by Jennifer A. Miskov, Ph.D. in Revival History
If you haven’t heard already, something profound is happening Asbury University. As of writing this blog, they are currently holding non-stop meetings and God is pouring out His Spirit afresh. I had the opportunity to be there for days 7, 8, and 9 (February 14-16, 2023) of the revival. But before we get to more of that, let’s recognize the unique time we are in and take a quick review of Asbury’s revival history.
Kairos
Proverbs 10:5 says, “Know the importance of the season you’re in and a wise son you will be. But what a waste when an incompetent son sleeps through his day of opportunity!”
If you haven’t figure it out already, we are in a Kairos Moment. Kairos is the Greek word in the New Testament for “time.” It is also translated as “the right time, a set time, opportunity, due season, short time, a fixed and definite time, the time when things are brought to crisis, and the decisive epoch waited for.”[i] It can also mean a divinely appointed time or a window of opportunity. There is a unique window of opportunity open to us for such a time as this where the Holy Spirit is being poured out in extravagant measures and there is acceleration of what God is doing all around.
Asbury Revival History
Asbury University is named after Francis Asbury, the Methodist circuit rider who took the model of the camp meetings and exported, modeled, replicated these to cultivate the atmosphere for revival to spread throughout the land. Asbury University has had a series of revivals break out throughout its history, primarily in the month of February or in the springtime. Prayer, testimonies, worship, confession, repentance, witnessing have been characteristics. Many times these revivals have been student led and have broken out in February, a special sacred space in this well of revival.
The following review is quoted directly from Asbury Universities website HERE
“In February 1905, during a blizzard, a prayer meeting in the men’s dormitory spilled out to the rest of campus and the town of Wilmore.
In February 1908, revival broke out while someone prayed in chapel; the revival lasted two weeks and was signified by prevailing prayer and intercession.
In February 1921 the last service of a planned revival lasted until 6 a.m., and services were extended for three days.
In February 1950 a student testimony led to confessions, victories, and more testimonies. This went on uninterrupted for 118 hours and became the second leading news story nationwide; it is estimated that 50,000 people found a new experience in Christ as a result of this revival and witness teams that went out from it.
In March 1958 revival began in a student fasting prayer meeting that spilled over into chapel and lasted for 63 hours.
On February 3, 1970 Dean Custer B. Reynolds, scheduled to speak in chapel, felt led to invite persons to give personal testimony instead. Many on campus had been praying for spiritual renewal and were now in an expectant mood. Soon there was a large group waiting in line to speak. A spirit of powerful revival came upon the congregation. The chapel was filled with rejoicing people. Classes were cancelled for a week during the 184 hours of unbroken revival, but even after classes resumed on February 10, Hughes Auditorium was left open for prayer and testimony. These sessions were presided over by Reynolds, Clarence Hunter and other faculty. Some 2,000 witness teams went out from Wilmore to churches and at least 130 college campuses around the nation.
In March 1992 a student confession during the closing chapel of the annual Holiness Conference turned into 127 consecutive hours of prayer and praise.
In February 2006 a student chapel led to four days of continuous worship, prayer and praise.”[ii]
In February 2023, revival is currently breaking out and continuing strong as we speak.
Asbury Revival Today
God is doing a beautiful new work in the well of revival at Asbury University for such a time as this. After the chapel service on February 8, 2023 where speaker Zach Meerkreebs gave a message on Romans 12, a handful of hungry students lingered in the presence of God and continued to worship and press in even after chapel was dismissed. Some students went to class only to ask permission from their professors to return to chapel because they felt a stirring.
Long story short, worship, testimony, and prayer have been going on strong now, primarily stewarded by the students. People have come from around the world to drink in and receive of what the Holy Spirit is doing here. Also, many have been impacted by watching these hungry ones worship, which has led to more moves of God being birthed on college campus and even around the globe. Thousands are flocking to this well to partake of what God is pouring out.
