“Have you heard about the revival in Lakeland, Florida?” That’s a question I was recently asked, and my honest reply was, “No.” But a simple Google search revealed the un-biblical nature of Todd Bentley’s so-called “revival.”
The following is a video of Todd Bentley describing the various violent acts God allegedly told him to commit so that people could be healed. How does any of this square with any healing you read about in the New Testament?
[youtube=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_K8XjObzfXM”]
Anthony,
Amen, Brother. Amen! If there is anything we need in Christianity it is a return to sound Biblical doctrine to guard against this kind of heresy. Next we need to learn how to share our faith and reach as many people as we can with the Gospel. Thank you for your comments. God bless!
Sarcasm aside, we should not be surprised. All false, so called “Christian” sects start off with the same commonality:
New revelation that is different from, and in contradiction to the Bible.
We need to pray for those that are being taken advantage of by this heresy.
To see the fruit of this current “revival”, all one has to do is read the disgusting responses I have received in response to reasoned arguments as to why this is false.
For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.
And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.
Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.
The Good, the bad, and the puzzeling…Seeing the Name of the Lord we love tied to such unthinkable acts as kicking the elderly in the face, knocking out teeth and mysterious beings purported to be messengers of God is truly horrifying to those of us who study the Living Word of God and hold to the revelation of the Holy Spirit. How can anything good come from such antics???? Or, has ANY thing good been done??? As puzzeled as we might be by the facts, the answer is yes…But, how can that be???
First off, I don’t want anyone to believe that I am in favor of the antics we have seen in Florida…These activities need to stop immediately and I truly believe the prayers of the elect have and will continue to have sucess in this arena. The answer lies in the POWER of the LIVIVG WORD of GOD …
WHEREVER it is spoken, it has been sent by God Himself and it will NOT return void! the Word of God is:
Transforming
Instructional
Perserving
Delivering
Healing
Lifegiving
Creative
Lightbringing
Eternal
The light of the Living Word, lives on EVEN IN THE MIDST OF DARKNESS and the darkness can’t even comprehend how!
Take note…get this Living Word in your heart and in your mouth…no one will be able to withstand it and all the hosts of the army of GOD will stand behind it to perform it!
The best part of the movement is that we can cut out all the parts of the bible where we are instructed to rejoice in the midst of our suffering, and replace them with instruction on how to find “new” revelation in Florida…
JJR, please, not to be rude, but we are to test the spirits and judge the fruit. I’m tired of the same old, don’t touch the Lord’s anointed type stuff. Where is the genuine mark of revival in this? Lives changed, cities transformed? Use the common sense that God has given you, and practice discernment. Sadly we live in an age where everyone chases signs, but no one stops to actually look at those signs and judge them against scripture.
Bentley has attributed his “angel” Emma as being the same “angel” that appeared to William Branham, the root of the Latter Rain heresy, and the Word Faith Movement. Both Kenneth Hagin and Copeland also acknowledge this as well.
Greg,
I do want to point out that many churches around Lakeland are arming the flock with information as to why this “revival” is unbiblical. To quote one of the pastors here in town, “The reason why so many are so easily deceived is because we live in a time of biblical illiteracy”. That, I can not deny.
I also heard Justin Peters on Way of The Master. Justin has been to our church twice (First Baptist Church of Keller, TX) and is extremely knowledgable regarding the “Word Of Faith” movement. I highly recommend his ministry (http://www.justinpeters.org/)
The Bible explicitly warns us in 2 Timothy 4:3 that “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;” Todd Bentley is a charlatan (“one making usually showy pretenses to knowledge or ability” – Merriam-Webster.Com) and because he is not preaching “…the faith which was once delivered unto the saints” (Jude 3), many souls are trusting in his false gospel and will die and spend eternity in Hell. This man will have SO much to answer for at the final judgement. The church in Lakeland needs to do what Christ told the church at Thyatira to do regarding the woman Jezebel who claimed to be a prophetess (see Revelation 2:18-29.) One can only hope that the church in Lakeland will heed the Lord’s commands (I rather doubt it!)
By the way, I also love the word travisamockery. It says so much more than my diatribe! Thanks, Pixelmaster!
Thank you Pixelmaster for bringing up the travisamockery that Toronto was. That was the first thing I thought of. I only know second hand, but I know what harm and suffering it brought to a brother in the Lord, a friend of mine. These people are dragging the name of our Saviour through the mud in the eyes of the world, and it seems that “Chistianity” is good at that.
Judgement begins at the house of the Lord, and it better happen soon.
Plenty of revivals in history, some religious some not.
To quote one past leader…
“Madam, I don’t deny you had an experience, but you did not get what you got from God, because He would not have made such an IDIOT out of you”! ~~~ (stated in Christian love, of coarse)
Caron,
I have spoken to Justin on the phone before, very knowledgable person on the WOF movement. I like him a lot.
