I heard about this letter a few days ago and only now had the opportunity to sit down and read all the way through. In short, I was thoroughly impressed.

Dutch Sheets has been looked up to by many Christians for several years now (perhaps a decade or two?). He wrote a book on Intercessory Prayer that I would put among the top resources on the matter.

Anyhow, Pastor Dutch wrote a statement that addresses Todd Bentley. But not only that; he writes also about the general failures of the present "leaders" of the Charismatic movement (including himself).

I heard an audio recording of Dutch Sheets raising some questions about Todd Bentley and Lakeland long before everything recently fell apart there. I would consider him one of the most respectable people to put out this message, and I'm so glad he did.

I've added his statements here:

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A STATEMENT and APPEAL REGARDING LAKELAND
-Dutch Sheets. (Aug 21, 2008).

It has now been a couple of weeks since I heard about Todd Bentley's plans for separation and divorce. Like everyone, I have had a variety of emotions including anger, sadness, and grief. Every time I see this scenario repeated, I grieve: for the husband and wife involved; for the family that will be scarred in so many ways; because of the incredible reproach it brings to Christ; and the distortion it gives concerning God's heart and ways. I am praying for Todd and his family.

I was asked numerous times to write my position on Lakeland while it was happening, but always felt checked by the Lord—the waters were too muddy and emotions too high. I now feel strongly that the Lord wants me to do so. It will be arguably one of the greatest risks of my ministry to date, but one I feel must be taken. Fathers, when given the voice to do so, bear the responsibility of giving correction and wisdom. I hope mine qualifies for the latter. I assure you I have spent many hours praying and thinking through the situation. The risks are broad: with some of my dearest friends and co-laborers, I risk harming those relationships; with many in the charismatic body of Christ, I risk appearing to be an arrogant, "self-appointed" spokesperson for them; to the "I told you so" crowd, I risk the accusation of "spinning" the situation. (As far as the heresy hunters and revival police—not those who raised legitimate questions about Lakeland, but the attack dogs who make their living and build their ministries criticizing everyone else—I lost respect for them long ago and couldn't care less what they think.)

My purpose and sincere prayer in writing this statement, however, is three-fold: to see healing begin for the body of Christ; to initiate a process that can remove the reproach brought to Christ and the Church; and to do these things while preserving and honoring my current relationships. I pray that these desires, along with my heart, come through loudly. And I hope I'm writing this with true humility— who among us clearly sees all hidden in our own hearts? Let me also preface this statement by saying that what needs to be said cannot be done quickly or carelessly. I do not want my heart to be missed and am not willing to run that risk for the sake of brevity, so please bear with the length. (Incidentally, I think it will be obvious no one involved in the Lakeland situation has asked me to write this; and for the sake of integrity on my part, none have been consulted concerning what I'm stating.)

Mistakes at Lakeland

Did leaders handling the Lakeland situation make mistakes? Yes— huge mistakes. Beyond the obvious fruit of salvations and healings, can good come from Lakeland, as some have suggested, even with the recent revelations concerning Todd Bentley? Yes, but only if there is complete honesty and transparency, the removal of all attempts at self-preservation, and absolute humility from all sides.

Did I endorse the Lakeland meetings? No, I did not, nor did I condemn them. I acknowledged that healings were occurring and some were being saved, which I still believe and rejoice over. I realized and stated that the thousands of people attending were hungry and sincere, as were those involved in leading the 2 meetings. The worship was regularly good. But looking past some of the immediate and positive results, I, like many, also looked ahead to the possible fruit from questionable doctrine and experiences, exaggeration and hype, youthful pride, character issues and the frightening potential of a 32 year "young" man leading a movement that could shape the future of the Church.

These things were frightening, very frightening, to others and me. When something has the potential of setting precedent, birthing a movement and being reproduced as a prototype, we are no longer simply endorsing good brothers, good intentions and miracles. Doctrine and foundations will be built on these events. Teachings and paradigms for future ministries will be formed—in short, the next generation of the church and the move of God in the earth could be greatly impacted. This is why I stopped short of endorsing everything at Lakeland. Just as importantly, I could not ignore the "check", the uneasiness, the sickening feeling deep in my spirit telling me something else was wrong—terribly wrong—in this situation. Like other leaders I tried to push past my uneasiness with the showmanship, the "bams," the head butts and kneeing, along with certain experiences and doctrines, all in order to embrace the good. Like many of my friends I tried to be—and believe I was—gracious, accepting, ready to think "out of the box", etc. But try as I may, the uneasiness in my spirit just wouldn't leave.

