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--

Dear brothers and sisters,

On April 2, 2008, a series of meetings began in Lakeland, Florida, that have since escalated into an international event. The visiting minister, Todd Bentley, was invited to lead some “revival” meetings at Pastor Stephen Strader’s Ignited Church. What started as a week-long event has now lasted a few months and is broadcast nightly on the internet through the Satellite network GodTV. It certainly has gained a lot of attention and notoriety from many respected Christian leaders; but many have mixed emotions about the meetings.

It is clear that people are being genuinely healed by the power of the Holy Spirit at these stadium events in Lakeland, and this to the glory of “the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ” (Eph. 1:3). Thousands are praising and worshipping God with passion and awe. Hundreds, and perhaps thousands, have come to Christ at these meetings. Many have been set free from addictions and diseases that have held them captive for years. I’ve heard first-hand accounts of many of these testimonies, and the people are genuinely thanking God and drawing near to Him.

Roughly three weeks after the meetings began, I started really seriously looking into them. I learned several things that appear to lend to their credibility, and I believe it’s good to point some of them out. Of greatest significance to me is a well-documented prophecy given to Todd Bentley before the Lakeland events at a meeting in Australia. A pastor from New Zealand, Rob DeLuca, foretold the "healing revival" that would break out in Florida and spread around the globe—not knowing about Todd’s plans to visit Lakeland, Florida, shortly thereafter. Another thing that supports these meetings is the fact that they are supported and endorsed by many respected Christian leaders.

But as the weeks have worn on, several other prominent leaders have stepped forward with words of instruction, direction, and caution that we would be foolish to ignore.

Perhaps the most prominent of these voices has been J. Lee Grady, editor of Charisma Magazine. Grady has now written a handful of articles—published on Charisma’s web site—that raise some important issues.

In his first article, “Honest Questions about the Lakeland Revival,” J. Lee Grady wrote:

When I visited a service on April 15, I was blessed by Heather Clark’s music and the audience’s exuberant worship. And I laughed with everyone else as I watched Bentley shout his trademarked “Bam! Bam! Bam!” as he prayed for the sick and flailed his tattooed arms over the crowd. Hey, Jesus didn’t pray for people according to the Pharisees’ rulebook, so I’m open to unconventional methods.

But I would be dishonest if I told you that I wholeheartedly embraced what I saw in Lakeland. Something disturbed me, but I kept my mouth shut for three weeks while I prayed, got counsel from respected ministry leaders and searched my heart to make sure I was not harboring a religious spirit. The last thing we need today is more mean-spirited heresy hunters blasting other Christians.

I am not a heresy hunter, and I support what is happening in Lakeland because I know God uses imperfect people (like me and you) to reach others for Jesus. At the same time, I believe my questions are honest and my concerns are real.

Grady went on to caution us in three areas, which I’ll interpret with my own words:

(1) Beware of Strange Fire. Here Grady says to be careful with Todd’s excessive emphasis on angels, some of which have questionable origins. I’ve mentioned many times the 45-minutes of one meeting that I watched as Todd described the angel in the room, what it looked like, how he knew where it was, and touted his gift for perceiving angels like this one. He then went on to say that “the healing power flows from the angel.” Never once was the name of Jesus Christ mentioned. This makes you wonder: Would a real angel of God actually parade around an auditorium for 45 minutes while it gets all the attention and Jesus goes unmentioned?

Remember Colossians 2:18, “Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you for the prize. Such a person goes into great detail about what he has seen, and his unspiritual mind puffs him up with idle notions.” And also consider 2 Corinthians 11:14, which says that, “…Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.”

These are legitimate questions to raise. Maybe this angel is indeed from God, but we would be disobeying scripture if we didn’t “test the spirits” and examine carefully everything that is said.

(2) Beware of Bizarre Manifestations. My interpretation of this section of Grady’s article is simply that we mustn’t forget that the “fruit of the Spirit” includes self-control (Gal. 5:22). Any so-called “spiritual” manifestation that causes a person to lose their self-control should be sternly questioned.

There are Biblical examples of this, but they’re not favorable ones. One is when King Nebuchadnezzar was being judged by God and went insane, wandering the wilderness and behaving as a wild animal. Then there was King Saul’s unclean spirit that would seize him, and only David’s music could quit the spirit. Another example is when John the Baptist’s father Zechariah was stricken mute by the angel of the Lord for doubting God’s promise. Another example could be Paul’s “falling down as though dead” on the road to Damascus and subsequent blindness. Other cases are the people who “shook with fear” when they encountered God. In each case, the loss of self-control was either emotional, an evil spirit, or a judgment from the Lord—not “God playing with His children” as many have suggested at the Lakeland meetings and elsewhere.

If someone is experiencing a loss of self control, then we should be careful to discern the reason. Is it a manifestation of a demon? Is it purely emotional? Is it the judgment of God? This takes discernment; but the fact remains that we shouldn’t just laugh about it or consider it some small matter. It may very well be an opportunity for ministry, and only the Holy Spirit can show us how to respond.

(3) Beware of Hype and Exaggeration. I believe Grady puts this section best in his own words:

Some of the language used during the Lakeland Revival has created an almost sideshow atmosphere. People are invited to “Come and get some.” Miracles are supposedly “popping like popcorn.” Organizers tout it as the greatest revival in history.

Such brash statements cheapen what the Holy Spirit is doing—and they do a disservice to our brothers and sisters who are experiencing New Testament-style revival in countries such as Iran, China and India. We have a long way to go before we experience their level of revival. Let’s stay humble and broken before the Lord.

That second paragraph particularly rings true to me in my spirit. I have extensively studied the present-day persecuted church in China, Iran, India, North Korea, Sudan, and several other nations. If there is a modern-day demonstration of true revival, it’s there! 20,000 people come to Christ every single day in China alone! The dead are raised to life, people are dramatically healed, demons are cast out, and more—all in the mighty name of Jesus Christ. And in the midst of it all, these passionate believers are suffering intense persecution, imprisonment, and martyrdom for the sake of the Gospel.

Which sounds more like it defines the word revival? This? Or a bunch of people in a stadium singing songs and sharing testimonies on stage as the “man of God” slaps them on the forehead and yells “BAM!”?

This too was addressed in a recent article from J. Lee Grady titled “BAM! POW! When Prayer Ministry Gets Violent.” In this article, Grady addresses some of the flashy, extravagant “ministry” methods of Todd Bentley. Grady gave some very practical advice, but I believe his strongest and most biblical point was this:

The Holy Spirit is gentle. Jesus boldly drove the moneychangers out of the temple with a whip. But when He prayed for sick people, there is no record of Him head-banging or leg-dropping anyone. He rebuked evil spirits authoritatively, but He never hit, slapped, choked, mounted or kicked a person. He was meek, which means He knew how to control His strength, and He never threw His weight around.

