In addition to the fact that the Voice of Healing Revival provided a theatrical means for Jim Jones to build his following in the People's Temple, it also produced two very dangerous heretical movements which are infiltrating Christianity to this day. These two movements are the Latter Rain Movement and the Word of Faith Movement. Bentley, like Jim Jones has quite obviously been influenced by the theatrical show of the movement- thus taking it to an entirely new level. He has also been influenced by both movements as clearly seen when looking into his preaching!
The Word of Faith Movement gained its popularity through the ministry of Oral Roberts- who had his ministry launched to success through the Voice of Healing Movement in the 1940's. The basic heretical teaching of the movement is that faith is a force which is put into motion by our words. God himself is bound by the force of our words. For example, if I were to say I am a millionaire- God would be bound by the my words to make me a millionaire.
While most churches that would have to be termed Word of Faith do not claim such, their teachings reflect it. One thing the Word of Faith Movement has done effectively is have a statement of faith consistent with church history on the essentials so that they can make it look like they are within the realm of Orthodox Christianity. From an examination of the teachings taught from the actual pulpit- it is apparent that such a statement of faith is nothing more than a means of window-dressing. 2 Peter 2:1 we are warned that there will be false prophets among us that will secretly introduce destructive heresies. Whereas most cults will tell you straight up what they believe in a statement of faith, the Word of Faith Movement sugarcoats it by giving it to you in bits and pieces. Most of the controversial and heretical statements are spoken from the pulpit. Statements like the following: "Satan conquered Jesus on the cross." "Jesus had to pay a ransom to Satan in order to purchase our atonement." "We are little gods." "The Trinity is composed of nine persons." Word of Faith teachers include teleevangelists like Benny Hinn, Kenneth Copeland, Kenneth Hagin (whose movement Bentley is a part of), Robert Tilton, TD Jakes, Joel Osteen, Morrus Cerillo, Creflo Dollar, Paul and Jan Crouch, Jesse Duplantis, Eddie Long, Richard and Oral Roberts, Marilyn Hickey, and David Yonggi Cho among many others too numerous to name. Most of them can be seen on TBN or the Inspiration Network.
While TBN and INSP showcase many Word of Faith teachers, GodTV highlights teachers of the Latter Rain Movement like Rodney Howard-Browne, Patricia King, Rick Joyner, Mike Bickle, Bob Jones etc. Much like the Word of Faith Movement, you will very rarely find a church that actually claims to be Latter Rain. Most churches like Morningstar Ministries in Rock Hill, S.C. have a statement of faith as a means of window-dressing but is contradicted or expanded upon if you take the time to listen to the actual preaching and teaching.
The Latter Rain Movement is not much different than other cult that has existed throughout history. Its teachers claim that the church has been in an apostate state for years and that they are called to restore the church to perfect truth by means of their prophecies and revelations in order to pave the way for the return of Christ who will come once the church is perfected. Though the teaching appears new, like most heresies it actually has its origins in the first few centuries of the church when a heretical teacher named Montanus proclaimed himself as the prophet sent for the End to restore the church to all truth.
The primary heretical teachings of the Latter Rain Movement are the tangible anointing, the Restoration of the Tabernacle of David, and the Manifest Sons of God doctrine. The idea that the anointing is tangible is the driving force behind the success of revivals like the Pensacola Outpouring, the Toronto Blessing, and currently the Florida Healing Outpouring. That is why people feel that they have to go to these places in order to receive a special touch from God. In truth I John 2:20 tells us that the anointing of the Holy Spirit abides withus from the beginning of our salvation and therefore is not something that can be touched or transferred.
The Restoration of the Tabernacle of David teaches that there is a perfect form of worship which will lead us into perfection. In places like Morningstar, Mike Bickle's International House of Prayer, and the Florida Healing revival- this form of worship is used with much repetition of the choruses. In actuality, it is more like a chant than anything else- thus imitating the worship of Eastern/New Age Religions. That is not such a surprise these days since we see someone like Bentley claiming New Age practices under the banner of the Christian faith. The New Age invasion of Christianity has long been attempted but never has it been so successful as with Bentley. In the same way that he Socialist message in America was attempted long before Jim Jones, but was never used to gain such a huge following in the way that he did before he led 918 people to drink koolaid laced with cyanide in the greatest mass cult suicide in history.
Finally, the Latter Rain Movement teaches that instead of Christ returning in glory- he is actually waiting for the church to become perfect so that he can literally incarnate his body in the form of the corporate church. This is the manifest Sons of God doctrine. None of these teachings come out directly in a statement of faith but there is clear evidence of them in the reading of the leaders' books and bulletins. In The Final Quest, Rick Joyner for instance states that the whole Christian community is about to be consumed by a bloody Civil War. He uses such a statement to validate that there will be a no way of worship and ministry to replace the old. While methods change throughout history, God's word must remain as supreme authority. In the teachings and practices of the Latter Rain Movement- it clearly has not. As an example to show how Joyner often departs from his window-dressed statement of faith there are a couple of quotes he has made in which he says that Jesus was not a man, but rather a spirit. Such a teaching was the basis of the cult of Gnosticism from which the writings of Nag Hammadi (including the Gospel of Thomas emerged).
Recently in defense of Bentley's frequent experiences with angels, Rick Joyner posted a Q & A bulletin in which he stated "The Bible talks about angels far more than anyone. Having encounters with angels is more normal than not having them. Some people I think are concerned because they are not having encounters themselves. Biblically the lack of encounters with angels should be more of a concern than having encounters with them." In other words according to Joyner, if you are not having encounters with angels- there must be something spiritually wrong with you. I am currently looking into the teachings of Gnosticism as I think that idea is consistent with the teachings of Gnosticism. I will verify as soon as I have more information.
