Hi everyone,

While I don't want to distract from the letter about the Charismatic Reformation I put out early this morning, I believe this article deserves notice.

J. Lee Grady is the editor of Charisma Magazine and yesterday posted an article that I support with all sincerity. Weeks after writing articles that promoted the Lakeland meetings and even seemed to endorse them, Grady has issued some warnings that I believe echo what I've been sharing on this site for the past several weeks. Here is what he said:

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Honest Questions About the Lakeland Revival
by J. Lee Grady

I support any holy outbreak of revival fervor. But let’s be careful to guard ourselves from pride and error.

God is stirring deep spiritual passion in the hearts of the thousands of people who have traveled to Florida during the last month to experience the Lakeland Healing Revival. Since these meetings began in a 700-seat church on April 2, the crowd has moved four times to bigger venues, the fervor has intensified and the news has spread worldwide—thanks to God TV and online broadcasting.

Within a few weeks, the bandwagon effect was in full swing. It’s safe to say that no outbreak of Pentecostalism in history has gained so much international exposure so quickly as these meetings have.

I’m a cheerleader for the charismatic movement, so I rejoiced when I heard the news about revivalist Todd Bentley’s extended visit to Ignited Church. It was thrilling to hear the reports of miracles and to watch the crowd grow until a stadium was required to hold everyone.

"When we put bizarre behavior on the platform we imply that it is normative. Thus more strange fire is allowed to spread."

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 tothe 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.

My motive is not to criticize Bentley or the pastor who is sponsoring these meetings, Stephen Strader. In September 2002 Charisma featured a seven-page article about Bentley’s amazing conversion from drug addiction. I believe Bentley is a sincere brother who wants people to encounter God’s presence and power. No doubt this 32-year-old evangelist needs our prayers now more than ever, especially since he has become the focus of international media attention.

But as the noise from Lakeland grows louder and its influence spreads, I’m issuing some words of warning that apply to all of us, not just the folks in Lakeland. I hope everyone understands that these cautions are offered in love:

1. Beware of strange fire. The name of Jesus is being lifted up in the Lakeland revival, and three people came to the altar for salvation the night I attended. Larger numbers have come to the front of the auditorium to find Christ every night since then.

Yet I fear another message is also being preached subtly in Lakeland—a message that cult-watchers would describe as a spiritual counterfeit. Bentley is one of several charismatic ministers who have emphasized angels in the last several years. He has taught about angels who bring financial breakthroughs or revelations, and he sometimes refers to an angel named Emma who supposedly played a role in initiating a prophetic movement in Kansas City in the 1980s. Bentley describes Emma as a woman in a flowing white dress who floats a few feet off the floor.

All of us who believe the Bible know that angels are real, and that they work on our behalf to protect us and minister to us. But the apostle Paul, who had encounters with angels himself, issued stern warnings to the Corinthians, the Galatians and the Colossians about angels who preach another gospel or that demand attention. In Colossae, believers were so enamored with angels they had seen in visions that they became “inflated without cause” by spiritual pride (Col. 2:18, NASB). Paul was adamant that preoccupation with angels can lead to serious deception.

We need to tread carefully here! We have no business teaching God’s people to commune with angels or to seek revelations from them. And if any revival movement—no matter how exciting or passionate—mixes the gospel of Jesus with this strange fire, the results could be devastating. We need to remember that Mormonism was born out of one man’s encounter with a dark angel who claimed to speak for God.

2. Beware of bizarre manifestations. When the Holy Spirit’s power comes on people they may feel weak or even fall. The Spirit’s power can also cause people to tremble, shake, laugh or cry. Such manifestations are biblical and we should leave room for them. But where do we draw the line between legitimate experience and fanatical excess?

The apostle Paul had to deal with outrageous charismatic manifestations in the Corinthian church. People were acting like raving lunatics—and turning the church in to a free-for-all of unbridled ecstatic behavior. Paul called for discipline and order, and he reminded early Christians that “the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets” (1 Cor. 14:32). In other words, Paul was saying that no one under the influence of the Holy Spirit should act out of control.

In many recent charismatic revivals, ministers have allowed people to behave like epileptics on stage—and they have attributed their attention-getting antics to the Holy Spirit. We may think it’s all in fun (you know, we’re just “acting crazy” for God) but we should be more concerned that such behavior feeds carnality and grieves the Spirit.

When exotic manifestations are encouraged, people can actually get a religious high from jerking, vibrating, screaming or acting intoxicated. (I have even been around people who writhed as if in pain, or made sexual noises—thinking this was a legitimate spiritual experience.) But emotional euphoria doesn’t guarantee a heart change. The person who is bucking like an untamed bronco in a church service would benefit more from sitting still and reading the Bible for an hour. When we put bizarre behavior on the platform we imply that it is normative. Thus more strange fire is allowed to spread.

3. Beware of hype and exaggeration. Our hearts are crying out today for a genuine move of God. We want the real deal. We’ve read about the Great Awakenings of the past and we long to see our nation overcome by a wave of repentance. The church is in a backslidden state, and our nation has rebelled against God. We are desperate!

In our longing for a holy visitation, however, we must be careful not to call the first faint breeze of the Spirit a full-fledged revival. If we do that, we are setting people up for disappointment when they realize it may not be what we blew it up to be.

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.

