by Jennifer A. Miskov, Ph.D.

Here is a summary of my pre-planned trip to Maui August 14-29, 2023. Both of my entries below were written at the airport or on the plane going to or returning from my trip.

August 14, 2023

Sitting in the airport about to board my flight to Maui. At this moment in time, less than a week after the fires began, there was a lot going around on social media and the news discouraging people going to Maui.

Pastor Dwayne Betsill of New Hope Maui

Devastating fires destroyed the town of Lahaina, completing obliterating homes, businesses, with many live lost. After previously canceling my flights to Maui two different times earlier in the year for various reasons, I was about to cancel for a third time. When I called pastor Dwayne of New Hope Maui to cancel again, he shared his heart with me. He said the last time I canceled, it felt fine but that the time was ripe in Maui for God to move in a special and powerful way. I wasn’t coming as a tourist. I was essential to what God was pouring out for such a time as this. Because I was already on the fence and wasn’t sure which way I would go, I trusted that it was the Lord’s timing for my previous delays and that even though my trip was going to look different than what I had originally planned and expected, I was born for such a time as this. Maui had given me so much in previous seasons, and now, it was my turn to give back.

Usually on the other side of great turmoil and hesitation in my decisions is radical breakthrough. Same thing happened right before Destiny House as well as other significant breakthrough in my life. Because of noticing the patterns of God working throughout my life in the past, I now board this plane with great expectation for what God wants to do. I step into this new ground with fear and trembling, asking God to anoint me to bring His hope and healing. Isaiah 61. While I don’t know what awaits, I live yielded to the Spirit to move however He wants through my little life. One suitcase is packed with 30 Fasting for Fire books and 30 All Who Are Thirsty books the pastor asked me to bring to sow into the people there.

In 2018, I was ministering in Czech Republic when I heard the news of the attacks on Mozambique. Everyone was fleeing the country. The ministry school at Iris Global got shut down by the government and all the students were told to leave the country. Everything inside of me came alive and made me want to be there even more, even if it could cost me my life. Many of my family and friends urged me not to go, but I felt God on it and got the okay from the main leader to come. Because I flew into the south before heading north, I made it in without too much trouble. As I arrived, I saw many of the students at the airport leaving. Not many coming in, but a mass exodus leaving. The peace I felt when I stayed on the Iris base was incredible. Being in the heart of God’s will, no matter what is going on around brings a peace that passes understanding. I was so honored to partner at a time when few people remained.

Now as I write this at the airport, I am preparing to go into a place where everyone is trying to get out and discouraged from going. But God knew the timing of my second rescheduled trip and of the fires. I am humbled that those on the island feel that I can make a difference and are calling for me to come. I am expectant that God has something special and divine awaiting for me on this beautiful and anointed island. I haven’t stepped out in faith like this in a while, where I feel nervous, am uncertain, am going into territory I have never been in before. Let the adventures begin!

Though my flight was about 65% full, it wasn’t until I was midair that I realized we were making a quick stop in Maui, then everyone else was continuing to Honolulu. It was the eeriest feeling when we landed in Maui and getting up along with maybe three other people in the entire plane to get off while everyone else stayed on.

August 29, 2023

On the airplane back from Maui to Orange County, CA

What a trip and divine timing for me to be with some dear friends in Maui for such a time as this.

My first week on the ground, I got to minister at a Tuesday night young adult group with New Hope Maui. I felt prompted by the Holy Spirit to bring up Ryan Jung who was the first person to introduce me to Maui in 2018. He grew up in Lahaina and barely escaped the fires with his family before his house completely burned down. I had him read Isaiah 61. I also invited my friend David Hanishiro up. He is from Kauai and was the first one to invite me to Kauai to minister a few years back. I met him in Ohahu at a Reinhard Bonnke conference several years back and he had since moved to Lahaina to pray and prepare the space for the revival he felt was coming there. The place where he was living there completely burned down too.

I went into Maui feeling that I was going to be weeping with those who are weeping and bringing the healing, comfort, and love of God. Instead, the first few days I was there, the hunger and passion for revival evident in those present, and even more so in the locals who grew up in Hawaii and lost everything in the fires, stirred me. I was so humbled and inspired by watching my brothers in Christ who had literally just lost all material possessions less than a week before hunger and thirst for the God of revival. After they shared their heart for revival on Maui, I continued to minister for a little before we went back into worship and into deep encounter. The environment was potent with the presence and heavy weight of God. Though I at first hesitated to come to Maui because of the news discouraging non-essential workers, I realized I had come for such a time as this. This was a door God has opened and invited me to walk through.

LAHAINA

Wednesday and Friday I was able to join a team of Foursquare chaplains who came out to partner with New Hope Maui to go to Lahaina and help where needed. As we drove past Lahaina and through it, everything became really real. Seeing the destruction up close made it personal in a whole new way. I think Lahaina Harbor was one of the first places I paddled out to ride waves on the island back in 2018. Now, the whole town is completely wiped out and in ashes. So heartbreaking to see the homes, businesses, and jobs lost, but even more so to know that many lost their lives.

On Wednesday, we were able to help at a distribution run by locals who decided to help their neighbors in need. It was such a beautiful representation of family working together to love each other in their time of need. There was a medical tent, a clothing tent, free food, a veterinarian tent, and other supplies available for whoever had a need. Many of those helping were themselves relocated nearby because their homes had burned down. To meet people who had just lost everything and watching them serve others was so inspiring. Besides helping organize stuff in the clothing tent, I had an opportunity to pray for a few people and listen to their stories. On the way back, I talked the team into stopping by one of my favorite beaches and a few of us went right in with our clothes on because it was too beautiful not to.

On Friday I went back to a different distribution that was run by firefighters. Some of these were local or those who had flown in from Oahu or other places to serve the community in need just outside Lahaina. They had a 1:00pm prayer time where every day everyone who was serving would stop, meet at the front, hold hands in a big circle in the parking lot, and take a moment to pray. It was really special to see how they made space to put God in the center and it was very well run. The local shops in the shopping center now turned distribution center opened up and made space to serve the community.

I heard there was a surf shop that opened to let people come and find clothes and I wanted to check it out. My friend Sarah and I went over there, and I ended up meeting a woman named Jennifer there who shared some of her inspiring story with me. I offered to pray for her and she allowed us to bless her and ask God to meet her every need. Probably less than an hour later, she came and found me and told me that God had answered our prayers and that someone had just offered her car and a job. She said that was exactly what we just prayed for! It was so special to see God so quickly bring breakthrough for her and celebrate together.

Though I wasn’t able to go out, a friend from New Hope Maui named David has a pizza and cinnamon roll shop in Lahaina and opened it up to give free food away to the people in the community. God is continuing to meet people with His love through David’s willingness to use what God has entrusted Him with and now giving it away. So inspiring.

MINISTRY at New Hope Maui

That same Friday, I headed back to where I was staying at pastor Dwayne and Janet Betsill’s house to get prepared to lead a women’s night with New Hope Maui. The theme was to be based off my most recent book of All Who Are Thirsty with a desire to go deeper into the rivers of living waters. I was able to sow 30 copies of my latest book into the community and later 30 copies of Fasting for Fire into the wider community at the request of the pastor (one person read it while I was there and already went on a 5 day fast!). After speaking about Ezekiel 47 and reading some encounters by Heidi Baker and Carrie Judd Montgomery on the theme of being all in and learning to breathe under the waters of the Holy Spirit, we rested in God’s presence and allowed Him to saturate us in His presence. Then, as led by His Spirit, we began to pray and bless those God was highlighting to us in the room. After chatting with a few who wanted to be all in again, we did the prophetic act of immersing them in water in the spa outside as a sign that they were fully surrendered and all in. It was super fun to see how the prophetic act of full submersion impacted them.

Sunday morning, I had the opportunity to minister at New Hope Maui and share about how when the Carr fire in Redding took place in 2018, it changed my life and helped me let go of my season of living in Redding which was really hard for me to do. I was in Maui at that time and because of that fire, my few week stay turned into 3.5 months in Maui and a shift in my life. Maui has always held a special place in my heart. I also shared about the Moravians and how it was refugees who has lost everything who were catalytic in launching the 24/7 evangelical prayer moved. Also, how it was these Moravians who decided to keep their eyes and worship Jesus in a storm that catalyzed John Wesley’s faith who would later go on to be a part of igniting the Great Awakening and founding the Methodist movement.

I shared the testimony of when I spoke about the Moravians in a meeting earlier in the year and did a call for those who would be willing to be martyred for the cause of Christ if it came to that when a mother with a baby strapped to her arms ran from the back to the altar and trembled under the mighty hand of God. Then I offered an invitation for those who are ready to be all in to come to the front to receive prayer. I also did a call for those who already are all in to receive a fresh anointing for such a time as this. God crashed in a special way. I was so humbled and honored to speak with this community at such a crucial moment in their journey, less than two weeks after the fires. It was inspiring to feel their hunger for revival even at a time like this.

My friend Chad Dedmon brought a team the following week and I got to attend some of the meetings he did with New Hope Maui. In one of those meetings the young adults leader asked me to pray for him. He also had lived in Lahaina and lost everything in the fires. The Father’s love came on him strong that he felt out in the Spirit on the kitchen floor for the rest of the evening meeting and God took him deep into encounter. God was doing a beautiful work.

