Tent Revival
by Jennifer A. Miskov, Ph.D.
I’ve written in the past that there is a difference between seeing God move and a move of God. I see God move all of the time. It’s rare however, that I get the opportunity to get swept up into tangible move of God. To experience God’s glory and to witness and even take part in these moments is one thing I crave almost more than anything. To step into a hidden momentum and flow where we truly let the Holy Spirit lead us into a divine unfolding of God’s majesty, is something I’ve given my life to.
And last night, I witnessed a move of God I want to share with you. I know God crashes in when people gather to worship, pray, wait upon Him. Sometimes He even comes upon a person completely unexpectantly. Last night however, I saw God crash in through one act of radical generosity.
This didn’t happen in a vacuum, or in a moment really. And even sharing the few days leading up to this moment to provide a little context, pales in comparison with all of the simple and costly yeses leading up to that moment. Here we go…
Last night, I attended Parker & Jessi Green’s Tent Revival meeting. God called the Greens to pack up their well-established lives in New York a few years ago, to move to California because they felt God was going to pour out revival here. So, they quit their jobs, packed up and moved to the Golden State. This past summer they birthed Saturate OC where they hosted revival worship baptism gatherings on the beach. Then God put it in their hearts to do a tent meeting. God miraculously brought all of the pieces together, even the chairs and the tent for the meeting less than two weeks before.
Jessi, Mando, and I baptizing a burning one Friday night. Photo by Job Rascon
The first night of the meetings was on Thursday for a prayer rally. A few even got saved that night. Then Friday, several more got saved, and also baptized that night. Then Saturday in the daytime, Jessi along with Kingdom Women ministry hosted a banquet for widows, single mothers, or those who have had an abortion to come together and be loved, encouraged, healed, and blessed. Jessi shared her testimony of having had three abortions before she knew Christ and how after those, she became suicidal, was on cocaine, worked in night clubs, and was tormented with anxiety, fear, and depression. The moment she really met Jesus for the first time and surrender her life to Him, all of that changed. All the depression and suicidal thoughts left. She was set free. As a tent full of women were listening to Jessi’s testimony, some began to weep. God was ministering deeply through her story. The women also received ministry and gifts.
Several hours later when we started the third night of the Tent Revival meeting, there was something different in the air. The worship was electric in a new way, the hunger in those present was tangible, there was a deeper freedom and greater expectation. There was a turning of our eyes upon Jesus in the deeper way. Then our friend Mando Matthews with Ekballo House of Prayer Pasadena spoke about the different ways to yes to God and being willing to write Jesus a blank check with our lives.
Not long after, Jessi came up to speak. There was a somber and seriousness from the start. Before she began to share, she told people they were free to leave because it might get uncomfortable. Then she began to talk about the woman who broke the alabaster jar of perfume over Jesus shortly before His crucifixion.
She asked Joel Mott, the worship leader from Ekballo House of Prayer come and sit down on stage and for a bucket of water to be brought. She continued tell the story about how this woman very awkwardly went somewhere she was not invited to because she had to love Jesus extravagantly. Then Jessi dipped her hair in the water and wiped Joel’s feet to symbolize how it may have felt.
She continued to share about how this perfume was costly. Scholars say it was worth a year’s wages. She said how some of us in the tent make $10K a year, others $60K, others $200K or $400K a year. How ever you look at it, the perfume used to anoint Jesus was costly to the one pouring it out. Jessi said how the cost will look different for each one us. See clip of the moment when God began to crash in a powerful way below.
She asked Jesus on the way to the meeting if she would be able to even offer Jesus the perfume poured out on His feet. She didn’t want to preach a message she wasn’t willing to live. Then she took off her coat and gave it to a single mom in the back of the tent who had come with her kids. Then she called up all the single moms and had Parker write them a check for $100 to bless them.
Then, she shared with us the story of how God blessed her with a Jeep and how much she loved it. She even took a photo shoot in front of it because she was so blessed by God and wanted Him to get all of the glory for doing something so extravagant for her. She spoke more about living a life of worship that costs us something; it cost Jesus everything.
Then she grabbed her purse, pulled out her keys, and gave them to Joel who was still sitting barefoot on the stage. She felt God told her about thirty minutes before that moment that she was to give him her Jeep. His head fell into his hands and tears flowed all around the tent. We were witnessing a radical act of generosity and it was wrecking us all.
As I watched this scene unfold, I could tell that this was a divine moment. Radically generosity ushered in the Presence of God in a powerful way. When Jessi did this, people began to kneel on the floor, some lay prostrate. You could hear people weeping. It was a moment I will never forget.
