AOG official statement on Lakeland

Paul also warns us: “Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you for the prize. Such a person goes into great detail about what he has seen, and his unspiritual mind puffs him up with idle notions. He has lost connections with the Head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow” (Colossians 2:18-19).

and care to give publicity to Christ rather than to the revival.

While brother Wood has made some encouraging statements on the need to examine all things by the Word of God, I would hesitate to call this a statement on Lakeland rather a general statement on revival. Unfortunately this unwillingness to deal directly with issues negatively affecting the AG's was part of the reason I eventually left that organization. This is not the same AG that went head on with the "latter rain" movement or earlier in its history struggled and, through the writings of J. Roswell Flower, rejected the oneness heresy. His statement "trusting" the maturity of the AG pastors to judge rightly shows a lack of leadership on their part.

Let an AG pastor forget or not be able to afford to pay his tithes to the district and I guarantee there will be quick action. Let an AG pastor teach heresy and they trust their maturity.

I guess this is a little personal for me coming from the AG's, and I've also recently lost a best friend to the junk going on in Lakeland.

While this statement has much to commend it, I agree with Hulsey that it's really a non-statement. It's as much as a non-statement as Gamaliel's counsel was in Acts 5:38-39 towards the apostles' preaching.

A pastor I once knew said that a lot of this junk pops up when people grow bored with their Christianity. Indeed, they find the faith once and for all handed down to the saints to be boring. They need something more exciting and easy, thus, flock in mass numbers to partake in this.

Yes, I felt the same after listening to Wood. It is not a direct indictment against the deception at Lakeland per se; it's a general statement on revival. Note, I am also a former AG minister, having relinquished my credentials just this year. What you say about tithes is very true - it was almost to the degree of militancy and I just couldn't deal with it anymore. Thankfully, the issue over tithes wasn't the ultimate reason I broke from them, but it certainly was a contributing factor.

The avoidance of naming names in light of what is going on down in Florida is pretty alarming. I would venture to say there are quite a few AG pastors of relative prominence subscribing to this thing in Lakeland, and to call a spade a spade might well cause a lightening bolt of dissention in the camp.

It's the only reason I can think of for not naming the obvious.

Mr. Wood's article is a step in the right direction.
I sence that his article is a gentle and suttle rebuke for pastors who are sign and wonder happy right now, to come back to earth and smell the sound doctrine flower before they ultimately will be brough out to the wood shed.
Our AG demonation has an official position paper concerning these kinds of teachings and practices.
we will hopefully see if the new leadership is willing to follow through with its policies and official statements.
I have made official complaints about a church in my area and am waiting a reply from the Local General council.
Im praying for positive results, and repentance from teachers who teach herasy.

I think a good sermon to listen to that touches on a subject such as this is Dave Wilkerson's "A Call To Anguish"

She was told that God was going to fully heal her of her lung problems but she is still very sick.

This pompous, arrogant, puffed up mindset ... It is not faith but presumption and what ultimately is the byproduct of it all ... The shipwreck created by these people and what do they really care while they are off staggering about in their signs and wonders, having a grand old time in their quasi-spiritual euphoria..

Once again these are the ramifications that will not be looked at and dealt with. How many more?
There is no weightiness of understanding to these flippantly uttered words, no grasp that they are telling this woman a falsehood straight faced and when it doesn't come to pass it is cast behind their back and forgotten, if it hasn't been forgotten already. It is incredulous and damnable. Might the Lord heal her in spite of them and might He never let them hear of it ...

What's worse is even how this husband seemingly is caught up unaware and sees no dichotomy between what is being told to his wife yet still very sick and an audience of angels ... ministering spirits?

This verse again;

[i]Paul also warns us: “Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you for the prize. Such a person goes into great detail about what he has seen, and his unspiritual mind puffs him up with idle notions. He has lost connections with the Head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow”[/i] (Colossians 2:18-19).

