Revival Then and Now

It is hard for someone who was at the Asbury Revival of 1970 not to look at the current outpouring of the Holy Spirit through a lens filled with memories.  In some ways the two events seem very similar, but in other ways they are so different.  Of course, the common denominator is the fact that both were unplanned and very much a surprise.  Both were initiated by the Holy Spirit and both were moments when the room was filled with holy presence.  Shekinah glory, or a powerful manifestation of the presence of the Lord, filled the room back in '70 and it is happening again today.    

One of the things distinctive about the Revival in '70 was the way the telling of the story of what was happening at Asbury seemed to have a power all its own and would be accompanied by a divine outpouring of the Spirit in the place where it was being told.   A distinctive characteristic of this current Revival is found in the drawing power of the Holy Spirit.  People are being caused to drive long distances and leave schedules which controlled their lives to make the journey to Asbury.  The only explanation for the extradordinary crowds of people who are gathering is the drawing power of the Holy Spirit.  He is working to bring people to that place where the Shekinah glory is making itself known.    

And while there are other things which could be lifted up, the truly important thing then and now is the way the Spirit is working in so many lives.  People are being impacted by a spiritual work in their heart and they will leave never to be the same.  The memory of what was experienced there will be like a spiritual anchor for the rest of their lives.  This I know to be true.  No one told me.  It has been my experience.  My life was changed at the altar of the Revival of 1970 and thousand of people are encountering the life changing Holy Spirit even now as the outpouring of God's Spirit continues.  Thanks be to God!