The Lakeland Revival-Do We Think All these Folks Are Crazy?

The Lakeland Revival-Do We Think All these Folks Are All Crazy? Are they Faking? And if so, why would they do this?

Among others:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-KNBwQLsp98

 

Re: The Lakeland Revival-Do We Think All these Folks Are Crazy? Faking?

I've been there and will be going back. If you asked me this question 10 years ago I would say YES, they are crazy. Yes they are faking or at the very least falsely convinced they are being healed. I would have called them SHEEP.

That was then and this is NOW!

Hank, I can't convince you or anyone else how experiencing the presence of God can change your life, heal your hurts, and even heal your body. And I can't answer why some and not others. All I can relate is my personal experience in 1999 and my ongoing journey with Him.

Peace,

Kim

 

Re: The Lakeland Revival-Do We Think All these Folks Are Crazy? Faking?

The girl, Maria, in the following video, I actually met. The video is from May 3rd if I remember correctly. She is the third or fourth person to testify here, coming in from the right side of the stage. Here's how we met. On the way driving to the the service from the campground on the grounds in Lakeland where we stayed, we would commonly stop to pick up any of the pilgrims who were walking from the tent camping area. Seeing her, I stopped and asked if she would like a ride. I introduced myself, as did she, Maria from southern California. She said that this was her second visit to the revival. While we rode, Maria told me that during her first trip to the revival in May, she had been healed. She told me about a herniated disc that she had had for 20 years in her lumbar. She said that during the service in May, while in a prayer for healing Todd Bentley called out a word of knowledge for someone who had a herniated disc. She said that when she heard that called out immediately she began shaking. She said that heat, fire, took over her entire body. She said that she could not control her body for 20-30 minutes. She said that she knew where she was; that she did not leave consciousness; that she could see the people on the stage and the people around her. She said that when it was over, she lay down, she felt her back and discovered that what had been a bulge in her lower back was completely gone, along with her pain. Almost 40 days later, speaking to her in my vehicle, her pain was still gone as was the bulge. She said that while back in California, she went back to the doctor. After examining her, the doctor told here that her herniated disc is now completely healed. She came back to Lakeland the second time to give thanks.

As with chiropractic, I do not make this stuff up.

Here's the video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRNYQVIgAIM&feature=related

 

Stroke victim healed:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_toURvi3rE0&feature=related

Deafness healed:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4e1_IL2tZrI&NR=1

 

Hank,

I think I posted in one of the other threads about the healing I received in 1999 (at the time of my conversion). Mayo Clinic told me I had a disease of my pancreas. We were praying, I was convicted by the Holy Spirit, I confessed Jesus as my Savior, and the power of God fell in the room like nothing I've ever experienced. At that time I only weighed 97 pounds (I'm 5'6" and was very muscular and athletic prior to the illness). Because my pancreas was not working I was not digesting fat so no matter how much I ate, I couldn't gain weight (I was on a 3,500 calorie a day weight-gaining diet). It was the day before the invasive procedure at Mayo and they were going to tell me if it was cancer or pancreatitis. I was so skinny that I was freezing all the time. When the power fell, I felt like someone had set me on fire. Evelyn was holding my freezing hand and she said it became extremely hot. My whole body was hot and burning. Then the peace came on me like a warm blanket. I felt totally right (I can't think of a better word but this is very hard to describe). Anyway, you probably can guess the ending......nothing was wrong with my pancreas and within a few weeks I had put on 10 pounds! They repeated all the tests and everything was normal. My doctor sent me to Shands Teaching Hospital and they re-did all the tests and they were all normal. No explanation. The doctors were baffled. They kept wanting to run more tests

Again, I'll say that if someone told this story to me ten years ago I'd say "what a coincidence" or "what an amazing body to be able to heal itself."

Blessings and peace to you Hank.

 

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Want? Yes
Expect? No

At the time, and yes, even since, the Jews were and are expecting the Messiah to be announced wuth trumpets and grandeur. Instead they got a poor baby born in a manger.

Want? Yes
Expect? No

The holy men at the time expected that when the Messiah came, He would select them to share in the glory. But the holy men were those most reviled by the Messiah. They did not get what they expected.

Want? Yes
Expect? No

And because the Messiah did not meet with their expectations, even though that was what they wanted, they democratically decided to free a murderer and kill the Messiah.

