Asbury College - another revival?

Signs and wonders. Thhe anti-christ will have a bunch of them.

 

It appears there are still a few 'doubting Thomas' within the fold.

Asbury has for many years been a training center for Wesleyan Methodists and Methodist pastors along with other sound denominations.

Does anyone out there have a problem with people seeking the Lord. Hebrews 11:6 says,

'. . . he or she that comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is the Rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.'

Asbury is not even a Pentecostal school and I might guess that some will have problems with this organization.

 

some quotes from the above mentioned links:

"Students are fervently praying for an outpouring of Holy Spirit some up to 11 hours a day."

“I didn’t want to leave until I felt the Lord was in me the way He needed to be.”

“Throughout the day there has been a beautiful awareness of the Holiness of God. Many students took off their shoes with a sense of standing on Holy ground. God is answering the passionate and persistent prayers of committed students who have been fasting and praying for weeks for this kind of spiritual breakthrough. We are all rejoicing in it.”

"“People want to be transformed and that’s what attracted them to Hughes.”"

"She says that God spoke to her in a different way. Typically not very outspoken, God told her that it was OK to be open about her faith and tell other people about Him."

"“When God moves, you have to respond. There’s nothing else you can do when you meet your Creator face to face like we did yesterday. There’s nothing else that could bring that many people together from so many different backgrounds. And the fact that it is still going on now speaks volumes.”"

"“God’s will just broke out,”"

"There was incredible freedom in the Spirit as we sang and prayed and shared testimonies of God’s gracious work in the hearts of students.”"

"“Well, you may not understand this, but the only way I know how to account for this is that last Tuesday morning, about 20 of 11, the Lord Jesus walked into Hughes Auditorium, and He's been there ever since, and you've got the whole community paying tribute to His presence.”"

"And all of this begs the question: Are we on the verge of another revival of the same magnitude?"


This all reminds me of those 3-D glasses like you get at some horror show - where all the activity is SO "REAL" !!!!!!

. . . anyone want to join me on reality island? we can sit on front row chairs with a nice cool soda and watch as revival re-runs roll rapidly rabid to the tune of "Oops, I've done it again . . . and again . . . and again . . . and again . . ."

 

Apparently some of the brethren never hear of or have experience a reviving of the soul. Here is a real opportunity for growth if you will allow Him to move in your life.

 

this is not a case of "reviving someone's soul". it's bowing the knee to experiential massive moves of "spirit" on flesh. This is not God. It is a sign and a wonder that is an imitation of God brought on by a misunderstanding of Scripture and allowing seducing spirits to manifest themselves as if they are from God.

The quotes that I listed in my previous post are completely without merit and validity in God's Word. I think it's very sad that the church has come to this. What a dismal commentary on christianity. It's no wonder that the world thinks we are crackers.

 

When the apostles cast out demons I am sure it was this was unusual to the Sadduccees and to the Phariseees, but the apostles were on mission from Christ and did not do only things that were politically correct by the established relgion of the day.

Some religionists hid behind stained glass windows somewhat like the Pharisees.

 

Ray, I have several friends who were at Asbury in 1970! Funny how we can sing Revive Us Again and scoff when it comes. But we all know how emotional those holiness folks can be.

 

I would encourage you to read descriptions of some of the great revivals of the 18th and 19th centuries and compare those descriptions to this one. Read the description of Pentecost in Acts. When the Spirit of God wants to move in power on a people, this is a fairly common scene.

This is not Charismatic in nature, from the description. This is not people claiming to have been "slain in the spirit", but is a description of people experiencing revival in a way that I pray we all would. It should be our prayer that such revival would sweep the country, and the world.

 

Unfortunately, Scripture says "remnant", not revival.

 

'Unfortunately, Scripture says "remnant", not revival.'

.

 

It is surprising to see Christians who do not rejoice to see revival.



But then again if everyone "got right" there would be no one for them to look down upon and no one to judge!

 

In the end times [now] there will be false "moves of God". Why? because people base their spirituality on experiential feelings that work up the masses to a fever pitch of hyper-sensualism and call it God. This is the flesh. This "move" is controlled by a spirit masquerading as an angel of light.

Jesus said - Blessed are those who believe and have not seen.

Matt 24:11 And many false prophets will be raised and will cause many to err.
23 Then if anyone says to you, Behold, here is the Christ! Or, Here! Do not believe.
24 For false christs and false prophets will rise up. And they will give great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.

 

Charles Meadows I believe you got it right. I wonder if a Baptist or a Presbyterian church had this kind of renewal, would there be the same depth of complaints? My guess is this would be 'a pure as the driven snow' event in the life of the denomination.

Charles, the sad thing is probably some of these brethren really do not know how to be in touch with the living Lord of the church. Thus all the frowns on their faces . . . and nay saying.

Some people think as long as they repeat their denominational chatter, the Apostle's Creed or the Westminster Confession every Sunday, they have an edge of the rest of us Bible believing brethren.

Growing up in Christ would help them over a lot of their perceived 'bumps in the road,' and they might come to realize that God the Spirit works providentially in God's people in different ways.

 

quotes taken from the OP link:

“Throughout the day there has been a beautiful awareness of the Holiness of God. Many students took off their shoes with a sense of standing on Holy ground."

We are the temple of the Holy Spirit. Scripture. please, that the earth is Holy ground.


