It’s a snowy Wednesday afternoon and the winter weather is leaving its mark outside my basement window. My two lamps are on because without them, it’s a little dark in my room. I don’t have a full plan for this story, or words eloquent enough to express my point as well I wish I could, yet here lies my humble attempt of gratitude.
Two weeks ago, on February 8, 2023, a handful of students at a university gathered for their routine morning chapel service. There was nothing extraordinary about the moment, no flashing lights, no special guests, no different than usual. But after the service, a few students decided to stay just a little bit longer to worship with each other. And the few that stayed began to confess their sins. To pray over each other. To repent of the life they were living. To cry out for God to stir our hearts again. Slowly, more students began to join in. Young people ran to their classes to tell people about what was happening. Students began to give their lives to Christ, and the Holy Spirit began to spread through the campus like wildfire.
It hasn’t stopped since.
People of all ages have travelled to Asbury University during the past two weeks to be a part of what God is doing there. Over 50,000 people have come through the tiny community of Wilmore, Kentucky to join in the revival of hearts, dead things being brought to life, old things being made new, and broken things being made whole. Because that’s just who God is. But He didn’t just stop there; because revival has spread to nearby Lee University, Cedarville University, and Samford University. It’s happening in A&M University in Texas, it’s happening at Baylor University.
It’s happening in Minnesota.
It’s happening in Arizona.
It’s happening in Brazil.
It’s happening in China.
It’s happening all over our nation and our world. Because that’s just the type of God that we serve. We serve a God that is faithful, that is constant, and that is powerful to move in ways we could never imagine because that’s who He is. What’s happening in our world right now is a testament to a God that is able to save and deliver and heal and that leaves the ninety-nine to save the one.
But recently there’s been this wave of discouragement that I’ve been trying to swim against, and it’s the lie that, “God can’t do that here.” That in my community we’re too prideful and self-centred for God to be able to do anything like that. And then I listened to two songs that really spoke to me and I’d like to share a little bit with you. The first was “I’ve Witnessed It” by Passion and Melodie Malone, and the second was “Too Good To Not Believe” by Cody Carnes. “I’ve Witnessed It” speaks to all that God has done, but also to all that God continues to do. That He’s not done moving. That we’ve witnessed His faithfulness and He’s never failed, so we can trust Him when He says He won’t fail us now.
In the bridge of “Too Good To Not Believe” lies a reminder of all the things that we’ve seen God do. “Cancer disappearing, broken bodies healed, real life resurrection, mental health restored, families reunited, prodigals returned, troubled souls delivered, addicts finally free.” And out of that comes a cry of what we’ll see God do: “Cities in revival, salvation flood the streets, and glory fill the nation like the world has never seen.” It ends with a declaration, “Don’t you tell me He can’t do it, because I know that He can.”
The same God that moved in Asbury University is moving in your city too. He’s not done. He’s not retired.
Gen Z is not beyond saving. It is a generation that is desperately hungry for God. And what we’re seeing happening right now all over the globe is an outpouring of hearts from a generation of young people that aren’t ashamed of the gospel, that are willing to surrender all to Him.
Dave Stone of Southeast Christian Church once said, “Every major revival, reformation, or awakening in our world has begun from two things: prayer, and young people.” That’s how it starts. It starts with us. God is willing to do more than we could ever ask or imagine, but we have to be willing to be the ones to light the spark. To pray relentlessly for the Spirit to move on our friends, family, and communities. To simply make ourselves available for whatever it is that Christ wants to do in us and through us.
The revival that started in Asbury is not ending. It is just the beginning.
God is able to do that here. When we see what He’s already done, and when we humble ourselves before Him, and allow Him to use us however He desires, we begin to live lives that are fully surrendered to Him. There’s no greater joy or fulfilment in life than that.
Revival is here. God is moving. Don’t stand still.
The Rescuer is faithful to find us right where we are, no matter how far we’ve strayed. God is already at work. And the search party is relentless.
“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”
2 Chronicles 7:14
The Treehouse 