Todd Bentley's Marriage...Please Pray and Take Action
I've hesitated to publish this news because I sincerely do not want any of it to come accross like an "I told you so" message. But after much prayer, I hope I can present this sobering information in love and see Todd Bentley emerge as the man God has actually called him to be.
Back on April 28, 2008, I wrote an article titled "Healing Revival History and the Lakeland Meetings with Todd Bentley." In it, I shared about how Todd had been comparing himself to William Branham--a faith-healer from the 1940s and 50s--and how Branham suffered emotionally and spiritually from dabbling in things he should not have. I then voiced the following concern:
As it turns out, Todd Bentley's ministry released a statement yesterday, burried in the middle of a long article about the joys of the "Lakeland Outpouring" that says the following:If you or someone you know has been healed as a result of the Lakeland meetings, praise God! You have not been healed by evil spirits--I believe this was definitely of God. However, be very careful about how closely you follow the words and actions of Todd Bentley. He is a Christian who has been largely deceived by powers and principalities in the spiritual realm, which has caused him to step outside his gifting. We need to pray for Todd Bentley that God would rescue him from the same trap as William Branham.
I've searched the websites of some of the leaders who endorsed, supported, and publicly commissioned Bentley (C. Peter Wagner, Bill Johson, Rick Joyner, and John Arnott), and none of them have any comments on the matter. Charisma magazine seems to have met the same dead end as they published in an article on August 12, "Bentley did not respond to Charisma’s request for comment. At press time, members of the Revival Alliance, a group made up of prominent charismatic ministers who ordained Bentley as an evangelist in the Lakeland meetings in June, had not yet commented." (source: Todd Bentley, wife separating). The meetings in Lakeland have dwindled and pretty much ended, and it looks like we're entering a new phase here....It is with considerable sadness then, that we must temper the jubilation we know you all feel with the sobering news that Todd and Shonnah Bentley are presently experiencing significant friction in their relationship and are currently separated. We want to affirm that there has been no sexual immorality on the part of either Todd or Shonnah, nor has there ever been. Undoubtedly the pressures and the burden of the Outpouring, which approaches 144 days on August 23rd, have helped to create an atmosphere of fatigue and stress that has exacerbated existing issues in their relationship. We wish to stress however, that the Outpouring is not “to blame” for the current chain of events and that in effect we have no interest in blaming anyone, but rather we deeply covet your prayers for Todd and Shonnah and for Fresh Fire Ministries during this time. (source: www.freshfire.ca)
At this point it would be both foolish and un-Christ-like to boast in the stance I've been so ridiculed for over the past few months. In Christian love, I can do nothing but weep and pray for Bentley's family and the many many people who will obviously feel let-down by this news.
It seems that, along with prayer, our most needed action in the Body of Christ right now is damage control. As certain people in Todd's life help to counsel him and his wife in hopes of restoring their marriage, the rest of the Body of Christ needs to reach out to the many many people all over the world who are no-doubt shocked at the news.
We need to help our friends and family see that God is still faithful and Bentley's weaknesses are not reflective of God's ability. We also need to help our brothers and sisters grow in discernment so that we don't have another tragedy like this.
J. Lee Grady, editor of Charisma Magazine, wrote an article today titled, "Life After Lakeland: Sorting Out the Confusion," which I have re-published after this message.
So keep praying for the Bentley family, including Todd and Shonnah's children, and also for the many people around the world whose faith may be waivering in the light of this news. And in the mean time, take steps of action to help your friends and family recover gracefully in the light of Christ.
God bless,
--Art--
Life After Lakeland: Sorting Out the Confusion
by J. Lee Grady
Todd Bentley’s announcement that his marriage is ending has thrown our movement into a tailspin—and questions need to be answered.
It was not supposed to end like this.
Evangelist Todd Bentley had heralded the Lakeland revival as the greatest Pentecostal outpouring since Azusa Street. From his stage in a gigantic tent in Florida, Bentley preached to thousands, bringing many of them to the stage for prayer. Many claimed to be healed of deafness, blindness, heart problems, depression and dozens of other conditions in the Lakeland services, which ran for more than 100 consecutive nights. Bentley announced confidently that dozens of people had been raised from the dead during the revival.
But this week, a few days after the Canadian preacher announced the end of his visits to Lakeland, he told his staff that his marriage is ending. Without blaming the pace of the revival for Bentley’s personal problems, his board released a public statement saying that he and his wife, Shonnah, are separating. The news shocked Bentley’s adoring fans and saddened those who have questioned his credibility since the Lakeland movement erupted in early April.
