How God Prepared Me For Asbury

This is just my personal testimony, for something that happened last year. I now believe it was of God’s guidance to prepare me for what is going to happen as a result of the Asbury “revival”.

I have put the word revival in quotes because I believe a true revival is spontaneous (which this event was not) and is undergirded with sound biblical preaching of the bible truths (which this is not) and has the main aim and outcome of people being saved by the sacrifice of Jesus, or else brought to repentance of their sin, if they are worldly Christians (which this revival mostly doesn’t do).

For all this see the links below my post.

My Story

One day last year, I was simply going about my normal life, at home, when I became very aware of the presence of, as I believed, Jesus accompanied by another being whom I took to be an angel on the far side of the room. I saw and heard nothing, but there was a very real spiritual Presence in my room. (Trust me, this sort of thing never happens to me!)

At the same time, I was filled with the most intense LOVE, WORSHIP, JOY and PRAISE that I have ever felt.

I’m not normally an emotional person, nor am I one who usually feels happy or lighthearted, quite the opposite. So to feel such an overflowing sense of comfort, love, and happiness was heavenly – and at the time I did fully believe it was of Heaven.

What I felt was beyond description. I praised and thanked God with all my heart. I also thought deeply about how happy I was to be His Bride, and in my imagination thought about that glorious Heavenly Wedding Day. As I did, I was so pleased to have feelings of happiness (usually absent in my life) that I started singing the song from the old Gene Kelly movie “Singing In The Rain”:

I sang to myself: “I’m singing in the rain, just singin’ in the rain; What a glorious feeling, I’m happy again” and I DID feel so happy. It was wonderful.

Returning to Normal

Well it wasn’t long before my normal life returned. For a few days I cherished that event and thanked God for it. I wondered WHY the Lord had allowed this to happen, and I don’t know, but I assumed that some Christians online whom I’d asked to pray for me (since I was going through some emotional problems) had brought the Lord’s help and healing in a very special way.

As time went by I remembered that event, and there was a tiny doubt in my mind. I was ninety percent convinced it was of God, so I refused to dishonour Him by doubting His presence and His gift of love and comfort.

Doubts

As the weeks and months went by, however, a niggling doubt became stronger. I was still wary of questioning God, BUT, something kept nagging me about that event and the feelings I’d had. Was it truly of the Lord?

Nearly a year went by, and eventually my doubt became stronger, and I flip-flopped the percentages to become ninety percent convinced that Presence was NOT God and my feelings were a deception. After all, WHAT was the result of that experience? Did my life change as a result? NO.

I was already close to God, shied away from sin and rebellion, constantly praying and studying the bible, keeping myself in the love of God with His guidance and help. I no longer felt “happy” but my life was blessed in God regardless and that was the most important thing. Feelings come and go, but faith and truth is the Rock on which we stand.

What Was it For?

So eventually I was more able (not scared of offending God) to doubt that experience, and to see my responses as emotional and sensational (of the senses) rather than resulting in faith and a new walk in God. I wasn’t “revived” by that experience; my life afterwards continued as it had before!

So, what was it all about? All these months later, as I moved from ecstasy to doubt, I had no idea why such a profound thing happened to me. But now I think I see God’s plan – I think God ALLOWED it to prepare me for what is to come.

I have shared what happened to me because I now believe God allowed it for educational purposes in my life, although at the time I was not aware of that (nor could I of course have known in advance about this possible “global awakening” that is taking place.)

I think God wanted me to know BY EXAMPLE what is going to come upon many believers and even non-believers in the last days. Feelings of ecstatic love and happiness, feeling the need to praise and worship, these are powerful things that few can resist, especially if they are in a social environment of acceptance and love.

Questions We Need to Ask

• How can openly gay students take part in the Asbury worship without any remorse for their lifestyle?
• How can love and acceptance of other religions like Catholicism be a work of God?
• Why do they allow the former Dean to openly promote his book on Centering Prayer?
• Is revival about “contemplation and a search for connection, repentance and calling”?

Evidence Shows the Asbury Event Wasn’t Spontaneous, But Planned Weeks in Advance

• Asbury Revival Planned Weeks in Advance
• Is the Revival Real?
• Unbiblical Expectations of Revival with Scott Aniol

On Sunday, Greg Gordon, founder of SermonIndex.net, tweeted a photo of people standing in line to worship on Saturday night at the university campus. ‘The Spirit of God Is Moving’: Revival at Lee University Passes 70 Hours of ‘Salvation, Deliverance, Healing’. Over 20,000 people came to Asbury last night, with 5 overflow buildings and a grass lawn filled. There is a 2.5 mile backup of cars going into Wilmore.

“Cry out to God for your FIRST LOVE to be renewed,” Gordon wrote. “Lord, let the FIRE of your Spirit fall like LATTER RAIN. Don’t be a spectator, God change me! God is doing a deep work of the Holy Spirit in our hearts and lives to prepare us for what is ahead.”

Where is this all going?

Some are comparing these events with the Day of Pentecost – yet that event and Asbury are very different.

Firstly, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit was the first infilling for the disciples who had gathered at the express command of the Lord. It did cause visible joy and praise, but there the similarities end. This infilling was not intended to convey salvation or redemption for the disciples, but power for ministry!!

