A Semi-Charismatic Renewal
The Lord has been speaking to me a lot lately about the potential
for a semi-Charismatic renewal. What I mean by that is an outpouring of the Holy Spirit even on those who do not believe in
speaking in tongues. I received the following dream about a week before I wrote this:
I was standing in an old country church, listening to an elderly man preach. I perceived
that he was a Baptist. As I looked around the room I saw a large crowd of people packed into the room, and I knew that they
were mostly visitors or new members. As the pastor spoke, he said something to the effect of "Oh, let’s just quit holding
back!" Then he encouraged us to all let the "five gifts of the Spirit flow." I became offended, because I knew beyond a shadow
of a doubt that this man was not Spirit-filled, yet he was giving people the impression he was. I thought he was trying to
counter Pentecostalism with a watered-down form of theology.
Very quickly though I realized an opportunity was being laid before me. I thought
of a prophetic insight the Lord had previously given me about revival coming to evangelical churches, and I saw that this
was it. The crowd members started pressing forward to receive prayer for healing, and I felt welcome to go out with those
who were laying hands on them. I was certain that not only would healings take place, but these Baptists would experience
the tangible presence of the Holy Spirit breaking out in their midst.
As I stepped out to lay hands on the sick, I was scrambling to remember all that
I had previously learned about ministering in the anointing. And then I woke up.
The interpretation of the dream is as follows: The large crowd that was gathering
represented how God is preparing many evangelicals to receive this coming move of His power. The fact that the pastor acknowledged
that there are five gifts of the Spirit, rather than accepting all nine, reveals how some churches are going to allow a limited
amount of the Lord’s supernatural glory in their services. We have to be careful not to be offended by their limits,
but to affirm their openness to revival. And lastly, we need to make sure that we are fully prepared before these situations
take place, so we will not feel surprised when they come upon us fully.
For more articles related to revival among evangelicals, check out the following
pages:
The Redemption of Lakeland’s Spread
Before he stepped down from ministry during the Lakeland Outpouring, Todd Bentley
had begun to travel across the United States "carrying the ark of the Lord" with him. He went to only a few states, but those
he reached were very blessed by his ministry. My own mother received a significant inner healing during one such meeting in
Tennessee.
Fresh Fire Ministries, which was the team Bentley served under, announced that they
had received prophetic direction to take the Florida revival around America. Sadly though, these outreaches were cancelled
after Todd left the Outpouring. However, God has been speaking to me about such a revival being rekindled and the nation-wide
campaign being completed.
Please join with me in praying for God to finish the work that He has started:
Lord, we want to see your fire carried through the nation. We want to see a fresh
wind of your Spirit blow across our land, with many miracles and salvations following. Please do it again God. Renew our vision,
draw the masses to worship Christ, and let Your glory be manifested for all to see. Jesus, redeem what was stolen, and let
us move forward with greater wisdom in the future than we have in the past. We thank you for it. Amen.
For information on the history of the Lakeland Outpouring, check out the archives
of MILK's Prophetic View news and commentary pages.
