Well I have taken a leave of absence from blogging but here I am again. Me being Matt Larson.
I am so blessed to see what is going on at New Hope. At the same time there is a nervious anticipation or frustration or something that is burning in me. You see I believe God is going to do something amazing here and I am anxious to see it happen. I don’t want to mess it up, you know?
There are some unique things that I believe are going to be a part of what God will do here.
First this will be something that happens amongst our friendships and families. This blessing from God will transform our relationships and in some cases make us more relational. In South Florida we are blessed with a great diversity. We have to learn to be tolerant of others. I believe God is going to take this to a greater level when He teaches us not to just be tolerant but to accommodate and even champion the diverse gifts that are present. I believe this was the atmosphere that God chose to pour out His Spirit on Pentecost. One of diversity and unity that is. I believe there is a great opportunity to see God pout out His Spirit in a great measure here amongst our diverse and growing relationships.
Second, this that I am anticipating will be driven by the Holy Spirit. An authentic and dynamic move of God that changes our lives in a daily way. I have been asked what I think about the Lakeland Outpouring. I have not attended but have seen a little on the Internet God TV. To be honest I am not sure what to think yet. It has been interesting however to see the typical ways in which people line up to either champion or critique such an event. What concerns me more is not what happens in Lakeland, but how we as a church will respond. You see God wants to do something special here at New Hope in South Broward County. God wants to pour out His Spirit in your life and mine as well. If the Lakeland Ourpouring spurs someone to hunger for more of God than that is great, but please know that God knows where we live as well. He can do something special and something very real in your daily life and in our church.
We have a tendency to be drawn to experiences and personailties. Let’s be careful however to know that God wants us to be drawn to the person of Jesus and let us know that we each can experience Him not only and a church event our outpouring, but in a daily walk with God. Let us know that the Spirit of God does not move only amongst a few, but He moves in anyone who will be humble and reliant upon His work.
I don’t think I need to weigh in on whether or not this outpouring is legitimate or not, what I do need is for God to pour out His Spirit it my life today!
Blessings to you!
Matt Larson
New Hope 
I have to admit that I haven’t heard of what is happening at Lakeland, but I am glad for them. I remember at all the hubbub when God visited The Brownsville Assembly. It just so happened that I have a personal friend (Vann Lane) who was the Children’s Pastor at the time. I know it was real from my conversations with Vann.
There was criticism at the time by some very large ministries who just couldn’t see God moving that way. Maybe it was because I was standing at a distince, but what I was seeing was God moving one way there and another way elsewhere.
People tried to copy the Brownsvile movement and the laughing movement and whatever, but I don’t think you can just go out and copy what God chooses to do in a special way somewhere else. I think we have to find how God wants to move where we are and go with that. so I agree with you.
Randy Buller