Revival Hub: Asbury Revival 2023 – and the Malaysian man with the sign

Salient points:

Asbury Revival is just the beginning
There is a greater Revival / Awakening coming, and it will be on ALL nations (Revelation 4-5). The question is not “if” but “when”
Ask for the Spirit of wisdom and revelation (Ephesians 1:15-23) that you may know Him more

Notes from Ps Dr Leow Hong Too’s testimony/sharing on April 2 and 4, 2023

Why do we pray for revival? It’s God’s heart – that many people will change their lives, many people will experience His love, and come to Him.

We need the power of the Holy Spirit if we were to be witnesses of the Lord. That’s why God asked His disciples to wait. (Acts 1:8)

The first church meeting after Jesus’ ascension was nothing fancy - comprised only prayer and bible study… until the Holy Spirit came. (Acts 2:1-4)

(NOTE: Many people in different parts of the world have been involved in praying for Asbury Revival to come to pass. Dr Leow is one of them, and below is his personal encounter.)

The key verses that guided Dr Leow’s prayer for revival in Asbury University were: Ephesians 1:17-23 and Ephesians 3:14-21.

His original plan was to retire by 60 from teaching in Malaysian Bible Seminary, and then write books, and become an itinerant pastor in Malaysia.

However, Dr Leow had a life-changing experience during his sabbatical in 2015-2016 after listening to the late Martin Llyod Jones’s sermons on the Book of Ephesians and revival. He gained on worship after listening to a sermon on Ephesians 1:3-14.

He subsequently had a Holy Spirit encounter after wrestling with God for several months to give him the Spirit of wisdom and revelation (Ephesians 1:15-23). From then on, he could pray for hours.

On February 21, 2016, Dr Leow had a dream about revival breaking out in Asbury University. However, coming from a conservative mainline Protestant background, Dr Leow said he struggled to accept the dream as coming from the Lord until he received confirmation after confirmation from the Lord that the dream was indeed from Him. So, he started praying for revival in Asbury, and continued to do so after he returned to Malaysia (he spent 2 semesters in Asbury Seminary).

In December 2017, Dr Leow heard from the Lord, asking him to go and live in Wilmore, Kentucky, to pray for revival in Asbury “in person”. The call initially did not make sense to him (as he had no job there and it was expensive and difficult to raise funds). Further, he was already praying for revival in Asbury from Malaysia; so why the need to be there just to pray?). But that was the Lord's call, and so, Dr Leow told God he only had one condition in order to obey the call - that the Lord would make it easy for him to get the “green card”.

Incidentally, God had already prepared for this 30 years ago. Dr Leow’s daughter was born in the United States 30 years ago, so it was not difficult for him to apply for the “green card”.

So, he quit his job in Malaysian Bible Seminary, left Malaysia and went to live in Wilmore by faith. There, he had no job; he spent his time praying - alone and, at times, with other groups who had also praying for revival in Asbury.

Dr Leow entered a fasting and praying season from end-January 2020 to May 2020. After the fasting period, he felt frustrated because not only was there no revival, but there was also the Covid-19 pandemic that resulted in lockdowns/social distancing.

Anyway, in the same year, God told him to switch his daily prayer focus from Revelation 1-3 to Revelation 4-5 to focus on the Throne Room of God (2020-2022). Revelation 4-5 refers to the end-time unprecedented revival for ALL nations.

Dr Leow said during his prayer time, he could see there is a bigger revival ahead after Asbury.

“Asbury Revival is just a warm up… there is a bigger one coming.”

“The question is not “if” revival is coming, it is “when”. For sure, it is coming.”

It was also in 2020 that Dr Leow heard God spoke clearly: Dr Leow was to carry signs around his body proclaiming the “Third Great Awakening” is here.

He started carrying those signs and walked/ran around Wilmore in June 2020. He did this for almost 2 years until May 2022 (regardless of the weather). In the first year, he did this almost every day; by the second year, it was less frequent because his son was not well.

The whole of Wilmore knew about Dr Leow. Some called him the “sandwich man”, some called him “the man with the sign” and “revival man”.

Walking/running around town with signs hanging around his neck might look silly, but Dr Leow felt proud doing it. He felt no shame; he felt joy doing it.

Even when going up to the stage to share, Dr Leow would carry signs proclaiming “Holy Spirit come” with him.

At a repentance gathering in Washington DC in September 2020 [The Return], a stranger walked up to Dr Leow and asked where he came from and what he was doing in the US. Upon hearing Dr Leow said he was in the US to pray for revival, the stranger took out a key and gave it to Dr Leow.

Dr Leow understood the key was a symbol of authority.

So, he started taking the key and holding it up in prayer around Wilmore (in chapels, on the streets), decreeing “Revival Come”.

Nothing happened months down the road, and Dr Leow began to question his action. Nevertheless, he continued to do it, going through the motions and declaring “Revival Come” (only a foolish man would do such a thing, he said).

Feeling frustrated (no revival yet, no idea when it would come), Dr Leow and wife began to think of returning to Malaysia by the end of 2023.

However, in May 2022, Dr Leow heard God’s call to go and serve the homeless in New York City - make disciples of the homeless people.

While seeking the Lord, Dr Leow heard God spoke clearly to him that He had to take Dr Leow out of Wilmore first before sending revival. Dr Leow sensed God saying, “because you will take all the credit when revival comes and you’re still here”... “When you leave, I will send revival.”

Months after leaving Wilmore for New York City, revival broke out in Asbury University on February 8, 2023. The fire has since spread to other universities in the United States.