Have you heard what has been happening at Asbury University in Wilmore, Kentucky? The news of the revival taking root there has been on Kinship Radio, and it’s absolutely all over social media.
This is the same university where revival broke out in 1970 and was an integral part of “The Jesus Movement.”
Skepticism of reports like this, especially in today’s culture, is not only natural but warranted by Scripture. We are called to test the spirits. (1 John 4:1)
When I heard about it I was immediately interested and encouraged, but there wasn’t much information at first. Some quick internet research revealed that the college has chapel every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. On Wednesday, Feb. 8, that chapel service didn’t end. Praise and worship was said to have been continuous when I first heard about it on Friday, Feb. 10. I sent a Facebook post about it to my friend, Pastor Tim, who lives in Kentucky.
On Saturday, Pastor Tim let me know Wilmore was only two hours from his home and he was headed there to check it out. He agreed to let me know what was going on and I eagerly anticipated his visit as I already knew if this was real revival, I would want to write about it here.
Pastor Tim was the perfect candidate to send on such a mission. I’m not saying he’s a born skeptic, but his radar is fine-tuned to detect interstellar “Christians” awaiting the mothership, Laodiceans, wolves in sheep’s clothing preaching to itching ears, sour-faced Pharisees of condemnation, and corporate snake-oil salesmen peddling Jesus and the associated merchandise. I have, on more than one occasion, described Pastor Tim as a bulldog gnawing on a bone who is thoroughly convinced that the Truth of the Lordship of Jesus Christ is hidden in the very center of that bone.
At 12:17 p.m. that day, Tim sent a 55-second video from Hughes Memorial Auditorium on the campus of Asbury University. He had not posted any comment at all with the video. No words, just a video that showed a chapel filled with people singing , “I am a Child of God.” I immediately got Holy Spirit chills watching and listening to the video.
At 3:13 p.m., Tim called and said he had seen people singing and praising God, people kneeling at the altar praying, people reading Scripture from the stage, and people giving their testimonies to the crowd. Everything was orderly, clean, and done well, but the Holy Spirit was clearly present and the power of the LORD was in that place.
Since then, I have seen numerous reports (#asburyrevival2023 is excellent) and they are in agreement. Real revival has broken out at this place! As I write this on Tuesday night, it is approaching 140 hours of praise and worship and the Holy Spirit is moving in power! It is said that there are 5000 – 6000 people in Wilmore and three chapels and two churches are filled with people participating in awakening, repentance, and revival!
And it seems it’s spreading to other places! Unconfirmed reports are coming from colleges and universities in Tennessee, Texas, Alabama, and Maine.
The funny thing is, even though I am over 800 miles away, the Holy Spirit is moving in me through the things I have seen and heard on the internet, over the radio, and from my friend Pastor Tim. The songs I hear on Kinship Radio spark my soul a little more brightly. Lyrics like “Let me tell you about my Jesus” sink in a little deeper. When I’m not listening to Kinship Radio, I have a tendency to play “Spirit Burn” by Audio Adrenaline. (I have it on right now.)
The power of the Holy Spirit has no boundaries, no limits on what can be done through faith in Jesus Christ. No one has changed the world more than Jesus Christ–and He’s not done yet.
Find out all you can and give the Holy Spirit permission to burn within you as you find more information. Be that light on its stand. Shine, brothers and sisters, shine because the time grows shorter every day and He is coming back!
Let the light of heaven shine from us!
Today’s Praise
Jeremiah 33:3
“Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.” (NIV)