Did I voice my concerns to the appropriate people? Yes, including stating my concerns for Todd's marriage to the Lakeland Outpouring Apostolic Team. Did they listen? Some did, some didn't. But I want to state emphatically, this is not an "I told you so" statement. In fact, much of what I want to address goes back several years into our charismatic Christian history. And I assure you that concerning our present weaknesses in the charismatic church, there is plenty of blame to go around. Personally, I've been right at times with my discernment and decisions, wrong at others. It would be worse than hypocritical for me to point the finger of accusation—I have no stones of judgment to throw.

Nonetheless, mistakes were made and must be acknowledged and learned from in order for us to heal, grow and move forward.

Some of my closest friends endorsed and participated in the Lakeland meetings. For them I have both criticism—all of us lose credibility at this point if we're not completely honest—and affirmation. Should they have been more discerning and have listened to the warnings they received? Obviously. Should those who "aligned" Todd with spiritual fathers (which was a good thing and positioned him to receive help if he chooses to accept it) have realized to do so publicly was a mistake and could be interpreted by those watching in no other way than as a complete endorsement? Yes, they should have, especially when the event became a commissioning ceremony, complete with decrees and prophecies of going to higher levels, predictions of Todd's increasing world-wide influence and leading a world-wide revival, emphatic and prolific endorsements of his character, etc.

How could those watching believe the evening was anything but an aligning, endorsing and commissioning ceremony? It was. It really doesn't matter who laid their hands on Todd—all share responsibility. This was unwise at best, naïve at least and at its worst, foolish. And should the leaders involved have realized that those of us connected to them relationally, ministerially, and as movements—some even in alignment with them apostolically and as sons and daughters—would feel minimalized, if not betrayed, by the fact that they were in essence taking us onto the stage with them? Yes. These feelings were inevitable, especially when we had such uneasiness and asked them not to. Should there be an acknowledgment of these mistakes to the body of Christ for the sake of accountability and in order to rebuild trust? I believe so, and remain hopeful this will happen.

With such strong statements of disagreement, what is the affirmation toward my friends who led, participated in or endorsed this ceremony (and the meetings in general)? Simply stated, I know their hearts. It is not a contradiction of my criticisms toward some of their actions to, at the same time, defend and endorse their hearts and character. It is completely appropriate — when true—to defend a person's heart and integrity while disagreeing with their actions.

I think the blunder of that night was huge and very damaging to the body of Christ, but I also realize that in their hearts, those involved honestly felt they were doing the right things. Again, while not defending the action taken, I would defend the character and integrity of Peter and Doris Wagner as vigorously as anyone I know, and do so with absolute confidence. There are no two people, and I mean that literally, who embody the qualities of humility, integrity, holiness (no compromise!), sacrifice, unselfish kingdom-thinking, the tireless giving of themselves to Christ's cause and the body of Christ—and do I need to add risk-taking?— as much as Peter and Doris Wagner. It remains my great honor to be associated with them and call them a spiritual father and mother. And again, while not minimizing or "sweeping under the rug" any wrong decisions, I remain steadfast in my belief that similar affirmations could be made of others involved—either directly or indirectly—in the ceremony. And some of them still see their endorsing of Lakeland as an endorsement of revival generally, not of Todd personally.

The Bigger Picture

It may come as a surprise, however, that my real purpose in writing this is not to only state the above, as important as I believe saying it is. My primary purpose, and I believe my assignment from the Lord, is to identificationally repent on behalf of the leadership of the charismatic body of Christ (see Nehemiah 1:4-7; Daniel 9:1-19). In doing so, I do not have a pompous, "no one else will, so I'll do it" attitude, nor am I arrogant enough to think I have become the spokesperson for the charismatic church. But in the same way that I can identify with the racism of white predecessors and repent to blacks, Native Americans and other races, I can represent the leadership of the charismatic body of Christ and identificationally repent for our sins and weaknesses. I encourage leaders who find my statements true and appropriate to join me.

