Jesus Revolution

…As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near.
Matthew 24:32

You may have heard about the remarkable happenings at Asbury college in Wilmore, Kentucky. What began as a normal weekly student chapel on Wednesday, February 8th has grown into a national spiritual phenomenon. A visiting pastor had shared a message of God’s love to the student body and at the conclusion, he dismissed them, hoping something had stuck. He texted his wife as he left, “Latest stinker, I’ll be home soon.”

But a handful of students remained, praying, repenting, and confessing to one another. Soon God came powerfully, and they began to worship. Students began to file back into the chapel amid reports that God was visiting people at the altar in an unusual way. By that evening, the 1400 seats of Hughes auditorium were filled, and word had spread across the street to the seminary and out into the sleepy little town of Wilmore. The people came flooding in.

They had reason to be excited—it had happened before. Over its history there have been at least eight significant moves of the Spirit recorded at Asbury, often coinciding with national and international moves of God. Those who study revival have said that Asbury has been a barometer, a harbinger of what God intends in the nation. In 1905 a powerful move of God was recorded at Asbury and shortly afterward the Azusa Street Revival of 1906-08 broke out in California. A 1950 visitation in Hughes Auditorium broke out at the early in the great Healing Evangelist Revival that spread across America, finding its peak in the mid-1950’s. The 1970 awakening broke forth at Asbury just prior to the Jesus Movement revival in California that came into its strength in 1972. Then, the Holy Spirit was thick in Hughes Auditorium for seven straight days. Many stayed 24 hours a day, and afterwards student teams were sent out all over the nation to give testimony; revival broke out on college campuses and in churches wherever they went. 

It's happening again now, only the script is flipped. The videos and reports went over social media and thousands flooded into Asbury. Are we to expect that a massive move of God is on the horizon? I hope so, and I don’t see a downside to living and believing like it’s coming.

I visited Asbury a few weeks ago, but because crowds lined up across campus, I went to the seminary overflow chapel across the street, where a sweet presence of God filled the room.

The live stream showed nothing impressive, nothing polished, just simple worship, honest repentance, and confession, while nameless, faceless students facilitated and responded to the Holy Spirit. They stewarded the moment without hype or fanfare. It was so beautiful.

It’s baffled the news outlets, with no personalities to interview, no prepared talking points to share. It’s been mostly a litany of personal experiences. One major news outlet intended to broadcast live from the campus but were respectfully asked not to come: “What’s happening at Asbury is purely spiritual, it has nothing to do with politics or business, nobody is making money from it, or planning on running for office. It’s mostly just young people worshipping God, finding meaning and answers in Him in a country that increasingly isn’t offering much of either. It’s not really a place for TV cameras.”

The broadcaster was shocked, saying, “When you work in television, you run into a lot of people who want publicity, you almost never meet anyone who doesn’t want publicity. And when you do, they are either doing something wrong, or in the rarest of all cases, they are doing something right, something so beautiful, something so true that media coverage can’t enhance it, it can only detract from it. We think that’s what’s happening at Asbury University. God bless them for turning us down.” (Watch the clip here: https://youtu.be/rLgXb294Ff4 )

February 24th was the 200th Anniversary of the Collegiate Day of Prayer. It had been planned months in advance and was scheduled to be simulcast from, where else, Asbury University in Hughes Auditorium! Only God knew that the 2023 swirl of the Holy Spirit would be in full effect on campus at that time and would mark the transition of this move of God.

Asbury’s President said, “We didn’t start this move so we can’t end it, but the trajectory of renewal meetings is always outward and that is beginning to occur.” Watching online that evening I knew it was true. There are other schools and universities who are experiencing spontaneous outpourings all over the country. At the height of the Day of Prayer broadcast, more than 3.5 million unique login markers showed as participating, with hundreds of universities broadcasting from the Asbury fires. Again, that amazing timing of God. I think the twigs are getting tender, and the leaves are beginning to bud. Are you perceiving the change? It’s a timing thing. Shalom!

Perhaps you’ve heard of the fascinating movie released last week called Jesus Revolution. The timing of those events dovetails incredibly with the narrative of our day. Through the story of an unlikely pairing, it chronicles the explosive beginnings of the Jesus movement in California in the tumultuous days of the 1970’s. A discouraged pastor, Chuck Smith, is played by Kelsey Grammer, and a drifting hippy, Lonnie Frisbee, is played by Jonathan Roumie (of The Chosen series fame). It’s a fantastic true story of the leading people, places and conditions that birthed a national revival. One that fashioned and framed new expressions of Christianity in worship and practice in our day, of which we are all recipients. This is an important film perfectly positioned in the timing of God.

As if that wasn’t enough, I saw the trending YouTube clip where Kelsey Grammer grew emotional when trying to describe the impact this film had on him. I couldn’t believe this was captured on a morning show. https://youtu.be/603MCDuWQBA. After watching, I bought our tickets to see the film immediately. 

Jen and I laughed, wept, and cheered at different parts. We identified deeply on many levels. Leaving the theater that night, I couldn’t help myself and burst out shouting “Amen!” and “More of that, Lord!” I’m sure I embarrassed my wife, but I get the feeling that “Aslan is on the move.”  

Prophetic Prayer & Communion
March 19th
Northstar Church
7-9pm

Have you ever longed for God to speak to you? This is an evening where we take time to pray over one another & hear what God has to say. Come join us in March at Northstar Church for prophetic prayer! Sunday, March 219th, 7-9pm.

Everyday Kingdom Conference
March 10-11
Northstar Church
Register at golovelive.com/events

Corey Russell at Northstar
March 17th
Northstar Church
6:30-8:30pm