The Asbury Revival.

[ALAYMAN]

A negative view of the Asbury Revival - it appears that this commentator has talked to students that were there:

"I’ve talked to current students, recent graduates, and several people who’ve visited the chapel to experience the 'revival' and there are unquestionably several reasons why we should be concerned. Though one student says the Gospel has been consistently and explicitly preached since the beginning of the 'revival,' others contradict that claim. In fact, one former student who was at the chapel this week told me he rarely, if ever, heard a clear presentation of the Gospel at the school.

"Another student said: 'Attending the few chapels I have at seminary, apart from one [or] two chapels that preach a biblical message of repentance, it’s always been about "being who you are" and God loving you "as you are." There are a lot of messages that are about being "true to yourself."’. . .

"Progressive Christians like Tim Whitaker at The New Evangelicals have essentially endorsed the 'revival' after his visits to the chapel this week. Moreover, he says LGBTQ students at the school told him the university protects them from 'conversion therapy.' According to Whitaker, the LGBTQ students who were 'worshipping' at the chapel also say they’re especially hopeful the 'revival' will create (progressive) change at the school.

"That lines up with what one student said to me: 'Unfortunately, I have first-account experience and conversations with people who are attending and speaking on the "greatness"’ of revival who are actively living in sin (to be blunt).'”

Is the Asbury 'revival' a real revival?

I ve talked to current students, recent graduates and several people who ve visited the chapel to experience the revival, and there are unquestionably several reasons why we should be concerned

www.christianpost.com

Well, far be it from me to believe this revival is absolutely guaranteed legit and an expression of a true move of God or devoid of difficult theological entanglements, but as has already been said, time will tell. However, in the interest of being fair and balanced, here is their statement on sexuality...

We believe that the sin of sexual immorality (e.g., pre-marital sexual behavior, adultery for the heterosexually married person, polygamy, polyandry, pornography, incest, and all forms of same-sex practice) is about the behavior. Asbury University Statement on Human Sexuality

 

[illinoisguy]

Protestia guy is alleging that the Asbury administration inappropriately allowed Todd Bentley to take some sort of public part in the "revival:"

" . . . they [Asbury leadership] merely publicly acknowledged that they knew he [Bentley] was planning on attending, and said he was welcome to do so. Bentley attended and loved every minute of it, even spending time praying for people and releasing ‘impartation into their lives.’

"Its [sic] no surprise that Todd has used his time at Asbury as a grift, drawing in desperate and biblically illiterate people who can’t travel to Kentucky for the event but who feel they can get a piece of it by listening to Bentley bloviate his wretched blasphemies so they can catch their own little piece of Asbury. Asbury leadership could have stopped this, but instead they played their part, giving Bentley fuel and fodder to prey on the desperate for years on end."

Shame on Asbury! Todd Bentley Reveals His Malevolent Plans after Attending KY Revival

Last week, Todd Bentley told his followers that he was heading down to the ‘Asbury...

protestia.com

 

[illinoisguy]

“I believe that the imperative need of the day is not simply revival, but a radical reformation that will go to the root of our moral and spiritual maladies and deal with causes rather than with consequences, with the disease rather than with the symptoms … It is my considered opinion that under the present circumstances we do not want revival at all. A widespread revival of the kind of Christianity we know today in America might prove to be a moral tragedy from which we would not recover in a hundred years.”

- A.W. Tozer, "Keys to the Deeper Life," 1957. Maybe the situation is different today, who knows?

 

[Baptist Renegade]

Protestia guy is alleging that the Asbury administration inappropriately allowed Todd Bentley to take some sort of public part in the "revival:"

" . . . they [Asbury leadership] merely publicly acknowledged that they knew he [Bentley] was planning on attending, and said he was welcome to do so. Bentley attended and loved every minute of it, even spending time praying for people and releasing ‘impartation into their lives.’

"Its [sic] no surprise that Todd has used his time at Asbury as a grift, drawing in desperate and biblically illiterate people who can’t travel to Kentucky for the event but who feel they can get a piece of it by listening to Bentley bloviate his wretched blasphemies so they can catch their own little piece of Asbury. Asbury leadership could have stopped this, but instead they played their part, giving Bentley fuel and fodder to prey on the desperate for years on end."

Shame on Asbury! Todd Bentley Reveals His Malevolent Plans after Attending KY Revival

Last week, Todd Bentley told his followers that he was heading down to the ‘Asbury...

protestia.com

This is pretty much typical of every "Revival" and "Awakening." God may be genuinely moving but the wolves will show up!

I remember years ago doing open air ministry and it seemed like "God had shown up" while we were engaging people and the careless-maniac nutcases would come out of nowhere to disrupt our activity and shut us down!

I am praying for what is going on up in Asbury, that the Holy Spirit would have free course and that God will take care of the pot stirrers!