Secondly, Peter did NOT (unlike at Asbury) tell those witnessing the event that it was “proof that God loves you and wants you to experience his presence…” No, Peter preached a full gospel message, rebuking them for rejecting the Lord Jesus, speaking of His death and resurrection and commanding those who would come to Jesus for salvation to REPENT and receive Him.

No Endtimes Revival

The bible is noticeably silent on the concept of a global transformation in the last days. Yet it has been “prophesied” by the new churches for years and is now coming into focus more and more with the Asbury “outpouring”.

The latest news, of providing a live stream of events so that any and all can watch what is happening, together with moving the event out of the chapel into local venues, is perhaps a prelude to a bigger and greater move. This would certainly be the hope and plan of those who have visited or publicly praised it, like Dutch Sheets, Francis Chan, Todd Bentley and Rick Warren.

Notice how the word “awakening” is being used to describe Asbury. This will be music to the ears of those NAR and WoF groups who have been prophesying a major global awakening for years. Also, Greg Gordon above uses false revival buzz words like fire and latter-rain and suggests that he sees it as a preparation for “what is ahead”. What do they expect to come out of this I wonder.

God’s Presence

At a genuine revival, people are more prone to weep and wail, and lament their sins, than immediately and consistently praise and worship.

The presence of God by his HOLY Spirit, when coming amongst men and women on earth, will more likely cause awe, shamefulness, repentance and even fear than sensations of blessing and love.

What was Paul’s response when seeing Jesus on the road to Damascus? Paul was not dancing about and waving his hands in worship – even though he was an observant Jew and knew God. Paul was humbled, knew himself to be in sin, and was even blinded by the glorious appearance of God!

From Famine In The Land:

Ministry Post Link HERE

Another red flag at Asbury. I don’t know who the speaker is, it may be a staff member, but regardless, he was given the platform. (He is referring to the video linked to this page]

https://www.facebook.com/679286202242353/videos/1288050475392973

I think one of the reasons why this “revival” has captured so much attention and is viewed as the real deal, is that it’s contrary to what has been touted as “revival” in recent years. We’re used to celebrity speakers hyping up crowds in stadiums. We’re used to the “revivalists” at Bethel spouting their fanciful claims that God is moving in their midst – when all they can offer is glitter, false prophecies, unverified miracles, and vain imaginations of encounters with God. All you need is a bible and a brain to see through their shenanigans. This is different.

Instead of the usual boisterous, pompous, and narcissistic apostles, prophets, and worship leaders in the NAR, there are nameless and quiet people on the stage. No celebrities, no official leader, no program, no bizarre manifestations. It’s gentle, it’s of a contemplative nature…and there’s the problem – subjectivity.

Asbury is no stranger to the contemplative aspect: Contemplative prayer is practiced: “Jan. 17 – Pause: Silence, Reflection & Contemplative Prayer – 11 a.m.” [Source]

Former dean Dr. Brian Russell was allowed to promote his book on centering prayer during an Asbury Seminary podcast called Thrive. The description of his book (‘Centering Prayer: Sitting Quietly in God’s Presence Can Change Your Life’) on Amazon – “A new, but ancient, way to pray can turn your life around. Discover how to experience God’s love at your core, freeing you to love others, and even yourself.” [Source]

It boils down to a subjective experience with God, quiet, and contemplative, unlike Bethel’s grandiose encounters with God, but mystical nonetheless.

Furthermore, we cannot ignore the first-hand testimonies of others:

• A Roman Catholic’s experience: “Father Fischer, who wore his alb and stole while at Asbury, told OSV News he “got into praise mode” during what he called the “modernized Taizé experience,” and found himself “filled with love.” [Source]
  
• Laura Levens, assistant professor of Christian mission at Baptist Seminary of Kentucky wrote the following in Baptist News: “A revival not heavy on preaching: Some who were present at the beginning of the current revival say it began in a mood of contemplation and a search for connection, repentance and calling. This revival is not preaching laden. On the contrary, it seems almost preaching averse.” [Source]
  

And that brings us to this clip [See here]. People don’t get saved by experiencing a “presence,” they are saved when they hear, repent, and believe the gospel. The power is in the gospel, not a subjective presence:

• “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.” Romans 1:16.
• “And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?… So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” Romans 10:14&17.

While God may be doing a work in some folk at Asbury, we cannot ignore the many red flags present, and we cannot call this a revival.

(End of Quoted Post)

Conclusion

I had not intended to write another blog post, and I certainly had not intended to write one about Asbury. Almost everyone is doing that (and more competently) but I had an urge to share my own personal experience with what I believe was the type of spirit of “love, happiness, joy and power” that is being experienced daily at Asbury.

I am not going to rule out any good that comes of this ongoing “revival”. Many people attending there are sincere. If someone is truly saved, praise God. If anyone is moved to repent, change their life, have a closer walk with God, then I thank God for that also. The same might have been true for earlier “revivals” even Toronto and Brownsville – that did not exonerate them for being misleading and ultimately giving rise to heresy!

We have to wait and see what comes of the Asbury Revival.

My own fear is that, in these latter days, a widespread need for experiences coupled with little bible knowledge will create a desperate desire for feelings such as are on display right now, and could escalate into the very global “awakening” that Bob Jones and many others have been pushing for decades.

Whatever the motives of those involved, and those seeking to utilise it to greater effect, we have the deceiving spirit of satan waiting in the wings to promote global “revival” that is definitely not of God, but will FEEL wonderful to those who seek only anointings, infillings, fire and emotional ecstacy.