Het is zo ver! Een paar dagen geleden ontvingen we de eerste exemplaren van de Nederlandstalige uitgave van Kundalini Waarschuwing. Het boek ziet er goed uit.
Het boek is uiteraard ook te bestellen in onze eigen shop. Ook boekhandels en inkooporganisaties kunnen het boek bestellen via de bekende kanalen.
Wilt u exemplaren voor op een boekentafel, neem dan even per mail contact met ons op.
Andrew Strom is één van de weinigen geweest die de financiële crisis goed heeft aan zien komen.
Hij heeft echter ook het boek “How to survive the depression” geschreven. Dat boek willen we in de nabije toekomst op de Nederlandse markt uit gaan geven.
Update 7 mei 2012:
Na de succesvolle publicatie van Kundalini Waarschuwing zijn we gestart met het vertalen van het volgende boek van Andrew Strom, Survive the Depression.
In het boek schrijft Andrew Strom een kort stukje over de engel Emma. Het is een deel uit het boek van Todd Bentley.
Emma, engel van het profetische
Laat me nu vertellen over een ervaring met Emma, een engel. Bob Jones heeft me al twee keer naar deze engel, die in 1980 in Kansas City was, gevraagd: “Todd, heb jij de engel Emma wel eens gezien?” Hij vroeg me dat op een manier alsof hij verwachtte dat deze engel bij mij zou verschijnen. Verrast zei ik: ”Bob, wie is Emma?” Hij vertelde me dat Emma de engel was die had geholpen met de geboorte en start van de hele profetische beweging in Kansas City in de jaren 80. Ze was een moederfiguur als engel die hielp met de verzorging van het profetische toen het uitbrak. Binnen een paar weken nadat Bob me over Emma had gevraagd, gebeurde het volgende toen ik in een dienst in Beulah, North Dakota was:
“Midden onder de dienst, terwijl ik met Ivan en iemand anders in gesprek was, wandelde Emma naar binnen. Terwijl ik met open ogen naar de engel staarde zei de Heer: ”Dit is Emma”. Ik maak geen grapje. Ze zweefde een paar centimeter boven de vloer. Het was net Kathryn Kuhlman in die oude video’s toen ze een witte jurk droeg en het net leek alsof ze over het podium zweefde. Emma zag er mooi en jong uit, een jaar of 22, maar ze was tegelijkertijd oud. Het scheen dat ze de wijsheid, deugd en sierlijkheid van Spreuken 31 op haar leven had. Ze gleed de ruimte binnen, terwijl ze schitterend licht en kleuren uitstraalde. Emma droeg tassen en begon daar goud uit te halen. Terwijl zij door het gangpad liep begon ze goudstof op mensen te leggen… Binnen drie weken na deze verschijning heeft de kerk me de grootste collecte, die ik tot dat punt in mijn bediening had gekregen, gegeven. Duizenden dollars! Duizenden! … Tijdens de verschijning werd de vrouw van de pastor (het was een kerk van de Assemblies of God) helemaal totaal dronken van de Heilige Geest, ze begon blaffend als een hond rond te rennen, of te kakelen als een kip toen een krachtige profetische geest op haar kwam. Nadat deze profetische zalving over haar kwam begon ze telefoonnummers van onbekenden door te krijgen en belde ze op en profeteerde over hen … Toen begonnen er engelen in de kerk te komen” [‘Angelic hosts’ door Todd Bentley]
Ook Lee Grady van Charisma Magazine USA schrijft over deze engel, maar zet nogal wat vraagtekens bij Emma:
Ik ben bang dat er op subtiele wijze een andere boodschap wordt gepredikt in Lakeland – een boodschap die ‘cult-watchers’ zullen omschrijven als geestelijke namaak. Bentley is één van verschillende charismatische predikers die in de afgelopen jaren de nadruk op engelen hebben gelegd. Hij heeft gepreekt over engelen die financiële doorbraken of openbaringen geven en hij verwijst soms naar een engel genaamd Emma die een rol zou hebben gespeeld in de start van de profetische beweging in Kansas City in de jaren ’80. Bentley beschrijft Emma als een vrouw in glooiende witte jurk die een paar centimeter boven de grond zweeft…
En in een latere uitgave doet hij dat weer:
Bijbelse richtlijnen over engelen. Sommige mensen in het profetische kamp spreken over regelmatige bezoeken aan de hemel, ‘derde hemel openbaringen’, en lange gesprekken met engelen die namen gebruiken als Emma, Promise en Wind of Change. Zijn dit inderdaad geesten die door God gestuurd zijn, of zijn het vertegenwoordigers van vals licht?
