THE ASBURY REVIVAL - ONE YEAR LATER

 

I just finished viewing the recently released documentary, Asbury Revival: Desperate for More. The YouTube video documents the events of the Asbury University 16-day revival from Thursday, February 08, 2023.

 

Last year we reviewed that outpouring which spread without advertising throughout the world. Enquirers included people from Brazil, South Korea, the Philippines and Singapore. The outpouring spread from its Wilmore, Kentucky base to more that thirty other college campuses.

 

One year after movement of the Holy Spirit, Asbury President, Dr Kevin Brown said, “there’s still a feeling of expectancy in the air. Our students continue to be hungry. They continue to lead. They’ve gone and they’ve shared. We’ve had more than 50 groups go to different ministries and churches, both in the United States and overseas.”

 

Upon reflection, another administrator said, “the temperature on campus is unbelievable. Students are longing for authentic long-term steps, not just 16 days of power and encounter. They’re wanting to pursue holiness. They want to be done with porn. They want to be done with addiction to their phones. They want to really have an authentic walk with the Lord.”

 

The revival appears to have benefitted the Kentucky college in other ways. At the start of this school year, there was a 25% increase in enrolment, the largest incoming freshman class in more than 25 years. President Brown spoke highly of the “radical humility” demonstrated by his students as they hosted other students from some 200 schools. He contended that the revival was a totally spontaneous event – “there was no program, no titles, no celebrities, except Jesus, who was honored as Lord”!

 

After one year, it appears as though the Asbury Spirit-led movement is continuing on college campuses. A few days ago, thousands of college students at Florida State University in Tallahassee, also had an encounter with the Lord. Some 4,500 students responded to an invitation to commit their lives to Jesus Christ. Hundreds of these respondents requested and were baptized in the university’s Westcott Fountain that same day. Thankfully, local churches were positioned to receive the newly baptized converts to enlist them in their discipleship programs.  

 

Agreed, the outpouring at Florida State University was a move of the Holy Spirit. It was a tremendous evangelistic outreach. However, I do not believe it qualifies to be deemed a revival. A revival is a revitalizing of Christians. Evangelism is offering life to persons who do not as yet have the life Jesus gives. Here are at least six ingredients that are characteristic of revivals or spiritual awakenings.

 

Firstly, there is earnest prayer. Church history confirms that all revivals begin with  consistent prayer. Prayer that empties the prayer warrior of selfishness and demonstrates a total reliance on God. A study of revivals indicate that the number of persons praying for revival varies. And so does the period of time in prayer. A revival is totally a display of God’s willingness to visit His people. Whereas we must display our readiness, only God decides when to visit.  

 

Secondly, there are authentic expressions of confession and genuine repentance. This is not provoked by public pressure, rather by personal conviction of the Holy Spirit. This season of awareness of sin is not necessarily publicized. However, there is a sense of vulnerability and desire to abandon hypocrisy and deceitfulness. Please note, this is not gloating about sin. This is brokenness, remorse and repentance.

 

Genuine repentance brings about changes in behavior. Authentic confession is more than admitting wrong – it is a passionate desire to renounce wrong and pursue right. One Congregationalist minister summarized the practical results of the 1860 Jamaican revival as follows: “It closed the rum shops and gambling houses, reconciled long-separated husbands and wives, restored prodigal children, produced scores of bans to be read for marriage, crowded every place of worship, quickened the zeal of ministers, purified the churches, and brought many sinners to repentance. It also excited the rage of those ungodly people whom it had not humbled.”

 

A fourth characteristic of revivals is the visible emotions that are on display. Regardless of social status, participants are often in tears, lifting hands, kneeling and displaying joy. Interestingly, although there is much confession, people do not display shame and embarrassment. Rather, people display freedom and relief from the burden of carrying unconfessed sin.

 

In religious studies, scholars use the term numinous to describe “a quality of mystery and fascination, often ascribed to the sacred”. That sense of sacredness permeates revivals. What one experiences at revivals is not frivolity and hilarity. There is also the absence of routine religious regulations. Instead, there is a sense of holy awe. There is a desire and display of simple worship. There is an adoration of Jesus Christ.

 

Finally, there is spontaneity. There is no appointed leader. There is no choreographed program of events. There are no celebrity performances. People lead as they are led by the Holy Spirit. Without human structures of order, there is decency and order. There is respect for crowd control and law enforcement.

 

We should all long for this kind of divine visitation in our faith communities. Borrowing the language of Psalm 80, we should be crying out, “Restore us, O God; make your face shine upon us, that we may be saved”.