This is precisely what this Bentely fellow has done and is spreading about. He has [i]gone into great detail about what he has seen[/i] and [i] his unspiritual mind puffs him up with idle notions[/i]. [i]He has lost connections with the Head, from whom the whole body[/i] ...

Sister if the Lord enables you to guide them into all truth and the reality of that truth I would think the unwanted guests would also be dislodged from their moorings, they have never been able to tolerate the Spirit of truth when it is present and will flee from it ...

[i]Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.[/i] 1Jn 4:1-3

People that are silent, especially someone that can be a "leader" or a Shepard or teacher, or a large magazine or tv station that are "silent" are to me a very worrying thing.

Isa 62:6 I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem, which shall never hold their peace day nor night: ye that make mention of the LORD, keep not silence,

It is often so that the people who keep silent are the ones causing division by their silence.

Dear Christian,

"...And give him no rest, till he establish, and till he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth."

[i]And give him no rest[/i]

Isn't this talking about praying to God? Rather than talking to each other for weeks and months on end?

ChrisJD wrote:

Isn't this talking about praying to God? Rather than talking to each other for weeks and months on end?

Probably you are right brother,

but still i think a Shepard should warn his flock from danger, not circle around it and hope his flock wont go there.

Pro 27:23 Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks, and look well to thy herds.

Hello all…

I think that it is error to judge the statement as being anything more or less than what it contained. It wasn’t specific in mentioning Lakeland – because the problem in NOT confined to Lakeland. This issue is a problem in Florida, Texas, California, Kenya and India -- and everywhere that there is a misconception about "revival." Once this situation goes the way of Pensacola (whether this year or within the next few years), there will be some other Church in some other town which will do its best to become the “next great outpouring.”

The problem, in my opinion, is a misunderstanding of the nature of revival. The problem with the modern Church – especially the Pentecostal/Charismatic brethren – is that they have a presupposed idea of what revival is supposed to look like. They truly believe that a revival is a meeting where they see supposedly “supernatural” occurrences, people sing happy, fast-paced songs, the adults and youth become excited and involved in Church activities, and the building is filled for each meeting. Of course, SIers realize that this is not revival at all. Anyone who has read [i]Why Revival Tarries[/i] or [i]Hungry for More of Jesus[/i] realizes that revival is an awakening of an individual’s heart and mind to the things of God. It is not a gimmick, a promotion, an incident, or a boast. It is a realization. It is when men, women and children (both individually and then collectively) wake up to realize the futility of their ways and will call upon the Name of the Lord in truth just so they can know and please Him.

Many pastors want a revival that will result in a full congregation of pews. Evangelists often want a revival that will have the most “public decisions” (where people are “led” in the “Sinner’s Prayer” – as if that act alone could actually save their sinful souls). Individuals often want a “revival” that will fill them full of “happiness, purpose and joy.” But none of this is revival. The modern Church is flocking to “revivals” in which each individual within the congregation remains asleep. Rather than waking up and being revitalized by the knowledge of God – these congregants are content to stay asleep and smile in their dreams.

Have you ever watched any one of the “crusades” by Benny Hinn in India? Over 100,000 people showed up – all in embrace of the theatrics. I’ve seen some footage of men preaching in Africa where nearly a million people showed up to observe a display of “miracles.” While the “miracles” that were reported to have taken place are sketchy at best – it is extremely indicative of the hunger of people for such things. Jesus illustrated the futility of the heart when some would follow Him to see the miracles that He would perform. Yet when Jesus – the epicenter or true revival – preached, people left in a hurry! When He told the flock to “eat His flesh and drink His blood,” his “congregation” dwindled down to just twelve men – and one was a devil (John chapter 6).

I’ve always found it interesting that Christians in America will flock to meetings where the Lord supposedly shows up to perform the miraculous. Whether in Lakeland, Pensacola, Toronto, Kansas City, etc…, these famous gatherings demonstrate the willingness of people who name the Name of Jesus to flock toward any hypothetical display of the “supernatural.” I’ve found it ironic that the same type of people seldom show up to a meeting where a man can simply preach the truths found in the Word of God.