I would bet that if we met on the street, each of us would come away thinking, boy, I wasn't expecting him or her to look that way. Who knows, maybe I have piercings. Maybe I have blue hair. One would never know by simply reading my posts. So isn't it the message that is important here, not the appearance of the messenger?

 

But when we expect, maybe that is an act of faith that God honors. Just some food for thought. It is very hard to have faith for a complete healing when many doctors say it is impossible or, at least, improbable. We can bat this one around for years. I'm from the school of "try whatever might work" even if it seems way out there. I also believe that corporate worship moves God in a way that seeing all your kids together in harmony might please a mom or dad.

Just a few of my random thoughts tonight.

So, Hank, when are you going back? ;D I'm thinking very soon, for me.

 

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Thanks for participating here, Dianne. Really. You have an extremely credible opinion, one that I respect greatly. So I am interested to know your opinion on this. I am asking about the folks who claim to be healed. And if you don't mind, give me the benefit of the doubt on Maria, the girl I met on the road down there. Assume that what I am saying is truthful, as I know that it is, even though you and I have never met in person. Watching the videos, understanding the truth of what I witness to you, what do you think about these people? Are they looney? Is Maria just mistaken? Do you think that when they get home they will discover that they were all wrong, hoodwinked, that they really can't see or hear or jump around when while at the venue they sensed and demonstrated that they could? For me, seeing is believing; so I'm really interested to know what other people, having seen this, think here. Having had a first hand look at this, having spent almost a week down there and talked with the people, seen the people, seen with my own eyes the healing, not just watched it on video or TV, having formulated an opinion having done so, I am interested to know what other folks think having caught a glimpse of what I have witnessed more fully.

Thanks again for participating.

Hank

 

You speak of corporate worship on one hand and corporate disbelief on the other, believing the doctors because we are taught early in life to revere their opinions, and with good reason. But what if it were the other way around? What if we were taught early, and demonstrated early in life, the value of healing by faith? What if we developed a lifelong experience of the value of healing by faith rather than placing our entire ownership of faith in medical doctors? What then of our level of faith? I mean, plainly, something is happening to these people. It is right there in front of us to witness from the comfort of our home office or TV, every day. But we are not used to witnessing this kind of thing. We are taught our entire lives that such as this is impossible. Because this is true, to entertain healing by faith as credible becomes not just an act of faith, it also becomes an act of learning, overwriting old preconceptions, old believed knowledge, with new knowledge, bolstered by new experience. So it appears to me that for someone who did not believe in faith healing to turn around 180 degrees, that turnabout would not be an easy one. Yet there it is, right there on the screen, folks being healed right and left, every night, for over three months, by this guy with tatoos and piercings. I am really interested to know folks' opinions regarding how this occurs. Is it real? Is it not? And if not, how can we explain all these folks night in and night out thinking that they are healed? How do we explain Maria, who after a full month no longer has her pain and bulging disc? Is she hypnotized?

Some folks might read this and explain it by believing and expressing that I am not being straight with folks. Well, that would be a perfectly reasonable thing to think given the circumstances. I have never met anyone here in person. So yes, I suppose folks could credibly believe that I am making this up. But giving me the benefit of the doubt, knowing that I would have nothing to gain from making anything up here, the question remains, how do we explain this?

 

WOW!

 

Hank,

I have come to the conclusion (from scripture) that His ways are higher than our ways. It doesn't matter to me how or why it happens because I have accepted that God might not reveal it to me......at least in this life

Seeking God's way and His will for my life are more important (for me) than trying to understand how the process works. I used to need to have proof or at least good evidence of everything that I believed. It was a constant quest and search for truth but I always needed proof to validate truth. Now I seek God's will to let me understand what is necessary for my walk. Through prayer and the Word, the Holy Spirit teaches and guides. I must rely on that guidance and trust where it leads. It doesn't mean I'm not curious and it hasn't stopped the hunger for knowledge but it allows me to have great peace in my walk.

 

We have God moving among His people in one way-then on the other hand we have this. I believe we are in the last of the last days....I am not real familar with Kay Arthur, but I have listened to her a few times and found her to be a balanced Bible teacher--and submit this for your prayers and opinions

I received this in an email this week:

A Sober Word from Kay Arthur


Dear Ones,

On June 27th and 28th I attended a conference in Atlanta called "Deeper Still." Internationally known speakers Kay Arthur, Beth Moore and Priscilla Shirer were there and I looked forward to a special time of worship and having God convict me of my sins and lead me to areas in my life where I need to change. I have been to similar conferences for years, although none this large and with so many well-known speakers. There were over 20,000 women in attendance at the Phillips Arena in Atlanta- they said it was the largest crowd ever. I had an idea of what to expect from the conference, but nothing prepared me for what actually happened. I feel led to share my experience with family and friends. This is important, so stay with me!


