Where are your eyes focused?

Take a minute and think about the question.  What is it that you listen to, watch, learn from, let shape your understanding and outlook on life?No doubt you have heard by now about the outpouring of Holy Spirit that began at Asbury University in Wilmore, Ky. I’m sure you’ve also heard about similar revivals happening around our nation on university and college campuses and in high schools. Even Cedarville University is being affected by what God is doing. There have even been reports of revivals going on in other nations.  For a minute it was all over the news – but like so many things, the page turns after a day or two and the news dies down about such events. At the time of the writing of this blog, it is still going on. In fact, this morning they made an announcement that parents had filled the chapel at the seminary across the street and had spent the night crying out in prayer for their children.If you are interested here is an 8-minute documentary that the students and a staff member of Asbury have put together talking about what is going on.  https://youtu.be/fJwQSEihmhQWhat is happening is an intentional, foretold movement of God as He once again steps up and saves us from ourselves. Foretold you may ask? Yes, foretold. Pay attention, see what God is doing.  Proverbs 4:25 ESV says; “Let your eyes look directly forward, and your gaze be straight before you.”  Don’t turn to the right or left, look to the Lord for this is from Him. Understand that because this is from God – it will be on His terms.  Isaiah 43:19 NIV says “See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.”Understand that God is doing something new. When we hear the words revival, we tend to think of an evening preaching service that lasts a week or two. The pastor stands, gives a message and then a powerful altar call and people respond – are saved then go home and to work the next morning.  This is not that.  God is pouring out His Spirit on all, but specifically He is sweeping up Generation Z. He is pouring out His Spirit on them, and in His love, they are being healed from all the lies and teaching they have learned from the world. The lies that told them it didn’t matter what they believed in or how they lived.God’s gloves are off. He is tired of all the lies. He has heard the cries of His children who have repented and asked for healing of our land, and He is doing something about it – but listen closely, it’s a NEW thing. It’s not the revivals of the past led by the older generations. This is a movement that will be led by this specific younger generation. God is anointing them with His Spirit so that they will be filled with power and authority to lead all of us into God’s presence.So, what is our role in this revival movement? Begin with guarding what you watch.  Allow God to define what He is doing. Don’t try to make it about the revivals of the past. This is something new and needs a new wineskin.Don’t try to manage what is happening. Follow the lead of GenZ, who is coming broken, looking for the one true God. AND, having found Him, they are worshiping Him in spirit and truth.  If you didn’t before, click the link above and listen to what they see happening. They are singing to the Lord, loving Him, adoring Him, surrendering to Him.Don’t seek a strategy for the future. Stay in the moment with the Lord, He is taking care of the future right in front of us. We just need to keep our eyes on Him.,I hate to say it, but the worst thing all of the other generations, (all of us who are  older than the Zs) can do is try to control what is happening. So let’s join them in surrendering to the Lord, loving Him completely.At Hope, we have a great GenZ group that is already leading in worship. I think most, if not all of us love it when they lead. We are so proud of them for their bravery to be upfront. But let’s follow them a step farther into the presence of the Lord. Let’s make worship time a time of adoration and surrender, a time of loving on the Lord the way He deserves to be loved on. Let’s rejoice that the Lord is so in love with all of us and that He is pouring out His spirit on this young generation. Recognize and embrace their anointing that the Lord is placing on them for such a time as this.These are exciting times to be alive, and God has placed each of us here at this time so we can be a part of what He is doing. If the prophets are right, which I believe they are, we are witnessing the beginning of the Third Great Awakening. So, pay attention, keep your eyes on God because He’s on the move and is doing great things!