When He commissioned His followers to heal the sick, Jesus told them to “lay” hands on them (Mark 16:18). Since gentleness is part of the fruit of the Holy Spirit (along with kindness—see Gal. 5:22-23), any ministry we do should be tempered with mercy and concern.

But there’s a now-popular video on YouTube in which Todd shares several stories about doing all these things—even to the point of knocking out a guy’s tooth!

I don’t share all these things to slander Todd Bentley, but rather to offer sincere warning. Todd has been approached by many believers regarding these matters and continues to minister in all the ways that have been mentioned. Todd continues to obsess unapologetically about angels. He continues to demonstrate and encourage manifestations that involve a loss of self-control, attributing them to the Holy Spirit. He continues to hype his meetings. And he continues to push people harshly on the forehead as he prays (and happily tells stories from the platform about kicking people, “leg-dropping” people, and various other violent actions in the name of ministry, as shown in that YouTube video).

But J. Lee Grady isn’t the only one speaking out about this sort of “revival”—he just seems to be the primary “respected voice” who’s being most direct.

Ignited Church, which is the host-church for these meetings, is an Assemblies of God church, and Pastor Stephen Strader is an A/G minister. As a result, the National Office of the Assemblies of God has been flooded with letters and e-mail regarding the Lakeland Meetings. The National Superintendent, Rev. George O. Wood, was reluctant to jump to conclusions. He’s gotten a lot of criticism for this hesitancy, but I support his decision to discuss things with the Executive Presbytery of the A/G’s General Council before commenting. After all, his position is such that people expect him to speak on behalf of his denomination, so he must make sure his words reflect this.

The official decision, though, was not to address Todd Bentley or the “Lakeland Healing Outpouring” directly, but rather to issue some stern Biblical instruction regarding revival in general. Many have said that he was too vague, but I watched the entire video and believe he was very clear.

Brother Wood based his address around three solid questions that, at the surface, support what is happening in Lakeland:

1. Is Jesus Christ exalted?
2. Is the Word of God proclaimed?
3. Are persons repenting of sin and being baptized in water and the Holy Spirit?

To be honest and frank, I have to answer “yes” to these questions as they relate to Lakeland.

Is Jesus Christ exalted? Well, at the beginning of these meetings, Todd got a lot of criticism because Jesus was seldom mentioned by name; but these concerns were heard with repentance, and the leadership of the revival began exalting Jesus significantly more prominently since then. Miracles are indeed worked in Jesus’ name; and He is regularly lifted up in word and in song with words of worship, adoration, praise, and proclamation of the Gospel.

Is the Word of God proclaimed? Absolutely. A variety of speakers share the preaching, and the Word of God is preached with authority. Hundreds have come to salvation as a result, and many others have rededicated their lives to the Lord.

Are people repenting of sin? Again, yes. I’ve heard many personal testimonies from people who have sincerely repented of sinful lifestyles. God deserves all the honor, glory, and praise for these things.

Despite all these positive answers, however, Brother Wood’s statement on revival also raises some questions that seem to apply to Lakeland. He said:

Of course, there are additional questions that can be raised, but my purpose is to give some starter reflections for those who have honest hearts to "test all things" as Paul admonished. If the above three questions cannot be answered with a resounding yes, then perhaps other questions are unnecessary.

Well, I can’t really “resound” with a “yes” to that last question because I haven’t really heard anything about any baptisms in water or the Holy Spirit—though admittedly this may be happening and just not getting much publicity. It’s certainly not touted as one of the staples of the “Lakeland Healing Outpouring.” Then again, these things don’t have to necessarily be happening at the meetings for them to be happening at all, so I can overlook this for the sake of not being too picky. We might be just playing a semantics game. If indeed these are the official signs of a “revival,” then maybe Lakeland is not a “revival” by definition—but this does not exclude the possibility of it being some other sort of move of God. Again, for the sake of argument, we’ll overlook this issue for now.

Regarding the second question about whether or not the Word of God is preached, I’ve also seen a lot of extra-biblical words proclaimed. These aren’t necessarily anti-biblical or wrong, but they should certainly receive deeper scrutiny than ordinary Bible-based preaching. Paul told the Corinthian church that when the prophets in the church speak, everyone else should weigh carefully what was said. Lakeland is not an exception. Those who buy into absolutely everything that is said have made themselves into mindless drones who are in danger of turning this event into cult status. That’s dangerous. Everything must be held up to Scripture.

Finally, is Jesus exalted? Absolutely—without question. But He occasionally has to share the stage with Todd’s flashy showmanship and his “healing angel.” So yes, Jesus is exalted, but He is also occasionally set aside. Does this discredit the entire movement? No. No one is perfect. But we should also not assume that the exaltation of Jesus Christ excuses these things that detract and distract. They are not beneficial. Todd has been approached by many Christians in letters and a few in person regarding this, and it’s still going on. This needs to be addressed.

Brother Wood also brought up some other great points. Again, the reason I believe his statement is so important is because he is the elected leader of the Assemblies of God, which is the denomination with which Ignited Church and its pastor are affiliated. Here are a few more things Superintendent Wood brought up:

“The Holy Spirit has not come to glorify Himself, or any human or angelic personality.”

Yes, the Holy Spirit should be acknowledged and given His rightful place; but He has not come to glorify Himself. When talk of “the Anointing” or “the Presence” or the “Shekinah Glory” start to outweigh talk about redemption and the blood of Jesus, things are getting off track. This happens a lot, and the leaders in Lakeland need to be careful.

Second of all, He has not come to glorify a human personality. Unfortunately, however, I see so many people glorifying Todd Bentley by latching onto his charismatic personality and showmanship. It’s nice and healthy to overlook people’s flaws to an extent—but it’s another thing altogether to sweep them under the rug and pretend they’re non-issues. I’ve been called a slanderer for pointing out things that need to be changed—but the truth is, I just want Todd Bentley to come into a fuller measure of Christ’s nature so he can be more effective in his role in Lakeland. That’s love. Ignoring the issues is apathy, and is therefore the exact opposite of love. If you aren’t willing to help someone see the truth, then you do not love them at all. Todd needs to be careful not to let his personality overpower what God is doing in Lakeland.

Thirdly, the Holy Spirit has not come to glorify any angelic personality. But Todd goes into great detail about his visions and talks a lot about the “healing angel” who he says is named “Winds of Change.” I addressed this earlier, so I won’t expound again.

