Posted in
community by Allison Johnston on 6/18/2008
Todd Bentley takes some getting used to. Before I came to Lakeland I watched on
God.TV and I personally found his style offensive and arrogant, but after being here in Lakeland for a few days, I feel like there is here something to address. Todd is getting press, both good and bad, and I have had a lot of emails asking about him, and so, I decided to investigate.
His ministry is different and somewhat rowdier than most others in his profession, but when criticizing I have to wonder what we would have thought about Jesus' ministry style.
In fact, the Bible shows us how we may have reacted. In John 6 Jesus begins teaching his followers that He is the Bread of Life. The disciples and followers argue with him and grumble among themselves. Some were so offended that they deserted him.
"On hearing it, many of his disciples said 'This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?' Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, 'Does this offend you? What if you see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before!'" John 6:60-62
I am not in any way saying we need to respect the teachings of Todd Bentley as we do Jesus', but I do want to make the point that as a people we have always been quick to criticize and grumble. Let's lay the criticism aside and really ask the Lord what He is doing here. We do not want to give the enemy any foothold to divide and destroy the Body of Christ.
The first night I walked into the tent I knew there was something different. Within twenty minutes I was repenting before the Lord for my unbelief and doubt. There is a sweet spirit in that place that can only be from God. Most nights begin with an hour or two of amazing worship followed by Todd giving words of knowledge and offering healing to many.
Again, I was skeptical of the healings in the beginning. After watching the process, observing the reactions of those healed, and watching how the ministry team operates, I must admit I am changing my opinion. I do
not believe that Todd Bentley must lay his hands on you in order to be healed, or receive the anointing; we can do this for each other. Yet there is something to being here and being stirred by the thousands of people seeking the face of God.
Yes, sometimes I think Todd does put on a bit of a show, but I do believe the anointing in him is powerful and there is integrity in the process. No matter how he behaved people would question and judge, and so I find it refreshing that he continues to minister in his own style despite so much opposition. Last night a cute, little, older lady came forward for healing with her husband. Todd had called out a word of knowledge for a woman with a backbrace and the Lord wanted to heal her.
This precious little lady came forward holding her backbrace in her hand and said she had suffered with cancer of the spine and was bearing the burden of a lot of pain. As we watched she was touched by the Holy Spirit and began jumping up and down. What was the most remarkable to me was the reaction of her husband. He literally wept in relief for his wife's healing and jumped up and down on stage celebrating. Some twenty minutes later they were both found on the side of the stage praying for this same healing to come to someone else.
The essence of each night is that the anointing is for anyone who wants it. Freely we have received and freely we shall give. Todd makes it a point that the anointing should be taken with us. Come and get it and then return to our cities and take it with us. I can't think of a family, city, church, school or person who doesn't need some kind of breakthrough. Maybe it's a physical or emotional healing, broken marriages and families seeking restoration. The Lord wants to give us this breakthrough; we just need to believe it and be ready to receive.
Are you ready to receive or are you too busy leveling accusations and criticism?
For a critical overview (with both positive and negative criticism), visit the
Lakeland Revival Investigation Site.
If you liked this article, check out Church Consumerism
Allison is a sister, a friend, a daughter, a sales rep, an equestrian, and a marathon runner. She loves Starbucks Peppermint Mochas, as well as any and all sweet treats. While she grew up in a Christian home, she somehow missed the concept of a relationship with Him. At the age of 25, she accepted Christ, and nothing has been the same since. In 2007, she helped lead a mission trip
around the world. For more reflections on the Lakeland Revival, check out her blog
.
GO GOD!
Oh, and as a confession, I know that often my doubts are based in jealously. I might say, "THAT CAN'T BE REAL!" when I am really thinking is "WHY CAN'T I DO THAT?" I REALLY want to raise the dead. Even prayed for it a few times, but haven't seen it yet. I have prayed for ear aches and cancer and mental illness marriages and have not seen much tangible fruit. Have had some good results with brown recluse spider bites and the occasional back injury (but not MY BACK!) One time a friend's depression lifted for six months. That was cool even if it did not last.