I am rejoicing over all the reported healings at the Lakeland meetings. Miracles are awesome. Crowds are great. But miracles and crowds alone don’t guarantee a revival. Multitudes followed Jesus during His ministry on earth, but many of the people who saw the dead raised or ate food that was supernaturally multiplied later crucified the Son of God.

It was the few disciples who followed Jesus after Calvary who ushered in a true revival—one that was bathed in the fear of God, confirmed by signs and wonders, tempered by persecution and evidenced by thousands of conversions, new churches and the transformation of society. We should expect nothing less.

J. Lee Grady is editor of Charisma.

In line with these warnings that reach beyond Lakeland or Todd Bentley, I would like to direct your attention to the letter I wrote to the Church yesterday about the needed Charismatic Reformation. You can read it in our new forum, or you can download a printable version.

God bless!
--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--

Several years ago, before many people knew who Todd Bentley was, I ordered his teaching set "Open Heavens" (this was so long ago, it was a set of cassette tapes!). I listened to these teachings intently. I actually remember having an awkward feeling in my gut as I began to listen, but I ignored it because I was so hungry for what Todd had to say. To be honest, much of what he said was perfectly accurate to the Word of God. And I will also say that the possibility of entering into Heaven is certainly real, biblically supported, and able to happen today. In fact, it was because of the truth in these teachings that I was able to understand the visions the Lord was giving me and why He was giving them.

Then some music started on the tape. I began to feel as though the Lord was raising me up, and in my spirit I could see all sorts of brilliant, bright light. But suddenly, Todd Bentley chimed in and tried to verbally guide the experience. I felt like I had dropped out of bed and landed harshly on the floor. Nevertheless, in trust I kept listening, believing that Todd was a man of God and wouldn't lead me astray. I began to feel a darkness coming over me, and I knew this was an evil spirit, but I wrote it off as if it was the devil trying to distract me from what God was doing. Little did I know at the time that God was not in it at all!

The year that followed was one of the darkest times for me emotionally. I constantly felt distant from the Lord. I suffered from depression. I would weep at the slightest onset of emotional discomfort. I had no self-control. This condition didn't go away until finally my girlfriend, Robin (young though she was), discerned that I had an evil spirit and cast it out of me in the name of Jesus. I've actually come across several testimonies online of people who had encounters almost identical to mine, and they also suffered from spiritual defilement after engaging in Todd's guided visualization.

Guided visualization is when a human being or an evil spirit tries to induce an experience that God is not authorizing. Satan tried things like this with Jesus. As our Lord fasted and prayed in the wilderness for 40 days, the devil approached Him three times. Each time, the devil used scripture to entice Jesus into performing a miracle, gaining authority, or having a spiritual experience with angels that Father God had not authorized. Jesus didn't resist the devil in those matters because the Scriptures being quoted weren't true--He resisted the devil because He only wanted to do what He saw His Father in Heaven doing; and He only wanted to do it according to His Father's plan.

By practicing guided visualization in his conferences, seminars, teachings, and ministry, Todd Bentley has been usurping God's sovereignty. Many of the people involved are actually having encounters in heaven, but many others are being deceived by lying spirits!

A few months ago, I was invited out to a prayer meeting in Grand Rapids, Michigan, by a man who knows Todd Bentley. This man taught for an hour on Heavenly encounters, and I really didn't have much of a check in my spirit as he did so. Then he said, "Who wants to go?" He invited me up to play piano while he went to each of the seventy people in the room and "guided them" into a vision. He would take them by the hand and start sharing things that he was seeing, and then they would take over.

At the end, he asked, "How many of you saw something?" Most of the room raised their hands. "Okay," he continued, "that's a little hard to count. How many of you would be willing to say that all you saw was the back of your eyelids?" About five of the seventy people raised their hands. Then he began to ask people what they saw. Many of them shared visions of things that resonated with me in my spirit--in fact, some of them had visions of places in heaven that I had personally encountered in previous years. Like I said, this sort of thing is real! But there were also those who were making things up, and there were also those who were being outright deceived by demons.

In my heart, though, I struggled to rejoice about even the true experiences people had as I drove 3 hours back to my house. Actually, I felt a little grieved. It took me a while to figure out why, but it finally occured to me that these were not all authorized experiences. God did not initiate them. He allowed them, yes; but He did not approve. Rather than God getting all the glory for the encounter, people raved about how this man had led them into it. This is one of the pitfalls of guided visualization.

Feel free to seek the Lord and allow Him to carry you into visions, dreams, and trances. Allow Him to give you genuine encounters in the spiritual realm! But don't try to induce it yourself, and don't rely on someone else to guide you there. Let's be like Christ and ONLY do what our Father is doing. If He initiates the encounter, you can be certain that you are in the right place at the right time! If not, you are opening yourself up to demons and spiritual defilement.

Be discerning, friends!
--Art--

Angels are real, but so are demons. And of greatest concern to me is that "Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light." (2 Corinthians 11:14)

Todd Bentley has been raising a lot of eyebrows over the years with his talk of angels and spiritual encounters--especially surrounding the meetings going on right now in Lakeland.

I must admit, I'm personally getting a little weary with writing about Todd Bentley, but this is clearly an important topic at the present time. Just as Bentley has said that he'll stay in Florida for "as long as the revival lasts," I have a feeling I'll be writing heart-felt warnings for equally as long.