I’m sad. I’m disappointed. And I’m angry. Here are few of my many, many questions about this fiasco:
Why did so many people flock to Lakeland from around the world to rally behind an evangelist who had serious credibility issues from the beginning?
To put it bluntly, we’re just plain gullible.
From the first week of the Lakeland revival, many discerning Christians raised questions about Bentley’s beliefs and practices.
They felt uneasy when he said he talked to an angel in his hotel room. They sensed something amiss when he wore a T-shirt with a skeleton on it. They wondered why a man of God would cover himself with tattoos. They were horrified when they heard him describe how he tackled a man and knocked his tooth out during prayer.
But among those who jumped on the Lakeland bandwagon, discernment was discouraged. They were expected to swallow and follow. The message was clear: “This is God. Don’t question.”
So before we could all say, “Sheeka Boomba” (as Bentley often prayed from his pulpit), many people went home, prayed for people and shoved them to the floor with reckless abandon, Bentley-style.
I blame this lack of discernment, partly, on raw zeal for God. We’re spiritual hungry—which can be a good thing. But sometimes, hungry people will eat anything.
Many of us would rather watch a noisy demonstration of miracles, signs and wonders than have a quiet Bible study. Yet we are faced today with the sad reality that our untempered zeal is a sign of immaturity. Our adolescent craving for the wild and crazy makes us do stupid things. It’s way past time for us to grow up.
Why didn’t anyone in Lakeland denounce the favorable comments Bentley made about William Branham?
This one baffles me. Branham embraced horrible deception near the end of his ministry, before he died in 1965. He claimed that he was the reincarnation of Elijah—and his strange doctrines are still embraced by a cultlike following today. When Bentley announced to the world that the same angel that ushered in the 1950s healing revival had come to Lakeland, the entire audience should have run for the exits.
Why didn’t anyone correct this error from the pulpit? Godly leaders are supposed to protect the sheep from heresy, not spoon feed deception to them. Only God knows how far this poison traveled from Lakeland to take root elsewhere. May God forgive us for allowing His Word to be so flippantly contaminated.
A prominent Pentecostal evangelist called me this week after Bentley’s news hit the fan. He said to me: “I’m now convinced that a large segment of the charismatic church will follow the anti-Christ when he shows up because they have no discernment.” Ouch. Hopefully we’ll learn our lesson this time and apply the necessary caution when an imposter shows up.
Why did God TV tell people that “any criticism of Todd Bentley is demonic”?
This ridiculous statement was actually made on one of God TV’s pre-shows. In fact, the network’s hosts also warned listeners that if they listened to criticism of Bentley, they could lose their healings.
This is cultic manipulation at its worst. The Bible tells us that the Bereans were noble believers because they studied the Scriptures daily “to see whether these things were so” (Acts 17:11, NASB).
Yet in the case of Lakeland, honest intellectual inquiry was viewed as a sign of weakness. People were expected to jump first and then open their eyes.
Just because we believe in the power of the Holy Spirit does not mean we check our brains at the church door. We are commanded to test the spirits. Jesus wants us to love Him with our hearts and our minds.
Because of the Lakeland scandal, there may be large numbers of people who feel they’ve been burned by Bentley. Some may give up on church and join the growing ranks of bitter, disenfranchised Christians. Others may suffer total spiritual shipwreck. This could have been avoided if leaders had been more vocal about their objections and urged people to evaluate spiritual experiences through the filter of God’s Word.
Why did a group of respected ministers lay hands on Bentley on June 23 and publicly ordain him? Did they know of his personal problems?
This controversial ceremony was organized by Peter Wagner, who felt that one of Bentley’s greatest needs was proper spiritual covering. He asked California pastors Che Ahn and Bill Johnson, along with Canadian pastor John Arnott, to lay hands on Bentley and bring him under their care.
Bentley certainly needs such covering. No one in ministry today should be out on their own, living in isolation without checks, balances and wise counsel. It was commendable that Wagner reached out to Bentley and that Bentley acknowledged his need for spiritual fathers by agreeing to submit to the process. The question remains, however, whether it was wise to commend Bentley during a televised commissioning service that at times seemed more like a king’s coronation.
In hindsight, we can all see that it would have been better to take Bentley into a back room and talk about his personal issues.
The Bible tells us that ordination of a minister is a sober responsibility. Paul wrote: “Do not lay hands upon anyone too hastily and thereby share responsibility for the sins of others” (1 Tim. 5:22). We might be tempted to rush the process, but the apostle warned against fast-tracking ordination—and he said that those who commission a minister who is not ready for the job will bear some of the blame for his failures.
