Don’t block the signal

August 10, 2006

By Gary Rogers

We recently invited Brent Pickens, a Hurricane Katrina survivor, to speak at our church. Brent’s home was destroyed, but his wife and three children were all safe. The floodwaters and surge from the hurricane caused his house in Mississippi to be 75 feet underwater. The church in which he was the children’s pastor was almost completely destroyed.

In the days following the hurricane, one hallway of the church building still had its roof intact, so it was used as a makeshift hospital. As a result of the disaster, many of the people who attended the church lost their homes and had to move away. The congregation quickly dwindled from about 700 to about 150. The church could no longer afford to have a children’s pastor.

Brent later shared with me the story of a teenage girl his daughter had been witnessing to. His daughter had a burden for this young lady, who always dressed in black and was very much a loner. After many invitations to church, the girl visited their youth group on the Wednesday night prior to the Sunday evening hurricane. She sat through the service, but Brent’s daughter said that she did not respond to the altar call. Brent’s daughter could only pray that seed had been planted. This teenage girl’s home was one of the first hit by the storm. She and her family were killed.

One of my questions to Brent was, “Why didn’t the family leave?” Was there not an early warning given? He said the news reports for Mississippi were that Katrina was going to miss them and just hit Louisiana. He quoted the news anchorman saying, “If you leave your home and drive two hours north you will be safe. But by the time you get there you can turn around and head back home, because it will all be over by then.”

When the weather report was updated and new information predicted much greater devastation, there was no TV signal available for those who lived in the valley where Brent lived.

Warnings are so critical if people are to be saved from approaching disaster. As Christians, we are responsible to issue a warning that must be given. Jesus Christ is coming. This world will face God’s final judgment. Everyone deserves to hear that warning. Eternity is forever. Everyone needs to know they will live forever in either heaven or hell.

Thank God salvation is available for everyone, but everyone has not yet heard the warning. What are we doing to both issue the warning and offer the gospel’s accompanying message of hope? Let’s get the word out and let people know God’s provision of salvation is available for them today.

Gary Rogers is senior pastor of First Assembly of God in Coweta, Okla.