TODD BENTLEY & LAKELAND REVIVAL BY PAUL McGUIRE
HONEST QUESTIONS ON THE LAKELAND REVIVAL
I am not hostile or prejudiced towards revival. I accepted Jesus Christ as my personal Lord, and Savior during the Jesus Movement which was a time of revival. Nor am I excessively concerned about outward physical manifestations or emotionalism. I have seen plenty of emotionalism at Lakers game. In addition, during the monotone preaching of the Calvinist Preacher Jonathan Edwards who preached his famous sermon, “Sinners In The Hands of An Angry God,” and people were crying out, shrieking, fainting, and passing out on the floor. This was during the First Great Awakening which began in the 1730’s.
During the Second Great Awakening under the preaching of an attorney-turned Evangelist Charles Finney people were “fell out in the Spirit,” there was what would now be called “holy laughter,” shrieking, and crying out. Unlike Edwards, Finney methodically worked the crowd, and stirred up emotion. In both of the First Great Awakening, and the Second Great Awakening people were touched by the Holy Spirit, and like today, many who encounter the power of God for the first time are overwhelmed by it, and their behavior is highly emotional. However, there behavior does not necessarily discredit the revival. The Azusa Street Revival, the Charismatic Revival, and he Jesus Movement all had their share of emotionalism.
The preaching of Todd Brantley in the Lakeland Revival, in Florida is quite emotional, and his messages often consist of shouting the words “more, more, more,” and “fire, fire, fire,” and slapping people’s head and saying, “BAM!” Reports of resurrecting people from the dead, blind eyes opened, and healings have come in all over the world. Due to the global satellite coverage of the Lakeland Revival by GOD TV the revival was spread all over the world in less than a week, making it the most publicized revival in the history of the Pentecostal movement. The passion, emotion, and enthusiasm of the revival is not necessarily a bad thing.
But the Bible tells us to “test the spirits,” and the Apostle Paul warns us in the last days there would be false teachers, false prophets, and doctrines of demons. Todd Bentley, and the Lakeland Revival should fall under the same scrutiny as any other ministry or “movement of God.” This is not being judgmental, it is being Biblical, and responsible. Unlike Jonathan Edwards whose sermons were filled with Bible verses, and whose messages were anchored in the Holy Scriptures, Bentley gives a message which is practically devoid of any scripture, and his messages are not connected the Bible. They are messages based on emotionalism, and the repetition of words like fire, more, and BAM.
Charles Finney preached, and his messages were Biblically based and used scripture verses. There is a disturbing lack of Biblical teaching or the use of the Bible at the Lakeland Revival. In addition, Bentley has some strange writings about his encounters with an angel named Emma. Bentley reportedly wrote:
“Now let me talk about an angelic experience with Emma. Twice Bob Jones asked me about this angel that was in Kansas City in 1980: “Todd, have you ever seen the angel by the name of Emma?” He asked me as if he expected that this angel was appearing to me. Surprised, I said, “Bob, who is Emma?” He told me that Emma was the angel that helped birth and start the whole prophetic movement in Kansas City in the 1980s. She was a mothering-type angel that helped nurture the prophetic as it broke out. Within a few weeks of Bob asking me about Emma, I was in a service in Beulah, North Dakota. In the middle of the service I was in conversation with Ivan and another person when in walks Emma. As I stared at the angel with open eyes, the Lord said, “Here’s Emma.” I’m not kidding. She floated a couple of inches off the floor. It was almost like Kathryn Khulman in those old videos when she wore a white dress and looked like she was gliding across the platform. Emma appeared beautiful and young-about 22 years old-but she was old at the same time. She seemed to carry the wisdom, virtue and grace of Proverbs 31 on her life.
