By now, through either social media or regular media, most people have heard of what is taking place at Asbury University, which is being called “The Asbury Revival.” Anyone who has not will probably not be reading this blog and are not the audience that I am addressing.
On February 8th, a group of students at Asbury gathered for their regular chapel service and it became irregular. What was supposed to be a normal time of worship and word became something abnormal and unusual.
Thanks to social media, we learned that the students attending chapel that day began to pray with earnestness and worship with fervency. This prayer resulted in students entering into deep and honest repentance, which resulted in even deeper worship and more repentance.
What was scheduled to be a short chapel service turned into an around the clock worship experience, which has lasted nearly two weeks as I write this blog.
Almost from the moment the first post appeared on social media, discussions began concerning what was happening. An invisible line was drawn in the sand delineating a clear divider between those who believed this was a real move of G-D’s Spirit and those who believed that what was taking place was merely another example of emotionalism running amuck.
This division was not the problem, and honestly should not be a surprise to any one, after all, this same argument has taken place during every proclaimed move of G-D since the days of Peter and Paul.
People are judging what is happening at Asbury through the lens of a checklist they have formulated through their own opinions based upon a checklist of requirements, such as: the right leaders, the right denomination, the right format, the right numbers, the right (fill in the blank).
Based upon their individual checklists and comparisons to all previous moves of G-D, people are either deciding to travel to Asbury with hopes to experience themselves what the Asbury students have been experiencing, or deciding to stay far away from Asbury because what is happening doesn’t check enough boxes on their lists.
There has been no shortage of people sharing their thoughts and opinions on what is happening at Asbury. So many, in fact, that I hesitated to share my views altogether. However, the problem with the Asbury Revival is so significant that I felt strongly compelled to share the problem in hopes that some would read this blog and realign themselves with G-D’s Word.
The problem with the Asbury Revival has nothing to do with Asbury at all; it has to do with the fact that much of the Body of Messiah has forgotten how G-D defines revival. Revival is when someone dead or dying is resuscitated and restored to life. Revival doesn’t require a large group, a special service, a certain song or sermon. Revival only requires the Breath of G-D, the Spirit of G-D to bring renewed life.
The problem with the Asbury Revival is that many are so busy debating if it is a revival that they have forgotten to join the angels in rejoicing every time a sinner comes to repentance. After all, that, my friends, is the one and only true definition of revival.
(Image given by Laura Hamby)