When Kay Arthur took the stage you could just tell that her spirit was heavy and there was a certain "heaviness" in the atmosphere even before she started to speak.

She said that she had been literally physically sick to have to bring us this message and right out the gate she said, We are in grave danger." She said that God had revealed to her that a literal famine is coming to America. Physical, not spiritual. She said that God is moving in judgment against our nation. I know I can't describe this well enough, but the atmosphere was ominous. Kay is a seasoned speaker and she had to BATTLE to get through her message. She stumbled over scriptures and had an extremely difficult time. At times I was almost expecting her to collapse. At one point she just had to stop and pray. There was no person, myself included, that I could see who did not have tears streaming down their faces. As you may know, Kay Arthur is normally a very confident, composed speaker, but she was literally in a spiritual battle and it was taking place right before my eyes. I have never seen anything like it. She went on to give 7 things that Christians must do during th
is tim
e and I am going to give those to you now:


1. Jer 4:3- Break up the fallow ground- return to Me. Repent. Get on your face before God and ask him to break your heart with the things that break His heart.

2. Mourn- Jer. 9:17-18 and Ezekial 9. It is time to weep because our nation's sin is incredible.

3. Pray- Jer 36:7- Pray fervently, passionately for America.

4. Love God's Word- Jer. 20. You MUST love the Word of God and be in the Word of God. I was particularly convicted here because I know I have not been as deeply in His Word as I need to be. She said we must get serious about this.

5. Love others as Jesus loved them. Jer. 31:3 and John 13:34.

6. Introduce people to Jesus Christ. It's time to get serious about this. This is no time for timidity. Jer. 31:31; Jer. 33:1-9 and 15 and 17.

7. Rest. If you will do these things, then rest in the fact that you have done God's will. She said that it is going to be vitally important for us to get enough physical rest. She went on to say that God has not given us a spirit of fear and that if we are obedient to Him, we will be protected.


She said to read Ezekial 14 over and over until you understand it. This is what God will do if a country turns against Him. She said that this is going to be a calamity ( she used the word calamity in such a way that you knew this is going to be no small thing) for our country, and gave many more scripture references, but what I have given you are the main points that she made. I hope you know that I would not have sent this to you if I had not been profoundly affected by it and feel it is of great importance to share it.

Thank you for taking the time to read this and I hope you will do with this information what you feel led by God to do.

 

Hi Firstlove,

What Ms. Arthur spoke of in Atlanta, the idea that God might move against America as punishment for disobedience, is not without precedent to be considered. If you will read Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address, you will find that America's 16th President "supposes" much the same idea, expressing that the American Civil War (1861-1865) might have been God's recompence, what he termed "woe" due to America for its sanctioning of the institution of slavery, an institution carried on in defiance of God's Natural Law. Over time it has been lost to the American history books that the United States of America is designed by its founding fathers to follow God's Natural Laws and in so doing elicite the protection of the divine Providence.

What I write here can be found in the Declaration of Independence, the document that formulates the basis for the sovereignty of a new nation referred in that document as the United States of America. According to that document, it was the laws of nature and nature's God, God's natural laws, that entitled the American British colonists to break the political bands that connected them with Great Britain and establish a new government for a new nation. Because it was true then and because the nature of the American sovereignty has not changed since, in other words, because we're still the same country we were on July 4th, 1776 after the declaration was signed, then even today, the United States of America owes its existence to God's law. Therefore this nation is accountable to God's law. If America breaks God's law, one would imagine that God would be angered. If it breaks God's law sufficiently, it makes sense that God would be motivated to move against our nation. That was Lincoln's reasoning and it has excellent foundation.

So the divine Providence has a dark side, the side to which Lincoln referred in his second inaugural address. This is the same side to which Ms. Arthur refers in her talk in Atlanta. Like Lincoln, regardless whether her prophetic vision turns out to be correct, she had good basis to express it.