She glided into the room, emitting brilliant light and colors. Emma carried these bags and began pulling gold out of them. Then, as she walked up and down the aisles of the church, she began putting gold dust on people. “God, what is happening?” I asked. The Lord answered: “She is releasing the gold, which is both the revelation and the financial breakthrough that I am bringing into this church. I want you to prophecy that Emma showed up in this service-the same angel that appeared in Kansas city-as a sign that I am endorsing and releasing a prophetic spirit in the church.” See, when angels come, they always come for a reason; we need to actually ask God what the purpose is. Within three weeks of that visitation, the church had given me the biggest offering I had ever received to that point in my ministry. Thousands of dollars! Thousands! Even though the entire community consisted of only three thousand people, weeks after I left the church the pastor testified that the church offerings had either doubled or tripled.
During this visitation the pastor’s wife (it was an AOG church) got totally whacked by the Holy Ghost - she began running around barking like a dog or squawking like a chicken as a powerful prophetic spirit came on her. Also, as this prophetic anointing came on her, she started getting phone numbers of complete strangers and calling them up on the telephone and prophesying over them. She would tell them that God gave her their telephone number and then would give them words of knowledge. Complete strangers. Then angels started showing up in the church.
I believe Emma released a financial and prophetic anointing in that place. That was the first angel that I have ever seen in the form of a woman. Some angels I’ve seen seemed like they were neither male nor female. However, Emma appeared as a woman who was like a Deborah, like a mother in Zion. When she came, she began to mentor, nurture and opened up a prophetic well. The people in the church began having trances and visions and the pastor began getting words of knowledge and moving in healing. That congregation also saw more financial breakthrough than they had ever seen before.
I was at another meeting in Atlanta when my wife, Shonnah, saw two financial angels walk into the service and pour oil out on the pastor. Shonnah then knew there was financial breakthrough coming. That night two people wrote the pastor cheques for $16,000 and $17,000 and others also wrote cheques to Fresh Fire for thousands of dollars, which we used for missions to the nations. In addition, many people experienced great financial blessing as well. The day after this angelic visitation one guy had millions of dollars released to him-he had been waiting for about 10 years for this breakthrough. All this financial release came because my wife saw two financial angels walk up and stand on the platform. Can you imagine? We need to pray for the Father to give us financial angels for our lives, our church and region. With this angelic assistance, we will prevail and overcome the warfare trying to hold back our financial breakthrough. Some of you don’t know how to use the angels in intercession like this. You don’t even know whether it’s OK or not….”
Here we see an over emphasis, and an almost occult-like description of angels. Reportedly, Bentley shares this angel the “prophet.” Bob Jones who has questionable integrity. Allegedly, he would not give some women personal prophecies unless they undressed. Angelic visitation, was a hallmark of the healing ministry of William Branham who embraced all kinds of non-Biblical teachings about angels. Branham rejected the Doctrine of the Trinity, taught that Eve had sexual relations with the serpent, and gave birth to Cain, and numerous other heretical teachings.
I asked Dave Hunt, who recently appeared on my radio show, Talk From The Heart With Paul McGuire, if the Lakeland Revival was part of the Great Apostasy that the Apostle Paul wrote about in 2 Thessalonians. Dave Hunt said that he believed that what Todd Bentley was preaching, and the Lakeland Revival were part of the “Great Apostasy.”
2 Thes 2:3 (NKJV)
"Let no one deceive you by any means, for that Day will not come unless the falling away ("apostasy"-NASB) comes first."
Matt 24:24 (Amplified)
"For false Christs and false prophets will arise, and they will show great signs and wonders so as to deceive and lead astray, if possible, even the elect (God's chosen ones)."
But, Dave Hunt is not the only one raising questions. Lee Grady, the Editor of Charisma Magazine, recently wrote in an article:
God is stirring deep spiritual passion in the hearts of the thousands of people who have traveled to Florida during the last month to experience the Lakeland Healing Revival. Since these meetings began in a 700-seat church on April 2, the crowd has moved four times to bigger venues, the fervor has intensified and the news has spread worldwide—thanks to God TV and online broadcasting.
Within a few weeks, the bandwagon effect was in full swing. It’s safe to say that no
outbreak of Pentecostalism in history has gained so much international exposure so quickly as these meetings have.
I’m a cheerleader for the charismatic movement, so I rejoiced when I heard the news about revivalist Todd Bentley’s extended visit to Ignited Church. It was thrilling to hear the reports of miracles and to watch the crowd grow until a stadium was required to hold everyone.
