After Asbury

National attention turned to Asbury University only weeks ago when students stayed after their regularly scheduled chapel service concluded---they stayed to pray. And worship. 

As word spread, thousands traveled to Asbury to join the students as God poured out His Spirit.

The outpouring or revival resulted in the forgiveness of sin through repentance, restoration of broken relationships, and a renewed commitment to serving the Lord in various callings.

The media reported that some questioned if it was "real."

It was real. In fact so real that the outpouring of the Spirit began happening in other schools.

Now the press has moved on, and so has the interest of some.

So what were the results following "Asbury?"

I'm glad you asked.

Be informed, not misled

About Asbury

The Christian university was the epicenter of a revival movement that sparked in early February. Tens of thousands of people flocked to the small town of Wilmore Kentucky, for the revival, which started during a chapel session on Feb. 8 and inspired similar revival events at other campuses across the nation.

After 16 days the revival was moved off campus to a different location due to final exams week.

A similar move of God's Spirit happened on a number of other university campuses. Interestingly, the young adults who experienced this shared many of the same experiences.

"AJ," who attends Indiana Wesleyan University, spoke of his experience as one of the most difficult in his life, because in the spirit of the outpouring, he felt God was calling him to something---something specific that he didn't want to do.

He shares in detail, but in conclusion, says there is nothing that compares to experiencing the call of God on your life.

After Asbury.

Revival in the east and mid-west. 

After tens of thousands of people visited the revival at Asbury University, some would ask, "What happens after Asbury?"

Pulse, a ministry centered on young adults based in Minneapolis, Minnesota headed by evangelist Nick Hall, held an event on the last Sunday of February at the Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky following the Asbury gatherings.

Approximately 3,500 people attended the gathering, which lasted from 2 p.m. until 11 p.m., according to a Pulse spokesperson. 

"This was a phenomenal event that brought a community together for one afternoon and evening. We were amazed by how the Holy Spirit moved and lives were changed with the hope of the Gospel," explained the spokesperson.

Young adults who attended said, "In several cases, there was an evident move of the Spirit during the preaching, worship, testimonies, and prayer times."

The Lexington event came not long after Pulse had a multi-campus tour, holding events at Texas Tech University, the University of Georgia, North Dakota State University, Iowa State University, the University of Minnesota, the University of Wisconsin, and the University of Michigan.

The group's next big planned event will be Fill The Stadium (FTS), scheduled for Saturday, April 29, at the Gaylord Memorial Stadium at the University of Oklahoma.

"Revival is spreading, and we want to be part of how God is moving all across the world. As Nick Hall has said, when you see the wind moving, it is critical to throw up sales and follow the Lord's leading," the spokesperson said.

"We hope people experience more of Jesus. We hope they find Him through the Gospel for the first time. We hope they take the revival home with them and it spreads across the world."

Revival on the west coast.

As revival spreads across the country, now a major outreach movement is underway for California with 10 stadium events planned across the region on April 1st and Palm Sunday.  

It's called "Hope California" and the mission is to bring "the Golden State" back to God. 

"Hope California" was birthed out a statewide 40-Day Fast organized by Lou Engle and Mando Matthews. God gave Matthews a vision for the 10 cities. Now he says, "We are going after the Harvest."

It's a big vision that covers 7 cities in California and 3 in the Baja region – expecting to bring in thousands who want to give their lives to Jesus.

"That's the goal. We've been networking across the state in all ten regions, and churches are coming together. And so we have set seven of the venues are stadiums, and three are actually iconic venues like the capitol steps in Sacramento, a pier in San Francisco, and a big festival venue park in Santa Barbara. And then the rest are all at stadiums where it will happen simultaneously on April the first and second, Palm Sunday weekend," Matthews explains.

He has so much hope for California because God gave him a dream for the state.  

"In the vision, I saw the sun rising over the coast of California," he says. "The sun usually sets on the West Coast, by the way, but in this vision, it was rising on the West Coast. And that just told me that I believe God wants to do something on the West Coast."

Revival within the church.

After the United Methodist Church began to embrace the LGBTQ agenda, Methodist pastors and congregations began to leave the denomination. According to the denomination's General Council on Finance and Administration, more than 1,800 churches in the U.S. have left the UMC since 2019.

More than 1,200 congregations have joined the new theologically conservative Global Methodist denomination which launched in May of 2022. 

I've written about it and talked about it on our daily radio program.

What we're hearing from Methodist pastors and leaders who have left the UMC is inspiring.

They feel they are "on the cusp of a spirit-led revival."

One pastor in Texas says, "I see a church here in Katy that is just on fire for Jesus. I see God moving in ways that I never thought possible until this past month."

Another pastor, Pastor Huhn, feels a revival taking place at his church which has seen a 70 percent increase in attendance since they left the UMC.

He says, "We are experiencing new life in a way that we never have before in the United Methodist movement in my lifetime."

A Methodist leader says it's a movement that he sees spreading globally as the split from the UMC's progressive views continues.

He says, "I believe that we are on the cusp of great spiritual awakening around the world, and I believe God has chosen to raise up the Global Methodist church to be part of that for such a time as this." 

Takeaway.

I agree. There is a moving of the Lord. While it is unnoticed by some within the Christian community, many are becoming aware and involved in seeking God for His blessing and direction.

The direction of this movement of kids, young adults, and older people as well, seems to be focused on Christ's Great Commission: 

And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen (Matthew 28:18).

In one of the darkest times in our country, the Light of the World is seen shining in the darkness.

Be Informed. Be Discerning. Be Vigilant. Be Engaged. Be Encouraged. Be Prayerful.