Not long after this profound giving took place, the invitation was given to be all in with Jesus and also get baptized. As worship was playing, we all walked over to the baptism containers filled with water. By the way, it was already very cold during these tent revival meetings since we were outside in December. I was wearing four layers to try and stay warm along with my winter coat and a beanie. So, you know if someone is going to get into those waters, they are going to be crazy for Jesus.
With worship still going on in the tent, I watched as one after another got baptized in those waters. They had counted the cost and they were ready to make a declaration with their lives to be all in for Jesus.
I realized we were truly in a kairos moment. As this unique 2020 year is coming to a close, there is still more God wants to do before it finishes. I was struck to the core, inspired, convicted by Jessi’s radical act of generosity. I was moved to recognize a divine moment we were in. I too, wanted to be all in once again. I felt a nudge from the Holy Spirit to be baptized afresh in that moment. It was invitation where I had a choice to stay warm and comfortable or to be all in again. In this invitation, I felt that if I responded with my yes, something would be changed in my life and I would be ushered into a new season with Him. So, I asked my dear friends Jessi and Mando to baptize me afresh that night. These two met for the first time at the Bonnie Brae St. House on the anniversary of William J. Seymour’s death and had a crazy divine connection which is another story for another time.
After many of the others got baptized, and the crowd thinned, it was my turn. I had been baptized over twenty years ago but felt there was something significant about going under the water again in this fresh baptism. I believe in multiple baptisms of the Spirit, even wrote a book about it called Spirit Flood: Rebirth of Spirit Baptism for the 21st Century, so why not multiple baptisms of water, and a public re-dedication to be all in.
So, I got in that water, shivering from the cold but feeling the weight of that moment. I started to weep as we were talking, and I was trying to answer Jessi’s question of why I wanted to be baptized. I wanted to take advantage of this kairos moment and not let it pass me by. I wanted more of God in this new season as we finish out this unprecedented year.
The baptism container was big enough for me to be completely dunked while standing straight up. The only other time I got baptized was over twenty years ago. I had just turned 18, and after having recently broken up with my boyfriend at the time, I was all in. I was so all in that I couldn’t wait for the regular adult baptisms to take place so I joined the children’s baptism that was the earliest I could sign up for. I think I was one of the only adults being baptized that day in that small jacuzzi. I got baptized while kneeling down because it was a smaller space for the kids. That was an important decision for me to set myself apart to be a devoted follower of Christ.
Even as I write this write not, I feel there is some significance with being baptized again, but this time doing it while standing up tall. This is something I need more time to process with the Lord to know the full extent. When, they dunked me, I was completely covered in the waters, there was no going back to the dry comfortable state I was in moments before.
Completely submersed.
Mary was overshadowed in the glory of God and later birthed the Son of the living God (Luke 1:35). There is something powerful and special about being completely overshadowed, submersed, saturated by the waters of the Holy Spirit. There is something special about being all in. When I came up out of those waters I yelled at the top of my lungs! It could have been the cold or God or a mixture of both, but then I began to declare out loud, “I am all in, I am all in, I am all in.” Then I felt a rush go through me and had to yell at the top of my lungs. God was unlocking something in my spirit.
I eventually made it out of the baptismal and was shaking and trembling in the cold under the mighty hand of God. As those gathered around me were laying hands on my back, they saw steam come off of me and said they could feel heat. Even though it was very cold outside, God was marking me in that space with His fire. I have a lot more I will need to process with the Lord from that moment as well as the significance of when someone gave me an envelope at the women’s banquet with a $100 bill for me to buy perfume which hours later, Jessi spoke about the perfume being poured out upon Jesus.
All this to say, God is really real. Revival is happening in California right now. In the midst of a pandemic and a lockdown, God is on the move, even in the most offensive of ways. You see, that woman who broke open and poured out that alabaster jar of perfume over Jesus, offended even Jesus’ closest friends.
Thank you for listening to my story. I pray you have been blessed, inspired, disrupted, challenged, encouraged, and moved by this testimony to meet the real Jesus for the first time if you’ve never actually known Him personally, or, to be all in more than ever before.
Jesus is our only hope in this life.
In Him is abundant life here and now and forevermore.
Seek Him, find Him, and burn with other burning ones in this hour.
The time is ripe for the harvest.
It’s time to take our places.
Learn more about Parker & Jessi Green , their ministries Saturate OC and Salt Churches
Read an article I wrote on the woman who broke the alabaster jar featured on Elijah List entitled “Love so Extravagantly it Burns Through Offense”
Get equipped to bring in the harvest with me at School of Revival