Both of the above movements are a very dangerous shift away from historical Christianity. Looking at them now, I get a good chuckle. I am reminded of a time when I myself had to come out of some of the darkness I have written about here. It is very dangerous. This ideology threatens Christianity's foundation in the same way that Communism/Socialism did 50 years ago. Now a leader like Todd Bentley who holds to the beliefs of these two movements has gained popularity and notoriety with many followers who would die for his cause. In much the same way that many followers were willing to die for the cause of Jim Jones. That is why we must beware and we must warn everyone about this dark and deadly deception.
In my next post, I will write about the manifestations you see in modern day "revival movements." I will talk about what the source of those manifestations is and will tell of how they are now being accepted in the church. I will furthermore expose the origins of these practices tracing their history back to Eastern/New Age religious practice. I will ultimately answer the question is it possible to use pagan practices to draw closer to God as long as our mindset is on the person of Jesus Christ.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
The Voice of Healing Movement!
Both Jim Jones and Todd Bentley were influenced by the Latter Rain Movement which sprung forth from the Voice of Healing revival that took place in the 1940's. The leaders of this Voice of Healing revival were William Branham A.A. Allen, Jack Coe, Oral Roberts. There were other leaders like O.L. Jaggers who as mentioned before laid hands upon and pronounced over Jim Jones a very special prophetic ministry. However, the four listed above are the most prominent of the movement.
In Branham (whose mantle and angel Bentley claims), we find very dangerous doctrines like a denial of the Trinity, the teaching that Eve had sex with the serpent and from that union Cain was conceived, further taught that God gave man 3 books (Zodiac, pyramid, and Bible), believed that he was Elijah returned, also the latter day angel to the church of Laoidecea, and prophesied that by 1977 the rapture would take place. Branham was notorious for his ability to discern the details of people's lives. He would call out these details as they came up on stage and he prayed for them. We know that years later Jim Jones had creative ways of learning info about people before services so that he could use the same tactics. I'm not sure if the same was true of Branham. We have seen in recent history in teleevangelist Peter Popoff exposed for having a mic in his ear to assist with his "words of knowledge." After Branham's death in a car accident in 1965, his followers waited by his gravesite for one week convinced that he would rise from the dead. However, it never happened. Yet, today there is a cult built around William Branham called the Branhamites who believe that "He was the greatest prophet that ever lived."
While Branham was known for words of knowledge, Jack Coe was known for picking people up out of wheelchairs to try to convince them they were healed. If they fell, he would say that it was because they did not have enough faith. Coe warned there was a coming a day that anyone who went to see a physician would have to take the mark of the beast. However, when he himself came down deathly sick- he would take the mark of the beast and consult a doctor. He died of bolbar polio at 38 years old. When he died, O.L. Jaggers (who would later lay hands on Jim Jones) tried to convince his wife Juanita that he could raise Jack from the dead. Juanita declined to accept Jaggers' offer. Jaggers offered this because he claimed that God had revealed to him the formula for how to attain physical immortality in this world.
A.A. Allen was known as "God's man of faith and healing power." Allen's healing services looked more like a sideshow. He was most known for his "ability" to build the faith of the crowd in order to see someone healed. I watched this personally on the God's Generals video series compiled by Roberts Liardon. Allen taught that God had given him the ability to turn $1 bills into $20 bills. He was of one the first ministers to promise financial blessing to those who gave to his ministry. In 1955, Allen was arrested for drunk driving in Tennessee. After the arrest, he was stripped of his credentials with the Assemblies of God (AoG). After being stripped of his credentials, Allen would play the role of martyr claiming that he was knocked unconscious and framed by men who poured alcohol down his throat. Many followers bought Allen's alibi, and his ministry continued. However he died in 1969 with cirrhosis of the liver, and was found to be drinking yet again on the night that he died as he had a high level of blood alcohol content.
I have yet to watch a video on Jaco Coe. However, I have seen the videos on William Branham and A.A. Allen. Allen's video especially appears to be more of a theatrical sideshow than anything else. I am convinced that that is what he was was nothing than a theatrical sideshow. The video I watched looked too staged for me to believe that it was real. Branham on video appeared humble, but he himself claimed some outrageous stories like a tree talking to him to confirm his calling. I'm not saying that that is impossible, but we must test things in light of scripture. We know that Branham taught dangerous doctrines and therefore we must call into question the claims of his supernatural enccounters. If he did indeed have supernatural encounters, the bad fruit of false doctrine which spread from his ministry must make us question the source of those encounters.
I'm not disputing that some people did get healed in the meetings of the above men. However, healing does not validate a ministry as being from God. Jesus verifies that in Matthew 7:22-23 when he says "There are many who will say to me on that day 'Lord, Lord did we not drive out demons in your name and in your name perform many miracles' and I will say to them 'Away from me, you evildoers, I never knew you.'
The theatrics seen in the Voice of Healing Revival Movement impressed a young 24 year old pastor, Jim Jones, who later used the same theatrics in order to build his following at the People's Temple which as I have mentioned eventually led to the death of 918 people in the greatest mass cult suicide in history. Years later, we see Todd Bentley using the same theatrics and taking them even further than we could have ever imagined. I am hoping the day never comes that he says, "God told me we must all drink koolaid laced with cyanide if we want revival to break out." But given the extent to which he has already gone with his violent ministry claims, it is sadly not that unlikely that he would indeed go that far- and people would still believe him.
The Voice of Healing Movement is also where Oral Roberts got his start in ministry in the 1940's. I do not have much information on his involvement other than the fact that it did launch him to success in ministry. Oral Roberts is a prosperity preacher and one of the main figures in the Word of Faith Movement which sprung forth out of the Voice of Healing Movement. Roberts is notorious for his claim in 1987 that he needed to raise $8 million in three months are God was going to bring an end to his life. I remember watching that as an 8 year old little boy.