"“People want to be transformed and that’s what attracted them to Hughes.”"

How are we transformed? hint: God's WORD/Holy Spirit


"She says that God spoke to her in a different way. Typically not very outspoken, God told her that it was OK to be open about her faith and tell other people about Him."

Different than the Bible?????? oops . . . go, tell, make disciples . . .


“When God moves, you have to respond. There’s nothing else you can do when you meet your Creator face to face like we did yesterday. There’s nothing else that could bring that many people together from so many different backgrounds. And the fact that it is still going on now speaks volumes.”

So God changed His mind, then - any religion, any background, Heaven is an open road - come on down!!!!!!!!!!! ......


“I didn’t want to leave until I felt the Lord was in me the way He needed to be.”

ouch . . . I won't even touch this one - it is just plain vulgar.


"the Lord Jesus walked into Hughes Auditorium, and He's been there ever since, and you've got the whole community paying tribute to His presence.”"

oops, sorry - guess we missed the rapture bus . . .

"And all of this begs the question: Are we on the verge of another revival of the same magnitude?"

My suggestion would be to run, not walk in the opposite direction . . .

 

so . . . according to popular opinion, in order for God to be a living Spirit inside the heart of His child, one has to be driven to outward expressions of the spirit by praying for hours on end for a move of that spirit so that everyone, no matter what they believe about Jesus Christ, can all come together, hold hands, and sing hands across the water or light candles or feel all woozy oozy in the spirit and believe that this is "THE SPIRIT" cause it f e e l s SO GOOD!!!!!!

thanx, I will pass on it. God is alive and well, quite "supernaturally" to the depths of my soul, and deep in my heart - it is a miracle that I am breathing, so He gets all the glory for that every moment of my life

 

Okay, I wasn't going to say anything, but I will put in my two cents worth. I was a Sophomore at Asbury during the last revival. I can only describe it as a very spooky experience. If anyone says that Asbury is not penecostal, then they haven't been a part of the student body. People were throwing away their crutches, talking in "different" languages and the students acted entirely different. As soon as the revival was over...everything was status quo.
However, I did meet my husband at Asbury--actually during the revival...so that is a good thing! I'm also the girl in the book "One Devine Moment" who is praying in the stairwell. I don't remember that happening during the Revival time, so I'm not sure where that picture came from.
I felt like the whole thing was just emotion and the student body got caught up in themselves and it just spread. It became a media circus. That's just my two cents worth. I'm sure that there were lives changed during the revival, I just didn't observe any lasting effects of it.

 

Mapipe,

I too, went to a Wesleyan Bible College in the 60's and if anyone would have spoken in tongues in a chapel service they would have been disciplined or expelled from college. The Wesleyan Church is against tongues.

In my years at this pastoral training center I heard the creme de la creme of pastors who preached at United Wesleyan College that since then has merged with Houghton College in central New York State. I even got to hear Dr. Von Til who was a great Protestant theologian from Westminister Theological Seminary while at said college.

We had compulsory chapel service on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday and they did have altar calls.

The Christian life has its high and low moments in our experience of faith as happens with all Christians. Spiritual growth does not always have lasting effects because we are to daily search the Word and continually keep our lives in the center of His will. If we do not do this we begin to cool off, if you will, in our relationship with the Lord.

I think your word, 'circus' is over the top unless you merely want the acolades of your anti-renewal friends of the board.

Personally, I am encouraged when Christians get excited about their faith. I would last about one Sunday at a dead orthodox church which simply goes through the motions of a former lively faith in Jesus. I hope the Lord sparks revivals across our sinful United States and around the world.

But I could be totally wrong on this point of my post . . .

(personal attacks edited)

[ February 16, 2006, 03:11 AM: Message edited by: DHK ]

 

Ray,
You are on the right track here - a good spiritual walk is based on the Word, not subject to feelings.

I think you need to reconsider your "sparks around the world" sentiments, however. The call of God is a deeply personal one, not lit up by the "fire of the Holy Spirit" as a high beam nite light in the sky. We mistake Spiritual fervor as something that must be witnessed by being on an overload of feelings.

My hope is that the realization of knowing God and walking with Him daily is not based on emotinal highs and lows. God is God. He is not an euphoric feeling. It is about maturity in the Spirit, knowing in your heart that you belong to God, love Him with all your being, strive to be submitted to Him and strive to do His will. This does not take fireworks - it is an inner striving that takes all of one's will, time, energy, and love allowing the Holy Spirit to change one's heart to be Holy as God is Holy.

A mature spiritual walk comes when we are committed to feasting on God's Word, vast time in communication with Him [not always "praying", but in silence reflecting and meditating on Him and His Word], allowing His pre-eminence in every aspect of life. This is when the fruit of the Spirit are observed by those around us. Not in the shouts and praises and falling under the power that so many want to prove their spiritual prowess.

Perhaps the dead churches are such because there is no solid meat. Church is supposed equip the saints to go into the world, not sit in pews all dried up for life. Doing God's will is a rush/momentum/grace enabled ability - regardless of pain or joy. It was not until I realized that life in God is a pure committment of love for the One Who gave me life that I understood - feelings are only an expression, not the real fruit of a deep and loving relationship with our Creator, God, King, and Messiah.

 

Same as azuza, same as Brownsville, a counterfit revival that will spawn another counterfit revival, etc.