Maar wie of wat is deze engel nu feitelijk?
Diverse websites bieden nogal wat informatie over een engel die bekend staat onder de naam Emma:
Emma is bekend onder de namen Emma-o, of Emma-hoo (en in het Sanscriet: Ymma). Onder de naam Emma o komt ze voor in de ‘Satanic bible’, het boek dat allerhande satanische rituelen bevat. In Japan is Emma bekend als de overste der hel, die oordeelt over de zielen. Emma komt voort uit het Boeddhistische Taoïsme en Shintoïsme. In de bijbel komt de engel Emma niet voor. Het lijkt er ‘verdacht’ veel op dat het hier gaat om een gevallen engel, oftewel een dienaar van de duivel.
De Encyclopedia Mythica legt uit dat het gaat om de Japanse Boeddhistische god van de onderwereld (hel) die in Yellow Springs onder de aarde zou wonen in een groot kasteel bedekt met goud en zilver, parels en andere juwelen. Dit geeft gelijk een opmerkelijke overeenkomst met de verschijnselen van goudstof en het vallen van juwelen wat in sommige gemeenten plaatsvindt.
Een artikel op Wikipedia is het uitgebreidst en leert dat deze engel ook voorkomt in het hindoeïsme, Iraanse en Chinese, Koreaanse en Japanse mythologie, en in het Tibetaans boeddhisme, maar zelfs in de westerse cultuur.
Derek Prince, ‘Protection from Deception’, pg. 15 – www.derekprince.com
Boek: Protection from Deception
Andrew Strom, ‘Revival – We Need It’ – Challenge Weekly, 26 augustus 1994
Algemene link: http://www.challengeweekly.co.nz/
Directe link nog niet gevonden
Benny Hinn transcript – “PTL” telecast, Trinity Broadcasting Network, 4 juli 1997. Gedistribueerd door CPI-EDG listserv – www.pentecostal-issues.org
Hoofdstuk 2:
New Age/Gurus – ref: C. and S. Grof, “The Stormy Search for the Self” (See also, Christian “SCP Newsletter” volume 19:2, pg. 14)
It’s called “contemplative” or “centering” prayer and if you haven’t heard about it yet, chances are unfortunately good that you will soon. It’s invading churches like a virus in which submicroscopic pathogens contaminate the body many hours or days before the victim is aware of its presence.
Contemplative prayer is one of a number of ancient mystical practices or spiritual disciplines, as their proponents refer to them, which are being encouraged at an alarming rate by evangelical churches. It is all part of something called Spiritual Formation and the Emergent Church, a movement that as John MacArthur states in his book, The Truth War, is subtly changing the beliefs and doctrines of the evangelical church as we know it.
In its pure form, contemplative prayer is practiced by sitting still, quieting, and concentrating on your breathing and repeating a word of choice (maybe the name Jesus, for instance) over and over again. You’re to concentrate on that word and your breathing, and work to eliminate all thoughts from your mind. Over a period of maybe 20 minutes — and with practice — you can enter into “the silence.” Your mind is blank. You have, in fact, hypnotized yourself. And it is in “the silence” where “God” allegedly speaks to you.
According to the testimony of one former, now-redeemed New Ager I recently read this is the exact method used by New Agers and Eastern mystics to enter an altered state of consciousness that opens a person up to demonic influence. Ray Yungen, author of the book, A Time of Departing, confirms this and says, “Unknown to most people, a blank mind in a meditative state is all that is necessary for contact with a spirit guide.” He also points out, “Those who lack discernment are at great risk.”
You may say, “Okay, Heidi, I’ll keep an eye out for this practice and avoid it.” Yeah, that’s not so easy.
Here’s the thing: The introduction of these practices isn’t direct. It’s an insidious offensive by those the Bible would identify as false teachers. As MacArthur notes, “Rarely are their assaults on the truth open and head-on attacks. Instead, they prefer to work underground, drilling little holes in the foundations of truth itself.”
