ways you know if the divine visitation and can't fix it. You can't fix it the folk you know. Fix it before Q4 have the power to fix it. Won't fix it.

There is no Sjogren's solution that means it's not man's day is the day of the Lord, you are driven to the doctor when the over-the-counter stuff won't work.

You've tried it over-the-counter. You tried to fix it yourself. You tried to do it yourself.

You've used all the home remedies that you can figure out on the back and nothing is working and so you are driven to somebody else. God knows how to drive us back to you by creating negative scenarios that men can't fix over-the-counter solutions will work. He calls them to a solemn assembly to blow the trumpet in Zion, the official call because there was a spiritual issue and if I wanted to fix the locust problem that had to deal with the locust send the time of weeping of morning sadness and sorrow.

We all like comedy shows. We all like to laugh. We all like the party we all like to have fun. Nothing wrong with that but you don't do that on this day. If you're really sick party and is not a human. If you're really sick. Comedy shows and not what you have to you have to help and healing. If you have lost your job in this crisis is not funny because you're facing something now that is detrimental to you and your families well being a solemn assembly is not a fun time.

That's not a time where you laughing and shouting and celebrating all times before that New Year's Eve we celebrated we embraced one another with joy as we one year run began another year has now solemn assembly, solemn assembly of a serious gathering. This is deadly serious because God has manifested himself in a way that allows for and actually brings about destruction.

So what did God expect out of that solemn assembly.

Dr. Evans will have the answer when he continues her message just a moment for so I want to tell you about is popular devotional book stronger together weaker apart, this book will teach you how to harness the power of prayer in overcoming anger disagreements and misunderstandings. You learn how to heal relationships find common ground and impact our world and meaningful ways. Even in these days when our in person contact may be limited. If you get in touch with us and request stronger together weaker apart right away will send it to you is her way of saying thanks for your contribution toward Tony's ministry and along with the book will include all 14 lessons in Tony's current two-volume teaching series, turning a nation to God when you make the arrangements online@tonyevans.org you can instantly download the digital copies. What we send the CDs and book your way.

Don't miss out on this limited time offer. Mr. Tony Evans.org today or give us a call, day or night at 1-800-800-3222 and let one of our resource team members help you. That's 1-800-800-3222 four. Dr. Evans will return with more of today's lesson right after this when you're facing a decision or a dilemma it's like to ask what would Jesus do, but first you have to know what Jesus did. And when God has to say about the situation you face wealth building your biblical foundation is your goal to help you need is as close as your computer or mobile device. Thanks to Tony Evans training center is packed with online courses covering core concepts of faith and in that scripture studies you can work through any time you want in any case you want along the way you'll explore key teachings and learn how to apply them in real world situations. There's lots of exclusive content interested and motivated in an online forum where you can ask questions, get answers and collaborate with other students.

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What was God.

After chapter 2 verse 12 returned to me with all your heart, with fasting, weeping and mourning verse 13. Written your heart's not your garments now return to the Lord your God is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness and relisting of evil. What's the purpose for solemn assembly returning to God that the purpose why was there locust invasion because they have left God. Why was that deterioration there because they had left God it was because they had left God, which is why he has to tell them to return. That will in that world. If chaos is ruling in your world. If the locusts, the circumstances are showing up everything you try on the plant and produce every time you trying to go forward if you're being driven back then you must at least raise the question, the question then is not the right people the right places and I employing the right strategy that's not the question. The question is, I love goddesses returned to me like a sergeant calling his troops to an about-face to conjure up your point in the wrong direction going the wrong way, so not a word for repentance, change of mind that reverses the direction instead of going away from God. Now I'm coming back to God when he explains what he means by coming back to God. And this is to be your focus and focus during the solemn assembly that we ourselves have called. He says that this returning the God is a return of the hearts and not merely a tearing of the government say when religious people back then were in assembly. They would often put on sackcloth and ashes sort of a canvas kind of cloth or they would tear their clothes without returning the hearts the solemn assembly only works if you it doesn't work.

Just because your body shows up.

He says not to close in other words assembly only works if this is internally driven and not merely externally driven, if you're merely going through a malady, you wasted your time because the solemn assembly is serious.

Seriously returning to God. It is seriously say I want to get back on the right page with God.

It is seriously say I want God the his way in and through me. He says return with all your heart.

God says what we have enough spiritually is like what we have been asked physically. That's why use the word what he says come to me with all of your heart is saying relate to me as your fundamental source just like the black gets everywhere because of his pumping so to flow fully throughout your life because I am the center. I am but but but but but but I am the heartbeat the reference point for you. Simply showing what work he says simply looking the part will do that must be as a part of this case and see where to allow me to reclaim the pumping part of your life. The source for everything else because the blood is pumped for everything else. I am to be sauce for everything else. It is relinquishing the self life for the God life is no longer simply going through ritual doing the thing because I'm supposed to is now the relational is I want to return to you. I want a relational priority with God. That's why calls the fasting because the passing because of the relational priority you returned to me and he says and I will return to you how important this assembly consecrate a fast verse 15 Of the people side by the collar gauge and get me out of the vault Of children involved in the nursing infants tell the bride and the bridegroom the come out alleging whatever you will be doing something so no honeymoon. He was saying this to illustrate how serious the gathering is how important assembling is the suspension of normal activity, blow the trumpet in Zion, verse 15.

Again, he says sound call the people together this locust problem is not just locusts is the day of a long divine interruption.

What we want God to do again. Verse 13 says in the middle of the verse.

He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in lovingkindness and relisting of evil. It is God is willing to change his mind that powerful statement relenting of evil.

He actually wants to change his mind. He actually wants to tell the locust go back home to go back on the ground he wants to reverse the situation.

Once the flip the switch. He really does take several minutes to get hot, slow to anger and likes the overflow would lovingkindness bars want to know whether you will turn and relent and leave a blessing can't predict what you don't do what you can't predict what is going to know me. I don't know. I don't know what is going to know women who know God's sovereignty don't choose what is going to when you don't know what he's willing to do it now everybody situation is different.

You go to be going to God about personal things in your life is different than my life. All I can say is, he says, return but then there's a bonus. Verse 25.

Then I will make up to you for the years that the swarming locusts have eaten the boat a series God cannot only reverse he can make up. He says I can restore the years that the locusts have taken you know what many of us have lost is more precious than anything else. Time I'm sure the sound of my voice that many people who if you could have done it all.

If you could turn back the hands of time. If you could just go back in and do it all over again. If you would like to look at the day the months and years that have been lost because of bad decisions, wrong decisions you lost all this telling you Says I can give you back the years, the locus of stolen from five going to have to taste and see that the Lord is Dr. Tony Evans wrapping up a message.

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If your spiritual life feels is empty and lifeless is an old skeleton in the desert.

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