My revival this week was different from yours. Not because I am in a different place, or that my relationship with God is so different than yours. But rather God, in His infinite wisdom, meets me and has different things to show me than you, and that's great.
Simply raising your hands isn't enough for revival. You can do that at a U2 concert. Simply singing the songs isn't enough. You can do that at a Casting Crowns show. Simply hearing the preaching, or jumping til the ceiling caves in, or turning all the lights out, all in and of themselves, are not enough.
So I came into this week hoping to recreate an atmosphere similar to Superwow, and bringing in a crazy awesome band with a phenomenal youth evangelist should help usher in the heart of worship. God had other plans, better plans.
The band did amazing, blowing me away with the talent and gifts God bestowed and never performed, but worshipped. Mark brought the Word of God, and was obedient to the move of the Holy Spirit and stayed sensitive to that.
But then what God did, is use the young people of LCY. And in a moment roles reversed. Instead of my ministering to the students, they began ministering to me. They began sharing, opening their hearts, their hurts, their struggles. They prayed for each other, they hugged, held, cried. They leaned on each other. They began leading a revival, one that multiplied itself to a final night where parents, students that haven't been in forever, and some that never have been, came to see what God was doing. And boy was He doing.
It began Sunday morning; baptism, drama, the band was kicking, and Mark brought it. Transparent worship. It started growing Sunday afternoon as the anticipation mounted. Sunday evening saw a guest bring his dance team, sharing talents and gifts, and Introduced the students to the Holy Spirit Power. Monday was great, and students gathered in groups of a few to pray and share and minister. Tuesday - powerful Tuesday - started somewhat dead, but God said "No", we shed all the show, and the Spirit of "Cool" was rebuked, and intimacy grew, and what could have been a weak night turned into a night of huge impact for students. Deep pain was exposed, and again the students ministered. Finally wednesday was a culmination, a final explosion that will hopefully seal in the hearts of the students for the rest of their lives.
This week will be one that will live with me forever. I hope you were able to make it. I hope your experience was as real and wonderful. Did it change your life? Did you change someone else's? What decisions did you make?
Revival, an awakening, or restoration of life... How did this week affect you?
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