I recently received an e-mail from a concerned reader asking my thoughts about Bentley's fascination with angels. In particular, there is a spirit that Todd says is named "Emma," which Todd wrote about. This reader asked,

I read some of your blog about Todd Bentley and I wanted to ask you a few questions. What do you think about Todd's angel 'Emma'? This seems strange to me as I have never heard of female angels in the Bible, yet Todd says she's like the Proverbs 31 woman. How could she be? Does she have a family she takes care of like the Proverbs 31 woman? Angels don't procreate, so how can she be like this woman? Angels neither marry or are given in marriage....My other concern is, have you heard that Emma-o is a major Satanic entity worshipped in Japan as the King of Hell. Just google it. This wouldn't concern me normally except that Todd has a lot of Japanese writing tatooed on his body! Thanks for your time and God bless you.

This person also shared this excerpt from an article by Todd Bentley (feel free to skip it if you just want to read my reply to this reader's e-mail):

“Now let me talk about an angelic experience with Emma. Twice Bob Jones asked me about this angel that was in Kansas City in 1980: “Todd, have you ever seen the angel by the name of Emma?” He asked me as if he expected that this angel was appearing to me. Surprised, I said, “Bob, who is Emma?” He told me that Emma was the angel that helped birth and start the whole prophetic movement in Kansas City in the 1980s. She was a mothering-type angel that helped nurture the prophetic as it broke out. Within a few weeks of Bob asking me about Emma, I was in a service in Beulah, North Dakota. In the middle of the service I was in conversation with Ivan and another person when in walks Emma. As I stared at the angel with open eyes, the Lord said, “Here’s Emma.” I’m not kidding. She floated a couple of inches off the floor. It was almost like Kathryn Khulman in those old videos when she wore a white dress and looked like she was gliding across the platform. Emma appeared beautiful and young-about 22 years old-but she was old at the same time. She seemed to carry the wisdom, virtue and grace of Proverbs 31 on her life.

She glided into the room, emitting brilliant light and colors. Emma carried these bags and began pulling gold out of them. Then, as she walked up and down the aisles of the church, she began putting gold dust on people. “God, what is happening?” I asked. The Lord answered: “She is releasing the gold, which is both the revelation and the financial breakthrough that I am bringing into this church. I want you to prophecy that Emma showed up in this service-the same angel that appeared in Kansas city-as a sign that I am endorsing and releasing a prophetic spirit in the church.” See, when angels come, they always come for a reason; we need to actually ask God what the purpose is. Within three weeks of that visitation, the church had given me the biggest offering I had ever received to that point in my ministry. Thousands of dollars! Thousands! Even though the entire community consisted of only three thousand people, weeks after I left the church the pastor testified that the church offerings had either doubled or tripled.

During this visitation the pastor’s wife (it was an AOG church) got totally whacked by the Holy Ghost - she began running around barking like a dog or squawking like a chicken as a powerful prophetic spirit came on her. Also, as this prophetic anointing came on her, she started getting phone numbers of complete strangers and calling them up on the telephone and prophesying over them. She would tell them that God gave her their telephone number and then would give them words of knowledge. Complete strangers. Then angels started showing up in the church.

I believe Emma released a financial and prophetic anointing in that place. That was the first angel that I have ever seen in the form of a woman. Some angels I’ve seen seemed like they were neither male nor female. However, Emma appeared as a woman who was like a Deborah, like a mother in Zion. When she came, she began to mentor, nurture and opened up a prophetic well. The people in the church began having trances and visions and the pastor began getting words of knowledge and moving in healing. That congregation also saw more financial breakthrough than they had ever seen before.

I was at another meeting in Atlanta when my wife, Shonnah, saw two financial angels walk into the service and pour oil out on the pastor. Shonnah then knew there was financial breakthrough coming. That night two people wrote the pastor cheques for $16,000 and $17,000 and others also wrote cheques to Fresh Fire for thousands of dollars, which we used for missions to the nations. In addition, many people experienced great financial blessing as well. The day after this angelic visitation one guy had millions of dollars released to him-he had been waiting for about 10 years for this breakthrough. All this financial release came because my wife saw two financial angels walk up and stand on the platform. Can you imagine? We need to pray for the Father to give us financial angels for our lives, our church and region. With this angelic assistance, we will prevail and overcome the warfare trying to hold back our financial breakthrough. Some of you don’t know how to use the angels in intercession like this. You don’t even know whether it’s OK or not….”

And here is the reply I sent in response to this woman's questions:

I should start by saying that I have some reservations in my spirit about Todd’s “Emma” angel that really concern me—I believe this and many of the other angels Todd talks about are actually demons. But I believe I should offer a little more of an answer because we all need to learn to enhance our discernment in Christ.

My concerns regarding this spirit are not based on the fact that it appears female. I’ve personally never encountered a female-looking angel. Typically, they don’t look either male or female, but because of their stature and intensity, they are often thought to be males by many people. Look through Scripture, and you’ll find that many times angels were referred to as “men” by those telling the account; but as you pointed out, they don’t marry. We also see in Hebrews that by showing hospitality to strangers, some have entertained angels without knowing it. To assume that an angel would never appear in a female form would imply that only male strangers could be angels. Maybe that’s true; maybe not--I really don’t know. What I do know, however, is that angels can take any form they like. If a true angel appears as a woman, it may very well have some sort of prophetic meaning (nurturing? birthing? Just thoughts). If a demon can appear like a female, then so can an angel. Whether or not that would happen, I don’t know, but I am certain that it’s possible. Again, I’ve never run across this, I just don’t see enough biblical grounds to write it off as impossible.