Remember Jesus’ warning? “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves” (Matt. 7:15).
MacArthur says, “You can’t necessarily tell a false teacher by the way he or she appears. Every false religious leader is, after all, ‘religious’ by definition. Looking saintly is practically part of the job description.”
So you may, for instance, be in a wonderful church with fellow Christians who are your fast friends. Everything is going hunky-dory–excellent Bible studies, messages that challenge you, friends you trust — when all of a sudden there’s a new Sunday school teacher or a new pastor on staff. Or maybe it’s the same pastor who has taken a class or been to a conference that “changed his life” or “opened his eyes.”
Slowly, imperceptibly perhaps, change begins to happen.
There’s a nagging feeling in the back of your mind, but you shove it aside because you’re told that, “we have to change the way we ‘do church’ to reach the youth or the different cultures in our neighborhood. We have to become relevant to our society,” you’re told, “and this generation or culture is into experience!”
Man, but you can’t overcome this needling you sense. The messages seem less vibrant. You haven’t heard a good sermon on redemption through the blood of Christ lately. The Bible studies turn to book studies. The words to the worship songs don’t mean anything. You think, “Aw, I’m just an old fuddy-duddy. I need to get with the program.” And you try to dismiss it.
Whoa, Heidi! I thought we were talking contemplative prayer here. Did you change horses midstream?
Nope. This is where it starts. It’s been tough to figure out how to explain to you the way to identify the beginnings of the Spiritual Formation and the Emergent Church movement when it tiptoes into the church, because it’s morethe absence of what should be present than it is a stark, head-on attack.
And here’s another thought to ponder: “Deception often occurs when there is 99 percent truth and just 1 percent falsehood,” according to Yungen. And he says, “It only takes a little leaven or white lie to leaven or taint the greater lump, which is truth.” And so the transformation begins.
Paul told Timothy, “Now the Spirit expressly says that in the latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed todeceiving spirits and doctrines of demons“(I Tim. 4:1).
And the apostle John commands us, “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world” (I John 4:1).
It begins with subtle changes in the family structure and teachings within the church. It inevitably progresses to the point where doctrines have been discarded; ancient mystical practices, such as contemplative prayer, are encouraged; the gospel is contradicted; and the cross, as essential to salvation, is nullified. BEWARE.
The preventative medicine for this virus is to know God’s Word. Read it. Feed on it. Memorize it. Love it. Then you’ll be able to spot the symptoms when they appear. Unfortunately, a love for and understanding of Scripture is decidedly lacking in a vast majority of Christians today, leaving them wide open to contamination.
If you are one of them of whom this is true, I admonish you to get into God’s Word today and change that. Time is of the essence!
Some leaders say the controversial Lakeland Revival is forcing us to choose sides. But I don’t believe God wants to split our movement.
It’s been more than 10 years since charismatic prophet Rick Joyner predicted in his popular book The Final Quest that believers would experience a Civil War in the church. Joyner’s book, based on a series of visions he says God showed him, describes in graphic detail a turbulent conflict that redefines Christianity as we know it.
Other charismatic leaders have echoed this theme since Joyner’s book was published in 1996. They have predicted that our movement will be divided between “Blues” (those who constantly live in the supernatural realm of dreams, visions and miracles) and “Grays” (those who rely more on their intellect), and that the Blues will win and usher in true revival as champions of the Holy Spirit’s power.
Even in early 2008, before the Lakeland Revival erupted in Florida in April, some charismatic prophets were declaring that a great rift would divide those who believe in “the glory realm” and those who have a more conservative, left-brained approach to their faith. When God TV began its nightly broadcasts of evangelist Todd Bentley’s healing meetings in Lakeland, the Civil War prophecies reappeared overnight on hundreds of blogs and e-mail blasts.
“Jesus prayed that we would be one. There is no record of Him praying that we would split over doctrine.”
I’ll admit I was not paying too much attention to these Civil War predictions 10 years ago. But I was jolted into reality in May after I wrote an online column in which I raised honest questions about some of Bentley’s teachings and techniques. Even though I celebrated his passion and zeal, and praised God for the healings that were reported in Lakeland, I was immediately branded a revival critic and banished to the Gray camp.
