Yes, I Am An Asbury Revival Skeptic

Hi! It’s me! I’m one of the Asbury Revival skeptics. Seems like a rather dangerous thing to admit right now, but before you stone me, hear me out.

I am a former Pentecostal. I’ve been in Pentecostal churches my whole life, so I “get” revival. I’m not a stick in the mud or trying to be a Negative Nancy. I have attended every Camp Meeting and revival event in every church I’ve belonged to since I was 8 years old.

Revival, for a Pentecostal, is part of your identity. Your prayer life is devoted to seeing it happen. You dream of it. You hope for it. You live and breathe to see and experience the next outpouring. I say all that to let you know, I know where you are coming from. I know why it would be frustrating for people to take a step back and question the very thing you’ve been longing and seeking for.

So what’s my problem? What am I concerned about?

Along with a plethora of comments scolding and rebuking anyone who had anything cautionary to say, I saw this comment today.

“Quit asking questions and just experience it! Once you experience it you’ll know it’s true!”

It sums up, quite succinctly, a hefty portion of why I am concerned. It seems almost to be a crowd consensus that if you ask questions or express skepticism, that you are “religious” and the only thing that will fix you is to throw caution to the wind and just “experience” it.

Friends… I have a problem with that.

A big problem with that.

If there is no space for skepticism, there’s no space for discernment. The skeptics are not your enemies. The skeptics are doing their due diligence according to Scripture. The skeptics are watching for the souls of precious and vulnerable people. The skeptics are often those who have encountered wolves in sheep’s clothing, and having witnessed firsthand, the carnage they are capable of, desire to preserve and protect the sheep.

I’ll save my magnitude of thoughts on the pursuit of experience, and whether that’s something we should be engaged in, for another day, but when it comes to seemingly spiritual things, it’s not uncommon to see a premium placed on a reckless type of “faith.” Don’t ask questions! You can’t get this with your mind! Just embrace it! Just let go! Just experience it! Take a leap of “faith” and dive right in!

That’s not what we are commanded to do in Scripture though. We are commanded to test the spirits. Weigh them. Be aware of the possibility of false prophets. Pausing, to carefully assess what’s going on, who is involved, what’s being promoted, what’s behind the scenes, whether the Gospel is truly being preached, are false ideas/teachings being presented, is this sound…

That’s not wrong. That’s BIBLICAL.

1 John 4:1 (ESV): Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.

It’s often considered a spiritual thing to circumvent the mind, but it’s not really. This is a lie the church has bought into. Especially the charismatic/Pentecostal/mystic circles. In Matthew 23:27, Jesus Himself tells us, “…You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.”

Did you catch that last one? Your mind.

God gave you a mind to use.

In order to be sober, vigilant, aware of false teachers, seducing spirits, prove all things, etc, you’ve got to use your mind. It’s ok to use your mind. (1 Thes. 5:21; Eph. 4:14; Matt. 24:23-25) Skepticism is not condemning. It’s not hating. It’s not even criticizing. Skepticism is simply thinking.

In the last several years, as I’ve navigated through various false teachings, one thing has stood out to me over and over. The suggestion, in any situation, to stop thinking, is always, always, always a red flag. Any person, teaching, practice or doctrine that would inhibit you from thinking fully and carefully is extremely dangerous. Many times that suggestion will come wrapped in an apparent virtue like “having faith” or “submitting” or “exercising obedience.” Regardless of the package it’s presented in, if you’re ever encouraged to stop thinking, that’s your cue to kick your brain into overdrive.

I want to encourage my friends, don’t be afraid to take a step back and examine things. God is not going to penalize you for searching a thing out and making certain it’s solid. You’re not going to miss out on a real revival if you’re taking time to judge all things according to His Word. You’re not going to hinder God or stop a legitimate work of God. All that is true can withstand scrutiny. All that is of God will stand.