The next day I got to go surfing with Chad and his crew before they headed out which was a treat. I also got to surf with a few other new friends I met who were on the island at the same time and divine connections. I also got to visit my friend Jimmy Hutaff at the Foam bodyboard shop and hear stories of so many people donating gear for those who lost theirs in the fires. My bodyboard friend shared how people walk in one way and leave with huge smiles on their faces after being blessed with new gear that people donated. Chad’s team also bought Ryan Jung and the young adult’s leader new surfboards since they lost theirs in the fires. It may seem like a menial thing, but for people’s mental health and sanity, being in the water and surfing can be one of the most healing things one can do in this time of crisis for their long-term health. I know that was one thing that helped me through the Covid lockdown.

I also was able to get a little time to connect with Ryan and Ivanna Jung and hear their hearts and how God positioned them there for such a time as this. To be able to be there for friends during this vulnerable and painful but hope filled time was such an honor. If you want to sow into Ryan and his family directly you can support them via their GoFundMe campaign or if you want it to be tax deductible you can give via Jen Miskov Ministries and make sure to put a note “for the Jung family.”

HALEAKULA CRATER

The one thing I had wanted to do this trip before the fires had come was to do the 11.7 mile hike through the Haleakala Crater. Me and my friend Kristen had the date set to do the hike a few days after I was to arrive but then the fires changed everything and we shifted to help and serve the community instead. Thankfully, my final full day in Maui she was able to come and so we successfully completed one of my most favorite hikes in just under 7 hours. We had a divine connection when a pastor and his family picked us up hitchhiking to the top which was super fun. Then on the trail we met a girl visiting from California and prayed for her father who has cancer. We also got to release worship over the island from that high place and declare God’s goodness and redemption over Maui.

While ministering on the front lines, there is importance in stewarding our minds, bodies, souls, and spirits. We are called to run hard and also rest hard. I am grateful to have had a chance to pour out while in Maui and also get refreshed in nature with friends. Such a key to running for the long haul.

While there will be a long road ahead for the people on Maui in the days ahead, God is continuing to pour out His Spirit and healing in a special way. The hunger for revival in the midst of this time is inspiring. The fires are refining and bringing things up in people’s heart completely unrelated. The healing from PTSD and trauma related to the fire will be an ongoing need. I am so grateful to know God is sending people who are using their gifts and talents for such a time as this to bring healing to the land. It was honor to be there to bring God’s love during this unique time. Thank you everyone for your prayers and for my faithful supporters for partnering in this important work of bringing God’s presence and love in the midst of this time. I am so grateful for your partnership in stoking the flames of revival for such a time as this.

Tuesday April 11 to Monday the 17th is a week I will never forget. It was definitely a moment in my own life and I am still processing all that God had done. Below I will try to give a short summary of what God did each day and I pray that as you read these testimonies and hear of all God has done, that you will be stirred and encouraged in your spirit in a powerful way.

TUESDAY APRIL 11 : Cedar House

Orange, CA

I had originally planned to meet my friend Tracy for lunch in Corona Del Mar but it was overcast and cloudy there will inland closer to me was full of sunshine. I also had a big week with a team coming in and so I asked if she’d be willing to meet me in Old Towne Orange instead. She said yes and we had a wonderful time at the Old Filling Station and I got to be back in my old stomping grounds where I used to live and even work many years ago. When we were finished, I asked her if the new Cedar House was nearby in walking distance. They had just closed escrow on their first building. Cedar House is a beautiful ministry that cultivates revival in family super well and where I frequently get the opportunity and honor to minister. Hungry people crammed into a house worshiping God and making space for the Holy Spirit, it’s the best.

As Tracy and I were walking over to bless this new well in Orange County, she called and found out Pete and Patti Shambrook, the founders of Cedar House were on their way there at that same exact time. They unlocked the place and gave us a tour and we got to bless this new well of revival.

Wednesday APRIL 12 : Life Pacific University

san DImas, CA

I had the opportunity to minister at Life Pacific University, originally founded by healing revivalist Aimee Semple McPherson on their 100 year anniversary. The worship was so sweet and the students were hungry for God and fully engaged. As we waited upon the Holy Spirit and I saw my 30 minutes slot start to go down, God began to touch people deeply in that space. With about 15 minutes left, I released my Less than 20 word and continued to minister. It wasn’t until 1.5 hours after the end of chapel that a few students remained and I left. Something sweet was broken up that day. After getting to have lunch and connect with some of the students, doing an interview there, spending time in the archives where I saw Aimee’s uniform, I passed a few students on my way out who told me how special it was that we just had time to wait on the Lord rather than rush to try and fit everything in. They said that several of them simply began to weep as God touched them in that space. Such an honor to be able to minister at my alma mater Vanguard University’s chapel and teach there during their 100 year anniversary and now here. I can’t wait to go back!

Thursday APRIL 13 : less than 20

Global online

On Thursday, before my team arrived, I did a School of Revival open session on sharing how it was Less than 20 people who got saved in Wales in 1904 that catalyzed the Welsh Revival, less than 20 people who gathered in a home on Bonnie Brae Street in 1906 seeking for more of the Holy Spirit that catalyzed the Azusa Street Revival which would later birth Global Pentecostalism, and that it was less than 20 who lingered in worship at Asbury University February 8, 2023 that started an over 2 week outpouring that touched the globe.

Friday morning APRIL 14 : Bonnie Brae house

Los Angeles, CA

Beautiful Grace asked me along time ago if I could join her and the kids to share about what God did in this sacred well of revival at the Bonnie Brae House over 100 years ago. It was so special to share the Azusa Street Revival story to kids this young and to welcome God to meet us again. As we listened to hear what God was speaking, one young girl saw a picture of her as a firewoman accept that instead of shooting water on the houses, she was spraying fire. She was releasing the fire of the Holy Ghost! Wow, such an honor to be back in this very special well of revival that I have given a good portion of my life to telling the story.

Pastor Jeff from School of Revival said this:

As Jen shared about the Holy Spirit falling on Jennie Evans Moore and knocking her to the floor and her playing the piano under the anointing of the Holy Spirit you could feel the weight of the Holy Spirit in the room. Several of the girls put their heads on the floor, parents were sensing it, and I marveled at what I was witnessing. One girl shared after Jen taught that God showed her being a fire fighter except that water was not coming out of the hose but fire was coming out and she was setting the houses on fire. Jen explained that God was going to use her to set people of fire with the Holy Spirit! The impact of being in this well of revival with Jen teaching and children being the audience was an EPIC way to start our weekend which only grew with Holy Spirit unction throughout.

Friday Evening APRIL 14 : Glory Night OC at Vanguard University. Costa mesa, CA

That same night, we went to my alma mater Vanguard University where I taught during 2020 on the Azusa Street Revival and also did a course on History of Revivals. Our School of Revival team had the opportunity to minister in this well of revival for their Glory Night OC. Khalil came out all the way from Asbury University so that he could deposit some of the “well water” (not physical water, spiritual) that he experienced during the Asbury Revival into what God was doing in California. Worship was so sweet and then he shared his personal experience of being at the Asbury revival as a student throughout the whole time there and how his life was radically changed. The hunger in the students was palpable. The worship was so tender and sweet. And the Holy Spirit descended upon us with His heavy weighty glory. Khalil told us later that when he had to leave the room to go to the bathroom, it felt the same as when he walked out of Hughes Auditorium in Wilmore, Kentucky and all he wanted to do was to get back in the room as soon as possible because the glory was so think. Five hours later, I attempted to walk and then drive but the heavy weighty glory was thick and I was completely wrecked.

Khalil said this about the night:

These college students were deeply hungry for the Lord, and we were all challenged to posture ourselves humbly before the Lord and wait on Him. The glory of the Lord fell hard in that place, as God responded to our hunger and humility so graciously. We ended up staying till midnight worshiping and glorifying Jesus! How amazing!

I was shown such a beautiful picture of my generation on their knees before Jesus, not expecting anything from Him, but rather soaking and experiencing His love and glory. I was profoundly touched as the Lord revealed to me the importance of my being at Asbury during the revival, and how the waters from Asbury have been given to me to share with the world. I experienced the same spirit at Vanguard as I did at Asbury.

Saturday APRIL 15 : Glory Encounter with Jen Miskov Ministries in Yorba Linda, CA

My first ever Jen Miskov Ministries hosted local event happened Saturday night. It was a night for leaders to come and have a chance for extended worship and being saturated in God’s presence without any distractions or other agendas. It was such a special time to bless leaders with that space. I am so grateful for such an amazing and anointed worship team led by Joseph Chestnut and Hannah, Justin who provided sound equipment and helped make the night a success, my team who wrote out prophetic cards and helped set up the night, and even special surprise guests who happened to join which was a sweet kiss from heaven for me. Here’s a testimony from one of the leaders who joined:

I’m still basking in the afterglow of the glory. I cannot thank you enough for giving Saturday as the hugest gift. His presence was so sweet. The 3 hours flew by like it was 15 minutes. I can’t remember the last time I had a chance to be in extended worship like that where I wasn’t leading anything or doing any ministry.

