Hal Garms eWord Messages

“The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going” (John 3:8a,b NASB).

Here in His discussion with Nicodemus, Jesus declares some things about the moving of the Holy Spirit. While the moving of God upon a person, a people, or a nation is spontaneous, mysterious, and at times mystical, we can be aware of it. Yet when God moves, His work is manifested in people – people who are born of the Spirit in whom Christ is being formed (see Galatians 4:19). Considering the recent events at Asbury University, it behooves us to look closer at what Jesus has shared and look deeper into the moving of God.

…You Hear the Sound of It

We don’t always know the exact details of what, how, where, or when God will move and pour out His Spirit in dynamic and society-changing ways. However, I am convinced we can capture a glimpse or even a view of what God has planned. As I mentioned in my post, “Recognizing the Seasons,” we don’t have to be caught off guard as we can be cued in by the Holy Spirit and even recognize when a society is ripe for harvest (I call it the Zacchaeus effect). It is best to be ahead of the external cues as we will be fully prepared and ready for what God has in store. This is one of the reasons why God will give us a glimpse or a view of what is to come. Jesus gave a glimpse to His disciples when He instructed them to go to Jerusalem and wait there for the promise of the Father (see Luke 24:49). He told them they would receive power after the Holy Spirit came upon them. He also told them they would, as a result, be His witnesses in multiple areas and unto “the uttermost parts of the earth” (Acts 1:8 KJV). Of the Holy Spirit, Jesus said, “He will disclose to you what is to come” (John 16:13 NASB).

If we would know the thoughts of God and His intents, we must have an ear to hear and an eye to see. Yet these can only be obtained after we have a heart that is accessible to begin to know “the things that God has prepared…” (1 Cor 2:9 NASB). Let’s look into this as we consider some significant events.

Timing and Divine Strategy

At the time of this writing, two spectacular events have coincided in America. These are momentous events. The first event: a university campus among the student body there. The second event: a major motion picture on the silver screen featuring a historical event involving those who were late high school and college ages about 50 years ago.

At Asbury University in Wilmore, Kentucky a Spiritual renewal among the student body resulted in over 10 days of continuous prayer and worship as they sought God, repented, and many were saved. This event overflowed the nation, even having a global impact. Tens of thousands flooded the community of 6,000 during those ten days.

Less than 20 days after that outpouring, the motion picture, “Jesus Revolution” premiered in theaters all across the country. The movie features the Jesus People Movement of the late nineteen-sixties and early seventies while focusing on three primary people of the time (Lonnie Frisbee, Chuck Smith, and Greg Laurie). This Christian film well exceeded expectations at the box office across the country. Fox News alluded to the film working “miracles” at the box office.

Both events are significant in that they reflect what the Barna Group poll (see my post, “Recognizing the Seasons”) indicated a few months ago: Spiritual hunger and the desire to look for God emerged in the aftermath of the Covid-19 Pandemic. This hunger spans all generations young and old and is not limited to America only. These two events have seen an unprecedented flocking to what God has put forth and gifted us with at Asbury and also a tremendous flocking to see the testimonial story on the silver screen.

When God brings things together, timing and Divine strategy are brought together.

The breath of the Spirit is blowing. The wind is breathing; God is moving. The timing of both of these events is what a friend of mine, Pastor Stoneham calls “a God-thing!” It is a Divine setup – Divine strategy. Tens of thousands have traveled to Asbury from all over the United States and Canada, and from various parts of the world as well. These travelers took what God began in them to many places throughout the country and overseas as they returned home. Hundreds of thousands have experienced “Jesus Revolution” in its first few days of showing, placing it third at the box office bringing in over $15 million. Reviews of the movie reflected the impact that the audiences experienced. There is a moving of God across the land. The timing and fruit of these events are a witness to this moving.

With The Moving of God, There is an Unveiling of His Intents and Purposes

When God moves, He moves for a reason. Throughout history, all significant moves of God have had a seismic impact on society. There have been pockets of revival here and there with the hopes of something spectacular. Genuine revival results in the church advancing toward the fullness of the image of Jesus AND results in the harvest of the lost. This is Scriptural and is demonstrated historically. A move of God will do more than entertain us or satisfy our lust for mysticism and sensationalism. While God can mysteriously move in mystical ways, they are not the ends, but the means to a greater revelation and impartation: An increase of the nature, character, and virtue of Jesus in the church and a passion to carry out the Great Commission impacting society at large.

The testimony of the church at Ephesus exemplifies this. The move of God at Ephesus (see Acts 18 and 19) resulted in a dozen people reaching a city through a move of God that brought in over 50,000 souls into the Kingdom of God. It impacted society in such a way, that the “beasts at Ephesus” (see 1 Corinthians 15:32) became enraged as the market, demand, and devotion to witchcraft were gutted! This is the type of impact a Jesus-revealing, Holy Spirit-empowered church has on a society!

The spontaneity of the students at Asbury demonstrates the powerful drawing and convicting power of the Holy Spirit in awakening people to the intents and purposes of God in a specific season. Established in non-stop prayer, worship, testimonies, and sharing of Scripture the Lord brought repentance, reconciliation, salvation, and reports of healing during this awakening. Repentance and renewal with Jesus were the major emphases throughout the non-stop Spiritual renewal. And many were awakened to the reality of Jesus and their need for Him as result. Many testimonies of people finding peace for the first time in their lives as they surrendered their lives to Jesus were reported. These were the results of the convicting power of God’s Spirit.

