Below are some things to consider, questions to ask when trying to discern if a movement or revival is of God. When we do these things, we must consider our own history, how we got started, and who has affected us in the past. It is easy to dismiss something, only to find out our very existence as a group would never have occurred if not for some "questionable" moments in the past. No matter where you stand on the current "happenings" at Asbury College, to condemn it without first doing some soul searching, would be unwise and hypocritical. Read below and see how you would respond to the questions and how you would deal with "discrepancies" in the history of your own church or movement.
Does revival require complete doctrinal unity? If so, does this mean joint revival cannot even be experienced by Baptists of different stripes? Did not our Baptist forefathers baptize anyone who came to them seeking immersion, even tho they did not join a Baptist church?
Does revival require preaching the Gospel, or can God simply move on those who are already His in order to prepare them for something future, which may include Gospel preaching? Could He be saying to those who feel like they are all alone in their faith "I have others that ye know not of" and especially to young people who may feel no one their age is interested in the things of God, that the Lord has "reserved" others just like them, who have not bowed their knee to Baal?? Is the spirit of Elijah coming in these last days"
What about some practices we see as "unbiblical" like female preachers? The Methodists have been licensing female preachers since 1789 by order of John Wesley. Did this negate Wesley's ministry or diminish those saved under Methodist preaching? Missionary Baptists have been sending female missionaries all over the world for 175 years. Many times they were unmarried. Were these women, in effect "preachers"? Southern Baptists honor these women like Annie Armstrong, who went up against fierce opposition from male leadership in the Southern Baptist Convention, yet today her organization and offerings taken in her name fund the SBC Missions. Also women like Lottie Moon who went alone to China to reach the lost, converting hundreds, died on the field, and was found weighing a mere 50 lbs because she kept giving her food to the starving Chinese. There is a monument erected in 1915 in her honor by the Chinese Christians outside Wulin Shenghui Church of Penglai Shandong province. The monument and her church is protected as a "cultural historical" site by the Chinese Communist Govt, and the church is still active with 4000 members. While America is ripping down our own monuments, Communists are preserving Christian ones. She also has a monument in Georgia erected by Southern Baptists, which calls her an "evangelist and devoted minister of the Gospel". Is her work "out of order"? Is it possible God will call a woman because a male refused His call? Is the ministry of pastors like Charles Stanley invalid because he was converted by a female Pentecostal preacher?
There is a video of a supposed demon being cast out at the revival.What about casting out demons? Is it for today? If people really can be possessed and oppressed by demons, and those "not of us" cast them out, shall we be like the apostle when he said "Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name; and we forbad him, because he followeth not with us? (Luke 9:49) And if we forbid them, would Jesus say to us "Forbid him not: for he that is not against us is for us."? (Luke 9:50)
Baptists rejected the First Great Awakening for "doctrinal" reasons. Many Baptists said it was merely emotional and out of order. Yet there have been many Baptists in the past, who by today's standards, would be seen as almost charismatic. Even now, some very conservative Baptists who are denouncing this movement have very charismatic style worship, no tongues speaking but very emotional, with shouting, running, jumping, etc. The Asbury revival has had no such wild manifestations, other than praising with the voice and hand raising. The Asbury worship has been "tame" compared to many Independent Baptists. In some past great revivals, Baptists did "come late to the table" but eventually joined in. Is it wise to wait and see, or better to simply pray for revival in our own churches, and then join in with others when we believe it to be real?
Almost all Baptists have been against the Pentecostal movement, yet most SBC churches and nearly all Independent Baptists and even the Eastern District Primitive Baptists use the "red back hymnal" published by the Church of God. Why do we prefer their hymnal over the Baptist hymnal? Is this an example of not letting a doctrinal variance hinder us from participating in what we agree on, and acknowledging the efforts of brothers and sisters in other sects? Can we Baptists sometimes be hypocrites like the Campbellites, who love to sing songs written by people of other churches, then turn around and in essence denounce them as heretics because we do not see how God can move unless its within our own understanding and approval?
Are Baptists still displaying undertones of strict Landmarkism, with some believing true revival must always begin with us?
I for one have many questions, but I also affirm that God moves when and where He wills. He will come to those who are hungry and thirsty. He praised the Good Samaritan, who the Jews would have said "is not of us". He also "revived" a woman who was a Samaritan, whom the Jews rejected. John 4:39-40 says "Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me everything I ever did.” So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days." From what I hear, the Asbury Revival started with confession of sin and asking forgiveness of others. If that is the case, may we not hear from them and hope that the Lord will stay with us "two days" as well? Can a sect that was rejected by the Jews, really have "urged Him to stay with them" and He agree to do so?
As the United Methodist Church implodes and disintegrates, is it possible, since God has obviously removed His mantle from them, that He may be giving it to others in the Wesleyan tradition, since Asbury is aligned with Wesleyanism and named for a Methodist bishop? Is it possible that God may simply be affirming that we should live with "HOLINESS UNTO THE LORD", which is written above the pulpit at the Asbury Chapel, and is the long standing call of Wesley? Is God preserving one of the "tribes" of Jesus that it may not be lost?
My parents were involved with a mission church among the Hispanic community, and while it was a Baptist mission, the Methodists sent more money to it than the Baptists did. Was that ministry "in error" because the Methodists supported it?
While I was raised in a Southern Baptist church, we often had Independent Baptist preachers visit, and our choir and singing groups often went to sing in their churches. Our church welcomed the "Jesus Movement" which was started by "hippie preachers" and is mostly responsible for the growth of the Calvary Chapel and Vineyard churches. Many Independent Baptists broke fellowship with us over that issue. Greg Laurie, who I believe to be a great evangelist was saved in that movement, and his church a Calvary Chapel church, is now affiliated with the SBC. I remember as a child in the 1970's hearing many Independent Baptists preach that if a man had long hair and a beard he was in sin. I also remember asking, "Would Jesus and the apostles be allowed to preach in those churches?"
Is there an answer to these questions in Scripture when it says "Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name; and we forbad him, because he followeth not with us. And Jesus said unto him, Forbid him not: for he that is not against us is for us."? (Luke 9: 49-50)
And finally, let us remember that George Whitefield, a staunch Calvinist, and John Wesley, a free will Arminian, definitely had their doctrinal differences, yet shared many moments of revival. When someone asked Wesley if he thought he would see Whitefield in heaven, his answer was “I fear not, for he will be so near the eternal throne and we at such a distance, we shall hardly get sight of him.”
Ken Mann
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