The Quenched Desire – Episode 7

The Quenched Desire – Episode 7

© Lewis Dampson

Everything seemed not to be working, but they never gave up. They continued to pray and waited for the move of the Spirit.

In the midst of prayers, people walked in one after the other. Most of them being teenagers. Their hearts leaped with joy as they saw these teenagers entering one after the other to occupy the seats. Charles beckoned to them to join them in prayers. They didn’t hesitate and joined.

The Spirit of the Lord moved, and the prayers intensified. The neighbors around could hear the groaning and wailing coming from the cinema. Out of curiosity, they moved into the cinema to see the cause of the wailing and groaning. The power of God was so much that anyone that entered the meeting couldn’t turn back. Soon the place was almost full. In thirty minutes, the prayer session was over. Charles instructed the people to sit on the chairs. The chairs were not enough, so most of the people stood while listening to Charles.

Instead of standing in the pulpit, the young revivalist walked up and down the aisles, preaching and asking questions to those sitting on the chairs and sometimes to those standing. The goal of the first meeting was to dedicate intercessors for the coming revival and Charles succeeded at that. He believed that revival would come through knowledge of the Holy Spirit and that one must co-work with the Spirit to operate in power. He decided to train the people to pray morning and evening for God to send the Spirit to the town for Jesus Christ’s sake. With this announcement of requesting for intercessors, Charles ended his first service in full-time ministry.

Soon, the service grew in fervor, and Charles sent word to his church to request for more workers. The pastor was very happy to hear such a request from Charles. He immediately gave his approval. Strong moves of intercession flooded the cinema during each service, and many times, the service would go past midnight. In one of his meetings, Charles prayed all night with a congregation and didn’t return home until next morning. This small group of intercessors led by the young evangelist transformed the entire community. Some meetings lasted until 4:00am with crowds gathering outside for 6:00am prayers.

In two years of ministry, the whole community knew of Charles. During this whirlwind of revival, Charles refused to be recognized as its leader. He denounced anyone who sought to see him as such and even refused to be photographed.

Charles’ services were marked by laughing, crying, dancing, joy, and brokenness. Soon, newspapers covered them, and the revival became a national story. Some of the reporters themselves were converted at the meetings. The revival spread with great fervor throughout the nation. Soon, drinking bars and movie houses were closed. Former prostitutes held Bible studies. People began to pay their longstanding debts. And those who once selfishly wasted their money on alcohol suddenly became a great joy and support for their families.

Charles’s revival meetings had no choirs or special ceremonies. There were no offerings, no hymnbook, no committees, no song leaders, and no paid advertising. Leaders from denominations who were hungry for God attended the meetings. The revival had so much impact that all ministers exchanged pulpits for a day in an effort to break down denominational walls and establish unity. Eventually, Charles encouraged national and social barriers to be broken.

The revival was founded on four points. Thus, confess all known sins, search out all secret and doubtful things, confess the Lord Jesus openly and pledge of word to obey the Spirit. Charles had discovered the keys to revival.

(Repentance is a word that is somewhat tarnished today. It has lost much of its meaning due to social issues and wrong attitudes. Many believers have focused on God’s law of grace and mercy and overlook the rest of His laws. Paul said in Romans 6:1-2 that, “what shall we say then? Are we to continue to sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?” Thus, grace and mercy don’t give us license to live however we want to. We don’t live under cheap grace and mercy. The righteousness we enjoy as believers was purchased with the blood of Jesus. Repentance brought us into the kingdom of God, and repentance will keep us moving with His cloud.)

Charles usually flowed with the Holy Spirit. In one instance, the meeting started with two girls standing in the pulpit. One pleaded and prayed for people to surrender to the Holy Spirit. Then the other gave her testimony in song before bursting into tears. After that, the congregation was expecting Charles to take the pulpit, but he didn’t. They scanned the room wondering where he was since they had all come to see him. They only needed to look at him.

Immediately, they saw him on his knees, weeping and pleading with God, “Lord, help me to love you with everything I have. May you always grant me the burning desire to work in your vineyard and use me to draw men closer to you. As the deer pants for water, so may my soul long after you Lord,” he continued praying these words repeatedly. The hearts of the people were broken. His tears replicated his deep love and desire for God. The people were moved as the love of God was revealed to them in such a way they haven’t experienced before. People fell on the floor and broke into uncontrollable tears. They cried the more as the Spirit of God continued to show them the height, breadth and depth of God’s love.

It was common in Charles’s meeting for members of the congregation to suddenly fall on their knees and pray aloud. Waves of joy and sorrow would flood the congregation. Women fell on their knees and men laid in the aisles weeping, laughing, and praying. All this while, there was no Bible reading or instrument playing. A few were inspired to stand and sing hymns. The power of God was so present in Charles’ meetings that the congregation was always caught up in God that they would forget to for home for Sunday’s dinner.

(Mostly, people think to worship God in a service, one needs to sing some slow songs with strings from the keyboard. When people hear the strings from the keyboard with its wonderful effects, they get goosebumps and explain that to be the presence of God. I want to state here that worship is not some “three slow songs” we sing in church likewise praises “some three fast songs”.)

Charles slept and ate very little during the first two months of this great revival. In fact, he only slept two or three hours a night.

To be continued

 

ALL EPISODES

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