Asbury University is experiencing a move of God and there’s something extremely exciting about it that you need to see!!!! See the HUMBLE BEGINNINGS of this move of God- https://vimeo.com/797744823/9e907f4d59 – THIS is the chapel service from which the outpouring started. Please take a look at it – fast forward through it. It’s not all that exciting – haha. The lighting is blah, the speaker who gives the call to come pray is not charismatic or extremely passionate (not a knock on her, she probably could be – she just wasn’t here). The worship team is . . . average (I don’t want to be critical) – they’re students, and they’re inviting God’s presence – but they’re not the reason that thousands of people are lining up at four different buildings across campus right now. I’m sure they’d be humble enough to say this. There’s no major personalities, or fanfare, or videos, or even lyrics on screens.
Watch the above video progress . . . a few prayer people at the altar, a few people come up for prayer, along with a few to pray on their own. The prayer continues. STUDENTS BEGIN PRAYING FOR EACH OTHER! It dissipates and almost dies down in one area of the front, then begins to fire up in another area . . . a little. Some students leave, a few more come. The worship team switches out, has fits and starts, builds momentum sometimes, sucks momentum other times. The altar prayer continues . . . then, right before the video ends, the altar prayer time begins to grow . . .
All of this points to the fact that God is involved! In a generation (and a nation) that is longing for the authentic, chafing at something being forced, and running from God and church (in general), this is the move that God chose to pour Himself out through . . . and it’s perfect! It’s beautiful! It’s just like our God!
Will there be personalities and charisma that arise out of this? Probably. But never forget the origin! God moving on people’s hearts so that they HAD to respond to His presence, they are compelled to stay, they are compelled to repent, compelled to worship, compelled to pray, compelled to seek God! I can’t wait for what God is sparking through this – I want to be a part of it! You should too!
Dr. Jared Stepp