When I visited a service on April 15, I was blessed by Heather Clark’s music and the audience’s exuberant worship. And I laughed with everyone else as I watched Bentley shout his trademarked “Bam! Bam! Bam!” as he prayed for the sick and flailed his tattooed arms over the crowd. Hey, Jesus didn’t pray for people according to the Pharisees’ rulebook, so I’m open to unconventional methods.
But I would be dishonest if I told you that I wholeheartedly embraced what I saw in Lakeland. Something disturbed me, but I kept my mouth shut for three weeks while I prayed, got counsel from respected ministry leaders and searched my heart to make sure I was not harboring a religious spirit. The last thing we need today is more mean-spirited heresy hunters blasting other Christians.
I am not a heresy hunter, and I support what is happening in Lakeland because I know God uses imperfect people (like me and you) to reach others for Jesus. At the same time, I believe my questions are honest and my concerns are real.
My motive is not to criticize Bentley or the pastor who is sponsoring these meetings, Stephen Strader. In September 2002 Charisma featured a seven-page article about Bentley’s amazing conversion from drug addiction. I believe Bentley is a sincere brother who wants people to encounter God’s presence and power. No doubt this 32-year-old evangelist needs our prayers now more than ever, especially since he has become the focus of international media attention.
But as the noise from Lakeland grows louder and its influence spreads, I’m issuing some words of warning that apply to all of us, not just the folks in Lakeland. I hope everyone understands that these cautions are offered in love:
1. Beware of strange fire. 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.
Yet I fear another message is also being preached subtly in Lakeland—a message that cult-watchers would describe as a spiritual counterfeit. Bentley is one of several charismatic ministers who have emphasized angels in the last several years. He has taught about angels who bring financial breakthroughs or revelations, and he sometimes refers to an angel named Emma who supposedly played a role in initiating a prophetic movement in Kansas City in the 1980s. Bentley describes Emma as a woman in a flowing white dress who floats a few feet off the floor.
All of us who believe the Bible know that angels are real, and that they work on our behalf to protect us and minister to us. But the apostle Paul, who had encounters with angels himself, issued stern warnings to the Corinthians, the Galatians and the Colossians about angels who preach another gospel or that demand attention. In Colossae, believers were so enamored with angels they had seen in visions that they became “inflated without cause” by spiritual pride (Col. 2:18, NASB). Paul was adamant that preoccupation with angels can lead to serious deception.
We need to tread carefully here! We have no business teaching God’s people to commune with angels or to seek revelations from them. And if any revival movement—no matter how exciting or passionate—mixes the gospel of Jesus with this strange fire, the results could be devastating. We need to remember that Mormonism was born out of one man’s encounter with a dark angel who claimed to speak for God.
2. Beware of bizarre manifestations. When the Holy Spirit’s power comes on people they may feel weak or even fall. The Spirit’s power can also cause people to tremble, shake, laugh or cry. Such manifestations are biblical and we should leave room for them. But where do we draw the line between legitimate experience and fanatical excess?
The apostle Paul had to deal with outrageous charismatic manifestations in the Corinthian church. People were acting like raving lunatics—and turning the church in to a free-for-all of unbridled ecstatic behavior. Paul called for discipline and order, and he reminded early Christians that “the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets” (1 Cor. 14:32). In other words, Paul was saying that no one under the influence of the Holy Spirit should act out of control.
In many recent charismatic revivals, ministers have allowed people to behave like epileptics on stage—and they have attributed their attention-getting antics to the Holy Spirit. We may think it’s all in fun (you know, we’re just “acting crazy” for God) but we should be more concerned that such behavior feeds carnality and grieves the Spirit.
When exotic manifestations are encouraged, people can actually get a religious high from jerking, vibrating, screaming or acting intoxicated. (I have even been around people who writhed as if in pain, or made sexual noises—thinking this was a legitimate spiritual experience.) But emotional euphoria doesn’t guarantee a heart change. The person who is bucking like an untamed bronco in a church service would benefit more from sitting still and reading the Bible for an hour. When we put bizarre behavior on the platform we imply that it is normative. Thus more strange fire is allowed to spread.
