"BAM! BAM! BAM!" SAID THE FALSE PROPHET
By Marsha West
June 17, 2008
NewsWithViews.com
Faith
evangelist Todd Bentley has drawn hundreds of thousands to his Florida
Healing Revival to "soak in the glory and spread the fire."
Before you pack up the car or purchase an airline ticket and head to
Lakeland Florida, here's a word of warning: Christians who play with
fire will get burned.
All the controversy over the Lakeland Outpouring is causing deep division
within the Church. Some Christians believe Bentley is bringing a long
overdue revival. They argue that since people are getting healed it's
a move of God. But a growing number of believers say he's a fraud. So
which is it? Is Todd Bentley a prophet of God, or just another huckster?
Let's examine the evidence to find out if a genuine revival is going
on in Lakeland.
There's a plethora of video clips online that show Bentley in all his
raging glory, stalking the stage. In one clip I watched, he's bragging
about "grounding and pounding" people who have come to him
for healing. In another clip he declares that God told him to batter
a woman's legs with a baseball bat. He then boasts how he has applied
choking moves on sick people who come to him for help. Then there's
the story of the "Chinese guy" he "hit so hard that a
tooth popped out of his mouth." Bentley's "healing" is
often so brutal that some witnesses compare it to WWF Smackdown! The
man may be a wrestling aficionado, but he's definitely not a prophet
of God. No offense, but he is as phony as most professional wrestlers.
But don't take my word for it. Watch the video clips in this article
and you'll discover that I'm not making any of this up. Here's
the first clip.
What struck me about this clip is that people in the audience, most
of whom are professing Christians, laughed and applauded as Bentley
blamed God for telling him to inflict pain on people! The Apostles never
behaved in such an appalling manner. Would Paul kick a senior citizen
in the head, even with lightweight sandals on his feet? Peter may have
been hotheaded, still he would never have resorted to grounding and
pounding the sick in order to heal them. Now, imagine John choking someone
and saying that God told him to do it! What I have just described is
Todd Bentley's WWF style of healing.
Many of Bentley's "healings" are not instantaneous, by the
way. For example, a man claimed partial restoration of his hearing on
Wednesday and on Thursday he claimed his hearing was completely restored.
Both Jesus and the Apostle's healings were instantaneous, and that's
because they were authentic. People were restored to full health. Not
in Lakeland, though, where they experience "miracles in progress."
Something I found odd is how Bentley feigns wide-eyed surprise at some
of his "miracle healings." Since he's allegedly healed masses
of people for a number of years, why does he look so amazed when people
are healed? The answer is obvious. He plays the audience! And he's oh
so effective at "priming the pump" to keep their minds engaged.
Restoring someone's missing eye or severed hand is an outward healing.
Todd Bentley's "healings" are inward. Glaringly absent are
restored body parts. Several video clips show people allegedly healed
of cancer, heart problems, tumors, diabetes, deafness, asthma, fibromialgia,
broken bones, and so on. Again, Bentley's healings are not outward like
the genuine healings of Jesus and the Apostles. Moreover, he claims
to have raised people from the dead!
The obvious question is if miraculous healings like the sort Jesus performed
are actually taking place in Lakeland, where's the proof? Photos and
videos of people with restored limbs and missing body parts would be
splashed all over national TV and the Internet, especially on Christian
news sites. Where are the "before" and "after" pictures
of burn victims, kids with cleft pallots and other obvious birth defects?
Absent are stories from Alzheimer's sufferers who miraculously regained
their memories. One blogger made this astute comment:
" Bentley's close friend and mentor, Bob Jones is sick with kidney
problems and is obese. Todd Bentley is overweight and balding and had
a recent heart attack. Quite a few of Todd Bentley's musicians and singers,
as others have remarked, are also very big so there is no miraculous
weight loss anointing or healing baldness anointing or any healing anointing
working among them -- and Todd claims the anointing drops pounds off
fat people and puts hair on heads. James Goll's wife is seriously ill
with cancer. Get my drift?"[1]
In the next clip an eleven-year-old boy with Cerebral Palsey who cannot
walk without a walker has a dream of running around the baseball diamond.
The boy sincerely believes he's been healed. (This one brought me to
tears.) He struggles to speak as he relays his "healing" experience
to the crowd. All the while his mother holds onto his shaky body to
keep him from falling. The boy cannot stand alone, let alone run. Yet
he's told by Bentley that he's a "healing in progress." Then
before the boy knows what hit him, BAM! he's "slain in the spirit"
(pushed to the floor). Watch
it and weep.
What did Jesus do?
" Then he [Jesus] said to the paralytic, 'Get up, take your mat
and go home.' And the man got up and went home" (Mat 9:6-7).
What about Peter?