Beyond the simple fact of it being appropriate, I firmly believe it is the only way to begin the process of rebuilding trust with those asked to follow us and to remove the cynicism of the world we ask to listen to us. As you know, regaining credibility is much more difficult than attaining credibility. Concerning what I'm about to say, I don't believe I have a critical spirit, nor do I want to diminish the sacrifices, faithfulness, and hard work done by so many in ministry. The fact remains, however, that we have failed the Lord and His people in many ways—not just with Lakeland but in countless other situations—and must repent if we are to be trusted in the future. And as you also know, no repentance is effective if watered down and couched in excuses, therefore, I intend to be brutally honest:

1. We, the leaders of the charismatic community, have operated in an extremely low level of discernment. Frankly, we often don't even try to discern. We assume a person's credibility based on gifts, charisma, the size of their ministry or church, whether they can prophesy or work a miracle, etc. (Miracles and signs are intended to validate God and His message, not the messenger; sometimes they validate the assignment of an individual, but never the person's character, lifestyle or spiritual maturity.) We leaders in the Church have become no different than the world around us in our standards for measuring success and greatness. This has contributed to the body of Christ giving millions of dollars to undeserving individuals; it has allowed people living in sin to become influential leaders—even to lead movements, allowing them influence all the way to the White House. Through our lack of discernment we built their stages and gave them their platforms. We have been gullible beyond words—gullible leaders producing gullible sheep. When a spiritual leader we're connected with violates trust, is exposed for immorality or falls below other accepted standards of behavior, it does not exonerate us simply to say we don't condone such behavior. Those we lead trust us to let them know whom to trust. We have failed them miserably in this regard. For this lack of discernment, and for employing and passing on inappropriate standards of judgment, I repent to the Lord and ask forgiveness of the body of Christ.
2. We, the leaders of the charismatic church, spin our involvement and fail to acknowledge our responsibility when other leaders fall— all of which stems from our self-preservation and pride. Enough of the spin—we're no different than Washington, DC. Every time another embarrassing and disgraceful situation is exposed, the dancing begins. It seems that no one bears any real responsibility except the man or woman who actually commits sin. Incredibly, we even blame "revival" itself—the pressures, attacks, weariness, the "revival is messy" argument, etc., saying it is responsible for the failures. This is disgusting. Those of us on boards of fallen leaders, those who helped give them a voice, put them on TV, published and endorsed their books (yes, I have), etc., are not exonerated simply by saying we don't condone the wrong behavior or that we didn't know. We're supposed to know. I don't believe anyone is expecting perfection from us—I know I'm not. We're far too human for that. But we are expected to have enough humility to look the world and those who follow us in the eye when we miss it and say, "we were wrong and we are sorry." Our careless accountability has caused the body of Christ to be spiritually raped and abused. It has produced disillusionment and brought immeasurable reproach to our God and cynicism to His message. Concerning Lakeland, what was called the "greatest revival since Azusa Street" has become possibly one of the greatest reproaches. We, the leaders of the charismatic church, are responsible. For not accepting and acknowledging our responsibility, for caring more about our own reputation than Christ's, I repent to God and ask forgiveness of the body of Christ.
3. Our procedures and standards of accountability are incredibly inadequate. We have provided camaraderie, not biblical accountability. For those on Todd Bentley's board who had previous knowledge of his marriage problems and said nothing, it was more than a mistake—it was reckless, foolish, and irresponsible. For those on the stage the night of his aligning and commissioning who knew and said nothing—ditto. For those there who didn't know, my question is, "why didn't you?" You were trusted to know. That is one of the purposes of public commissioning and the purpose behind the concept of endorsement. I'm not trying to point the finger; I'm endeavoring to get us to be honest about our failures—we have serious credibility issues. Have I ever laid hands on, commissioned or endorsed anyone without adequately checking them out? Yes, but you better believe I'll be more careful next time! And we must not single out Lakeland. We're all guilty. What about the leader in my city who ran with some of the leading spiritual fathers in our nation— sincere and good men, I might add, and not all "charismatic" leaders—who sang his praises and helped build his stage—all while he was doing drugs and having sex with other men? But we shouldn't blame only the high profile cases—what about those of us who unknowingly have had adulterers on our staffs or appointed elders that turned out to have compromise in their life? Sounding familiar yet? This is so epidemic that every member of the body of Christ stands guilty—what pastor or leader did you follow that turned out to have sin issues? What ministry did you support that was unworthy? There is plenty of blame to go around. The big question becomes not "who do we blame" but "how do we fix this mess?" Leaders can live in sin—adultery, homosexuality, financial wrongdoing, drugs, etc.—for years without it being realized. They can offer completely unacceptable lifestyles for the body of Christ to follow and still keep their TV programs and lavish lifestyles. In the name of grace, compassion and forgiveness we have lowered the standard so much that often there isn't one. We have bought into the lie that true discipline is "shooting our wounded." We have made a mockery of biblical restoration, making "ministry"—not healthy individuals, marriages and families—its ultimate goal. The fact is, integrity matters. No, we don't need legalistic, pharisaical standards, but we must have standards. For this lack of biblical accountability, I repent to God and I ask forgiveness of the body of Christ.
4. We, the leaders of the charismatic church, have built on hype, sensation, innovation, programs, personality and charisma. This has produced: shallowness; false movements; novice leaders— gifted but immature and untested; a deficient understanding of God's word; the building of man-centered rather than kingdom- centered churches and ministries; competition rather than cooperation; humanistic, self-centered Christians who don't understand sacrifice and commitment; Christians without discernment; superstar leaders; a perverted and powerless gospel; prayerless and anemic Christians; a replacement of the fear of the Lord with the fear of man; and a young generation that is cynical of it all. We are responsible, not the devil; he takes what we give him. For this compromise in the way we build, for giving the Church watered down wine, commercial Christianity, a flashy but
   weak Church and hype disguised as anointing, I repent to God and ask forgiveness of the body of Christ. Galatians 6:1-5 is an appropriate reference with which to end this statement: "Brethren, even if a man caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another's burdens, and thus fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But let each one examine his own work, and then he will have reason for boasting in regard to himself alone, and not in regard to another. For each one shall bear his own load." NAS