I became the bad guy because, by asking questions, I was “relying on my intellect.” To those in the Blue camp, my skepticism made me an enemy of the Holy Spirit and all things supernatural—even though I believe that all the supernatural gifts of the Holy Spirit are for today!
I tried to laugh this off at first. Surely, I imagined, my Christian brothers and sisters do not really think it is wrong for a Spirit-filled believer to test the spirits (which we are instructed to do in 1 John 4:1), discern truth (see 2 Pet. 3:17) or evaluate prophecies and angelic encounters (see 1 Cor. 14:29, Gal. 1:6-8).
But now I realize that some people really want a war. They want the charismatic movement to split right down the middle. They imply that all those who do not embrace 100 percent of the current movement in Lakeland are “old wineskins” that cannot be used by God in the coming revival.
I can’t even describe how much this hurts because I love people on both sides of this conflict. I love the Blues and the Grays, along with every other color in the body of Christ. I refuse to believe that God is trying to split us. Division is the devil’s work.
I want to plead with everyone in our movement to reconsider the whole Civil War scenario. Instead of rattling sabers and stockpiling gunpowder, maybe we need to take steps in the opposite direction:
1. Let’s accept one another. The apostle Paul rebuked the Corinthians because they exalted certain gifts above others. He reminded them that every member of the body of Christ plays an important role, and that no individual part—whether eye, hand or foot—functions on its own. He rebuked this elitist attitude “so that there may be no division in the body” (1 Cor. 12:25, NASB).
Most of us already acknowledge the importance of supernatural gifts of healing, prophecy, tongues and other demonstrations of God’s power. But in our zeal to recover these gifts, let’s not isolate those whose primary functions may be mercy, giving to the poor, teaching or intercession. We should cherish every spiritual gift—not just the sensational or the exotic.
2. Let’s admonish one another. Christians have not always been the best models of conflict resolution. When tension gets high we either avoid it (usually by saying nothing and hoping the problems go away) or we overreact (by childishly picking up our marbles and playing somewhere else). But the Bible tells us to work things out in eyeball-to-eyeball confrontation.
In the case of Lakeland, there are some doctrines and methods that have come under intense scrutiny. Heresy hunters are having a field day as they toss their grenades and label everything in Lakeland demonic. But because I embrace Todd Bentley as my brother in Christ, I must take a higher road even if I don’t agree with his prayer methods or his claims regarding angels. Anything I say, even if it is corrective, must be said in love (see Eph. 4:15).
Thankfully a group of leaders from various charismatic camps (both “Blues” and “Grays”!) are discussing the contentious issues surrounding Lakeland—and biblical confrontation is occurring. I trust this process will result in correction where it’s needed, apologies when necessary and more humility on all sides of the debate.
3. Let’s pray for one another (see James 5:16). Jesus prayed that we would be one. There is no record of Him praying that we would split over doctrine. So why in the world would any of us hope for a Civil War?
Please pray for Bentley—and for the leaders who are speaking into his life during this season. And pray that the church will not only experience genuine spiritual revival but also true unity. Let’s work out our differences, support one another’sministries and focus all our efforts on one common goal: To tell a lost world about the love of Jesus.
The following is an excerpt from a prophecy given at the Elim Bible Institute Summer Camp Meeting in 1965 by the late Stanley Frodsham. Brother Frodsham was a recognized prophet and teacher in the Body of Christ whose life and ministry spanned the Pentecostal Revival, the great Healing Revival and the early days of the Charismatic Movement. He also authored the well-known book, “Smith Wigglesworth: Apostle of Faith”.
——————————————————————————–
“When I visit My people in mighty revival power, it is to prepare
them for the darkness ahead. With the glory shall come great darkness,
for the glory is to prepare My people for the darkness. I will enable
My people to go through because of the visitation of My Spirit. Take
heed to yourselves lest you be puffed up and think that you have
arrived. Many shall be puffed up as in the olden days, for many then
received My message but they continued not in it. Did I not anoint Jehu?