In regard to the Proverbs 31 woman reference, Todd didn’t say that she was that woman, he only said that she seemed to carry the wisdom, virtue, and grace of that woman. I’m not saying that makes it true--I just don’t want to waste time disproving something he didn’t actually say.

I wasn’t aware of the Japanese spirit bearing the similar name. It’s possible that there’s a connection here, but I don’t have a feeling one way or another. I try to be careful not to pass judgments based on speculation when I don’t have a clear word from the Lord. Thanks for bringing it up though--it’s worth being aware of.

Also, I have previously read the article you shared. One of the things that concerned me was the pastor’s wife who "began running around barking like a dog [and] squawking like a chicken"--this was said to be from a "powerful prophetic spirit." I sharply disagree with this being a "prophetic" spirit. Paul was clear in 1 Corinthians 14 that what makes prophecy unique is that it’s intelligible (in contrast with tongues, unless someone interprets). I am particularly thinking of verses 23 through 25: "So if the whole church comes together and everyone speaks in tongues, and some who do not understand or some unbelievers come in, will they not say that you are out of your mind? But if an unbeliever or someone who does not understand comes in while everybody is prophesying, he will be convinced by all that he is a sinner and will be judged by all, and the secrets of his heart will be laid bare. So he will fall down and worship God, exclaiming, 'God is really among you!'" In the case of barking like a dog or squawking like a chicken, an unbeliever’s response would be more like verse 23: "They’re out of their mind!" This is not by any means prophetic. The only time I see someone behaving like an animal in Scripture is when King Nebuchadnezzar was judged by God and wandered the wilderness like a wild beast for a few years. That’s not a prophetic spirit. Furthermore, manifestations like this have been documented over and over again in the foreign mission field, and the missionaries write about casting demons out of such people (Derek Prince wrote about this extensively).

Based on the article alone, I would say that if "Emma" made the pastor’s wife bark like a dog and squawk like a chicken, then either it was the judgment of God or a demonic manifestation. I would argue the latter. It grieves me that such things are attributed to the Holy Spirit!

The main reason I don’t feel right about "Emma," though, is that this spirit is constantly stealing glory from Jesus Christ. A true angel would do no such thing. I’ve watched Todd Bentley at these meetings get so distracted talking about the healing angel (named "winds of change") that Jesus doesn’t even get mentioned for nearly an hour. Read through that article about Emma again and you’ll find that Jesus is never mentioned even once--but money is brought up quite a bit. The impression one might get from the article is "seek Emma and get rich." It does not point people to Christ in the least way. As Jesus said, "You cannot serve both God and money."

Thanks for asking the great questions! Let me know if you have other thoughts or if there’s more that concerns you.

God bless!
--Art--

Friends, we need to be very cautious with Todd Bentley. I've written a lot already about this and my convictions have only been solidified over the past couple weeks. As a matter of fact, I've noticed that the more time that passes, the more grieved I sense the Holy Spirit is with the Lakeland meetings. There is a flurry of spiritual activity happening in Lakeland, Florida, right now. Yes, some people are truly being healed, but they are becomming harder and harder to find. I see more and more demons gaining influence in these meetings, and the manifestations are following.

We MUST have discernment in these matters. As much as I hate to say it, most of what we are discerning now in Lakeland is between evil spirits and flesh--there's not nearly as much of God's genuine activity going on. I've tried to remain positive about the Lakeland meetings for as long as possible, but I'm afraid that they've been overrun with evil spirits, and the leaders are none the wiser. We DEFINITELY need to be in prayer crying out for God's mercy. Continue to be discerning and don't write the entire thing off because there are still some things being done by the Lord (scarce as they may be)--but I admonish you to be even more cautious than ever with Todd Bentley and the "Lakeland Healing Outpouring."

Keep the eyes of your heart fixed on Jesus Christ!

--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.

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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!

I've had some recent e-mails and comments sent my way about the lack of documentation for the "healings" taking place in Lakeland, and I want to address them. Again, this is not a cut-and-dry issue that can be taken "all or nothing." Rather, spiritual discernment needs to be applied, and critical thinking should be engaged to realize that the presence of the false does not necessarily indicate the absence of the true.

One person recently commented:

Hi, I agree with a lot of what you post. You seem to have a commitment to Word and Spirit, praise God for this.

I wonder about one thing though, you believe that Bentley's healing gift is from the Holy Spirit. As far as I can see through what I have researched, there have been no documented healings as of yet except the xray thing which you have noted doesn't show anything clearly.

I have some freinds over in Lakeland just now, one has tongue cancer and has been prayed for on the stage. Todd declared it a demon. I am hoping my freind comes back healed and delivered.

This is not the first person to bring this to my attention. In some recent e-mails, one of my readers shared this:

...I read a letter from a Lakeland resident who said all of the other Charismatic churches in the area are keeping out of this saying it isn't revival. Normally, I'd question whether or not that was jealousy, but as I watch this on TV, I can't help but feel creepy the entire time. After watching a few dozen testimonies to healing last night, it was remarkable how all of them were "no more pain", a side effect of endorphins and self-hypnosis, but none were able to say they were healed and most still seemed to have their problem. One letter I read was from a woman who was convinced she was healed because the pain went away, but 24 hours later, it was back and she felt spiritually violated and had to seek God to get rid of the oppression she was under. That's what I'm suspecting is much of what we are seeing. They were standing there claiming someone was raised from the dead after being clinically dead for 15 minutes . . . no mention of the fact that they were in the hospital and the doctors continued to work on them giving oxygen and shocking and all that, just that one of the relatives was watching God TV and prayed for the "dead" person and then they woke up as if that's what healed them. Is it possible? Sure, but it's more or just as likely it was the efforts of the doctors rather than Todd's anointing...

