Some home churches are watching the Todd Bentley meetings at Lakeland on ‘GodTV’ and on YouTube on the Web and have asked me to comment. I have watched some of the YouTube clips. These comments are my own and not necessarily those of the OIKOS Team. These comments are also my views about these sorts of revival meetings generally and not necessarily specifically about the Lakeland meetings. Feel free to send me your comments.
I do not question that some people are healed and blessed at these sorts of gatherings, but these ‘revivals’ are often a mixture of some things that may well be spiritually and biblically true, but are open also to the natural human emotional extremes and even of the demonic. It is a concern if people fly from around the world to be at these meetings simply to chase ‘experiences’.
I never want to be against anything that God is doing, but I believe that one needs to be cautious, discerning and weighing things against the Word of God rather than jumping in the deep end and swallowing things whole! Just because ‘spiritual’ things are happening doesn’t necessarily mean everything is of the Holy Spirit, but rather some things may be spiritually unholy. I believe one has to think carefully about the source of some of the material presented, ask oneself if the teaching, claims, visions, visitations and manifestations glorify God, if they are biblically true, and if they extend the Kingdom of God. Discern if some of what you see and hear belong more in the New Age camp rather than in the church of Jesus Christ.
I have been involved in charismatic/evangelical ministry since the 60s and have seen and experienced much that has been amazing. I have also seen much that has been wrong and even damaging with people being exposed to the demonic.
I would encourage those who are watching these meetings to firstly pray for discernment, keep your spiritual feet on the ground, and the Word of God in your hand and heart.
The greatest spiritual growth happens as we walk with the Lord each day, growing in His Word and His ways. Keep building your relationships with one another, practicing the ‘one anothers’ of church life that will build you in maturity in God and in His ways. This might be less ‘showy’, but it is the way to maturity. As we open our lives to Him, He is more than able to keep us filled with the Holy Spirit and enhance the gifts He has given us to live and witness for His glory. That is what He is looking for in us.
“For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge – that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work with us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. (Ephesians 3:14-end)
Great article!
We in the house church movement left the “hype” of the “circus and stage show” to a simple movement with simple discipleship and signs and wonders on the streets in a Luke 10 style.
We don’t need more “circus shows”, we just need simple people manifesting the kingdom of God on the earth in simple ways.
Left by JewishHeart on June 24th, 2008
The reason I know that Lakeland is not a revival is because of HYPE.
Rejecting HYPE is the reason I embraced the simple church movement.
Todd constantly calls this the “greatest outpouring on the earth right now.”
He hypes up miracles, tells people to “come and get some”, pounces across the stage showing off his manifestations, brags about his angelic visitations and third heaven experiences, etc.
To think that what Todd has going on in Lakeland is bigger than what is going on in China or India is HYPE!
Even his tatoos with his shirt stating ” Jesus loves me and my tatoos” is pure hype and stage gimmicks.
Many of his claimed ressurections were the “hype of the moment” and were never exposed as being false reports as later found out.
Here in Israel, while Todd pounces around the stage, a 16 year old messianic Jew was blown nearly to pieces for being a believer by an Orthodox Jew.
Arad has Orthodox Jews protesting in front of messianic homes as a daily occurence.
Chinese believers who preach the gospel and see REAL signs and wonders and healings actually DIE FOR IT, and don’t get to show it off on God TV in the comfort of Lakeland Florida.
Left by JewishHeart on June 24th, 2008