" As Peter traveled about the country, he went to visit the saints
in Lydda. There he found a man named Aeneas, a paralytic who had been
bedridden for eight years. 'Aeneas,' Peter said to him, 'Jesus Christ
heals you. Get up and take care of your mat.' Immediately Aeneas got
up. All those who lived in Lydda and Sharon saw him and turned to the
Lord" (Acts 9:32-35).
The obvious question is, does Satan have the power to heal? The answer
is that he gives the appearance of healing, but it's a counterfeit.
It's true that God performs miraculous signs and wonders. And the apostles
performed signs and wonders and miracles by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Sorcerers perform "miraculous lying signs and wonders" that
lead people astray and keep them from the truth. But lying signs and
wonders may not be miraculous at all. Satan has the power to deceive,
"even the elect—if that were possible." Some faith-healers
use social emotional and psychological manipulation to get people to
to change their behavior, their attitude, even their morals. In a crowded
setting people are more susceptible to manipulation tactics. This is
known as peer pressure. Responding to peer pressure is part of human
nature.
In his article SOAKING? A spiritual discipline or Eastern Mysticism,
Gary Gilley describes psychological manipulation thus:
John Arnott writes [in his book The Father's Blessing]: It is no coincidence
that we have seen people prophetically acting like lions, oxen, eagles
and even warriors. In Steve Witt's church in St. Johns, New Brunswick,
I saw all four of those manifestations happening at the same time --
the ox, the eagle, the lion and the man (warrior). The lion and eagle
manifestations accompanied prophesying. The man who was acting out the
part of the warrior had both hands gripped together around the hilt
of a sword, and he was swinging it. These warrior actions give the observer
a real feel of battlefield action. The people who were doing this were
mostly credible pastors or leaders. I was astonished but sensed the
awesome presence of God.
"One lady who played the keyboard and weighed about 115 pounds
was on all fours, snorting and pawing the ground like an angry ox or
bull. It was obvious that she was surprised and a bit frightened by
what was happening, but at the same time she seemed determined to follow
the Spirit's leading (p. 178)."
People who follow the "Spirit's leading" in this way look
like they're crazy, drunk or possessed, which is the reason Scripture
doesn't support foolish behavior! In this next clip a group of people
line up to receive the "anointing." This
is actually scary!
Scripture never mentions lying supine on the floor sizzling like bacon
in a frying pan as Bentley induces people to do. Nor does it mention
crying or laughing hysterically, screaming, shaking all over, clucking,
mooing, barking and roaring "in the spirit." This may come
as a surprise to some Christians, but being slain in the spirit is not
normative in Scripture. Read 1 Cor. 14 to learn what God wants a church
service to look like. Paul makes it clear that, "Everything should
be done in a fitting and orderly way."
I find the next clip disturbing on so many levels. Watch what's taking
place in the Ashrams of India, the cults, the New Age movement, even
inside the church! Popular Word of Faith teacher Kenneth Copeland gets
in on the act and comes close to mussing his hair: Watch
the mindless mind.
In Galatians 5:22-25 Paul describes the "fruit of the spirit"
and how to live a Spirit-filled life. Ponder these verses and decide
for yourself if the fruit produced by the Lakeland Outpouring is fresh
or rotten. The fruit of the Spirit is "love, joy, peace, patience,
kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against
such things there is no law. 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"
I wonder, are faith-healers recruited by the U.S. military to heal soldiers
at Walter Reed Army Medical Center who have sustained horrific injuries,
from lost limbs to burns to blindness. Benny is always trapsing around
the world to bring healing to the sick. One can't help but wonder how
much time he spends bring healing to our brave American soldiers. Our
Lord healed the sick in his own backyard:
As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside
begging. When he heard the crowd going by, he asked what was happening.
They told him, "Jesus of Nazareth is passing by." He called
out, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" Those who led
the way rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the
more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!" Jesus stopped and
ordered the man to be brought to him. When he came near, Jesus asked
him, "What do you want me to do for you?" "Lord, I want
to see," he replied. Jesus said to him, "Receive your sight;
your faith has healed you." Immediately he received his sight and
followed Jesus, praising God. When all the people saw it, they also
praised God" (Luke 18:34-43).
Now for more "fire
burning heat healings" from Todd Bentley. Only this time he
takes credit for a three year-old girl's resurrection from dead.
According to Charisma Magazine, Arnold Palmer Hospital denied the report.
A blogger who believes the girl was healed claims that the she died
a second time "under mysterious circumstances."[2]
After watching Bentley in action, any reasonable person would have to
conclude that the Florida Healing Outpouring is not a movement of the
Holy Spirit as those involved in it believe. This so-called "revival"
was birthed in the pit of hell. And speaking of hell, Bentley claims
that the audible voice of God told him to pretend to be demon possessed
during a Charismatic Catholic meeting. At first he argues with "God"
about it, but then caves in and does as the voice tells him. Suddenly
he finds himself "writhing around on the floor like a serpent."
