Lakeland, Florida Renaissance Weird Renaissance? Revival Caution and Warning from Charisma Editor Lee Grady

Charisma editor Lee Grady takes a cautious, conservative look at the Lakeland, Florida revival.

On May 14, 2008, Charisma’s editor stated “honest questions” and concerns below. Thereafter, I give my thoughts and warnings to Grady and Charisma.

Grady: “…But as the noise from Lakeland gets louder and its influence spreads, I’m issuing a few words of warning…”

Davis: “What you call ‘noise’ Lee is the roar of the young lions that spring up from the earth with the zeal of the Lord. They cannot speak, dress, act or maneuver according to the intelligent dictates of the professional men within the Christianity, but they have the faith that works by love that casts out fear and casts caution overboard.”

Grady: “‘Beware the 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. A larger number have come to the front of the auditorium to meet Christ every night since then.”

Davis: “If the name of Jesus is exalted in Lakeland, we need not worry. If a man’s name is exalted, let us beware. In the two services I attended in Lakeland, Todd was careful to exalt and exalt Jesus. Should your heart, form of ministry and focus change, the glory will depart. God does not share His anointing with carnal and vain men. When the glory of God departs, the people will too. As long as both are present, let us rejoice in the Resurrected Christ”.

Grady: “However, I fear another message is also being subtly preached 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 recent years.” .

Davis: “Cult watchers should not be our concern, as they are not discerning themselves. True discernment begins with waking up to what is good (Hebrews 5:14), not simply hunting down what is bad.” (see Romans 16:19) “When we are in love with evil, we ourselves become evil. We become what we behold (see 2 Corinthians 3:18). Ultimately, we attract and pay attention to what we ourselves are, as our perception leads to our personal detection and projection.”

Davis: “What a man or a minister did several years ago need not have anything to do with what he believes or does today. Should we ask what you did several years ago? A person’s past does not have to dictate his future. As for visitation angels, these are common throughout Scripture. We are to seek God, not angels. However, if the Lord decides to send an angel to answer our prayers, we should not limit the saint From Israel”.

Grady: “…Paul insisted that concern for angels can lead to great disappointment.”

Davis: “Agreed, heard, understood and recognized.”

Grady: “We don’t have to teach God’s people to communicate with angels or seek revelations from them… We need to remember that Mormonism was born out of a man’s encounter with a dark angel who claimed to speak for God.”

Grady: “Beware of weird manifestations… where do we draw the line between legitimate experience and fanatical excess?”

Davis: “Christ never called ‘us’ His disciples to ‘draw lines’ but to love and lift people up. Jesus said let the wheat and the tares grow together. The Lord Himself can pull out the weeds and uproot what is not has planted.” (see Matthew 13:30; 15:13). To my knowledge, Bentley is not teaching ‘God’s people to communicate with angels,’ or to seek them out.”

Grady: “…Paul called for discipline and order…In other words, Paul was saying that no one under the influence of the Holy Spirit should act out of control.”

Davis: “The apostle Paul said ‘let all things be done decently and in order’ (1 Corinthians 14:40). Before trying to control, discipline and order a move of God, first let it flow and ‘let it be done’ before you strive to structure it and sort it out. Grady and Charisma can write about revival, but until they can be born and do revival, they must not criticize it or try to contain it.”

Davis: “People under the influence of the Holy Spirit respond in countless ways. Since where the Holy Spirit is free (2 Corinthians 3:17), people can respond to God freely and don’t need Grady’s permission to do so.”

Grady: “In many recent charismatic revivals, ministers have allowed people to behave like epileptics on stage…such behavior feeds the carnality and saddens the Spirit.”

Davis: “What feeds carnality and saddens the Spirit is the arrogance of men like Grady, who fight a move of the Spirit rather than support and birth it. Casting out demons and healing the sick is not always pretty to the eye professional”.

Grady: “…emotional euphoria doesn’t guarantee a change of heart…When we put weird behavior on the platform, we imply that it’s normative.”

Davis: “Being a critical Christian and an unbelieving believer does not produce a change of heart either. An unbelieving heart breeds evil and causes people to turn away from the living God (see Hebrews 3:12).”

Grady: “Beware of hype and exaggeration.”

Davis: “Beware of embracing an evil heart of unbelief and becoming a Pharisee who knows the Scriptures but not the power of God” (Matthew 22:29).

Grady: “The church is in a state of backsliding and our nation has rebelled against God.”

Davis: “Perhaps you and Charisma magazine are too. However, if you surrender your hearts and seek God in humble desperation, the Lord of life will revive you with resurrection power.”

Grady: “In our longing for a holy visitation, however, we must be careful not to call the first faint breeze of the Spirit a full revival. If we do that, we are setting people up for disappointment…”

Davis: “Instead of trying to label and name a revival, cry out for it in prayer in your own life. I find no disappointment in revival, only in those who try to deny and restrict it.”

Grady: “Some of the language used during the Lakeland revival has created an almost secondary atmosphere. People are invited to ‘Come and get something.’ Miracles supposedly ‘pop like popcorn.’ Organizers tout it as the biggest revival of history.

Davis: “According to your faith be it unto you (Matthew 9:29). Better to go to God’s show than Hollywood. Better to get ‘some’ of God’s glory than dead religion. Yes to Charisma and Grady They don’t like ‘some’ to let them change the name of their magazine to Jesus instead of promoting their ‘some’ and the new ‘someone’ on the cover each month.”

Grady: “Let us remain humble and broken before the Lord… miracles and crowds alone do not guarantee a revival… It was the few disciples who followed Jesus after Calvary who ushered in a true revival, one that it 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.”

Davis: “Thank you for providing persecution Lee. We’re almost there! Now please teach us humility and brokenness. that can win so many souls, give birth to so many churches and transform societies be quick to listen and slow to speak As Jesus said, the fruit speaks for itself (see Matthew 7:20) I pray we all keep our hearts and eyes on Jesus Have careful to try to stabilize the ark or try to straighten the flow of the Spirit of God so that it is not quickly judged (1 Samuel 6:6-7; Micah 2:7) no (Acts 5:38) However, if it is of God will continue unhindered in full force with signs and wonders as God confirms His holy Word with power (see Mark 16:20; Hebrews 2:4).

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