You are here
'God is calling us to repent of our known sins' -- Archbishop Foley Beach
By David W. Virtue, DD
www.virtueonline.org
September 26, 2020
WASHINGTON, DC--In an impassioned speech before thousands of men and women gathered on Washington Mall for a Day of Repentance, Anglican Archbishop Foley Beach told his hearers to repent, abandon lukewarmness and allow the fire of God's Holy Spirit to revive them.
Calling it a "sacred assembly," the archbishop called on the nation to repentance and prayer. Citing the Church of Laodicea in the Book of Revelation, Beach condemned lukewarmness which, he said, ruins the church's ability to function.
"Jesus desires his church to be on fire, hot, not lukewarm; lukewarm ruins the church's ability to witness and serve God. It makes Jesus sick and eventually leads to the church being cold and it allows the drip, drip of continual sin along with our decisions and sins to go unchecked. The Holy Spirit is quenched in our lives and in the Church."
"God is calling his Church to repent so the Holy Spirit can do a work in us even now. It is not just asking God's forgiveness, but repentance and turning away from our sin, it is changing our minds from doing our will to doing God's will."
Beach cried out, "Brothers and sisters, God is calling his church to repent of the known sin in our lives What are your known sins, the ones you know about; it is time to repent? Our nation needs a fired up hot church not a lukewarm or cold church. Our nation needs followers of Jesus not tepid, apathetic and religiously cold people."
"Father, we pray for your church. I ask you to pray for our one Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church, that God will pour out the fire and the spirit of repentance and grant us a spirit of holiness; melt away the unholy desires and practices in our lives and by his Holy Spirit that we be filled with Him. Holy Spirit do a work us in even now. Amen."
The archbishop was among a number of evangelical leaders to address the crowd. About 55,000 people said they planned to attend the 2020 Prayer March. It was organized by the Rev. Franklin Graham.
The origins of this idea birthed in July, when God called 50 church leaders throughout the nation to gather weekly for confession, repentance and prayers for revival. Over 7 weeks, they sought God and were both humbled and strengthened in their resolve to put aside all strategies for societal renewal except the powerful move of God. They said they knew from Scripture that when a nation is experiencing division and calamity, the Church's responsibility is to turn to God, repent of its sins and return to its first love.
To see the full day's call to repentance, click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8whU4HxyjA&app=desktop
