An interesting statement

After many people asked for an official statement from the Assemblies of God about the various revivals, especially one on the Florida Outpouring revival in Lakeland. As those of you who read my Trails to Lakeland posts know this revival was started in an Assemblies of God church (Ignited Church of Lakeland).

The General Superintendent of the AG has now released a statement. FIND IT HERE

In this statement he does not mention any specific revival but states it is good for us to look at the biblical safeguards. He then asks for people to ask if in the revival is Jesus exulted and is the Word of God preached? He then goes to explain that the preaching must be the same as what Jesus preached.

From this it is, at least in my opinion, quite obvious the AG opinion of the revival in Lakeland. Some people are now asking why the AG hasn't taken more forward approach on the Lakeland revival.

Well the revival claims to be influenced and Bentley claims to be a continuation of Branham's ministry.








I hope this helps some people who have been emailing me about the links between Bentley and Branham. Do you remember what the AG had to say about Branhams ministry in 1948? They said it was heresy.

Since then though these teachings and actions have become quite popular, including in Brownsville and Ignited, both being AG churches. There are quite a few AG churches that support these revivals.

By speaking out against the Lakeland revival the AG could easily have a split on its hands and no one should want that. I personally think that this statement most recently given by the AG will not be good enough for some and that we will have another statement (though I expect it to be a few months away and all this hinges on the Florida Outpouring lasting that long, which I think it will). A statement that condemns or speaks against the Lakeland revival will disenfranchise the members and churches that support this revival. This will then begin a split within the denomination.

I personally think that the lakeland revival is more than a revival but the onset of a whole new denomination. This is an extreme statement and I really am not wanting post it but this is what I believe. The Word of Faith movement has built up over the years to the point of now breaking off and becoming its own denomination.

What do you think? Am I crazy or do you see this too? I hope I am wrong, I truly want the AG grow closer as a denomination (I actually do like the AG, it is those who overly focus on the 'feeling good' Holy Spirit that concern me) and I hope that the Lakeland revival results in a great awakening for this nation. One of these days I get the courage to share my true testimony of my experiences within the Charismatic circles, I think once I share many people who think I am just a skeptic will see that I really do want a true revival (I pray every day for revival to come to America, the same prayer I have prayed for 9 yrs now!). I went to Lakeland hoping it was real, I still hope it is /can become real. I don't have any problem with healings, miracles, or God moving. I have a problem with tactics used to decieve people, scare people, and push people. God is bigger than that, all we need to do is tell the greatest message ever told and live a life of folloing after Jesus and the miracles, salvations and revivals will come. Those stories aren't in Acts to make us wish lived back then, those are there to show what this Christian life can truly look like. But... I'm off topic.

Okay so here is an interesting interview with Justin Peters, some of you might remember Caron mentioning him in the comments section during the Trails to Lakeland series. Here he is on Way of the Master radio (yeah I don't like WOTM but this sound clip seems okay, the host seems harsh but what Peters says is good.)






I must admit what Peters said is similar to an experience I had. I haven't been given any permission to share the story on here, but what I will say is that a person who was thought to be healed at the revival contacted me because I had videos of the revival on my youtube page. A family went up stage and asked God to heal their family member, the person needing the healing said they felt something after Todd prayed over them three times. Everyone cheered and Todd cheered and said "Yes, Praise God."

After leaving the revival the family, thinking the person needing healing was healed, find out that actually the condition had worsened. They then were stuck in central Florida, not able to get home, it being a completely different country, because of how severe the condition was. Since then the medical community has stepped up and helped the family, but I and a few close friends I shared the story with have been praying daily for this family. But if we had left the revival that night we would have believed this person was healed, when in reality they were actually getting worst.

I live 30 mins from the revival, Maggie is very close to it. Both of us have many friends in Lakeland and know many people who have gone to the revival, but we have never met or even known through a friend a person healed at the revival. I have watched numerous revival services and have attended myself, and not once have I seen an actual sermon and very few scriptures are used. The night I went I counted 5 verses (verses, not scriptures) that were spoken in the course of the five and half hour service.

Again I agree with the safeguards the AG say to use to tell if something is true. So what do you think? Is the AG statement good enough or do they need a more specific statement? Is Peters just a skeptic, am I just a skeptic, or are there things in this revival and movement to watch out for?