Does anyone know someone who was PERSONALLY HURT?

I went to Lakeland last May, watched the Outpouring on god tv almost every night until the last night in the tent, and for awhile on iWorshiphere.

Saying it greatly enriched my life and walk with the Lord only begins to describe the changes that have taken place. I’m disappointed as always when leaders stumble, but in this case, it just means God gets all the glory. That is the way should to be anyway.

The visions I had while I was there didn’t leave me. My passion for the Word has increased. My desire to seek authentic worship has not diminished. I now have a desire and boldness to witness that I never had before.

My foot is still healed, too.

Seems like the heresy hunters will eventually run out of places to bury the “good fruit.”

Kathi – if Cat chooses to post here about what’s happening locally to her as a result of Lakeland, hold on to your hat. It’s absolutely vile – we were discussing it today. But that is if she chooses to.

Kathi, thanks for this.

Actually I can give an example of one person who was in some way hurt by Lakeland, Prof. William Dembski whose story is told in summary here and more fully here. My assessment is that Dembski was hurt because he put his faith in a man and in the special power of his touch rather than in God who was healing throughout the meeting – see my comment on the first story.

But the implication of many now criticising Lakeland is that some people have received lasting physical and spiritual hurt. Going to a meeting in hope of healing and not receiving it is of course hurtful, but people get over it. Is this all the critics are trying to say? If so they are overstating their point. Or are they saying that anyone was harmed in a significant and lasting physical way? I have still seen no specifics, just generalities.

Kelly the question I have for you is this. If God is the same yesterday, today and forever more, then to receive something from God one doesn’t have to leave their area to get it. The same God that showed in Lakeland is the same God I know that shows up everytime we have service. Revivals are good for those who need to be revived. I want the same from God all the time.

I heard from the Lord to go to Lakeland Rev Merry. That is why I went.

I’m not sure why I’m not getting this – is everyone here saying that Christians, or even those that are just spiritually searching, should not expect a little more in the behavior and lives of other Christians? Even in the life of a pastor or preacher? This way they won’t feel let down or disappointed when these people fall?

Funny, I always thought Christians were to be the salt of the earth. I always thought that we were to know them by their fruits. But from what I’m getting here, the lost should not expect any difference in the saved, and the Christians should not expect any difference from their own, not even the pastor that teaches them. To expect a difference sets up for disappointment.

When I say put on a pedestal, I’m not necessarily saying ‘idolizing’, though some may take it that far, but more I’m saying to have great respect in, trust in, or even faith in – simply knowing that you can look up to your pastor, and or the preacher that draws a crowd of thousands every night.

But it seems you’re all saying that a person should not be hurt by a Christian’s behavior, even when he’s in a position such as TB. If one does get hurt, then he must have had man elevated above God. I don’t get it?!

A person needs to be able to believe in their faith completely. If this sort of thing rarely happened then maybe it would be another story. But it happens quite often. Don’t any of you think that when these big preachers fall people DO get hurt? People DO lose faith? And not because they idolized, but simply they felt safe to believe in what a preacher was telling them. Safe because they believed that God had led them there to begin with? And don’t any of you feel that the way the world views things like this hurts the cause of Christ?

With what your all saying it seems again like your excusing what has happened.

But, I’m going to end it here. For one, I know none of you agree with me. And for another, it seems I’m going around in circles trying to explain what I mean, and probably not doing a good job of it.

Donna, for me as a Pastor, I know people put me to a higher standard and I know that I have one task and that is to be Christ like. To uphold the Gospel and to be yes held accountable for what I do or say and how I act. I believe and I strive to do it very much is the same in the pulpit as out of it. I am God’s representative and there is no excuse to act anyother way. We don’t receive from man, but receive from God. Man is a servant of the most high God and no Pastor is above reproach, nor should be put on a pedistal. We are accountable to God for what we say and what we do. For instance I many years ago told a young man to get of drugs and turn to Jesus and standing there with a Bud in my hand. He said why should I look at you. Less than a week later he was hit and killed by a train. His blood was on my hands and never picked up alchol after that. I take what I do very seriously. I just wish all did

Donna, with due respect, and I’m NOT saying this is your attitude, but I think sometimes people LOOK FOR excuses to be “put out” with the church..you said,
“Alycia, I’m glad that you’ve been made stronger as a result of being hurt by the church. But not everyone has experienced the same degree of hurt. Nor does everyone handle things exactly the same.”
(I’m not familiar with the quote function on his board, sorry)I realize that, Donna…but everyone gets hurt at one point or another…and everyone has hurt someone else at one point or another…it’s called “being human”. That fact *should not* affect one’s personal relationship with God, nor *should* it affect one’s pursuit of the presence of God…I wish all pastors/preachers had the attitude that Rev. Merry here has, of living above reproach, but sadly many don’t. But just because *some* choose not to, or for some reason are too weak to, does that give the rest of us an excuse to not follow after God for ourselves? Like I said before, I’m NOT excusing TB in any way, and neither is anyone else here…but somewhere down the line, we have to stop making excuses and pointing fingers at others’ mistakes and holding THEM accountable for OUR walk with God.