Then a demonic power commences speaking from his mouth and he starts
cursing and using profanity. Fortunately for him a first-rate faith-healer
is on the scene to grab the bull by the horns. The "healer"
proceeds to cast twenty-five demons out of Bentley's body. Don't take
my word for it, watch
the next clip.
Bentley has a demon alright -- the demon of heresy! (Naming demons is
not biblical, by the way, nor is "binding demons." But that's
another article.) How can a born again Christian be possessed by demons
when the Bible says, "The one who is in you is greater than the
one who is in the world" (1John 4:4). The Holy Spirit indwells
true Christians. Moreover, the New Testament does not mention that believers
should be concerned with becoming demon possessed. So let's set the
"demons can possess believers" myth to rest once and for all.
It can't happen. Oppressed, yes, possessed, never!
Not surprisingly, Todd Bentley is obsessed with angels. Many of his
followers have heard his tall tale of how a 14-foot angel "towers
in the apartment," where he lived. Seven days after the "visitation"
he went into ministry. Listen to him "telling
the honest truth" about a "visitation from heaven"
and how it led to his healing ministry in Albany, Oregon.
It matters not to Bentley's followers that his angel encounters are
unbiblical. He has received "visitations" from the "Winds
of Change" and his money gathering angel, Emma. On money matters
Bentley offers this advice in his article, Angels and the Florida Healing
Revival:
"So when I need a financial breakthrough I don't just pray and
ask God for my financial breakthrough. I go into intercession and become
a partner with the angels by petitioning the Father for the angels that
are assigned to getting me money: 'Father, give me the angels in heaven
right now that are assigned to get me money and wealth. And let those
angels be released on my behalf. Let them go into the four corners of
the earth and gather me money.'"
Where do I begin? First, and most importantly, Bentley's understanding
of angels is unbiblical. God does not instruct humans to partner with
angels, nor are we to pray to an angel. The word "angel" means
"messenger." God sends messengers to humans via elect-holy
angels. Humans are to pray directly to the Father in heaven. Nowhere
in the bible are believers instructed to elicit the help of an angel
to accumulate wealth! Hence, the "angels" Bentley prays to
could not possibly be messengers from God. If you believe that he's
"telling the honest truth" about his "visitations,"
understand that the advice he receives is from fallen angels, AKA demons.
Had Todd Bentley taken the time to study the Bible to find out what
it says about the host of heaven, he'd know that his "visitations"
are from the dark side! (Angelology is out of the scope of this article.
If you wish to find out what the Bible says about angels, visit NewsWithViews.com
and read my articles on angels. [3]
)
Todd Bentley says he has conversations with God. He continually spouts,
"the Lord told me…" and passes along to the audience
what the Lord supposedly said. But would God really instruct him to
kick a woman in the face with a biker boot? First of all, if he actually
"obeyed" the voice, he'd have been arrested for battery! Or
sued!
What's up with the people Bentley employs? There are a number of them
on stage with him at all times. Apparently they stood idly by when he
assaulted helpless sick people, even knocked a man's tooth out! The
question Bentley's devotees must ask themselves is does this sickening
behavior in any way glorify the Holy Trinity?
I'm inclined to believe the "voice" Todd Bentley says he hears
is not God at all. Either he's hearing from demons or it's a figment
of his imagination. It is not in God's character to lie, nor would the
Almighty honor someone who blatantly twists Scripture.
Following is an excerpt from an article I wrote, Found: God's Will:
"God speaks to us through the pages of Scripture. 'For all our
talk about sola Scriptura,' says Greg Koukl, 'many also hold that God
speaks to them on a regular basis giving true information about Himself
and specific directions for their lives. Their claim is, essentially,
"I believe the Bible is a bona fide source of information and the
Spirit also gives private information directly to me." The second
step frequently follows the first: The personal, subjective sense of
what a person thinks God is telling him trumps the objective Scripture.'
" Koukl makes an important point. Should what we hear in our mind
take precedence over what Scripture says? Christians will often toss
out the phrase, 'God told me' that they should do this or that. Or 'I
felt led,' or 'I sensed that God wanted me to___' You fill in the blank.
Televangelists, who pretend to have a direct pipeline to God, prance
around in front of the TV camera, claiming to hear a 'word from the
Lord.' At the risk of sounding negative or divisive, most televangelists
teach outright heresy (I can prove it), so why would God speak to them
at all? Frauds should not expect to hear from God; they should expect
to be rebuked by God."[4]
And by the way, it's blasphemous to blame God for giving you instructions
that goes against the teaching of Scripture!
