Compiled
By S. E. Ray
Canadian
Todd Bentley doesn't look like a minister as some would expect. The 32-year-old
openly sports body piercings and tattoos on his arms and neck, which has
caused many to question his purpose and motivations.
|
On
April 2, 2008, Bentley was invited by Stephen Strader, pastor of Ignited
Church, Lakeland, Florida, to lead a one-week revival. The revival
quickly became a religious and media phenomenon, attracting up to 10,000
attendees nightly. It continued after the first week. In addition to showcasing
Bentley's evangelism, the revival features colorful light shows and power-chord
Christian rock music.
The Ignited Church quickly hired A New York public relations firm to
send out press releases claiming "documented healings." Information
and webcasts were made available via their website and the revival is streamed
live via stream - which received over 1 million hits in the first five
weeks of transmissions. After the initial weeks, GOD TV, a religious satellite
channel, decided to pre-empt its primetime programming and broadcast the
Lakeland meetings nightly.
Stepping back to 1998, the FreshFire Ministry Group asked Bentley
to give his testimony at one of their weekly meetings. Soon after, Bentley
took over the leadership of the group, which became more of a revival movement.
He works with and/or otherwise promotes Patricia King of Extreme
Prophetic, and he is also very close to aberrant Kansas City prophet Bob
Jones, supports Rick Joyner, as well as such churches as the
Toronto Airport Christian Fellowship. Todd Bentley’s neo-Pentecostalism
is Latter Rain influenced and Bentley now claims to have William Branham’s
ministry angels helping him.
The latter is where the so-called ‘Toronto Blessing’ began. The movement
is characterized by a plethora of unorthodox teachings and questionable
practices — encouraged and promoted by alleged ‘words,’ ‘prophecies’ and
‘visions’ from God, and accompanied by anything from outbreaks of uncontrollable
laughter, people acting as if they were drunk, and claims of having received
gold dust or other ’supernatural signs’ from God. Bentley’s teachings and
practices place his ministry squarely among the controversial renewal and
revival movements.
Michael Horton, who wrote “The Agony of Deceit,” which
documents fraud among televangelists, said at an interview, “I have
not yet encountered a 'faith healer' who failed to preach a different gospel
than the one that we find clearly presented in the New Testament." Many
of the faithful are understandably grieved by this bold resurfacing of
Apostolic/Third Wave/Latter Rain teaching, which is a mix of New Age teachings
and altered Pentecostal methodologies.
Even those sympathetic to Pentecostal theology are apprehensive. Mark
Balmer, pastor of the 8,000-person Calvary Church in nearby Melbourne,
FL, received so many questions about Bentley that he finally spoke regarding
his position. He said he believes "in all the gifts for today, including
healing." He also asserted: "We are not heresy hunters." He
nonetheless told his congregation "not to attend this counterfeit revival."
Lee Grady of Charisma magazine said "Charismatic and Pentecostal
leaders are divided over its legitimacy."
As background information, Todd Bentley is relatively a new Christian
with no formal training or experience in the exposition of scripture. His
history which includes drugs, criminal activities and he belonged to a
sexual molestation activist ring which is well documented and admitted
by Todd. Christians realize that a soul can be saved from these things,
however he personally claims that he was demon possessed after having been
born-again, which poses a problem considering his self-acclaimed position.
Todd attributes his actual conversion (born-again) experience to the
spirit named Emma-O, The god of the underworld. In art, Emma-O is depicted
with green or red skin, red clothes, buffalo skin, holds a loop of rope
in his left hand with which he pulls the soul from a corpse. He is documented
as the son of Surya (Sun) and twin brother of Yami, or Yamuna, traditionally
the first human pair in the Vedas, worshiped as a son of Vivasvat and Saranya,
one of the Guardians of the directions and represents the south, reports
to Lord Shiva the Destroyer, an aspect of Trimurti, Oni, oni red, oni green
demon helpers of EMMA-O AND ENMA evil angels of Hell. (Pat Holliday, Ph.D.
Book, “Angel Fire”).
After Todd's conversion, he had tattooed under his arm a depiction of
Jesus’ dead face with a subliminal monkey etched in Christ's beard. Above
the tip of the head, is a tattoo of Oni, a “Buddhist guardian devil” of
Hell. An argument is lifted up against Todd’s ongoing tattoo additions.