Brother Wood continues:

“…A doctrinal test for any revival is whether the content of the preaching is the same as Jesus and the apostles. The Word of God stands over personal viewpoints. Any Biblical revival must "contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints" (Jude 3). If so-called truth is being proclaimed that cannot be found in Scripture, then that proclamation violates the specific announcement of Scripture that the faith "was once for all entrusted" and such a proclamation also deviates from the apostles' fidelity to preach the Word, and from the early Church's devotion to the apostles' doctrine.”

This is very important, and it raises a lot of questions about some of the things Todd Bentley has said in the past. Is prosperity theology biblical? How about a prosperity angel named Emma? How about self-induced visions? Or guided visualization (which has occult origins)? This is all thin ice that needs to be exposed for what it is. These things aren’t just not in the Bible—they are in conflict with it!

There’s the doctrinal test, but how about the practical test? Do miracles count for anything? I’ll let Brother Wood answer:

“Miraculous manifestations are never the test of a true revival - fidelity to God's Word is the test. Jesus Himself said there would be many who would do miracles in His name and even cast out demons, but He does not know them (Matthew 7:15-23). Jesus warned that "many false prophets will appear and deceive many people" (Matthew 24:11). Paul warns, "If anyone teaches false doctrines and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, he is conceited and understands nothing" (1 Timothy 6:3). To the Galatians, Paul writes: “But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned” (Galatians 1:8). Paul also warns us: "Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you for the prize. Such a person goes into great detail about what he has seen, and his unspiritual mind puffs him up with idle notions. He has lost connections with the Head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow" (Colossians 2:18-19). Peter warns us that "there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies . . . Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up." (2 Peter 2:1-3).

“In summary, the message must always be examined. If the message and the messenger line up with God's Word, then the revival is on safe Biblical ground and it should and must be embraced. If not, then even though miracles and manifestations occur, it should be avoided.”

We have to ask ourselves, “Is everything in Lakeland on ‘safe Biblical ground’?” The fact is, most of it is. Jesus is being exalted. Sick people are being healed in the name of Jesus Christ. Many are coming to repentance and salvation. Many have been delivered of addictions. This is all to the glory of our God in heaven! But the reality remains that some things are not on “safe Biblical ground.” And these things, frankly, are unnecessary and even harmful! Regardless of their origin—of God, of man, or of the enemy—they are causing division among the Body of Christ. If not for any other reason, this should dissuade the leadership of the Lakeland Healing Outpouring from allowing such things to be taking place. If their desire truly is to bring unity in the Body of Christ, then they should stop practicing and permitting fringe issues that are non-beneficial, unnecessary, and questionable in their validity.

Brother Wood continues:

“…ultimately, if the revival is to have enduring fruitfulness, it must be pastored carefully with doctrinal soundness, moral and financial accountability, and care to give publicity to Christ rather than to the revival.”

That last statement concerns me. I see a lot more publicity given to the revival than to Jesus. Much of the promotion of the revival started out as Todd Bentley circulated e-mail reports to his supporters and began telling everyone present to spread the word. He told young people to put it on their MySpace and tell everyone they could about the meetings. The leaders of the meetings started marketing the “revival” with the now-coined slogan, “Come get some!” According to the previous paragraph, this is carelessness.

So it is clear that there are questionable things taking place at the Lakeland Healing Outpouring that should not be bought into hook, line, and sinker. Just because there are obvious proofs of God’s presence does not make the meetings devoid of error.

True, no one is perfect. But we can either ignore imperfections and let things remain the way they are, or we can address them and see Jesus revealed in greater fullness. The latter is my goal, and it is commanded in Scripture.

I am certain that if left unchecked, the Lakeland Healing Outpouring could slip down a path of demonic corruption. Any time there is a move of God on this magnitude (and even smaller), Satan’s minions come after it full guns. It’s dangerous to the kingdom of darkness, and to assume that demons aren’t present is naïve.

So how should we respond to the Lakeland Healing Outpouring?

1. Pray for Todd Bentley, Pastor Stephen Strader, worship leader Roy Fields, and the rest of the leadership in Lakeland.
2. Continue to seek God for yourself regarding how you should respond to the meetings.
3. Constantly “test the spirits” by analyzing each word and manifestation with spiritual discernment and our sure litmus test: the Bible.
4. Pray for more salvations, healings, deliverances, and so forth to take place among the people.
5. Warn others not to be led mindlessly but to be aware that nothing should be considered perfect except God and His Word.

I believe if we will be faithful to these five things, we will see greater purity in Lakeland, resulting in greater effectiveness for the Kingdom of God. Right now, many ministers trying to validate the claims of healings and resurrections have come up empty handed. I personally know a few people who have actually been healed, but even their testimony is anecdotal and questionable. This doesn't mean people haven't been healed or raised from the dead in Lakeland; it just means that we should be careful not to assume that every single person going on stage has actually received healing. Let's not be swept into the emotionalism of the event at the expense of actual discernment.

Let us also heed the advice of J. Lee Grady, and be careful with our terminology. Let’s not cheapen the word “revival” by throwing it around loosely. Look around the world at the underground churches in persecuted nations like China, and you’ll see a clearer picture of the word. As for Lakeland, feel free to chalk it up as a “Healing Outpouring” for which we should be grateful to God; but also realize that it's not necessarily all that it's cracked up to be. Giving the event and its leaders more credit than they're due is unhealthy and detrimental to unity among the Body of Christ. That's my biggest concern. If the leaders of this movement are aware that so much of what they're doing is causing division among the Body of Christ, then they should cease such teachings and actions immediately. Unity with Christ must be our highest aim, and that involves and includes unity with the rest of His Body, the Church. Let's get our eyes off of Lakeland and onto the Lord Jesus Christ. If He wants to do something there, I bless it; but that doesn't mean He can't move in even greater ways right where you are today.

May the Lord continue to minister to His people in spirit, soul, and body! Amen!

God bless you all,
--Art--

Art Thomas
http://www.supernaturaltruth.com/

While I'm no longer going to pick apart Lakeland or Todd Bentley (unless specifically told to by the Holy Spirit), I do still believe that clarifying points and moving forward are valid topics...and necessary! Many have come to this site seeking answers, and I believe this is a responsibility that I cannot drop--but as I've said, I do not feel that I need to look any deeper into Lakeland. We MUST transition into action rather than reaction. Let's move forward!