As noted, the Word of Faith Movement sprung forth from the Voice of Healing Movement. Most of the preachers on TBN are a part of that movement. The Word of Faith Movement did not seem to miss a beat even in the midst of the controversy of the Voice of Healing leaders. It has dominated our television screens for years. On the other hand, the Latter Rain Movement which also was a product of the Voice of Healing Movement all but vanished for a couple of decades before being revived in the 1980's.
In my next post, I will detail in specific the dangerous doctrines of both the Latter Rain Movement and the Word of Faith Movement as I trace their history from the 1940's to the present. I will also provide a list of ministers currently on your tv screen that hold to the teachings of these movements.
In Branham (whose mantle and angel Bentley claims), we find very dangerous doctrines like a denial of the Trinity, the teaching that Eve had sex with the serpent and from that union Cain was conceived, further taught that God gave man 3 books (Zodiac, pyramid, and Bible), believed that he was Elijah returned, also the latter day angel to the church of Laoidecea, and prophesied that by 1977 the rapture would take place. Branham was notorious for his ability to discern the details of people's lives. He would call out these details as they came up on stage and he prayed for them. We know that years later Jim Jones had creative ways of learning info about people before services so that he could use the same tactics. I'm not sure if the same was true of Branham. We have seen in recent history in teleevangelist Peter Popoff exposed for having a mic in his ear to assist with his "words of knowledge." After Branham's death in a car accident in 1965, his followers waited by his gravesite for one week convinced that he would rise from the dead. However, it never happened. Yet, today there is a cult built around William Branham called the Branhamites who believe that "He was the greatest prophet that ever lived."
While Branham was known for words of knowledge, Jack Coe was known for picking people up out of wheelchairs to try to convince them they were healed. If they fell, he would say that it was because they did not have enough faith. Coe warned there was a coming a day that anyone who went to see a physician would have to take the mark of the beast. However, when he himself came down deathly sick- he would take the mark of the beast and consult a doctor. He died of bolbar polio at 38 years old. When he died, O.L. Jaggers (who would later lay hands on Jim Jones) tried to convince his wife Juanita that he could raise Jack from the dead. Juanita declined to accept Jaggers' offer. Jaggers offered this because he claimed that God had revealed to him the formula for how to attain physical immortality in this world.
A.A. Allen was known as "God's man of faith and healing power." Allen's healing services looked more like a sideshow. He was most known for his "ability" to build the faith of the crowd in order to see someone healed. I watched this personally on the God's Generals video series compiled by Roberts Liardon. Allen taught that God had given him the ability to turn $1 bills into $20 bills. He was of one the first ministers to promise financial blessing to those who gave to his ministry. In 1955, Allen was arrested for drunk driving in Tennessee. After the arrest, he was stripped of his credentials with the Assemblies of God (AoG). After being stripped of his credentials, Allen would play the role of martyr claiming that he was knocked unconscious and framed by men who poured alcohol down his throat. Many followers bought Allen's alibi, and his ministry continued. However he died in 1969 with cirrhosis of the liver, and was found to be drinking yet again on the night that he died as he had a high level of blood alcohol content.
I have yet to watch a video on Jaco Coe. However, I have seen the videos on William Branham and A.A. Allen. Allen's video especially appears to be more of a theatrical sideshow than anything else. I am convinced that that is what he was was nothing than a theatrical sideshow. The video I watched looked too staged for me to believe that it was real. Branham on video appeared humble, but he himself claimed some outrageous stories like a tree talking to him to confirm his calling. I'm not saying that that is impossible, but we must test things in light of scripture. We know that Branham taught dangerous doctrines and therefore we must call into question the claims of his supernatural enccounters. If he did indeed have supernatural encounters, the bad fruit of false doctrine which spread from his ministry must make us question the source of those encounters.
I'm not disputing that some people did get healed in the meetings of the above men. However, healing does not validate a ministry as being from God. Jesus verifies that in Matthew 7:22-23 when he says "There are many who will say to me on that day 'Lord, Lord did we not drive out demons in your name and in your name perform many miracles' and I will say to them 'Away from me, you evildoers, I never knew you.'
The theatrics seen in the Voice of Healing Revival Movement impressed a young 24 year old pastor, Jim Jones, who later used the same theatrics in order to build his following at the People's Temple which as I have mentioned eventually led to the death of 918 people in the greatest mass cult suicide in history. Years later, we see Todd Bentley using the same theatrics and taking them even further than we could have ever imagined. I am hoping the day never comes that he says, "God told me we must all drink koolaid laced with cyanide if we want revival to break out." But given the extent to which he has already gone with his violent ministry claims, it is sadly not that unlikely that he would indeed go that far- and people would still believe him.
The Voice of Healing Movement is also where Oral Roberts got his start in ministry in the 1940's. I do not have much information on his involvement other than the fact that it did launch him to success in ministry. Oral Roberts is a prosperity preacher and one of the main figures in the Word of Faith Movement which sprung forth out of the Voice of Healing Movement. Roberts is notorious for his claim in 1987 that he needed to raise $8 million in three months are God was going to bring an end to his life. I remember watching that as an 8 year old little boy.
As noted, the Word of Faith Movement sprung forth from the Voice of Healing Movement. Most of the preachers on TBN are a part of that movement. The Word of Faith Movement did not seem to miss a beat even in the midst of the controversy of the Voice of Healing leaders. It has dominated our television screens for years. On the other hand, the Latter Rain Movement which also was a product of the Voice of Healing Movement all but vanished for a couple of decades before being revived in the 1980's.
In my next post, I will detail in specific the dangerous doctrines of both the Latter Rain Movement and the Word of Faith Movement as I trace their history from the 1940's to the present. I will also provide a list of ministers currently on your tv screen that hold to the teachings of these movements.
Monday, July 21, 2008
Bentley's connections to the Prophetic Movement!