I asked this person for links to these letters, and he replied graciously; but after much prayer on the matter, I feel that I should not publicize these sites because they could cause people to stumble in their faith. I can, however, vouch for this writer and say that the letters they came across were credible.

So what are we supposed to do with this? Is anybody actually getting healed as a result of the Lakeland meetings?

Here is how I responded to that first writer:

In answer to your question, I persnally know a small handful of people who have been healed by God through Todd Bentley in the past and are still fully healed.

Also, regarding this current movement in Florida, a pastor I know was watching one of the early meetings online with a friend when Todd Bentley had a "Word of Knowledge" about "right shoulder rotator cuff surgery." Instantly the guy's shoulder popped into place and he could move it properly without pain. He had the surgery several years prior. It's still healed.

I know a lot of the so-called healings coming out of Lakeland are the temporary results of adrenaline and emotion, and I also know that most of what Todd is doing is not healing but rather praying for the sick.

In short, I know God has healded people through him due to personal experience, but I too have found the documentation sadly lacking.

As I said in the beginning of this post, the presence of the false does not necessarily indicate the absense of the true. Just because there are many false reports and temporary healings rising out of these meetings does not mean that they are completely devoid of the true healing power of God.

It doesn't surprise me, though, with all the false teaching and pride littering these meetings, that the Hand of God is not moving in as much power as one would expect from something getting such national coverage. I certainly believe in the healing power of God (as you could see from my last blog post), but I am also aware of counterfeits. I believe our response to these people "caught up in the moment" should be to follow the advice of Scripture and "rejoice with those who rejoice." If they feel that they are healed, then praise God with them. To rob them of their reason for praising God is to rob God of praise from one of His children.

Again, let us strive for unity and purity in the church without divisiveness, quarrels, and fruitless disputes. It's one thing to point out false teaching and warn our brothers and sisters to "beware of wolves in sheep's clothing" and to avoid false prophets; but it is another thing to slander fellow Christians and view with contempt those who are passionate about Jesus Christ. We need to pray for the Church in this hour that we will not all fall victim to deception and ruin. And we especially need to pray that God will purify this activity in Lakeland and shatter the operation of the enemy.

God bless!
--Art--

The Holy Spirit is just that: HOLY. To be holy, according to the Encarta Dictionary, is to be "dedicated or set apart...devoted to the service of God...sacred...awe-inspiring...having a character that evokes reverance." These are some of the aspects of the Holy Spirit. Then, throughout the Scripture, we discover many other aspects: His gentleness, His humility (always pointing to Christ), His work in the Resurrection of Jesus, His present-day revealing of Jesus Christ...

But what I'm seeing in Lakeland is not in line with all these things. It certainly is awe-inspiring at times, but then so is a really good musician. And every other aspect can only be seen with loose references. For instance, I have heard from many people (pastors included) who have been watching the meetings from the beginning and noticed that never once has the resurrection of Jesus Christ been even mentioned. This is a shame because it is so foundational to Christianity. As Paul said, if there is no resurrection of Christ, then "our preaching is useless and so is your faith."

And how about humility? I certainly cannot judge a man's heart, but I can definitely judge his actions and the fruit of those actions. As Paul said, "What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside?" (1 Cor. 5:12). As soon as someone claims to be a Christian, they open themselves up to scrutiny and judgment within the Body of Christ--not for the sake of division, but for the sake of purification and a resultant unity. As far as humility goes, I keep seeing Todd drawing attention to himself and going into great detail about the revelations he has received. Have we forgotten 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." I'm deeply concerned for Todd.

I'm not saying that the Holy Spirit is not at all present--rather, I sense that He is grieved to have been given a backseat to Todd.

But this problem goes way farther than the "Healing Revival" in Lakeland. It spreads to the Charismatic movement as a whole. I would consider myself a Charismatic due to my relationship with the Holy Spirit and belief in His spiritual gifts; but I am becoming increasingly bothered by the excesses, falsehoods, and lack of reverence demonstrated by many people in the Charismatic movement. I recently had to remove a book from my "recommended reading" page because of the author's unrepentant, irreverant actions.

I'm speaking about John Crowder who authored a book titled The New Mystics. I like this book because it provides a detailed history of the Holy Spirit's activity and presence throughout all of world history up to the present. It has hundreds of well-researched mini-biographies of God's people and the supernatural things they did in the name of Jesus. It is even honest enough to point out the shortcommings and failures of some of these men and women with warnings not to fall into the same traps. But John Crowder has unfortunately not taken his own advice, and I can no longer support or defend him.

To be specific, I found a YouTube video in which John and his friend Benjamin Dunn feature themselves getting "high" by "tokin' the Ghost." It is not only offensive, but I fear for their souls because of the great deception they're in and the blasphemy of their actions as they pretend to take hits on a baby Jesus doll as if it were Marijuana. (I do not want to promote the video, but in case you don't believe me, here's the address: http://youtube.com/watch?v=h5YJPGaH_n0)

There is another video (http://youtube.com/watch?v=Ec91wvUY7Yo&feature=related) in which Crowder says, "I used to have a teaching gift; now I have a unique gift of being struck mute in the middle of a service." Really? Interesting--I only see this in Scripture as a disciplinary measure (check out yesterday's post about manifestations). John also says there are little, fat, "friar tuck" angels that travel with him and "wheel in barrels from heaven."