Yet the things I desired were not accomplished in his life. Listen to
the messengers, but do not hold men’s persons in admiration. For many
whom I shall anoint mightily, with signs and miracles, shall be lifted
up and shall fall away by the wayside. I do not do this willingly;
I have made provision that they might stand. I call many into this min-
istry and equip them; but remember that many shall fall. They shall be
like bright lights and people shall delight in them. But they shall be
taken over by deceiving spirits and shall lead many of My people away.
“Hearken diligently concerning these things, for in the last days will
come seducing spirits that shall turn many of My anointed ones away.
Many shall fall through various lusts and because of sin abounding.
But if you will seek Me diligently, I will put My Spirit within you.
When one shall turn to the right hand or to the left you shall not turn
with them, but keep your eyes wholly on the Lord. The coming days are
most dangerous, difficult and dark, but there shall be a mighty
outpouring of My Spirit upon many cities. My people must be diligently
warned concerning the days that are ahead. Many shall turn after
seducing spirits; many are already seducing My people. It is those
who do righteousness that are righteous. Many cover their sins by
theological words. But I warn you of seducing spirits who instruct
My people in a evil way.
“Many shall come with seducing spirits and hold out lustful enticements.
You will find that after I have visited My people again, the way shall
become more and more narrow, and fewer shall walk therein. But be not
deceived, the ways of righteousness are My ways. For though Satan comes
as an angel of light, hearken not to him; for those who perform miracles
and speak not righteousness are not of Me. I warn you with great in-
tensity that I am going to judge My house and have a church without spot
or wrinkle when I come. I desire to open your eyes and give you spir-
itual understanding, that you may not be deceived but may walk in
uprightness of heart before Me, loving righteousness and hating every
evil way. Look unto Me, and I will make you to perceive with eyes of
the Spirit the things that lurk in darkness that are not visible to the
human eye. Let me lead you in this way that you may perceive the powers
of darkness and battle against them. It is not a battle against flesh
and blood; for if you battle in that way, you accomplish nothing. But
if you let Me take over and battle against the powers of darkness, than
they are defeated, and then liberation is brought to My people.
“I warn you to search the Scriptures diligently concerning these last
days. For the things that are written shall indeed be made manifest.
There shall come deceivers among My people in increasing numbers who
shall speak for the truth and shall gain the favor of the people.
For the people shall examine the Scriptures and say, ‘What these men
say is true’. Then when they have gained the hearts of the people, then
and only then shall Satan enter into My people. Watch for seducers.
Do you think a seducer will brandish a new heresy and flaunt it before
the people? He will speak the words of righteousness and truth, and
will appear as a minister of light declaring the Word. The people’s
hearts shall be won. Then, when the hearts are won, they will bring out
their doctrines, and the people shall be deceived. The people shall say,
‘Did he not speak thus and thus? And did we not examine it from the
Word? Therefore he is a minister of righteousness. This that he has
spoken we do not see in the Word, but it must be right, for the other
things he spoke were true.’
“Be not deceived. For the deceiver will first work to gain the hearts
of many, and then shall bring forth his insidious doctrines. You cannot
discern those that are of Me and those that are not of Me when they
start to preach. But seek Me constantly, and then when these doctrines
are brought out you shall have a witness in your heart that these are
not of Me. Fear not, for I have warned you. Many will be deceived. But
if you walk in holiness and uprightness before the Lord, your eyes
shall be open and the Lord will protect you. If you will constantly
look unto the Lord, you will know when the doctrine changes and will
not be brought into it. If your heart is right I will keep you; and if
you will constantly look to Me, I will uphold you.
“The minister of righteousness shall be on this wise: his life shall
agree with the Word and his lips shall give forth that which is wholly
true, and it will be no mixture. When the mixture appears, then you
will know he is not a minister of righteousness. The deceivers speak
first the truth then error, to cover their own sins which they love.
Therefore, I exhort and command you to study the Scriptures relative
to seducing spirits, for this is one of the great dangers of these
last days.
“I desire you to firmly be established in My Word and not in the per-
sonalities of men that you will not be moved as so many shall be moved.
Take heed to yourselves and follow not the seducing spirits that are
already manifesting themselves. Diligently inquire of Me when you hear
something that you have not seen in My Word, and do not hold people’s
persons in admiration–for it is by this very method Satan will destroy
many of My people.”
– Click here to go to the article – “The Toronto Controversy – disturbing new facts from history” by A. Strom.