Even though Christian's are not under the law to fulfill righteousness,
as they are saved by grace, they are to uphold it. "You shall not make
any cuts in your body for the dead nor make any tattoo marks on yourselves:
I am the LORD." Leviticus 19:28
A visit to one of Bentley's services suggests that he knows how to turn
the big crowds into big money. ATM machines were set up alongside food
booths, providing attendees with readily available cash for the offering
plate and book purchases. At Todd’s revivals, he sells “anointed” handkerchiefs,
and takes money from people so that he may pray over them. This is normal
with the people on the Elijah list, who believe God condones taking money
from people so that they can prophesy over them.
Todd wrote on the etpv.org website in 2003 “Now let me talk about
an angelic experience with Emma. Twice Bob Jones asked me about this angel
that was in Kansas City in 1980: “Todd, have you ever seen the angel by
the name of Emma?” He asked me as if he expected that this angel was appearing
to me. Surprised, I said, “Bob, who is Emma?” He told me that Emma was
the angel that helped birth and start the whole prophetic movement in Kansas
City in the 1980s. She was a mothering-type angel that helped nurture the
prophetic as it broke out. Within a few weeks of Bob asking me about Emma,
I was in a service in Beulah, North Dakota. In the middle of the service
I was in conversation with Ivan and another person when in walks Emma.
As I stared at the angel with open eyes, the Lord said, “Here’s Emma.”
I’m not kidding. She floated a couple of inches off the floor. It was almost
like Kathryn Khulman in those old videos when she wore a white dress and
looked like she was gliding across the platform. Emma appeared beautiful
and young-about 22 years old-but she was old at the same time. She seemed
to carry the wisdom, virtue and grace of Proverbs 31 on her life.”
Without any exception that I have found, every questionable spiritual
movement is marked by intervening Angels giving guidance, not necessary
God’s Word or the residing Spirit of Truth. Joseph Smith, Neale Donald
Walsch, Jose Luis De Jesus Miranda, Jerry and Esther Hicks, Rhonda Byrne,
Helen Schucman, JZ Knight… the list is long for those who are popular and
have spirit guides from the fallen realm. Bob Jones and Todd Bentley and
their spirit guide “Emma” are not different. It should be interesting to
note, in the book of angels, Emma (Imma Ila'ah, feminine, in the Kabbalah)
means “Embrace Everything.” Also closely related, another name used is
“Emma-O“, which in Japanese mythology means “King of Hell” or Satan.
These workers fruits are self-evident. Bob “was removed from the
Vineyard Anaheim because of sexual improprieties, which consisted of encouraging
women to undress in his office so they could stand ‘naked before the Lord’
in order to receive a ‘word.’” I am sure as a man; he was totally pure
in motivation. Todd “Bam” Bentley runs and kicks people in the stomach
with advance colon cancer while ignoring children lined up in wheelchair,
who hope in vain that the revival is real and they might get healed. Instead
people leave in a hypnotic state from the charismatic frenzy. Many attendees
speak of new oppressions and those who claimed to be healed from a malignant
condition die anyway. It has been noted by some critics of Todd's ministry,
all Biblical divine healings lasted for the rest of the person's natural
life.
How does one explain some of the healings if there is in fact a question
regarding the authenticity of Todd's manifestations? We are warned explicitly
in Scripture that the devil transforms himself into an angel of light",
and that in the last days will come 'Lying signs and wonders' that
will "deceive if possible the very elect." Paranormal healing has
been in existence in the world since the creation, performed by shaman
and faith healers. It is the oldest healing art. But the problem with this
type of healing is that it is a lying wonder and opens the door to demonic
influence, demonization, even possession. A lying wonder is not necessarily
a false wonder or false miracle, but it is, more importantly, a miracle
claimed to be from God but whose source is really from the realm of darkness.
