{"id":44930,"date":"2023-02-13T08:15:45","date_gmt":"2023-02-13T14:15:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mbcpathway.com\/?p=44930"},"modified":"2023-02-13T08:26:38","modified_gmt":"2023-02-13T14:26:38","slug":"revival-fires-stir-again-at-asbury","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mbcpathway.com\/2023\/02\/13\/revival-fires-stir-again-at-asbury\/","title":{"rendered":"Revival fires stir again at Asbury"},"content":{"rendered":"

WILMORE, Ky. (BP) \u2013<\/strong> Revival fires may be stirring again at a small college in rural Kentucky near Lexington. Services, filled with preaching, singing and personal testimonies, have been ongoing at Asbury University and Theological Seminary since Feb. 8.<\/p>\n

According to university\u00a0accounts<\/a>, a similar 144-hour revival broke out at the campus in 1970.<\/p>\n

Alexandra Presta, a student at Asbury\u00a0wrote<\/a>\u00a0in The Asbury Collegian, the campus newspaper, on Feb. 8, \u201cPeers, professors, local church leaders and seminary students surround me\u2014 all of them praying, worshipping, and praising God together. Voices are ringing out. People are bowing at the altar, arms stretched wide.\u201d<\/p>\n

She wrote that in the midweek chapel service campus minister Zach Meerkreebs led an invitation for personal confession and testimonies.<\/p>\n

\u201cWednesday chapel speaker Zach Meerkreebs admitted to those in attendance he didn\u2019t know what the call of confession would look like, but this morning he spoke about seeing God not only as a Father but as a friend. Someone who won\u2019t abandon you. Someone who will be there when you need to cry, mourn, rejoice, dance or anything in between,\u201d she\u00a0wrote<\/a>\u00a0in the Asbury Collegian.<\/p>\n

\"\"

A capacity crowd of 1,500 gather on Friday, Feb. 10, at Hughes Auditorium on the campus of Asbury University to join services that have been ongoing since Feb. 8. (BP photo, submitted by Alex Griffith)<\/p><\/div>\n

Bill Elliff, founding pastor of The Summit Church\u00a0in North Little Rock, Arkansas, attended a portion of the services on Feb. 10.<\/p>\n

\u201cWithin the first hour, I had moved from a spectator to a humble participant,\u201d he wrote in a\u00a0blog<\/a>\u00a0on his website.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are wise leaders from the University who are helping shepherd the moment. I\u2019m sure they have learned from the past movements how to steward this best,\u201d he wrote.<\/p>\n

Elliff has been a student of prayer and spiritual awakening and has written more than 50 books on the subjects.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn some ways, it is a worship-based, Spirit-led, Scripture-fed prayer gathering. It is just what we should be doing all the time: waiting before God, worshiping Him, praying to Him, listening to Him, responding to Him, and being shepherded by wise leaders who see themselves merely as facilitators of God\u2019s activity,\u201d Elliff wrote.<\/p>\n

Elliff said the 1,500-seat Hughes Auditorium was full on Friday night (Feb. 10). Reports indicated it was overflowing on Saturday night (Feb. 11).<\/p>\n

Eric Allen, Kentucky Baptist Convention missions team leader, attended a portion of Saturday\u2019s meeting and reported a similar experience.<\/p>\n

\u201cSherry (Allen\u2019s wife) and I had only been there a few minutes singing music when we were both moved emotionally and in tears because the presence of God was so real in that place. We could feel it,\u201d he told Baptist Press.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere was genuine praise and worship. Everything pointed to God and was very Christ-centered,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

He said that while there was freedom in the meeting, there was also order.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne of the things I noticed was that there was spontaneity and order to what was happening. It wasn\u2019t a stifling or restricting kind of order because there was also a freedom for people to testify, sing or pray and the freedom was never wild or without order,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Elliff made similar observations.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is not weird. Everything is extremely orderly but vibrant, spontaneous, and powerful,\u201d he wrote.<\/p>\n

Graci Bradley, an Eastern Kentucky University (EKU) student from Shelbyville, attended the Friday night service.<\/p>\n

\u201cSeeing people from every nation, tribe, and tongue, and from all different generations, was a glimpse of heaven. It was very encouraging to see that everyone was there for one common goal \u2013 to give God glory,\u201d she told Baptist Press.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe is worthy of it all, and in Him we are united,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Bradley, an active member of the Baptist Campus Ministry at EKU said in written comments, \u201cWhat is happening at Asbury is something pleasing to God, as His children are uniting to sing His praise.\u201d<\/p>\n

That is a similar theme to the 1970\u00a0revival<\/a>\u00a0at Asbury, where 2,000 witness teams were sent to 130 colleges to share of their experience. On Saturday afternoon, campus ministers hosted a dinner for college campus student leaders to hear of how they might share in a similar event at their campus.<\/p>\n

Kenny Rager, church evangelism strategist at the Kentucky Baptist Convention, attended the\u00a0service<\/a>\u00a0on Saturday night.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was encouraged to see the staff shepherding the revival movement,\u201d he told Baptist Press. \u00a0\u00a0\u201cThey are keeping order, giving instructions, and announcements but still encouraging the freedom of the spirit,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Rager said there were many testimonies shared while he was there, but there were also sermons.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was very encouraged that the preaching of God\u2019s Word is happening. Lots of expressive worship and testimonies but there was also good preaching of the Word by the staff,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

He says he understands some people might be skeptical of the events taking place at Asbury.<\/p>\n

\u201cI understand why people may be skeptical. I was a little, too. We have seen a lot of movements fizzle out or even drift into heresy,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cHonestly, time will tell if this bears lasting fruit. But I went. I felt the Lord\u2019s presence. I saw people worship. I saw people praying. I heard the Word preached. I met new brothers and sisters in the Lord and I felt the Lord speak to me about some issues,\u201d he told Baptist Press in written comments.<\/p>\n

A hunger for God permeates the people we\u2019ve talked to who have attended.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople are hungry to see God at work, and I think that\u2019s what draws the crowds. They want to see God do something great in our lives and in our midst,\u201d Allen said.<\/p>\n

Bradley added, \u201c\u2026it\u2019s my hope and prayer that it doesn\u2019t stop at Asbury, but that it extends all over \u2013 we are called to be sent.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI believe these meetings are being driven by a desire to see a fresh outpouring of the spirit,\u201d Rager said. \u201cSo many people want to see their churches wake up. Programs, plans, and strategic places can never replace the Holy Spirit,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Elliff called on other believers to pray for what is happening at Asbury and to pray that God would bring it to their church, campus, and city.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs I spoke to the hotel receptionist this morning, she told me they were sold out of rooms. \u2018We were not prepared for revival,\u2019 she said. May it not be true of us,\u201d he wrote.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Revival fires may be stirring again at a small college in rural Kentucky near Lexington. 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