“This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” Matthew 3, 17
Ever since I had heard about Lakeland it puzzled me and I had many questions even though it’s not that difficult to understand. The fact that we don’t know clearly how to discern simply shows that we have to know God and his ways better. It’s allowed to ask Him whenever we don’t know what’s going on because we’re His children. Yet it reveals also the deceptive ways of the devil and a certain immaturity regarding ourselves by asking these is-it-of-God questions we cannot deny too.
I heard about Lakeland and made the mistake of filling myself with second-hand information through the internet. By doing so, I got the wrong view point from the very beginning. Very recently I’ve listened to a sermon and two people gave testimony about their experiences in Lakeland. I was astonished, not because of the miracles and wonders (this was never my problem), but of how ignorant and religious my attitude actually was. I got convicted and had to realise that I almost became part of these Christians hunting after everyone who deals with supernatural things and accusing or trying to prove almost everyone wrong who stands behind a pulpit speaking about the supernatural power of God. I read parts of the booklet written by Dr. Gary S. Greig that is found on the Fresh Fire website. I didn’t read it thoroughly and don’t claim everything in it is true, but it helped me to stretch my understanding and to get rid of this narrow-minded and carnal view on God’s ways in our present times. There’s a difference between not knowing and therefore seeking God for a true answer and approaching Him with a human theology or statement, which is nothing more than an idol, just having the desire to hear what you want to hear. In Ezekiel God shows us the principle.
Therefore speak unto them, and say unto them: Thus saith the Lord GOD: Every man of the house of Israel that setteth up his idols in his mind, and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to the prophet-I the LORD will answer him that cometh according to the multitude of his idols; … Ezekiel 14,4 (JPS)
It’s very dangerous. You’ll always hear and see want you want to hear and see. It is God who checks our hearts! It’s not about receiving a Yes or No, he is a servant of God or he is not and therefore a false prophet and of the devil. I asked myself why there’s so much discussion, reasoning and arguing about Lakeland? Christians are preaching about repentance, praying for revival, even fasting, crying out to God, complaining how sinful their countries and cities are, longing for change and when finally God does something about it and the first person gets healed, people like Todd Bentley or others get their title as false prophets. I’ve been thinking about it and it’s absolutely ridiculous. Why wouldn’t God give us what we’ve ask for, provided it was the right thing? We pray for revival and the first thing what happens is that the devil shows up in Lakeland doing a great campaign together with his angles and demons? We just simply don’t know God good enough, is my conclusion so far. I believe that God’s word in Matthew 24, 14 will come to pass saying,
“And this Gospel of the Kingdom shall preached as a witness to all the people and THEN the end shall come.”
The gospel is called the Gospel of the Kingdom and that it is a witness. This gospel is a witness and it is witnessed by God, by Jesus Himself! How? Through the signs that are following. These signs are repentance, rebirth of water and spirit, meaning true conversion and of course healings, resurrections etc. By the time the fruits of the Spirit will follow as well because fruits need time to grow, as we all know. Most of such things, I believe, has been witnessed in Lakeland and from there it seems to move on.
As I prayed about these things I saw a map of the east coast of the US and a flaming torch flying over the Atlantic Ocean to the United Kingdom which ignited the whole Island.
We heard a lot about false prophecies and prophets, about false teachings, teachers and apostasy. Have you ever asked yourself how this will look practically? According to the part of Christianity marking Todd Bentley false and Lakeland of the devil and a lie, those that are getting saved there would be the apostates, so called fallen away. If not the power of God moves these events then the only logical conclusion to draw would be that it is Satan’s power ringing the opening bell to the apostasy of which the bible speaks. Provided resurrections of dead people and healings really taking place in Lakeland, then please show me where Satan in the bible is doing the same by using the name of Jesus? It doesn’t make any sense at all when you continue drawing these conclusions! By no means I claim that everything that’s going on there, or in a revival in general, is perfect. How could it? People make mistakes and I’m sure many mistakes have been made in Lakeland. Read in the book of Samuel what happened as they carried the ark! The first time it ended up in a disaster, but does it mean that it was of the devil? Man make mistakes, with, and even in the power and the glory of God and this we have to distinguish. I believe that it’s not about the question whether the revival is of God or not but more what went wrong and how do we judge and continue. I believe people who mark Todd Bentely and the events in Lakeland demonic are more in danger than those who were involved in the revival and made mistakes.