This type of healing leads the person into bondage to the enemy, symptoms
that recipients have been reporting under Todd's revival. "For the head
of the beast will be healed and all the world wondered after the beast"
Revelations 13:3
Attaining a trance-like state as many do at these revivals, doesn't
immediately reveal anything about the origin of the manifestation. Every
spiritual manifestation can have one of three different origins (divine,
demonic or human). The discerning of spirits is necessary to identify the
origin. Because the same manifestation, like falling down and shaking violently
or tongues for example, can be caused either by God's Spirit, by a demonic
influence or merely by the person's own propagations. Trances, prophetic
ecstasy and manifestations are expounded from both the Old and New Testament.
Interesting occurrences of ecstasy can be found in the biblical stories
of Adam, Abraham, David and Saul, Daniel, Peter, and Paul.
Undisputedly, there have been revivals in Europe and other parts of
the world since the Early Church. A very long time before John Wesley,
Jonathan Edwards, Smith Wigglesworth or the Pentecostal awakening, Europe
has experienced the gifts of the Holy Spirit, healing, deliverance, manifestations
of the Holy Spirit. The gifts and manifestations of the Holy Spirit have
been present non-stop since the Apostles. Church history clearly reveals
this fact. However, a believer must be wise as a serpent, but gentle as
a dove regarding the testimony of the leaders of such movements, comparing
their words and actions to the Word of God. We are to test all things and
hold fast to what is good.
There will be many fakes, or many “Who are called by His name”, but
very few who are authentic, this is just the facts. The authentic workers
are those who work without recognition or fanfare as Christ and the Apostles
did. They don’t seek fame, recognition, money and may never be known, such
is the humble and contrite heart of the devout. Those of the Pharisee spirit,
egocentric and endued by unbenevolent powers seek an exuberant audience,
allocades, recognition, and make a spectacle of the precious gifts of God
like a side show circus. Those prone to the charismatic (emotional) bent
will easily succumb to the false light thus blinded to see the plight of
error, whereas such is the power of hypnotic manipulation.
A.W.
Tozer sums it up perfectly is his normal precision:
"Many
tender-minded Christians fear to sin against love by daring to inquire
into anything that comes wearing the cloak of Christianity and breathing
the name of Jesus. They dare not examine the credentials of the latest
prophet to hit their town lest they be guilty of rejecting something which
may be of God. They timidly remember how the Pharisees refused to accept
Christ when He came, and they do not want to be caught in the same snare,
so they either reserve judgment or shut their eyes and accept everything
without question. This is supposed to indicate a high degree of spirituality.
But in sober fact it indicates no such thing. It may indeed be evidence
of the absence of the Holy Spirit. Gullibility is not synonymous with spirituality.
Faith is not a mental habit leading its possessor to open his mouth and
swallow everything that has about it the color of the supernatural. Faith
keeps its heart open to whatever is of God, and rejects everything that
is not of God, however wonderful it may be. Try the spirits is a command
of the Holy Spirit to the Church. We may sin as certainly by approving
the spurious as by rejecting the genuine. And the current habit of refusing
to take sides is not the way to avoid the question. To appraise things
with a heart of love and then to act on the results is an obligation resting
upon every Christian in the world. And the more as we see the day approaching."
Scriptures
for Reference
“Through
thy precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate every false way.”
Psalm 119:104
“Beloved,
believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God:
because many false prophets are gone out into the world.” John
4:1
“Beware
of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly
they are ravening wolves.”
Matthew 7:15
"At
that time if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or, 'There
he is!' do not believe it. For false Christs and false prophets will appear
and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect—if that
were possible. See, I have told you ahead of time."
Matthew 24:23-25
"For
there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained
to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness,
and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.” Jude
1:4
“But
the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from
the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons.” 1
Timothy 4:1
"But
false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be
false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies,
even denying the Master who bought them bringing swift destruction upon
themselves. Many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the
way of the truth will be maligned; and in their greed they will exploit
you with false words; their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their
destruction is not asleep."
-2 Peter 2:1-3
“I
know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not
sparing the flock; and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking
perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them.”
Acts 20:29-30
“See
to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy,
which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world
rather than on Christ. Do not let anyone who delights in false humility
and the worship of angels disqualify you for the prize. Such a person goes
into great detail about what he has seen, and his unspiritual mind puffs
him up with idle notions. He has lost connection with the Head, from whom
the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews,
grows as God causes it to grow.” Colossians
2:8, 18-19