The prophetic cards we both got were incredibly specific and accurate, and we have already seen two breakthroughs and open doors THIS WEEK that align with the words we were given in those cards. I felt an infusion of hope as Jesus poured His love out over me, in me, and through me and and His Spirit so gently yet powerfully refreshed me. Such a strong sense of His holiness and His deep deep love.  He said to me three times, “Behold, I am making all things new.” All I can say is thank you. I felt so honored to be one of the few who was able to find sanctuary in that sacred space. Thank you thank you thank you!!!

Amanda said this:

People from outside in the hallway began to press their faces against the glass of the doors, drawn by the awareness of heaven being so near. One staff member declared that the presence of the Lord could be felt “in the whole building.” Psalm 133 of being in unity with oil flowing became a present reality! Everyone, together in unity, in divine surrender. The air of heaven filled the room, so we yielded all, again, to the King. Each wave of glory bigger and stronger than the last. The heaviness of my encounter made it difficult to move off of the floor.

sunday APRIL 16 : rise, cedar house high school group Ministries in orange, CA

Our final ministry stop of this weekend was back full circle in Orange with Cedar House high school group called Rise. This was scheduled at least a month before and I am still in awe of how God lined up everything so perfectly for our local ministry trip. This meeting was one I will never forget. After worship, I shared about Florrie Evans catalyzing the Welsh Revival, shared a little of my testimony, then talked about William J. Seymour’s one yes that ignited the Azusa Street Revival then invited Khalil to come up and share first hand account of the Asbury revival. After that, I invited the students to stand and we welcomed a baptism of the Holy Spirit and fire. And then what happened next was crazy.

It was like there was an accumulation of all the meetings we had done earlier in the week all building up and the glory increasing every time. Without even laying hands on them, some fell out of their seats under the heavy weighty kabod glory in the room. Others, as we gently laid hands on them began to sink and slowly melt to the floor. There were students from all different backgrounds in the room and a new dimension of the Spirit was opened up to them that night. It was weighty. I remember one of the guys that I prayed for there came up and asked me afterwards what was the heaviness and weight he was experiencing. That was a good challenge for me to attempt to describe the kabod glory to someone who has never experienced it before. I am so grateful that the week following this encounter the Rise group set aside just to debrief all that God did and process together so they could steward it and go even deeper. It was a special night where God marked these young people in a profound way.

Khalil said this about the night:

As we sat in the presence of the Lord, the students began to experience the heavyweight glory of the Lord. It was like a domino effect as one literally fell to the ground, and the rest began to follow. The students positioned themselves to receive His glory and revelations from the Lord. Hearts were set ablaze that night as the Lord continued to encounter the students. The Lord gave me great peace and comfort as I ministered and talked with many different students at the Rise Group. What was most special to me, throughout the whole trip, was the Lord revealing to me that I am to be my authentic self when I minister to others. Too many times I have found myself comparing myself to others and trying to look like them. I felt the Lord tell me that I need to just breathe and be myself around others, and He will do the rest. And the rest he did! I was shown that my true, authentic self is what will impact people the most as I share the Lord with them.

Monday APRIL 17 : team time at pirate’s cove Corona Del Mar, CA

Before my team had to fly home, they wanted to go to another well of revival in Corona Del Mar. Pirate’s Cove is where Lonnie Frisbee and the Jesus People Movement spread like wild fire. This was also where they filmed the recent Jesus Revolution movie that I accidentally stumbled upon their set when I was going to the beach for some quiet time last year. Anyways, we had the beach all to ourselves and had a chance to pray and thank God for all He had done over the weekend. Then it was time to step into the waters. Pastor Jeff went first and when he came out of the waters, there were a few families with kids that had arrived and saw the whole thing. One woman was literally moved to tears and came up and gave him a hug and told him that they get to share heaven together and that this was the best moment of her day.

Grateful

I am so grateful for our dream team consisting of Amy, a spiritual daughter I know from Destiny House days who opens up portals through her creativity and dancing, Pastor Jeff who during a School of Revival module decided to plant a church under the freeway and now open air preaches and feeds about 150-200 homeless people each Sunday, Amanda who I met at Red River Meeting House in Kentucky a few years ago and who is such a great support to me and the School of Revival family and who’s prophetic gift is fire, and Khalil, an Asbury student Amanda and I met in the anointed hallway when we went to the Asbury Revival. We recognized it as a divine connection and have adopted this precious soul who has a beautiful calling on his life, powerful prophetic gift, and is stepping into his calling for such a time as this. The other unique thing about our team was that each of us at one time or another all went to Asbury to partake of the revival so it was special to release some of that impartation in California.

This was our 1st School of Revival ministry trip in Southern California. We tapped into 9 different wells of revival, participated in 2 Glory nights, and ministered to all ages from children, to High school, to College students, to Leaders. There is so much more I haven’t even mentioned that happened during this trip that has to do with dear friends and my own family being blessed but I think that’s a good taster of some of the things God poured out.

I want to also say a special thank you to all those who pray for me and also my supporters at Jen Miskov Ministries. This is all fruit from what you’ve sown into. Thank you so much for partnering with my life and ministry. To God be all the glory and may He multiply and release some of the glory we experienced this week over you, your family, your church, and your region. In Jesus’ name, amen.

by Jennifer A. Miskov, Ph.D. Revival Historian

Welsh Revival (1904-05)

Less than 20 people (17 people) gathered at Moriah Chapel October 31, 1904 when Evan Roberts preached. All present gave their lives to Christ. When these 17 people came to Christ, Roberts knew that the revival he had been praying his whole life for had come.

In less than six months, over 100,000 people got saved and the entire nation was radically transformed. This later became known as the Welsh Revival and released impartation for the Azusa Street Revival. Roberts, only 26 years old at the time, led that first catalytic meeting with less than 20 people present.

Azusa Street Revival (1906)

On April 9, 1906 in a little home on Bonnie Brae St. in Los Angeles, less than 20 people (around 15 people), many of whom were on a 10 day fast, gathered together with one agenda, to be baptized by the Holy Spirit. They wanted to tap into what those at the Upper room waited for. As William J. Seymour preached on Acts 2, the Spirit fell upon them, baptizing several of them in power. A few days later, after their porch fell through because of the weight of the increasing people coming who were hungry for an all-consuming encounter from God, they moved to Azusa Street, Global Pentecostalism was birthed, and the rest is history. But, it all started with a remnant of hungry ones. Around 15 people gathering in a home with no other agenda than to position themselves and call out to God for Him baptize and utterly consume them with the Holy Spirit.

Asbury Revival (2023)

Fast forward to today. On February 8, 2023, in Hughes Auditorium at Asbury University in Wilmore, Kentucky, less than 20 students (around 19 students) remained to linger in God’s presence after a required chapel service where the speaker shared about Romans 12. Other students began to filter back into the chapel later throughout the day. More people continued to be drawn to this well of revival. People gathered non-stop in the auditorium for a few weeks with eventually over 25,000 people came to partake of this well in a town of only 6,000.

This would be the 9th revival since 1905 that was birthed from this deep well at Asbury, many occurring in February. This fire has since ignited many other revival fires around the globe. It has given people permission to linger.

The re-opening of the well of revival at Asbury was catalytic to unstop wells around the globe all at the same time. There was some anointed in this Kairos moment where He used that well as a key unlock and cause other wells to spring up and new wells to arise.  It gave people permission to linger.

In letter to intercessor Frank Bartleman, Evan Roberts wrote:

“Congregate the people together who are willing to make a total surrender. Pray and wait. Believe God’s promises. Hold daily meetings. May God bless you, is my earnest prayer. Yours in Christ, Evan Roberts.”

We don’t need huge crowds; we just need the hungry.

Remember, it was less than 20 people who were a part of catalyzing the Welsh Revival, the Azusa Street Revival, and the 2023 Asbury Revival.

Do not despise the day of small beginnings (Zechariah 4:10). Gather the hungry, pray, seek the Lord with no other agenda than to love Him with everything inside you.

In another letter from Roberts to Bartleman, he says,

“I believe that the world is upon the threshold of a great religious revival, and pray daily that I may be allowed to help bring this about. Wonderful things have happened in Wales [Asbury] in a few weeks, but these are only a beginning. The world will be swept by His Spirit as by a rushing, mighty wind. Many who are now silent Christians will lead the movement. They will see a great light, and will reflect this light to thousands now in darkness. Thousands will do more than we have accomplished, as God gives them power.”

I wonder what would happen if we substituted the word “Wales” for “Asbury” above… They were in Kairos moment in the early 1900s, a special window of opportunity where God accelerated the expansion of His kingdom all around them. We are in another Kairos moment today.

We are alive for such a time as this. We must keep our eyes on Jesus. The Tsunami wave of revival we have been praying our whole lives for has already begun and is upon us. It’s time to lean in for the ride of your life and don’t let Him go.

by Jennifer A. Miskov, Ph.D. Revival Historian

Below are some highlights from our School of Revival intensive at the YWAM Colorado Springs’ base January 30- February 2, 2023 with my team that almost got us kicked out the first night because they got drunk in the Holy Spirit and some of the students thought they were really drunk! Because the nature of the YWAM class we were teaching and students heading to closed nations, we were not able to post any pics from the teaching times or of the students but we did capture an anointed recording of our final session and the best teaching I never did.