My passionate prayer is that God honors this repentance — I believe He led me to do it and therefore, will—and uses it to begin a process of cleansing and healing for all of us. In order for the coming great awakening to bear maximum fruit we must have both, as well as a course correction that sets us on a path of wisdom leading to life. There is no doubt that past moves of God have been aborted, ended prematurely and contained error or heresy that have wounded, if not destroyed, many. The healing revival of the 40's and 50's, the charismatic movement, discipleship movement and Jesus movement are all examples. My heart is to help shape a movement, the fruit of which will last for decades — better yet, forever. And I have great expectations for us—I am not a cynic.

My passionate prayer is also that Todd Bentley's marriage survives and thrives…that he turns his heart fully toward Christ and toward those with whom he is aligned, and allows them, as God leads, to put him on a path of complete restoration. I thank God for those who were touched by the Holy Spirit at Lakeland and while watching it on God TV and the web. May we all move forward into all God has planned for us in this awesome season of endless possibility.

With great hope—Dutch Sheets.

On Wednesday, I published an article about how we can take Christ-like action regarding Todd Bentley's legal separation from his wife.
Then today, Fresh Fire Ministries sent out an e-mail with the following news:

We wish to acknowledge...that since our last statement from the Fresh Fire Board of Directors, we have discovered new information revealing that Todd Bentley has entered into an unhealthy relationship on an emotional level with a female member of his staff. In light of this new information and in consultation with his leaders and advisors, Todd Bentley has agreed to step down from his position on the Board of Directors and to refrain from all public ministry for a season to receive counsel in his personal life.

What does God have to say about the current situation with Todd Bentley?

Maybe that's a dangerous question, and I'm not going to pretend to speak on His behalf. But I have spent a lot of time in prayer, and the Lord keeps turning the table on the matter. Here's what I have learned from my times with God.

First, there is no doubt that He is grieved about Todd's current situation and the ripple effect that is shaking the faith of people all over this world. But I also sense that He is not taken by surprise, nor is this in any way "out of control." Todd wouldn't have come forward about this if the Holy Spirit was not convicting of sin and revealing that which is hidden.

Luke 12:1-3--...Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the roofs. (NIV)

The hypocrisy of Todd Bentley has indeed been revealed just as Jesus promised, but I believe Christ's work in the earth right now is far deeper than this. During my prayer times with the Lord, I have sensed that He is not in the least bit distracted by Todd Bentley. The eyes of the Lord are still going to and fro throughout the earth, seeking a heart that's completely His. He still sees the deepest parts of every one of us. He still notices our non-public issues on an equal playing field with public ones.

He is a God of the secret things. He sees what is done in secret, hears what is said, and knows what is thought...and He repays openly. We tend to get distracted by public sin, but the Lord still looks on the condition of the hearts of all men and women around the globe.

Hebrews 4:13--Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account. (NIV)

In light of this, I sense that He would have us shift our attention for a moment.

I can't tell you how grieved I am at the response of so many Christians to Todd Bentley's situation. As you know, I don't agree with much of Todd's theology, ministry methods, or spiritual encounters (even though I would consider myself a Charismatic). Nor do I stand by or support everything done by Fresh Fire Ministries. But that does not grant free license for personal attacks and exploitation of the situation.

