- 5 min read

February 21, 2023

Asbury Is Only the Beginning

I am being asked about the ending of the public gatherings associated with the Asbury Revival. Like so many of you, I love seeing what Holy Spirit is doing there. The hunger of the young people is so inspiring; the coming together of the body of Christ to support it is truly encouraging; and the strong, yet sweet, presence of Holy Spirit responding to the hunger is precious. From purely a spiritual perspective, I would love to see it continue indefinitely.

However, I am aware that this is a university, not a church. There are requirements that must be met in order to maintain educational credits, decrees, etc. There are also innumerable practical issues that arise for an organization/entity that is not designed to handle what is happening there. The leaders at Asbury have to weigh all of this and determine how to steward what is occurring. They are no doubt attempting to do so with sensitivity.

What we must all remember is that this outpouring at Asbury was never intended by Holy Spirit to be the only place where revival occurs in America. What He has planned will occur all across our nation and other nations. Revival will not be confined to one organization, location, or group of people; Asbury is only a beginning. The outpouring of Holy Spirit will intensify and spread until it is a blazing fire of Holy Spirit activity throughout the land. And this will not be stopped.

God‘s plan in the Upper Room of Acts 2 was not a revival for Jerusalem. It was an outpouring for Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the uttermost parts of the world (Acts 1:8). Likewise, what He is doing today will not be limited to one campus, one church, or one city. It will be universal, as broad as it is powerful, and it will be unprecedented.

What should we who are crying out for revival do now? Leaders should make great efforts to fan the flames and feed the hunger. Plans and activities should be structured to allow Holy Spirit time and place to move. Worship and prayer should be prioritized. What is coming will be more of a presence movement than a preaching movement. This is not to minimize the need for biblical preaching and teaching - we must have that. But an atmosphere must be created and honored that allows Holy Spirit to hover in our meetings and gatherings. He wants to pour Himself out, and this occurs as we give Him time and place. Ask Him for His strategies. Ask Him what plans we have that should be changed, and what activities may be in the way of His moving. And we must all prepare our hearts through humility and genuine hunger.

Leaders must also promote unity. Whenever possible, work with other churches and groups to create the “one accord” atmosphere that draws Him. (See Acts 2) We must remember that this is not about us - our church, our ministry, our movement. It is about Christ and what He wants to do to reach people. Resist, at all costs, a competitive spirit and mindset. The church in America has become appallingly competitive and self-centered. This must be avoided.

Resist the tendency to build on programs, ideas, methods and, especially, hype. Sensationalism will build nothing of true spiritual value or longevity. Contend for Holy Spirit’s presence and favor; nothing else will produce what we want to see. People, especially young people, are hungry for what is real and genuine, not for flash and hype. And whether they know it or not, they are hungry for God. Give them His presence!

And I cannot emphasize strongly enough that when outpourings of Holy Spirit begin, we must steward, not control them. He will always come in unexpected ways, and people will respond similarly. They will weep; they will express great emotion; they will linger. They want to experience HIM, not simply be told about Him. If all of our gatherings are conducted in settings and atmospheres that must remain formal, carefully structured and strictly timed, we will not see what we desire. Polished and dignified atmospheres produce comfort zones, but never revival. And many churches miss Holy Spirit outpourings because they simply don’t make time for Him. Don’t expect Him to bow to our structures, schedules, or desires for convenience.

To parents: get your kids into an atmosphere of awakening, whatever the cost. Go where it is occurring, if at all possible. And help pray it into your area - God wants to be poured out in your region. When it occurs, support it with your presence, time, and finances. Many of our children have been fed a diet of religious routines and activities, form without power, and little, if any, intimacy with God. They are unimpressed. Our young people want to truly connect with God Himself. And they crave purpose, which is only found in one’s Creator.

And finally, to those of you who pray, please don’t stop. Our prayers are saving America. God is using them to expose evil, destructive ideologies, and impure motives. They are preparing the soil of America (and elsewhere) for the seed of the gospel, for truth, and for great change. We are forerunners, preparing the way for Christ to come to our land. Continue to appeal. Continue to decree, releasing Kingdom authority and God’s will on Earth. And continue to believe - it’s working.

Pray with me:

Father, thank You for the lives that have changed at Asbury. Thank You for whetting our appetite for more, for showing us what happens when You begin hovering and pouring out. We are hungry and thirsty for more. Please open the spigot. Open the heavens and rain Your life, grace, and power.

Give leaders in the church Your strategies. Give us the humility, wisdom, and boldness to change ANYTHING that needs to change in order to make room for You. Give us ears to hear You, fresh revelation of what You are saying NOW. No leader learned how to birth, release, or steward revival in Bible College - because it can’t be taught. We must listen, we must hear. Give us desperate hearts and hearing ears!

And finally, in the words of William Booth, revivalist and founder of the Salvation Army:

“Thou Christ of burning, cleansing flame,