– Brenda Imus’ personal journey out of deception.
This article can be found on the Internet at- www.prophetic-apostolic.com
Posted in Articles by Andrew on June 8th, 2011 at 1:34 am.
This week’s announcement about evangelist Todd Bentley’s hasty remarriage and restoration is sending a confusing message to the church.
I groaned when I learned early this week that Canadian preacher Todd Bentley, leader of the controversial Lakeland Revival, had decided to divorce his wife, Shonnah, and marry his former ministry intern, Jessa Hasbrook. The news surfaced after almost nine months of silence and speculation, during which time the board of Bentley’s Fresh Fire Ministries in British Columbia publicly scolded him for committing adultery.
In a statement released March 10 by Rick Joyner, the popular author and minister who is overseeing Bentley’s restoration process, we were told that (1) Bentley married his new wife several weeks ago and moved to Joyner’s base in Fort Mill, S.C.; (2) Todd and Jessa agree that their relationship was “wrong and premature” and that it “should not have happened the way it did”; (3) Bentley will remain out of public ministry while he seeks healing; and (4) Joyner will oversee the healing process with input from Dallas pastor Jack Deere and California pastor Bill Johnson. (Read Rick Joyner’s response to this column.)
“Many of us have rejected biblical discipline and adopted a sweet, spineless love that cannot correct.”
It was also announced that Bentley plans to relaunch his ministry, called Fresh Fire USA, in Fort Mill, and that Joyner is now collecting donations from supporters to help rebuild it. (The Canadian ministry Bentley started has now been renamed Transform International, and it has severed ties with the evangelist.)
In a few places in his statement Joyner expressed tough love, especially when he said: “We know that trust has to be earned and that Todd will have to earn the trust of the body of Christ for future ministry, which will not be easy, nor should it be.” He also made it clear that true repentance and restoration “can only come if we refuse to compromise the clear biblical standards for morality and integrity.”
But there were some glaring omissions in the statements released this week that indicate a fundamental weakness in our freestyle approach to “restoring” fallen leaders.
First of all, it is outrageous that Shonnah Bentley, Todd’s first wife, does not seem to be an issue in the current discussion. Her name is never mentioned in Joyner’s statement—while Todd is mentioned 18 times. We are never told how Shonnah is handling the divorce. How will she manage to care for the three children she and Todd share? She and the kids seem invisible in this process. Yet if anyone needs healing and restoration, is it not the other half of this broken family?
Second, we charismatics still seem to have a habit of elevating gifting above character. It’s almost as if the end justifies the means. (So what if a preacher ruins one marriage and makes a hasty decision to marry a younger woman—the important thing is that we get him back in the pulpit to heal the sick!) That is a perversion of biblical integrity. God can anoint any man or woman with the Holy Spirit’s power; what He is looking for are vessels of honor that can carry that anointing with dignity, humility and purity.
What is most deplorable about this latest installment in the Bentley scandal is the lack of true remorse. In his own statement, Bentley apologizes for his actions and says he “takes full responsibility for my part for the ending of the marriage.” But how can he be taking “full responsibility” if he willingly chose to have a girlfriend on the side—and then married her immediately after his divorce was final? Why did he hide for several months when he should have been listening to counsel and seeking reconciliation with his first wife?
Many Christians today have rejected biblical discipline and adopted a sweet, spineless love that cannot correct. Our grace is greasy. No matter what an offending brother does, we stroke him and pet him and nurse his wounds while we ignore the people he wounded. No matter how heinous his sin, we offer comforting platitudes because, after all, who are we to judge?
When the apostle Paul learned that a member of the Corinthian church was in an immoral relationship with his father’s wife, he did not rush to comfort the man. He told the Corinthians: “You have become arrogant and have not mourned instead, so that the one who had done this deed would be removed from your midst” (I Cor. 5:2). Sometimes we must draw a ruthless sword in order to bring genuine healing. The “wounds of a friend” are faithful to bring conviction and true repentance (see Prov. 27:6).
Paul actually delivered the unrepentant Corinthian man to Satan “for the destruction of his flesh” (5:5) so that he could be saved. That does not sound very nice. Many today would call Paul’s tactic harsh and legalistic. But that is because we have lost any true sense of the fear of the Lord—and we don’t realize that our laxness about God’s standards is a perversion of His mercy. When the sin is severe, the public rebuke must be severe.