I recently came across an issue, though, that involves Lakeland. I actually believe this is bigger than Lakeland and is spread throughout the Charismatic Movement at large, so that's why I'm addressing it. Many have been arguing in favor of Lakeland and other movements with the words of Jesus when He said things like (paraphrase) "If your son asks for a fish, will you give him a snake? If he asks for bread, will you give him a stone? Or if he asks for an egg, will you give him a scorpion? No way! In the same way, your Heavenly Father will certainly give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!" (see Luke 11:11-13 and Matthew 7:9-11)

I agree completely with these verses. The problem that arises, however, is that many people are looking for a snake rather than a fish! They may be asking for the fish with words, but the mental picture they've been conditioned to expect looks like a snake. So when the fish is offered, they are more likely to reach down and pick up the snake because that better fits their understanding of what a fish is.

Why? Because of false teachings and false manifestations that have been allowed to run rampant in the Church for decades. Charismatic Christians and even new converts have been conditioned to expect certain manifestations, and so they chase after anything that meets their expectations whether God is actually causing it or not! It is evidence of a weak relationship with God (if any relationship at all). Those who truly know God are not the least bit phased by false manifedstations. They know if their Friend is present or not.

But we are entering a time when the line of distinction between the false and the true is being blurred, and many are being confused. In Matthew 24:24, Jesus warns, "For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect—if that were possible." By the way, the word "Christs" here literally means "anointed ones." Jesus prophesied that false "anointed ones" and false prophets would appear before the end of the world who would perform great miracles. Wonders so great, in fact, that even the most seasoned saints could fall victim to the deception.

Did Jesus prophesy that the miracles would be false? Did He say that they would not be performed in His name? Nope. He just said that the people would be false. And He said that they would be so hard to distinguish from the true prophets and "anointed-ones" that even the "strong" Christians would be deceived. Could we be experiencing such a thing right now? Of course real miracles are happening! Jesus said they would! And of course they are being done in His name--how else would "even the elect" be deceived?

Snakes and fish both have scales--it is not difficult to be confused between the two when all you can see is a small cross-section. You need to see the whole picture to rightly distinguish, and that can only be granted through a relationship with God.

But where did we go wrong? Over the past several years, the life-bringing Bread of Jesus Christ, revealed through true prophetic words, has been exchanged for useless, bread-shaped stones (prophecies of the prophets' own minds) that offer no benefit. The egg, which is a bearer of life, has somehow been confused in our minds with a scorpion, which is a bearer of death. We've even gone so far as to put snakes in the goldfish bowls that sit in our children's bedrooms. God doesn't make the exchange. We do.

People have been conditioned over time to expect the Holy Spirit to look and act a certain way. We want Him to make us shake, jerk, wiggle, vibrate, and fall over. We want Him to make us laugh, cry, shriek, or shout. We want Him to make us act drunk--staggering around, swaying limply, and slurring our speech. I'm not going to say that it is impossible for the Holy Spirit to actually do these things (He can do whatever He wants), but I am going to say that it is wrong for us to have put God into such a box.

The moment you expect a specific manifestation is the moment when you shut off discernment. It becomes mechanical rather than personal. In your mind, if it doesn't match your idea of what should happen, it must not be the Holy Spirit...and worse yet, if it does match your expectations, you readily accept and receive that spirit!

What if the Holy Spirit does not wish to move according to your expectations? What if He's doing a "new thing?" If the Holy Spirit is NOT moving in the way you anticipate, are you are more likely to accept what He's actually doing or ignore Him and grasp after any spirit that WILL meet your expectations?

If you have allowed yourself to box God in with these expectations, then you may very well have fallen victim to the deception Jesus Christ foretold. The fish was offered in response to your request; but out of ignorance and preconceived notions, you rejected it for a snake. This isn't an insult--it means you rank among "the elect" as Jesus put it! You are not beyond forgiveness, and God may very well be using this message to bring you back to reality.

Yes, God will offer the Holy Spirit freely to those who ask; but it is up to you to keep your relationship with Him alive. Knowing God is not based on a formula, a method, a system, logic, or even our expectations. He is a PERSON. You cannot know Him apart from a genuine personal relationship, which can only happen through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. We must see that He is a sovereign, sentient Being, capable of doing as He pleases. He is not an impersonal force that sways according to our presumption!

There's a difference between faith and presumption. Faith means you expect your Friend to do what He promised He would do. Presumption means you expect God to do what you expect Him to do. Presumption is not based on realtionship, and it almost always leads to error. Faith, on the other hand, is the means by which we KNOW God in an intimate way and steer clear of the end-time deception prophesied of by Jesus Himself.

Where do you stand? Are you experiencing things based on presumption, or are you experiencing what God has already promised to you that He would do? When you ask for a fish, are you looking for a snake, which you presumptiously assume is actually the fish you wanted? When you ask for bread, do you grab a stone instead because it looks more solid? When you ask for an egg, are you more intrigued by the shell-like exoskeleton of a scorpion? Are you one of the "elect" or others who Jesus said would be deceived by false "anointed-ones" and false prophets? Are you swayed by miracles and the name of Jesus into puting your trust in a false "anointed one" or "false prophet?"

Weigh carefully what has been presented here and do not answer too quickly. Judge your own heart and see where your position stands.

Your brother,
--Art--

I've considered myself a "Charismatic" for longer than I can remember, and I intend to continue. Unfortunately, however, I've noticed a trend among so many who share my belief that the Holy Spirit is alive and active today: more and more, people are getting swept away into believing everything they hear and attributing nearly every manifestation to God. To be frank, I believe many are falling victim to "doctrines of demons" and being led astray.

1 Timothy 4:1-2--Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron...(NKJV)

I also like the New Living Translation's version, which is a little easier to understand:

1 Timothy 4:1-2--Now the Holy Spirit tells us clearly that in the last times some will turn away from the true faith; they will follow deceptive spirits and teachings that come from demons. These people are hypocrites and liars, and their consciences are dead. (NLT)

What does it mean to have a dead conscience? For one thing, it means that you have lost all discernment, and you will believe whatever you're told--whether it be by a false teacher, a false prophet, or a lying spirit.

In 1 Kings 22, God has determined that it is time for the evil King Ahab to be taken out of power, so he gathers a meeting in the throne room of heaven:

1 Kings 22:19-23--Micaiah [the prophet] continued, "Therefore hear the word of the LORD: I saw the LORD sitting on his throne with all the host of heaven standing around him on his right and on his left. And the LORD said, 'Who will entice Ahab into attacking Ramoth Gilead and going to his death there?'

"One suggested this, and another that. Finally, a spirit came forward, stood before the LORD and said, 'I will entice him.'

"'By what means?' the LORD asked.

"'I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouths of all his prophets,' he said.

"'You will succeed in enticing him,' said the LORD. 'Go and do it.'