3. Beware of hype and exaggeration. Our hearts are crying out today for a genuine move of God. We want the real deal. We’ve read about the Great Awakenings of the past and we long to see our nation overcome by a wave of repentance. The church is in a backslidden state, and our nation has rebelled against God. We are desperate!
In our longing for a holy visitation, however, we must be careful not to call the first faint breeze of the Spirit a full-fledged revival. If we do that, we are setting people up for disappointment when they realize it may not be what we blew it up to be.
Some of the language used during the Lakeland Revival has created an almost sideshow atmosphere. People are invited to “Come and get some.” Miracles are supposedly “popping like popcorn.” Organizers tout it as the greatest revival in history.
Such brash statements cheapen what the Holy Spirit is doing—and they do a disservice to our brothers and sisters who are experiencing New Testament-style revival in countries such as Iran, China and India. We have a long way to go before we experience their level of revival. Let’s stay humble and broken before the Lord.
I am rejoicing over all the reported healings at the Lakeland meetings. Miracles are awesome. Crowds are great. But miracles and crowds alone don’t guarantee a revival. Multitudes followed Jesus during His ministry on earth, but many of the people who saw the dead raised or ate food that was supernaturally multiplied later crucified the Son of God.
It was the few disciples who followed Jesus after Calvary who ushered in a true revival—one that was bathed in the fear of God, confirmed by signs and wonders, tempered by persecution and evidenced by thousands of conversions, new churches and the transformation of society. We should expect nothing less.”
Dr. Jack Hayford, President of the Foursquare Denomination, wrote, It is understandable that the reports of what may be a breakthrough of divine grace are raising questions regarding the veracity of the reports. Some ask what official stance the Foursquare movement will take toward this phenomenon. First, by any standard of biblical wisdom, it is far too early to assert anything on any terms. Understandably, the reports of miracle blessing would cause rejoicing in anyone who believes that God does, indeed, work miracles in our time. But equally understandable are the questions raised by experienced pastoral leaders who have dealt with “revival” situations that have proven deceptive and that have ultimately deterred sincere souls from an understanding of God’s Word and relationship with His Son.
Second, it has not been the practice of The Foursquare Church to draw conclusions hastily in such situations. Our own history as a movement is marked by miracle visitations, both in the United States and in many nations around the world where our ministry extends. We have seen pure, wise, and trustworthy leaders scorned by cynics—at times, even scorned by church leaders who oppose miracles in our time on any terms. That is one reason our general response is to be “slow to speak,” as the Bible instructs (James 1:19). It is for that same reason that we tend to position ourselves as Gamaliel did (Acts 5:34-41)—the rabbi whose influence is reported by the Apostle Paul as having shaped his own thinking in significant regards (Acts 22:3).
As president of our fellowship, and in conjunction with the elders serving on our board and the executives serving in our offices, I recommend that we all give ourselves to prayer for God’s grace upon us as a fellowship of churches. We want to be available to His Spirit, instructed by His Word, open to His will, and humbly slow to pass judgment on things that are outside our purview. We are not called to answer for any other ministry or its report; our responsibility is to seek to serve our flock, teach our people God’s Word and wisdom, and keep ourselves open to to the precious workings of His Spirit.
For the time being, our desire is to live in hope, believe for God’s best in our day, and counsel our leaders and our people to be filled with the Spirit of God. We ask the Spirit to give us humility in discernment and to guard our souls from being either gullible, doubt-prone, or resistant to whatever God may seek to do that proves Christ-exalting, Word-verifying, and enduring beyond sensation or mere excitement. With time, whatever is taking place in Lakeland and through activities issuing from its happenings will either verify or discredit the source of the manifestations.
We are in an hour of history, both nationally and internationally, that calls us to prayer and fasting. Let us give ourselves to seeking God, and let us give place to His visitation in ways that please His heart, seek His glory, and honor His Son, our Savior, Healer, Baptizer with the Holy Spirit, and Soon Coming King.
