God’s children summoned to a Sacred Assembly — MMC coordinators’ perspective

[notice]Alf James talks to Mighty Men Conference coordinators around South Africa about a Sacred Assembly called by farmer-evangelist and MMC founder Angus Buchan at the FNB Stadium in Soweto on November 19 in the first of a series of perspectives on the visionary prayer event which Gateway News is publishing as the date approaches.[/notice]

Call to repent, ask forgiveness for the nation

When I shut up heaven and there is no rain, or command the locusts to devour the land, or send pestilence among My people, if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land — 2 Chronicles 7:13-14

An estimated 100 000 people of faith in Jesus Christ from all corners of South Africa and from all denominations are expected to gather on November 19 at FNB Stadium in Soweto to humble themselves before the Lord God Almighty, to seek His presence, worship Him in Spirit and in truth, and stand in the gap for our nation, repenting and praying for a breakthrough of righteousness to take place in a country that is in moral ruin. Admission is free but  but seats have to be booked with Computicket beforehand.

Angus Buchan, who has called for the Sacred Assembly, says God has given believers in South Africa “a commandment, a mandate, to gather together in one place, at one time, and to repent, (say sorry), so that Jesus can heal South Africa”.

Repent also means to change our minds, to change direction from walking in our ways – the world’s ways, humanistic ways – to God’s ways, which He has clearly given us in His Word, the Bible.

In the same way that a farmer turns over a field for a new planting, we are called as a body of believers to repent and call on our Holy Father to rend and break the hardness of our hearts in preparation for the sowing of the seeds of righteousness in the heart of the nation.

Urgency of repentance
In these end-times the urgency of repentance is highlighted by our Lord Jesus Christ who began His Ministry saying, Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand — Matthew 4:17. Likewise, John the Baptist, who prepared the way for Jesus, preached the same message: Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!

The call to “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” echoes through the ages reverberating urgently in South Africa, today.

“Let us repent before a Holy God and ask Him to forgive us, to heal our nation, and to deliver us from a self-destructive spirit of violence, corruption, hatred, unforgiveness, anger and negativity,” said Uncle Angus.

Jannie Moolman, co-ordinator of the Karoo Mighty Men Conference (MMC) expects many mighty men and their families to travel to the Sacred Assembly, which he and his family are also looking forward to.

“I’m very excited about the Sacred Assembly — the time is right for our country to humble itself before the Lord, repent and hear His will for us going forward.

“We need a national gathering that represents the country to intercede for South Africa humbly before the Lord, repenting in prayer, praise and worship, making the day holy to the Lord.”

Sense of expectation
Moolman said a sense of expectation is growing in the Karoo.

“The people I have spoken to are enthusiastic. Everybody is sensing that this is going to be a nation-changing assembly. I wouldn’t miss it for anything,” he said.”

According to Freddie van Vuuren, organiser of MMC Toti, which took place three weeks ago, there was much enthusiasm among men at the conference to attend the Sacred Assembly.

“Men at MMC Toti were speaking about organising transport and going to the event in convoy. There is widespread acknowledgement that there is a need for the nation to repent.

“Our lives have become much-more worldly, our time is taken up with activities, which we think are important, but they have no value in God’s Kingdom. We have lost our focus and moved away from God’s ways, concentrating instead on looking after ourselves.

“We need to turn back to God as a nation,” said Van Vuuren.

Stand-up as Christians
He believes it is time to stand-up as Christians and go to the FNB Stadium to humble ourselves to our Holy Father, showing Him that as a collective we are contrite, repent, have faith in His saving power, and are calling out to Him.

“There an urgent need for us to return to God’s ways and do His will as a country, instead of being self-determined,” said Van Vuuren.

Garth Batteson, MMC Central organiser agreed: For too long we, as a nation, have followed our own and government’s ways, but not God’s ways — it is time to repent and turn back to His ways”.

He said that during the MMC Central event in September, men were enthusiastic when it was announced that the Sacred Assembly would take place

“It was decided to hold a meeting after the MMC to formalise arrangements. We had the meeting two weeks ago and filled our first bus.

“Now, we are looking at organising a second bus. There is such a hunger among men to attend the Sacred Assembly and stand together in faith that God is going to work miracles in South Africa.

“As MMC Central we want to attend the Sacred Assembly as a group and support the call God placed on Uncle Angus’ heart for brothers and sisters in Christ to ‘gather together in one place, at one time, and to repent, so that Jesus can heal South Africa’.

Deep desire to return to God
“There is an expectation and deep desire for South Africa to return to God’s ways. This is not a call from Church or man, but from God that we should respond to in obedience and faith,” said Batteson.

He reported there is a widespread feeling that we cannot achieve real, righteous and sustainable change in the country through elections or any other way, but through God.

“God is faithful, and when His people humble themselves, repent and call on Him, believing in their hearts that He will change our country, it will happen, He has been faithful throughout the ages.