Characteristics
My personal experience of being on the grounds and in the well of revival February 14-16, 2023 at Asbury was very significant. I had studied the 1970 revival in the past and was so moved when watching the documentary of students who were there still decades later being very much on fire and burning for Jesus. That the revival in 1970 started when the minister recognized he needed to move out of the way and make room for the Holy Spirit and give up his teaching time to let the students share testimonies moved me. He made room for the anointing and God moved powerfully through the release of testimonies in the students which was catalytic for that move of God. One moment in the glory marked and ignited a fire in their life that continued for decades.
Recognizing how one profound encounter with God at Asbury marked and shaped lives for generations to come, it lifts my spirit to thank God for all the students there now who are being marked by God in a lifechanging way. Some of the students I spoke with said that they wouldn’t even recognize themselves the previous week after all God has been doing.
At Asbury, there are no platforms, performance, production, or promotion. There is simply humility, holiness, hospitality, and invitation for the Holy Spirit to move. From what I observed and experienced on Day 7, 8, and 9 of the move of God there, I attempt to describe it t by using these 4 words:
HUMILITY: there is a very evident and felt deep desire in the leaders and those involved was that this would be all about JESUS and no one else. There is no performance, promotion, or platform Christianity present. It is a raw and humble desire to love Jesus in with a pure and repentant heart.
HOLINESS: there is a protection of the sacred space in the chapel and beyond and a stewarding what the Holy Spirit is pouring out with reverence and fear of the Lord. The centerpiece of the chapel says, “Holiness Unto the Lord.” They are attempting to get people to be present and receive from the Lord rather than live stream be on their phones all the time. They even turned down Fox News from coming out with their news cameras so they could protect the sacred space of worship in the chapel.
HOSPITALITY: there is a very felt sincere welcome and grace upon entering and partaking with this community. From host homes to free water and snacks at the entry way to staff of all levels humbly serving, one can feel the warmth of God’s love. I even heard that Salvation Army rented space heaters outside for those standing in line in the cold all out of their own desire to help. The unity in love and mutual submission to one another in the leadership is felt. Even their boundaries to protect the sacred space and also the students are presented in a way to make people feel loved and honored. There is also always room on the altar for people to come and now before the Lord. The time they take to pray for one another is never rushed but slow and deep, connected, and full of love.
HOLY SPIRIT: there is space created for the Holy Spirit to move in and through the people. Times have been set aside for people to share testimonies of what God has done, open Bible readings, and there has been space given for divine interruptions that turn into something beautiful the Lord is doing like the spontaneous generosity that took place one day. There is a sense that lingering in His presence is a good and welcome thing. This is mostly student led and they are making sure to honor what God is doing through this generation by honoring their voices.
The Fire is Spreading
One of the reasons the Asbury Revival is spreading like wildfire is because over its century of revivals breaking out and stewarded well, it has paved a path for an invitation to linger in His presence and go deeper. Asbury Revivals give permission to the world saying, “it’s okay to go beyond the limits of expectations and time. For those who are hungry, there’s more. You don’t need to shut down the building and close the doors when the church service is over. It’s okay to linger, and look what might happen when you do…” There is permission to blur the lines of time constraints and accepted traditions, encouraging people they can cross the threshold, color outside the lines and even off the page.
Today in this kairos moment, it’s time to explore, really explore, what diving all the way into the deep end with the Holy Spirit looks and feels like. We’ve only just dipped our toes. The Holy Spirit is a limitless ocean calling us to dive all the way in and explore hidden riches uncovered. The only way to get there is to surrender, let go, and yield to the current of His love (Ezekiel 47, Revelation 22). Who is willing to yield to be all in?
Grateful
I want to thank and honor the leadership, staff, and students for cultivating a community bound together by love and humility and by opening up their hearts and homes for the world to also feast on the meal before them. May the Lord continue to cover, protect, and grant them wisdom as they steward this outpouring for the glory of God.
Our job is not to try and define this with previous moves of God but to recognize God is doing a new thing in our midst, and to celebrate and honor it even if it might look different than what we expect. My prayer for the Church that’s watching is that it might not try to define or put this move of God in a box, but rather celebrate, honor, cover in prayer, and ask God to fan the flame in our midst.
NOTES
[i] Strong’s https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=G2540&t=KJV
See Ephesians 5:15-16 for an example of the word Kairos used.
[ii] https://www.asbury.edu/academics/resources/library/archives/history/revivals/