There was an earthquake this morning in the northwestern suburbs of Chicago, near Elgin, IL. Several folks around here felt it. It reminded me of the words of Jesus:

“You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains” (Matthew 24:6-8).

I just saw that Todd Bentley is back at it again, now claiming to be restored. I first highlighted Todd Bentley in a brief video blog showing false prophets, and again when I exposed the demonic activity occurring at the Lakeland, Florida revival. But I never really explained who he is and where he came from. This is going to be a lengthy post, but it is more for reference material so just skim it if you want. I didn’t want to do a multi-part series on Bentley, I’d rather just get it all out in one post, so here goes.

Todd Bentley was a Canadian Christian evangelist who was the key leader of the Lakeland revival. He has a checkered past, including engaging in criminal gang activities when he was a teenager which resulted in a 1991 conviction for sexually assaulting a seven-year-old boy. Bentley was invited by Stephen Strader, the pastor of Ignited Church in Lakeland, Florida to lead a one-week revival beginning in early April 2008. The revival quickly became a religious and media carnival, attracting up to 10,000 attendees nightly with Bentley as the primary preacher. Bentley was known to forcefully kick, hit, smack or knock over participants. In one incident, a man was knocked over and lost a tooth. In another, an elderly woman was intentionally kicked in the face. Bentley held that the Holy Spirit led him to heal in these ways. Check out YouTube for tons of examples of this stuff, just type in “Todd Bentley,” also check out my vlog on false prophets. The two violent instances of healing listed above are relayed directly from Bentley in this video, which also addresses some other recent false mega-evangelists.

Let me begin with some direct quotes from Bentley. These mostly come directly from his book, abbreviated from here on out as JITM (a full list of sources is available at the bottom of this post). I hope nobody tries accusing me of not listening to what Bentley has to say, because I’ve seen enough of him on YouTube and have now read most of his book.

After hands were laid on him, Bentley received a personal angel. Writing about this, he believes God spoke to him concerning this personal angel:

“This is your angel, the angel from John 5 (at the pool of Bethesda). Everywhere you go the angel goes. I want you to be a part of taking healing revival to the nations. I don’t want you to have just a gift of healing. I want you to be a part of what has been prophesied, in breaking through and seeing the fulfillment of healing revival” (JITM, p. 239).

Two months after being saved, Bentley says:

“The heavens opened with a bright flash and a white dove materialized out of thin air and flew across the lake to a nearby tree. Although it was a single dove, it sounded as the flapping wings of ten thousand doves. The noise filled the sky and rumbled in my spirit; the sound of a ripping, rushing, and mighty wind filled my ears. As a result… I had received not only tongues, but also an enduement [sic] of power from on high for miracles, signs and wonders” (JITM, p. 83).

Speaking about his power, Bentley writes:

“… when people visited me at home, they’d get zapped by an invisible, electrical force field in whatever room I was in, and then bounce back. . . . Shonnah my wife went down under the power as I walked into the kitchen” (JITM, p. 86).

But this power wasn’t always divine. Bentley relates an incident that occurred during a worship service:

“I was overcome by a demon. I threw myself at the chairs and knocked them flying. I screamed, cursed, and writhed on the floor like a snake. Then I rolled and screamed and tried to avoid the four or five guys who tried to restrain and deliver me” (JITM, pp. 97-98).

Bentley records many other instances of being controlled by demons after being saved (JITM, p. 109). Bentley immediately began envisioning a large ministry like those of Reinhardt Bonnke and Benny Hinn (JITM, p. 113). He writes:

“I would imagine myself preaching in Africa and could picture stadiums filled with multitudes or see people healed and raised from the dead. It was like a sanctified day-dream” (JITM, p. 112).

While initially he recognized and even prayed against his own pride, he eventually came to the conclusion that he wasn’t proud at all. He was simply living a “kingdom principle,” which he defines as, “What you see, you be” (JITM, pp. 112-113). He talks a lot about his practice of “marinating and pickling in the Holy Spirit” (JITM, p. 117), during which he has seen “the tree of life” appear in his living room, and he also relays:

“Angels also started to appear during my soaking times. They’d come into my bedroom as pillars of shimmering light moving to and fro…. Once, just before my commissioning into ministry, a huge angel appeared in my living room. He stood about twenty feet tall and towered through the ceiling of the apartment above. His massive chest was level with my ceiling! (JITM, p. 133).