I want to do what Jesus did but my experience tells me that I can't because I haven't seen results from my praying. So I can watch and hear Todd's stories and be encouraged or I can be jealous. I think I'll choose to celebrate with Todd in this season and work up the nerve now and then to step out and boldly declare that Jesus still heals. (says the woman's who has had a torn ligament for three months. I guess that is why it is called faith.)
http://charismania.wordpress.com/
2008/06/12/todd-bentley-video-discussing-
the-thirteenth-resurrection-of-the-dead-
at-lakeland-meetings/
Hi Tobias:
For years, many Christians have been conditioned to accept anything that comes down the pike–no matter how far-out or ridiculous. Part of that conditioning process is to lift-up, admire and adore false prophets, downplay their false prophecies with a grin and shrug, brush the false prophecies off as simple mistakes, then concentrate on “all of the good things” the false prophet does.
Faith healers” use what I term as a “subtle conditioning process” on their followers, which is similar to the mind-games used by the cults. This process is intermingled with Scripture twisting, new “revelations” from “God,” intimidation (i.e., “Don’t attack God’s anointed”), flattery, and convincing talk.
Cautiously and methodically, false teachers tactfully condition the believer with elaborate, but false words. As the conditioning process takes effect, the mind of the believer becomes clouded and confused, resulting in a shipwrecked faith (1 Timothy 1:18-19) or worst, a total denial of Jesus Christ. The conditioning process is deception within deception, and sets the stage for deeper, darker deception.
This is extremely dangerous territory for the Christian to be wandering around in. It opens the door wide open for the acceptance of all forms of deception, and shuts the door on Scriptural commands to test all things (1 Thessalonians 5:21); test the spirits (1 John 4:1); defend the faith (Jude 3), and proper interpretation of the Bible (2 Timothy 2:15).
Now, couple the conditioning process with a “faith healer” and his or her deceptive agenda, and you have a deadly combination that spells doom for the believer, as well as those searching for truth.
Note that most of the claimed “healings” are internal (i.e., cancer, diabetes, arthritis, etc.), while none of the “healings” are external (i.e., amputated limbs, young and old confined to wheelchairs because of muscular dystrophy, spina bifida, auto-accidents, etc.). Unfortunately, these precious people leave the crusades the same way they came in–suffering and dying.
During a “healing” crusade, internal healings cannot be verified on camera, and the faith healers know it. Obviously, alzheimers originates internally, but is recognized externally. Generally, people suffering from alzheimers or other brain diseases are “prayed for” in the rear of the building or avoided altogether.
However, if they are prayed for on stage or publicly–and they aren’t healed immediately–the faith healer has a pocket full of excuses to suppress the viewers’ doubts, such as, “It wasn’t God’s timing” or “There wasn’t enough faith” or “It might be a few days before the healing takes effect.”
Since my ministry began in the early 1980’s, most of the faith healers I have seen use a “protective disclaimer” to wiggle out of taking responsibility for their actions. They claim to have the “gift of healing.” But when the gift fails miserably, they reach into their pockets for excuses.
And when the excuses run out, they simply refuse to be accountable–first to God, then to the body of Christ. After all, they have enough conditioned followers to carry them through and speak out on their behalf, so why bother answering questions from the “heresy hunters” and those who “attack God’s anointed”?
And many people who suffer internally or externally are conditioned by the faith healers to “claim” their healing and believe they are healed–regardless of how serious their ailments and diseases are.
As sad as it is, I refer you to this “YouTube” video of a Florida Revival telecast ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ckcypjGby4 ). Beginning at 3:12, you will see a woman who was paralyzed from a car accident, and confined to a wheelchair. Todd Bentley prays for her, calls out his “healing team,” and states that the “power of God is gonna come right through your spine.”
Bentley prayed for a re-creation of the woman’s nerves in her spine and brain, “right now, in the name of Jesus,” he said. He prayed and prayed and prayed for the woman, but at the end of the video the woman remained in her wheelchair.
Next, Todd Bentley turned his attention to an elderly woman confined in a wheelchair. After prayer, she did rise out of the wheelchair (with the assistance of the catchers, that is). She walked around slowly with a very noticeable limp, with Bentley’s catchers one step behind.
Jesus didn’t use catchers. His Apostles didn’t use catchers; they didn’t have to, for obvious reasons. But faith healers’ use catchers to prevent injuries during the process of falling backwards. This alone should be enough to prove that God is not a part of a faith healer’s profession.