"So now the LORD has put a lying spirit in the mouths of all these prophets of yours. The LORD has decreed disaster for you." (NIV)

I believe we are seeing this same sort of thing happening to many of the people in the Charismatic movement. Why? Because so many of us have turned away and followed after deceptive teachings and doctrines of demons. Like Ahab, we have no regard for the truth of the Lord. In contrast to Ahab, however, the Lord's purpose is not a physical death, but rather a spiritual one. God's plan has always been to bring us to the cross of Christ in repentance so that we can have our sin put to death and the Holy Spirit may bring us new life through His power.

I feel that the Charismatic Movement is experiencing a great shaking at this time. So much of it has been hijacked by "doctrines of demons." So many of our brothers and sisters are listening to lying spirits who prophesy peace, and then they are teaching these false words to others. False teachings and demonic manifestations are running rampant, and people are outright accepting them. Worse yet, they are attributing them to the Holy Spirit! This is wrong, but it is being allowed by the Lord so that those who are not lovers of the Truth will be exposed.

In this time of shaking, people will either buy the delusion hook, line, and sinker, or they will reject it and embrace the truth of Christ. That is why discernment is so vital in the Church today. As John said, the spirit of antichrist is already in the world. We need to be aware of what this spirit is doing, because it foreshadows what will take place at the end of time:

2 Thessalonians 2:8-12--And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming. The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders, and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness. (NIV)

Friends, I'm calling for a reformation among Charismatics. Tomorrow I intend to share some specific ways to make this happen, so check back then. For now, please pray for discernment and focus during these times of shaking so that you may "be able to stand your ground when the day of evil comes."

God bless!
--Art--

This is a re-post of an article I published on January 7, 2008. (I've deleted the original post in order to cut down on clutter.) I believe this is a timely word given the current emphasis on Todd Bentley, "The Florida Outpouring," and the Charismatic Movement in general.

---

Jeremiah 14:14-16--Then the LORD said to me, "The prophets are prophesying lies in my name. I have not sent them or appointed them or spoken to them. They are prophesying to you false visions, divinations, idolatries and the delusions of their own minds. Therefore, this is what the LORD says about the prophets who are prophesying in my name: I did not send them, yet they are saying, 'No sword or famine will touch this land.' Those same prophets will perish by sword and famine. And the people they are prophesying to will be thrown out into the streets of Jerusalem because of the famine and sword. There will be no one to bury them or their wives, their sons or their daughters. I will pour out on them the calamity they deserve (NIV, emphasis added).

There are false prophets today--and it's a bit of an epidemic here in America. Everywhere you look--especially on the television--we find well-meaning preachers "prophe-lying" ear-tingling words that promise health, wealth, and prosperity to our nation when God is actually saying, "Repent! Turn back to Me! Intercede for America!"

But worst of all, what I learned from the verses above is that God didn't just hold the false prophets accountable--He also promised the same judgment to the people who listened to their words! We MUST be a people of discernment who will hear the Holy Spirit for ourselves and not just take the "holy man's" word for it. We must be seekers of the face of God and learn His true plans through:

• personal encounters with Him,
• the authority of the Bible,
• genuine fellowship with other God-fearing and God-loving believers, and
• accountability to mature believers who have proved by the fruit of their ministry that they truly are messengers of the One True God.

A couple years ago I had a really strange dream. In it, I was at a theme park where they had somehow discovered live dinosaurs. At some point, though, I saw a man dressed in an old sea captain uniform way up high on a pedistol (maybe a hundred feet in the air) with some sort of harpoon gun. One by one, he was shooting the dinosaurs and having them replaced with robotic replicas. I asked someone why he was doing this, and they said, "The robots are safer--no one can get hurt."

"But the real ones are alive!" I argued. My rebuttal fell on deaf ears. Soon, I began to fear for my own safety--not concerning the dinosaurs, but rather the haphazard sea captain and his deadly harpoon. In fact, I looked around and saw several more sea captains on pedistols. So I squeezed through a hedge and found myself outside the boundary of the park in a thick woods. There I discovered a group of people worshipping God, and they had several baby dinosaurs in cages.

I asked someone why the dinosaurs were in cages, and they answered, "They'll get set loose one day, but right now they're being fed and trained. Besides, no one cares to see the real dinosaurs anymore; they want robots. Soon people will realize that the sea captains have no authority, and then they will pay more attention to the value of the real dinosaurs."

That's when I woke up. After writing down the dream and praying about it, I sensed that God was shaking up the prophetic movement in America. I felt He was saying, "There are too many people elevating themselves in the Church and replacing My true, living words with cold, dead utterances. My true prophets are no longer welcome there because they are not considered 'safe.'"

Today there is great value placed on those individuals who do not pose a 'threat' to the authority figure's teachings. The true prophets--who, according to John Sandford, bring blessing, healing, judgment, warning, protection, discernment, and words of knowledge--are being systematically replaced by false prophets with ear-tingling words, empty promises, and great skills in group hypnosis and emotionalism. In so many cases, the prophet has been replaced by the personality.

But I personally believe there was a significant promise in that dream I had. God is raising up true prophets--many of whom are not inside the organized theme park we call "church." He is protecting them from being wounded and snuffed out by those in authority who prefer "robots." (I should add, though, that not all people in authority are like this, so don't let the devil convince you of that lie). God is feeding them and training them in the wilderness as they worship and grow in groups of genuine Christ-followers. Before long, the false prophets will be exposed for what they are, and the hearts and minds of the masses will be stirred for the true word of the Lord.

It's coming! I don't know when, but I think it has already started!

Yesterday I watched another hour of the Lakeland Healing meetings with Todd Bentley (A re-run of Thursday night). I was actually very impressed for a good long time, and I feel it is only fair for me to report this. For most of the time I watched, Todd was speaking in Jesus' name and declaring many diseases healed. He told people that Jesus was healing them and to expect Him to touch them deeply. Granted, it was very emotional, but I can overlook that--God made our emotions, so why not use them?

But after the ministry time, when Todd had people get up on stage to testify, things took an ugly turn and Todd fell right back into the very things I've been speaking out against for the past week and a half.

Over and over, Todd reminded people of the "word of knowledge" he had that brought each person their healing and even once asked, "Do you know why this man is healed?" I waited in anticipation for a presentation of the Gospel, but Todd answered himself: "He got healed because I had a Word of Knowledge..." No mention of the Gospel. No mention of Jesus. But he did say that when he gave the Word of Knowledge, the healing angels of the Lord visited the man.