After a week of sharing about the Power of the Testimony, the Moravians, Welsh Revival, Azusa Street Revival, and Fasting to increase hunger for God and more, we finished the final day with Creative Expressions as our second to last session. This is one of our favorite activations where the students take what they learned all week and create something to share with the class.

One person baked fresh bread that morning to bring in for us to do communion, another student sang a poem she wrote which released the presence of God in such a palpable way. Other students shared vulnerably, and it was astounding to see what they came up with in such a short time. One student received a prophetic revelation from God during one of our sessions that she turned into a song and played the Ukulele for the first time with dancers and a backup guitarist. It was a special second to last session.

Following this was to be one final session called “Living a Life of Fire.” However, when Elijah Andrews did the final creative expression in the prayer room on the same piano Keith Green once played on, the Holy Spirit started to move in a special way. When he sang, “I won’t leave til you set me on fire,” we were all on the floor. God was in our midst. 

I ended up remaining in that space as he continued to lead us in worship and decided to scrap my final teaching session on "Living a Life of Fire" because we were actually doing it. This must be one of the best sessions I never did teach!

I know of no other way to end a School of Revival intensive then sharing vulnerably with each other through creative expressions and then worshiping Him relentlessly and spontaneously because He is worthy. 

We all ended the week on our faces worshiping Jesus with no other agenda than to minister to Him. 

The date this happened was February 2, 2023, less than one week before the Asbury Revival broke out. Something is definitely stirring for the lingerers.

Don’t rush out from a place of God’s presence, especially when He draws close. That time with Him in that space is worth it, I promise you. 

Here is a taste of Elijah’s creative expression released that day (and used with his permission) that led us into a worship encounter. Hopefully you can experience a little of what we felt in the room that day. 

I pray as you soak and worship alongside of us, that God sets your heart on fire for Him again today in a special way.

Revival Series Part 3

 by Jennifer A. Miskov, Ph.D., Revival Historian

Moravian Fire Ignited

On August 13th, 1727, German nobleman Count Nikolaus Von Zinzendorf gathered the Moravian refugees living on his property in Herrnhut to bring them to a place of unity and overturn the discord in their midst. That day in the chapel at Berthelsdorf they were invited to consecrate their lives afresh unto the Lord and with each other.

As they put aside their differences and came together as one, choosing to make a covenant of love with one another, the power of God and purifying fire of the Holy Ghost fell upon them. Revival had come. Where the enemy came to kill, steal, destroy, and take from this community born for unity, they answered back with a resolute firmness to stand against all schemes to divide. They knew their destiny was unity and love. Ever since that moment, what tried to divide them brought them closer together. Seeking unity was catalytic to ignite this flame. This event later became known as the Moravian Pentecost.

Stewarding the Fire through the Furnace of Prayer

Now that they had the fire, they realized they would need to steward it so they wouldn’t lose it. On August 27, 1727, just two weeks after the ancient outpouring of love, some in the Moravian community arranged “a system of Hourly Intercession” so that this blessing would not be lost.[i] Thus, the seeds for a 100-year prayer meeting was born.

And if you know the rest of their story which will be coming out in my next book, from this place of prayer, they launched the Protestant mission’s movement where some Moravian missionaries eventually intersected with John Wesley in a storm. As they kept their eyes on Jesus in the midst of the raging sea, Wesley was struck by their faith and greatly impacted. He had his heart warming defining moment not long after and then became a part of catalyzing the First Great Awakening and then the Methodist movement with its circuit riders.

When God moves in power, it’s important to steward what He’s poured out. We need new wine skins to hold the new wine.

Once the Moravian community experienced revival in family, they realized that the fire needed to be stewarded so it wouldn’t burn out. They saw a need to build a “fireplace” to sustain the fire. The Lord led them to steward this fire in the furnace of continual prayer and intercession in the context of covenant.

If they tried to steward the fire that was released in the Moravian Pentecost by doing what they had always done before, that would no longer cut it. They needed to cultivate a new wine skin for the new wine the Holy Spirit was pouring out. Thus, a new wine skin was birthed to hold the new wine. Life was born and then structure was implemented to steward it, not the other way around. You can’t structure to find life. Once you have life, add wisdom to help focus it in the right direction.

Encounters welcome us into new seasons and new eras. This requires a reformation of the things we used to do before. If we have a radical encounter with God and nothing changes in our lives, we may have missed the point or not stewarded it well for its destined purpose. The Moravians recognized that something significant had occurred in their midst. They wanted the fire to increase and not to wane. Hence, a new fireplace of 24/7 prayer was birthed.

Questions for Reflection

When you have a powerful encounter with God personally or corporately, ask Him how you are to steward that encounter. Does He want you to change a rhythm in your life or take something out of your schedule to walk in greater consecration? Is He asking you to let go of something (a commitment, relationship, rhythm)? Is He inviting you to add a new discipline to your schedule to be intentional about stewarding what He is doing in your life in the new season? If He is releasing new wine, what does the new wine skin to steward that look like in this season?

Learn More

• Read about my trip visiting the historic site of the Moravian Pentecost HERE

• See what happened when I released the testimony of the Moravians on a ministry trip in Washington

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NOTES
[i] J.E. Hutton M.A., A History of the Moravian Church (second edition, revised and enlarged) (London: Moravian Publication Office 32 Fetter Lane, 1909), 211.

Revival Series Part 2

by Jennifer A. Miskov, Ph.D., Revival Historian 

Now that we have explored semantics and some development around the term revival and exploring its meaning, let’s go even deeper to the impact it should have on one’s life and what comes afterwards.

In the natural, if someone is sleeping, barely alive, or has suddenly died, they need to be awakened or revived. Many times, someone will use smelling salts (ammonia inhalants) to awaken a person who has passed out or become unconscious. They put this aroma under the person’s nose to breathe it in. Suddenly, when this happens, the person is revived from their previous unconscious state. Once this person has become revived from their formal sleeping state, they do not need to remain in a state of trying to be revived because they have already come back to life. There is no more need for them to inhale the smelling salts. This person must now begin to live more empowered since their awakening.

This can be a metaphor for revival. Some people have become spiritually unconscious or fallen asleep and they need to be re-awakened. Others have become dead inside and need to be resurrected back to life. Once they have been awakened and brought back to life though, now it’s time to move from the resurrected state to the empowered state of living, being transformed, and stepping into their destiny.

Revival is only just the beginning. Once a person is awakened, then it’s time to fully live.

In Hosea 6:2, it says, “After two days He will revive us; On the third day He will raise us up, That we may live in His sight.” Here we see that revival is not meant to be a continual state as much as what needs to happen whenever our spirits begin to wither away or die on the inside. Once people are revived, they then need to live the abundant life Jesus died for them to have (John 10:10). Transformation, reformation, revolution, and destiny must follow. Once revived, we must learn to live as burning ones on fire for Jesus constantly remaining full of the oil of His presence.

Jesus is Revival

All that said, at the heart of revival is Jesus. Jesus is the truest revival we will ever know. Beyond living for revival, we live for the Reviver. When we become awakened spiritually, we fall more in love with Jesus. When we fall more in love with Jesus, transformation takes place within our hearts, and we impact those around us. Revival is truly just more of Jesus.

We are born to live revived lives in the Spirit of God. We are made to be burning ones who don’t burn out. We are born to live loudly for our King of kings and display His glory through our lives. As we become awakened to King Jesus, our destinies begin to unfold in a greater measure. We step out in faith, hand in hand with our best friend Jesus, and can bring hope to a world that desperately needs it. From a place of intimate union with God, as we yield to and follow the Holy Spirit’s leading, we become agents of revival wherever we go. The burning flame inside spreads and ignites others whose flame has dwindled.

The Reviver by Rolland Baker

Rolland Baker, co-founder with Heidi Baker of Iris Global is a missionary in Mozambique, has experienced revival firsthand. His insights in the epilogue of his book, Keeping the Fire, are worth noting.

“I return at the end to where I began: with the Person of Jesus

Iris is not about us. It is about Jesus.

Revival is not about manifestations or miracles; it is about the Reviver, Jesus our Savior.

We have only one destination, one home, one reality, one resting place, one source, one

motivation, one reward, one possession, one point of contact with God, one source of real

satisfaction – and that is Jesus…

Everything we value has been found in Jesus. The key to our core values is therefore

falling in love with Him. 

Love is a gift of relationship, not just self-sacrifice. The secret place is not necessarily found in a prayer closet or a posture of soaking, or in battling for a just cause, or in a massive prayer and fasting effort. Even the most amazing miracles can leave us lonely and without relationship. We can run out of motivation advancing the noblest ideals and working at all levels to transform society. We can minister until we have no more strength, and still go home and lie in bed without the relationship for which our hearts are made.