In addition to his own estranged beliefs, his similiarities to Jim Jones, and the personality cult that has been built around his totalitarian style of ministry, another reason to be concerned about Todd Bentley are the people he is connected with. In the same way that O.L. Jaggers of the Latter Rain Movement pronounced over Jim Jones in 1955 that he had a very special prophetic calling upon his life- Todd Bentley was mentored by Bob Jones who taught him how to take trips to heaven each day and pronounced a very special healing ministry upon his life.
Bob Jones is actually the one that introduced Todd Bentley to the Angel Emma. Jones informed Bentley that she is the same angel that birthed the prophetic movement in the 1980's and furthermore that she also guided the ministry of William Branham. Jones himself claims to take trips to the Third heaven each day. Jones is a big proponent of the false teaching that there is coming a second Pentecost even greater than the first. This Latter Rain teaching leads Jones to conclude that prophets and apostles in these last days will be greater than the ones that lived in New Testament times. Each of these teachings by Bob Jones is also held by Rick Joyner and Mike Bickle.
While Jones teachings are clearly flawed, there is more to Jones than just flawed teachings. In 1991, some women came forward and said that Jones had used his prophetic ministry to get them to strip naked in his office so that they could receive a word from him and then after they had stripped naked fondled them sexually as he gave them the prophetic word they were seeking. Jones admitted guilt. However, John Wimber founder of the Vineyard Church which Jones was a part of at that time said that Jones did have a very prophetic gifting on his life and thus told his followers to judge him by his gifting and not by his character.
This statement was contradictory to one that had occurred a couple years prior in the ministry of Paul Cain, the only member of the prophetic movement who also had involvement with the Voice of Healing Movement in the 1940's and 1950's. When Cain made a false prophecy in the late 1980's, Wimber came to his defense urging people to judge him on his character and not his prophetic competence. Years after Wimber's death in 1997 we would find reason to judge Cain's character. For years Paul Cain had led people to believe that he was "a eunuch of the Lord." That God had supernaturally taken all sexual desire out of his libido. In 2004, however, it was revealed that Cain had concocted this story to cover up the fact that he was a homosexual. Cain has not been restored to ministry yet because he prophesied the "Great End Times harvest" would begin in Florida he was invited by Todd Bentley to the platform to address the audience at the revival- this in full view of his lack of repentance.
Both Cain and Jones have had significant influence on the ministry of Rick Joyner of Morningstar Ministries in Fort Mill, South Carolina. In March 2008, Joyner held a conference to honor the Fathers of the Voice of healing revival in the 1940's and 50's. In honoring them, Joyner did acknowledge some of their faults exposing some of the false doctrines that the man held to. However, the general sense I have from talking to someone who attended the conference is that Joyner promoted these men as men of great power that had to come from God. In an online advertisement for the conference, Joyner states "I was given a dream that if we would honor the Fathers, the Lord would release revival to America within 6 months. This will be a great time to celebrate some of the men and women of God in our times, and also to receive an impartation from them." The purpose of this conference was to honors the Fathers of the Voice of Healing Revival which (with the exception of Oral Roberts and Paul Cain- who were not guest speakers at the conference) were all dead. So when Joyner says it will be a great time to honor and receive an impartation from them- was he promoting the notion of receiving an impartation from the dead? Shortly after the conference, "revival in Lakeland broke out on April 2. Morningstar had a "Holy Spirit Outbreak" follow three weeks shortly after.
Prior to Joyner's dream, Bob Jones had told Todd Bentley in December the Third Wave, the Winds of Change would be coming in 2008. Jones prophesied that it would be a global move. As we see both Joyner's dream and Jones prophecy have come true- by one of their very close associates and students, Todd Bentley. That brings us to the question of whether or not this is indeed a move of God or a well thought out scheme of a few men who made prophecies and had one of their own self-fulfill that prophecy.
In my next post, I will deal with the Voice of Healing Revival of the 1940's and 50's, and probe into the teachings and practices of deceased men like William Branham (whose mantle Bentley claims), A.A. Allen, Jack Coe, and the still living Oral Roberts. In that post, I will expose the very dangerous doctrines that arose from the movement- and formed two movements that are still trying to infiltrate the church to this day- The Latter Rain Movement and the Word of Faith Movement.
Bob Jones is actually the one that introduced Todd Bentley to the Angel Emma. Jones informed Bentley that she is the same angel that birthed the prophetic movement in the 1980's and furthermore that she also guided the ministry of William Branham. Jones himself claims to take trips to the Third heaven each day. Jones is a big proponent of the false teaching that there is coming a second Pentecost even greater than the first. This Latter Rain teaching leads Jones to conclude that prophets and apostles in these last days will be greater than the ones that lived in New Testament times. Each of these teachings by Bob Jones is also held by Rick Joyner and Mike Bickle.
While Jones teachings are clearly flawed, there is more to Jones than just flawed teachings. In 1991, some women came forward and said that Jones had used his prophetic ministry to get them to strip naked in his office so that they could receive a word from him and then after they had stripped naked fondled them sexually as he gave them the prophetic word they were seeking. Jones admitted guilt. However, John Wimber founder of the Vineyard Church which Jones was a part of at that time said that Jones did have a very prophetic gifting on his life and thus told his followers to judge him by his gifting and not by his character.
This statement was contradictory to one that had occurred a couple years prior in the ministry of Paul Cain, the only member of the prophetic movement who also had involvement with the Voice of Healing Movement in the 1940's and 1950's. When Cain made a false prophecy in the late 1980's, Wimber came to his defense urging people to judge him on his character and not his prophetic competence. Years after Wimber's death in 1997 we would find reason to judge Cain's character. For years Paul Cain had led people to believe that he was "a eunuch of the Lord." That God had supernaturally taken all sexual desire out of his libido. In 2004, however, it was revealed that Cain had concocted this story to cover up the fact that he was a homosexual. Cain has not been restored to ministry yet because he prophesied the "Great End Times harvest" would begin in Florida he was invited by Todd Bentley to the platform to address the audience at the revival- this in full view of his lack of repentance.