On Wednesday, I posted an article about Todd's separation from his wife; and of the 93 people who read it that day, only 2 had a comment that I found suitable for publication. I received about 10 other comments that were outright mean, inappropriate, and un-Christ-like. Some were true in everything they said, but the tone was sarcastic, and the material was off-topic.

Then I took a trip over to Charisma Magazine's forum, and I found the same problem. There were so many so-called Christians spreading gossip, hatred, anger, and bitterness that were in no way called-for by J. Lee Grady or Charisma itself. It is sickening to see the Body of Christ demonstrating such a devotion to vomitous attacks that produce nothing but a failed picture of who Christ really is.

So I say to any of you who might be reading this, check your own hearts. Have you allowed the kingdom of darkness to get a foothold in your life through this failure of Todd Bentley? If so, then you are equally as guilty of the hypocrisy Jesus warned us about! Like the Pharisees, you've been good in your zeal for recognizing truth and taking action, but "you have neglected the more important matters of the law--justice, mercy and faithfulness" (see Matt. 23:23).

It's time for us as Christians to grow up and get over our petty finger-pointing. We love when a leader falls because it makes us feel more important. We love pointing out false doctrine, heresies, and a lack of discernment because it makes us feel more important. It's time to get over our pride and seek the Lord for how He would have us respond.

Do not think for an instant that God is as distracted by Todd Bentley as we are. While we glare haughtily at Todd's sin, He still sees our own guilt glaring just as gaudily. The only way we will see good come out of this is if we first repent of our own sins of pride, judgments, and bitterness. This is not as much a defense of Todd Bentley as it is a warning to the Church. Are we so blind?

So what does God have to say about Todd Bentley's legal separation with his wife? I'm not exactly sure, but I believe I can rightly say that it is not nearly as harsh as what He has to say about our own illegal separation from the heart and mind of Christ.

May we all begin to grow in love and actually pray for Todd Bentley in this time of humiliation and purging.

God bless,
--Art--

Hello friends,

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:

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.

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:

...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)

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.

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--

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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/

A Closer look at Healing Theology...

I've spent the past couple weeks ministering to people on a one-on-one basis, which is actually my preferred method (so if you have questions of any kind, feel free to e-mail me: Art@SupernaturalBlogger.com).

One particular person named Christynn (permission granted to use her real name and e-mails) has been asking some significant questions about physical healing that I thought would be good to publish. There is a lot of confusion about how God's healing power works, so I want to help clear things up with what the Bible actually says.

Christynn read my article about how the scars on my face were miraculously healed, and it struck a chord with her because of her own condition. The following are excerpts from our dialogue about her healing:

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Christynn writes:
The story about your scars is amazing! God is awesome. I'd like to talk to you about it; I've been standing in faith for Him to take mine as well. And I believe He has. Sometimes it gets hard to keep the faith. I'd like to know what you did. Please email me back.

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Art writes:
Great to hear from you! God can definitely heal your scars—I've met several people since I was healed who have also had scars miraculously disappear. But if there's one thing I've learned, it's that the method is sort of irrelevant. Look through the Scriptures, and you'll see that Jesus never healed two blind people the same way, etc. I have yet to meet someone else who had a vision like mine and was then healed over a two or three week process as they laid hands on their scars and said, "Jesus, take the scars." (that's what I did, by the way).

Anyhow, the reason I say this is because what God longs for—more than anything else—is for you to trust Him and cultivate your relationship with Him. That's the one common thread I've found: people being healed as they draw near to the heart of God. So keep seeking His face more than you seek His hand—look for His presence more than His power, and the power will follow suit. The Lord once told me that the only thing necessary for a miracle to happen is the presence of God—so if we'll get into His presence and get to know His voice, everything will be in place. At that point, it's just a matter of talking to Him about your condition.

Also remember that faith is substance. It has a very real spiritual form. But faith is not merely "belief for the sake of believing"—that’s presumption. Real faith is relationship-based. If my fiancé, Robin, says she'll meet me somewhere, I have faith that she'll be there because I know her and trust her. I have faith in her. I could "believe" with all my might that she would be somewhere else, but that wouldn't be faith...it would be presumption. If she says she'll be somewhere, it takes faith to trust her. God is the same way. We don't change Him by merely believing something with all our might—but we can certainly touch His heart by drawing near to Him.