Everything is okay with relationship. It is all that Jesus cares about, all that motivates Him. He could do many more amazing miracles to dazzle the world with His powers, but He is interested only in relationship. The entire creation, all the grandeur of the physical world, and all His works are designed to serve one thing: relationship. Revival has no content without it. Renewal and manifestations are pointless apart from it. Miracles only find their meaning it. Joy is shallow and groundless unless rooted in it. Without relationship we are the living dead…

Revival is all about Jesus.[i]

Revival Without God: A Warning

Revival can easily become an idol in our lives and take the place of Jesus. It can possess us and become an obsession. Not that there is anything wrong with desiring revival, but anything that comes before our passionate pursuit of Jesus becomes idolatry. We must always seek Jesus first, yield to the Holy Spirit, and pursue the God of revival. Revival never should become an idol in our lives. Our obsession above all else, including revival, must remain loving Jesus wholeheartedly. As we love God with all our minds, hearts, bodies, and spirits, revival is a natural overflow.

We don’t want to end up one day in front of God sharing how we released “revival” in the world but did it apart from personal and intimate relationship with Him. What would be the point of doing signs and wonders without Him and His presence or without love (1 Corinthians 13)? Moses could have easily had revival, stepped into his destiny, and saw his dreams come true. But without God’s presence, he wasn’t going to move (Exodus 33).

Revival without Jesus is not only empty, it is dangerous. Jesus says in Matthew 7:21-23,

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’

Casting out demons, setting the oppressed free, and performing miracles definitely feels like revival and that the kingdom of God has come in people’s lives. The only problem is that doing any of these works of revival is dangerous when not deeply connected to the Source of revival which is Jesus Himself. It appears from this passage that it is quite possible to do the works of revival without being known by God. This is unsafe ground to walk on. We must do the will of the Father and remain connected in relationship with Jesus as we do these works of revival. In their book about revival, Hansen and Woodbridge say, “You can have signs and wonders, but if you don’t have God, you don’t have revival. God-centered revivals withstand the temptation to treasure the blessings of revival over the one who blesses.”[ii]

More than anything, revival needs to be birthed from a place of a deep burning passion for more of God and from an overflowing relationship with Him. As we stay connected to the Source, His steadily burning and increasing flame within us will ignite and awaken many around us, releasing revival wherever we go. As we knit ourselves to other burning ones and learn how to live in the fire of His presence together, we encounter His love and power in a way that radically impacts our world. Let us be a people who burn for revival fire to be ignited in our own hearts and for that to spread to a lost and dying world.

See part one “What is Revival” in this Revival Series HERE

Join our School of Revival family or take a revival history course in our online School of Revival HERE

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NOTES

[i] Rolland Baker, Keeping the Fire: Sustaining Revival Through Love: The Five Core Values of Iris Global (Kent, United Kingdom: River Publishing & Media Ltd, 2015), 141-143 used with permission in an email dated 12/19/2022 from Tim Pettingale, Director of River Publishing & Media Ltd.

[ii] Collin Hansen and John Woodbridge, A God-Sized Vision: Revival Stories that Stretch and Stir (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2010), 25.

Revival Series Part 1

 by Jennifer A. Miskov, Ph.D. Revival Historian

*This was written before the 2020 lockdown and recent Asbury Revival outbreaks and is now a chapter in my book Sustain the Flame: Secrets to Living Saturated in God’s Presence and Holy Fire.

We hear the word “Revival” thrown around a lot these days, but what really is revival? In part one of these series, we will lay the framework for defining this term before going deeper into the realities that revival is only just the beginning and starting point, not the end all.

Semantics

Looking purely at semantics and the Scriptures to begin with, the term “revive” is used 23 times in the Old Testament in the New King James Version. It comes from the Hebrew word חָיָה châyâh which means “to live, to revive, to keep, leave, or make alive, to give life, quicken, recover, repair, restore to life, save, be whole.”[i] Notice the essence of staying alive once someone has been revived.

The first time the word revive is used in the Bible is in Genesis 45:27 when Jacob, who already grieved the loss of his son Joseph whom he thought was dead, realized that he was alive. It was then that his spirit was revived.[ii] In 1 Kings 17:22, the word goes beyond reviving hope of one’s spirit to mean resurrecting a physical human life. Here we see that Elijah prayed for a dead child who was brought back to life.[iii] Then in 2 Kings 13:21, the word was again used to describe one who was physically dead returning back to life when his body was thrown in Elisha’s grave.[iv]

The word revive is used the most in Psalms at 14 times and especially throughout Psalm 119. The Psalmist cries out for God to revive him according to His Word, His lovingkindness, His justice, and even His judgments. He also asks God to revive him in His way and His righteousness. There is also a turning back to God, deliverance from great troubles, and a hunger to be revived so that God’s people may rejoice in Him once again.[v]

In Isaiah, we discover a God who revives the spirit of the humble and the heart of the contrite ones. In Habakkuk, there is a desire for God to revive and make known His works of old once again.[vi] And don’t forget the revivals that happened under Kings Asa, Hezekiah, and Josiah along with many other personal revivals that took place in people’s lives throughout Scripture.

In the New Testament, in all other translations included, nowhere was there an equivalent of this word used. This could possibly be because the church in the New Testament didn’t need revival because they were already fully alive and living it. Persecution many times proves to help along these lines of staying burning hot in our love for Christ.

Etymology

When we look deeper into the etymology of how this word has developed over the centuries, we see that roots for revive come from the Old French word revivre (10c.) and directly from the Latin word revivere which is translated “to live again.”[vii] By the 1560s, the word revive had the sense of “returning to a flourishing state” or of feelings or activities “beginning to occur again.”[viii] In the 1650s, revival meant the “act of reviving after decline or discontinuance.” At the essence of the word, revival is the call to live again.[ix] What has since died and been forgotten, needs to become awakened once again.  

In the 1660s there was a unique take on this term as it was used for “the bringing back to the stage of a play which has not been presented for a considerable time.”[x] Might it be time for an encore in the platform of Christianity to welcome the Holy Spirit back to take center stage once again? In the early 1700s, it is believed that New England Puritan pastor Cotton Mather was one of the firsts to connect this term to religion. In one of his writings in 1702, he connected the term revival with religious awakening in the community.[xi] By 1818, the term revival was used to describe “enthusiastic religious meetings (often by Methodists) meant to inspire revival.” A few years before this in 1812, the term Revivalist was being used as “one who promotes or leads a religious revival.”[xii]

Exploring Paradigms for Religious Revival

Moving beyond semantics now into the study of revival history, there are various perspectives on religious revivals by both practioners and revival historians. For some, revival only happens within the church, and for others, it’s when the world is awakened to Christ as well. Some see revival as something that we should be living in every second of the day while others see it as episodic moves of God.[xiii] Some see it coming as a result of prayer while others see it only as a sovereign act of God. While there could be a whole separate book on this subject alone, I present a small snapshot of a few of the varying perspectives below.[xiv]

Charles G. Finney (1792-1875), known as the father of modern revivalism, believed that we very much play a role in awakening the church and bringing sinners to repentance as led by God. He saw a need for revival to happen periodically to wake up the church because it so regularly became stagnant. He saw revival as “nothing else than a new beginning of obedience to God.”[xv] He compared revival to a crop of wheat and emphasized that God uses means to cultivate both. Finney believed that if the fire was kept burning in the church, there would have been no need for revival, but unfortunately, he saw that was rarely the case.[xvi] About revival, he wrote:

I AM TO SHOW WHAT A REVIVAL IS. It is the renewal of the first love of Christians, resulting in the awakening and conversion of sinners to God. In the popular sense, a revival of religion in a community is the arousing, quickening, and reclaiming of the more or less backslidden church and the more or less general awakening of all classes, and insuring attention to the claims of God.

It presupposes that the church is sunk down in a backslidden state, and a revival consists in the return of a church from her backslidings, and in the conversion of sinners.[xvii]

Martin Lloyd-Jones described revival as “the outpouring of the Spirit over and above his usual, ordinary work; this amazing, unusual, extraordinary thing, which God in his sovereignty and infinite grace has done to the Church from time to time during the long centuries of her history.” [xviii] Christmas Evans (1766-1838), an influential one-eyed Welsh Baptist preacher said that “Revival is God bending down to the dying embers of a fire that is just about to go out, and breathing into it, until it bursts again into flame.” Duncan Campbell of the Hebrides Revival said that “Revival is a community saturated with God.”[xix]

In his study on Pentecostalism in The Everlasting Gospel, William Faulpel sees revival as having a seven-stage process: conception, gestation, labor, birth, growth, reproduction, and maturity.[xx] He compares it to the life cycle paralleling the birth of a new baby. Mark Stibbe from the U.K. defines revival as “a season ordained by God in which the Holy Spirit awakens the Church to evangelise the lost, and the lost to their dire need of Jesus Christ.”[xxi] He distinguishes renewal as confined to the Church while revival as something that reaches beyond the church and into the world.[xxii] He likens renewal to a stream and revival to that same river becoming a “flood that disturbs boulders and overflows banks.”[xxiii]

Like Stibbe, I would also say there are special seasons, windows of opportunity, or kairos moments, where the Spirit is at work to awaken and revive the Church.[xxiv] At the turn of the twentieth century, revivals were springing up all around the world in this sacred and set apart kairos season of time.[xxv] Revival broke out in Wales in 1904-05, in India in 1905, and then in Los Angeles in 1906 at Azusa Street amongst other worldwide moves near the same time. The early twentieth century was pregnant with revival. There was something anointed, set apart, and special about that kairos moment that these saints were able to recognize and tap into. The result was revival that is still impacting us over a hundred years later.

