“Set the Trumpet to Your Mouth” ~ A Message About The Florida Outpouring

“Set the Trumpet to Your Mouth” The Florida Outpouring
Pastor Troy D. Bohn
Aug 13 2008 02:10PM

RAVENMINISTIRESINTERNATIONAL

RESTORING A VISION & EVANGELIZING NATIONS

“…If the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, and the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at the watchman’s hand. So you, son of man: I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore you shall hear a word from My mouth and warn them for Me.” Ezekiel 33:6-7

August 13, 2008

Dearest Friends,

We are indeed living in trying and treacherous times. I often think of the Apostle Paul and his admonition to a young pastor, Timothy, regarding the “perilous times” which are to occur in the last days. (see 2nd Timothy 3:1-8 ) The part that is most sobering in Paul’s discourse is that this list of deviant and defiant behavior is not being applied to the actions of an unbelieving world, but instead to a people who claim to know and love God.

“People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, and conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God–having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.”

This description of the “last-days” apostate Church is a far cry from the blood-bought, faith-filled, and holiness preaching Church that Jesus left in the hands of His original disciples. We have obviously mishandled the great responsibility that has been entrusted to our care over the past two millennia and now see the fruits of this failure manifesting itself to a greater degree with each passing day.

“If the watchman sees the sword coming and does not sound the trumpet…” is a chilling and unthinkable scenario when viewed from the perspective of a city under siege from an advancing army. Why would we not warn the inhabitants of the land? Why would be allow the devastation to take place when this tragedy could have been averted with by a simple warning?

Many “watchmen” have abandoned their posts and abdicated their responsibilities to stand at the forefront of the battle in order to warn the people of the impending attack from an adversary who is determined to “kill, steal and destroy” anything and anyone who would stand in His way.

This has resulted in the destruction of many hearts and lives and as a result many have departed from the faith. The watchmen/shepherds have in many cases looked towards self-promotion and self-preservation rather than “lay down their lives” for those God has entrusted to their care.

Many have refused to speak the truth and “sound the trumpet” in the fear of losing their place or position. Many have held their financial security in higher regard then their eternal security. Many have fallen victim to the dry-eyed, prayerless and powerless wide gate professionalism that fills buildings yet fails at transforming hearts.

“I have made you a watchman…” Those are hard words to digest at times. It is even more difficult to embrace the responsibility associated with such an enormous duty. Whether your “watchman” responsibilities are presently employed in standing watch over your children, or in your place of business, in your Sunday school class, local church or something on a larger scale—it is never one to be taken lightly.

Hebrews 13:17 says, “Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account…”

As Watchmen, we do not merely “watch out” for the temporal needs and conditions of those we have been given rule over—we watch over their souls! Because of this we need to maintain a sense of urgency and responsibility that exceeds the casual word of encouragement and disingenuous accountability.

“Set the trumpet to thy mouth…” Hosea 8:1

A few months ago something began here in Florida that was termed the “Florida Outpouring” or “The Lakeland Revival.” Within a few weeks the news of it had spread like wildfire across this Nation and beyond. GODTV picked up on it and began airing these seven-day-a-week services being led by Canadian-born Evangelist, Todd Bentley.

This move was being touted among other things as: “an open portal to heaven”, “the greatest revival in history” and something “that would never end.” Tens of thousands of sincere people flocked to Lakeland to receive their healing, impartation or other “touch from the Lord.” Many people went away very disappointed while others were blinded by their determination to be a part of something “historical.”

We were some of the earliest “watchmen” to sound a very deliberate warning in regards to this movement. We conducted a special two-hour broadcast dealing with the doctrinal errors at the foundational level of this movement and that of Mr. Bentley as well. Following the program, we made this “trumpet blast” available through our websites and CD version were made available to many who requested them as well.

The response was enormous to say the least. Within a couple of days of our programs refuting this “move” we had received an overload of email. Most of the email came from those who said, “Thank you for bringing these things out. I felt that this was not right, but just didn’t know why.” Other emails came that called us “heresy hunters” and “revival police.”

I even received telephone calls from men that I truly love and respect in the Gospel who “could not believe that I would speak out against the revival.” Some even went as far to say that they “could not have anything to do with me or Raven Ministries again” because of our stand against the occurrences in Lakeland.

One “friend” went so far to say, “Todd Bentley is either a lunatic or he is experiencing the presence of God like few people ever have.” This “friend” must have believed the later, because I never heard from him again after he embraced this “revival.”