I am not hostile or prejudiced towards revival. I accepted Jesus Christ as my personal Lord, and Savior during the Jesus Movement which was a time of revival. Nor am I excessively concerned about outward physical manifestations or emotionalism. I have seen plenty of emotionalism at Lakers game. In addition, during the monotone preaching of the Calvinist Preacher Jonathan Edwards who preached his famous sermon, “Sinners In The Hands of An Angry God,” and people were crying out, shrieking, fainting, and passing out on the floor. This was during the First Great Awakening which began in the 1730’s.
During the Second Great Awakening under the preaching of an attorney-turned Evangelist Charles Finney people were “fell out in the Spirit,” there was what would now be called “holy laughter,” shrieking, and crying out. Unlike Edwards, Finney methodically worked the crowd, and stirred up emotion. In both of the First Great Awakening, and the Second Great Awakening people were touched by the Holy Spirit, and like today, many who encounter the power of God for the first time are overwhelmed by it, and their behavior is highly emotional. However, there behavior does not necessarily discredit the revival. The Azusa Street Revival, the Charismatic Revival, and he Jesus Movement all had their share of emotionalism.
The preaching of Todd Brantley in the Lakeland Revival, in Florida is quite emotional, and his messages often consist of shouting the words “more, more, more,” and “fire, fire, fire,” and slapping people’s head and saying, “BAM!” Reports of resurrecting people from the dead, blind eyes opened, and healings have come in all over the world. Due to the global satellite coverage of the Lakeland Revival by GOD TV the revival was spread all over the world in less than a week, making it the most publicized revival in the history of the Pentecostal movement. The passion, emotion, and enthusiasm of the revival is not necessarily a bad thing.
But the Bible tells us to “test the spirits,” and the Apostle Paul warns us in the last days there would be false teachers, false prophets, and doctrines of demons. Todd Bentley, and the Lakeland Revival should fall under the same scrutiny as any other ministry or “movement of God.” This is not being judgmental, it is being Biblical, and responsible. Unlike Jonathan Edwards whose sermons were filled with Bible verses, and whose messages were anchored in the Holy Scriptures, Bentley gives a message which is practically devoid of any scripture, and his messages are not connected the Bible. They are messages based on emotionalism, and the repetition of words like fire, more, and BAM.
Charles Finney preached, and his messages were Biblically based and used scripture verses. There is a disturbing lack of Biblical teaching or the use of the Bible at the Lakeland Revival. In addition, Bentley has some strange writings about his encounters with an angel named Emma. Bentley reportedly wrote:
“Now let me talk about an angelic experience with Emma. Twice Bob Jones asked me about this angel that was in Kansas City in 1980: “Todd, have you ever seen the angel by the name of Emma?” He asked me as if he expected that this angel was appearing to me. Surprised, I said, “Bob, who is Emma?” He told me that Emma was the angel that helped birth and start the whole prophetic movement in Kansas City in the 1980s. She was a mothering-type angel that helped nurture the prophetic as it broke out. Within a few weeks of Bob asking me about Emma, I was in a service in Beulah, North Dakota. In the middle of the service I was in conversation with Ivan and another person when in walks Emma. As I stared at the angel with open eyes, the Lord said, “Here’s Emma.” I’m not kidding. She floated a couple of inches off the floor. It was almost like Kathryn Khulman in those old videos when she wore a white dress and looked like she was gliding across the platform. Emma appeared beautiful and young-about 22 years old-but she was old at the same time. She seemed to carry the wisdom, virtue and grace of Proverbs 31 on her life.
She glided into the room, emitting brilliant light and colors. Emma carried these bags and began pulling gold out of them. Then, as she walked up and down the aisles of the church, she began putting gold dust on people. “God, what is happening?” I asked. The Lord answered: “She is releasing the gold, which is both the revelation and the financial breakthrough that I am bringing into this church. I want you to prophecy that Emma showed up in this service-the same angel that appeared in Kansas city-as a sign that I am endorsing and releasing a prophetic spirit in the church.” See, when angels come, they always come for a reason; we need to actually ask God what the purpose is. Within three weeks of that visitation, the church had given me the biggest offering I had ever received to that point in my ministry. Thousands of dollars! Thousands! Even though the entire community consisted of only three thousand people, weeks after I left the church the pastor testified that the church offerings had either doubled or tripled.