Psalm 107:20 says, "He sent forth His word and healed them." That's what happened to me—the Lord sent forth His word to me because I was desperate enough to cry out to Him and press in for a response. In my case, the Lord responded with a simple vision in my mind. For other people, they just receive an assurance that God has granted the healing, and they stand by it. For others, they may have some physical sensation. Whatever the case, the key ingredient is the fact that God Himself has spoken it, and so we grab onto that promise in faith. Until He speaks, we can "believe" all we want; but that is nothing but impersonal presumption—not faith. Faith is based on relationship.

So I don’t know where you're at right now, but check your heart. If you're struggling to see a healing manifest, think back and determine whether or not you've pressed into God's presence with persistent petition on this matter and actually received a word back from Him. If you haven't yet heard from Him, then you need to keep asking Him to heal you until there is some sort of response. Once that response comes, though, you can take it as an edict from the throne room of heaven and trust the word wholeheartedly! You can grab onto that word with full assurance that the Lord has spoken and it WILL happen! Apart from that word from God, your belief won’t accomplish much. But with that word from God, there is NOTHING that can stand in the way of your faith!

Remember: Romans 10:17 tells us that "Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." Listen for His spoken word regarding your healing, and your faith will genuinely be evidence of a hoped-for healing and the substance of your healing even when it is not yet seen (Hebrews 11:1). So spend some time in conversation with God. I don't know much about you from your e-mail, so if you'd like me to explain this further, just let me know—otherwise I'll assume that it makes sense to you.

Thanks for taking the time to e-mail. I’ll be praying for you!

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Christynn writes:
Yes, Art that all makes perfect sense. I appreciate you taking the time to reply. I'm 23 and married and saved and love God dearly. About 3 months ago my complexion started breaking out and not really scaring, but leaving marks behind. I've had skin issues since I was 12 and in the past few years it hasn't been too much of a problem, until recently.

The last few years I strayed far from Him. I did drugs, was addicted to porn, didn't go to church, and messed around with someone, other than my husband. I know God didn't put skin ailments/problems on me, only satan does that (John 10:10), but I think it happened to wake me up and realize I can't live without God.

I've turned my life around, got baptized and serve Him completely; at first it was to get Him to heal me, now I crave Him all the time. He spoke a word to me a while back as I was reading Gal. 3:13 and He said, "I became a curse for you, so you don't have to live with one." And back in Deuteronomy 28 it talks about the curse of the law and how skin ailments are part of that. I've been standing on that ever since. And I found the story of you and it gave me such hope that He cares for us so much that he wants to take away small ailments like acne/skin problems and scars. Things that aren't life or death, but things that bother His children.

I bought the little healing prayer book called, "God's creative power for healing" by Charles Capps and I read it everyday--2-3 times a day--and plea the Blood of Jesus, His Word, His holy healing power and faith into every pore of my complexion so there is no room for satan to infest it. Where God is, the devil can't be. I'm fully persuaded that He has healed me, but it's hard to look in the mirror or at people. But I know it's a lie from satan and it will soon reflect my new inner self.

It's hard to look my husband in the eye sometimes, but what you said, "…you can take it as an edict from the throne room of heaven and trust the word wholeheartedly! You can grab onto that word with full assurance that the Lord has spoken and it WILL happen! And with that word from God, there is NOTHING that can stand in the way of your faith!"

I want to know what you did when things looked hopeless while your scars where still there. Would you look in the mirror and still see them and get down? What did you do then?

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Art writes:
I didn't do a whole lot during those two or three weeks while the Lord was healing my scars. I didn't pretend they weren't there or believe they were already gone—some people call that "positive confession," but I personally feel like it's just "denial." The way I see it, it's one thing to believe that my healing is already purchased and certain; but it's another thing to act like it already happened when it still hasn't. If I had cancer, then it wouldn't do me any good to pretend I didn't have it—as a matter of fact, that would be dangerous!

So for two or three weeks, I looked in the mirror every morning and acknowledged my scars. I would sometimes speak to them: "You don’t belong here anymore." Then I would put my hands on my face and say, "Jesus, take the scars," because that was in line with the vision God gave me. In your case, you can ask Him to "take the curse" because that's how He spoke to you. Picture Him on the cross and remember that your condition was completely paid for there.

What matters is that you stay realistic. If you're "already healed," then why are you still asking for healing? On the other hand, if your healing is already paid for by Christ and you're not yet experiencing it, you have an awesome reason to be asking for it! You still have a skin condition that has not been healed even though Jesus Christ paid for it. That's an injustice! Call it what it is! Then go to the King of all creation and plead your case, asking for righteousness and justice to reign through your healing!