I trust that Wagner, Ahn, Johnson and Arnott didn’t know of Bentley’s problems before they ordained him. I am sure they are saddened by the events of this week and are reaching out to Bentley and his wife to promote healing and restoration. But I believe that they, along with Bentley and the owners of God TV, owe the body of Christ a forthright, public apology for thrusting Bentley’s ministry into the spotlight prematurely. (Perhaps such an apology should be aired on God TV.)
Can anything good come out of this?
That depends on how people respond. If the men assigned to oversee Bentley offer loving but firm correction, and if Bentley responds humbly to the process by stepping out of ministry for a season of rehabilitation, we could witness a healthy case of church discipline play out the way it is supposed to. If all those who were so eager to promote Bentley now rush just as fast to repent for their errors in judgment, then the rest of us could breathe a huge sigh of relief—and the credibility of our movement could be restored.
I still believe that God desires to visit our nation in supernatural power. I know He wants to heal multitudes, and I will continue praying for a healing revival to sweep across the United States. But we must contend for the genuine, not an imitation. True revival will be accompanied by brokenness, humility, reverence and repentance—not the arrogance, showmanship and empty hype that often was on display in Lakeland.
We are weathering an unprecedented season of moral failure and spiritual compromise in our nation today. I urge everyone in the charismatic world to pray for Bentley; his wife, Shonnah; his three young children; Bentley’s ministry staff; and the men and women who serve as his counselors and advisers. Let’s pray that God will turn this embarrassing debacle into an opportunity for miraculous restoration.
~SOURCE: http://www.charismanews.com/
Labels: Charisma Magazine, Charismatic Movement, J Lee Grady, Lakeland Healing Revival, prayer, scandal, Todd Bentley, William Branham
posted by Art Thomas | Wednesday, August 13, 2008
15 Comments:
Very well articulated. I would point out, as one who has suffered the ridicule of Bentley supporters, that it is people like Bentley who hurt the body of Christ. He is the biggest enemy of those who would defend him. Strange paradox.
Their are two attitudes that I have encountered when dealing with Bentley. One, if you disagree with his methods you lack discernment. Two, if you are critical you are being un-Christ-like.
I don't think it is un-Christ-like to point out that people shouldn't use religion to fleece those who have faith. It destroys people's faith when these people are revealed for what they are. It doesn't hurt non-believers, it hurts those who truly believe.
Christians should not be sniveling wimps, they should be a firewall between people like Bentley and the body of Christ.
I am saddened at this. I saw this pattern at the previous church I was at. Weird supernatural experiences, unexplained marital problems (thank God no divorces that I knew of back then), healings stopped, mental and psychiatric problems increased, etc. I have never been married so I can not testify of the problems that married people walk through other than watching my parents. Just from what I saw I just wonder if the problems that Todd Bentley's marriage is having are natural in their origin. It is evident that some of the supernatural experiences (if true and not hype) were demonic in origin. satan will take any opportunity to do his evil dirty work when he is allowed to do so, on purpose or ignorantly (as I humbly believe happened here).
I think those that shared concerns about this should NOT be looked at as those trying to say 'I told you so' if they continue to speak out about this. Preachers in particular are supposed to be preaching the truth AND warning those that listen about wolves and false doctrine. They need to continue that process without shame because they are just doing their job. It appears that even though people doing with a broken heart as you have here those people will be accused of having an 'I told you so' smug attitude. This is the same attitude exhibited when people sincerely tried to judge what was happening months ago. They said that they were full of pride, not wanting 'more of God', being judgmental, etc. Preachers need to scream out more with the love of God and boldness. The Apostle Paul went between the eyes at times when dealing with false doctrine. The Apostle of love John did not mince words in 1 John when he warned about false doctrine. I don't think anyone with any religious sense would say they were unloving. To me they were screaming FIRE to warn us before the building burns down.
False doctrine, especially when demonic manifestations are being presented as from God, is deadly in every area of life. I hate it blew up like this but it could not be avoided. This had spread like wildfire because of the Internet and GodTV. I have prayed off and on for him. I think I may have mentioned that I saw him here in Tulsa in 2002 when he was still fairly new in ministry. I kept that memory when these meetings began. He can be restored with repentance and sound teaching. There is a part of me that wonders if he had gotten good grounding in the word as a new believer if this might have been prevented. I sincerely prayed for him and his family last night before going to sleep.
The pastor of the church that I attend here is sincerely praying for an opportunity to minister to him. He has walked through discerning weird supernatural experiences. He is in his mid-60s. I know he would reach out to him as a spiritual father as well as a natural one.
