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, the editor of Charisma stated “honest questions” and concerns below. Thereafter, I give my thoughts and warnings to Grady and Charisma.

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

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

Grady: “‘Watch out for the strange fire. The name of Jesus is rising in the Lakeland revival, and three people came to the altar for salvation the night I attended. A greater number have come to the front of the auditorium to find Christ every night since.”

Davis: “If the name of Jesus is exalted in Lakeland, we need not worry. If a man’s name is exalted, let us be careful. At both 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 go. God does not share His anointing with carnal, vain men. When God’s glory goes, the people will too. As long as both are present, let us rejoice in the Resurrected Christ”.

Grady: “However, I fear that another message is also being subtly preached in Lakeland, a message that cult observers 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 awakening 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 has no bearing on 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 As for visiting angels, these are common throughout the Scriptures. We should seek God, not angels. However, if the Lord chooses to send an angel to answer our prayers, we should not limit the holy From Israel”.

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

Davis: “Agreed upon, heard, understood and acknowledged.”

Grady: “We don’t have to teach God’s people to communicate with or seek revelation from angels… 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: “Watch out for weird rallies… 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). As far as I know, Bentley is not teaching ‘God’s people to communicate with angels,’ nor 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 everything 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 ‘be done’ before you work to structure and order it. Grady and Charisma can write about revival, but until they can be born and do revival, they shouldn’t 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 do not 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 carnality and grieves the Spirit.”

Davis: “What feeds carnality and grieves the Spirit is the arrogance of men like Grady, who fight a movement of the Spirit instead of supporting it and giving birth to 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 also does not produce a change of heart. An unbelieving heart breeds evil and causes people to turn away from the living God (see Hebrews 3:12).”

Grady: “Beware of hype and hype.”

Davis: “Beware of embracing a wicked 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 with 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 complete revival. If we do that, we are setting people up for disappointment…”

Davis: “Instead of trying to label and name a revival, pray for it in your own life. I find no disappointment in revival, only 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 some.’ 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 ‘some’ 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 no less.”

Davis: “Thank you for providing the persecution Lee. We’re almost there! Now please teach us humility and brokenness. Maybe you can match the Mormons’ commitment to go abroad for 2 years to birth a real revival of your own. Until 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 that we all keep our hearts and eyes on Jesus Have Be careful not to try to stabilize the ark or try to straighten the flow of God’s Spirit lest you be judged quickly (1 Samuel 6:6-7; Micah 2:7) (Acts 5:38). God, is 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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