During this visitation the pastor’s wife (it was an AOG church) got totally whacked by the Holy Ghost - she began running around barking like a dog or squawking like a chicken as a powerful prophetic spirit came on her. Also, as this prophetic anointing came on her, she started getting phone numbers of complete strangers and calling them up on the telephone and prophesying over them. She would tell them that God gave her their telephone number and then would give them words of knowledge. Complete strangers. Then angels started showing up in the church.
I believe Emma released a financial and prophetic anointing in that place. That was the first angel that I have ever seen in the form of a woman. Some angels I’ve seen seemed like they were neither male nor female. However, Emma appeared as a woman who was like a Deborah, like a mother in Zion. When she came, she began to mentor, nurture and opened up a prophetic well. The people in the church began having trances and visions and the pastor began getting words of knowledge and moving in healing. That congregation also saw more financial breakthrough than they had ever seen before.
I was at another meeting in Atlanta when my wife, Shonnah, saw two financial angels walk into the service and pour oil out on the pastor. Shonnah then knew there was financial breakthrough coming. That night two people wrote the pastor cheques for $16,000 and $17,000 and others also wrote cheques to Fresh Fire for thousands of dollars, which we used for missions to the nations. In addition, many people experienced great financial blessing as well. The day after this angelic visitation one guy had millions of dollars released to him-he had been waiting for about 10 years for this breakthrough. All this financial release came because my wife saw two financial angels walk up and stand on the platform. Can you imagine? We need to pray for the Father to give us financial angels for our lives, our church and region. With this angelic assistance, we will prevail and overcome the warfare trying to hold back our financial breakthrough. Some of you don’t know how to use the angels in intercession like this. You don’t even know whether it’s OK or not….”
Here we see an over emphasis, and an almost occult-like description of angels. Reportedly, Bentley shares this angel the “prophet.” Bob Jones who has questionable integrity. Allegedly, he would not give some women personal prophecies unless they undressed. Angelic visitation, was a hallmark of the healing ministry of William Branham who embraced all kinds of non-Biblical teachings about angels. Branham rejected the Doctrine of the Trinity, taught that Eve had sexual relations with the serpent, and gave birth to Cain, and numerous other heretical teachings.
I asked Dave Hunt, who recently appeared on my radio show, Talk From The Heart With Paul McGuire, if the Lakeland Revival was part of the Great Apostasy that the Apostle Paul wrote about in 2 Thessalonians. Dave Hunt said that he believed that what Todd Bentley was preaching, and the Lakeland Revival were part of the “Great Apostasy.”
2 Thes 2:3 (NKJV)
"Let no one deceive you by any means, for that Day will not come unless the falling away ("apostasy"-NASB) comes first."
Matt 24:24 (Amplified)
"For false Christs and false prophets will arise, and they will show great signs and wonders so as to deceive and lead astray, if possible, even the elect (God's chosen ones)."
But, Dave Hunt is not the only one raising questions. Lee Grady, the Editor of Charisma Magazine, recently wrote in an article:
God is stirring deep spiritual passion in the hearts of the thousands of people who have traveled to Florida during the last month to experience the Lakeland Healing Revival. Since these meetings began in a 700-seat church on April 2, the crowd has moved four times to bigger venues, the fervor has intensified and the news has spread worldwide—thanks to God TV and online broadcasting.
Within a few weeks, the bandwagon effect was in full swing. It’s safe to say that no
outbreak of Pentecostalism in history has gained so much international exposure so quickly as these meetings have.
I’m a cheerleader for the charismatic movement, so I rejoiced when I heard the news about revivalist Todd Bentley’s extended visit to Ignited Church. It was thrilling to hear the reports of miracles and to watch the crowd grow until a stadium was required to hold everyone.
