Posted on 05/09/2008 3:03:45 PM PDT by Armed Civilian
I have been to the outpouring in Lakeland twice with my family. I was wondering if any other Freepers have been as well. We went when it was still in Ignited Church which holds 700. It has moved to a church in Auburndale that holds 3,000, they then moved it to the Lakeland Convention Center that holds 9,000 and then to Lakeland Tigers Baseball stadium that holds nearly 12,000. Tonight it will be at Lakeland/Linder Airport, Sun and Fun Grounds. We have seen lots of healings and miracles. It has been going on for over 35 days and will be at the convention center for at least another 14 days.
www.freshfire.ca
God TV?
Yes it is only on direct tv here in the states, channel 365
I am not sure what it is carried on overseas. It is carried on Direct TV. I do not believe any cable companies have picked it up.
I’ve not been to Florida but had seen Todd Bentley in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania at Life Center about two years ago.
This site gives a very good overview of Todd Bentley’s ministry. Read with care and then make up your own mind. We have friends that think he’s great and others who believe he’s gone off the deep end.
TODD BENTLEY AND THE FLORIDA REVIVAL EXPOSED
http://www.cristianismobiblico.com/bentleyexposed.htm
I have relatives who’ve gotten caught up in a group called International House of Prayer.
http://www.puregospeltruth.com/healing-revival-lakeland-florida-todd-bentley.html
Videos showing the fruit and manifestions of this Revival.
I’m sorry to hear about your relatives. Many people are being deceived because they don’t know what God’s word says for themselves.
Every time a new move of God comes along, you can count on people, well-meaning Christians all (or at least they claim) to rush right up and try and douse it with a big bucket of cold water.
Here is another source
A FALSE HEALING REVIVAL?? -Florida—Andrew Strom
http://churchwarnings.blogspot.com/2008/04/false-healing-revival-florida-andrew.html
I had a great bible teacher that said, “do not be afraid to check out what your critics are saying, for sometimes they are right.” Just that one saying has helped me many times.
I’ve been to third world countries and have been in large church meetings there. Many of the things that go on in Todd Bentley’s meeting, the nationals in the third world countries call demonic.
How many third world countries have you been in, let alone church meetings? The church in America needs to wake up.
I was there last night. I took a friend who has a blood mutation which causes his blood to coagulate in his circulatory system. The doctors gave him 3 to 6 months a year ago.
Bentley called up those diagnosed terminal at the end of the service, and my friend got prayer.
He’s not a believer, but he’s got to be close. He’s open somewhat, but he’s really hobbled with reasoning and logic- the kind that separates you from faith.
He did feel something during the prayer though, he described it as being hit with something, an electricity in the air, an intense emotional experience. This is a non-believer talking. He knew something happened, we just don’t knwo exactly what yet.
He says he’ll know if anything changed, because his legs swell from the condition. If it stops, that’s a good sign. I don’t know when his next doctor’s visit is.
By the way Armed Civilian, you do realize that hordes of naysayers will descend upon this thread from all quarters, and the ‘religious’ ones will be the worst. If you need healing, don’t let it damage your faith, be encouraged.
I was going to the old Rodney Howard Browns revivals back in 93, 94? I sat there the first night and watched wat was happening. I said this is either a> the biggest scam I’ve ever seen, or b> the coolest thing I’ve ever seen. Then Browne invited the unsaved to receive Christ.
About 500 people rushed to the altar. I never questioned it after that.
By the way, its’ also at http://www.god.tv on the net.
Here are some eye witness accounts.
http://pjmiller.wordpress.com/2008/05/09/most-contagious-anointing-florida/
I don’t mind you telling of the good things that are happening but please tell the other side also.
Thee are some of the other things that happen in his meetings, I’ve been in them and have seen them for myself.
I don’t believe in silencing the truth teller and I’m sure you don’t either, so tell the whole truth. That’s all I’m asking.
A few of the possible physical manifestations observed in meetings, that could indicate demonization
* Obsessive/Compulsive/Driven behavior (Luke 8:29)
* Crazed or abnormal behavior (Luke 8:35; Mark 5:5)
* Mocking (Luke 4:33-35; Acts 16:16-18]
* Bodily contortions or convulsions (Luke 4:33-36; Mark 1:25-26); bulging eyes; contorted face; slithering like a snake; crouching like a cat; etc.
* Seizure (being seized by the demon and driven to do something) (Luke 8:29; Luke 9:39-42)
* Babbling (not to be mistaken for tongues; it’s when a totally infantile sound is produced.)