It grieves me to keep seeing these things because so much of it was on-track and opened wide such huge doors for a presentation of the True Gospel. But Todd Bentley keeps doing such subtle things that completely squash the revival-potential of this movement. I'm reminded of the popular sermon illustration in which the kids tell their dad that they want to watch a PG-13 movie, arguing that "there's only a little bit of bad stuff in it." The kids come home from school, and the dad has made brownies. The kids rush to the brownies, and the dad stops them. "Before you eat them," he says, "You should know one thing: I put a 'little bit' of dog poop in them...but it's only a little bit."

It's that "little bit" of problems I have with the Lakeland meetings that make me so disenchanted with Todd and everything going on there in Florida. I find it hard to rejoice that they have rented the "Joker Stadium" to house the thousands of people now flocking to the meetings from around the world. Why? Because it's only catering to the flesh.

Jesus performed many signs and wonders, but it was always to confirm His word--same thing with the apostles. If you are performing signs and wonders--especially at the magnitude of Todd Bentley--then you have an intense responsibility to speak the truth along with them. Yes, Todd is leading people in "God, save me" prayers, but there is nothing happening in the areas of exposing sin or inviting people to repentance. Physical healings fix the body and bless the soul. They are an external work. Preaching the full Gospel of Jesus Christ (including the need for repentance) is where the internal application comes. Unless there is an internal work, the event is nothing more than carnal and fleshly.

In 1 Corinthians 3, Paul addresses the church of Corith by saying that they are carnal and worldly because of their quarrelsome focus on following mere men. This is the same Corinthian Church about whom Paul said, "...you do not lack any spiritual gift..." (1 Cor. 1:7). They had the gifts, but they were earthly-minded. They focused on human leaders and how to meet the needs of their flesh. Yes, they believed in Jesus, but their focus was misplaced.

I see the same thing happening in Lakeland, Florida, with Todd Bentley. People are looking at Todd for an "impartation" and for the "10 anointings" he promised them (whatever those may be). There is a tremendous external application, but barely any internal application. It's carnal. It's fleshly. It's earthly-minded. And it is focused on a mere man instead of the pure, holy, and righteous Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.

1 Corinthans 3:21-23--So then, no more boasting about men! All things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours, and you are of Christ, and Christ is of God (NIV).

Keep your eyes fixed on the Son of God, and don't be distracted by big names and external miracles. Seek God for the internal application of His Word.

I've spent some time praying about what is going on in Lakeland, Florida, with the so-called "Healing Revival" (Also known as the "Lakeland Healing Outpouring"). What I'm about to share will probably burn some bridges that I've been forming recently with various ministers around Michigan; nevertheless, the truth must be shared. I know I have a lot of readers, and that puts me in a place where I am held even more accountable to God than otherwise. Therefore, I must be faithful in my commitment to the truth even if it may result in fewer ministry opportunities in the future.

Enough setup--let's get down to business. Thursday's blog post brought the most significant influx of new visitors this site has ever seen; and in that post I made a solemn promise to you:

If this current movement is truly from God, then no one will be able to stop it. And if Todd Bentley is a false prophet, then I can guarantee that God will expose him for what he is. But unless this happens, I have to say, "Amen! So be it! May this be the beginning of the revival we've been crying out for! May the healing power of God be poured forth from heaven on a global scale!" If God reveals differently to me, then I will certainly speak out against these meetings, but I will not do so apart from genuine revelation.

Well, over the weekend, I believe I may have gotten some of that genuine revelation. Believe it or not, it didn't come while reading articles condemning the meetings in Lakeland--it came while reading things from the people who support it!

Of particular interest to me was an angel Todd Bentley reported to have seen, which another minister, Bob Jones, said was named "Winds of Change." Here's what Charisma Magazine reported about this:

Bentley, who looks more like a gang leader than the founder of a Christian ministry, came to Lakeland on April 2 and has shown no sign of leaving since an angel, he said, visited him the day after he arrived.

Prophetic minister Bob Jones told Bentley he believed the angel’s name was "Winds of Change"--the same angel, Jones said, that visited healing evangelist William Branham in the 1940s. (source: charismamag.com)

I don't know how much you know about William Branham and his healing meetings, but I see some significant correlations between his ministry and Todd Bentley's. So I want to give you a short history lesson about William Branham and the "Voice of Healing" revival of the 1940s and '50s.

This particular movement is rarely talked about today, but it involved a handful of traveling ministers who brought significant demonstrations of God's power to their meetings--and William Branham was a key player. David Harrell, Jr., in his book All Things are Possible (1978) said of the leaders of this movement:

Most were dedicated to back-breaking work and spent long grueling hours in the centers of the platforms of the big tents praying, clapping, shouting, pleading with the crippled to walk, commanding the blind to see....It was an exhausting, grinding, draining way of life. William Branham was a broken man after little more than a year; Jack Coe was physically exhausted at the time of his death; A.A. Allan, an incredibly tough campaigner, tottered constantly on the brink of psychological collapse; the resilience of Oral Roberts became a legend among his peers.

Why did these men suffer so much for the sake of ministry? People were genuinely being healed--there were even cases of the dead being raised to life. If this "Healing Revival" was from God, why did these men end up so mentally, emotionally, and physically wrecked?

Many Christian historians seem to offer the same answer: things often went downhill when these men tried to operate outside their specific giftings.

Where Branham was concerned, people were known to fall asleep while he preached--he was that boring! So Branham had his associate, Baxter, do all the talking. Baxter would preach the gospel, and then Branham would come to the microphone and start pointing at people, calling them by name, identifying their ailment, and declaring them healed in Jesus' name (there were no "information cards" handed in beforehand or anything else that could explain this--it was genuine revelation). Many documented cases of healing came forth with medical records to prove their reality. God was certainly moving!

Unfortunately, a series of events that started in 1955 led Branham down a dark road. His ministry faced deficits, and in 1956, the IRS was taking action against him for tax evasion (which he was actually not guilty of--as it turned out, some ministry associates were taking advantage of him. Branham was living on $7,000 a year even though $80,000 was funneling through his ministry.). As William Branham struggled with the emotional impact of these financial issues and the betrayal of his collegues, and as opportunities for ministry became increasingly competitive with the onset of new "healing ministers" toward the end of his ministry, Branham started to drift off the deep end.

Before long, Branham's personal doctrine was skewed severely, and he began to teach some heretical things. He denied the existance of the Trinity, he taught that hell wasn't eternal, and that Eve had engaged Satan sexually while in the garden of Eden. The false teachings didn't stop there, but it goes without saying that Branham's ministry went steeply downhill.

Back when Branham stayed within his gift and only focused on healing, God used him mightily in ways that we haven't seen since. But as soon as he stepped outside his gift and started preaching and teaching, Branham actually developed a cult following who worshipped him as Jesus Christ and baptized people "in the name of William Branham!"

