What Makes a True Outpouring? - Lakeland or Kansas City?

I have been watching carefully and with enthusiasm the outpouring in Kansas City over the last few days. I remember 18 months ago and Lakeland.

I am hopeful. I want to see this be the breakthrough we hope for. The breakout. Asuza again. Let's see if we can remember from the past what is going on.

What made Lakeland different? An unusual leader in Todd Bentley. We were all hungry beyond belief. We wanted to believe. I wanted to believe.

And the worship was fabulous. Rick Pino, Heather Clark, Catherine Mullins and of course Roy. The people were intense.

What many of us remember were the wonderful testimonies of God's grace in healing and restoration. The faith. And times when the congregated just broke out in spontaneous praise.

People blame the end of the outpouring on Todd's difficulties. I don't. God was moving among his people, but leaders took it back. When the leadership took back the initiative from the Holy Spirit, Holy Spirit departed. OH, it was still good, but the sense of God's presence ceased. It became the big man on the platform. The microphone in a person's hand became the focus, not the power of presence of Jesus.

NOW, how about what is going on in Kansas city, is this the real thing? It's certainly refreshing. I'm well familiar with the pattern from my long times with IHOP. I love the whole concept. What I see however are people with a microphone in hand walking around cheer leading from the platform backed up by an excellent worship group. This isn't a good thing. It's not the way it works.

It will be the end of this move of God. UNLESS - a plaformectomy takes place. There are deliverances, there are healings, there are visitations, there are appearances of angels and even Jesus. Visions of open heavens are taking place. But, we are not hearing about it because someone has a microphone in hand on the platform. We are hearing from only those on the Platform.

If the desire is to keep this going at any level they must get the names and faces off the platform. Get the nameless and faceless to the fore. I want to hear what Alan and Mike have to say. That's all good. But, I want to hear what is going on with the one who has just come face to face with the risen Christ. For me that's far more important.

I am not critical, I'm sad. We do not yet know how to handle a genuine outpouring. We have ignored the lessons of Lakeland. We don't understand the visitation at Asuza. How brother Seymour sat with a box on his head waiting for God to Speak. And then only spoke what God said. And others did as well. The Presence of God was so strong, they didn't need to have a platform, a mike or a great worship band.

Where are the releases of the Word of God? They must trump the manifestations. Not preaching. PROPHECY. A weakness of outpouring is the fear of the Prophetic. It was true in Lakeland, it's true in the IHOP movement and I'm afraid it's true in this outpouring.

Rev 19:10 I fell down before his feet to worship him. He said to me, "Look! Don't do it! I am a fellow bondservant with you and with your brothers who hold the testimony of Jesus. Worship God, for the testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of Prophecy." We must be careful not only to fall to worship, we must hear what the Spirit Says. When Lakeland, Kansas City or any House of Prayer silences that voice, the Spirit of Prophecy, the testimony of JESUS, that outpouring is doomed.

I hope it's not. But, I want to see less of the Big Man with a microphone in his hand cheer leading.

I want to see AND HEAR FROM JESUS.

I tell you with confidence, even if you dislike what I say, THIS is the word of the Lord. No One may hear or receive it, but I know it to be true. My responsibility is to speak out What God is Saying. I just did. That's how Prophets are thrown into pits. Start Digging.