Bud Press made this insightful comment about Bentley:
" Bentley has a desire for power and experience, which has become
the ruin of many before him. If one takes Bentley's view as realistic
and tries to make it normative for today, then maybe we should continue
to write Scripture and add it to the Bible. Because that is exactly
what Bentley is doing."[5]
In their book Overrun By Demons: The Churches New Preoccupation With
The Demonic, the authors explain the working of the Holy Spirit:
" The Holy Spirit is the One who works in us and leads us, while
the Word of God is the means that He uses to bring this about. They
are best friends and never travel alone. In addition, they never have
an argument; they always agree. After all, the Holy Spirit is the agent
used by the Father to write the Scriptures, so He knows them quite well!
Therefore the Holy Spirit would never lead anyone to do anything which
conflicts with the written Word of God, no matter how convincing the
circumstances or intense the experience."[6]
Satan's counterfeit signs and wonders have one purpose: To destroy the
work of Christ. For those who are all caught up in the "sings and
wonders" movement here are a few scriptures to ponder:
" Do not listen to what the prophets are prophesying to you; they
fill you with false hopes. They speak visions from their own minds,
not from the mouth of the LORD." (Jer 13:16)
" A wicked and adulterous generation looks for a miraculous sign,
but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah." Jesus then
left them and went away" (Mat 16:4).
" Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth
in order to draw away disciples after them. So be on your guard! Remember
that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day
with tears" (Acts 20:30-31).
" Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are
trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from
heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you,
let him be eternally condemned!" (Gal 5:7-8).
" 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"
(2 Thes 2:9-10).
" For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine.
Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great
number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They
will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths"
(2 Tim 4.3-4).
There are other verses that support this point, but you get the idea.
Video clips exposing the Lakeland Outpouring abound. Some of them are
far worse than those few I have selected. Most who watch Todd Bentley
in action conclude that the man is a false prophet. In my opinion he's
deeply troubled and in dire need of prayer.
Over the years I've corresponded with a number of charismatics who have
accused me of "quenching the Holy Spirit." What I've found
is that if you don't share their experiences, you're considered "outside."
In other words, if you don't buy into the apostate "signs and wonders"
movement you lack "divine revelation." Since when does "experience"
override Sola Scriptura? "To
the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, 'If you hold to my teaching
[Scripture], you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth,
and the truth will set you free'" (John 8: 31-32).
This is why committed Christians must be in the Word' so that they will
know the truth! Knowing Scripture is the only way to become spiritually
attuned enough to spot a counterfeit. False teachers are thriving! But
in the end they will lose all they have gained here on earth. In Mat
7:21 our Lord gives this stern warning: "Not everyone who says
to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who
does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on
that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your
name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them
plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'"
So when a "miracle" takes place, test what the person is teaching!
"Do not believe every spirit," warned John, "but test
the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets
have gone out into the world" (1 John 4:1-2).
Now, I don't claim to know Todd Bentley's motives, only God knows what he's up to, but I can certainly judge his words and actions. His words are lies and his actions are dishonoring to God. Thousands are streaming into Lakeland to receive the false anointing. Visitors are treated to a magical mystical experience and a bizarre floorshow – literally! Countless people have found themselves on the floor "sizzling in the spirit." This is not an authentic revival it is a counterfeit! True revival accompanies preaching about sin, sanctification, and salvation. The unsaved leave Lakeland with no concept of sin and repentance. They have not heard the true gospel from Bentley. "By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain" (1 Cor 15:1-2).
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After
watching Bentley's performance, I'm convinced this is not a move of
God; it's a move of the Adversary. I'm also convinced that the charismatic
revival, hailed as another Great Awakening, is a lying sign and a false
revival. I realize that some lost souls are coming to Christ in Lakeland
but they're being saved in spite Todd Bentley, not because of him! This
has all come about because of a lack of spiritual depth and transformation
among those who claim to be committed Christians.
One last comment. Any pastor who advises his/her flock to visit the
Lakeland Outpouring cannot be trusted for the simple reason that he/she
is sorely lacking in spiritual discernment. Consider looking for a new
church!
Footnotes:
1,
End
Times Prophetic, Prophecy, Visions, Dreams, Revelation, Christian Blog
2,
Miracles
part 3
3,
Articles By Marsha West (A slew of angel verses
in Additional Reading below)
4,
For a biblical understanding of angles, read Unbiblical
Ideas About Angels, By Marsha West
5,
An Open Heaven- Todd
Bentley's Highway to Heaven, By Bud Press
6,
Overrun by Demons: The Churches New Preoccupation With The Demonic,
By Thomas Ice and Robert Dean, Jr., page 88, Harvest House Publishers
Additional Reading:
1,
What
Is True Revival? Originally published August, 1989, By Charles Woodruff
2, Scriptures
on angels from Sola Scriptura Project website
3, Signs
and Wonders, Heresy, and Love for God, By Mike Ratliff
4, Holy
Laughter or Strong Delusion, By Warren Smith
5, Other Todd
Bentley "healings" on YouTube
� 2008 Marsha West - All Rights Reserved
