What Is Really Going On

Bill Somers

Mount Gilead Ohio USA

July 20, 2008

This past week a reader wrote in and expressed astonishment at the level and nature of the accusations coming out against the Lakeland Outpouring. They wrote that some of what is being said is really over the top, even outright lies.

So what is really going on to produce such a surge of criticism? To put it briefly,
The Devil is Hoppin’ Mad, that’s what.

This year the Jewish Passover took place on April 20, 2008. This was also the time when a major event took place in the heavenlies.

Now many writers are speaking of the church turning a corner, entering a new phase or era, or making a great transition. Here are a couple for example. There are many others.

Lakeland - Transition Church Age To Kingdom Age Clay Sikes Jun 17, 2008

The Kingdom Age The Fulfillment Of The Church Kriston Couchey July 20, 2008

Lakeland And His Kingdom Deborah Cozzetti 05/27/08

In his article posted on the Day of Passover, Revival And Healing In Florida Todd Bentley 04/20/08, Todd had this to say.

Written April 16, 2008

Dear Friends,

As I write this, just two hours ago at 2pm, the Glory fell on me; I've been weeping and praying about what is happening here in Florida. I honestly have never felt such a manifest presence. People are saying they feel the glory 10 miles away from the meetings, it's that tangible.

Bentley also made reference to a Prophetic Word Spoken over Todd Bentley and the Nations by Rob DeLuca of New Zealand from March 8, 2008. Rob said about Todd:

I see something BIG in Florida. Then I saw the Lord turning you into a human nail, you know, like a spike nail. I saw the hand of God, I saw the Father hit this hammer and it hit you and it went straight into the ground of Florida. I saw a scroll attached to this nail and it said, "The Kingdom of God has now come."

In another posting on the same day, River of Fire being Released Christine Beadsworth wrote this:

Apr 18, 2008

Dear saints

Recently, in worship, I saw a river approaching very fast and it was burning with fire. The outpouring is one of both fire and Spirit-empowered water of the Word in a way never before seen in church as we know it.

She went on to say:

While watching the meeting on 17th April via the internet (www.freshfire.ca) in Lakeland, Florida with evangelist Todd Bentley, the Spirit of the Lord spoke a message through me to the Body of Christ and His Bride. He is doing a new thing in the earth. We have not experienced this before. Rivers are springing up in the desert, deep hidden reserves of the revelation of Christ and His glory are being released from within the Rock and the latter rain is being released from heaven simultaneously.

She also gave a spoken prophecy that was posted the following week. River Of Fire Christine Beadsworth 04/28/08, which said:

April 17, 2008

(This is pertaining to the revival that's happening in FL via Todd Bentley) The Lord says, you call this revival and you call this a new visitation but I say unto you, this is not a visitation, this is habitation! For I the Lord, will dwell in the midst of My people and I shall be a wall of fire round about her and I shall be the glory in the midst of her for I have come on the throne of My glory with My many angels and I am separating the sheep from the goats, says the Lord, and for those who are the sheep who have followed My voice and who know Me. I say to you, inherit the kingdom that was prepared for you from before the foundation of the world

Then in May, Christine wrote the following.

Witness For The Prosecution?

Christine Beadsworth

May 15, 2008

Rev 12:10 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.

When the accuser of the brethren is cast down, the kingdom of God comes on the scene in power. This verse tells us that Satan accuses the brethren day and night before the throne. The only way he is able to do that is by finding someone in the Body who is willing to voice his accusation.

It is time for the unmasking of the accuser of the brethren in the midst of the Body of Christ. He is not wearing horns and a forked tail. He is dressed in the most respectable religious garment and is often heard at prayer meetings saying “thank you Lord that I am not like other men…” He is always praying ‘them versus us’ kind of prayers, pointing fingers at sectors of the Body that are in some way spiritually inferior. Are you willing to cast him down?

Then on July 9 came a very interesting revelation via Mitt Jeffords.

Lakeland - 7 Seals - The Revelation of Jesus Christ Mitt Jeffords 07/09/08

Mitt went to Lakeland to see for himself what was happening. Here are a couple quotes from his article.