To me this is the bottom line when I am considering participating in something called Christian. (1) If any preacher or minister says to not judge what is happening RUN FOR YOUR LIFE because satan has a wide open door for deception. This is the latest of several where one of the mantras was 'if you are questioning what is going on reject it because that is a religious spirit trying to get on you'. (2) If any preacher is saying that you MUST be at a certain place to receive from God RUN FOR YOUR LIFE. They are not speaking the truth from God's word. I have no problem with trues moves of God that may break out in different places. The Lord responds to faith. HOWEVER if they are teaching or implying that you have to be there to receive from God I probably would not go.
As you so clearly communicate any person that seeks the Lord will find Him. He made a way for us to have as much of the Lord as we desire. That to me is an endless experience.
Hi folks,
So far I've received a handful of other comments on this post, but I've had to keep rejecting them because many were completely insensitive to the situation at hand. The things these people were writing were true, but not in the right context...nor were they coming across with the love of Christ. Some were even exploiting the issue to promote their own websites.
Please understand that this is actually the first time I've had to reject comments like this--I usually post everything in order to keep conversation interesting.
So forgive me for my censorship, but I hope you all understand that I'm contending for integrity in the Body of Christ here. Even though I agree with some of the points made in those comments, I believe we need to be more sensitive to Todd's marital issues and articulate things with more love and respect.
If some of you would like to re-submit your comments with a different tone (that better expresses the heart of Christ), I'd be happy to publish them. Please understand my position. Some of you, in this moment, need more correction than Bentley.
God bless,
--Art--
From my understanding it appears that Todd's marriage has had problems the past few years. These people have actually heard him testify about them. I don't know what the problems are but I am just not convinced that all their problems are natural in origin. I am very concerned about how people have been approaching this. I agree there are very serious issues that surround Todd Bentley and his ministry. However I have been horribly grieved at how people have been coming after him. One preacher had the nerve to pronounce a death judgment against him. Absolutely no grace shown at all. That same preacher was exposed to be a fraud himself. I know that death judgments are Biblical. HOWEVER if they are from God they are delivered with mercy and grace. I fear for that minister because he pronounced a death judgment against Todd for things he himself is guilty of. I fear for that man's life because of the verse that says what happened to people that judge others on things where they are guilty of.
I saw Todd in person here in Tulsa in 2002. I saw a young man that wanted to serve the Lord after being rescued from hell. That is the view I have of him today. Also because of almost getting sucked into that mess I have nothing but empathy for him. This is why I scream out like I do about checking out what preachers say against God's word and to develop an intimate walk with Christ for yourself. It can happen to ANYONE. The whole point of deception is that you think you are right. But remember the Bible says that those that seek Him will find Him. His spirit is the spirit of truth. We can trust that He will show us where we have gone stray. He does this for me when I ask and I'm sure He will do for every living soul that seeks Him.
I sincerely hope that he will take time away from ministry and recover. Yes he needs recovery. He definitely needs to separate from the preachers that led him into this madness. He needs time alone with the Lord. If his first sincere question is 'Lord where did I go wrong' he is on his way to a great restoration in his soul and hopefully in his marriage. Somehow I believe that was his first question.
Halfway through Katherine Kuhlman bio - she perhaps 'stole' someone else's husband and then assiduously covered it up after changing her mind. Branham falling into serious error is not necesarily historically correct though he was a simple uneducated man -some of his followers of course wandered into unscriptual cultic behaviour.
At Lakeland Jesus was consistently and persistently lifted up and I personally enjoyed and was grateful to God for the unconventional and most importantly unreligious character of it all. (our names are tattooed on God's hands according to my Living Light the other day...)
I watched AND went and returned with a joyous prayerlife I've never had. I've prayed for neighbours and seen Jesus heal them. I'm hurt and temporarily discouraged but Todd is a relatively young man AND young Christian. I actually believe contrary to their statements that Fresh Fire Ministries, GodTV, apostolic supporters, and all of us who cheered along ARE responsible in huge part. We SHOULD have cried Marriage and Children first - it is a Covenant relationship sealed by God and must never be broken (His mercy of course triumphs over judgment if we fall and repent etc)
I was most heartened seeing the many others picking up the 'baton' and expressing God's power in differing styles at Lakeland and elsewhere (Bobby Connor, Che Ahn etc etc). I would rather give Jesus the glory and get all my other theology 'wrong' than...you complete the sentence.
God bless let's be one and agree to disagree except that Jesus be lifted up.
I'm happy that you are using discernment where others reject him outright as one of Satan's followers. I hate the constant attacks against him, especially the ones that start to say that satan can heal and the methods of attack switch very quickly, saying that I'm also against those who are more hungry for miracles that to know God for all that he is and do not take everything someone says with discernment and/or take it to God in prayer later.
