The "spirit of revival" is alive and well, according to organizers of the upcoming God is Love Takeover in Times Square.
"The spirit of revival being all across this country right now, I believe that just that alone was enough to stir up people to say it's time for something to change," Michelle Spence-Jones, the founder of the Loved by God Movement, told Fox News Digital.
Spence-Jones and Pastor Jewel Newman of the Holy Spirit Encounter in Georgia are helping organize The God is Love Takeover in the Big Apple on May 5, scheduled for the day after next Thursday's National Day of Prayer. The event will include a "love walk" and will also feature speakers and a prayer and healing tent, the pair explained. It comes on the heels of recent revivals across the country, most notably at Kentucky's Asbury University.
Pastor Jewel explained the significance of the title, "God is Love."
"God said that he desired for all people to be loved and that's the message I believe Michelle had received is that for all people, no matter who you are - race, color, creed, individuality - God just wants to love you," he said. "And there's just been too much hate that's been spread in this country and now to come back and say, look, we just want to come and just exhibit what true love is and just let God’s love permeate throughout all people. And that's one of the reasons why we think we need to come to New York."
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"A lot of people just don't know that they're loved," Spence-Jones added. "And a lot of people have never received love, or even know what love feels like. And we just feel like, if we can just gather all in one space, in one place, Times Square is a global stage. It's a way to demonstrate love in a whole other way."
What better place to take their message of love than to "the center of the world," Pastor Jewel added.
"What the Holy Spirit really showed us was, if we go all the way back to 9/11, when the two Twin Towers were attacked, why were those attacked?" he said. "Well it's because it was the center of the world. It was the center of the global economy of the world. So, people all around the world know New York City to be the center. And we believe it is the center of the world. And what better place to come to try and spread the message of God's love and to come to the center of the world?"
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Spence-Jones said that the day will include a "love walk" from 42nd Street to the middle of Times Square. They are asking participants to wear red for the occasion and to help display various passages of Scripture. The event will also feature worship time in the middle of Times Square, as well as a slew of speakers, and a prayer and healing tent. Spence-Jones said she expects people of all backgrounds to take part.
"We are able to mobilize people from all walks of life - Black, White, Hispanic, Democrats, Republicans, independents. People don't care… Everybody's coming together on this global stage, to demonstrate God's love, in one place," she said.
Pastor Jewel noted that the main festivities are from 5 to 8 p.m., which he joked are the hours that will be "right in the middle of rush hour, right in the middle of Cinco de Mayo, right in the middle of everybody out there probably partying and maybe having some refreshments on that day."
"And so what better day for us to come and to be there in the middle of all that and just spread God's love," he added.
The revival bug seems to be spreading across the country, with Pastor Jewel explaining that several people have been asking his advice on how they can organize takeovers in their own cities.
Both Spence-Jones and Jewel said they had been inspired by the success at the recent revival at Kentucky's Asbury University, where many young people boldly expressed their faith in God.
"In our ministry we have a lot of young people that are within that age demographic," Pastor Jewel said. "And just to see the fact that these college kids were coming together for true repentance and just coming back to the Lord and letting God speak to them in really special ways."
"That same kind of atmosphere that you saw and witnessed there at Asbury, is the same kind of atmosphere that we have whenever we have our events too because we're just ministering in the presence of the Lord, inviting the Holy Spirit to come and be there," he added. "He shows up, he does things in people's lives, and people get changed."
"Look, the Lord said in his latter days that it will come back to the kids," Pastor Jewel continued. "And I believe this is one aspect of that, just like these college kids and what happened at Asbury."
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Spence-Jones said it was "amazing" to see so many faith breakouts occurring in the wake of Asbury in malls, grocery stores, etc.
"And I just believe that was one of the reasons also the Lord is bringing us to Times Square, Amen, because the new breakout is going to be all about love," she said. "Love is an action… I just believe after May 5, there's going to be some action that takes place across this nation, and it's all going to be centered around love."