Defining Revival

As we seek to define revival here, I would say that revival is when the fire of first love for Jesus is re-ignited in the hearts of believers. As a result, their lives are transformed, and the kingdom of God is expanded all around them in various ways that impact, shape, and reform culture and society.

Revival is for Christians whose fire has waned. If someone has never encountered God’s love for themselves, they can’t necessarily be re-awakened to it. It is only when the fire of first love has been snuffed out that one needs revival. Once that original flame is re-ignited, the awakened ones naturally influence those around them, and many times others are brought to salvation as a result.

Ultimately, revival is becoming fully alive to Jesus again. And it’s important to understand that revival is not the end goal. It is only just the beginning.

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P.S. Before you completely disagree with me, wait to read Part 2 of this series “Revival is Just the Beginning.” Both of these pieces have been written before the 2020 lockdown and recent Asbury Revival outbreaks and are featured in chapters of my new Sustain the Flame: Secrets to Living Saturated in God’s Presence and Holy Fire. See Sustain the Flame ecourse for a whole teaching on the topic of what revival is and how to steward it.

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NOTES

[i] Strong's H2421 https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/h2421/nkjv/wlc/0-1/ “to live, whether literally or figuratively; causatively, to revive:—keep (leave, make) alive, certainly, give (promise) life, (let, suffer to) live, nourish up, preserve (alive), quicken, recover, repair, restore (to life), revive, (God) save (alive, life, lives), surely, be whole.”

[ii] “But when they told him all the words which Joseph had said to them, and when he saw the carts which Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of Jacob their father revived.” –Genesis 45:27 (NKJV)

[iii] “Then the LORD heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came back to him, and he revived.” –1 Kings 17:22 (NKJV)

[iv] “So it was, as they were burying a man, that suddenly they spied a band of raiders; and they put the man in the tomb of Elisha; and when the man was let down and touched the bones of Elisha, he revived and stood on his feet.” –2 Kings 13:21.

[v] Psalm 71:20 is a call to be delivered from great troubles.Psalm 80:18 is a reviving in order to turn back to God.

Psalm 85:6 says, “Will You not revive us again, That Your people may rejoice in You?” There is purpose to praise in the reviving work. We see in Psalm 119:25,107, 154 that one can be revived according to His word: “Revive me according to Your word (119:25).” Psalm 119:37 we can be revived in His way: “Turn away my eyes from looking at worthless things,  And revive me in Your way.” Psalm 119:40 we can be revived in His righteousness: “Behold, I long for Your precepts; Revive me in Your righteousness.” Psalm 119:88 and 159 we can be revived according to His lovingkindness: “Revive me according to Your lovingkindness, So that I may keep the testimony of Your mouth.” In Psalm 119:149, we can be revived according to His justice: “Hear my voice according to Your lovingkindness; O LORD, revive me according to Your justice.” Psalm 119:156 we can be revived according to His judgments. “Great are Your tender mercies, O LORD; Revive me according to Your judgments.” Psalm 138:7 when in trouble we can be revived: “Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me; You will stretch out Your hand. Against the wrath of my enemies, And Your right hand will save me.” Psalm 143:11 we can be revived for His name’s sake: “Revive me, O LORD, for Your name's sake! For Your righteousness' sake bring my soul out of trouble.”

[vi] Isaiah 57:15 (NKJV) says, “For thus says the High and Lofty One, Who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in the high and holy place, With him who has a contrite and humble spirit, To revive the spirit of the humble, And to revive the heart of the contrite ones.” And then in Habakkuk 3:2, “O LORD, I have heard Your speech and was afraid; O LORD, revive Your work in the midst of the years! In the midst of the years make it known; In wrath remember mercy.”

[vii] https://www.etymonline.com/word/revival

[viii] https://www.etymonline.com/word/revival

[ix] According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, the word revival can mean: “1: an act or instance of reviving: the state of being revived: such as a: renewed attention to or interest in something b: a new presentation or publication of something old c (1): a period of renewed religious interest (2): an often highly emotional evangelistic meeting or series of meetings 2: restoration of force, validity, or effect (as to a contract).”

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/revival Accessed December 11, 2022

[x] https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/revival

[xi] Collin Hansen and John Woodbridge, A God-Sized Vision: Revival Stories that Stretch and Stir (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2010), 31.

[xii] https://www.etymonline.com/word/revival

[xiii] Roger Finke and Rodney Stark, The Churching of America 1776-1990: Winners and Losers in Our Religious Economy (New Brunswick: Rutgers University Press, 1992), 92. According to Roger Finke and Rodney Starke, while “all organizations need renewals or revivals of member commitment, it is also true that these must be episodic. People can’t stay excited indefinitely.” Most people don’t have the capacity to remain in a heightened state of being revived.

[xiv] Prayer, surrender, consecration, and repentance many times precede personal and corporate revival. In all my research on revival up to this point (over two decades), I have noticed that hunger was the one constant that drew people to seek more of God in desperation, which resulted in revival. Prayer seems to regularly play a pivotal role in this. It’s not ours to determine how God will move, but it is ours to prepare, position, partner, pray, and invite Him to move in and through us as agents of revival. We must be a people who step out in faith to reach the lost as if their salvation depended upon us. We must be a people who immediately respond to the leading of the Holy Spirit and allow Him to use our lives however He wishes because we are motived by love for Jesus.

[xv] Charles Grandison Finney (1835). Lectures on Revivals of Religion p.14

[xvi] “There is so little principle in the church, so little firmness and stability of purpose, that unless the religious feelings are awakened and kept excited, counter worldly feeling and excitement will prevail, and men will not obey God. They have so little knowledge, and their principles are so weak, that unless they are excited, they will go back from the path of duty, and do nothing to promote the glory of God. The state of the world is still such, and probably will be till the millennium is fully come, that religion must be mainly promoted by means of revivals. How long and how often has the experiment been tried, to bring the church to act steadily for God, without these periodical excitements. Many good men have supposed, and still suppose, that the best way to promote religion, is to go along uniformly, and gather in the ungodly gradually, and without excitement. But however sound such reasoning may appear in the abstract, facts demonstrate its futility. If the church were far enough advanced in knowledge, and had stability of principle enough to keep awake, such a course would do; but the church is so little enlightened, and there are so many counteracting causes, that she will not go steadily to work without a special interest being awakened.

As the millennium advances, it is probable that these periodical excitements will be unknown. Then the church will be enlightened, and the counteracting causes removed, and the entire church will be in a state of habitual and steady obedience to God.”

Charles G. Finney, Lectures of Revivals on Religion (New York, NY: Fleming H. Revell Company, 1868), 9

https://www.ccel.org/ccel/f/finney/revivals/cache/revivals.pdf

[xvii] Charles G. Finney, Lectures of Revivals on Religion (New York, NY: Fleming H. Revell Company, 1868), 12

https://www.ccel.org/ccel/f/finney/revivals/cache/revivals.pdf

[xviii] Martin Lloyd-Jones, Revival (Wheaton, Ill: Crossway, 1987), 199 in Collin Hansen and John Woodbridge, A God-Sized Vision: Revival Stories that Stretch and Stir (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2010), 35.

[xix] Duncan Campbell, The Lewis Awakening, p. 14-15

[xx] William Faupel, The Everlasting Gospel: The Significance of Eschatology in the Development of Pentecostal Thought. Journal of Pentecostal Theology Supplement Series, ed. John Christopher Thomas, Rickie D. Moore, and Steven J. Land, vol. 10. (Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press, 1996).

[xxi] Mark Stibbe, Revival,The Thinking Clear Series, ed. Clive Calver (London: Monarch Books, 1998), 14, 223.

[xxii] Mark Stibbe, Revival,The Thinking Clear Series, ed. Clive Calver (London: Monarch Books, 1998), 17.

[xxiii] Mark Stibbe, Revival,The Thinking Clear Series, ed. Clive Calver (London: Monarch Books, 1998), 49.

[xxiv] Jennifer A. Miskov, “Coloring Outside the Lines: Pentecostal Parallels with Expressionism. The Work of the Spirit in Place, Time, and Secular Society?”, Journal of Pentecostal Theology 19 (2010), 94-117.

[xxv] Additionally, I introduce “sacred time” into this discussion as a “special season when revivals, awakenings, and stirrings of the Holy Spirit are concentrated and occur in higher frequency than in other times… when people all around the world experience heightened manifestations of God’s presence” at the same time. Jennifer A. Miskov, “Coloring Outside the Lines: Pentecostal Parallels with Expressionism. The Work of the Spirit in Place, Time, and Secular Society?”, Journal of Pentecostal Theology 19 (2010), 115.

by Jennifer A. Miskov, Ph.D. in Revival History

If you haven’t heard already, something profound is happening Asbury University. As of writing this blog, they are currently holding non-stop meetings and God is pouring out His Spirit afresh. I had the opportunity to be there for days 7, 8, and 9 (February 14-16, 2023) of the revival. But before we get to more of that, let’s recognize the unique time we are in and take a quick review of Asbury’s revival history.

