Revival is easy because it’s God’s idea. All you have to do is say “yes” and he says, “I can work with that!”

If you were to come up to me a year ago and prophesy that I would be standing on a bench in the middle of a well-respected university in LA (UCLA), to preach the gospel to passers by who pretended they couldn’t see or hear me, I don’t know if I would have believed you. The very idea would have offended my insecurities and fear of rejection that I had worked so hard to hide and protect.

Azusa Now

My name is Moorea Vittiglio. I’m an Australian currently studying at Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry (BSSM) in California. Recently, over 2000 students flooded LA – from Hollywood to the homeless. We went about evangelizing and leading HUNDREDS to Jesus, praying for the sick, seeing wheelchairs emptied, deaf ears opened and broken hearts restored by the love of Jesus. We spent 4 days ministering on the streets, and came together on the 9th of April to serve at Azusa Now, an all-day stadium event that brought denominations, nations, races, and families together under the name of Jesus Christ. I had never witnessed anything like it: a mass call to repentance, representatives of denominations and movements openly honoring one another, forgiving and restoring unity, hours of worship despite the rain, fiery preaching and miracles left right and center!

I want to share just a few testimonies and things I learned from this mission trip in the first world culture that I believe will inspire and encourage you to make this part of your every day Christian lifestyle.

We went out in groups. I think this is a great place to pause. Unity demands a blessing, and everything we do should stem out of family. Our teams were our family. During this trip I discovered how great a tool worship is for evangelism. I’ve heard it taught over and over again that evangelism is simply an overflow of worship, but I saw what that looked like to me personally on this trip.

Santa Monica, Third Street Promenade

We stood in the center of an outdoor shopping space with similar vibes to the Manly Corso. I began to play my guitar loudly and worship with my team, who unashamedly got on their knees and lifted their hands to the Lord. My plan was this: we will sing worship songs and draw a crowd and then maybe preach to them or evangelize. However, it wasn’t long before most of my team had dispersed around me and begun evangelizing. “Oh God!” I prayed, “I need singers, I need more voices!” And I was singing while I cried out for help on the inside.

Not long after that, a youth group passed by singing along with me, their eyes full of hope and glittering with excitement. They became my choir, and we worshiped God loudly, drawing the most random people to us. A flight hostess, a native American, a man in a pink cowboy hat, to list a few. My team began to slowly come back, dancing and celebrating the Lord. People were attracted to the joy and the freedom we carried. A palm reader tried to set up next to us, but left after 2 minutes.

In the Spirit, it was warfare, but it looked and felt like a party! People commented on how refreshing it was to see Christians not condemning them, but celebrating them and showing them the love of God for the first time. After this I thought, ‘Wow. That was easy. We could do this back in Australia, no problem!’

Salvation on Hollywood Blvd

This testimony is one of my favourites because of how real and pure this man’s salvation was. There he was, a traveller who had been living on the streets. He was leaning on the wall of a building with his backpack, making strange facial expressions as if talking to himself. He was still young and had come to LA hoping he could “get lucky” and find a place to live. I think he was running from something, but Jesus was running to him. I went up and told him that Jesus had highlighted him to me and that Jesus loved him.

The guy was open to Jesus… and a whole lot of other ideas. All roads may lead to God, but only one take you through him and into union with him. We will all end up facing him on the judgment day, no matter which path we choose, but Jesus is the only way to the Father, the only truth and the only life.

I asked the man if he had ever experienced the presence of God. He said no, so I prayed for him. “It feels like there are flames in my chest!” He said. “That’s the Holy Spirit!” I said. After some more talk, my friend Soren asked the man if he wanted to have a relationship with Jesus. The man said yes and gave his life to Jesus. After that, I explained how today he is a NEW CREATION! The slate is clean, God doesn’t see the past any more, you get to start fresh! And here is the best part… the man excitedly asked me “Is this what it means to be BORN AGAIN!?!?!?!” “Yes!!!!” I exclaimed. And we celebrated and hugged. He was GLOWING. Hope restored. Purity redeemed. Love received.