Both Cain and Jones have had significant influence on the ministry of Rick Joyner of Morningstar Ministries in Fort Mill, South Carolina. In March 2008, Joyner held a conference to honor the Fathers of the Voice of healing revival in the 1940's and 50's. In honoring them, Joyner did acknowledge some of their faults exposing some of the false doctrines that the man held to. However, the general sense I have from talking to someone who attended the conference is that Joyner promoted these men as men of great power that had to come from God. In an online advertisement for the conference, Joyner states "I was given a dream that if we would honor the Fathers, the Lord would release revival to America within 6 months. This will be a great time to celebrate some of the men and women of God in our times, and also to receive an impartation from them." The purpose of this conference was to honors the Fathers of the Voice of Healing Revival which (with the exception of Oral Roberts and Paul Cain- who were not guest speakers at the conference) were all dead. So when Joyner says it will be a great time to honor and receive an impartation from them- was he promoting the notion of receiving an impartation from the dead? Shortly after the conference, "revival in Lakeland broke out on April 2. Morningstar had a "Holy Spirit Outbreak" follow three weeks shortly after.
Prior to Joyner's dream, Bob Jones had told Todd Bentley in December the Third Wave, the Winds of Change would be coming in 2008. Jones prophesied that it would be a global move. As we see both Joyner's dream and Jones prophecy have come true- by one of their very close associates and students, Todd Bentley. That brings us to the question of whether or not this is indeed a move of God or a well thought out scheme of a few men who made prophecies and had one of their own self-fulfill that prophecy.
In my next post, I will deal with the Voice of Healing Revival of the 1940's and 50's, and probe into the teachings and practices of deceased men like William Branham (whose mantle Bentley claims), A.A. Allen, Jack Coe, and the still living Oral Roberts. In that post, I will expose the very dangerous doctrines that arose from the movement- and formed two movements that are still trying to infiltrate the church to this day- The Latter Rain Movement and the Word of Faith Movement.
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Bentley's visions and experiences
In this post, I intend to give you a list of some of the experiences Bentley is claiming. I don't have many comments of my own to add, because really the experiences should speak for themselves. Either he really has had these experiences and they are from God and we should receive him as someone of great authority, or he is deluded and deceiving and we should seek to expose him as such. Read these stories and let me know what you think!
When he was in Redding, California Jesus literally appeared to him in the flesh. He had eyes just like Bambi and he placed his hands upon Todd's shoulder.
Shortly after his conversion he was knocked out of his body by an angel and had to fight with the angel in order to find his way back into his body. As he did so, he discovered that this was his own angel.
Also shortly after his conversion he saw the tree of life about 20 foot tall literally in his apartmet living room.
In one of his third heaven experiences Bentley had a conversation with the apostle Paul who gave him the answer to the 2000 year old debate on who actually authored Hebrews, informing Bentley that he (Paul) himself was in the third heaven conversing with Abraham who helped him write the epistle and that is why it has long been debated.
In another trip to the third heaven Todd found himself on an operating table where angels were cutting him open and putting boxes into him. These boxes represented God supernaturally placing in him the character that it takes 40 years for most Christians to obtain in their struggle with their flesh. God did this because he lost track of time and with the notion of time which he himself created working against him- he had to find a "quick fix" to make up that lost time.
The angel that guides Bentley's ministry is the same angel that guided the ministry of William Branham- who denied the Trinity, taught that Eve had sexual relations with the serpent and conceived Cain by means of that union, believed that he was the second coming of Elijah the prophet, taught that he was the angel to the latter day church of Laodicea, and furthermore that by 1977 all denominations would be consumed into the World Council of Churches at which time the rapture would take place.
Bentley's spirit one time left his body and he found himself in the Himalayan mountains conversing with Indian Christian mystic Sadhu Sundhar Singh, who he learned the practice of contemplative prayer from. This same Singh believe in universalism, that no matter what people believe in the end all will be in heaven with out any eternal consequence for their sins.
Bentley's spirit once left his body and went to a prison cell where it proclaimed the gospel to prisoners.As I have said before, there are many stories that could be told about Bentley's claims but they are so numerous that if we were to write about all of them there would not be enough room in the world to contain the books that would be written.
If I may be sarcastic for a moment, if after reading all this you believe that Bentley did have all these experiences and that they are of God- I have some beach front property in Arkansas I am trying to sell- I will even give you a discount on it. Perhaps Bentley really does believe he had all these experiences and that they are indeed of God. If so, then that is only more cause to be concerned.
I would much rather think of him simply be a conartist deceiving the masses to make a big buck- then someone who sincerely believes all that he claims. However, the same mistake was made by people with Jim Jones in the 1970's. There are many who simply thought of him as a conartist manipulating people to make a big buck. Anyone who had friends and family who died in the greatest mass cult suicide in our history now regrets that they did not give a little more serious attention to the thought that Jim Jones might indeed believe what he said to the extent that he would get people to end their lives in death by drinking of the cyanide poison.
In full view of that fact, I can not and will not in good conscience treat Bentley as simply being a conartist. We really need to consider the question of whether or not we have another Jim Jones on our hand. If we do, we need to be bold and speak out like never before until we bring an end to this great demonic deception and see it sent straight back to the "pits of hell" where it came from.
In my next post, I will talk about Bentley's connection to the prophetic movement which was birthed in the 1980's. The post will contain the raw facts on leaders like Paul Cain and Bentley's mentor,Bob Jones who both have been allowed to minister in Lakeland in full view of acts of indecency that both men have committed. I will also talk about Rick Joyner of Morningstar Ministries and the conference he had earlier this year in which he honored the leaders of the Voice of healing revival in the 1940's and 1950's- in full view of the fact of the very dangerous heresies of some of these men honored- like William Branham.