 

[abcaines]

"When the light shines bright, it attracts many bugs."

That should make the not so famous quotes thread.

I don't want to say one way or another on any of these movements especially when I am hearing second hand information and opinions. Yet, I do not think the timing of this event, nor the He Gets Us campaign, nor the release of the Jesus Revolution is coincidental. Our nation is in deep kimshi right now and I believe God is pouring out His Spirit on the land. Are these events kooky or weird? Maybe but look at the society we live in. With the scandals rocking our "sound" churches, I don't see American Churchianity as being any better off than the rest of the world. If God can use Balaam's donkey to call a wayward prophet on the carpet, He can certainly use a bunch of crackpots to declare His Name to the masses. Whether revival breaks out in the form of mass repentance or as Isaiah said, "Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed." God is going to accomplish His purpose and everyone with be without excuse.

If we are His faithful, we ought to be busy setting our own affairs in order and repenting of our own sins.

 

[Ransom]

Protestia guy is alleging that the Asbury administration inappropriately allowed Todd Bentley to take some sort of public part in the "revival:"

Can't say I entirely disagree; when it comes to false teachers, "do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting, for whoever greets him takes part in his wicked works" (2 John 10-11). Todd Bentley is a spiritual fraud, and should have been barred from campus, lest his presence lend legitimacy to his swindle.

 

[ALAYMAN]

"When the light shines bright, it attracts many bugs."

That should make the not so famous quotes thread.

... Our nation is in deep kimshi right now and I believe God is pouring out His Spirit on the land.

Paul would have said scubalon.


On a serious note, relating to the latter portion of this sentence (and in the context of your whole post), couldn't it equally be viewed that a nation whose god is their self won't be blessed? Couldn't those events, rather than a pouring out, be considered God removing His hand (as Romans 1 notes, Saul experienced in his kingship, and Israel saw during its spiral downward in the period of the judges)?

 

[abcaines]

Paul would have said scubalon.


On a serious note, relating to the latter portion of this sentence (and in the context of your whole post), couldn't it equally be viewed that a nation whose god is their self won't be blessed? Couldn't those events, rather than a pouring out, be considered God removing His hand (as Romans 1 notes, Saul experienced in his kingship, and Israel saw during its spiral downward in the period of the judges)?

Definitely. That's why I included the allusion to Balaam and Isaiah 6:10. Is this a repentance type outpouring or it a reservation unto judgement? Who can say for sure?

 

[ALAYMAN]

Definitely. That's why I included the allusion to Balaam and Isaiah 6:10. Is this a repentance type outpouring or it a reservation unto judgement? Who can say for sure?

Amen

On the side of the ledger that illinoisguy has been often posting I found this disturbing first-hand account alleging that the climate, not only of some attending, but of the culture within the student body, is trending towards inclusivity. I post this not to give a final verdict, but just another interesting piece of data to (possibly) use for discernment. I think BRs post could be very relevant here, that God often uses imperfect people, and there is plenty of those at Asbury, but the final analysis will be if this produces wide-scale repentance and salvation unto righteous living.

 

[Tarheel Baptist]

IFB’s at Asbury:

 

[ALAYMAN]

IFB’s at Asbury

That meme is fake.



The KJVonly dude is way too immodestly dressed!

 

[Baptist Renegade]

Amen

On the side of the ledger that illinoisguy has been often posting I found this disturbing first-hand account alleging that the climate, not only of some attending, but of the culture within the student body, is trending towards inclusivity. I post this not to give a final verdict, but just another interesting piece of data to (possibly) use for discernment. I think BRs post could be very relevant here, that God often uses imperfect people, and there is plenty of those at Asbury, but the final analysis will be if this produces wide-scale repentance and salvation unto righteous living.

We should definitely focus on what the "Alphabet Crowd" is doing! If God is moving among them, they would not be hoping for acceptance and inclusion, they would be falling on their faces before God repenting of their sinful lifestyle and begging for his mercy!

Where is repentance and why doesn't the word of God and the Gospel of Christ have preeminence?

Here is Todd Friel's take:

 

[AverageJoe]

A negative view of the Asbury Revival - it appears that this commentator has talked to students that were there:

"I’ve talked to current students, recent graduates, and several people who’ve visited the chapel to experience the 'revival' and there are unquestionably several reasons why we should be concerned. Though one student says the Gospel has been consistently and explicitly preached since the beginning of the 'revival,' others contradict that claim. In fact, one former student who was at the chapel this week told me he rarely, if ever, heard a clear presentation of the Gospel at the school.

"Another student said: 'Attending the few chapels I have at seminary, apart from one [or] two chapels that preach a biblical message of repentance, it’s always been about "being who you are" and God loving you "as you are." There are a lot of messages that are about being "true to yourself."’. . .