Need I remind anyone of 2 Corinthians 11:13-15?

“For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve.

But did people legitimately get healed under his ministry? Not really. In his book Christianity In Crisis, Hank Hanegraaff shares the stories of several folks who brought their children to the revival only to receive counterfeit healing or no help at all. He also shares how the individual responsible for keeping track of verified healings could not produce even one record of substantiated proof to those that requested it.

So what was the fruit of Bentley’s ministry? What happened to the revival? Wikipedia tells it well:

“Bentley announced his separation from his wife, Shonnah, in August 2008, and resigned from the Board of Fresh Fire. A statement released by the remaining Board members said ‘Todd Bentley has entered into an unhealthy relationship on an emotional level with a female member of his staff’, and that he will ‘refrain from all public ministry for a season to receive counsel in his personal life’.

In the wake of this some Christian commentators referred to their belief that the Bible holds ministers to high standards, and that marital unfaithfulness is incompatible with Christian leadership. Leaders who had aligned themselves with Bentley have spoken of their desire to see him and his family spiritually restored; a committee made up of Rick Joyner, Jack Deere, and Bill Johnson has been formed to oversee this process. However, on November 28 the Board of Fresh Fire stated that Bentley was not currently submitting to this process, and was in their opinion, guilty of adultery. It later became apparent that “his relocation to Fort Mill was repeatedly delayed due to problems securing a permanent visa.”

On March 9, 2009, Rick Joyner announced that Bentley had remarried. Bentley has relocated to Joyner’s ministry in Fort Mill, South Carolina where he will be involved in a “process of restoration,” although the authenticity of this will be debated.

Charisma magazine interviewed Rick Joyner who said that the couple acknowledged that the relationship was wrong and premature, but that the relationship did not begin until Bentley was convinced his first marriage could not be saved. Joyner told Charisma that they communicated that they were committed to their marriage and would “continue to serve the Lord in the best way that they can.”

Hmm, it makes a big difference that they only began having the affair after they were convinced his marriage could not be saved (note my sarcasm). Wow, what a blatant disregard for God’s teachings concerning adultery, divorce and remarriage. So while Bentley was leading the Lakeland revival, he was also having an adulterous affair with a female staff member, and when his sin was exposed the revival fell apart and many people were left hurt and confused. Not to mention the thousands of folks who came from all over the world and received demonic impartations under the guise of “anointings.”

Jesus said in Matthew 7:15-23:

“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.

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!’”

For more information about Todd Bentley, check out Deception Bytes, a blog by a man who once served under Rick Joyner’s ministry. He has written several posts about Bentley and his deception. I’m sure you will also find out quite a bit simply by Googling his name. I hope this was helpful.

SOURCES:

• JITM – Todd Bentley, Journey into the Miraculous: Experiencing the Touch of the Supernatural God. (Shippensburg, PA: Destiny Image Publishers, 2008)
• Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Todd_Bentley.

This was forwarded to me, it comes from Global Advance’s newsletter. I found it to be an excellent balanced perspective on the Haiti crisis:

Thoughts on the Disaster in Haiti by David Shibley.

The world has been shocked to see the devastation of an entire nation as a massive earthquake seems to have had its epicenter in the very densely populated downtown area of Port-au-Prince , Haiti ’s capital city. Already one of the poorest nations on Earth, this most recent horror has greatly compounded the agonies facing this island nation.

Calamities prompt us to ask, “Why?” There are no pat answers. A complete answer will come in heaven when all our questions will be fully resolved by our Father who loves us. Until then we may not be able to understand fully why such tragedies occur, but it’s important that we anchor our attitudes in Scripture. Here are several heart attitudes we should maintain.