When I visited a service on April 15, I was blessed by Heather Clark’s music and the audience’s exuberant worship. And I laughed with everyone else as I watched Bentley shout his trademarked “Bam! Bam! Bam!” as he prayed for the sick and flailed his tattooed arms over the crowd. Hey, Jesus didn’t pray for people according to the Pharisees’ rulebook, so I’m open to unconventional methods.
But I would be dishonest if I told you that I wholeheartedly embraced what I saw in Lakeland. Something disturbed me, but I kept my mouth shut for three weeks while I prayed, got counsel from respected ministry leaders and searched my heart to make sure I was not harboring a religious spirit. The last thing we need today is more mean-spirited heresy hunters blasting other Christians.
I am not a heresy hunter, and I support what is happening in Lakeland because I know God uses imperfect people (like me and you) to reach others for Jesus. At the same time, I believe my questions are honest and my concerns are real.
My motive is not to criticize Bentley or the pastor who is sponsoring these meetings, Stephen Strader. In September 2002 Charisma featured a seven-page article about Bentley’s amazing conversion from drug addiction. I believe Bentley is a sincere brother who wants people to encounter God’s presence and power. No doubt this 32-year-old evangelist needs our prayers now more than ever, especially since he has become the focus of international media attention.
But as the noise from Lakeland grows louder and its influence spreads, I’m issuing some words of warning that apply to all of us, not just the folks in Lakeland. I hope everyone understands that these cautions are offered in love:
1. Beware of strange fire. 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.
Yet I fear another message is also being preached subtly in Lakeland—a message that cult-watchers would describe as a spiritual counterfeit. Bentley is one of several charismatic ministers who have emphasized angels in the last several years. He has taught about angels who bring financial breakthroughs or revelations, and he sometimes refers to an angel named Emma who supposedly played a role in initiating a prophetic movement in Kansas City in the 1980s. Bentley describes Emma as a woman in a flowing white dress who floats a few feet off the floor.
All of us who believe the Bible know that angels are real, and that they work on our behalf to protect us and minister to us. But the apostle Paul, who had encounters with angels himself, issued stern warnings to the Corinthians, the Galatians and the Colossians about angels who preach another gospel or that demand attention. In Colossae, believers were so enamored with angels they had seen in visions that they became “inflated without cause” by spiritual pride (Col. 2:18, NASB). Paul was adamant that preoccupation with angels can lead to serious deception.
We need to tread carefully here! We have no business teaching God’s people to commune with angels or to seek revelations from them. And if any revival movement—no matter how exciting or passionate—mixes the gospel of Jesus with this strange fire, the results could be devastating. We need to remember that Mormonism was born out of one man’s encounter with a dark angel who claimed to speak for God.
2. Beware of bizarre manifestations. When the Holy Spirit’s power comes on people they may feel weak or even fall. The Spirit’s power can also cause people to tremble, shake, laugh or cry. Such manifestations are biblical and we should leave room for them. But where do we draw the line between legitimate experience and fanatical excess?
The apostle Paul had to deal with outrageous charismatic manifestations in the Corinthian church. People were acting like raving lunatics—and turning the church in to a free-for-all of unbridled ecstatic behavior. Paul called for discipline and order, and he reminded early Christians that “the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets” (1 Cor. 14:32). In other words, Paul was saying that no one under the influence of the Holy Spirit should act out of control.
In many recent charismatic revivals, ministers have allowed people to behave like epileptics on stage—and they have attributed their attention-getting antics to the Holy Spirit. We may think it’s all in fun (you know, we’re just “acting crazy” for God) but we should be more concerned that such behavior feeds carnality and grieves the Spirit.
When exotic manifestations are encouraged, people can actually get a religious high from jerking, vibrating, screaming or acting intoxicated. (I have even been around people who writhed as if in pain, or made sexual noises—thinking this was a legitimate spiritual experience.) But emotional euphoria doesn’t guarantee a heart change. The person who is bucking like an untamed bronco in a church service would benefit more from sitting still and reading the Bible for an hour. When we put bizarre behavior on the platform we imply that it is normative. Thus more strange fire is allowed to spread.