In all the discussion of Bentley and the demise of the Lakeland Revival, I am waiting to hear the sound of sackcloth ripping into shreds. We should be weeping. We should be rending our hearts—as God commanded Israel when they fell into sin (see Joel 2: 13-14). To give guidance to a confused church, our leaders should have publicly decried the Lakeland disaster while at the same time helping both Todd and Shonnah to heal.
We have not mourned this travesty. We have not been shocked and appalled that such sin has been named among us. We act as if flippant divorce and remarriage are minor infractions—when in actuality they are such serious moral failures that they can bring disqualification.
If we truly love Todd Bentley, we will not clamor for his quick return to the pulpit. While we certainly want him to be fully restored to fellowship with God, we cannot rush the process of restoring a man to ministry. Leaders must live up to a higher standard. We must demand that those involved in Bentley’s restoration not only love him but also love the church by protecting us from the kind of scandal we endured last year.
J. Lee Grady is editor of Charisma. To read Rick Joyner’s and Todd Bentley’s public statement click here.
Todd Bentley’s announcement that his marriage is ending has thrown our movement into a tailspin—and questions need to be answered.
It was not supposed to end like this.
Evangelist Todd Bentley had heralded the Lakeland revival as the greatest Pentecostal outpouring since Azusa Street. From his stage in a gigantic tent in Florida, Bentley preached to thousands, bringing many of them to the stage for prayer. Many claimed to be healed of deafness, blindness, heart problems, depression and dozens of other conditions in the Lakeland services, which ran for more than 100 consecutive nights. Bentley announced confidently that dozens of people had been raised from the dead during the revival.
But this week, a few days after the Canadian preacher announced the end of his visits to Lakeland, he told his staff that his marriage is ending. Without blaming the pace of the revival for Bentley’s personal problems, his board released a public statement saying that he and his wife, Shonnah, are separating. The news shocked Bentley’s adoring fans and saddened those who have questioned his credibility since the Lakeland movement erupted in early April.
“Among those who jumped on the Lakeland bandwagon, discernment was discouraged. They were expected to swallow and follow. The message was clear: ‘This is God. Don’t question.’ ”
I’m sad. I’m disappointed. And I’m angry. Here are few of my many, many questions about this fiasco:
Why did so many people flock to Lakeland from around the world to rally behind an evangelist who had serious credibility issues from the beginning?
To put it bluntly, we’re just plain gullible.
From the first week of the Lakeland revival, many discerning Christians raised questions about Bentley’s beliefs and practices. They felt uneasy when he said he talked to an angel in his hotel room. They sensed something amiss when he wore a T-shirt with a skeleton on it. They wondered why a man of God would cover himself with tattoos. They were horrified when they heard him describe how he tackled a man and knocked his tooth out during prayer.
But among those who jumped on the Lakeland bandwagon, discernment was discouraged. They were expected to swallow and follow. The message was clear: “This is God. Don’t question.” So before we could all say, “Sheeka Boomba” (as Bentley often prayed from his pulpit), many people went home, prayed for people and shoved them to the floor with reckless abandon, Bentley-style.
I blame this lack of discernment, partly, on raw zeal for God. We’re spiritually hungry—which can be a good thing. But sometimes, hungry people will eat anything.
Many of us would rather watch a noisy demonstration of miracles, signs and wonders than have a quiet Bible study. Yet we are faced today with the sad reality that our untempered zeal is a sign of immaturity. Our adolescent craving for the wild and crazy makes us do stupid things. It’s way past time for us to grow up.
Why didn’t anyone in Lakeland denounce the favorable comments Bentley made about William Branham?
This one baffles me. Branham embraced horrible deception near the end of his ministry, before he died in 1965. He claimed that he was the reincarnation of Elijah—and his strange doctrines are still embraced by a cultlike following today. When Bentley announced to the world that the same angel that ushered in the 1950s healing revival had come to Lakeland, the entire audience should have run for the exits.
Why didn’t anyone correct this error from the pulpit? Godly leaders are supposed to protect the sheep from heresy, not spoon feed deception to them. Only God knows how far this poison traveled from Lakeland to take root elsewhere. May God forgive us for allowing His Word to be so flippantly contaminated.