When he was in Redding, California Jesus literally appeared to him in the flesh. He had eyes just like Bambi and he placed his hands upon Todd's shoulder.
Shortly after his conversion he was knocked out of his body by an angel and had to fight with the angel in order to find his way back into his body. As he did so, he discovered that this was his own angel.
Also shortly after his conversion he saw the tree of life about 20 foot tall literally in his apartmet living room.
In one of his third heaven experiences Bentley had a conversation with the apostle Paul who gave him the answer to the 2000 year old debate on who actually authored Hebrews, informing Bentley that he (Paul) himself was in the third heaven conversing with Abraham who helped him write the epistle and that is why it has long been debated.
In another trip to the third heaven Todd found himself on an operating table where angels were cutting him open and putting boxes into him. These boxes represented God supernaturally placing in him the character that it takes 40 years for most Christians to obtain in their struggle with their flesh. God did this because he lost track of time and with the notion of time which he himself created working against him- he had to find a "quick fix" to make up that lost time.
The angel that guides Bentley's ministry is the same angel that guided the ministry of William Branham- who denied the Trinity, taught that Eve had sexual relations with the serpent and conceived Cain by means of that union, believed that he was the second coming of Elijah the prophet, taught that he was the angel to the latter day church of Laodicea, and furthermore that by 1977 all denominations would be consumed into the World Council of Churches at which time the rapture would take place.
Bentley's spirit one time left his body and he found himself in the Himalayan mountains conversing with Indian Christian mystic Sadhu Sundhar Singh, who he learned the practice of contemplative prayer from. This same Singh believe in universalism, that no matter what people believe in the end all will be in heaven with out any eternal consequence for their sins.
Bentley's spirit once left his body and went to a prison cell where it proclaimed the gospel to prisoners.As I have said before, there are many stories that could be told about Bentley's claims but they are so numerous that if we were to write about all of them there would not be enough room in the world to contain the books that would be written.
If I may be sarcastic for a moment, if after reading all this you believe that Bentley did have all these experiences and that they are of God- I have some beach front property in Arkansas I am trying to sell- I will even give you a discount on it. Perhaps Bentley really does believe he had all these experiences and that they are indeed of God. If so, then that is only more cause to be concerned.
I would much rather think of him simply be a conartist deceiving the masses to make a big buck- then someone who sincerely believes all that he claims. However, the same mistake was made by people with Jim Jones in the 1970's. There are many who simply thought of him as a conartist manipulating people to make a big buck. Anyone who had friends and family who died in the greatest mass cult suicide in our history now regrets that they did not give a little more serious attention to the thought that Jim Jones might indeed believe what he said to the extent that he would get people to end their lives in death by drinking of the cyanide poison.
In full view of that fact, I can not and will not in good conscience treat Bentley as simply being a conartist. We really need to consider the question of whether or not we have another Jim Jones on our hand. If we do, we need to be bold and speak out like never before until we bring an end to this great demonic deception and see it sent straight back to the "pits of hell" where it came from.
In my next post, I will talk about Bentley's connection to the prophetic movement which was birthed in the 1980's. The post will contain the raw facts on leaders like Paul Cain and Bentley's mentor,Bob Jones who both have been allowed to minister in Lakeland in full view of acts of indecency that both men have committed. I will also talk about Rick Joyner of Morningstar Ministries and the conference he had earlier this year in which he honored the leaders of the Voice of healing revival in the 1940's and 1950's- in full view of the fact of the very dangerous heresies of some of these men honored- like William Branham.
Jim Jones and Todd Bentley
Any time I deal with exposing what I believe to be false teachers and false prophets, people always ask me, "Why Chad are you so concerned about this area? Can you not just let God be the judge." Today I am going to tell you a very tragic story that will answer why I can not and will not just sit back and let things run their course. Its full culmination came in the very year of my birth as 918 people were led into the greatest mass suicide in our history.The leader of this group, The People's Temple, was Jim Jones. You have probably heard of him, as your parents and others that were living at that time remember the story all too well. My mother describes it to this day saying "It seems like it was just yesterday that I saw the news." How did a man like Jim Jones gain such a following? Let's look at his background.
He started as a Methodist Youth Pastor in 1952 served in that role for three years before accepting a position as Associate Pastor at an Assemblies of God Church in Indiana. After that, he relocated to Redwood Valley in California where he would found The People's Temple and thus be ordained as a minister with the Disciples of Christ. To those of you who argue that all you need to look for is whether a person says "Jesus is Lord" and that "he came in the flesh," in order for them to be validated- let me ask you do you think Jim Jones would have ever been allowed to serve with either of the three legitimate Christian dominations above if he did not at least say that he believed "Jesus was Lord" and that He did indeed come "In the flesh." Allow me to also point out that if you limit the test to those two criteria, then the Mormon church (Church of Jesus Christ LDS) would have to be accepted as a legitimate Christian denomination. Anyone can give lip service that they don't mean with their spirit, the Pharisees were masters of that in scripture.
In 1955, Jones attended a Latter Rain Pentecostal Conference where Rev. O.L. Jaggers laid hands on him and pronounced over him that he had a very special prophetic calling on his life. It was at that conference that Jones saw Pentecostalism as a perfect opportunity to draw the masses in. He would go on to hold many faith healing services where there were dramatic resurrections from the dead, people would come up out of their wheelchairs, and others would have tumors pulled from their bodies. We know from history Jones used sleight of hand to trick his followers into believing that these miracles and resurrections from the dead were actually taking place.