So as I was praying about the current "Lakeland Healing Revival" and Todd Bentley's role, I asked the Lord what to think of it all. Please weigh this for yourself and feel free to confront me publically if you believe I was deceived, but I felt the Lord say to me, "Todd Bentley's gift of healing is true; but his method of ministry is unnecessarily theatrical and many of his teachings are littered with falsehoods."

After sensing this from the Lord, I started digging through Internet articles written by Todd Bentley, and what I found disturbed me. He shared more about visions he had experienced than he did about the actual Word of God. And never once did I find a place where he added a disclaimer like I did in the previous paragraph, offering his "revelations" up for scrutiny by the Body of Christ. Instead, he just spouted strange teachings--like when he said that he met with the Apostle Paul at his little wooden shack in heaven, and Paul told him that the Book of Hebrews was written by him and Abraham together as he had supernatural heavenly visits with this patriarch of the faith. (see the original article here.)

What?

Now, I have to be honest with you, I have had heavenly encounters myself, but I only ever saw Jesus during those visits. For that matter, the experiences I had always led to action--souls were saved, people repented, and even animals were raised from the dead--but never once did I come out of those encounters with a new teaching or some erroneous claim about something no one else knows. Not to mention that each of those encounters was somehow confirmed to be true (by an outside source) within minutes of having the experience. Heavenly encounters, visions, trances, and the like are real, biblically-supported occurrances that can take place in the life of a believer; but they can also be counterfeited by demons, and I'm afraid Todd Bentley has fallen victim to some of these spiritual illusions.

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.

In closing, I want to make a few contrasts between William Branham (while he was still ministering within his gifting and God was moving powerfully) and what we see happening right now with Todd Bentley.

According to John Crowder (who I'm afraid is falling into the same trap as Bentley) in his book The New Mystics, "Branham never raised his voice when he was speaking, nor did he use any showy tactics." Todd Bentley, on the other hand, parades about the stage slapping people in the forehead and yelling "BAM!" I watched some of it on GodTV and was actually a little repulsed by his showmanship. One elderly woman fell over, and Todd said, "She doesn't know why she fell over!" The ushers helped the old woman up, and she said, "Yes I do know why I fell over: you pushed me!"

Also from Crowder's book: "Often, if the anointing was not present, Branham would simply cut his meetings short and walk out, leaving thousands frustrated. Branham sometimes did this if he felt the congregation was looking too exclusively at him to effect the healings." Todd Bently, however, seems to overlook the absence of the Holy Spirit. One person who I found in an online forum observed, "...when a severely inflicted person comes up on the stage for healing and doesn't 'fall over' when he screams BAM in their face, [Todd] immediately changes the subject, either by calling out another 'word of knowledge', or telling everyone that the atmosphere is changing, either an angel has shown up or a new glory is filling the place."

Likewise, Branham was not a self-promoter during the healthy days of his ministry. But with Bentley, I see that he is strongy promoting his meetings and telling the young people to get the message out through their MySpace and FaceBook accounts. He said, "Young people, announce it to the world!"

The Todd Bentley that I'm seeing today looks more to me like the latter William Branham than the former. There is nothing--other than the healing miracles themselves--that I can compare to William Branham when his ministry was healthy; but there are plenty of correlations with the post-1956 Branham, who taught extra-biblical falsehoods, was a self-promoter, and operated outside his gifting (leading thousands astray).

I love Todd Bentley, and I am not here to slander his name. I believe that he could repent very quickly and be used mightily for the Kingdom of God. However, if he continues on this path, I fear what the result may be. Please, brothers and sisters, be careful with Todd's teachings and so-called "revelations." I believe Todd has a healing gift from God, but that does not automatically validate his teachings. Unfortunately, his healing gift seems to add weight to what he has to say, and people believe him all too quickly. The only reason Todd can heal people in the name of Jesus while simultaneously teaching such odd things is that "God's gifts and His call are irrevocable" (Romans 11:29).

Please be discerning, friends. Chew the meat and spit out the bones. If you want to attend the meetings in Lakeland to receive a healing touch from God, then I will certainly not stop you; but PLEASE be careful to test the spirits and weigh every word out of Todd's mouth.

As much as my life has been impacted in the past through Todd Bentley's ministry, I, for one, can no longer defend it.

The "Healing Revival" in Lakeland Florida

A notable event has stirred up in the little town of Lakeland, Florida. On April 2, Todd Bentley began a series of meetings that have now lasted nearly a month due to the intense spiritual activity taking place. I usually prefer not to write lengthy blog posts, but I believe this is a topic that warrants it.

I have scoured the Internet for credible information on these events, and I find that people seem to be either gung-ho for it or dead-set against it. As you are all aware, I believe very much in the supernatural, but I am also a strong proponent of what is actually true rather than what is counterfeit. Therefore, I want to present both sides of the coin, and then offer what I believe the Word of God has to say about such debatable matters.

So far, the most objective information I've found (although largely supportive of the event) came from Charisma Magazine, which presented this report:

Thousands of people longing for a physical or spiritual touch from God are flocking to central Florida for ongoing revival meetings that some have dubbed the "Lakeland Healing Outpouring."

The services, which are being broadcast live daily on GOD TV to millions of potential viewers, reveal the excitement radiating from this area of the Sunshine State, prompting some people to jump on planes and fly in from across the country and even from abroad.

Todd Bentley, the 32-year-old Canadian healing evangelist with a boyish grin responsible for the meetings, reported on Friday that people’s faith alone has healed them even while they were booking their flights online or boarding planes bound for Lakeland, a city of about 90,000 between Orlando and Tampa along Interstate 4.

The 700-seat sanctuary of host pastor Stephen Strader’s Ignited Church can no longer contain the crowds. More than 1,000 worshipers stood inches apart at Friday night’s service, jamming every aisle and altar area. Their bodies rocked back and forth, and their faces wore peace-filled, lovesick and euphoric expressions.

The cars parked outside were also inches apart, with every grassy parcel of land on bordering properties used for overflow. During worship, song lyrics on PowerPoint were replaced with a warning to drivers parked at a nearby store that their cars would be "towed immediately."

"We are all shocked that each night a minimum of 60 percent [are] first time [visitors]," Strader said yesterday.

Fire marshals locked the church doors at last night’s meeting, forcing 400 people to remain in front of the church. The crowd watched the service on a large TV, and more than 200 waited until midnight for Bentley to come out and pray for them, Strader said....