Once I arrived back from Lakeland, I began to seek and ask the Lord for understanding of this dream, and why did he give it to me in Lakeland. The first thing the Lord said to me was this: “Judgment has now begun in the house of the Lord”. I then said: “Judgment? What kind of judgment?” In the three days that I was there in Lakeland, and in the many times that I had watched this revival on God TV since, I did not see or perceive that I was witnessing anything that resembled what I would call “the judgment of the Lord”. Then the Lord said, “Where are my prophets and my apostles who understand judgment, seeing that this is the hour that I have appointed to judge the house of God? This is the hour that my people, from the least to the greatest, are going to be judged on how they see and on what they have believed concerning me; for this is the hour of the “Revelation of Jesus Christ”; the revelation that is going to judge my church. Do you see me? Do you know me? Do you believe on me? Have you seen me in Lakeland?

This is the hour of fear and dread; for this is the hour that Satan and all his demons have feared and dreaded since the beginning. Satan and his demons have known from the beginning that their kingdom would only be allowed to continue in this fallen world until I returned in the fullness of the glory of my Father’s love; that which the revelation of Jesus Christ is bringing on earth. This is the hour that the revelation of Jesus Christ is going to judge the kingdom of Darkness, to destroy it. This is the hour that the Darkness of all vanity and lies is going to be revealed by the Light. This is the hour that many will run from my face rather than repent. I tell you that my people may not yet fully understand and comprehend what has started in Lakeland, but Satan and his demons certainly do. It is for this reason that Satan has now been stirred up to come forth against the inhabitants of the earth with wrath, and against the saints to conquer them with deceitful lies. That which I have begun in Lakeland is not just a healing outpouring and neither is it just a revival, but this is the opening of the first of the seven seals, that which will begin to finish the victory that started when my Father’s love sent me into this world. The revelation of Jesus Christ brings forth the revelation of God; and the revelation of God brings forth the kingdom of God; and the kingdom of God brings forth the demise and end of the kingdom of this fallen world. Just as light brings forth a demise of the darkness, so also does “seeing” bring forth the demise of blindness, and so also will righteousness bring forth an end to sin. Blessed are all those who will see me, receive me, and believe on me in this hour, for they shall be filled with the glorious revelation of Jesus Christ. Woe to those who see, then reject and scorn the revelation of Father’s love that has now begun, for they shall be filled with same fear and dread as their father the Devil is filled with.

All of these articles and prophecies mention several themes that are closely related. The Revelation of Jesus Christ, the Latter Rain, The Kingdom of God and so on.

Notice that Rob DeLucca mentioned "The Kingdom of God has now come." This is just what is said in the verse Christine quoted

Revelation 12:10 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.

This puts us squarely in the middle of the Book of The Revelation of Jesus Christ. Lets look at the rest of that chapter.

Revelation 12:10-17
10 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.
11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.
12 Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.
13 And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child.
14 And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.
15 And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood.
16 And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth.
17 And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

So what is happening now is seen in verse 12.

Revelation 12:12 Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.

Saying the devil is having great wrath is the same as saying he is hoppin’ mad. So what does he do? Check out verse 15.

Revelation 12:15 And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood.

Now remember any thing that comes out of Satan’s mouth is going to be a lie. So what is really going on is that he is casting out of his mouth a flood of lies, accusations and slander.

Now it seems that there are some who have issues with Todd Bentley.

Or there are some who have issues with Todd and his mentors Patricia King and Bob Jones.

Then there are some who also have problems with the apostolic elders who have endorsed Todd; Peter Wagner, Bill Johnson, John Arnott, and Che Ahn.

Of Course there are some who have issues with the entire prophetic movement.

And some have issues with the entire Charismatic movement.

Some have a problem with the complete Pentecostal movement.

Others have issues with the whole evangelical movement.

Some have a problem with the protestant reformation.

Some have issues with all of Christianity; Catholic, Protestant, Orthodox and whatever else.

Others have problems with all of the Judaeo-Christian culture; Judaism and Christianity.

And some have issues with all of humanity. This goes back to Genesis 1 when God said this:

Genesis 1:26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

So it’s no wonder that these same have issues with healing the sick, raising the dead, cleansing the leper and casting out devils.

Starting with Todd Bentley, we have traced back an ever widening group till we see all the human race, with good old Todd at the point of the spear. This means the Todd is God’s point man of the hour. And just as in actual ground combat, the point man is the one out front taking the hits. Initials TB could well stand for ‘Targeted Big-Time.’ Then good old Todd needs prayer covering, big time.

So let us agree with the word of God, that the accuser of our brethren is cast down.

Ephesians 4:29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.