WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM LAKELAND FLORIDA?

Now that the so-called"Lakeland Outpouring" has come and gone with all it's unusual happenings in the last 5 months, has the church learned anything from it all?  One thing we should have learned is how easy it is to be led into deception by listening to the media with their hyped up reporting of the  so-called signs and wonders, and miracles of healing.  The fact that the evening services were spread around the world by God Tube Video was certainly a key factor in the speed with which the "revival" became well known. Many believers who follow the Charismatic branch of the church, especially the so-called "apostolic/prophetic movement" would seem to be the ones most affected, and only time will tell how much they learned.

Many good well balanced articles have been published so far about this event by various writers, including a letter of apology by Dutch Sheets expressing to the church at large how he regretted what had happened. And even though he was not personally involved in the events that took place in Lakeland, he felt to repent on behalf of the Charismatic group of churches that he has been associated with for many years. This act on his part may prompt similar actions by those ministers who were directly involved in encouraging Todd Bentley in his unscriptural teaching. There again, only time will tell if this attitude of repentance comes forth publicly from them, or not.

Jesus warned us in (Matt 24:24-25) that these things would happen in these end times. Paul also spoke about this sort of thing in (2 Thess 2:9-12), where he warns about the "man of lawlessness", better known as the Antichrist, who will come on the scene some day. It would seem that Todd Bentley was playing the role of a type of the Antichrist in Lakeland when you consider his teaching that was contrary to scripture, and his embellishing of the accounts of healings and raising people from the dead, which were never confirmed. It is never easy to admit that we are wrong, and have been deceived. Actually the one who has been deceived is usually the last one to know that he has been deceived. But I believe there are many leaders who must do this in order to bring a sense of integrity back into the apostolic/prophetic movement. This might help to heal the division that has been caused by people supporting both sides of the controversy that has developed. Let us agree in prayer that this will happen, and we can get on with the true "Revival" that God wants to bring to our land! This true revival has been prophesied now for many years, and most likely Lakeland was an example of the enemy's counterfeit of the real thing, which God allowed to test our ability to discern the true from the false!

Sincerely submitted.
Dave Jamer