Much like Todd Bentley, he had no details and no clear documentation of any healings. All people saw were the dramatic enactments taking place on stage. Jones was clever in the enactments. For example, he had chicken gizzards that he pulled out from up his sleeve to make it look as if he was pulling tumors from people's bodies. I have no doubt that even in the meetings of Jones some probably did get healed, as I'm sure there are some in Bentley's that have as well but it has everything to do with Jesus and nothing to with Bentley or Jones or the atmosphere around them. The Holy Spirit works in accordance with his own will, in his own time, and he doesn't need any man to touch you in order for you to be healed. Though I believe in the gift of healing as described in I Corinthians 12- I don't believe you need to be touched by any person in order to be healed.
At one time, Jones' church had 8000 members. As tragic as the Jonestown incident was- thank God that it was only 918 and not 8000 people who were deceived into taking cyanide poison. As I think back, I wonder how many people were there in those days who if they had not been silent could have saved some lives.It may be premature to say that Bentley is another Jim Jones, but I think we should consider that possibility.
What I am confident in saying is that Bentley is definitely a false prophet and I am praying continually that his ministry is sent straight back to the "pits of hell" where it came from. Bentley has encouraged others to seek angelic experiences as if they are normal. For the record, angels are only even mentioned in less than 1% of all the scriptures and people actually having encounters with them is only mentioned in less than one tenth of a percent of all the scriptures. Yet Bentley is trying to say that angelic encounters are normal in scripture. And Rick Joyner of Morningstar Ministries in defense of Bentley says that "Biblically, the lack of encounters with angels should be more of a concern than having encounters with them."
Still in its infancy, the meetings in Lakeland have all the signs of a cult. Bentley is a very totalitarian leader with a strong charismatic persona infiltrating his followers with an us vs. them mentality. He is claiming more visions and dreams in which he has come into contact with the Almighty God and other Biblical saints, which if true he has more experiences of the kind than anyone in the history of the Christian Church.
What I can not speak for is his sincerity, but sincerity alone can not be judged as criteria for this man and his ministry being of God- for there are plenty throughout history that have been sincerely wrong. Eleven years ago, Marshall Applewhite sincerely believed that the UFO's were orbiting around the planet when he saw Haley's Comet, and his sincere belief led him and 38 followers to commit suicide in order that their spirits may jump on the UFO ship and they thus would go to the next planet where they would reach a higher stage of evolution.
He started as a Methodist Youth Pastor in 1952 served in that role for three years before accepting a position as Associate Pastor at an Assemblies of God Church in Indiana. After that, he relocated to Redwood Valley in California where he would found The People's Temple and thus be ordained as a minister with the Disciples of Christ. To those of you who argue that all you need to look for is whether a person says "Jesus is Lord" and that "he came in the flesh," in order for them to be validated- let me ask you do you think Jim Jones would have ever been allowed to serve with either of the three legitimate Christian dominations above if he did not at least say that he believed "Jesus was Lord" and that He did indeed come "In the flesh." Allow me to also point out that if you limit the test to those two criteria, then the Mormon church (Church of Jesus Christ LDS) would have to be accepted as a legitimate Christian denomination. Anyone can give lip service that they don't mean with their spirit, the Pharisees were masters of that in scripture.
In 1955, Jones attended a Latter Rain Pentecostal Conference where Rev. O.L. Jaggers laid hands on him and pronounced over him that he had a very special prophetic calling on his life. It was at that conference that Jones saw Pentecostalism as a perfect opportunity to draw the masses in. He would go on to hold many faith healing services where there were dramatic resurrections from the dead, people would come up out of their wheelchairs, and others would have tumors pulled from their bodies. We know from history Jones used sleight of hand to trick his followers into believing that these miracles and resurrections from the dead were actually taking place.
Much like Todd Bentley, he had no details and no clear documentation of any healings. All people saw were the dramatic enactments taking place on stage. Jones was clever in the enactments. For example, he had chicken gizzards that he pulled out from up his sleeve to make it look as if he was pulling tumors from people's bodies. I have no doubt that even in the meetings of Jones some probably did get healed, as I'm sure there are some in Bentley's that have as well but it has everything to do with Jesus and nothing to with Bentley or Jones or the atmosphere around them. The Holy Spirit works in accordance with his own will, in his own time, and he doesn't need any man to touch you in order for you to be healed. Though I believe in the gift of healing as described in I Corinthians 12- I don't believe you need to be touched by any person in order to be healed.
At one time, Jones' church had 8000 members. As tragic as the Jonestown incident was- thank God that it was only 918 and not 8000 people who were deceived into taking cyanide poison. As I think back, I wonder how many people were there in those days who if they had not been silent could have saved some lives.It may be premature to say that Bentley is another Jim Jones, but I think we should consider that possibility.
What I am confident in saying is that Bentley is definitely a false prophet and I am praying continually that his ministry is sent straight back to the "pits of hell" where it came from. Bentley has encouraged others to seek angelic experiences as if they are normal. For the record, angels are only even mentioned in less than 1% of all the scriptures and people actually having encounters with them is only mentioned in less than one tenth of a percent of all the scriptures. Yet Bentley is trying to say that angelic encounters are normal in scripture. And Rick Joyner of Morningstar Ministries in defense of Bentley says that "Biblically, the lack of encounters with angels should be more of a concern than having encounters with them."
Still in its infancy, the meetings in Lakeland have all the signs of a cult. Bentley is a very totalitarian leader with a strong charismatic persona infiltrating his followers with an us vs. them mentality. He is claiming more visions and dreams in which he has come into contact with the Almighty God and other Biblical saints, which if true he has more experiences of the kind than anyone in the history of the Christian Church.
What I can not speak for is his sincerity, but sincerity alone can not be judged as criteria for this man and his ministry being of God- for there are plenty throughout history that have been sincerely wrong. Eleven years ago, Marshall Applewhite sincerely believed that the UFO's were orbiting around the planet when he saw Haley's Comet, and his sincere belief led him and 38 followers to commit suicide in order that their spirits may jump on the UFO ship and they thus would go to the next planet where they would reach a higher stage of evolution.