While I don’t doubt the sincerity of the two women or the others in wheelchairs, I am confident that if those women had been in the midst of Jesus Christ 2,000 years ago, they would have been healed immediately–without the pomp and fanfare.
I am not ashamed to say that I cried while watching the video, and suffered from an acute case of righteous indignation afterwards. Christians need to get concerned and get involved. I pray that God will raise up more fearless Christians, and give them a baptism of boldness to speak the truth in love, preach the word, and defend the faith.
The false prophets, false teachers, and false healers of this world will fall, and will kneel before the King of kings and the Lord of lords. And Jesus will say to them,
“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness” (Matthew 7:21-23).
God bless,
Bud
HOWEVER.
The other night I was watching the stuff my boss had recorded from GodTV and when he was praying for people with addictions he was like "it's His love, It's His love, it's His love." And i was like yep... that sounds like Jesus.
Oh, and my boss' dad's eye got healed while they were down there.
When Jesus sent out His disciples in Matthew 10 He told them, "As you go, preach this message: 'The kingdom of heaven is near.' Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give."
RAISE THE DEAD
As in actually calling them out of the grave. that's intense
HEAL THE SICK
As in actually physically healing them. Again, intense.
DRIVE OUT DEMONS
Intense.
He doesn't tell them to go hand out tracts, or tell stories that relate to people, or call them out of just their spiritual graves here.
He COMMANDS them to do what only God can do.
He tells them to not just annouce that His Kingdom is here, but to actively live and that restoration.
So what Todd is preaching isn't really anything new. It's been echoed for roughly 2,000 years. God is still God. He can still do this stuff. His heart doesn't change.. He doesn't change. So why would He not still do this stuff? Do we not call Him God-Our-Healer? So wouldn't He want to heal ALL of us? (our hearts/spirits AND bodies?)
Anyone hear about that lady on the news? The one that was DEAD for 17 hours and rigor mortis set in and everything.. and she came back! They called it a "medical miracle" ...You can't tell me that wasn't Jesus.
So I think it's time that we all say "I believe, help my unbelief," and dig our fingers into his hands and side and find ourselves alive.
God will do whatever He will do, and personally, I don't wanna miss it. I wanna tag along for the ride.
http://www.morningstarministries.org/Publisher/
Article.aspx?id=1000033961
updates/biblical-foundation-for-revival/
I agree 100% with the author,
I went to see for myself and couldn't get over how it wasn't a Todd Bentley glory Party,
it was TEN THOUSAND PEOPLE GATHERED TOGETHER IN ONE MIND AND ONE ACCORD CRYING OUT TO OUR AMAZING GOD and believing Him for miracles! The faith in that room was amazing - and it was the ministry team that was praying people through to their miracles and breakthroughs and deliverances. The worship wasn't hyped up - it could've been but the people I met while there (from Sweden and South Africa and Indiana and Connecticut and Liverpool England came to meet with God) so there were SO many who closed there eyes and MET WITH JESUS and the Bible clearly tells us God inhabits the praises of His people and when thousands of people are lifting up their hearts and their praises to God, you could feel His literal manifest presence in the room. It was amazing.
Oh, and documentations and PROOF is pouring in now.
And it'll be interesting to see what NIGHTLINE reports in a few weeks as they were there when I was there filming.
God is awesome.
I looked into his Lakeland conference about a month ago and found much of the same evidence as the other conferences of this nature have shown. I read an article from a Christian magazine that traveled to Lakeland to document the miraculous happenings and they stated that Todd and his colleagues could not point them to one single case of any person with a sustained, medically documented healing that they could print in their magazine from his entire ministry, much less this one conference. The Bentley team blamed this on a mix-up dealing with contact information.
On Todd Bentley's site (again, this was a bout a month ago) there claimed to have been people raised from the dead in Lakeland, and the regrowing of certain limbs. One man had regrown a severed finger. However, I could not find any medical documentation and no contact information was given. It seems to me that such an occurance, given the medical significance, would shower the medical field and news media with reports. And finally, why haven't these any of the people who have been raised from the dead shown up in Lakeland, with documentation, to talk about their experience?