In a way I think it is good that this friction between him and his wife can be good, not that they are considering divorce but that it gives Todd a chance to look at who he is and ask God to purify him, a chance for him to grow.
Does God use Todd Bently and love him? Yes. Does he need correction and guidance? Yes even more so because of his position. Is he a servant of satan? I must say no, what ever spiritual attacks and deceptions may be against him right now I do not believe he is in service to satan.
It is one thing to speak out about the doctrinal issues. Unfortunately those that did were vilified by their friends and sad to say in Charisma Magazine and other Christian media. We have a right and a biblical directive to judge the word. I humbly feel that this wrong judgment probably provoked some of the anger felt about this. It is unfair that those that have an obvious advantage to use the bully pulpits to do that to followers. I'm not justifying the vitriol but at the same time it is hard when leaders come after you for obeying the word, especially in worldwide media. HOWEVER the personal attacks, some declaring death judgments, was more than I could stand. Some even pulled up stuff that he did long before salvation. He had repented before the Lord and when the victim's mother spoke out a few years ago he repented publicly. There was no evidence that he ever committed that sin again. To bring that up was deplorable to me. If we used past sins as qualification for ministry (NOT LISTED AS ONE IN THE BIBLE) no one would qualify. NO ONE.
I hope and pray that the Lord will prick the hearts of those that hate Todd Bentley. There is no justification for hatred for any reason towards anyone. Jesus called them murderers in their heart. Probably the vast majority of people spewing the hatred have never had any encounters with him. If there are some that had personal issues through relationship with Todd the Bible says we are to forgive. It is no wonder that many in the world want nothing to do with Christianity. Unfortunately in general bad news is reported more than the good news is. Christians need to understand that the world wants to find hypocrites in 'the church'. I know that just through our will power we cannot live the way we need to. We need to lean on our inner man (new nature) and the power of the Holy Spirit to walk differently. That will only happen with continued communion with the Lord.
I agree with anonymous August 17, 2008 5:59 PM. Probably the most merciful thing that could have happened at this time was for Todd to be stopped, as hard as it is for him I'm sure. My fear would have been if he had continued the way he was going. This is a great opportunity for him to check out with the Lord where he went astray and allow the Lord to clean up things. I believe that as he reaches out to the Lord that he will have an understanding of God's love for him in a brand new way. Hopefully if he changes his mind about the legal separation that his wife can find it in her heart to continue the marriage. The hard thing is what the children are going through. May the Lord help them.
A worrying effect on me as someone who bought wholeheartedly into the Lakeland phenomena is whereas I felt able to focus exclusively on Jesus and not Todd et al - now he seems to have broken from the apparent flow of a righteous life I'm now obsessed with him and what he's done (out of concern, compassion and a feeling of betrayal) and it's turning into a form of inverted worship of Todd Bentley which was never there before - perhaps you could pray for me and others cos I feel like running away and ditching all God has shown me and inspired in me. Guess we all have to grow up a bit....
Andy,
The fact that you are sincerely putting forth the effort to focus on Jesus is comforting. I suspect what you are going through is grave disappointment because a leader has fallen. That happens to most people except maybe those older saints that have been around the block for a time. It is very easy to toss everything. I walked through this twice with my two previous pastors. The last church I attended bought into the weird side of the Toronto Blessing stuff. As I have stated they also bought into the Lakeland stuff. It can feel like a betrayal, especially if you have spent a lot of years and gave a lot of money to support that ministry. Leaders are the ones defined in Eph 4 that are supposed to train us for works of service. When the lesson learned from them turns out to be how not to act and live it is very disappointing. My crash came after 20 years at two churches where the leadership went off severely. The other pastor embraced universalism and has been featured off and on since 2002 in Charisma Magazine and other publications. Sometimes it is hard to find the line in trusting the leaders and trusting the Lord. You so appreciate when they teach the truth. It is heart-breaking when you find out that they were living a lie. At the same time you can find comfort that Jesus will never fail you. That sounds really trite BUT this is a truth that has been more precious to me. I knew that He never changed but I began to distrust His communication with me because of being around such weirdness.
When I quit attending the last church in 2003 I started my walk over with the Lord. The following was in my plumb-line: (1) I knew I was saved, (2) I knew I was spirit-filled and understood there was a true experience after salvation where the Holy Spirit became my Teacher, and (3) I knew that the Lord loved me beyond measure. Everything else was subject to change. I asked the Holy Spirit (who reveals the heart of Jesus) to let me know things that I accepted that did not line up with God's word and the heart of the Father. He is the Teacher. We have every right to ask questions. I will tell you that through these past few years He has been faithful to show me where I missed things.