3. Beware of hype and exaggeration. Our hearts are crying out today for a genuine move of God. We want the real deal. We’ve read about the Great Awakenings of the past and we long to see our nation overcome by a wave of repentance. The church is in a backslidden state, and our nation has rebelled against God. We are desperate!
In our longing for a holy visitation, however, we must be careful not to call the first faint breeze of the Spirit a full-fledged revival. If we do that, we are setting people up for disappointment when they realize it may not be what we blew it up to be.
Some of the language used during the Lakeland Revival has created an almost sideshow atmosphere. People are invited to “Come and get some.” Miracles are supposedly “popping like popcorn.” Organizers tout it as the greatest revival in history.
Such brash statements cheapen what the Holy Spirit is doing—and they do a disservice to our brothers and sisters who are experiencing New Testament-style revival in countries such as Iran, China and India. We have a long way to go before we experience their level of revival. Let’s stay humble and broken before the Lord.
I am rejoicing over all the reported healings at the Lakeland meetings. Miracles are awesome. Crowds are great. But miracles and crowds alone don’t guarantee a revival. Multitudes followed Jesus during His ministry on earth, but many of the people who saw the dead raised or ate food that was supernaturally multiplied later crucified the Son of God.
It was the few disciples who followed Jesus after Calvary who ushered in a true revival—one that was bathed in the fear of God, confirmed by signs and wonders, tempered by persecution and evidenced by thousands of conversions, new churches and the transformation of society. We should expect nothing less.”
Dr. Jack Hayford, President of the Foursquare Denomination, wrote, It is understandable that the reports of what may be a breakthrough of divine grace are raising questions regarding the veracity of the reports. Some ask what official stance the Foursquare movement will take toward this phenomenon. First, by any standard of biblical wisdom, it is far too early to assert anything on any terms. Understandably, the reports of miracle blessing would cause rejoicing in anyone who believes that God does, indeed, work miracles in our time. But equally understandable are the questions raised by experienced pastoral leaders who have dealt with “revival” situations that have proven deceptive and that have ultimately deterred sincere souls from an understanding of God’s Word and relationship with His Son.
Second, it has not been the practice of The Foursquare Church to draw conclusions hastily in such situations. Our own history as a movement is marked by miracle visitations, both in the United States and in many nations around the world where our ministry extends. We have seen pure, wise, and trustworthy leaders scorned by cynics—at times, even scorned by church leaders who oppose miracles in our time on any terms. That is one reason our general response is to be “slow to speak,” as the Bible instructs (James 1:19). It is for that same reason that we tend to position ourselves as Gamaliel did (Acts 5:34-41)—the rabbi whose influence is reported by the Apostle Paul as having shaped his own thinking in significant regards (Acts 22:3).
As president of our fellowship, and in conjunction with the elders serving on our board and the executives serving in our offices, I recommend that we all give ourselves to prayer for God’s grace upon us as a fellowship of churches. We want to be available to His Spirit, instructed by His Word, open to His will, and humbly slow to pass judgment on things that are outside our purview. We are not called to answer for any other ministry or its report; our responsibility is to seek to serve our flock, teach our people God’s Word and wisdom, and keep ourselves open to to the precious workings of His Spirit.
For the time being, our desire is to live in hope, believe for God’s best in our day, and counsel our leaders and our people to be filled with the Spirit of God. We ask the Spirit to give us humility in discernment and to guard our souls from being either gullible, doubt-prone, or resistant to whatever God may seek to do that proves Christ-exalting, Word-verifying, and enduring beyond sensation or mere excitement. With time, whatever is taking place in Lakeland and through activities issuing from its happenings will either verify or discredit the source of the manifestations.
We are in an hour of history, both nationally and internationally, that calls us to prayer and fasting. Let us give ourselves to seeking God, and let us give place to His visitation in ways that please His heart, seek His glory, and honor His Son, our Savior, Healer, Baptizer with the Holy Spirit, and Soon Coming King.
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