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.

Related posts:

1. Deception in Lakeland, Florida – False 'Revival'
2. What happens when a demon-oppressed man preaches…
3. How to fill the pews (with false converts)