* Barking
* Birthing, when someone sits themselves down on the ground in a position like a woman does when giving birth, and then starts groaning and writhing as if giving birth. (The sign is that once made pregnant with the Gospel, something new is being born in them — something spiritual.)
* Uncomfortable Tingling/Burning (a sensation in the body’s extremities, similar to that of losing circulation, only the circulation is unaffected.)
You know, that spontaneous joy and laughter thing started a long time ago. I saw it for the first time in 94, I think. Your source here is ignorant at best. Let me tell you from personal experience that I had a depression, a negativity that I can only describe as demonic, driven out of my life the first moment that I encountered this particular manifestation of God. I wouldn’t go back to that misery for anything, and I try to get some of that experience every chance I get.
As for Bentley, guess what- he’s a fallible guy just like you and me. He will make mistakes, he will say wrong things, he will do wrong things. Have some grace when you consider this, because we’ll all be judged by the measure we mete.
How’s that for an eyewitness account? Please don’t reject the baby with the bathwater.
All sounds like something to be avoided. Mass hysteria can produce unusual sights.
First of all, you’ll always have emotionalistic flakes in any group of people- they will do such things that you’ve listed in the flesh, or even under demonic influence- at which time they should be delivered.
But even in a ‘respectable’ church, the flesh just manifests there differently, usually in some sort of personal manipulation, control or judgmentalism. And when it’s done by the ministers, it usually occurs around offering time.
Now I’ll tell you this, I have absolutely felt a tingling in my hands when I pray for the sick. Not all the time, but from time to time. It’s pretty cool when it happens actually. No, we don’t walk by sight, but it’s nice to know that there’s something happening in the spiritual realm that affects the physical.
A dear friend of mine went with Todd Bentley to Africa. She said it was a grand experience and when she prayed for people, they were healed. It changed so much of her life and former beliefs about healing. I’ve seen him and he IS a bit much, but he has a tremendous testimony of how he was delivered from about every sin you can imagine. He spends tremendous amounts of time with the Lord every day.
Yep, you got that right. Christians have been on the forefront of destroying every revival that’s come along. How sad is that?
ovrtaxt, that’s wonderful, I never question the real authentic miracles that happen.
After being over seas and seeing first hand demonic activity in church meetings, and then coming back to the states where discernment is greatly lacking, I began to see the same type of demonic activity here in the states. The nationals are much more sensitive to the spirit realm and as soon as someone manifested they took the person out of the meeting and took them through deliverance. Here in America they let the people in the meeting who are manifesting. The nationals say demons love to put on a show but they will not allow it.
These people aren’t educated but know a demon when they see one.
I believe the gift of discerning of spirits is lacking in the church of America.
Well, I’ve seen the gold manifestations for myself. It’s real. One of my older friends actually got a gold tooth at one of the Toronto meetings. Others had gold dust on their hair and faces.
I’ve been to Toronto three times. It’s amazing, but it could be weird for people who don’t understand what’s going on in the Spirit.
I believe you’re exacty right about that. I’m not so hot at it myself, but that’s because we have such a subtle demonic presence here. People slithering like snakes is obvious, but I’ve never seen it firsthand. I have a Kenyan friend who’s given me a lot of insight on the difference in our experience. Deliverance is a common thing as you say, but almost unheard of and mocked in America.
You mentioned Life Center in PA, that’s Randy Clark’s place, right? I was there in October for a conference. Randy was in Lakeland last night too, and Heidi Baker was there Wed night.
Gemstones fraud - Glenn Smith caught redhanded!
http://endtimespropheticwords.wordpress.com/2008/01/11/gemstones-fraud-glenn-smith-caught-redhanded/
“These teachers are as fake as the gold dust which has been tested and been found to be cheap plastic glitter.”
I didn’t realize it, but Randy Clark came to Lakeland two weeks before Toronto hit in 94. He told the story last night, how he came to visit the Rodney Howard Browne thing back then. Pretty neat, the connections.
I heard about that- he was making them from gelatin and dropping them on the floor! I do understand the CourD’Alene gems to be real however.
Again, you seem to like to align yourself with people who use passive-aggressive techniques to attack others and criticize things that may be outside your own beliefs or even experience.
I agree that the church in America needs to wake up, but not in the way you are thinking.
Our newbie FReeper, LJayne, seems to be one who labels everything outside of their own personal experience as being "demonic" and interprets everything in that light. It's very sad, but not unexpected.
That’s because the editor of that site has a bias.
But teaching which is truth will bring honor and glory to God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, and will not appeal to the things that are in the world (lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, or the boastful pride of life). If a teaching appeals to these things it is not truth.
I’m not sure where Randy Clark is from. I know he’s been to the school my husband attended.