I have seen a few people here who said they actually know someone who has encountered such a healing at this event. If that is true, there must be some medical documentation. While you may believe without such a report, I am afraid skeptics, especially non-Christian, will need some physical evidence. If these healings are real, there should be no problem finding documentation. When I first researched this about a month ago, there was absolutely none. Perhaps after reading this article I will start my search again.
After reading most of the article, I have serious reservations about Mr. Bentley and his ministry. Many of Mr. Bentley's claims regarding angels directly contradicted scripture or scriptural principles. In addition, the overall tone of the article seemed like Mr. Bentley glorifying himself and his spiritual experiences.
In addition, I would like to add that experience alone cannot valide Mr. Bentley. The human mind can be fooled and deceived. We should NOT be investigating Mr. Bentley based on what we might have felt or seen; rather, we should be checking him against the truth of scripture.
Based on what I have read, both here and elsewhere, I urge further caution.
We have to be so careful not to put God in a box just because we might not like the way He is using someone. If you'll look at why God told the Israelites not to have cuttings and tattooes, it's because the Egyptians were worshipping pagan gods by doing that. We have to look at the Word in context.
When we limit God, WE miss out. Sadly, the lost and dying world does too, but much more greatly than we do. Do we care? I pray so.
My parents have been down to Orlando and asked me to go, but I am not under the persuasion that I must go and see for myself like many people are. I have watched it on TV, listened to many of Todd's sermons and read many of his articles. Most of it is not just different or a-Biblical (not mentioned in the Bible); but instead it is purely anti-Biblical (against what the Bible teaches). I think most of the activity is based on emotion. You can find people acting like that in any religion and all claim to be feeling the presence of God. I even think much of it is due to an idozer effect, which basically is getting high on music. I do believe God heals people, I just think this this time, for the most part at least, is false. I do think most of the people there are genuine, though.
And as for the tattoo thing Sandra was talking about; I agree with her. I didn't even notice them until someone else pointed them out. I have tattoos myself and I don't think there is anything wrong with them. However, his are a bit odd. He did not get them before he was saved, as many people believe. You can find older videos of him preaching without any tattoos. He says his angel, Emma, said God wanted him to get them. That is ok with me, but he has some weird ones. One is an upside-down, dead Jesus face. Supposedly there is some subliminal demonic monkey in the beard, but I didn't see it. He also has a naked Medusa on his leg with her nipples pierced. That one is strange to me. I wonder why God wanted him to get that one. All that said, the tattoos still aren't a big issue to me. His teachings and the shaky research on the "proof" of healings are my biggest concerns.
http://www.itidings.info/newage.html
Hi.
I found your Web Site by Google
And I wish you the best you can get,
the peace of God through Jesus Christ.
Welcome to visit my Site.
Allan Svensson, Sweden
Why does the revival tarry? It is because God's
people tarry to obey the powerful command of
the Lord in Rev. 18:4. This is the most powerful
revival message of the Lord to his people in our time.
http://www.algonet.se/~allan-sv/INDEX.HTM
The coming revival, a nameless revival
http://www.algonet.se/~allan-sv/POWERFUL.HTM
Why was the Pentecostal Revival stopped?
http://www.algonet.se/~allan-sv/CRISIS.HTM
The Church, including prophetic voices such as Todd Bentley - don't go far enough...
I went to see for myself, and I'll tell you what I saw.
First, I saw people who'd travelled from all over the globe to find out what was really happening there. A lot of people who weren't particularly interested in Todd Bentley - he'd just taken a break and was away for a week - they had come for what they saw as a move of God.
Second, on my first day there, I sat next to a lady with a twisted face in her sixties and chatted with her. She had been born deaf and now could plainly hear through her deaf ear. It had happened three weeks before in one of the meetings. She was no stooge. I met and talked with her family.
A couple of days later, I talked with a lady who had been seriously injured in a car crash a couple of years ago. I had just watched her get healed in front of my eyes, so now she could walk, bend and move without pain; but more significant for me was the change in her face. I have absolutely no doubt that this was the real thing. Oh, and while I was there, we had some practical teaching on healing; I prayed for my friend who got instantly healed of arthritis then and there.