"Progressive Christians like Tim Whitaker at The New Evangelicals have essentially endorsed the 'revival' after his visits to the chapel this week. Moreover, he says LGBTQ students at the school told him the university protects them from 'conversion therapy.' According to Whitaker, the LGBTQ students who were 'worshipping' at the chapel also say they’re especially hopeful the 'revival' will create (progressive) change at the school.

"That lines up with what one student said to me: 'Unfortunately, I have first-account experience and conversations with people who are attending and speaking on the "greatness"’ of revival who are actively living in sin (to be blunt).'”

Is the Asbury 'revival' a real revival?

I ve talked to current students, recent graduates and several people who ve visited the chapel to experience the revival, and there are unquestionably several reasons why we should be concerned

www.christianpost.com

True revival isn't 24 hour a day worship, disregarding everything else that's supposed to be happening. Sorry, but, I just don't buy this "spontaneous" revival.

 

[illinoisguy]

Meanwhile, the Asbury administration has "abruptly stopped" the revival. If this is a genuine "last days" revival and move of God, it seems strange that the Asbury leadership would think that getting the kids back to their books, and alleviating the traffic jams in town, is more important than keeping the revival going. A certain dose of revival is fine, but once everybody gets exhausted, it's time to change the dial and go back to their regularly scheduled programming.

"Craig Keener, who serves as a professor of biblical studies at nearby Asbury Theological Seminary, said the revival's 'public phase' should 'wind down' for the sake of students. 'The public phase needs to wind down soon—right now there are twice as many visitors in town as residents and some lines stretched into the next block,' he wrote in a Facebook post. . . .
The university's president, Kevin J. Brown, remarked in a statement echoed these sentiments. 'Students have not only had to juggle various campus commitments … but also the throngs of people who have entered the dimensions of their space,' said Brown."

MSN

ocid=msedgntp&cvid=be000f3f56644ceb932bbcac649f3a42

Are these "revivals" spontaneous? I don't know - it's not for me to say. I remember back around 25 years ago, someone announced in another forum chat room that a revival was going to break out the following day in a Baptist college down south. How did they know that in advance? Because they knew that the students were going to be shown a video of the Asbury revival, presumably the one in 1970. Sure enough, the "spontaneous" revival did break out, right on schedule - the usual stuff, kids crying, hugging, and coming forth to the microphone to confess their secret "attitudinal sins."

 

[ALAYMAN]

Meanwhile, the Asbury administration has "abruptly stopped" the revival. If this is a genuine "last days" revival and move of God, it seems strange that the Asbury leadership would think that getting the kids back to their books, and alleviating the traffic jams in town, is more important than keeping the revival going. A certain dose of revival is fine, but once everybody gets exhausted, it's time to change the dial and go back to their regularly scheduled programming.

"Craig Keener, who serves as a professor of biblical studies at nearby Asbury Theological Seminary, said the revival's 'public phase' should 'wind down' for the sake of students. 'The public phase needs to wind down soon—right now there are twice as many visitors in town as residents and some lines stretched into the next block,' he wrote in a Facebook post. . . .
The university's president, Kevin J. Brown, remarked in a statement echoed these sentiments. 'Students have not only had to juggle various campus commitments … but also the throngs of people who have entered the dimensions of their space,' said Brown."

MSN

ocid=msedgntp&cvid=be000f3f56644ceb932bbcac649f3a42

Are these "revivals" spontaneous? I don't know - it's not for me to say. I remember back around 25 years ago, someone announced in another forum chat room that a revival was going to break out the following day in a Baptist college down south. How did they know that in advance? Because they knew that the students were going to be shown a video of the Asbury revival, presumably the one in 1970. Sure enough, the "spontaneous" revival did break out, right on schedule - the usual stuff, kids crying, hugging, and coming forth to the microphone to confess their secret "attitudinal sins."

I agree with your analysis and implications (the implication that God cannot be shoe-horned or put into a box so conveniently as to shut it down if it is a real revival, and that there are measures of "revival" that are often contrived through manipulation of emotions) in overwhelming principle. The only hair I will split is in regards to your anecdotal story of the Baptists who seemingly were impacted through the watching of the video of Asbury in the 70s. Though I think your point stands in its total assessment (that it's questionable that the watching of a video of a "revival" ostensibly would lead <tenuously> to expansion of the revival) I also think that due consideration to the fact that God's means to reach mankind with salvation is via the immediacy and agency of human beings, I don't see that anecdotal story of the spread of revival as necessarily problematic so long as the reality of revival is through the preached word. Even then, where I would still agree with what you may have been saying is that the primary agency of revival ought to be centered primarily in the proclamation of the entirety of the true gospel of Christ, and if it merely whipped up emotionalism devoid of proper preaching then it is fair to do what Todd Friel was admonishing us to do (in Baptist Renegade's video above), and to test these things against the historical reality of true past revivals, as well as doctrinal purity as presented in the Scriptures about the power, means, source, and outcome of true revival.