As far as I’m concerned about the end-time events, two things in particular will happen or happen already. Firstly, the Gospel of the Kingdom will be preached as a witness to every nation. That means, in power and authority with signs and wonders following. The result will be that masses of people get saved as it is seen in several parts of the world today. Among those getting saved by hearing the true Word of God I count backslidden Christians and people that are Christians just by name having been imprisoned by religion and man-made theology as well. This takes place in times of peace (like we still have in Europe, the US and in the western world now), but also under tremendous persecution and tribulations and/ or they will be an immediate result of the proclamation of the Word and conversion of many people. Persecution must come because the bible says so. It’s clear that it has to come because on the one hand, kings and queens, principalities and powers, governments and rulers will tremble in fear of losing their position because of the reign of Christ. On the other hand it’s a testing for the saints, of all those that are chosen to be really His. Many among those that had been converted will fall away. This is the second thing that will take place: The apostasy. Those who resist the sound of God’s trumpet being heard by the proclamation of the Gospel of the Kingdom and all those that fall away when persecution comes are the people mentioned in the bible when it speaks about the apostasy. For instance, in Lakeland many backslidden Christians finding their way back to Jesus and it’s a matter of fact that when you preach the gospel and speak the truth often Christians of all kinds of denominations are those who resist the most. There’s nothing new under the heavens. Jesus and the disciples had to face the same problems, prophets of the old testament included. Do you get the picture? We are not living in the last days, moreover in the last minutes. The fact that the antichrist arises, false teachers and prophets are entering the arena, doesn’t mean God is not capable to do what He has always done and promised to do. Neither does it mean that He ceases to be the almighty God who created heaven and earth. He is in charge and not the devil! Does God show us through the bible that whenever He is doing something He receives the credit, the glory or is at least in a certain way the centre of it? We are to test and to check if things are of God or not. So we have to check those who criticise as well, don’t we? So who is the centre of those doubting that Lakeland and similar events are not of God and blaming it of the devil? I read more stuff about the revival than I actually saw on broadcasts and I’ve found out that Jesus is not the centre of most of the critics, neither does most of the things I read lead you to a greater revelation of Him, nor makes it God’s ways clearer to you. Man, e.g. Todd Bentley is the centre of the critics and of all those who mark him as a false prophet. A place called Lakeland is the centre of the critics because they speak more about it than the people that are actually going there. Do you understand? If you keep on drawing conclusions you’ll sooner or later have to admit that Satan is more powerful than the bible actually shows. I came to the conclusion that the question is a matter of Sonship, meaning, if we have reached this certain level of maturity. A Son knows what the Father does and does what he sees the Father doing. Only slaves and orphans don’t know what God is doing. It’s of vital importance to be watchful and on the alert, to be sober and in line with God and his word that He has given us. I’m aware of the fact that God warns us through the bible more about false teachers, prophets and messiahs than making mention of those that are true. But yet I believe we have to get in touch with the original in order to discern the false rather than creating a system or method of how to find out if it’s of God or not. I say this because I recognised in my own life a certain attitude and understood that the motives behind it and behind many critics, watchmen and religious people seems not to be born of a true desire to know the truth and to warn people, but rather of rebellion and/ or an attitude of a slave or orphan. It sounds really humble and very pious to title yourself a servant of God or even a slave to Jesus. I know that the apostles introduced themselves in letters alike. But the truth is that it always refers to ministry. Likewise terms like prophet, apostle, evangelists are always referring to the ministry in the Kingdom. In other words, it’s about the deeds or the work that we are to do here on earth. Yet, the first thing is not what we do, but what we are! Therefore our position or state, however, is the one of a Son! In Ephesians 2, 6 it says,
“…and hath raised us up together and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
Are we apostles, prophets, teachers or evangelists in heaven? Is this our first calling? When you get saved, do you become a prophet or a child of God? These ministries or offices are needed to build and advance the Kingdom of God here on earth. Our first calling is not into work or into ministry but to be a Son in the rest of God. From there, from heavenly places, where we sit together with Jesus, we begin to work and minister. If we miss it, we might call ourselves sons of God, children of God, Christians or whatever. We might even do certain things and minister, but we’ll stay orphans and slaves, trying to do in order to get or to become something what we haven’t reached yet fully. But God has made us Sons (already) and we walk out of being it and not in order to become it some day in future. Some preacher said a very wise thing that opened my eyes, “The flesh is always to do, but the spirit is to be.” It’s very important that we understand this and walking and working out of a position of being rather than rushing towards our Sonship from a position of a slave. If we miss it we will sooner or later get offended by the events that are going to happen. It will seem strange to us, it confuses us, we don’t know whether it’s of God or not and we begin to doubt everything and everybody, we begin to hide and withdraw ourselves, getting even angry or mad, picking on leaders and others, criticising and missing to commune and the fellowship with brethren in the body of Christ. The result is that we grow cold. I believe this will happen to all those who resist the move of God in these times, especially to those that call themselves Christians. Through the events that are nigh at hand, especially in Europe, God tests His people. Don’t refuse to open yourself to the fire that He sends! Embrace it and thank God for it! I’m not talking about going to this conference or flying to that meeting. You don’t need to go far. It will happen in front of your house. In 2006 in Israel, I prophesied that the gospel will be preached publicly, in great authority and power, with signs and wonders in the streets of London. At that time I had no clue about London and didn’t know that I would go there more than two years later either. I found it quite interesting to find plenty of preachers in London already. I prophesied and therefore thought there must be a lack of preachers in London. The truth is, there are more than anywhere in Europe! I thought what does it mean? I see that power will come, power of the Holy Ghost, fire from God and true conversions in streets will follow! Things in Lakeland and Dudley are just the beginning. I believe God wants us to be part of it but at the same time He is asking each of us, “Are you willing to go? Are you willing to take your part in it?”
“Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” Mark 1, 11
Matitjah