Where is the reverence? Where is Jesus Christ? Where is the holiness? Where is the HOLY Spirit?

As much as it grieves me to write these things about brothers like Todd and John, I have to be faithful to the Truth and warn the Body of Christ not to follow their actions or theology in the least.

Keep praying for the leaders and teachers of the Charismatic movement because Satan clearly has issued a systematic attack on us all. If it is not exposed for what it is, then it will remain in darkness. Those of us who have the eyes to see need to sound the alarm even if it costs us (I've already had speaking engagements cancel because of my recent articles).

Ephesians 5:11--Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. (NIV)

Brothers and sisters, test the spirits and continue to keep your eyes fixed on Jesus Christ. The TRUE Holy Spirit will point you to Him; but if you find yourself being distracted from Jesus, then you have fallen victim to an evil spirit. Please be careful, friends.

God bless!

I've been getting a flood of comments and e-mails regarding my recent posts about Todd Bentley and the Lakeland meetings--Keep them coming! But one issue has come up that I feel needs to be addressed publically: physical manifestations like shaking, jerking, squalking, and twitching.

I should start by saying that I have experienced a couple genuine instances in which God touched me in a physical way and I could feel His presence. Don't think I'm saying that such a thing is impossible. But in every case that I've experienced a touch from God, I had complete control over my physical body--have we forgotten that the fruit of the Spirit includes self-control? (see Galatians 5:22)

The only times that I could not control what was happening to me was when a demon was involved--either attacking me or coming out of me. Sort of makes you think about all the shaking and jerking we hear about at the Lakeland meetings, doesn't it?

The Holy Spirit produces self control, whereas an evil spirit causes a lack of it. Even where "speaking in tongues" is concerned, one has the freedom to yeild their tongue to the Holy Spirit--Acts 2:4 says that the believers "began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit ENABLED them"--not as He controlled them. Even where spontaneous utterances of prophecy are concerned, Paul said, "The spirit of the prophet is subject to the prophet." The Holy Spirit produces self-control; but we see plenty of cases in the Bible where an evil spirit "seized" a person, threw them into convulsions, or caused them to behave like an animal. The only time I see God being the initiator in a physical manifestation that results in a loss of control is where disobedience or unbelief was concerned--like when Zechariah was struck mute in Luke 1 or when King Nebuchadnezzar was sent into the wilderness as a crazy man in Daniel 4. I never hear of Jesus shaking or jerking--He always had complete control.

Several years ago, as a teenager, a friend and I took a road trip to Toronto to check things out. I have to be honest--what I saw there was similar in some ways to the Lakeland stuff, but there were some huge differences. Yes, there was a lot of self-hypnosis and silliness going on. TACF's Senior Pastor, John Arnott, even pointed it out by telling a story about a Sunday School teacher who accidentally spilled some gold glitter in the hall; and by the time she had returned with a vaccuum, there were fifteen people huddled around it, speading it on their faces, rolling on the floor, jerking, and making all sorts of noises. While I was there, people squalked like chickens and roared like lions--things that author and missionary Derek Prince said happened in Africa as evil spirits would take hold of witchdoctors and others involved in the occult. Nevertheless, at Toronto, I also saw a lot of true things being done, and the credit was always emphatically given to Jesus Christ. Very real biblical truths about the love of Father God were highlighted, and many hearts have been healed as a result. My point is that in Lakeland, as with Toronto, we need to be careful not to throw the baby out with the bathwater.

Again, I've followed Bentley's ministry since before anyone knew who he was, and I know from observation and discernment that his gift of healing was bestowed by the Holy Spirit. As I've said before, if someone get's healed in Lakeland or over the Internet through what's happening there, I praise God for it and give Him all the glory. We must give the honor and credit to Christ. But the teachings, ministry methods, and unhealthy focus on spiritual beings at the expense of Jesus Christ should be adamantly opposed as false.

As I've said, the first danger is that Todd's healing gift seems to give credentials to his teachings, and many of these are pretty out-of-whack. But I also believe I need to bring light to some of the physical manifestations that people are exhibiting. To be honest, I don't think these manifestations are originating with Bentley--I think they're risidual from the attacks of the enemy that were wrought on the Toronto and Brownsville "revivals." When I visited Toronto, I fell into the trap of seeking the manifestations until I realized it was a ploy of the enemy to distract people from the truth of what God was wanting to do there.

I could see the plan rather clearly: get the people to focus on fruitless shakes and jerks in their physical body so they won't pay attention to the spiritual application. Not only that, but the enemy knew that if people could be duped into synchretism--in which these manifestations are seen as being synonymous with what God was genuinely doing--then it would turn a lot of "discerning" people off to the movement altogether and the Body of Christ would be divided.

Guess what? This is what happened. The manifestations became so entwined with the actual working of God that people felt they had to either embrace all of it or reject all of it--there was no in-between.