One major error in my life that I did not see until a couple of months ago was where I stayed at both churches when they began to teach false doctrine. My premise was to sincerely pray for change. When I left both churches I was so beat up on the inside that I knew something was wrong but could not have told you what it was until the end of June. A guest minister came to the church I attend. He was teaching about how to respond when you are confronted with false doctrine. It was not an attack message against Todd Bentley but it was in direct response to many emails this pastor had received over the weeks and months. He simply read several verses where it said (1) to discern what you hear and read using the word of God and (2) not to listen to false teachers but run and flee. I had obeyed the verses that told us to discern using the word. I knew there was error there. I realized that I had disobeyed the verses saying not to listen to false teachers. There was nothing in those verses that supported me staying there to pray. I did NOT have to sit in the midst of that madness to sincerely pray for those pastors. I can do that at home or as led without sitting there. I had read those verses off and on over the years, especially 1 John. While I sat in that service I calmly said 'Thank you Holy Spirit for my answer'. I then realized yet again just how subtle deception is and how we can get off the word of God. That one thing caused me a lot of unnecessary pain. I just did not see that what I was doing was against the word. I'm so glad when the Holy Spirit corrects me. I'm always asking Him to teach me and show me where I need to change.
I want to encourage you to ask the Holy Spirit to show you the way Jesus would have you go. He will never get offended when you ask sincere questions. He will always reveal the heart of Jesus to you. You will probably begin to hear things that will go contrary to what you have heard and believed in the past. EVERY TIME the answers will line up with the word of God. He will lead you to those scriptures. Another thing that will happen as you continue to open your heart to Him is that you will begin to have mercy on leaders that fall. When I began to see how subtle deception can enter I could do nothing but have mercy. I'm not nearly as busy as ministers can get. If I did not see that one thing I can just imagine how many things can slide by ministers, especially understand that they are in the line of fire.
I would suggest that you read 1 John. It is a short book but powerful. If you think about how this was one of the last things that the Apostle John wrote before he moved to heaven it puts what he says in better context. There are three points that I see in this book: (1) how we are to love the brethren, (2) how the Holy Spirit is our teacher and that He will show us what is right and wrong doctrine and (3) the definition of some false and anti-Christ doctrines and the right response. Many people tend to only talk about the portions about loving the brethren. However you will see that there is just as much in that book or more dealing with false doctrine and how to avoid it. Basically to me this book reveals that we can know right from wrong doctrine.
Be encouraged. I know you feel like your life has been turned upside down. However this was not a surprise to the Lord. He knew this was coming and He knew that many people worldwide would be devastated. However His word and nature have not change. He said that those that seek Him will find Him. You have started that process by asking for prayer. I humbly say you are on your way to a complete recovery as you are humble enough to change what may need to be changed.
Thanks Pamela
Very helpful, bless you.
One thing (at least) remains - the restoration of what Jesus said from Day 'One' - Preach the Gospel AND Heal the Sick, Cast out Demons etc. Paul came with clumsy words but accompanied with demonstration of the power of God. We in effect disobey and have done for too long if we continue to rely on 'mere' Preaching (which is of course the Power of God...I begin to contradict myself but then God seems to have a way of promoting Relationship over Rhetoric (Logic)).
See I've spoilt it by trying to get clever...BUT my main point is that never mind the Masons - it's the Bespoke Tailors who have triumphed. We are back to the wearing of suits and neat haircuts! The Guild of Tattoo Artists and Worshipful Body-Piercers are by nature disorganised and chaotic and so divided cannot stand - step over them carefully as they bury their quivering faces in the wooden floor.
Yes we are Childish but Jesus has an aching soft spot for the unrestrained passion of children (Childlike?). We'll need a few Adults to ensure Health & Safety, change diapers and bandage the occasional grazed knee.
It's the Family of God - it's noisy, periodically fractious, serious, hilarious and IT WORKS!
In all my reading about Todd, his marriage and ministry, I am quite perplexed more than ever.
How is Todd's marital problems connected to the spirit in which he operates to minister?
If the spirit in which Todd operates in not the Spirit of Christ/Holy Spirit, then why not just say "it is a demonic satanic spirit" and its the "doctrine of demons" and be done with it?
i still am not able to find a list of SPECIFIC charges against Todd Bentley? Should a man being judged be given that courtesy?
If the issue is him talking to an angel in his hotel room, then what about Paul's statements in Acts 27:23-24? Perhaps, only the Apostles can talk to angels or paul just talked to a demon and didn't know it.