Don't be afraid to acknowledge earthly reality and command it to be subject to the superior reality of God's Kingdom. No one has skin conditions in heaven, and Jesus taught us to pray that our Father's Kingdom would come and that His will would be done on earth just as it is in heaven! The Kingdom of Heaven is a superior reality; but until it is manifested on earth, we need to be willing to acknowledge the earthly reality—otherwise we won't press in with prayer in the way we ought to.

Another thing is that I would purposefully look for even the slightest inkling of improvement and worship God for it. I remember the first time I noticed a little corner of one of my scars had some pigment in it—I immediately dropped to my knees and started thanking God. So try to maintain a heart of worship and adoration at all times.

In everything, remember that we need to also be content in all things. It's okay to settle in your heart the idea that whether you're healed or not, God is still worthy of all your adoration. Keep your focus more on Him than on your physical condition. I only dealt with asking for healing in the morning and spent the rest of my day focusing on Him, building our relationship, and praying for revival in my church. I didn't let my physical condition consume me. Be persistent in your prayers, but also keep your priorities set. If your physical healing begins to occupy all your prayer time, then the devil has won—keep your focus on matters of the kingdom and don't let yourself get wrapped up in one little thing.

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After this e-mail, Christynn and I spoke on the phone, and she recognized that she had been allowing her condition to occupy most of her prayer time. At the end of our conversation we prayed, and I sensed the Holy Spirit pointing to a root issue in her heart that immediately resonated with her. We prayed about her need to forgive herself, and here's what she wrote later that day:

Thank you Art, so much for your prayers and time; you have no idea how much that meant. I pray I'll be as good a witness to others as you were to me. We are only vessels to God. I looked in the mirror after we prayed and I saw some small improvement! Praise God! And praise Him for the complete manifestation!

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At this point, a couple days passed, and I received this e-mail:

Christynn writes:
Last night I found this church out in Dallas called the Healing School. I was curious and called them. I also sent those pictures of my face that I sent to you. The first thing they asked was how my marriage was. I told them it was fine, my husband doesn't go to church as often as he should, but he believes in Jesus and loves Him. He just is going through a hard time with questions about the church. (Thankfully God's putting people in his life to answer them.)

And the pastor basically told me that's why I'm not healed, because my husband is being disobedient. I asked him were in the Bible does it say that and he couldn't back it up. He just told me to read the whole New Testament with my husband and go to church every Sunday and tithe and then I'll be healed.

But I said back to him, in Isaiah 53:4 it says "He took up our infirmities and carried away our diseases." No where in there does it say, but only if you don't tell a lie or only if you make your husband go to church. No, it says point-blank He took them! In Titus 3:5 it says "He saved us, not because of any righteous things we have done, but because of His mercy." And I'm healed because of His merciful sacrifice! He also said that no one in the Bible got healed by Jesus until they repented and walked holy, even the woman with the blood disease. The way I read it is she only believed Jesus could heal her and He said her faith healed her, not anything else.

Now I know that one needs to confess their sins and ask for forgiveness like it says in James 5:16, and I have done that and have completely turned my life around for Him. And I'll tell ya Art, my skin is improving! Every morning I thank Him for taking the curse and even the slightest improvement I thank Him over and over. And people are noticing the difference and I say "Thank God, all glory to Him!"

My mom, who's a strong women of God, was listening to the conversation I was having with the pastor and she was shaking her head and said tell him goodbye. Then after I did, my mom, my dad and I all prayed and broke any spoken curses over me that that pastor said, and thanked God for healing my skin once again.

The thing I noticed that I told my mom was when I talked to you; you were encouraging and uplifting and prayed for me regardless of whatever. This pastor didn't pray for me, he just told me I was wrong and I couldn’t be healed unless whatever. I believe the more Christ you see in a person, the more Christ sees in us. Thank you Art for being Christ-like to me.

If you could give me some feed back on what this pastor said and your thoughts on the matter, I'd appreciate it. My mom told me a true story of a married couple, she was Christian and he was Muslim, and her prayers were getting answered and his were not. That's how he became saved to Jesus! So there, it doesn't matter what your spouse is going through, God's relationship with you is based on you, no one else. Praise God!