Kairos

­Proverbs 10:5 says, “Know the importance of the season you’re in and a wise son you will be. But what a waste when an incompetent son sleeps through his day of opportunity!”

If you haven’t figure it out already, we are in a Kairos Moment. Kairos is the Greek word in the New Testament for “time.” It is also translated as “the right time, a set time, opportunity, due season, short time, a fixed and definite time, the time when things are brought to crisis, and the decisive epoch waited for.”[i] It can also mean a divinely appointed time or a window of opportunity. There is a unique window of opportunity open to us for such a time as this where the Holy Spirit is being poured out in extravagant measures and there is acceleration of what God is doing all around.

Asbury Revival History

Asbury University is named after Francis Asbury, the Methodist circuit rider who took the model of the camp meetings and exported, modeled, replicated these to cultivate the atmosphere for revival to spread throughout the land. Asbury University has had a series of revivals break out throughout its history, primarily in the month of February or in the springtime. Prayer, testimonies, worship, confession, repentance, witnessing have been characteristics. Many times these revivals have been student led and have broken out in February, a special sacred space in this well of revival.

The following review is quoted directly from Asbury Universities website HERE

• “In February 1905, during a blizzard, a prayer meeting in the men’s dormitory spilled out to the rest of campus and the town of Wilmore.

• In February 1908, revival broke out while someone prayed in chapel; the revival lasted two weeks and was signified by prevailing prayer and intercession.

• In February 1921 the last service of a planned revival lasted until 6 a.m., and services were extended for three days.

• In February 1950 a student testimony led to confessions, victories, and more testimonies. This went on uninterrupted for 118 hours and became the second leading news story nationwide; it is estimated that 50,000 people found a new experience in Christ as a result of this revival and witness teams that went out from it.

• In March 1958 revival began in a student fasting prayer meeting that spilled over into chapel and lasted for 63 hours.

• On February 3, 1970 Dean Custer B. Reynolds, scheduled to speak in chapel, felt led to invite persons to give personal testimony instead. Many on campus had been praying for spiritual renewal and were now in an expectant mood. Soon there was a large group waiting in line to speak. A spirit of powerful revival came upon the congregation. The chapel was filled with rejoicing people.  Classes were cancelled for a week during the 184 hours of unbroken revival, but even after classes resumed on February 10, Hughes Auditorium was left open for prayer and testimony. These sessions were presided over by Reynolds, Clarence Hunter and other faculty. Some 2,000 witness teams went out from Wilmore to churches and at least 130 college campuses around the nation.

• In March 1992 a student confession during the closing chapel of the annual Holiness Conference turned into 127 consecutive hours of prayer and praise.

• In February 2006 a student chapel led to four days of continuous worship, prayer and praise.”[ii]

•  In February 2023, revival is currently breaking out and continuing strong as we speak.

Asbury Revival Today

God is doing a beautiful new work in the well of revival at Asbury University for such a time as this. After the chapel service on February 8, 2023 where speaker Zach Meerkreebs gave a message on Romans 12, a handful of hungry students lingered in the presence of God and continued to worship and press in even after chapel was dismissed. Some students went to class only to ask permission from their professors to return to chapel because they felt a stirring. 

Long story short, worship, testimony, and prayer have been going on strong now, primarily stewarded by the students. People have come from around the world to drink in and receive of what the Holy Spirit is doing here. Also, many have been impacted by watching these hungry ones worship, which has led to more moves of God being birthed on college campus and even around the globe. Thousands are flocking to this well to partake of what God is pouring out. 

Characteristics

My personal experience of being on the grounds and in the well of revival February 14-16, 2023 at Asbury was very significant. I had studied the 1970 revival in the past and was so moved when watching the documentary of students who were there still decades later being very much on fire and burning for Jesus. That the revival in 1970 started when the minister recognized he needed to move out of the way and make room for the Holy Spirit and give up his teaching time to let the students share testimonies moved me. He made room for the anointing and God moved powerfully through the release of testimonies in the students which was catalytic for that move of God. One moment in the glory marked and ignited a fire in their life that continued for decades.

Recognizing how one profound encounter with God at Asbury marked and shaped lives for generations to come, it lifts my spirit to thank God for all the students there now who are being marked by God in a lifechanging way. Some of the students I spoke with said that they wouldn’t even recognize themselves the previous week after all God has been doing.

At Asbury, there are no platforms, performance, production, or promotion. There is simply humility, holiness, hospitality, and invitation for the Holy Spirit to move. From what I observed and experienced on Day 7, 8, and 9 of the move of God there, I attempt to describe it t by using these 4 words:

HUMILITY: there is a very evident and felt deep desire in the leaders and those involved was that this would be all about JESUS and no one else. There is no performance, promotion, or platform Christianity present. It is a raw and humble desire to love Jesus in with a pure and repentant heart.

HOLINESS: there is a protection of the sacred space in the chapel and beyond and a stewarding what the Holy Spirit is pouring out with reverence and fear of the Lord. The centerpiece of the chapel says, “Holiness Unto the Lord.” They are attempting to get people to be present and receive from the Lord rather than live stream be on their phones all the time. They even turned down Fox News from coming out with their news cameras so they could protect the sacred space of worship in the chapel.

HOSPITALITY: there is a very felt sincere welcome and grace upon entering and partaking with this community. From host homes to free water and snacks at the entry way to staff of all levels humbly serving, one can feel the warmth of God’s love. I even heard that Salvation Army rented space heaters outside for those standing in line in the cold all out of their own desire to help. The unity in love and mutual submission to one another in the leadership is felt. Even their boundaries to protect the sacred space and also the students are presented in a way to make people feel loved and honored. There is also always room on the altar for people to come and now before the Lord. The time they take to pray for one another is never rushed but slow and deep, connected, and full of love.

HOLY SPIRIT: there is space created for the Holy Spirit to move in and through the people. Times have been set aside for people to share testimonies of what God has done, open Bible readings, and there has been space given for divine interruptions that turn into something beautiful the Lord is doing like the spontaneous generosity that took place one day. There is a sense that lingering in His presence is a good and welcome thing. This is mostly student led and they are making sure to honor what God is doing through this generation by honoring their voices.

 The Fire is Spreading

One of the reasons the Asbury Revival is spreading like wildfire is because over its century of revivals breaking out and stewarded well, it has paved a path for an invitation to linger in His presence and go deeper. Asbury Revivals give permission to the world saying, “it’s okay to go beyond the limits of expectations and time. For those who are hungry, there’s more. You don’t need to shut down the building and close the doors when the church service is over. It’s okay to linger, and look what might happen when you do…” There is permission to blur the lines of time constraints and accepted traditions, encouraging people they can cross the threshold, color outside the lines and even off the page.

Today in this kairos moment, it’s time to explore, really explore, what diving all the way into the deep end with the Holy Spirit looks and feels like. We’ve only just dipped our toes. The Holy Spirit is a limitless ocean calling us to dive all the way in and explore hidden riches uncovered. The only way to get there is to surrender, let go, and yield to the current of His love (Ezekiel 47, Revelation 22). Who is willing to yield to be all in?

Grateful

I want to thank and honor the leadership, staff, and students for cultivating a community bound together by love and humility and by opening up their hearts and homes for the world to also feast on the meal before them. May the Lord continue to cover, protect, and grant them wisdom as they steward this outpouring for the glory of God.

Our job is not to try and define this with previous moves of God but to recognize God is doing a new thing in our midst, and to celebrate and honor it even if it might look different than what we expect. My prayer for the Church that’s watching is that it might not try to define or put this move of God in a box, but rather celebrate, honor, cover in prayer, and ask God to fan the flame in our midst.

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To stay up to day on what’s happening at Asbury and access livestream go HERE

To sow into what God is doing at Asbury, you can give directly to the school HERE

To learn more about Asbury Revival Past & Present, join our upcoming School of Revival 3-day online intensive on that theme HERE

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NOTES

[i] Strong’s https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=G2540&t=KJV

See Ephesians 5:15-16 for an example of the word Kairos used.

[ii] https://www.asbury.edu/academics/resources/library/archives/history/revivals/

painting of Jesus by Lonnie Frisbee

by Jennifer A. Miskov, Ph.D.

I believe there are times and seasons when certain testimonies need to be released to breathe new life into new generations. I feel that God is highlighting the Jesus People Movement as a testimony He wants to release for such a time as this to prophesy into what He wants to pour out this year and beyond. The Jesus People movement was a move of God in the 1970s that came through the most unlikely of people, hippies. Nobody expected God to use this community and many even missed this vibrant move of God because they weren’t able to receive through others who looked so differently from them. This movement was messy. There was nothing traditional about it.

The Jesus People cultivated community and embraced a culture of family. Acts 2 was a model for them. They knew there was more to the Christian life than just following a program. They sought to do life on life with their brothers and sisters and created a rhythm of family, evangelism, and stirring each other on to good works. I believe the story of the Jesus People movement can inform where God wants to take us next.

