March 2023 Newsletter
Revival...Revolution...Refuge.
I met the Lord at the tail end of the Jesus movement in 1975.
It was a dynamic and exciting time that changed millions of lives and even the way we do church. The movie “Jesus Revolution” accurately depicts the excitement and transformation that took place during that time. Revival passion has always been in my blood and I’ve been on the hunt for the "next movie" so much so that a friend once told me that I was like the guy on the merry-go-round who was always reaching for the ring! They meant it as a compliment in that I always had a hunger for a greater move of God.
This brings me to our current situation. Is it just me or is anyone else seeing a divine convergence taking place in our society?! In other words, there seems to be a lot of things happening that are pointing to a major shift in our culture, especially in the spiritual realm. Personally I think the stage was set by covid. I’m not saying it was a good thing but God seems to have used it to cause us to rethink many things, one of them being what we believe about and how we do church.
For example, I have found zoom calls to be a great way to gather for prayer, teaching and even worship together. I remember the awkwardness I felt the first time I led worship for a prayer meeting over a zoom call and then my surprise as I played to see peoples faces turned towards the Father in adoration. I did it for a season with one particular group and we had amazing Holy Spirit moments. God is not limited! I’m not saying zoom calls should replace face to face gatherings but it has definitely been a great addition regarding how the church gathers.
So, back to convergence. The Chosen series, The Asbury meetings and its off shoots on college campuses, The Jesus Revolution movie are just a few of the signs that God is stirring the waters. In California there is a state wide event called Hope California where churches are mobilizing to pray and work together to reach the lost through food giveaways, street evangelism and festivals.
My friends, like many of you, I have been at this a long time praying and believing for revival. I have often thought that we were on the verge of the Big One only to have events and seasons come and go. Early on I would get discouraged, disheartened and even upset with God that our expectations weren’t met. I mean, we had all night prayer watches, we fasted, did evangelistic events and endless revival meetings but honestly I’ve always felt there was more! Don’t get me wrong, many of these times were very fruitful, so I don’t have regrets. But I’ve always felt there was more, like Acts 19 where a city was turned upside down by the power of God’s word with miraculous signs and wonders. I want to see the exceedingly, abundantly above all we can ask or think manifestation of God’s glory and goodness bring lasting change to our cities, nation and world. The early church changed the world and I have the same hope for us. That being said, wherever we are on God’s time table of a powerful move, and many prophets are saying we are, I never want to lose hope or a passion for God and His kingdom!
So how do we live while on the edge of what could be a move of God? Well, simply put, stay faithful!!! Many advances during revival have been lost because people lost their first love or stopped pursuing God altogether. It’s like a newly married couple lost in the excitement of their relationship. It’s a great way to start a relationship but we all know the work involved to maintain and grow the relationship. In other words, what happens when things aren’t as exciting? It’s the same with our relationship with God. Do we stay faithful and allow God to grow our character and ability to love?
So friends, whether we are in the throws of a passionate and wild revival or are faithfully working in the trenches, stay hungry and keep reaching for that ring!
Mike Hubbard, TDC Board Member and Hubb Mnistries Director
There is a ministry that has consistently modeled love and faithfulness to the poor of our city.
It’s called City of Refuge. Led by David and Christine Dewitt and their team of workers they have served the poor of the inner city of San Diego for over 23 years. They feed hungry San Diegans through food distributions, host weekly youth nights for the neighborhood kids and teenagers which has led to lasting relationships and go to the streets to minister to the homeless. This ministry has changed lives and over the years has resulted in many coming to live and work in the COR community. On top of all this they have a recuperative care home for men.
We do these newsletters, email blasts and post these articles everywhere we can to draw attention to ministries that are worthy of our support. If you are stirred to do some hands on Kingdom work we highly recommend City of Refuge. You can connect with them at:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cityofrefugesandiego
Website: http://www.cityofrefugesandiego.net