At Friday night’s meeting, the mother of a 6-year-old girl said her daughter broke her elbow about two weeks ago and was healed after a word of knowledge from Bentley. The little girl told the crowd: “Jesus came out of heaven and touched my elbow.” The girl’s before-and-after X-rays are posted on YouTube [Art: I should interject here that I've seen this video, and there is nothing visible to the poor quality camera--all you can see is a lot of excitement among the people viewing the X-rays. That doesn't mean they're not real; it just means it's not worth looking up].

Amber, a thin 15-year-old girl born with scoliosis, said she was healed and could now carry her schoolbooks as well as bend over and touch the floor, which she did publicly during the meeting. One man said he was healed of Hepatitis C. An elderly woman said she went to the doctor for confirmation first before telling the crowd she was healed of glaucoma.

Others on Friday night said they were healed of rheumatoid arthritis, panic attacks, ruptured discs, deafness, post traumatic stress disorder, cancer, leukemia and emphysema.

After a half hour of testimonials Bentley asked the crowd “to give the Lord the glory.” For at least 40 minutes people continually cried the words “holy” and “glory” in a chorus.

Some worshipers fell to the floor weeping. From behind his keyboard, a blonde-locked worship leader named Roy Fields led the procession, his face beaming heavenward.

“What is happening is so much bigger than anyone in this building,” Bentley said from the stage where he was kneeling. “I hear the angels joining in. … The Holy Spirit is taking over.”....

The meetings have been extended due to swelling crowds. Bentley announced Friday the revival would continue daily through at least May 4. He also said he believes the same revival will hit Kansas City, Mo., next.

—Paul Steven Ghiringhelli in Lakeland, Fla.

Charisma Magazine's perspective on the revival appears to be rather positive. It even had quotes from John Arnott and John Kilpatrick from Toronto, Canada, and Pensecola, Florida respectively. These men were instrumental in big "outpouring" events of their own--and they too were highly criticized and scrutinized for their meetings and the strange things taking place.

As it turns out, there was a well-documented prophecy given to Todd Bentley before the Lakeland events at a meeting in Australia. A pastor from New Zealand, Rob DeLuca, foretold the "healing revival" that would break out in Florida and spread around the globe (the picture to the right was taken while this prophecy was being given). Whether or not this prophecy was actually from God has yet to be seen; but as you'll see in a moment, there is a healthy way we should respond until it is either fulfilled or proven false.

I've also found people, like Andrew Strom, who are sharply against what is happening--although this does not surprise me because Andrew Strom has been pointing out fallacies and heresies in the prophetic movement for some time (many of them valid, admittedly, but some of them overblown). Strom asked in a recent e-mail regarding this movement in Florida, "Have we completely forgotten the warnings of 'Lying signs and wonders' in the Last Days?" I believe this is a fair warning, and we would be wise to stay on our guard about such matters, but we have yet to see if this is actually the case in Lakeland.

Strom has a lot of criticisms about Todd Bentley's ministry, but I do not believe this necesarily means God has not been using Todd to perform genuine miracles (see my article titled Spiritual Power and the Nature of Christ). As much as Andrew Strom is doing well to keep our eyes focused on Christ and free from false teachings, he also has issues in his life that could be criticized (though I do not believe it is my place to share these things in a public forum like this without addressing him personally first). The point I'm making is that no one is perfect, and we need to be discerning of what God may or may not be doing rather than judgmental of the individual(s) He might be using to carry out the work.

Finally, as promised, I want to present how I believe we should resond to this activity in Florida.

In Jeremiah 28, we learn about a false prophet named Hananiah who proclaimed, "This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: 'I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon. Within two years I will bring back to this place all the articles of the LORD's house that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon removed from here and took to Babylon. I will also bring back to this place Jehoiachin son of Jehoiakim king of Judah and all the other exiles from Judah who went to Babylon,' declares the LORD, 'for I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon.'" (Jer. 28:2-4).

So the false prophet Hananiah prophesied peace in a time when the true prophet Jeremiah knew better. But what was Jeremiah's response? Did he condemn Hananiah? Did he rebuke the false prophet's words? Nope.

Jeremiah 28:5-17--Then the prophet Jeremiah replied to the prophet Hananiah before the priests and all the people who were standing in the house of the LORD. He said, "Amen! May the LORD do so! May the LORD fulfill the words you have prophesied by bringing the articles of the LORD's house and all the exiles back to this place from Babylon. Nevertheless, listen to what I have to say in your hearing and in the hearing of all the people: From early times the prophets who preceded you and me have prophesied war, disaster and plague against many countries and great kingdoms. But the prophet who prophesies peace will be recognized as one truly sent by the LORD only if his prediction comes true."

Then the prophet Hananiah took the yoke off the neck of the prophet Jeremiah and broke it, and he said before all the people, "This is what the LORD says: 'In the same way will I break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon off the neck of all the nations within two years.'" At this, the prophet Jeremiah went on his way.

Shortly after the prophet Hananiah had broken the yoke off the neck of the prophet Jeremiah, the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah: "Go and tell Hananiah, 'This is what the LORD says: You have broken a wooden yoke, but in its place you will get a yoke of iron. This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: I will put an iron yoke on the necks of all these nations to make them serve Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and they will serve him. I will even give him control over the wild animals.' "

Then the prophet Jeremiah said to Hananiah the prophet, "Listen, Hananiah! The LORD has not sent you, yet you have persuaded this nation to trust in lies. Therefore, this is what the LORD says: 'I am about to remove you from the face of the earth. This very year you are going to die, because you have preached rebellion against the LORD.' "

In the seventh month of that same year, Hananiah the prophet died. (NIV)

Three things stand out to me in this passage. First, Jeremiah shouted, "Amen!" to the prophecy of peace and affirmed that he too wanted the word to come to pass. Second of all, Jeremiah makes the point that if a person prophesies war and disaster, that's nothing special; but if they prophesy peace, then they are only recognized as true if their prediction comes to pass. And thirdly, God brought judgment on the false prophet as foretold through the true prophet.

Furthermore, 1 Corinthians 13:6,7 tells us, "Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres" (NIV). If we are truly a people of love, then we should rejoice with the truth...but we should also always trust and hope. In love, I believe we should trust Todd Bentley and hope that this truly is a move of God.

If this current movement is truly from God, then no one will be able to stop it. And if Todd Bentley is a false prophet, then I can guarantee that God will expose him for what he is. But unless this happens, I have to say, "Amen! So be it! May this be the beginning of the revival we've been crying out for! May the healing power of God be poured forth from heaven on a global scale!" If God reveals differently to me, then I will certainly speak out against these meetings, but I will not do so apart from genuine revelation. For now, let's pray that God would reveal the truth of Jesus Christ and save thousands of souls in the midst of what is happening with Todd Bentley in Lakeland.