I made the point soon after the “revival” started that I felt in my heart that it would no last long. I specifically stated on one of our programs that I felt that it would “loose steam” and diminish by the end of the summer. At the time the event had outgrown several venues and was looking for a place to house the thousands clamoring for a place to see Mr. Bentley and his antics.

“You shall hear a word from My mouth and warn them for me…” This is a hard saying because it will often set you at odds against people who you genuinely love and respect.

Many of you may well know that Todd Bentley’s Lakeland Revival is over. What was touted as the “latest and the greatest” that “would go on forever” is not done. The 10,000 seat air-conditioned tent is no more and the remnants have returned to Stephen Strader’s 700 seat Ignite Church in an effort to salvage what they can from this “movement.”

Many of Bentley’s friend and associates have distanced themselves from him as things have come out revealing less than noble beliefs and practices. His meetings in Great Britain have been cancelled (or postponed as his ministry would say) and the “Florida Outpouring” under Bentley has poured out its last bit of sensationalism.

GODTV is no longer preempting their regularly scheduled programs to air the daily telecasts and Bentley’s Fresh Fire website is no longer streaming live video from the daily meetings. It is over—faster than it began.

I had several (who supported the “revival”) quote to me when I opposed it:

“Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.” Acts 5:38-39

I wonder what Gamaliel (the Pharisee who said this) thought when the work of the Apostles did not fail? Did he make this statement as a way of “calming things down” long enough for these followers of Christ to fade way like the others he mentioned. If sure never says that he went back to the Apostles and said, “Wow! You guys were right all along.”

I wonder how many of the “watchmen” (Pastors, Shepherds, etc..) will stand in their pulpits and tell their flock, “I was deceived and as a result I did not warn you and allowed you to be deceived.” Will they (or you) have that type of integrity?

How about those who used the “revival” as a means to promote themselves? There were many who turned their churches into “Revival Overflow Centers” and had their congregations gather to watch the shenanigans together and then held their own Bentley-styled meetings as “carriers of the revival.”

I haven’t yet heard from my “friends” who disavowed themselves from me. They haven’t called and said, “Man, how did I get caught up in that thing.”

My desire is not to say, “I told you so.” That type of mentality accomplishes nothing but more discord and more contention. But just as King David so aptly stated in the 51st Psalm after having been confronted for his error by the “watchman” Nathan, “You desire TRUTH in the inward parts.”

Bentley and his wife have now filed for legal separation (the first step for divorce in Canada) and we should all be praying for healing and restoration for this couple who have two children as well. God hates divorce and so should we. I don’t know the cause for this decision by the Bentley’s but it is going to take more than a “BAM” or the angel Emma to remedy this problem. PRAY FOR THEM.

Also pray for the eyes of the watchmen to be opened at last. Some said to me, “You just need to wait until decided whether or not the revival is legitimate or not.” I responded, “You don’t invite the wolf to dinner in the hope that he’ll eat your pot roast and ignore the sheep.”

People, when this thing got started God already knew the outcome. He knew that Bentley would manipulate and exaggerate. He knew that this things would waste hundreds of thousands of dollars that could have been used for the good of the Kingdom. He knew that Bentley and his wife would be divorcing. Why didn’t the watchmen just stop, listen and blow the trumpet in advance of being overran by the adversary?

People will still try to do “damage control” and blame the failure of this thing on everything but the fact that it was not what they said it was. They’ll say, “Well it started out of God and then….” Let’s not go there people. God cannot restore where there is no repentance.

I made the statement in January after two weeks of fasting and prayer that the Lord had shown me something. In it I said, “God is calling His people to a greater commitment to seeking Him and to a greater diligence to the Word of God.” I added, “ He is calling us to holiness and with that will come a greater empowerment.”

But I also said (and many of you may remember), that the Lord spoke clearly that before the REAL THING happened that their would be a great counterfeit move that would seek to distract from the real thing and that would serve to siphon resources away from the Kingdom’s work.

WATCHMEN, the counterfeit has happened. Let’s take this in as a lesson and seek JESUS so that we can be a part of what HE is desiring to do in this late hour. Jesus is coming soon. Let’s get the people ready.

His Servant,

Pastor Troy D. Bohn

Raven Ministries International, Inc.

PO Box 1897

Daytona Beach, Florida 32115