When I truly met the Lord when I was a teen, many of my fellow Church-going friends thought that it was weird that I was so attracted to preachers rather than Christian concerts. They thought it was weird that I preferred a prayer meeting over a Christian festival. They thought it was weird that I preferred [i]Why Revival Tarries[/i] to the chaff that is found on the bookshelves at most Christian Bookstores. Yet I always thought that it was cool to meet people of similar interest. There was only a handful at the Church where I grew up. However, I found others during mission trips, visits to other congregations, trips to Churches near my grandmother’s house, etc… It made me realize that I wasn’t alone in my hunger for more of Christ. I also realized that most of those believers also felt ostracized in their congregations because of their convictions. They too were called “judgmental” when they quietly wept at “revival meetings” that more closely resembled pep rallies, paltry displays of the “supernatural” and cheerleading classes rather than spiritual wake up calls.

I will say that I agree with the words of the Superintendent of the Assemblies of God. I no longer attend an A/G congregation. There are a few areas within the Assemblies of God with which I disagree with them on doctrinal issues (or feel enough uncertainly about mandating such doctrines). However, the fellowship, as a whole, has been pretty sound (in my opinion). They do, to their shame, allow too much “local discretion” for pastors and local congregations. I suppose that they do this so that they do not have to maintain a rather imposing measuring stick for each and every wind of doctrine that floats around. It is a whole lot easier to embrace the affirmative than to point at each and every thing that is negative.

It would take too much time to point out every errant idea, revival or philosophy. They would begin to look like a well-meaning [i]Gestapo[/i] by keeping a public “black list” that contained the names of allegedly questionable doctrines or supposedly errant preachers, congregations or “revivals.” Such a thing would require full time “investigators” upon which we would need to rely upon their testimony. And because men are fallible and inclined toward their own fallible knowledge and levels of maturity, there is a danger of these investigators being wrong or claiming that something is “not of God” when it actually is.

This statement seems to attempt to better define “revival” than to lambast each and every specific event, idea and doctrine that is false. It is better to hold up the original model for revival than to extrapolate upon every other example that may or may line up with the Truth. I think that this is what the author attempted to do. He is holding up a description of true revival instead of mentioning specific examples of what is false. Because of this, I appreciate his words. In regard to Lakeland, I had never heard of it until I read about it here at SermonIndex. It didn’t take too long for me to realize the reported flaws in those meetings; for I am now better aware of what it is that God wants from each of us.

That being said, the Assemblies of God can also be quite strict during “official” collective meetings. For instance, I attended an Assembly of God youth camp in which all of our counselors were strictly forbidden to publicly state that they believe in “holy laughter.” They were strict in terms of what a preacher could preach and to prevent some of the more Charismatic antics seen at the close of many Pentecostal services (the expectation of people “falling under the power of God,” perpetually “demon-possessed” teenagers [it seems like some Pentecostal Churches have at least one or two who never seem to get fully delivered], “holy laughter,” “dancing in the Spirit,” etc…). I remember standing in the back of the camp’s “tabernacle” when a guy in front of me started screaming while jumping up and down (with his eyes closed – dancing?). A couple of counselors came and took him to the back and talked with him. I appreciated their attempt to prevent “wildfire” – but I wondered whether they had gone too far. What if someone was just really excited? What if someone started to cry out to God for forgiveness? Would they have been pulled aside too? Anyway, it just shows that the A/G can, at times, be quite specific in regard to meetings. But I don’t know that I would want the A/G (or anyone else) telling me just what I can or cannot believe.

However, I think that this was the intent of the statement on Revival. Whereas Krispy found the statement to be “weak and spineless,” I think that the author spoke rather directly about the big picture. The root of this problem is not Lakeland – or even the specific doctrinal flaws of that particular meeting. It isn’t about any other specific meetings or behavior. In my opinion, it is an attempt by the Superintendent of that particular “fellowship” (the A/G tends to shy away from the word “denomination”) to hold a guiding line by better defining [i]what revival is[/i] rather than specific local examples of [i]what revival is [u]not[/u][/i].