“However; it is for us to assemble in union and stand in the gap for the nation acknowledging that we need to return to the Lord’s ways.

“We have become reliant on people, systems, government and technology, instead of on God, but if we repent and humble ourselves as the children of our Abba, our Holy Father, He is merciful and will heal this nation so that it shines as a light for other countries,” said Batteson.

Francois Brits, organiser of the Bushveld MMC, which takes place in Limpopo, believes the Sacred Assembly will fill the FNB Stadium and there will be people gathered outside as well.

Hunger among people for unity
He said anticipation for the event is widespread and growing.

“I think the stadium is going to be too small. There is a hunger among people to come together, not only as Christians, but as a country and kneel down before God to praise Him and turn back to Him.

“I am glad God laid it on Uncle Angus’ heart to call for a Sacred Assembly, because there is widespread agreement that it is necessary.”

Brits said men who attend the Bushveld MMC are also enthusiastic about attending the Sacred Assembly together with their wives and families.

Pastor Karabo Molefe, MMC Gauteng organiser, concurred. He does not only expect church members from across all denominations to attend, but also South Africans who are unchurched, “because they are not blind that they cannot see what is happening in our country”.

“I believe everyone is fully convinced that God laid it on Baba Angus’ heart for this event to take place, because He loves the people of South Africa. The Sacred Assembly is a call for all citizens to join this heartbeat for repentance that God has instilled in Baba Angus.

“I am so glad, for it means that we are still favoured by God, because we still have men that can hear and act as God tells them.

“We need to repent. The Word of God encourages us that if we seek the Lord, he will reveal Himself and come back to us.

“The only way to seek Him is to start by repenting for turning away from God as a nation, which is the reason we are encountering the problems that are beyond our human minds, or our institutions, to deal with.

God has something great in store
“I am grateful that God is giving us the chance to acknowledge Him as God, because he loves this nation. I believe that God still has something great in store for our nation, but only if we humble ourselves before Him, repent and let God be God and give God His way in our lives,” said Molefe.

He urges South Africans across the nation to respond to Baba Angus’ call for a Sacred Assembly and expects people of faith, irrespective of what denomination they belong, to join together as one body of believers in praise and worship of our Lord God Almighty.

Similarly, Uncle Angus has called on South Africans “from every station in life — ministers, farmers, sportsmen, housewives, old age pensioners, school teachers, shop keepers, students, businessmen, politicians, the widow and the orphan, the unemployed, the miner, the fisherman, yes indeed — the whosoever” to intercede for the nation and “petition Almighty God, to intervene on behalf of His people”.

The MMC founder said, in no uncertain terms, that South Africans need to put Jesus first again, “to repent for allowing this nation to slip backwards, for compromising our Godly standards, to ask our loving God to visit us once more”.

The compromising of our Godly standards in South Africa is undermining the nation’s relationship with the Lord God Almighty. We need to seek His face by turning back to His ways, putting God first, before family, work, or anything else that may compromise our commitment to Him or distract our focus on Him.

While Uncle Angus has said entrance to the FNB Stadium is free of charge he is charging us, urgently, as children of God in South Africa to gather in one place and humble ourselves before our Holy Father with repentant hearts in a Sacred Assembly.

Very special occasion
A Sacred Assembly or Holy Convocation is a very special occasion that is set apart (not normal) in which God’s children gather together as a nation.

Biblically a Sacred Assembly usually refers to the meetings on Sabbaths and holy feast days that were God-appointed, but it can also refer to a national assembly that has the objective of repentance through understanding God’s purpose and His Will by listening to and accepting His Word as in Nehemiah 8.

While the call for a Sacred Assembly is a national call for believers to come together as a body, it is not so much to meet with one another as it is to assemble humbly before God to seek His presence.

The focus of a Sacred Assembly is on the Lord God Almighty; it is not on us fellowshipping, but on assembling as a body to “give glory and honour and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever” — to hear and understand His word, to change our mind from our way to His way, in preparation for doing His will.

However, it is made clear in Nehemiah 8: 10 that the Sacred Assembly is not mournful, sombre or sad, “for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength”.

Hence the Sacred Assembly on November 19 at the FNB Stadium, according to Uncle Angus, is to “hear the simple Word of God spoken and we can leave with rejoicing in our hearts, knowing that God has heard our prayers of repentance, we have had distinct instruction from Him and He will then commence to bless this nation”.

“The blessing that we are talking about is first of all respect for one another, departing from corruption, because of the fear of the living God, the ceasing of unmerited murder, and violence among peoples all over this nation, and then a change in the climatic conditions of our nation — namely the breaking of the drought that has literally been suffocating this nation for two years now,” said the MMC founder with a heart for God.

• The Sacred Assembly event is free, but tickets will be distributed by Computicket from October 21 on a first-come-first-served basis.More information at http://angusbuchan.co.za/sacredassembly/
  

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