Day 58 Awakening

2/28/2025 

  And do this, knowing the time, that now

it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation

is nearer than when we first believed.

Romans 13:11

 

Every year on the last Thursday in February the Collegiate Day of Prayer organizes a time for students and leaders to come together to seek God, repent, and pray for revival. This year they met at A&M University in Dallas, Texas. On Friday a new evangelical movement called Gather25 will be following on the heels of Collegiate Day of Prayer, and it also will be kicked off in Texas at Watermark Church in Dallas. It is a Global Christian Conference with livestreams from New Zealand, Malaysia, Romania, Rwanda, United Kingdom and Peru, with a special report from the persecuted church. There will be 25 hours of prayer, repentance, and worship as college students, Gen Z, and all ages hungry for the word of God and truth will gather. Gather25 was birthed from a dream by Jennie Allen, an author, Bible teacher, and wife to Zac Allen, pastor of Austin Bible Fellowship in Texas. The purpose of the movement is for evangelism, beginning with collegiate students.

Revival is breaking out all over the world, and it is spreading. It began at Asbury University on February 8, 2023 at a routine chapel service, when a young man came up front during a worship service candidly confessing his sins.Then another student came up, and in similar fashion confessed and received salvation. Then another, and on and on it went for 16 days with hundreds receiving Christ. It was exciting to see, because college students were breaking free of their sins and addictions and any hindrances that were keeping them bound. When people got wind of what was happening, people flocked to experience this move of God. People came from Japan and other nations all over the world. I remember they were trying to keep the press out, as it was a holy moment, and they didn't want to quench the Spirit of God. They also limited outside ministries who wanted to be part of this move of God. The small town could not support the wild influx of people coming to witness and experience the revival, so they had to end the service, but it did not quit, it was moved to another part of the university, and it continues to this day, only in controlled circumstances. At the initial spark, students were not attending classes, so eventually something had to change. Other colleges sent bus loads of students to Asbury, so they could experience the presence of God and take it back home to ignite the students there.  They wanted to catch the holy fire, and take it home. This is how revival begins. It begins in one heart, hungry for a move of God, shared to everyone, everywhere.

Gather25 was birthed by a dream, Jennie shared, and it was spread using technology available around the world, and people could participate from home, schools, offices, churches, coffee ships, wherever they could gather, even if there was only one person, as in my case, the invitation was given. People were crying out for personal repentance, salvation for family and friends, for our country, Israel, and other nations around the globe. Gen A, some say, does not want anything to do with religion. I can't say that I blame them on that one, as revival and salvation are based on faith in Christ, being sent out to spread the news to everyone. I agree with Paul as he shared from 1 Corinthians 2:2 "I am determined to know nothing else, except Jesus Christ and him crucified." With that I share my testimony and my insatiable hunger and thirst for righteousness. God promises that I will be filled. 

We do not know when Jesus is going to return for His bride, the repentant church, but we know the time is short, and we don't want to waste any time. Today is the day of salvation. In recent days God has shown His great mercy to America one more time, but people's eyes have been closed. Has the church awakened? 

In the book Revelation the Lord identifies seven churches: Ephesus, the loveless church; Smyrna, the persecuted church; Pergamos, the compromising church; Thyatira, the corrupt church; Sardis, the dead church; Philadelphia, the faithful church; and Laodicea, the lukewarm church. In Chapter 3, verse 20, Jesus is talking to the church in Laodicea, saying: "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me." Jesus is not speaking to non-Christians, rather, it is addressed to the people in the church in Laodicea whom Jesus has identified as lukewarm. Jesus was not speaking to unbelievers, He was speaking to the church, addressing the pastors, exhorting them about what was hindering them from doing what God called them to do. They may have been doing good things, giving their tithes and offerings, or teaching Sunday School or watching the children in the nursery, involved in community services, but they did not have time for God. He had been eased out by the volume of church growth, church groups, or even community outreach. All good and admirable, but they were not nurturing their time alone with God, listening to Him speak. Busy doing rather than listening, building relationship.The most important part of a relationship with Him is sitting at His feet, in His presence, listening, receiving instruction in His word.

Church, we have to do better, much better, as the world in watching.