1. Show compassion. Christians need to be the first responders in any crisis. God’s heart is for people. Every human being should feel a natural humanitarian impulse to help. But compassion is compounded in us as believers because “the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit” (Ro. 5:5). The Bible calls us to identify with those who suffer. We are to “weep with those who weep” (Ro. 12:15).

Christians should lead the world in responding to human need – and we do. It is a dazzling testimony when Christians rush to meet the needs of all who suffer, no matter what their faith. At the same time other religions are often sluggish in aiding their own adherents, if they respond at all. Our love speaks volumes. Jesus said, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven” (Mt. 5:16).

2. Be slow to judge. In the wake of the earthquake in Haiti I heard some people say this was judgment on the nation. That is not for us to determine. It is true that two places in the Western Hemisphere that have been hit hardest by natural disasters – New Orleans and Haiti – are also the two areas where the occultic practice of voodoo has been most prevalent in the Western Hemisphere. And it is true that in 1791 a group of Haitian slaves plotting revolt against the French officially dedicated the nation to Satan. But it is also true that in 1997 many Haitian Christians gathered to renounce this act with repentance, prayer, and fasting. Today, statistics indicate that at least 22 percent of Haiti ’s people are evangelical Christians, and the number is rising. We need to remember that many Christians as well lost their lives in this disaster. I know of one Bible school in Port-au-Prince that lost 30 students.

We seem to need a place to pin the blame for tragedies we cannot understand. This was the case when the disciples saw a blind man and immediately assumed his condition was because of someone’s sin. “Who sinned,” they asked Jesus, “this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus replied that the man’s blindness was not because of the man’s sin or his parents’ (Jn. 9:1-3). It is humanity’s great thief, the devil, who comes “to steal, kill and destroy” (Jn. 10:10).

3. Be quick to repent. Too often we cast aspersions on others without examining our own hearts. It was a common belief in Jesus’ day that the men who suffered sudden death when a tower fell on them were worse sinners than others. Jesus rejected such twisted reasoning. “Do you think they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem ? I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish” (Lu. 13:5). These are tough words from our Lord. But they call us to examine our own hearts before we judge the spiritual condition of others.

4. Remember that the earth is under the curse of sin. Not only did man fall with Adam’s sin but the earth itself was affected. The Bible says that the world “groans and labors in birth pangs” (Ro. 8:22). The result is the actual shifting of the earth that produces natural disasters. The fact is our planet is not yet restored. We look toward Christ’s coming rule when there will be “new heavens and a new earth” (2 Pe. 3:13).

5. See natural disasters as a “wake-up call”. Jesus promised there would be an increase in natural convulsions just prior to His return. These phenomena would include “earthquakes in many parts of the world” (Mt. 24:7 NLT). These tragic events call us to “prepare to meet your God.” How should we respond to large-scale human disasters?

• Pray for those who suffer. Just as this earthquake caused shockwaves throughout Haiti and the neighboring Dominican Republic , your prayers can reverberate to the ends of the earth. There is no distance in prayer. The Bible says to “open your mouth for the speechless, in the cause of all who are appointed to die” (Prov. 31:8). Your prayers can truly make a world of difference.
• Give generously. An important way to show heart-felt compassion is by giving to help alleviate suffering. When disasters strike, we honor the Lord by giving financially to Christian relief organizations that provide humanitarian aid to the victims. Compassion is measured in tangible ways such as giving and volunteering to help meet the needs of the victims of calamities. “As we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith” (Gal. 6:10).
• Pray that God will use this tragedy to bring people to Him. Many survivors are groping for answers. Those without Christ not only have been stripped of life’s basic necessities, they also have no hope. In tragedy’s aftermath many hearts are open to Jesus. He is the great “shelter in the time of storm” (Psa. 61:2-3.)
• Recommit to the urgency of evangelism. Suddenly lives can be snatched into eternity. This should press us to do all we can, while we can, to reach people for Christ. There is always a holy imperative in evangelism and missions. “Night is coming when no one can work” (Jn. 9:4).

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, even though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; though its waters roar and be troubled . . . Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth” (Psa. 46:1-2, 10).

