The Angelina College Revival

The Angelina College Revival

 I was invited to preach a revival meeting for our local commuter college.many years ago.  Life and ministry kept me busy. I had very little expectation for God to move powerfully during the three nights of meetings.

Before we began the leadership invited me to participate on a prayer walk around the campus. To my knowledge that was the first prayer walk I ever took. Again my expectations were low.

What I did not know is a passionate prayer warrior named Jonathan Baldwin had led a prayer movement among those college students preparing the way for  a move of God I still cannot forget.

On the first night I do not remember anything out of the ordinary during the worship or during my message. All that changed during the invitation. I sensed the overwhelming presence of God enter the room. So powerfully I knew I had to get out from in front of everyone. I fell on my face and hid my head under one of the front row chairs.. 

Many will have a hard time believing what happened next. I heard the sound of weeping all over the room. Guys and girls cried out to God in repentance. All the time my friend Chris Nash played his guitar leading us in worship. I never got out from under that chair until the service ended. People repented. They sang. They wept. They gathered in groups to pray. That invitation alone lasted for two hours!

What was supposed to be a three night revival meting turned into a three week powerful move of God. Many got saved. Students got right with God. And I learned personally the cost of revival.

For three weeks I was out of the house preaching. For three weeks my days consisted of seeing my boys off to school. Praying and seeking God for the next message. . Spending a little time with my boys when they got home from school. Leaving for my office for more prayer and personal preparation for the services. Most nights the revival meeting lasted until well after 11. Many of us went out to eat afterwards at IHOP. I seldom got home before midnight and many times later than that.

I was so humbled and grateful to be a part of such a move of God. I paid a cost. So did the BSM director who missed time with her husband and boys. I had to cancel some other revival meetings which meant I would miss getting paid. Those college students could not afford to pay me. It was a step of faith. I remember Chris’ fingers being raw from playing his guitar so much during those weeks. He eventually had to start putting a layer of superglue on his fingers to insulate them from playing two to three hours each night.

Then there was the criticism from local pastors and churches. They doubted the move of God. They said we were trying to manufacture something. Many were skeptical. I tried to ignore it as we continued to pursue God and His move among us. Eventually high school students from another town heard and showed up. They had a powerful move in their youth group.

I will never forget the night it all ended. When I pulled up that night the first thing anyone said to me was, “Where are we going to eat afterwards.” The Spirit was quenched. We had taken God’s move for granted. I knew shortly into the meeting that night the revival was over. I have often wondered what God would have done if we had kept praying, kept pursuing Him, and kept meeting.

My point is simple. Revival is costly and many people in local churches are not wiling to pay the price. Tell me what would happen if God showed up in a powerful fashioning your next Sunday morning service working well past the noon hour. Would people become restless. Would some get up and leave. Would members be uncomfortable with lengthy invitations where people openly wept in repentance. Would they be willing to sacrifice time at home or ball games to come seek and worship the Lord of Creation.