An Article of Faith

Pretend for a moment that your children and all the people you love the most are in London, England, and you are in America. You heard on the news that an incurable plague was sweeping across London, killing the entire population.
Also pretend that you have the cure. If you could just get to your children, you could save them. But (to make it a little more interesting) let’s pretend that for some strange reason you do not know or believe that there are modern means of transportation. You don’t know about planes, trains, automobiles and ships.
Your children are dying, you have the cure, but in your mind there is no way to get to them. What would you do?
Some people would just give up. They would think that saving others even with the cure in hand is impossible. But others – maybe even you – would begin to walk. You might walk all the way to the Atlantic and even jump in and try to swim across the ocean. But in the end, all of your best, most noble efforts would fail, and your children would die.
Would they perish because you didn’t love them? Or didn’t try to reach them? Or didn’t have the cure? No. All that you hold dear would die simply because there was something you didn’t know and believe and access.
There is no question that God has sent revival and spiritual awakening in ways that have opened heaven and saved millions. But most believers do not even know this possibility exists. And, even those who know of God’s ways in the past often do not believe that it is available now.
Some believers just throw up their hands and resign themselves to living in an increasingly ungodly world. Others try nobly, but their best efforts cannot possibly stem the tide.
We need to understand God’s ways of correcting nations and saving millions through revival and spiritual awakening. We need to believe and keep believing until He comes.
“It is not enough to begin to pray,” says George Mueller, “nor to pray aright; nor is it enough to continue for a time to pray; but we must patiently, believingly, continue in prayer until we obtain the answer.” (Taken and adapted from: OneCry: A Nationwide Call for Spiritual Awakening. Visit www.onecry.com.)
“Keep on asking,” encourages Jesus, “and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.” (Matthew 7:7-8 NLT.)
“If My people,” declares the LORD, “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 7:14 NKJV.)

Jessie J. Charpentier Sr. is pastor of Jenkins Memorial Baptist Church in St. Martinville.