 

[illinoisguy]

Here are some worthwhile comments from Kevin Schaal, president of Foundations Baptist Fellowship International. He is basically staying neutral on the Asbury Revival, but has some good insights on the subject of revival in general:

"The predominant sin of 21st Century Western Culture is the sexual revolution that has thrown off the bands of traditional marriage for a sexually deviant society. I cannot imagine any revival that could occur in the United States today that would not include confession of sexual sin, repentance, and turning to God in true faith not only for the salvation of souls but also in obedience to God’s commands regarding sexual behavior. This would not only include sexual behavior but also a return to biblical truth on the nature of sexual relationships and sexual sin.

"True revival is not just emotional. Make no mistake, sin, its consequences, and repentance produce emotional responses. But fake or mimicked emotion is the hallmark of sham religion, not genuine. People can be emotionally manipulated to do or believe almost anything. The last 60 years of charismatic confusion around the world have proven that. The test is in the life transformations that follow. The test will also be in obedience to the word and theological faithfulness.

"True revival is a work of the Spirit that transforms. As people repent and turn to God in faith and dependence, He produces an inevitable change in the life of the believer. If the Holy Spirit isn’t sweeping the heart and life clean, He is not in residence. We have had enough emotional worship services in this country to last for a thousand generations. Enthusiastic but hypocritical worship is a stench in God’s nostrils. God save us from the 'laughing revivals' and other such events that only serve to make a mockery of Christ and His church."

The Asbury College Revival?

Like wildfire, news services across the country have become infatuated with a revival that is occurring on the campus of Asbury College in Kentucky. I have been sent numerous links and articles regarding the phenomenon. So,

www.proclaimanddefend.org

 

[prophet]

The Revival we need, but won't get:

Malachi 4:5-6
Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet
before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD:
And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children,
and the heart of the children to their fathers,
lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.

 

[Ransom]

Meanwhile, the Asbury administration has "abruptly stopped" the revival. If this is a genuine "last days" revival and move of God, it seems strange that the Asbury leadership would think that getting the kids back to their books, and alleviating the traffic jams in town, is more important than keeping the revival going.

Jonathan Edwards' characteristics of a true move of the Spirit of God:

• Jesus is lifted up
• Satan is opposed
• The Word of God is central
• God's truth is proclaimed
• God and others are loved

None of which requires a 24/7 singsong in the chapel or people coming from parts unknown to join in. The circumstances, emotional and physical effects, and unusual behaviours don't prove anything.

At some point, cooler heads must prevail and the practical effects of this revival on the school and the community need to be considered. Are classes being disrupted? Some students would probably rather focus on their studies; they paid for them. Are local businesses affected negatively by being swamped by visitors? The trucker convoy in Ottawa last winter shut down an entire shopping centre for a month, because they couldn't handle the crowds. That's a lot of lost work.

At what point do spiritual feelings become sanctified selfishness?

 

[Tarheel Baptist]

 

[illinoisguy]

It's hard to arrive at an agreed-upon understanding as to whether or not the Asbury Revival is a true "revival," without having an agreed-upon definition of what is revival. And everyone has a different definition of revival. In this article, Kevin DeYoung has attempted to spell out a definition of revival from a Presbyterian/Reformed point of view. It's worthy of consideration.

"It is not quenching the Spirit to ask clarifying questions, and, in general, to wait and see whether—in looking back months and years from now—sinners have been truly converted, lives have been lastingly transformed, and churches have been made fuller by the events of these days.

"The point of this post is not to talk about Asbury, but to talk about the Bible. While the Bible doesn’t use the word 'revival,' it does detail instances in the lives of God’s people where sudden and surprising change takes place. . . .

"True revival will be Bible saturated. Revival is not simply an intense longing for spiritual things. Tom Cruise has a hunger for spiritual things. Gen Z college students are generally interested in spiritual things. God-wrought revival brings a fervor for the Bible, that we might live, feel, sing, pray, work, and worship according to the word of God. . . .

"When revival comes to a church or community, piety is reformed. People start to live like they profess. Instead of blending in with their cultural surroundings, God’s people stand out. They return to God and reform their ways. They pursue faithfulness to the word, not the fashions of the world. . . .

"So what is true revival? It is not generic spirituality, mere emotionalism, or utopian idealism. True revival is marked by a rediscovery of the word of God, a restored sense of the fear of God, a return to God through confession and repentance, a renewed spiritual commitment as God’s people, and, finally, a reformation of true piety."

What Is True Revival? | Kevin DeYoung

What are Christians to make of the Asbury Revival? This blog post outlines biblical examples of spiritual renewal through the ages.

clearlyreformed.org