Throughout the New Testiment, Jesus and the apostles refer to God's wish that men be free. That is the same wish of the AMerican founders. They bet the farm on the idea that if they could creat a nation whose design and nature would be to follow and perform God's will on earth, God would be moved to protect it. Right above the signitures on that document it reads, With a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor." "Plainly, their intent was for their new nation to follow God's law, promote God's will on earth, as God's will can be discerned, and in compensation receive God's protection. To a large degree one could argue that that has happened. But in relatively recent history, sizeable forces have worked against God's place in our national and patriotic institutions. And to that same degree, they are succeeding. If they were to ever complete the goal of removing God from America, America would find itself unauthorized. As a result, our founders would predict America to fall into ruins. Given the circumstances, if I were God, I might be moved in a similar bent as Ms. Arthur expressed.

That was a great post of your and I appreciate it very much. I am not opposed to drifting to and from the original topic into related areas.

Thanks again,

Hank

 

As far as healing goes, only God knows. I've seen some healed and others not and I have no problem with this. Scripture tells us that a prophet would need to be 100% in what they are saying when it came to the future. I think of this when I hear others say they have a word from God.

The sin in the world of course would make one surmise that God would judge a nation, as it says in the bible already.

 

Hi Charisse,

Do you know where can I find that scripture? As you can tell, I'm really interested in this stuff.

 

Not getting many new ideas on this post, so I will continue myself. The reason I ask whether these folks receiving healing at Lakeland are just crazy is because due to the sheer numbers of them, either one of two truths are involved here. Either these folks are actually being healed or they aren't and thoroughly believe they are. Either when they fall down on the stage they are receiving something via the laying on of hands, or they are so convinced that they are that they cannot stand up. So really, ether these folks are being healed or they are indeed out of their minds, at least for the time, perhaps to come to their senses later.

So if the latter is true, if these folks are just crazy in other words, well really, nothing further needs to be said except to try to understand how on earth this allusion is carried out on so many people, night after night, people who have traveled from all parts of the globe to receive their healing. I cannot answer that question. Personally, I think that is less farfetched to entertain the idea that folks are actually being healed. But maybe you have another idea.

That brings us to the other alternative, that folks are indeed being healed. I'm really curious about this, truly. I saw it when I introduced and advocated chiropractic. In the face of a overwhelming evidence supporting the notion that chiropractic does help folks, even from time to time rids folks of their Meniere's symptoms, there are skeptics who steadfastly refuse to believe it and even argue against it. And now we have what for all intents and purposes appears to be miracles occurring nightly in Lakeland Florida, a large percentage of which involve folks who have symptoms of the inner ear, deafness, Meniere's, and very few folks here seem to raise an eybrow. If they don't raise an eyebrow watching something like this, then how would these same folks, many of whom are Christian and who believe in a second coming, recognize when such an event as that might occur? Are we so jaded, perhaps that is not the best word, distrusting of the motives of those whom we see on the videos that we cannot even give them the benefit of the doubt that something is indeed occurring there? Or is it that we believe that yes, miracles can and do happen, they just don't happen to people like me? I think I could understand the second position better than the first, given the evidence. But I am curious on this. How can folks who very desperately need healing and especially those who believe in God and the Bible, ignore the prospects that miracles do occur and could indeed occur for them?

Very curious,

Hank

 

Hank, I have pondered your last post from my own point of view and history of not believing such things to present day when I believe all things are possible with God. I've seen healings that could not be faked or imagined. I've read personal accounts by many believers and talked to others. I have no reason to doubt them but, I think, it is because I do not doubt Jesus is the Christ, the Living God, the King of King and Lord of Lords, my personal Savior.

Back in the days of Christ people watched him perform miracles. With their own eyes they saw yet did not believe. They watched and heard about him restoring the sight of the blind and RAISING THE DEAD yet did not believe. It doesn't surprise me at all that MOST people will not even entertain Todd being used by God to heal.

I think the issue with Christians (myself included) is that we all don't get our healings and, being human, we either discount the whole thing or try to make sense of how it happens. We try to attach some kind of formula or process or steps we need to take to get healing. I think divine healing is a very touchy subject among Christians, especially those of us who are sick.

I believe many of those people in Lakeland are being healed. I don't know how or why but I believe enough to go back. When I was there I asked God to give my healing to Steve (my husband) because he had a huge lump on his neck and the doctor expected cancer. His tests came back normal and the doctor was surprised. I have no idea if God healed him or he didn't need the healing to begin with. But I know what I saw and heard that night and it was enough for me to go back. Just the corporate worship alone was so powerful it rained down peace and joy unto me. That alone was worth the trip.

 

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