* * *

This article is based on a previous article written in January 2005 in the wake of the tsunami that hit twelve Asian nations. Global Advance is monitoring the situation in Haiti through two trusted missions organizations, one based in Haiti and the other in the Dominican Republic. As a missions organization ourselves, we are sending funds to be utilized for relief through these two on-site ministries. We will seek ways to encourage and equip Haitian pastors and Christian businesspersons in the days and months ahead.

UPDATE: I apologize for this post. I am still learning. All human tragedies point us towards our universal need of repentance. I cannot label a tragedy as though I know the mind of God. iMonk makes a great point:

Thanks for caring enough to correct me.

ORIGINAL POST:

John Piper recently wrote a blog post about the recent Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA) statement concerning human sexuality, in which they condone homosexuality as an acceptable lifestyle for clergy (as well as for everyone else). The ELCA convention in which they adopted this statement was held on Wednesday, August 19, 2009 at 2pm. An eyewitness writes about a tornado that touched down near the convention center:

This curious tornado touches down just south of downtown and follows 35W straight towards the city center. It crosses I94. It is now downtown.

The time: 2PM.

The first buildings on the downtown side of I94 are the Minneapolis Convention Center and Central Lutheran. The tornado severely damages the convention center roof, shreds the tents, breaks off the steeple of Central Lutheran, splits what’s left of the steeple in two…and then lifts.

A major Christian denomination decides to accept the homosexual lifestyle as biblical, and a huge tornado destroys part of the convention center and breaks the cross off the steeple at the ELCA church next door. Coincidence? I think not. John Piper offers some great commentary on this at his blog, including a picture of the broken steeple.

Yup, out of town again. See if you can guess where I am, comment and I’ll tell you if you’re right or wrong. This will be easy for a few of my readers

I just pre-ordered Derek Webb’s new album, Stockholm Syndrome, last night. Along with the pre-order came the ability to download all of the original album immediately, so I’ve been listening to it ever since. There was quite a bit of contention surrounding the album. Here’s a blurb from an email I got:

Because of controversy with Derek’s record label, there will be two versions of the album released (a ‘clean’ and an ‘explicit’ version), hitting physical and digital shelves on September 1st, 2009. But directly from Derek will be the only way to get Stockholm Syndrome in its entirety and original sequence, including the controversial song ‘What Matters More’.

And why wait until September? All pre-orders come with an IMMEDIATE full digital download of Stockholm Syndrome.

Choose from SIX different pre-order options, including ‘digital-only’ packages with lots of digital extras, 3 different quality resolutions (including HD) of ‘Paradise Is A Parking Lot’ (the hour-long documentary film about Stockholm Syndrome), full multi-track stems of the entire album (in WAV format) for remixing, limited edition Stockholm Syndrome t-shirts and much more.

Pre-Order Now

I’ve really been enjoying the album, I love how Webb “pushes the envelope” when it comes to Christian music. In the past, his songs “Wedding Dress” and “I Repent” have blown me away with their authenticity and bluntness (sorry I couldn’t find “I Repent” on YouTube).

But back to the controversy. It centers around the song “What Matters More,” in which Webb uses the words “shit” and “damn” and talks about how he wants Christians to stop picking on gays. His label, INO Records, thought the song was too sketchy to be included in the album. This actually happens quite a bit in the Christian music industry, but Derek Webb did something most artists don’t: he made it public knowledge to his fans. I got an email about a month ago from Webb stating:

. . . . it seems i’ve finally found the line beyond which my label can support me, and apparently i’ve crossed it. . . . the majority of the controversy is surrounding one song, which i consider to be among the most important songs on the record. so we’ve decided it’s an appropriate time to break the rules.

but because of various legal/publishing issues we’re having to be rather careful with how we do what we’re going to do next. that’s really all i can say for now and i’ve probably said too much.

we have a plan and we’re moving ahead, but we’re not sure what kind of trouble we might be getting into. we’ll let you know as soon as we know our next move-
derek

Jeff Wright over at Pursuing Truth offers a great response I’d like to share:

Webb is basically saying that Christians ought to have bigger concerns than spending an inordinate amount of time condemning homosexuals. It’s not necessary to read into what Webb is saying and conclude that he’s implying that homosexuality is not a sin or that the issue is not important. I don’t know what his convictions are on those points. What he says is “If I can tell what’s in your heart by what comes out of your mouth, Then it sure looks to me like being straight is all it’s about.” Maybe you can say he’s exaggerating a bit to get his point across but its difficult to argue him on this.