If his age as well as the number of years he has been as a christian is an issue, then Peter (from the bible) must be thrown about because he knew Jesus for only a handful of years and Jesus still returned to him and asked Him to feed His sheep.
If its Todd using the words “Sheeka Boomba” when praying, i have encountered christians praying in what they call "tongues" and those words are far more freaky sounding that "Sheeka Boomba". Are the words spoken in "tongues" from demonic spirits?
If its about weird supernatural experiences, then much of John's supernatural experiences recorded in the book of Revelation is quite weird to me. I am not suggesting that all supernatural experiences are of God. What we generally term as "supernatural" is experiences in the "spirit realm" and that realm has the Lord, angels, spirit beings and satan and demons. But are we to judge a supernatural experience by what we consider "weird"?
If it is about moral character of a person that must be met before he can be of use to men on God's behalf, then i must say that we must throw out abraham (for giving his wife to someone else to sleep with just so that he can save his life), david (for sleeping with the wife of one of his trusted staffers and then order that staffer to be killed) and many more.
If its about william Branham and him embracing "horrible deception near the end of his ministry", would that mean that that Branham did minister by the Spirit of God before that near end of his ministry? If so, does God give angels to support His ministry given to men? If He does, would be a big deal if the same angel that helped Branham's ministry come and help one of the ministers who are currently ministering now?
In my limited exposure, i find a lot of people who do bible study and share the "word of God", share "faith" and "doctrines" but mostly are speachless when it comes to demonstrating the power of God based on the "word of God". So why should i have to choose to accept a christian's "word of God" "faith" "doctrines" and not take up the same from muslim or a hindu or some other religion?
In all this, I suppose i am left with more questions and just being perplexed and scratching my head.
In my limited search, i find it hard to find a people/church/ministry that demonstrates the power of God like the way Jesus did and the disciples of the early church did. There seems to be a lot of words (about morality, doctrine, lifestyle) but very little power like what i find in the recorded in the new testament. Perhaps some kind folks who comment on this blog could direct me to a church/ministry where there is much power of God and what was done by the disciples of the early church is being done today.
a perplexed dude :)
The marriage and his doctrine are two separate issues. Unfortunately most people harp on the marriage when the main issue about the Lakeland meetings is his doctrine. However both are a problem. The issue of novice is not so much the chronological age but spiritual maturity. Chronological age has NOTHING to do with spiritual maturity. Some younger ones that have consecrated their lives are more mature than some that have been Christians for decades. The Bible defines the marks of spiritual maturity. The book of Romans is a good place to start. It shows the difference between a lost Jew trying to do right under the law and the born again man who has a new nature that tells him right from wrong. That nature also helps a person do the right thing. The difference is in the mind renewal process where that revelation must be understood to walk in. This also carries over into believing the Lord for miracles, signs and wonders. We are just not there. We are making strides in walking out of religion and into the life that the Bible says we already have as born-again, spirit-filled believers.
Just because a person says they are encountering angels does not mean those angels are from God. Paul said that if an angel or minister preach another gospel that it is not from God. This is one of several verses in the Bible that say that not all angelic visitations are from God. The problem with the angelic visitations that Todd says that he had is that he claimed they were doing what the Bible clearly says out faith and the work of the Holy Spirit will do. For example he said 'the angel' was performing things that the Bible clearly says that faith and the Holy Spirit will do. He claims that people should go past Jesus and the Holy Spirit and go into third heaven experiences. He actually said at the time that learning of Kathryn Kuhlmann and Benny Hiin showed him to do this. That was actually on his web page. It may not be out there now since he changed stuff that was supposedly from the Lord. He claims, along with Bob Jones, that this same angel facilitates moves of God. Anyone that reads the Bible knows that not a single angel in the Bible did anything that the Holy Spirit or a believer's faith would produce.
One of his overseers, Bill Johnson, was quoted in a recent sermon that this incident with a staff member has happened at least once before. The fact that he was ministering like he did while in sin is a problem. Too many ministers have been caught in this. At least let the man clean that up before ministering to other people. They are the ones that are supposed to train us for works of service. The Bible says that where there is strife there is confusion and every evil work. I think filing for legal separation would suggest there was no peace in his household. The Bible also says that when there is not peace in the home that their prayers will not be answered. Not getting along with your spouse is a serious problem.
The guidelines for supernatural experiences must be the word of God. The Holy Spirit is our teacher. He will help us wade through things that we do not understand in the word. I would say this to anyone. If it is in the Bible, believe that it is God's word and ask the Holy Spirit to help you understand the things that are strange. I agree the book of Revelation is out there. However the Bible says that those that read it will have a special blessing. To me that means there is a way to understand it along with the rest of the Bible.
