Thread by @IMScalable

My experience at #asburyrevival2023

Revival is something I have prayed about more than anything else I can think of.

So when I heard one was happening NOW and so close, I had to go.

I’ll be honest… I was expecting A LOT! 🧵

I was ready to see fire from Heaven, drunken in the spirit, limbs re-growing themselves, addicts pouring drugs out on the streets.

And man do I ever want to see that and yes I believe it can happen, because it has happened.

Still praying for that.

But if you’re expecting ”magic” at Asbury, it’s not that. That doesn’t mean it’s any less of a revival.

It’s clear, abundantly clear, obtusely clear, that this is an outpouring of love from God to us and us to God.

Perfect strangers from all walks of life were LITERALLY pouring into the building. Everyone was excited and ready to lift their arms in the air.

Short, tall, skinny, fat, male, female, black, white, and all the other colors. All of them were there.

You couldn’t see a single “denomination” in the room. It was just unity.

Strangers, but yet we were hugging, praying for each other, laying of hands, worshipping, singing in unison, children giving testimonies.

I watched 18yr olds slam their fist on the pulpit saying “We need Jesus… This country needs Jesus… THE GROCERY STORE NEEDS JESUS!”

And the crowd erupted.

The message that I got from being there was that God is showing the older generations two things…

1. That He is still here, alive and well, still in charge, and still on the move.

2. That He is doing a mighty work in a new generation.

That’s why I chose this picture for the post. This revival feels more like a hand off. A passing of the baton.

Boomers meet the Zoomers.

And they’re in charge now. They’ve got this, God loves them just as much as He loves you, and He’s going to use them in big ways.

That’s the message I got.

I watched elders looking at Gen Z with admiration and approval. It was kind of amazing.

It felt like He was putting a whole generation at ease while turning up the fire in a new generation.

Worship…

It was a kid with a guitar at one point.

Alone on the stage, repeating verses, and thousands of Christians singing in unison in the audience.

Powerful stuff.

Even though it was strangers from different states it still felt just as friendly as our local church. It didn’t feel weird at all. It was pure unity.

No one cared who was Wesleyan or Baptist or Reformed or Charismatic.

The only care I saw was “what do you need prayer for?”

There was one other message I got while there, and that was “we need less formula, and more worship.”

It was very clear that God doesn’t need us to “schedule his appearance.” He doesn’t need us to have x minutes of song and x person on stage.

What I saw was normal average regular people behind the pulpit reading verses straight from their hearts. Tear filled eyes and fists pumped in the air.

All they wanted was to share the 3-5 verses God laid on their heart.

The worship song lasted until God was done with it, not when the clock said we should be done with it.

I think we should be prepared to have our schedules wrecked and not try to put God on a schedule. Let God be God. He pours until He is done pouring.

Another vessel and another vessel and another until all the vessels are full. No formula, just pure unbridled worship.

We need more of that.

Kind of hard to let God take over if we are constantly putting ourselves in charge.

I don’t know all the answers, but I know that Asbury 2023 is part of it.

I am more certain now than ever, God is real. God is alive. God loves us, He wants us to know that, and He wants 100% of our attention - not just 1hr a week.

It’s time to give it your all.

Push the chips all in.

You won’t regret it.

Don’t try to figure it out, let God figure it out for you and just jump into His arms.

Thank you Jesus for the show. I pray that you keep the show going. That it spreads & bewilders the world.

Let them be guffawed. I love you Lord.