The Sound of Revival

On February 14, I received a text from my good friend Carol who lives in Wilmore, Kentucky? She asked "Have you heard about the revival at Asbury college in Wilmore, Kentucky?

Interested in seeing what was going on in Kentucky, I searched Google and YouTube to see what I could find. After watching a few videos, I became excited to see so many young people with a "Hunger and thirst for righteousness." I did not see any hype, nor did I see any celebrity pastors or Christian leaders. It was refreshing just to see people on the inside of a building worshipping and praying while hundreds were lining up outside the building hoping to experience what God was doing.

Coincidence or God's Perfect Timing

Some 1,890 miles away, in Hollywood, California, the producers of the movie, Jesus Revolution had previously scheduled to release the movie in February of 2023. The movie "coincidently" is about another revival that took place a little over 50 years earlier which has some connection to the Asbury Revival.

"Is God Dead?" (April 8, 1966)

On April 8, 1966, Time Magazine published their cover article titled, "Is God Dead?" This article was in part due to the world seemingly falling apart (morally, politically, racially and spiritually). If God was alive, shouldn't He be doing something about it?

God Is Alive!

Interestingly enough, on June 21, 1971, Time Magazine published another cover story titled, "Jesus Revolution." This article was about what God was doing in the lives of millions of people that was once lost and without hope. Certainly, A dead God cannot change people. It was as if God was answering the Time Magazine's question the way Jesus answered John the Baptist's question, "Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?"

Chuck Smith, Lonnie Frisby and the Jesus Revolution

In the mid 1960's, Chuck Smith, was the pastor of a small church called Calvary Chapel. Pastor Chuck was not interested in the hippies and certainly did not like them. His daughter, however, met a young man who was a Christian and a former hippie himself. One day, while he was driving, he picked up a hitchhiker and was hoping to share the gospel with him. However, to his surprise the hitchhiker, was hitchhiking in hopes to share the gospel with whoever picked him up. This hitchhiker was also a former hippy named Lonnie Frisby. Lonnie was a gifted evangelist who was introduced to Pastor Chuck. Soon after, he joined the staff of Calvary Chapel of Costa Mesa. The work God did in this once failing church turned into a revival which Time Magazine called the "Jesus Revolution."

Between what God was doing in California as well as another revival that was happening in the little town in Wilmore Kentucky in 1970, God was saying, "I'm still alive!"

While the revival of the late 60's and early 70's is referred to as the "Jesus Movement." Technically speaking, the revival started almost 2000 years earlier in a little city called Jerusalem.

Four days after Jesus was raised from the dead. He met with His disciples and commanded them "not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father..." (Acts 1:4). So, the disciples did as Jesus had commanded. The scriptures tell us that 120 of Jesus' disciples went up into the upper room in Jerusalem and remained there for 10 days until Jesus' promise was fulfilled.

What were they doing in the upper room? They were watching for something they had not seen before. They were waiting but was not sure what they were waiting for. They were listening for something they have not heard before.

The Spirit Poured Out

In Acts chapter 2, we are told that the Holy Spirit was poured out on those 120 disciples, and they began to worship God in other tongues. With the sound of the Holy Spirit rushing into the upper room like a wind, it drew people that were nearby. Peter, now filled with the power of the Holy Spirit was able to preach a sermon and three thousand souls were saved that day.

The Wind is Blowing

While the Holy Spirit was poured out on the believers in that upper room on the day of Pentecost in Acts chapter 2, we know that the Holy Spirit continued to be poured out on others since then. We see the Spirit being poured out on the Samaritans in Acts 8, and the gentiles in Acts 10. As we look at the history of the church, there were many outpourings of the Holy Spirit events which include:

- Great Awakening

- Second Great Awakening

- Businessmen’s Revival

- Civil War Revival

- The Urban Revivals

- Welsh Revival

- The Azusa Street Revival

- Jesus Movement

I don't know when the next great outpouring of the Holy Spirit will be. I am hoping the Asbury Revival in Wilmore, Kentucky is the start of the next one. But I do know two things. First, the world is in need of a revival. And secondly, I don't want to miss the next one? Are you ready to run?

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