Real discernment from the Holy Spirit is not used to accept or renounce a big-picture; that can be done with our human minds. Black and white bricks can be separated by hand, but black and white paint can only be separated by a miracle. "Brick-style" discernment is based on human logic, whereas "paint-style" discernment is based on the Holy Spirit. Brownsville, Toronto, and Lakeland are a soup of gray paint, and we can't approach them with human logic. That's why the bulk of people's writing about such things seem to be polarized--either for or against the entire thing. They say, "Well, it's not black, so it must be white..." or they say, "It's not white, so it must be black." As a result, Christians are divided by it and the devil has succeeded in bringing confusion to the Body of Christ. You cannot apply "brick-style" discernment in a "paint-style" issue. Instead, we must seek the Holy Spirit for true heavenly discernment about what we can accept and what needs to be renounced. To deal with it like a brick brings division, but to deal with it like paint brings purity.

Approach the Lakeland meetings with prayer and discernment--and remember that we're a Body made up of many parts. If you see something in my posts in which I'm mistaken, please let me know. But if you see something here you hadn't thought of, take it to the Lord in prayer and search the Scriptures to see if what I have to say is true.

Let's keep praying for Todd! God bless!

Why do we call shaking, rocking, jumping, laughing, and shouting "revival"? For that matter, why do we automatically suppose that the evidence of spiritual activity is somehow synonymous with "revival"? I'll admit, many of these things may indeed happen in the midst of a true revival, but they are not necessarily evidence that God is moving. As a matter of fact, they can just as easily be evidence of demons (there are plenty of cases of this in the Bible).

The things we're seeing in Lakeland, although exciting and emotionally gripping, are not true revival. Real revival takes place when the Spirit of God grips the hearts and souls of both the churched and the unchurched with repentance. It starts in the house of God (meaning "Christians") and spreads to the lost. Real revival takes a fiery boldness on the part of its leaders to preach the unadulterated Gospel of Jesus Christ--exposing sin for what it is and bringing people to realize their desperation for our Father in heaven.

If that makes you shake, cry, laugh, or shout, then I'm all for it. And if healing, miracles, "words of knowledge," prophecy, and the like are happening in the midst of such a movement, then clearly they are from God.

But what we see happening in Lakeland are all the signs, wonders, and manifestations without much of the repentance. Yes, people are responding to "salvation calls," but the prayers they're led in have a sad lack of a "repentance" theme. So let me ask you: is this "revival?"

Now I have to be careful here, though, because I don't want to fall into the trap that I've seen on so many sites recently. It's very easy to speak out against the meetings and spout opinions of what I think about them, but Proverbs says that "a fool delights in airing his own opinions." The Internet is littered with opinions, and I want to make sure that I'm remaining in the realm of discernment. The popular opinions right now seem to be polarized--either people are head-over-heels for what's happening in Lakeland, or they have condemned the whole thing; but I feel from the Lord that it's more complex than that.

As I shared yesterday, I sense that Todd Bentley's healing gift is from God, but he has unfortunately stepped outside his gifting and been led astray in regards to his ministry methods, teachings, and many of his "revelations." We need to pray for our brother and believe God to bring transformation into his life. Please keep in mind that it would be wrong for us to slander our brother in Christ--these blog posts are meant to bring clarity, maturity, and true revival to the Church--not more divisions.

I honestly believe that out of this movement in Lakeland, Florida, God can raise up a TRUE revival of repentance in America and ultimately the World! But it will require a few things. First, something will need to happen that ensures Jesus Christ gets the glory and not Todd Bentley--either Todd will repent, or his sin will be exposed. Second, we need to make sure the Church is not shooting flaming arrows at each other--I hope everyone can see that my intent in these last three articles has been to promote the truth and encourage prayer for our brother Todd--not to slander him or his ministry. Thirdly, we the church need to start repenting for our own sins and cry out to God in desperation. We need to "hunger and thirst for righteousness." And we need to get out in our own spheres of influence and share the True Gospel with anyone we can.

I say, let Lakeland be what it is; but let the Church be what it is! If the events in Lakeland stir people up and cause the world to hunger for spiritual things, then I praise God for it! But if people get stirred up for spiritual things and the Church is not ready to meet that need with the Truth, then we will be just as guilty for missing the opportunity God has opened up. We must be a people actively pursuing true revival!

So here is my challenge to you: Pray for Todd, pray for America, pray for the whole world, and look actively for the slightest spark of spiritual hunger in every person you meet--then point them to Christ. I've been saying for years that the next "great revival" will be a grassroots movement that can't be pinned on any one person or ministry. Now is the time for the Church to rise up and bring true revival to the world!

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.

Have you ever heard someone explain a commonly misunderstood concept, and then your new understanding seems to haunt you? Such is the case for me when it comes to "Binding and Loosing," which many Christians talk about but few understand. When I was around 11 years old, we had a minister visit our church from Texas, and he spoke about these two words. Like a good little Christian, I went home and researched the message for myself, and it checked out. Believe it or not, most of us have a completely backwards understanding of these terms.

Here's the origin:

Matthew 18:18,19 - "I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them." (NIV)

We very often use this verse to justify phrases like this:

• "I bind you, Satan."
• "I loose the Holy Spirit"
• "Father, bind the enemy"
• "Lord, loose peace"

The list could go on, but you get the idea. The problem is that we've been basing our understanding of these words on the English definition rather than the original Greek.

In the Greek, the word "bind" is "deo," which means to knit, tie, and wind--like "binding" a Christmas tree to the roof of your car or "binding" together the pages of a book. It is a matter of tight connection. This verse isn't instructing us to "bind" the devil. But Acts 20:22 uses the word "deo" correctly when Paul says, "And see, now I go bound in the spirit to Jerusalem, not knowing the things that will happen to me there" (NKJV). Jesus' original instruction was saying to knit ourselves with, tie ourselves to, and wind ourselves around His Holy Spirit.

