June 14 through July 12, 2018, is the fourth month in the Jewish ecclesiastical calendar.
July 1 in our Gregorian calendar this year is Tzom Tammuz, which is the 17 day of the month of Tammuz. It is recognized with a fast commemorating the breach of the walls before the destruction of the second Temple.
Similarly, have the walls of the church been breached and has fleshly and worldly desire begun to destroy the holy and sacredness of the house of God today?
In my devotion time last weekend, I was rereading Nehemiah 8, when all the people gathered to hear the reading of the book of the law of God by Ezra on the first day of the seventh month in preparation for the restoration of the altar and temple of God.
When Ezra lifted the book of the law, the people stood and said amen and amen. Likewise, we, the church need a renewed commitment to God’s Word, a desire and love for His truths and His purposes.
Although the first day of the seventh month in Nehemiah was not according to our Gregorian calendar, neither was the first day of July as we know it, but I do sense the importance for us to begin to corporately reflect, and renew our love and commitment to God’s Word, truths and purposes.
Pastor Ronnie Floyd with National Day of Prayer, Kay Horner with Awakening America Alliance, and many others are joining in agreement to pray daily for the nation from July 1-31. I believe it is not coincidental that so many have a similar sense about the season we are in and the importance of our knee posture at this time.
I had a strong sense after a recurring dream on April 23, about summer harvest preparation, pulling down Strongholds and raising a new standard (narrative).
Specifically, I sensed the importance of June 21-Sept. 21 in preparation for the fall/autumn season.
Unbeknownst to me and my staff was June 21 was the first day of summer and Sept. 21 is the last day of the summer.
We cannot miss this opportunity, as Jeremiah 8:20 tells us.
Recently, as I was meeting with some of my staff regarding what I felt was important about July 1 and how it fell on Tzom Tammuz, we remembered a chapter in a book I published in 1990.
As we revisited the chapter about Baal worship and weeping for Tammuz, even in the church, we were overwhelmed with the presence of the Lord. In fact, some became teary eyed during the reading.
Even though I wrote about it in the 1980s and published it in 1990, over 28 years ago, the message is far more needed now than it was then.
I’m reminded of the words of Alan Redpath and Leonard Ravenhill warning that there would come a day when the danger in the church would be that we were only an inch deep and about a mile wide, that people in the world would flock to the church, but find a worldly church, so they decided they might as well go back into the world.
May our knee posture in humility help us to recognize how far we have digressed and through honest reflection may we come to repentance for a needed refreshing in and through our lives. {eoa}
Doug Stringer is the president of Somebody Cares Ministries
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