LITMIR.BIZ

      The Two Questions

      Friday, February 15–MD minus 24 days

      The final decision was made on the helicopter ride from Andrews Air Force Base to the White House. The beginning of the East Room service would be broadcast so that people who did not have a place to go could participate in their homes or offices; those who did not understand what the president had called them to do would be able to see exactly what this day was to be about. After a call from Tom Knight, ITN quickly agreed. Their feed would again be made available to the other networks, on their website as well as the Together We Pray website.

      Throughout the world, millions of Christians were awakened in their sleep to pray for America and the coming day of decision. The burden was heavy and carried with it a call to pray for their own countries and governments, to confront their sin as God views sin, and to turn from that sin and be changed. It overcame the desire to sleep or eat or focus on anything else. Believers were being invited to unite and share these moments with the Lord, even as Peter, James, and John had been invited to do in Gethsemane.37 Those three slept, but this wasn’t the case for many believers that night. Guardians protected them while the light within opened their understanding that this was not about what God wanted them to do, but rather what God wanted to do in them. They were being invited to share His heart and passion and stand against the forces of darkness — and stand they did.

      If the earth could have been viewed in those hours as seen from behind the Curtain, individual bright lights would have been apparent in every city and nation. The sound of millions of voices raised at once, united in purpose in many languages would have been heard. It was an amazing moment; one not witnessed often since the day Adam was given life and placed in the garden.38 The power of the prayer muted the efforts of the forces of darkness. People would be free to choose.

      As dawn cascaded across America, people began to gather in sunrise services and private moments together in their homes. There was an awareness throughout the land that an opportunity to participate together as a nation was being offered when the East Room service would begin. All night long the announcements had appeared on radio and television, and headlines regarding the East Room service greeted those who picked up their morning papers or who listened to early morning newscasts. Even nonbelievers had a sense that the televised service was a way to resolve what they saw as a problem by providing something for believing employees without “wasting” the day or insulting their faith. The East Room service was set to begin at 11:00 AM, which would allow for it to be broadcast at a convenient hour throughout the country. Schedules were adjusted to make that time available for any who desired to participate. Churches that had scheduled their services at that hour hustled to make arrangements to have televisions available to join in the East Room service.

      Sleep had not come to the Bookseller that night. The burden was heavy on him to be careful to say only what God wanted him to say. He remembered God’s cry of frustration and anger to Jeremiah against self-appointed “prophets” who ran with a message that He had not given them, leading God’s people further away. “But which of them,” God questioned, “has stood in the counsel of the Lord to see or hear His Word?” The Bookseller wanted to be such a man; a man who stood in the counsel of the Lord to hear His word because of how God said He would use such a man. God had declared, “But if they had stood in My counsel, they would have proclaimed My words to My people and would have turned them from their evil ways and from their evil deeds.”39 He knew that God’s declaration must be his purpose for this day and the few moments he would have to open the East Room service. His words must be God’s words to God’s people.

      A peace came over the Bookseller as he dressed. He passed on breakfast, for this was not to be a day to focus on himself, even in the simple act of eating. This was a day to deny himself, even that small pleasure, so that he could focus fully on God. Taking Margaret’s hand, he smiled. “I must admit, I never thought I would live to see a time when a modern president would have the courage to call the nation to repentance. God has done an amazing thing. He must have a clear purpose for a changed America.”

      “Yes, if America will allow itself to be changed,” Margaret replied.

      “It is not America as a whole that is at issue this morning,” the Bookseller responded. “It is we who call ourselves Christians, but who live in active rebellion against the teachings of the Bible. Many Christians’ lives effectively declare that we can be our own god and live any way we want. By our lives, we have said to a watching world that the Bible is a lie and Jesus is not God. Who in their right mind would want to become what they see of Christians today? The only argument for being a Christian is the ‘happy church

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