The Spirit of God knocked at least 350,000 millennials to their knees as they chanted “Jesus, Jesus, Jesus,” in one of the most politically charged locations in the United States.
“The entire National Mall was full of people on their knees, silent before the Lord,” Pulse movement founder Nick Hall tells Charisma News of the weekend’s Together 2016 event. “If you think about a largely teenage and millennial generation who are normally totally loud and rambunctious, to see them prostrate and quiet and still, you could tell the Spirit was really at work.”
Conservative estimates say more than 350,000 people were commissioned to spread the gospel, but Hall says it easily could have been 600,000 who sat at the feet of some of today’s most prominent Christians as they preached church unity.
“I would say Francis Chan—really, unintentionally, but still—really talked about that God is calling us not to be safe, calling us to be the generation that, rather than seeking relevance, God is calling us to seek obedience. He gave a bit of a word about hard times (are) coming, and quoted Jesus about people (who are) going to turn against the Body. But, really, it was super empowering,” Hall tells Charisma News.
“Man it’s going to be hard but worth it,” he says. “It’s time for this generation to stand. God is looking for people to stand. This isnt about backing down, or being quiet, being silent. It’s about lifting up Jesus.”
And they did just that. Hall says people sang on the steps of the Capitol and Lincoln Memorial. Attendees preached on the metro.
“I decided to go last minute because with so much tension going on in our nation, I was really intrigued by an event that seemed to be promoting unity,” attendee Drenda Butler told Charisma News. “While it wasn’t this significant life-changing event like I anticipated, it gave me so much hope. We still live in a nation where hundreds of thousands of Christians can gather in our capital to worship Jesus without persecution, and I think people have lost sight of that. It was also inspiring to see people of various races, church backgrounds and life experiences gathered together in one place. The media makes it seem like our nation has lost all hope, but Together 2016 showed me that in Christ, anything is possible and any barrier can be broken.”
Hospitality volunteer Kyle Barrett tells Charisma News, “I was overwhelmed by the Lord’s heart for the bride of Christ. It was really powerful to get to stand with so many people from many different parts of the body.
“… I believe something shifted as a result of the gathering,” Barrett says. “Not that the Lord hasn’t already heard prayers asking for revival in the nation, but that the physical gathering of many different streams of the church marked a specific desire in the church to see people know the name of Jesus and the character of Jesus, regardless of agenda.”
Thousands vocalized their support on social media.
“The fact that #JesusChangesEverything is trending brings HOPE to a hurting world,” pastor Greg Locke tweeted.
Louie Giglio posted: “// o n o u r k n e e s // #jesuschangeseverything …”
Country sensation band Rascal Flatts even chimed in: “I wish I could be @JesusIsTheReset in DC today! We are on tour or I would be there. Plant the seed! #JesusChangesEverything –Gary LeVox.”
Hall says the event July 16 was just the beginning.
“We’ve said it’s ‘Fill the mall, now it’s time to fill them all.’ It’s a prophetic word for this generation: Fill every cafeteria, school, coffee shop, stadium and street corner; the message of Jesus belongs everywhere.”
The gospel message was so powerful, Hall says it blew away the mainstream media. The event organizer says outlets approached him confused as to how so many people could gather without a political agenda.
“The mainstream media was shocked they were to have such a mass event that was largely not political at all. It’s literally just a bunch of people praying and lifting up Jesus and sharing love of Christ. It really wasn’t negative toward any person or group, just Jesus all day long.”
Though the event ended early, the rally birthed a movement. Hall, along with Chan, Tony Evans and more, prayed over the crowd and commissioned them to evangelize.
Leaders from Africa, Europe, China, Russia, all they want is to take it back to their parts of the world,” Hall says. “They’re asking, ‘What now? What now? What now?’ This is just the beginning.
“It’s time for the church to get her swagger back.”
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