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Art writes:
Wow—yeah, your mom was completely right. As far as spouses go, I see two big issues with that pastor's logic and theology. #1, your husband does indeed believe in Christ—he just has questions and is going through a sort of "desert time" right now. That's totally normal, and many Christians experience this—I went through such a time myself. #2, even if he didn't believe in Christ, Paul said that "the unbelieving spouse is sanctified by the believing spouse." God's power is stronger than sin and cannot be limited in your life by someone else's condition. It's silly to think that God's power would be overcome by your husband not attending a weekly meeting. If we were made sick every time a relative questioned the church or "didn’t tithe," NO ONE would be healthy! Tithing, by the way, is another issue I have because it's a law that gets heaped on people and makes them feel unnecessarily guilty. Believe it or not, the Bible actually doesn't tell us to tithe, so that's not part of the problem either (you can read an article I wrote about tithing and how Christians should actually give titled The Truth about Tithing if you're interested).

The scriptures you quoted were absolutely right, and your discernment on the matter was right too. I sincerely believe that we already got to the root of the matter when we prayed about self-hatred and forgiving yourself. I felt the Holy Spirit was bringing it up, and it resonated with you right away; both of these are evidence that it was the right thing to address. So a big part of your continued healing will be continuing to walk in self-forgiveness and reminding yourself of your inner freedom through Christ. That, in my opinion, is the most important word you've received from God yet regarding your healing!

Let me know if you have further questions. I'm looking forward to your complete healing!

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Finally, we come to today's e-mail...

Christynn writes:
I hate to keep bothering you with questions. Sorry if I am. What do you think about me going to a doctor for my skin condition? I mean if God has healed me, should I go to one? And if I believe He is my healer and great physician, is it an insult to Him if I go and seek medical help for my skin?

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Art writes:
It's totally fine. Like I said on the phone, it's okay to use "crutches" while God is bringing the healing.

Remember when I told you how I threw my back out last year and couldn't walk for two weeks? Well, before God healed me, I was going to the doctor and to physical therapy for those two weeks. It wasn't accomplishing much—especially compared to the complete healing God gave me—but when I walked into PT the next week perfectly fine, I got to share my testimony with the Therapist, his assistant, and three people who had seen me barely moving for the past couple weeks. It was a tremendous opportunity to share the Gospel because the miracle was so obvious.

Likewise, my mom had a hysterectomy about six years ago—never actually received a divine healing, except that she is still cancer-free. Anyhow, she did everything she possibly could to have people pray for her and experience a healing before the surgery date, but nothing happened. Then, while she was in the hospital being prepped for surgery, she got to pray with two young ladies who couldn't believe how calm she was (they were also there to go through procedures). My mom prayed for the Holy Spirit to give them supernatural peace, and it worked! If my mom hadn't gone in for surgery, those two women might never have encountered the power and presence of God like that.

So seeking medical help is only a sin if you are "giving up on God" and leaving Him behind. But if, on the other hand, you are getting medical attention and welcoming God to come along with you, you are not in sin. It's just another opportunity to get around people who may never have heard the Gospel before. Look for opportunities to plant seeds in the waiting room, with the doctor, at the pharmacy—wherever! Just use it for the glory of God.

Lastly, I know many many people who have been healed of a condition for which they were presently seeing a doctor, so this obviously doesn't hinder a healing. The only way it slows you down is if you believe it will slow you down. But as long as you recognize that our Almighty God is not limited by us getting medical attention, and that He can still miraculously heal you, you have nothing to worry about. There's nothing in the Bible that says to avoid doctors—actually, Luke, who wrote the third Gospel and the book of Acts (all about miracles and healings) was a physician himself. And I've heard it taught that when James 5:14-15 says to have the elders of the church pray for you and anoint you with oil in the name of the Lord, the "anointing with oil" was culturally a medicinal practice rather than a spiritual one in this case. Notice how verse 15 says it is the prayer offered in faith that makes the sick person well; not the oil. If you have to take some sort of medicine, take it in the name of the Lord. Dedicate it to Christ's use. And keep trusting God to bring such a complete healing that you won't need the medicine anymore. He can do it, and I believe He will do it.

Don't feel bad about all the questions—this is my ministry, so I welcome it :-)

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Closing Thoughts:
When seeking to know what the Bible has to say about healing, it's important to consult the Bible first. There are hundreds and perhaps thousands of books out there with wacky ideas that are neither healthy nor true. A good book on healing is hard to come by. I've found that the people who understand healing theology the best are the ones who have been personally healed in the name of Jesus Christ several times (not just once) and have applied that faith to seeing others miraculously healed. The bizarre ideas come from people who were healed once many years ago because everything in the Bible gets interpreted through the filter of their one experience. When you've been healed several times, however, you discover that God never does it the same way twice!

We need to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus!

God bless!
--Art--