Awakening

This article comes from Presiding Bishop Tim Coalter via the White Wing Messenger - a publication of the Church of God of Prophecy

It happened many years ago, but I have never forgotten it. I was driving home to Tennessee after attending a youth camp in North Carolina. Those who have gone to youth camp can attest to the fact that you leave refreshed and energized but also exhausted. As I was driving on this hot summer day, the sun was piercing through the windshield, and my eyes were growing heavy. I remember thinking that I would close them for just a second. . . . Bad idea! Suddenly I was awakened to find my car heading straight for a bridge. Fortunately, I woke up in time to make the needed adjustments to avoid a life-threatening accident. I can still feel that moment - the jolt, the sudden awareness, the realization that I had drifted further than I thought. I did not intend to fall asleep. I did not plan to lose focus. I was just tired . . . and for a moment, I drifted. And the truth is, this is not just a driving story. This is a spiritual reality for many of us.

Sometimes we don’t walk away from God - we just drift. Not all at once, but little by little. Fatigue sets in. Routine replaces passion. Familiarity dulls what once stirred us deeply. And before we know it, we are not as alert, not as sensitive, not as awake as we once were. Which is why Easter matters. There is a statement that has been stirring in my spirit: The resurrection of Jesus Christ is not simply the conclusion of the gospel story; it is the ignition point of a global awakening. We often treat the resurrection as the final chapter - something to celebrate and then move on from. But the truth is, the resurrection is not the end of the story. It is the beginning of everything that matters. The resurrection is God’s wake - up call to a drifting world. Paul understood this with unmistakable clarity. In 1 Corinthians 15:14, he writes, “If Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain” (KJV). If there is no resurrection, there is no hope. No forgiveness. No future. We are, as Paul says, still in our sins. But then comes the turning point: “But now is Christ risen from the dead” (v. 20). Every genuine awakening - whether in Scripture, history, or our present moment - begins with a fresh encounter with the risen Christ. On the Day of Pentecost, when Peter declared the resurrection, the people were “cut to the heart” (Acts 2:37 ESV). That’s what awakening feels like. It is possible - even in ministry - to become familiar with what should leave us in awe. We know the story. We have preached it. We have celebrated it year after year. But Easter is more than something to remember - it is something to experience. Paul did not just explain the resurrection - he wanted to know its power. That is the invitation of Easter - not just to celebrate that He rose, but to allow His resurrection power to awaken us again as it did the disciples on the road to Emmaus. As Jesus made Himself known after rising from the dead, Scripture records, “And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. . . . [Then] they said to each other, ‘Did not our hearts burn within us?’” (Luke 24:31–32). It is happening today across college campuses and churches. Eyes are opening. Hearts are burning. Young people are gathering - not for performance, but for presence. Services are extending for hours. Worship is unscripted. Students are confessing sin, praying, and surrendering. No spotlight. No hype. Just a deep awareness that Jesus is alive. This is awakening. And at the center of it all is the reality of the resurrection. But the burning question of this moment is not whether awakening is happening somewhere else. The question is, is it happening in me? Is it happening in you? Because just like that moment on the highway, awakening requires a response. A correction. A turning. A decision to fully engage again. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is not simply the conclusion of the gospel story; it is the ignition point of a global awakening.”