This is such a heartbreak of twisting of the spiritual gifts. We have so much confusion and division in the churches. We either have dead denominations, whom have a form of Godliness, but deny the power of God, or crazy New Age Mystical garbage!!! We need to pray against this insanity believers!!!! Christ is coming back for one body without wrinkle, spot, or blemish!!! Please pray for discernment, Christians. Even the elect can be deceived! God is the same yesterday and today and forever! He is a God of deliverance and miracles. We need fresh fire!!! Not strange fire!!! Pray against the deception. We need to stay in the WORD and PRAYER in these perilous times!!! I love you sisters and brothers!!! I am praying for you all!!! See you Heaven!!! Love, Heather Boyd
This is such a heartbreak of twisting of the spiritual gifts. We have so much confusion and division in the churches. We either have dead denominations whom have a form of Godliness but deny the power of God or crazy New Age Mystical garbage. We need to pray against this insanity believers!!!! Christ is coming back for one body without wrinkle, spot, or blemish!!! Please pray for discernment, Christians. Even the elect can be deceived! God is the same yesterday and today and forever! He is a God of deliverance and miracles. We need fresh fire!!! Not strange fire!!! Pray against the deception. We need to stay in the WORD and prayer in this perilous times!!! I love you sisters and brothers!!! I am praying for you all!!! See you Heaven!!! Love, Heather Boyd
Hi Paul,
I have been born again for 20 years this November, and I have never been so outraged to hear of Todd Bently, and how he believes God is telling him to kick people and knock their teeth out and all kinds of violent things. The God I serve does not talk this way. I think it’s time for Tod Bently to repent and make it right with Jesus, before judgement day. I love hearing your show. God bless you.
Justin Peters (http://www.justinpeters.org) was on Way of the Master Radio with Todd Friel on this:
(A pastor pronounced “healed” by Todd Bentley Dies 8 Days Later.-Pastor Justin Peters contacted 7 people who went up on stage and said they felt the power of God go through them, but Todd Bentley proclaimed them healed, and none of the 7 …)
filesfromtoni – http://filesfromtoni.blogspot.com/
Justin holds seminars on the Word of Faith movement and spoke at my church and comes highly recommended by my Pastor, Dr. John MacArthur.
And JJR, if it were the work of God, it would pass the test of Scripture. These false teachers, nor their ministry does that. 2 Peter 2 anyone?
BE VERY CAREFUL OF WHAT YOU SAY…
“If this work be of men, it will come to nought: But if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it; lest haply ye be found even to fight against God” – Acts 5:38 – 39
This is SO sad…I agree with Pixel it is definitely a “travishamockery”, when the enemy is allowed to make a mockery of the power available to us through the Holy Spirit. God is the same yesterday, today, and forever…there is no shadow of turning with Him…He still works miracles today, this type of grand standing causes shame on the church and causes God’s Name to be openly mocked…dire consequences follow this type of behavior…Here is what happened to David…2 Samuel 12
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=10&chapter=12&version=31
Pixelmaster…..seeing you use the word “travishamockery” was worth getting up today.
One word “SnakeOilSalesmen”
Thanks for that account of what is going on there. 12 people from the dead huh? are they taking credit for the old lady that was dead 17 hours recently?
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,357463,00.html
I don’t like the link above since it is from FoxNews but it was the first on the google list so whateva……
As Paul knows, I live in Lakeland, FL now. The Head Pastor of Ignited Church, which is hosting Bentley, lives literally across the street from me. He comes out of the Paula and Randy White, “prophetic” Without Walls group. The stuff going on here in Lakeland is SCARY. Their church marquis literally reads “Miracles performed here ever morning at 10am”. Todd Bentley packs in any where from 2,000-6,000 for a “service” which are often held at the Lakeland airport or the Lakeland Center. The head pastor told my wife that the church has raised 12 people literally from the dead in the past year. They are bilking people out of sums of money I can’t imagine and people are coming from across North America to Lakeland to get “healed”. Bentley doesn’t believe that he really needs to preach about sin and repentance “because those in the church have already been forgiven, so they don’t need to hear about that stuff” (my paraphrase).
I don’t know about all of you, but when I read about the fruits of the spirit, “magical healing” isn’t one I see listed in Galatians 5. When I read about Christ sending the Counselor, the promised Holy Ghost, after his crucifixion, it is clear that the Holy Ghost is coming to attest to truth of the birth, death, and resurrection of Christ (John 16 and 17). The Holy Ghost wasn’t sent to be part of circus sideshow.
For those of you who are unaware of Bentley’s ministry, think Benny Hinn, and you will have a fairly accurate picture. Read up, the likes of Bentley I am sure will be coming to a “church” near you.
BTW, evidence of healing is NOT evidence of the Christian God. There have been many cases of healings in many other religions worldwide. Is it God, Satan or simply a matter of mass hypnotic mind over matter stuff? I think God can heal, but I don’t think he uses special vessels, especially when those vessels come after my pocket book in order to get God to move on my behalf.
I saw that Jan Markell was all over this on Worldview Weekend. I used to be a charismatic, I tell you those, these folks that run around trying to find “God’s New Wave” are delusional. Of course, nontheists say I am for even believing in God. Seriously though, these people need to wake up they are getting taken for a ride, first it was Toronto, then Pensacola, now Lakeland, total sham. It’s a sham, it’s a travesty, it’s a mockery, it’s a travishamockery…..