Donna I have been tried fried and purified and anyone that knows me won’t deny that.

Ultimately it is GOD you have to go to and ask for forgiveness for all over the place when you decide to repent for your sins.

I could justify all I wanted to but God is holy.

I just happened to come out on top.

I believe that is what we all are tryng to say.

It applies to all believers no matter what happens to them in life and we do have compassion on them, at least I certainly do.

I travailed each day I watched TB. Actually I should rephrase that, I never went on to watch TB I went on to experience God. But at that I knew there were a large amount of needy people that went through a lot to get there that walked away without healing or what they were going for.

I was one of them.

But God restored our relationship to each other there. And that is eternal.

Blessings on you.

Donna, I won’t go into my experiences here either, but I CAN say I’ve been there, done that, got the T-shirt and bumper sticker…and thru it all, I can HONESTLY say I have a stronger relationship with God now than I have ever had…because I HAD to go thru some things, the veil HAD to be lifted off my eyes, and I HAD to learn to seek God for myself and not backslide just because Big Name Evangelist/Pastor/Apostle so and so got weak in an area or God exposed their failings…

A word of advice to you too, Donna…don’t give another human being more power over your life than they deserve to have…that spot ought to be reserved for God and Him alone. Bless you.

Jules, testing things is a good thing as that I do myself. I want to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that its from God

Posted last night – it sat waiting to be ‘okayed’, and then disappeared.

It was short, and it truly doesn’t matter that it didn’t show, but just wondered why it was denied?

Jules–I understand what you’re saying, and I agree, we ARE to test everything…I’m on a forum that is WOF-friendly (Kathi knows this too), and I cannot for the life of me understand how and why certain things are accepted and tolerated as Biblically correct…I refuse to NOT test everything. And I agree, there are serious problems in the Pentecostal/charismatic sector of the Church.

Well now, how did that happen? When I posted this AM, the one from last night wasn’t there! I swear!

You’re right, both posts were on different computers – the one last night being from my laptop. Though I have posted from the laptop before with no problems.

Okay, thanks Kathi.

now alycia, we must remember we are held accountable. No one can make me fall, the final decision is mine and mine alone. If I allow circumstances to affect me, than I need to seek God more and more. I can’t be offended nor can I offend anyone. What I mean here is, I make the ulitmate choice of who or what I am. no one does that for me. I can offend myself by letting things get to me. But if I keep my eyes on Christ, I will do well. I don’t care if people call me Fred, Pastor, just as long as not called late for a meal. To me its not about a title, its about being as Christ, a servant

The last email I got from Rory and Alec was wittering on about covens and ‘warlocks’ working rituals against the revival, like a bad Frank Peretti novel – those old Eighties myths just keep getting recycled. The only occult things going on were IN the ‘revival,’ with the false teachings, fake baptisms, violent ‘healing’ attacks, shamanic trances, Patricia King’s demonic possessions etc.

Over the past 21 years, during my time as a witch and an ex-witch, it is abundantly clear to me that Pagans don’t need to work against Christians, and it wouldn’t even occur to the vast vast majority to do so. They’re too busy doing their own thing and living their lives, raising their families, paying their bills. We Christians are more than capable of foulling things up spectacularly all on our own. All they have to do is sit back and watch, and pity us for the fools in our camp. They may have people like Kevin Carlyon and Z Budapest and Laurie Cabot, but we have any number of ridiculous publicity whores desperate for money and press coverage. How on earth did we get from the simplicity of genuine Christianity in God’s Word to the apostasy we see today in the ‘new apostolic reformation’ and Joel’s Army?

I had hoped Wendy would repent of being a false prophet (Jesus never did turn up on stage on 8th June with Bentley as prophesied, just as He didn’t show up in 2000 as Benny Hinn prophesied – well, duh).

I had hoped the Alecs would repent of publically broadcasting all the false teaching and behaviour they promote. But no – GodTV is snuggled in bed with WOF and other Satanic deceptions for the glorification of their bank accounts, so it’ll continue globally as an End Times deception for those who do not test. GodTV is used greatly by the enemy to draw people into sin and deception and a fake Christianity. Even though Jesus warned us very specifically that it would come, there are still those in modern Christianity who refuse to believe Him and fall for the latest ‘happenings.’ It’s tragic, but when people leave the Word behind and follow their own impulses and call it ‘Jesus,’ it’s also inevitable.

Jules, I also received Rory and Wendy Alec’s last e-mail, but my take on it was rather different.

God TV promoted it. It wasn’t going long enough for the pressure built up on TB. What I see as the problem was not God TV but as much as the fact that TB was still being counseled for the first affair. He knew better and should never had been at Lakeland