I share the frustration about not seeing the power of God like it is in the Bible. The Bible says that the problem is unbelief. There are areas of unbelief that we just do not see. It is evident that His idea of believing is different than ours or we would be seeing what the Bible says we should see. I know no one would say that Jesus is lying. In Matthew there is a story where a father brought his lunatic son to the disciples to be healed but they could not get him well. He took the boy to Jesus. He got the fellow well. The disciples asked Jesus why they could not cast it out. Jesus said that they could not cast it out because of their unbelief. Then he said that this kind only comes out by fasting and prayer. The context being that fasting and prayer can expose and root out areas of unbelief. In Mark the same story is told but the verse where Jesus told them that the problem was unbelief was omitted.
The Bible says that whoever seeks Him will find Him. People can seek the Lord sincerely anywhere. Many that attended the Lakeland meetings who sought the Lord probably found Him. There may be some that were genuinely healed by God's power. Again that can happen anywhere. You do not have to run to revival meetings for that to occur. I have nothing against them but again faith brought the encounters with God regardless of what the minister did or did not do. The fact that God moves does not prove anything about whether He approved of what the minister is doing or not doing. It does not prove that God approves with his doctrine. I would not say that the Lord did not want a move of God there. I cannot say for sure. However I do know that the Lord does respond to faith. However it is clear that the spiritual foundation that Todd Bentley had was not accurate. I think that is clear. At some point when wrong doctrine is not corrected inevitable discernment goes out the window. When the truth is rejected the only thing left is a lie.
I would say to study and know the word of God for yourself. Ask the Holy Spirit questions about things that you do not understand. He is the one that reveals the heart of Jesus to us. He is ultimately our Teacher. He will let us know right from wrong. It may not be obvious at first glance. I'm sure this blow-up was a rude awakening for many. I pray that he will have true encounters with the Lord. That will be a great blessing indeed. I believe the man was as sincere as could be. However he did not discern accurately the demonic powers that were talking to him. This can happen to anyone. We must be diligent in knowing His word and the voice of the Holy Spirit.
I think that the best thing we can do as Christians is to be praying for the Bentley family; for him his wife and his children; for the "other woman/women" involved and their families too. I'm sorry to go against the grain, but together with the alleged conduct of Mike Guggliomucci at Hillsong in Australia, it makes me very very sad to read some of the comments being written all over the internet and I guess elsewhere about these situations. I believe we all need to pull together globally as Christ's body; give it all to God; ask for forgiveness as He leads for ourselves and in intercession for those who have "publically" fallen (remember we ALL fall short). The enemy will just LOVE it if we're fighting amongst ourselves and will certainly love the judgement and seeming back slapping that's going on. I speak from experience as a divorced single mum....Please please please show some compassion as Jesus did to those whom He touched, those that came to Him; God will judge Todd Bentley and others in His timing. As a church, I believe our responsibility is that we show discipline (in love), humility and compassion and unity in Christ until that time comes.
Mel, UK.
It is always sad if a brother falls into sin.It brings reproach
to the name of God and the whole
body of Christ.
We need to preach about Holiness
and Obedience to the Word of God.
If people walk in simple obedience
God will do a work.
Message needs to change.
I'm very dissappointed to read so many negative comments about Todd Bently and his ministry. As Christians we need to stop being so critical of each other when we have struggles. I thought the church was the safe haven for help when we're hurt, broken and struggling with an issue. Yes, I completely agree that Todd needs covering and counsel, but his marriage is his marriage and blasting him publicly will not help the situation. It is also our responsibility as Christians to test every spirit, and seek out what the word is saying for ourselves. Atleast give Todd some credit for being bold enough to follow God's commandments and Heal the sick, cleanse the leper, raise the dead, cast out demons, Freely he received, freely he gave".
I've been keeping up with Todd for a couple of years now, and I must say that I have really benefited in many ways from his ministry and teaching,I give him much credit for sharing his stories and experiences because it also gave me confidence to go out in faith and be used by God to perform miracles, pray and evangelize. I attended a crusade a few years back with the fresh fire team and was able to experience the work his ministry is doing in Africa. Feeding the hungry, taking care of the orphans and widows, healing the sick and many, many other great things. Even with the mistakes he has made I still have great respect for Todd.*Many people have benefited and gave their life to Christ because of him. Todd has never advised anyone to give their life to the devil, he has guided and overwhelming number of people into giving their life to Jesus Christ.
Todd's not perfect, he's human. He has the same flaws and struggles every man has. He's not above the law or temptation of the devil, he was just a vessel who allowed himself to be used be God. So lets give him a break and just pray that he and his marriage is restored.
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