Another friend of mine (Mike) passed this man not long after, unaware that I had just spoken with him. Asking him how he was, the born again man said “I love Jesus!!!” No one made this man say that, he was genuinely rolling in the joy of salvation in front of any passers by with not a care in the world of what anyone else thought!

Revival at UCLA

It was drizzly and miserable weather. I had my guitar with me again, and about 10 of us settled in an open space where students had set up stalls to sell stuff. I set myself up right next to a guy who was selling badges that promoted the legalization of weed, and I sang loud and proud of the love of Jesus and the freedom of being in his presence. My friends went up to all kinds of people, with words of knowledge, prophetic words and encouraging students. It was fun, but it wasn’t really that explosive.

I knew that IHOP was on the campus somewhere because they had been worshipping not long before we arrived and we could all hear them. After about an hour or so of evangelizing and singing, we decided to group up as one voice and worship together. So we sang Deep Cries Out and danced about, having fun and loving Jesus.

That’s when something inside me started to rumble inside me, something that cried out for MORE. I knew there had to be more. It had to look louder, brighter and prouder. Jesus was ready to explode. What could I do for him? I knew it was to open air preach. I picked up the idea and fumbled with it in my hands. Here were my thoughts: Am I thinking impulsively? It’s so not what I’ve ever done before… but today the idea excites me. Jesus is so worth it though. I guess I’m a revivalist, so I might as well die to myself and just do it… if not now, then when? Let’s just do it!

So I stood up and started telling people that Jesus loved them, he wasn’t mad at them, and if they needed healing they could come to my friends for prayer. I shared testimonies of deaf ears opening just the day before and wheelchairs emptied as people were healed to walk again. People just walked right past me. Totally ignored me. And it didn’t hurt! I didn’t care! I’m in the beloved, what can mortal man do to me?

Not long after I crossed my chicken line, we started a “joy tunnel”. We made a tunnel and celebrated people as they ran through, releasing joy and singing worship songs over them. Then IHOP joined us and we had quite a long tunnel. It was pretty loud, pretty bright… a massive explosion that was just about to get bigger. I had been playing guitar for maybe 2 hours by now, and IHOP offered to play the worship while we focused on the joy tunnel and evangelizing. The tunnel grew and grew as more of the group I was in joined us. Students ran through, loving the “vibes” we were giving off. So many UCLA students gave their heart to Jesus that day. People discovered that Jesus actually likes them as well as loves them.

YWAM were also there too, and they joined in on the revival that was breaking out. Then they moved off a little further away and open air preached too! Our group (called revival group) added to this joy tunnel – we had people giving off free hugs at the end, people evangelizing, running students through the tunnel and worshiping.

My favourite salvation story from that day was a guy called Chris. Chris was on his way to the gym. We started chatting with him and also got to pray that he would experience the presence of God, which he did! But he didn’t want to receive Jesus. Then my friends started prophesying over him. “I feel like God’s saying you’re a safe place for women, and that is why you might find that you have a lot of female friends.” Was one of the words spoken to him. Then God started speaking to me. “That’s true, but Chris has made mistakes, and not honored women a he should, but I died for him.” Aha! There it was! “Chris,” I started, “What my friends have spoken over you is true (He agreed) but I feel like there was a time or times where you didn’t live up to that, and you’re carrying shame about how you have been with some women. But Jesus loves you and he died to take away your sin and shame.” Chris’ reaction was priceless: Now with teary eyes, he said “I want that now! I need that!” I had the incredible honor of welcoming my newest brother to the family of Christ. He was so blessed and touched by God’s love for him, and that just about made my day! I got to taste the joy of salvation again. Thank you Jesus for the sweet gospel of salvation!

Unity and fun

In all, we saw and heard of so many healing miracles that left non-believers marveling. There were some groups who drew a square on the group and told people that if they stood in the center, that Jesus would heal them. It’s amazing to see how faith works like that. Everyone who went out to minister and evangelize had fun, and did it as a family.

I think these two values are so important to the heart of Jesus: unity and having fun. Childlikeness is invaluable to the Lord. He loves childlike faith, and I believe this is something that Australia can really start to run with. We are a family of God’s children who bring revival wherever we go just because we are in Him and He is in us.