Other Work By Me On This Topic (Here1, Here2, Here3, Here4, Here5, Here6, Here7, Here8, Here9, Here10, and Here11)

What do you think is worse?  Fake Revival or No Revival?  I would say, fake is worse.  I’ve got, I think, good reasons for fake being worse than no revival.  Fake revival does far more damage than nothing happening.  True revivals through history occurred.  Probably more fake ones though.

Jesus Revolution and Asbury University

In recent days, attention focuses in the United States among religious folk especially about an apparent revival in the 1960s, called the Jesus Revolution in Time Magazine.  Descendants of Calvary Chapel made a movie, which is in mainstream, secular theaters.  Another apparent revival presented itself in Asbury, Kentucky, at Asbury University, a historic Wesleyan/Holiness institution.  I see it as a great interest that these two so-called revivals dovetailed like they did.

Revival moved up as a conversation topic.  Conservative podcasts even among non-believers discuss the two, Jesus Revolution and Asbury.  I think Fox News mentioned the two in various instances.  Because Emmy award winner, Kelsey Grammer, starred as Chuck Smith in the Jesus Revolution movie, that brought greater coverage and consciousness.

Asbury reads as Woke or somewhat woke, which modified its revival in the traditional sense.  In the history of the United States, historians point to two revivals they call “the First Great Awakening” and “the Second Great Awakening.”  Before the second, the first was just the Great Awakening, like the first was just the Great War until a second World War occurred.

The two, the first and second Great Awakenings, were much different in nature and in effect.  A big chunk of professing Christendom rejects the second Great Awakening and says only the Great Awakening in colonial America actually happened.  I would be one of those.  I agree the Great Awakening was a revival.  The second was a fake one.

Controversy of Calling Something “Not a Revival”

Calling a professed revival, not a revival, is as controversial as denying the legitimacy of the 2020 presidential election.  People who accept the revival, like those who say the Covid vaccinations were wonderful, want to hear only positive affirmation of their revival.

Questioning a revival is very close to questioning salvation, which is taught in scripture.  If you read either 1 John or James, those two epistles among other places in the Bible, you see challenging or questioning a salvation profession.  John does it.  James does it.  Paul does it.  And Jesus does it.  Some will stand at the very Great White Throne before Jesus, professing salvation, and He will say, “Depart from me, I never knew you.”

Revival, as I see it in scripture, is a larger than normal flurry of true conversions.  The idea of revival indicates something dead becoming alive, which speaks of regeneration.  People are getting really saved in large numbers and based upon true gospel preaching.

The Asbury leaders say that God brought a revival there starting on February 8.  They also say they can’t stop it, since God brought it, even though they did stop the regular meetings there just this last week in part because of a case of measles.  As you might comprehend already, I don’t think the Asbury “Outpouring” or the Jesus Revolution were revival.  I don’t need to wait to see on those two.  I’m saying right now.  They’re not.

My Experience

School Camp

As a senior in high school, I experienced my only gully-washer so-called revival experience.  My academy had school camp, which it also called “spiritual emphasis week.”  We got revivalistic style preaching morning and night.  In long and emotional invitations, weeping students knelt at the front.  Thirteen made professions.

The week ended with a session of emotional testimonies.  Then we headed home.  It did not translate into anything lasting.  Not long after, it was the same-old, same-old with rebellion, apathy, and lack of biblical interest.  The effects of school camp and spiritual emphasis week, despite the “revival,” didn’t continue.

Jack Hyles

When Jack Hyles was alive and in his heyday, in many instances I was in meetings where almost everyone in massive auditoriums came forward at his invitation.  They streamed forward with only a few people left in their seats.  I would think that Hyles could easily vie with any revivalist in his production of effect.  If immediate outward manifestations measured revival, Hyles did better than anyone I’ve ever seen and on a more consistent basis.

At one point, independent Baptist, revivalist churches in the Hyles movement were the largest churches in the world.  Huge crowds gathered to hear a line-up of revivalist preachers.  They were pragmatic and doctrinally errant, but people felt intense closeness to God. I’m telling you that I’ve seen it.

Jack Hyles compared his gatherings to the Day of Pentecost and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.  This recent “revival” at Asbury University its advocates also call an “outpouring.”  This reflects a particular viewpoint about the Holy Spirit, that since the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost, more outpourings of Him might occur.

Mexico

I took a trip to Mexico after my Freshman year in high school, and we drove into remote mountain villages around Monterrey to hold revival meetings.  I didn’t know Spanish except for six or so verses I could quote then.  Dozens and dozens made professions of faith with the pragmatic, emotional manipulation that occurred by my group.  I would contend that much greater fake revival occurred in the 60s and 70s through revivalists than the Asbury one.  These revivals did not get popular media attention of Asbury or the Jesus Revolution, but they resulted in explosive numerical growth as significant as the Jesus Revolution and much greater than Asbury.

Revival?

In listening to a few evaluations of the Jesus Revolution, a significant effect of this revival, mentioned by supporters, was the rise and popularity of Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) and informal or casual dress in church attenders.  I could add others from reading and observation. I’ve read Calvary Chapel Distinctives and the Philosophy of Calvary Chapel.  I got especially interested, because of one of the largest evangelical churches in the state of Oregon is in Applegate, very close to where we started our church in Jackson County there.  Many people involved with the movement, it’s obvious have no true conversion and don’t even understand the gospel.

I listened to at least one of the revivalists running the Asbury revival in one of its earlier video recorded services.  I would not characterize what I saw as revival.  I wouldn’t call it gospel preaching.  It was so shallow, superficial, sentimental, worldly, woke, and Charismatic that I would have nothing to do with it.  I hope someone gets saved through it, like Paul hoped in Philippians 1 with men who opposed him.  Of course, I would want the salvation of people in Kentucky in the Asbury vein and through the Jesus Movement out of California.  I believe both hurt the overall cause of Christ like any fake revival would.

Many years ago, Ian Murray wrote the classic Revival and Revivalism, distinguishing between true revival and only revivalism.  Almost everything today is revivalism, which is fake revival.  People want God to do something.  God is doing something.  Instead of being so overtly concerned that He does something, they should surrender to what He has done, is doing, and will do in the future.

More to Come