The amount of time and energy spent confronting the issue of homosexuality is certainly greater than the time and energy that could be spent on matters that are equally important or more so. Webb speaks of the 50,000 people who are dyin’ today which appears to be reference to world poverty (MakePovertyHistory claims “50,000 people die every day from poverty-related causes”). Is it controversial to assert that Christians ought to focus on the hungry, poor and sick as much or more than we do the issues related to the growing acceptance of homosexuality? Its hard to believe that a damn record label would ban an album over such shit. Sounds like the issue has more to do with colloquial sensitivities than moral philosophy.

I leave us with the words of great apostle Paul who penned these inspired words of Scripture:

“But indeed I also consider everything to be loss on account of the surpassing knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, on account of whom I forfeited all things; and I consider them shit so that I may gain Christ.” Philippians 3:8

Well said, Jeff – or should I credit the Apostle Paul?

With no further ado, here is the song “What Matters More” by Derek Webb:

This is an amazing reminder that all life is precious and valuable to God. Charles Lehmann reminds us that God does not desire the death of a sinner:

It is tempting for many of us to look at the death of Michael Jackson with just a little bit of quiet happiness. Though he was never convicted of the crime, many think he may have been a child molester. It’s quite possible that he was.

But it’s worth remembering that Jesus loves rapists, child molesters, wife beaters, politicians, and even you and me.

Jesus was so grieved by the eternal death that Michael Jackson, you, and I deserve that He was willing to be arrested for a crime He didn’t commit, undergo the worst torture that humans had conceived of to that day, and suffer the most ignominious death imaginable. He even underwent being utterly forsaken by God the Father. He died completely alone, with all the sins of the entire history of the world on His shoulders.

If it would have only been for Michael Jackson, He would have still done it. He loved him that much even if he was a child molester.

So, here is my request.

Do not begrudge the grief of those who mourn for Michael Jackson. Since it would appear that Jackson ended his life in fellowship with the Watchtower Society, there is probably no one more grieved at his death than God. It was God’s hatred of death, even the death of Michael Jackson, that moved him to destroy it once and for all on the cross.

Jesus’ grave is empty, and so shall all graves be.

Do not rejoice over the death of a sinner even if you are not mourning.

Besides, what makes you better than a rapist or a child molester? Your sin has earned the same reward theirs has.

But your sin has also been forgiven by the same Savior! What a wonderful God He is!

Seth Godin came up with some phenomenal ideas for unemployed college students to attempt to accomplish in a year, but I think the list could be helpful for a much larger audience. If someone were to accomplish even a few of the items on this list, his or her job prospects would increase exponentially.

Check it out

P.S. I’m very proud of myself for using “his or her” rather than “their” in the second-to-last sentence. The English language doesn’t have a gender-neutral pronoun that works well in those kinds of sentences. We use “their” to avoid sexism in language, but it is actually improper English. I’ve been reading books on grammar to improve my writing lately, and I HIGHLY recommend Woe Is I: The Grammarphobe’s Guide to Better English in Plain English, Second Edition. By the way, improving your writing is also a good strategy for enhancing your job prospects.

Here’s two photos. See if you can guess where I was at this weekend. No cheating! (You can click the images to view them in full size).

And here is a closeup of the club house (hint hint) behind me:

So, where was I this weekend?

1-800-GOOG-411

Hat tip to Cyberbrethren for pointing this out.

Google now offers absolutely free 411 service — and more. Google is always taking it one step further. . . . Check out this video:

Go to http://www.google.com/goog411/ for more information. Technology never ceases to amaze me. . . .