God will pour out His Spirit through those we least expect and we may even be offended by. It is important that we don’t throw out the baby with the bath water. We must humble ourselves to receive all God has even if it comes through a package we least expect. God is also pouring out new wine. We must be open to new wine skins emerging to steward the new wine.

Lonnie Frisbee

Just as the movie Jesus Revolution is being released this February as a prophetic call for a new Jesus People Movement, now is also the time that the story of Lonnie Frisbee needs to be highlighted. *To read about my “accidental” encounter at Pirate’s Cove intersecting with the director of the film and the one who plays Jesus in the Chosen and Lonnie in the film , see my blog here.

This hippie preacher played a significant and catalytic role in the Jesus People Movement, Calvary Chapel Movement, Vineyard Movement, and releasing signs and wonders in everyday evangelism like hadn’t been seen before. Lonnie’s life gives people hope that if God can use someone who wasn’t polished around the edges or was perfect in any way but who was yielded to the Holy Spirit, He can use anyone for His kingdom.

Sharing his story is important for dismantling the cancel culture ideology and celebrating and honoring the legacy of people despite their failures. His story teaches us that we must not use people for their gifting, but we must become family together. His story is a call to fight for each other, believe the best, and cover each other in our times of weakness. It is a story about being fully yielded to the Holy Spirit and being used by God to spark revival.

Love

Another reason I feel to release the words “Jesus People” as a word for 2023 is if you love what these two words represent, you fulfill all the commandments. Our highest calling is to love Jesus before all other things. Then we are also called to love People as we love ourselves. In Matthew 22:37-40, Jesus says,

“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

The world will know we are Christians by our unfailing love for each other (John 13:34-35). I feel that in 2023, there will be a real stirring, melting down of walls, and invitation to seek greater unity within the body of Christ for the sake of the kingdom.

On August 13th, 1727, when the Moravians laid down their differences to covenant to run after Jesus together in love, the Holy Spirit crashed in with power. This became know as the Moravian Pentecost. From this encounter flowing from unity, the 24-7 protestant prayer movement was born not long after. Out of the prayer movement, a protestant missions movement was ignited, which eventually played a key role in launching John Wesley into his life-changing encounter before he started the Methodist movement.

Where there is unity, God increases anointing and commands a blessing (Psalm 133).

Unifying the Bride

I believe God’s heart for 2023 is one of unifying the bride. The body of Christ must learn how to lay down all offenses and come together in humility for the sake of making Christ known. Love must take precedent over all wrongs. We must become a people who stand with and for our brothers and sisters in the face of trouble. We must enter an era where we stop kicking our brothers and sisters when they are down but instead cover them, fight for them, war on their behalf against the principalities and powers trying to take them out, and always remember the true battle we face is never against each other.

Persecution will increase. We will need our spiritual family by our side. No matter how much we disagree with them on non-essential issues, they are still our brothers and sisters in Christ. In a war, you stand by each other when the enemy attacks. We must learn how to stand by each other now, before the attack of the enemy increases. We must learn to lay down our weapons and seek to worship and glorify Jesus, the king of kings. We must come back to our first love without anything clouding our paths.

May 2023 be a year where we love Jesus with everything inside of us. May we be so overcome with receiving His love, that we freely love our brothers and sisters in Christ at a deeper level than ever before. May there be a common focus to glorify the name of Jesus above all else that melts down walls of offense. May unity among the Church cause an increased anointing for the glory and presence of God to overshadow us. May heroes arise from the dust of obscure and despised circumstances to shine like the stars in all the earth. May God use whoever gives their wholehearted yes to Him to pour out His Spirit upon all flesh. May we become a People known as those who walk with Jesus. May we become a People marked by Jesus once again.

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Jesus People Movement II

February 23-25, 2023

by Jennifer A. Miskov, Ph.D.  

Ankeny, Iowa

October 1-2, 2022

October 1, 2022 I found myself at Heartland Church in Iowa for Fan the Flame Women’s conference (2 Timothy 1:6-8) revival fire day conference. So much prayer, fasting, and expectation preceded this beautiful assignment. I was invited earlier this year to speak at the women’s conference at Heartland church by Kate McGovern. When she was praying for who to invite, she felt God told her to watch Sid Roth. When she did, it just happened to be the episode I was on! The very next day, a beautiful one named Sandra who I had helped with her book project years ago via Writing in the Glory called Kate to suggest if she hadn’t found a speaker yet to consider inviting me. That was crazy confirmation. Immediately, when I got the invitation to go to Iowa for a revival fire women’s conference, I felt God all over it and knew deep within my spirit this was not just a nice little ministry trip, this was a God ordained and orchestrated assignment from heaven. As our team of intercessors and theirs too, prayed and fasted leading into the event, we all felt there would be a birthing and also saw that the fire of God would mark people.

Episode on Sid Roth where I share about the Welsh Revival and Azusa Street Revival

The first meeting on Saturday, I invited the women to spend some time simply waiting upon the Holy Spirit. As we “dove into the River” of His presence and waited upon Him, He began to move in power. People were weeping, others having birthing pangs as if in labor, some singing out prophetically, and others experiencing freedom simply by taking the time to hear what God wanted to say to them. After a good time of waiting upon the Holy Spirit, I proceeded to share about a teenage girl named Florrie Evans who loved the Lord Jesus Christ with all her heart and boldly proclaimed her love in a 1903 meeting in Wales. Her sold out and personal devotion to Jesus was the match that lit the revival fire that would later spread to and ignite a young coal miner named Evan Roberts who in turn led the Welsh Revival (1904-05). During and after sharing about the Welsh Revival people came up to the altar to lay their lives down and welcome the fire of God to burn in them.

I was so blessed to have Sara and Christy from School of Revival and Amy from Destiny House come all the way to Iowa to partner together in helping birth this church and region into a greater realm of the Holy Spirit. After the first meeting, Christy shared

I've had many instances of people being ignited with fire when I laid hands on them but something new took place this time; women would instantly start weeping with the laying on of hands and I would literally see Jesus over them cupping their hearts, their faces, their dreams, their visions, their families and releasing his Fatherly love so preciously that I started weeping as well. It was the most touching experience I've had while ministering. It was a love for his daughters that was like giving the gift of a Father's blessing to be fully known and fully loved in the purest form possible so that they could burn brighter for him. 

In the morning session, while standing in the back of the room after Jen took time to wait on the Holy Spirit I saw the Spirit sweep across the room touching people and releasing them from restricting lies and affirming them of their worthiness to be loved. So much love being released to fan the flame of the fire that these women were carrying with their hunger for more of Jesus. And then, at the end of the 1st session, I was led to just start prophesying to women's hurts with love from the Father. That He saw their pain, disappointments, discouragement and hopelessness but he was giving them the ability to move past it and receive the truth of how he saw them. More tears and so many redeeming hugs!! Hearts were getting filled with the spring of life like Jesus did for the Samaritan women at the well in John 4.

In the second session, we opened it up for people to share testimonies of what God had done earlier so we could all celebrate and give Him glory. In Revelation 19:10, it says that “the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” Celebrating what God did in the past prophesies and releases breakthrough for Him to do it again! Here are a few of the testimonies that were released:

• One woman who laid her life down at the altar, was healed of mental health issues.

• Another had her voice restored to her where she had previously felt shut down. God revealed that He had always heard her!

• One woman felt fire as she laid at the altar and deep pain from her past was healed.

• Another testified that she believed she was healed from ovarian cancer.

• One saw a vision from the Lord of her dancing with Him and Him restoring her first dance.

• One woman who had been devastated by loss of many in her family within the last year was completely delivered and set free from fear, anxiety, death, and oppression from the enemy. Her countenance was visibly different the rest of the conference. 

The evening session that same night was open to men, women, and children. After waiting on the Holy Spirit and sharing about the Azusa Street Revival, God came with His power from on high and baptized people with the Holy Spirit. Many people were trembling under the mighty hand of God, on the floor, shaking, feeling electricity. God was empowering people to live boldly and become burning ones for Him. Saturday night was a commissioning where many were set apart and marked.

I got asked that night to speak at church Sunday morning by Pastor Dave who is an incredible intercessor and has a passion for revival. I felt so welcomed by him and his team all weekend long! I was so honored to continue in the flow of what the Holy Spirit was pouring out in the region. On Sunday morning, we continued in the momentum of what God had been pouring out and began by waiting upon the Holy Spirit and then diving deep into the Ezekiel 47 River. The altar was full again of those ready to dive all the way in. I found out that while we were fully immersed in the presence of the Holy Spirit and just lingering in His presence and glory, one man’s neck was fully healed. I later got a testimony that one person’s mom had come to church that day, was overcome, and weeping in the presence of God, went to the altar. She wept for about an hour there, encountered Jesus and received her prayer language!

The hunger in that region and preparation of the soil by prayer made it ever ready for a fresh wave of revival. Please continue to pray that every seed that got planted and every encounter, revelation, move of God remains and only increases in their fire and devotion for Jesus. They are perfectly positioned for a mighty move of God to spread from the heartland like wild fire. They’ve experienced revival in the past and are a praying church, positioned to steward a fresh move of the Spirit. Pray for more oil and that the fire was ignited afresh spreads across the land.