Quenching Discernment!
I agree that we should be careful not to quench the spirit of God. However let us not be so worried about quenching the spirit of God moving in extraordinary ways, that we quench the Spirit's call for us to use discernment and sound judgment when evaluating the teachings, stories and practices of leaders like Todd Bentley.
If we believe all that Bentley has said, then he has had more encounters with angels, Biblical saints, and God himself than anyone in the history of the Christian church. Either all these experiences are true, or some if not all are just cleverly invented stories used to put the stamp of authority on his ministry and his teachings. If these stories did indeed occur in their entirety, we should accept Todd Bentley as someone sent on a mission from God with great authority. If the stories did not occur in their entirety, then we have no choice but to recognize him as deluded and deceitful and seek to expose him as such.
Some people will say that my belief and proclamation that he is the latter of those two makes me guilty of the unforgiveable sin of blaspheming the Holy Spirit, but what if in reality- those who support his ministry are the ones themselves who are blaspheming the Holy Spirit by not answering His call to discernment. Others will say that I am consumed with a Spirit of Religion that makes me skeptical of the miracles, signs, and wonders that are said to take place in Bentley's meetings. Let me make clear that I believe very firmly in the operation of spiritual gifts including miracles, signs, and wonders among us today, but there is no greater spirit of religion that consumes man than to believe that we need any more of a miracle, sign, or wonder to confirm the gospel than what Christ himself gave us in His resurrection from the dead.
This is a very tender subject for me, because in 1997- I started to awaken to the fact that I had been sorely deceived by a movement much like the one Bentley is apart of. That began a journey that was long, hard, and depressing which at times made me feel alone and abandoned by God. In reality I was the cause of my suffering because I lived my faith based more on the emotions of the moment than I did on the commitment of a lifetime.It is a miracle that I am even in relationship with God today, because it would have been much easier for me to bail out spiritually. In the process of this journey, I almost did bail out literally as I contemplated the thought of suicide. Thank God for resources that opened my eyes to the truth and God my feet planted firmly on the right foundation.
In Ephesians 5:13 Paul writes "But all things become visible when they are exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light." That's an amazing concept that God shines a light on our darkest places so that we can become a light to others and lead them out of those darkest of places. That is why I am going to contribute to this post. My prayer is that those of you who may be sarcastically deemed as the "Todd Bentley KGB" will read my testimony with an open mind and an open heart and allow God to speak to you through it. If your thoughts on Bentley are accurate- they will stand up in light of having an open mind and an open heart to discern the truth. I ask you to begin by considering that Bentley might not be sent from God, that he indeed may very well be a counterfeit enough that you will search the scriptures and put this to the test in the same way that the Bereans tested Paul.
In closing let me say that while I was so angry at myself for buying into the counterfeit like I had up until 1997, I was more angry at myself for misleading others along with me. The only thing more tragic than being deceived by a counterfeit is leading others into that deceit with you. So I pray that your mind will be open to read my testimony and to discern the spirits present in this so-called "move of God ."
If we believe all that Bentley has said, then he has had more encounters with angels, Biblical saints, and God himself than anyone in the history of the Christian church. Either all these experiences are true, or some if not all are just cleverly invented stories used to put the stamp of authority on his ministry and his teachings. If these stories did indeed occur in their entirety, we should accept Todd Bentley as someone sent on a mission from God with great authority. If the stories did not occur in their entirety, then we have no choice but to recognize him as deluded and deceitful and seek to expose him as such.
Some people will say that my belief and proclamation that he is the latter of those two makes me guilty of the unforgiveable sin of blaspheming the Holy Spirit, but what if in reality- those who support his ministry are the ones themselves who are blaspheming the Holy Spirit by not answering His call to discernment. Others will say that I am consumed with a Spirit of Religion that makes me skeptical of the miracles, signs, and wonders that are said to take place in Bentley's meetings. Let me make clear that I believe very firmly in the operation of spiritual gifts including miracles, signs, and wonders among us today, but there is no greater spirit of religion that consumes man than to believe that we need any more of a miracle, sign, or wonder to confirm the gospel than what Christ himself gave us in His resurrection from the dead.
This is a very tender subject for me, because in 1997- I started to awaken to the fact that I had been sorely deceived by a movement much like the one Bentley is apart of. That began a journey that was long, hard, and depressing which at times made me feel alone and abandoned by God. In reality I was the cause of my suffering because I lived my faith based more on the emotions of the moment than I did on the commitment of a lifetime.It is a miracle that I am even in relationship with God today, because it would have been much easier for me to bail out spiritually. In the process of this journey, I almost did bail out literally as I contemplated the thought of suicide. Thank God for resources that opened my eyes to the truth and God my feet planted firmly on the right foundation.
In Ephesians 5:13 Paul writes "But all things become visible when they are exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light." That's an amazing concept that God shines a light on our darkest places so that we can become a light to others and lead them out of those darkest of places. That is why I am going to contribute to this post. My prayer is that those of you who may be sarcastically deemed as the "Todd Bentley KGB" will read my testimony with an open mind and an open heart and allow God to speak to you through it. If your thoughts on Bentley are accurate- they will stand up in light of having an open mind and an open heart to discern the truth. I ask you to begin by considering that Bentley might not be sent from God, that he indeed may very well be a counterfeit enough that you will search the scriptures and put this to the test in the same way that the Bereans tested Paul.
In closing let me say that while I was so angry at myself for buying into the counterfeit like I had up until 1997, I was more angry at myself for misleading others along with me. The only thing more tragic than being deceived by a counterfeit is leading others into that deceit with you. So I pray that your mind will be open to read my testimony and to discern the spirits present in this so-called "move of God ."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)