Photo: Courtesy of Matthew Hancock
The revival that broke out at Asbury University in Wilmore, KY has just entered its second week! I have not witnessed such a huge outpouring of the Spirit of God since the 70’s and the Jesus Movement that swept the country.
In Isaiah it says:
See, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness
and streams in the wasteland. – Isaiah 43:19 NIV
In an article written by seminary professor Tom McCall and published in Christianity Today, he wrote of previous revivals at Asbury:
“My colleague Steve Seamands, a retired theologian from the seminary, told me that what is happening resembles the famous Asbury Revival of 1970 he experienced when he was a student. That revival shut down classes for a week, then went on for two more weeks with nightly services. Hundreds of students went out to share what happened with other schools.” – Tom McCall
McCall went on to say:
“Many people say that in the chapel they hardly even realize how much time has elapsed. It is almost as though time and eternity blur together as heaven and earth meet. Anyone who has witnessed it can agree that something unusual and unscripted is happening.”
The Jesus Movement of the late 60’s and 70’s sparked a wave of conversions to Christianity that helped shape the modern evangelical movement. Interestingly, a movie set to release on February 24th called “Jesus Revolution” focuses on the incredible moving of the Holy Spirit of that time. What is God orchestrating?
The revival of the 70’s emerged at a time when many young people were disenchanted with what was happening in our culture. It was a time of social and political upheaval, and many of them were looking for a sense of purpose. The Jesus Movement provided an alternative to the counterculture of the time and offered a message of hope and salvation. This outpouring of the Holy Spirit also helped to bring about a renewed emphasis on compassion ministry to those in need or suffering by injustice as many converts sought out ways to live out their faith in practical ways.
Could we be seeing another outpouring of the Holy Spirit? We see all the signs in our culture today with our younger generations. They too are dissatisfied with our current culture. There is so much dissention and divisiveness that many of us were feeling that there was no hope for the next generation of leaders. But God…
Alexandra Presta, writing for The Asbury Collegian wrote:
“There’s something so beautiful about Love.
It’s more than a fleeting emotion or a mere feeling. It’s what brings people together. We’ve been here in Hughes Auditorium for over a hundred hours— praying, crying, worshipping and uniting— because of Love. We’ve even expanded into Estes Chapel across the street at Asbury Theological Seminary and beyond. I can proclaim that Love boldly because God is Love.” – Alexandra Presta, The Asbury Collegian, February 12, 2023
The current revival spirit at Asbury began during the regular chapel service on Wednesday, February 8th. At the conclusion of the service, many students stayed and continued to worship, pray, and seek God. Now a week later, hundreds of people pack into Hughes Auditorium to let that outpouring of the Holy Spirit spill over on to them. The crowds of people flooding to Wilmore have backed up traffic for miles. So many people from other college campuses, towns and cities from all over are coming to experience this revival that they have had to take measures to seat them in other locations such as Estes Chapel at the seminary. This awakening is going on around the clock as people continue to pray and worship.
What can we expect as a result of such a revival?
The Impact of Revival on the Local Church
We can expect an impact on the local church. Many churches are feeling this surge of God’s power. We celebrate the breakthrough of God’s Spirit on the lives of so many and pray for it to spill over on to us. This kind of movement creates a hunger for the Word of God. It draws people to pray more and worship more boldly. In my local church this past Sunday as we testified to what God was doing, I could sense God’s presence in a palpable way.
As this spirit of revival continues, it drives out division and debate as people are drawn together in unity. The Holy Spirit moves us to set aside our differences and work together for the common goal of spreading the Gospel. Congregations begin to serve from a shared vision of reaching the world for Christ, which helps us have greater effectiveness in ministry. It calls us to serve sacrificially, realizing the truly important matters involve people not issues.
The Impact of Revival on the Community
The effect on the local church has a ripple effect that extends beyond our walls and into the streets. When people experience an outpouring of God’s Spirit they are filled with a sense of joy and hope that is contagious. That was one of the hallmarks of the Jesus Movement in the 70’s. We behave kindlier, more generously, more compassionate to those around us. We see our neighbors as people who need the love of God and we seek ways to share the Gospel with them. This activity in turn, brings transformation to the community.
A revival like this will also lead to an increased awareness to social justice issues. As we become more aware of the needs of those around us, we are moved to action. Those needs become a moral imperative to do something. We serve one another in mutuality realizing we both add to each other when we walk the journey together. The local church becomes a beacon of hope in the community, and people are naturally drawn to it because of the love and care they observe.
The revival fire is spreading. Word is out that Cedarville University in Ohio and Lee University in Tennessee are also experiencing revival as hundreds of students are gathering together to praise God, worship and pray. Let us pray that this fire continue to burn across campuses around the world. Let us pray for revival to come to our churches. May we seek God’s face and ask Him to pour out His Spirit in our midst, that we may be agents of transformation in our world.
Pastor Sam Peters
It's Time 