Third, I saw and heard some of the most shockingly challenging speakers that I have ever come across, teaching about what it means to be a Christian. In essence, that when Jesus said "Anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing", in John 14, he meant what he said. Never mind doing 'greater things' - what about us just doing what he did?
That's not about being nice to people. It's about healing the sick, driving out demons, raising the dead - and giving people some good news that will change their life forever. Showing them the power of God who is love (1 John 4 verse 8).
Sure, I had to get over my aversion to shouting and non-british behaviour; I had to weigh up what was being said, and didn't agree with it all. That will always be the case because no two people believe exactly alike (we all know in part). We need discernment. We were never called to follow others unquestioningly.
But - umm - if folks are getting seriously concerned about counterfeit miracles and false teaching - I wish they could tell me where their real miraculous stuff is? "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever." That means He still does the same things today, doesn't it?
So perhaps the question shouldn't be, does (or did) Todd Bentley go too far, but rather, how far do we stop short of showing the glory of God? I want to know the blocks, so that God and I can fix them in my life! I really hope it's the same for you. Ask Him to show you your blocks. Everyone I know who went to Lakeland is more fervent, more faith-filled and experiencing more of the power of God in and around them. God is healing people through us nobodies and He gets the credit. Thanks, Todd Bentley, Steven Strader and the others for hosting this with God.
Oh, and He healed my 4-year-old surfing injury in the car on the way to the morning meeting while I was there.
It's still healed.
15 Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep but are really vicious wolves."
Todd Bentley is wolf - BEWARE!
Is it any wonder Jesus gave a clear warning in Matthew 24:25-27: 25See, I have told you ahead of time.
26"So if anyone tells you, 'There he is, out in the desert,' do not go out; or, 'Here he is, in the inner rooms,' do not believe it. 27For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man."
Why do we always need to go running after things that are labeled Jesus? Imagine if those who call themselves Christians would actually pray and believe for God to visit them in their homes and their own churches and seek God on their own rather than running out to Florida or Toronto because "Jesus is there." We might actually see revival in our own lives, homes, churches, communities and cities.
I feel people are afraid to call out heresy in the church because it may spread division yet the end result leaves a lot of bitterness and distrust, with people walking away feeling deceived and abused.
There should be no confusion:
Hebrews 4:12
For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any double-edged sword, piercing until it divides soul and spirit, joints and marrow, as it judges the thoughts and purposes of the heart.
At the same time the Bellingham, Washington church was being established so fresh fire could get a legal foot hold in America. This is evident by the lack and the sheer refusal to work with the local churches. It was just for the papers not the church.
In January 2009 2 members of the board confronted Todd about Jessa, and that it was wrong and they couldnt stand by him about it. They where relieved of their position for doing so. This shouldnt be surprising as another member of FFM was faceed with the same threat, after he caught Todd with another woman in England (this is what the dark night of the soul was actually about), the FFM member was forced to either work for FFM outside of North America or be fired. Jessa is woman number 4 that Todd has cheated on Shonnah with.
Todd isnt 100% to blame just 80% the rest of the blame falls on those board members and pastors that refused to confront Todd on his infidelities. One in particular had the mind set that if Todd does it, its okay even if it isnt for others. Others refused to confront because they didnt want to loose their jobs (like many have over the years)
Even in Lakeland which I personally think was a two edged work of God, it was a blessing to the locals who have prayed for God to move. And the other edge was a judgement on Todd, in total over the top Todd style. During the highet of revival there was excessive drinking, slasher flicks, and other things I wont get into now with Todd and his inner circle (yes men). There was infighting with the leaders on stage, and the interns where just slaves with ministry badges. Or the fact that all the money collected for the orphans and for sudan never made it to them, it was instead used to pay for the buildings/land for the revival.
Even after Lakeland fell apart, and the news finally became public, Todd never returned home to Abbotsford. He remained in America (illegally) in California, then a breif stop in Reno for their quickey divorce rules. Then it was off to Rick Joyner and his marriage with Jessa
These words are not made up, this is a summary of many conversations I have had with former FFM employees, board members and former interns. I just cant stand by and see Todd get away with this for a fourth time. A man who has turned his back on his wife and children once again. yet will be received by the masses as THE man of God.
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