The Intentions for His Church (that’s you and me) in This Hour

The foundations of this movement reveal  God’s intentions for His church in this hour. God is calling us to genuine repentance, and renewal to purely Jesus. No hype. No showboating. No other superstars. Simply and purely Jesus – our First Love. As a result, those who have been cold and lukewarm have experienced an igniting of a revival flame from the Holy Spirit. A revival flame that leads us and moves us to connect with others, in the church and with the lost, to share the power of the Gospel with them. Beginnings determine the ends. The sapling declares the anticipated fruit of a tree. And what God began doing at Asbury, He has continued elsewhere – globally. He is faithful to continue and complete the work He has started.

God has put His stamp and signature on every move of His Spirit. Interestingly, there are consistencies and striking similarities in every move of God. Now, this is the pure cup of His presence about which I am talking. Those who have been intoxicated with a mixed cup typically find that this cup seems boring and rather unappealing. Many would like to think that an awesome move of God would usher them into experiencing things that not even the Scriptures have indicated! Or maybe they are looking to be pleased with various forms of mysticism – in the name of Jesus. Whatever the case, every move of God bears the same earmarkings: Repentance and renewed passion for Jesus and becoming like Him that bring about revival yoked together with a Spiritual awakening of the lost to the reality of Jesus Christ and their need for Him. His stamp and signature are found in this move of God. This is a season for repentance, renewal, and revival along with a Spiritual awakening within a society or nation!

It Blows Where It Wishes Bringing Repentance and Renewal

Beloved, it is vital that we recognize the intents and purposes of God. He has made them known through the fruit of the work Holy Spirit in the renewal at Asbury as well as everywhere it has spread. In recognizing this we can step into the intents and purposes of God where we are and enter into what God is doing as this gentle but powerful wind is blowing across the land.

As the warm winds of spring begin to blow, they declare the end of winter, its dormancy, and fruitlessness. They declare a new beginning, a time of renewal, and new life. With the renewal there follows maturity – the blade then the head. In the midst of all of this, there comes an increasing awareness of harvest. So is the way of the moving of God. Renewal brings revival, and revival brings an awakening of the dead and sleeping (see Ephesians 5:14) to the reality of God and His Christ!

Repentance and renewal have spread to multiple campuses across the nation and to other countries – wheresoever God desires. The flames of revival are on the horizon. But beware, for it must be the wind of the Spirit that we seek and experience and not a tempest wind in masquerade. Some seek to exploit such a time of this for material gain and selfish ambition. Their ambitions are not founded within the intents and purposes of God. The Scripture warns of those who will exploit, and it warns that we should not become entangled with such “wells without water” tempest clouds without rain “carried about of winds” (see 2 Peter 2; Jude 12).

I urge you “to have these things always in remembrance” (2 Peter 1:15 KJV).Keep in mind the intents and purposes of God in this hour and earnestly reach toward them and walk in them. The end result of every move of God is that we become more like Jesus and that our leadership becomes more serving in meekness – like Jesus. It changes our desires and appetite so that we are satisfied only with the simplicity and purity of devotion to Jesus. It is in this condition of holiness that we become like Him, and this is the renewal into which the Father is drawing us.

Yet the road to this renewal begins with repentance. It requires that true repentance must be enjoined. We must become transparent and unveil the core unregenerate places of our hearts that are hidden and protected by the secrecy of falsehood and darkness, self-righteousness, and denial. These all must fall if we are to rise in the true power and glory of God. For He will raise us up, those who are crucified with Christ – those who have crucified the flesh and its affections (see Galatians 5:24). He will raise us up in the power of His resurrection and He shall make us His witnesses to this generation in this time that we live. This is where the wind is blowing across the nation directing us toward repentance and renewal.

Conclusive Conclusion

For quite some time I have been burdened, praying, and seeking God in intercession for a move of His Spirit that would have a national impact on the U.S. and other nations. As I prayed and made supplication while making intercession in the Spirit (Eph), God encouraged me with a view of His intentions. Since then I have continued to call on God and intercede on behalf of the nation and the church while watching the horizon for a mighty wind from the breath of God.

As the Lord led me into intercession for the church and for the nation I encountered life-transforming convictions from the Holy Spirit. He began to work at peeling away each layer of the flesh from my life. I needed to become what I was praying for on the behalf of the church in what she needed to become. Then I could be an intercessor making intercession on behalf of the church and the nation(s).

Through all of this God gave me an awesome realization. The next move of God would be a grass-roots movement that would not be orchestrated, planned, or organized by the status quo. God would raise up unknown generals and captains who are not in pursuit of wealth or personal fame and recognition. These would be they who have crucified selfish and religious ambition in their pursuit of being conformed to the image of Christ. These, in the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ, are committed to bringing people to Jesus and leading them to become Christ-like.

Even if you did not go to Asbury, the wind is still blowing. God is moving. Now. I urge you to join me and thousands of others to come out of your room of comfort and convenience. Just as the bride in the Song of Solomon needed to leave her room after the Bridegroom reached to her through the lattices to pursue and seek for Him (see Song of Solomon 2:9), I urge you to step out into the wind of His Spirit. Join the Sovereign move of God in this hour where repentance and the ensuing renewal to purely Jesus are knocking at your door.

Father, I pray that you make us aware of your Sovereign call to repentance, but not repentance alone, but repentance and renewal. I pray that these chords be drawn now – in our lives unto You. Lead us into your presence so that we may discover the areas of our hearts that need to fall to your Lordship. Renew us in being devoted purely to Jesus. Lord, I reject the complexities of my vain reasonings, justifying the areas I am not like You. I reject and renounce the excuses I have made as I have maintained my distance from You. Oh Lord, I begin at this time to seek you in repentance for renewal. I ask you, Oh God, as David asked, Will you not revive us, Oh Lord? Purify me wholly. Cleanse me completely. I begin this season of praying and seeking Your face until you begin and complete Your work in me. Lead me to others so I can share this season and share in this season with them. In Jesus’ name. Amen.