Thanks, but no thanks for the link. I just saw a very close friend of mine who goes to our church up on the stage in Lakeland. Peter has been attacked with Parkinson’s and he has only been able to shuffle and he shakes very badly. Tonight I saw him run across the stage, and he has stoppe shaking. I do not need to respond to the website you put up to discredit Todd.
Oh no, you mean they are part of a group of people that are praying and interceding for our nation, and the world. That is really scary.
The church is waking up, you jsut do not like the package it is coming in.
My heart and my FLESH cry out for the living GOD. What happens when you come in contact with the living God?
At the pool of Bethesda, what came down and stirred the waters? What were the people to do when the ANGEL did that?
You prove what I’m saying. Instead of searching God’s word, which is truth, you turn it around and attack me.
Dishonoring the truth-teller is a characteristic of cults. Cultic behavior, which always includes blindness, will result from an overemphasis of loyalty above the truth.
We can never be more loyal to a man than to God. That’s a very slippery slope to be on.
The scripture is very plain that we are to test all things.
Test all things and hold fast to that which is good”
1 Thessalonians 5:21
Hey, I saw that watching on god.tv! That was awesome. I was telling my wife about it when we went to bed last night. Was that his daughter with him?
I would imagine that Peter is one of those cases where medical documentation will be easy to produce. Good for him.
That’s just really really cool. That particular healing got a hold of me last night. The other one was the guy with bi-polar disorder, who was so introverted that he couldn’t talk to anyone. The healing restored his soul-winning ministry. I couldn’t believe all the eyesight healings too, they were just one after another.
22Then Jesus answering said unto them, Go your way, and tell John what things ye have seen and heard; how that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, to the poor the gospel is preached.
23And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.
The fruit speaks for itself. This is about the immediate reality of Jesus Christ, the mercy of God and healing. If you want some three point sermon and hermaneutically correct breakdown of Greek and Hebrew text, you won't find it here. There's a place for that, but it's not very important when someone is dying, or crippled for life or going to hell.
Hobbled by reason and logic? That's the most disturbing criticism of an individual that I've ever read on this board.
You can overthink anything. Sometimes things need to be accepted at face value.
Whew - no — that’s not the part I’m concerned about.
You now accuse me (passive-aggressively) of being a member of a cult. You proclaim yourself as being the truth-teller. I've got news for you, David Koresh, and other cult leaders like himself were ones who claimed that they had the truth and others didn't. Did you learn these tactics in the cult you belong to??
I frankly don't have the time to spend the whole day picking apart the un-truths and scriptural distortions in that hit piece you linked to; it's just too full of them. The really sad part is that it is all couched in language that sounds spiritual, and has cherry-picked scripture to "back it up".
So here's the bottom line: you obviously don't like Todd Bentley, and the manner in which God is pouring out His Spirit in this revival is a manner that is way outside the little tiny box you have put God in, so of course, you are going to attack it. Fine. Go ahead. Just don't try and convince everyone that you are somehow more spiritual than they are because you see the "truth" and they don't.
Jesus was accused of the very same kinds of things you accuse Todd Bentley of. The Word says, "Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them: "Any kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and a house divided against itself will fall. If Satan is divided against himself, how can his kingdom stand? I say this because you claim that I drive out demons by Beelzebub. Now if I drive out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your followers drive them out? So then, they will be your judges. But if I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come to you."
As I said, I don't have the time to pick through your hit piece line by line. In fact, I've spent more than enough time with this now. If you don't believe that the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in Florida is genuine, that Todd serves the One, Living and True God, then, hey, don't go there!
Feel free to not respond. I'm done with you on this subject.
That is is wife. We were overwhelmed at church last night watching.
Good!
I have seen a bit on internet/tv, but I haven’t been. I have some good friends getting back today from a couple days down there, and I know of several others who have made trips.
I know there will be excesses, but the reports I am hearing are of a hunger for God. Grab the good, intercede for the ‘bad’ - christians should be good at that...
I have been trying to imagine what the scene must have been like when Jesus stopped a whole crowd because He had been ‘touched’. Today’s ‘spectacle’ must rival that...
No, it isn’t. I do not dare judge whether this is a move of God or not. He will make it clear one way or the other to those who can discern the enemy’s ways. Mr. Bentley is not my cup of tea but he certainly has a great testimony of deliverance from almost every kind of sin you can name.
He’s come to our area before. I went to the series of meetings where he, Bill Johnson and Todd Bentley were ministering.
Amen, Armed Civilian. We have no idea what God is doing and we need to be careful of judging what’s going on in this arena.
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