A prominent Pentecostal evangelist called me this week after Bentley’s news hit the fan. He said to me: “I’m now convinced that a large segment of the charismatic church will follow the anti-Christ when he shows up because they have no discernment.” Ouch. Hopefully we’ll learn our lesson this time and apply the necessary caution when an imposter shows up.
Why did God TV tell people that “any criticism of Todd Bentley is demonic”?
This ridiculous statement was actually made on one of God TV’s pre-shows. In fact, the network’s hosts also warned listeners that if they listened to criticism of Bentley, they could lose their healings.
This is cultic manipulation at its worst. The Bible tells us that the Bereans were noble believers because they studied the Scriptures daily “to see whether these things were so” (Acts 17:11, NASB). Yet in the case of Lakeland, honest intellectual inquiry was viewed as a sign of weakness. People were expected to jump first and then open their eyes.
Just because we believe in the power of the Holy Spirit does not mean we check our brains at the church door. We are commanded to test the spirits. Jesus wants us to love Him with our hearts and our minds.
Because of the Lakeland scandal, there may be large numbers of people who feel they’ve been burned by Bentley. Some may give up on church and join the growing ranks of bitter, disenfranchised Christians. Others may suffer total spiritual shipwreck. This could have been avoided if leaders had been more vocal about their objections and urged people to evaluate spiritual experiences through the filter of God’s Word.
Why did a group of respected ministers lay hands on Bentley on June 23 and publicly ordain him? Did they know of his personal problems?
This controversial ceremony was organized by Peter Wagner, who felt that one of Bentley’s greatest needs was proper spiritual covering. He asked California pastors Che Ahn and Bill Johnson, along with Canadian pastor John Arnott, to lay hands on Bentley and bring him under their care.
Bentley certainly needs such covering. No one in ministry today should be out on their own, living in isolation without checks, balances and wise counsel. It was commendable that Wagner reached out to Bentley and that Bentley acknowledged his need for spiritual fathers by agreeing to submit to the process. The question remains, however, whether it was wise to commend Bentley during a televised commissioning service that at times seemed more like a king’s coronation.
In hindsight, we can all see that it would have been better to take Bentley into a back room and talk about his personal issues.
The Bible tells us that ordination of a minister is a sober responsibility. Paul wrote: “Do not lay hands upon anyone too hastily and thereby share responsibility for the sins of others” (1 Tim. 5:22). We might be tempted to rush the process, but the apostle warned against fast-tracking ordination—and he said that those who commission a minister who is not ready for the job will bear some of the blame for his failures.
I trust that Wagner, Ahn, Johnson and Arnott didn’t know of Bentley’s problems before they ordained him. I am sure they are saddened by the events of this week and are reaching out to Bentley and his wife to promote healing and restoration. But I believe that they, along with Bentley and the owners of God TV, owe the body of Christ a forthright, public apology for thrusting Bentley’s ministry into the spotlight prematurely. (Perhaps such an apology should be aired on God TV.)
Can anything good come out of this?
That depends on how people respond. If the men assigned to oversee Bentley offer loving but firm correction, and if Bentley responds humbly to the process by stepping out of ministry for a season of rehabilitation, we could witness a healthy case of church discipline play out the way it is supposed to. If all those who were so eager to promote Bentley now rush just as fast to repent for their errors in judgment, then the rest of us could breathe a huge sigh of relief—and the credibility of our movement could be restored.
I still believe that God desires to visit our nation in supernatural power. I know He wants to heal multitudes, and I will continue praying for a healing revival to sweep across the United States. But we must contend for the genuine, not an imitation. True revival will be accompanied by brokenness, humility, reverence and repentance—not the arrogance, showmanship and empty hype that often was on display in Lakeland.
We are weathering an unprecedented season of moral failure and spiritual compromise in our nation today. I urge everyone in the charismatic world to pray for Bentley; his wife, Shonnah; his three young children; Bentley’s ministry staff; and the men and women who serve as his counselors and advisers. Let’s pray that God will turn this embarrassing debacle into an opportunity for miraculous restoration.
J. Lee Grady is editor of Charisma. To read Charisma’s news story on Todd Bentley’s recent announcement, click here.
