Revival, and Thursday Thoughts

I played racquetball early this morning.  I have spent some time with Jesus, and will finish prepping for this afternoon.  I will be speaking at Milan prison.  I have an appointment to look at a used car, then back here to get a lot done for Sunday.  Gabe has a concert tonight and that will be fun.  We had a great time yesterday.  I went with his class to Greenfield Village.  Drew went too. We had a great time.

It seems have have generated a lot of "hits" and comments (emails) about my comments on Todd Bentley and Lakeland.......

Lois commented on this Blog  and listen to what she says

".... I spent too many years following after signs and wonders and it never satisfies. I am embarrased when I watch that stuff and realize that I was part of it at one time.I am grateful God has delivered me out of that. Give me Jesus any day. If I never see another 'miracle' in my lifetime it will be all right with me I will still say 'take the world but give me Jesus'...."

I love her words.  I am thankful for the Lord's corporate moving. I have enjoyed spiritual refreshing at Toronto myself.  That is where I also, using spiritual discernment, walked out of the false teaching of Todd Bentley and his claims of "astral projection"  and his spirit healing people all over the world.  As I left I remember thinking  a few thoughts.  #1 He is full of himself  #2  Only Jesus heals and it seemed all the glory for the healings were going to Todd which he was openly receiving.  #3  I don't need to see more healings to believe.  Some may, I don't.

I wish people that travel all these miles and spend all this money on food, lodging, gas, flights, would have the same zeal in their local church, and communities for the lost.  Can you imagine that much effort and energy to disciple the new believers at their local church!  Now that would be a revival!  Seeing someone transformed by the power of God is the greatest miracle of all.  I want to see those miracles.  Maybe the church gets to addicted to "blessing the blessed"?  I want to stay missional, focused on souls. 

Comments

[lindsmack]

Hi Nate,

I'm unsure if you're welcoming comments or not, but I thought I'd send you some of mine. As I read your thoughts and opinions about Todd and Lakeland I can't but some level of concern. I recognize your desire to protect your people from anything you discern as false and as a good leader you should evaluate new things. I am curious to know- are you recommending to your own people to evaluate and decide for themselves? Are you inviting a conversation or only making a statement about your stance? It can be difficult to tell.

I am also not for emotionalism or fake manifestations of God's presence but I am also not one to judge those that are displaying any type of manifestation. Who am I to say if someone is experiencing the power of God so strongly on their body that their body can't contain it? If they are being healed in a way that doesn't suit my idea of what healing should look like then I need to open my horizons as to how God moves.

I also think the more time we spend concentrating on Todd himself that we're missing the point. Its about Jesus and how Jesus is moving and touching His people. By people, I mean both in and out of the Church... everyone. I'm not saying we have leadership without Godly character. I wasn't there with you at TACF. I don't know what you heard there, but I know that many trusted leaders and prophets around the world are supportive of Todd and what is happening in Lakeland. Is it possible that he's matured in some way since you saw him? Other than that one teaching you mention have you done further study? I will do my own homework about Todd as I'm curious about what you've written. Did you know that he doesn't really preach in Lakeland? Its all worship, prophecy, and prayer for healing.

My only other thought pertaining directly to Todd is that this movement contains an element of holiness unlike I've experienced on any other movement. It requires a righteous life and heart to carry what is being released. Its a very humbling thing to have God start to reveal to you areas of sin in your life. This has been our experience in our church family- and if we're experiencing, it I'm sure the leadership in Lakeland is as well. If not, that will be exposed in due time. And the more you focus on any one man (you or I included) the more you find wrong with them.

In my opinion, Todd doesn't matter, emotionalism doesn't matter, and manifestations don't matter. Here is what matters... whether we agree or disagree, God is moving in a powerful way. Most of the Church today has not experienced the healing power of God like this. Sure, they could sit and read their Bibles for an hour as someone's article you posted suggests, but most of them have been doing that for years and haven't experienced God in his fullness yet. That's why they are drawn to Lakeland. They've been reading for years and are hungry for an experience of the living Word of God. Its the supernatural side of Jesus that is being displayed and its awesome. And yes, experience plus a grounding in the Bible is key. I think we have so many wonderful teachers of the Word of God right now that if someone is all about experience and not about grounding that there is someone in their lives to help point them in the right direction.

God loves his people. He wants to see them healed and if people are being healed then AMEN! Its not staying within Church walls. Ill people are coming from all over. Those that have been healed are now praying for others outside of the church. If we try to contain this type of power within the Church it will squash the move of God.

I love to see people being healed. I love watching the terminally ill coming to Lakeland and see major turnaround if not complete healing. I love to see people in wheelchairs getting up and out of them. Why? Because it increases faith in the entire Body of Christ. The focus is on Jesus.

Even my pastors have commented on how in the beginning of the movement the focus would go from Jesus to us back to Jesus and then us. And how now the focus is on Jesus only. How awesome is that? To have an environment where the entire body of Christ is focused on Jesus. It changes self focused hearts to focus on the heart of God. The heart of God is to love and heal all people. If God's people don't know his heart for them on a heart level and only in their minds, then let them come and experience the healing power of God because if its a true experience then they will be changed for forever. This display of God's heart, along with others, is what brings the lost into the Kingdom. I believe that will happen. I am grateful for the powerful outpouring in Lakeland, as its come with wonderful gifts from the Father to be used for His glory.

I had my shoulder healed this two weeks ago at our church. Yes, my pastor had received an impartation from Lakeland, but we've also been contending for healing in our own body for some time. The healing actually started on my way to church as I worshipped in my car. It continued through our worship service. About mid-way through worship I realized I had much less pain and more movement. I went to our pastors and told them what was happening. They laid hands on me and the amount of power was incredible that hit my body. My shoulder was completely healed. It was awesome and it was from Jesus. It was the goodness of God. We then prayed for everyone in our Body that had a shoulder problem and more people were healed! Know that our focus as a church is on God and not on a movement. We take part of movements that are releasing the anointing of God because we want all that God has for us. We do evaluate to see if we feel its truly Jesus.

Keep your on eye on Metro Detroit... things are already starting to happen! We're seeing people healed and miracles are happening. Its so cool.

Bless you and BCC!

linds

[Chilly...]

I never went to Brownsville, Toronto, etc... I don't know about Todd Bentley...

But I've been to Hamtramck... and I know Jesus...

I see people saved every week and discipled every day. My mayor knows me on a first name basis. Our church is growing and community is changing. That's all the revival I can handle at the moment. I want to be more than Acts 2:4, I want to be Acts 1-28 and beyond.

Great thoughts, my friend.