As for the word "loose," the Greek word is "luo." We seem to use this instruction from Jesus to "loose the Holy Spirit" before a meeting, etc. I don't know who decided this is what it meant, but I didn't know the Holy Spirit was stuck! In reality, the Greek word "luo" means to break up--to destroy, dissolve, loose, and melt.

We now see that Christ is giving us the power to destroy the forces of darkness--not just tie them up! Whatever we destroy, dissolve, and melt on earth will be destroyed in heaven! When we cast out an evil spirit on earth, that spirit has also lost any audience it might have in heaven! If we "luo" that spirit here, we "lou" it there! That spirit cannot approach God (like Satan did in the book of Job) and barter for the right to attack a person spiritually. To "luo" is to destroy!

To see this word used in a different context, pay attention to the words “destroy” and “destruction” in 2 Peter 3:11,12: “Since everything will be destroyed [luo] in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction [luo] of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat.” Now that's luo!

Overall, Christ is really talking about the spiritual pacts we make; are we knitting ourselves with God and destroying the demons in our lives, or are we tying ourselves to evil spirits and dissolving our connections with God? Christ gave us the power to bind and to loose spiritual things. This is the power to attach and destroy. It is the prerogative of the Holy Spirit to become intimately enmeshed into our lives. On the same token, though, it is the objective of Satan to attain that same goal.

Who are we binding ourselves to?
Who are we destroying?

Galatians 5:24,25—Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. (NIV)

Tonight my girlfriend Robin and I went to see Expelled, the new documentary by Ben Stein. In it, Stein points out the unfairness among academia as anyone even hinting at "Intelligent Design" is laughed out of even the most prestigious positions. Ben went to great lengths interviewing some of the top minds on either side of the debate, and it clearly revealed the bias against the possibility of Intelligent Design (ID). In American academia particularly, Darwinian Evolution reigns supreme.

I would have to say that it was thoroughly enjoyable--even though there was a dry spell in the middle (about an hour into it). Having just taken a class at the University of Phoenix called "Critical Thinking," I also thought the movie made a few small mistakes in making a case for open dialogue about ID. For one thing, much of the movie was an appeal to emotion as Ben visited some Holocaust sites and based much of his movie on an analogy with the Berlin Wall. Nevertheless, this movie has the potential of opening up some great dialogue among the scientific community if people will look past the emotionalism and accept the facts that are clearly laid out.

Three particular things really struck me. First, Stein asked one professor, "If Darwin's understanding of a human cell could be likened to a Buick, what would you compare today's understanding of the cell to?" The scientist's answer: "A galaxy!" What followed was a lengthy, computer animated flight through the inner workings of a cell. Echos of my college biology class rang through my head as I got to watch a simulation of the thousands of processes that happen at once in every cell of your body--it was mind blowing! I would recommend seeing this movie for this little animation alone!

The second thing that struck me was what great lengths the supporters of evolution will go to in order to steer clear of even the possibility of an intelligent Creator--aliens, crystals...it was weird to say the least! They treated the notion of Intelligent Design like a plague that needs to be extinguished, and their greatest attacks against the ID supporters were nothing more than name-calling and put-downs.

And the third thing that struck me was the obvious link between Darwinian, atheistic thinking and such atrocities as the Holocaust, the sterilization of thousands of "defected" people (even in America!), and Planned Parenthood. If life is nothing more than goop, and if there is no afterlife, then people should feel free to irradicate any life that is at all flawed, thus helping along the evolution of mankind. Yikes! But if there is a God, and life is more than what we see tangibly, then great lengths must be taken to preserve life at any cost!

Do you see why this debate matters? Do you see why Ben Stein was willing to put his name and possibly even his career on the line to point out something so needlessly controversial?

Even though Expelled was by no means a Christian movie (Ben Stein is Jewish), I felt it helped solidify my faith. And even though every ID supporter was careful to distinguish between "Intelligent Design" and "Creationism," I felt it restored credence to the reality of our Creator. This was not a movie of apologetics and proofs for ID, but it certainly made a clear case for allowing open discussion among the scientific community in America.

If you can get out to see this movie, I highly recommend it!
--Art--

Overcoming Depression

Depression is a tough issue, and this time of year is especially hard for some due to the lack of sunlight and more time spent indoors. In the past few days, however, I've seen a couple of my friends discovering freedom from depression even though it is normally so common for them at this time.

I know the situation is different for everyone and there's not really a "pat answer" that solves every person's situation, but I believe there is tremendous power in testimony. Just today, as we held our Wildfire School of Supernatural Ministry, one of my friends was talking about how depressed he's been lately and how he can't seem to break free from it.

I think it's important to note here that being depressed does not make you less of a Christian or somehow less loved by God. The fact is, you're just going through a rather rough season in your life, and God is right here with you. It is true that He wants to help you out of your depression--and I believe He will--but that does not mean that you're involved in some sort of grave sin that has made God hide His face from you. On the contrary, He is paying even closer attention because He cares about you so much!

Anyhow, as our meeting went on, we all spent some time practicing "hearing God's voice" and sharing insight with each other. That's when I noticed something rather curious. I would have expected that my friend's depression would have started lifting as people shared words of prophecy and encouragement for him. To some extent, I think that hel