More on the Lakeland outpouring

My sister just emailed me an article dealing with the Lakeland outpouring. J. Grady Lee, editor of Charisma magazine, wrote the article on his blog fireinmybones.com. The sad title is Life After Lakeland: Sorting Out the Confusion. Definitely a good article if you've had any interest in what has been going on in Lakeland.

Samson, Peter, and Paul

I saw the guy last night who I mentioned a few days ago - the friend who spent the past few days in Lakeland, FL at the big 'revival'. First of all, he came back healed. He has had 2 disks in his upper back that have been troubling him for some time. He often gets treatments and massages to relieve the pain. As of last night when I spoke with him, he said he'd not had any pain since he'd been prayed for in Lakeland. I don't doubt that he was healed, so I praise God for this healing.

He also came back very excited. Apparently there are about 10,000 people that gather every night for a 5:30 - midnight service. The days that he was there over 30 nationalities were represented. I didn't have time to ask him many questions, but that's the main info I got from him. He was really pumped up and is planning on going back soon and taking his family with him this time.

So as I think about this event and reflect on the things I learned about Todd Bentley, the guy leading this 'revival', I first think about whether God could actually be at work through this guy. And Samson comes to mind. Yes, Samson, the strong man from the Bible stories. There are not many people in Scripture who are less holy, less God-fearing, and less God-following than Samson (read Judges chapters 13-16 for the full story). Yet God did many amazing things through him. I also think of Paul's words to the Philippians about those near him who preached the Good News just so they could make life harder for Paul (Philippians 1:12-20). Whatever Todd Bentley really is and whatever is really in his heart, good things are happening. It seems like Jesus us being glorified. I say 'seems like' because I don't know what is actually happening in Lakeland. J. Lee Grady who visited Lakeland has this to say:
"The name of Jesus is being lifted up in the Lakeland revival, and three people came to the altar for salvation the night I attended. Larger numbers have come to the front of the auditorium to find Christ every night since then."

I also think of my friend's attitude when he came back. There was great excitement, a contagious excitement, about this event and what happened to him there. And there are tens of thousands of people from all over the world who are excited about Lakeland. The apostle Peter also got excited about an amazing event. When Jesus was transfigured before his eyes (as well as James and John's), Peter said, 'Hey Jesus, let's build 3 tabernacles, one for you and one each for Moses and Elijah.' Peter wanted to build a monument and celebrate this wonderful thing he'd seen. But Jesus told them not to even tell people what they saw until after He rose again. He just led them down off the mountain and got back to His Kingdom work. So I'm not against mountaintop experiences, but I'm against trying to live on the mountain when Jesus says its time to come down and do what He's called us to do.

Fruit is another thing I think about in relation to all this. From all that I've read about the 'Toronto Blessing', the long term fruit seems to be a lot of discord and division. The Brownsville revival (also in Florida) didn't necessarily produce a change in the world either. When I read about Brownsville people point to a lack of repentance or growth from the people who went there. I'm sure that good came out of both of those events, but these events make me wonder what the fruit of Lakeland will be. The true fruit won't be known for a while. Its so easy to get caught up in excitement, but its not easy to actually grow up in Christ. In 1 Corinthians, Paul addresses the issue of maturity. He specifically tells them that practice of and fascination with the gifts of the Spirit is not maturity. Love is maturity. Prophecy is maturity. I would argue that the theme of 1 Corinthians is "Grow Up!"

Here are 3 cautions offered in an article I referenced a few days ago from Charisma editor J. Lee Grady:
1. Beware of strange fire
2. Beware of strange manifestations
3. Beware of hype and exaggeration
The full article is so helpful in dealing with this topic. Find it here.

To wrap this all up, we have to be focused on God and let nothing take His place. Good things, even things ordained by God, can take His glory away, if we let them. And anything that takes glory from Him is an idol. May Psalm 73:25, 26 always echo in our hearts:
"Who have I in heaven but You?
and besides You, I desire nothing on earth.
My flesh and my heart may fail,
But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever."

Danger Will Robinson!!

I have a friend who was telling me about a Lakeland, Florida 'outpouring' - a 'revival' to which tens of thousands of people are flocking from around the world. This friend decided to go down there to check it out for himself, so I decided to do a little research on what's going on.

The person at the forefront of this is a Canadian guy named Todd Bentley. He’s is scary, and not because of his appearance or any other superficial thing. He is quite literally deceiving people. He talks about kicking people in the face, banging their limbs around, punching them in the face, and drop kicking them in order to bring some kind of anointing for healing on them. And as if the violence of his methods weren’t enough, his teaching is not just heretical, but occultic. Here are some quotes from a teaching called “Open Heavens” posted on his ministry website (Fresh Fire Ministries):

“Actually, we won’t experience the dimensions—what’s in heaven, the realm of visions and dreams and trances, the audible voice of God, revelations and visitations of the Lord, and angelic visitations, nor will we be aware of the ministry of angels—until the heavens are open.”

Trances? Angelic visitations? The ministry of angels? I have never read any encouragement in the Scriptures to seek these things! He says this in the context of Jesus being anointed by the Spirit at His baptism. Then he ties this to Revelation 4:1 and says this:

“Just look at what John, the revelator, saw—a door standing open in heaven (Rev. 4:1a). Not a door standing open for John to only have a moment of revelation. But a door, I believe, that is standing, present tense, standing open, issuing an invitation of God’s Spirit even now, “Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this” (4:1b). Although the invitation to “come up here” was to one person; namely, John, I believe God is saying, “I’m now releasing in a greater corporate dimension, the experience of Revelation 4:1 (emphasis his).”

Notice how he says Although and then takes the verse out of context. Wow, talk about brazen heresy! The whole article is ridiculous and if it weren't such a serious error that is leading many people astray, I would just laugh about it. But this is seriously wrong and has an evil, purposefully deceptive feel to it.

Anyways, instead of detailing all my thoughts, here are some various perspectives on Todd’s ministry and this ‘outpouring’:
Charisma magazine’s editor Lee Grady writes after having visited one of the meetings: http://fireinmybones.com/index.php?col=051408

This guy’s whole blog seems to have been taken over by articles on what’s going on in Lakeland: http://endtimespropheticwords.wordpress.com/

The Assembly of God has issued a general statement on Revival: http://ag.org/top/General_Superintendent/Statement_on_Revival.cfm.

Not related to this ‘outpouring’ but in reference to the “Toronto Blessing”, a former Toronto pastor opens up about the things that went on there: http://same.wordpress.com/2008/05/31/toronto-speaks-on-deception/

I mentioned my friend who went down there to check it out for himself. I’ll see him Wednesday night and will get an eyewitness account of this event. If he says anything worthwhile, I’ll blog about it.