I think that the author described the root quite well. If we can comprehend this, then there would be less of a likelihood of embracing (or entertaining) error.

:-)

Hi BrotherTom...

There have been hundreds of "De-frocked" AG Pastors throughout the years, and credentials withdrawn. These were all specific. Why not here? I remember Jimmy Swaggart, and it seemed that they handled his sin in a biblical manner, in the face of a great storm from the national media. Jimmy's face was everywhere.

Times have changed. I am sorry, but God has moved on, and out of this organization. They are not reprobate, as the United Methodists are,[the previous great and holy move], but I think this compromise, this general whisper of "Be nice now, "cause this may be bad" , spoken as it were to the wind, is an indicator that they are heading that way.

After reading the statement, I don’t discern that the author and Superintendent was taking a “[i]Be nice now, ‘cause this may be bad’[/i]” type of approach. Rather, it seems that he would prefer to make the distinction between a true move of God and those that are invented by the efforts of man (or worse). It seems that this statement was simply meant to draw a picture of what revival is – so that we can be able to spot a fake if and when the time necessitates. While walking through the “wilderness of this world” (as Bunyan would say), do we really need a person to draw up a map that identifies each and every portentous destination? Wouldn’t it be better to simply receive pure instructions for our journey toward our holy destination (with a few warnings on the road as we go along)?

Regarding this entire "Lakeland" matter, I only know what I have read on this website (along with information obtained from a couple of the accompanying links). Of course, I wouldn't endorse what I read or what I saw. Why? It isn’t because of what my friends at SermonIndex have said. Rather, it is because I am maturing in my knowledge of the heart of God. It doesn’t resemble the type of revival that I feel that the Lord desires. That is grounds enough for me to “stay away.” However, I might run the risk of "baring false witness" if I were to say something specific regarding Lakeland that wasn't entirely based upon fact.

“To everything there is a season...” (Ecclesiastes 3:1). There is certainly a time to speak out AGAINST unrighteousness and perversions of the Gospel. However, there is still a need to “be slow to speak.” Just as Paul warned Timothy about being hasty in regards to the “laying on of hands,” so this letter might reflect the desire of the A/G Superintendent about being a bit hasty in pronouncing judgment in this matter. He could have easily said that the entire matter is “from the Devil.” But could he say such things with utter certainty? Perhaps he simply feels that caution is the best course of action for the time being – until this matter is fully investigated?

If the leaders of the Assemblies of God have not attended the Lakeland meetings, what would be the best course of action for them? Would it be to publicly address those meetings in their entirety in a specific manner of judgment – or to urgently caution believers toward the Truth? From this article, it seems that the General Superintendent decided that the latter would be a more prudent immediate decision – at least until some investigation could be done regarding the truth of the matter.

Sometimes, I think that we are often “preaching to the choir.” Most of the believers who frequent this website are quite knowledgeable about revival (at least enough to recognize fraud when we see it). I wonder: How many of us are willing to go to the people involved in the Lakeland meetings and “explain the Word of the Lord more adequately” to them? I suppose that the Superintendent of the A/G, through this statement, might feel that this issue is much larger than Lakeland. There are Pentecostal believers who seem inclined to flock to “[i]the next new thing[/i].” Perhaps this statement was meant to help identify a real revival – so that the readers might use it as a primer that would help them decipher a supposed “revival” in the future?

For this reason, I appreciate the statement. It seems to me that such a statement is vitally important in today’s Church. After all, isn’t this what [i]Why Revival Tarries[/i] was trying to accomplish? It was meant to identify a real revival (and how it comes about), so that we would stop our pursuits of fickle, man-made revivals and the ongoing service in lifeless religion?