TODAY’S FRESH MOVE OF GOD
On February 8th, as most are aware of, a normal chapel service at Asbury Seminary in Wilmore, Kentucky turned into a wave of around the clock non stop prayer and worship for two weeks. It drew thousands from around the country. Confession of sin, genuine repentance, fervent prayer, intimate worship, powerful healing, authentic salvations, and transformational breakthroughs took place as God poured out his Spirit. It has since gone beyond Asbury and spread nationwide impacting young adults at mainline secular Universities as well as other seminaries. What is happening?
Here is my perspective. I believe God is beginning to move in answer to long awaited prayer for revival and awakening intensified by the urgency of the recent pandemic. As in most past visitations, he is using young people because they are usually the most open, available, flexible and gregarious. These are just the first drops of heaven’s revival rain.
TWO DIVINE MOMENTS
I would like to suggest that two related moments preceded the Asbury moment. THE FIRST happened at a pivotal NFL football game between the Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals, where Bills’ player Damar Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest on national television. I watched as the stadium turned into a mass prayer meeting for this young man who would later suffer a second cardiac event. I sensed the Holy Spirit whisper to me: “It has begun.” The “It” I knew to be a fresh move of God the body of Christ has been praying for. That an NFL stadium became a prayer meeting and that football took a literal knee was significant. And when ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky broke out in prayer on a live broadcast afterward, the significant turned into amazing because that never ever happens.
This was a reminder that all historic outpourings begin with prayer and ripen with prayer. Damar Hamlin has since recovered, shared his faith, and saw his foundation to help needy children grow from $2300 to nearly $10,000,000. And yes, he has been cleared to play football again, a sport he calls the platform for his greater mission.
THE SECOND moment happened the next day when over 2,000 college young adults and even some high school students packed a hotel in Orlando FLA for a three day encounter with God’s Word, Spirit inspired worship, fervent prayer and a call to impact the nation’s campuses. It was put on by the Every Nation Family of Churches. One of Every Nation’s mottos? “Change the Campus, Change World.” I am a part of this movement and I am a little ashamed to say that I was surprised at the turnout, energy and response at this event coming on the heels of the holiday season when young people are usually reveling in recreation.
AT THE MOVIES: THE JESUS MOVEMENT
An NFL football game, a college campus ministry convergence, and a national move of God on young adult students has now been followed by a movie sweeping the country called “The Jesus Revolution” which revisits the roots of the last revival to hit the world. Following showings of this movie, reports have come in describing how prayer, worship, salvations, and re-dedications have taken place on site in theaters punctuated by a sense of God’s felt presence. The timing I am convinced is not a coincidence. If you haven’t yet seen the movie, I encourage you to go see it and spread the word.
I was a product of that movement having come to Christ near its peak in the early 70’s while attending the University of Hawaii. That historic wave like this one also saw outpourings at Asbury Seminary and deeply affected college campuses after beginning among the hippie, artist, surfer, musician and drug cultures.
The assassinations of Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy, street and campus violence, the Vietnam War, the Cold War, the resignation of then President Richard Nixon, and yes, even another virus cultivated a climate of fear, division and chaos that spawned cries to heaven. Even without social media it was a crazy confusing time, but God answered prayer and the rest is history.
CONTROVERSY
The Jesus People Movement as it was called back then changed my life and pulled me into full time ministry. It is a call I continue to heed decades later with purpose and passion. I saw a replay of my yesterdays pass before me when I saw the Jesus movie. All due respect to theologians who have criticized that revival and the beginnings of this current one, I can say 50 years later that theology informed my experience, and my experience confirmed my theology. In other words, I am living proof of its authenticity because as a club musician I would not have been voted the most likely to become a Christian much less a minister or church planter. Both the Word of God and the Spirit of God worked together to transform me.
TERMINOLOGY
Much has been said about associating the appropriate terminology to what is happening. Allow me to speak to that. I believe we are in the initial stages of a divine OUTPOURING. As it broadens and deepens throughout the larger body of Christ, it will then become a REVIVAL - a large scale return to what has waned or died - as Christ followers devote themselves afresh to what has marked past revivals: a renewed devotion to unity, prayer, holiness, and obedience. That will morph into an AWAKENING as gospel influence significantly penetrates the secular realms of society such as education, government, media, the arts and the marketplace among others. Mind you, this is my take and I do acknowledge that aspects of outpouring, revival and awakening do overlap. That said, most historians say we have had two GREAT awakenings. This is the time to experience a third.
MEASURE FRUIT OVER TIME
History tells us that every fresh move of God is accompanied by its share of controversy even from those within the faith community. I am reminded of the words of Gamaliel, the Apostle Paul’s mentor in Judaism referenced in Acts chapter five. Revival and awakening during the formation of the early church elicited persecution and the work of the gospel was being resisted. The still maturing theology of that day aside, this nevertheless respected sage urged caution and uttered the following:
“So in the present case I tell you, keep away from these men and let them alone, for if this plan or this undertaking is of man, it will fail; but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You might even be found opposing God…”(Acts 5:38-39 ESV)
A tsunami is coming because God indeed is moving. Get in position. Ride the wave. Spread the swells. Navigate the currents. And invite others to join in. Remain steadfast in prayer, share the gospel, embody love, and choose to believe for the incredible. The best is yet to come.
