(Picture via Wikipedia)

QUOTE: "I don’t understand why anyone in their right mind would ever give Todd Bentley a platform again. I believe in redemption, but for some things you forever forfeit your public ministry. This man has proven by his lifestyle to be who he is, and our churches shouldn’t be using him, period." —Assemblies of God General Superintendent George O. Wood.

Response: As it now stands I am sadly in agreement with this statement. Even worse, Bentley has obviously become a divisive issue in the church. One point however, I do hold out the possibility that Todd could be properly restored but not in the direction he seems to be going right now. Any comments? Please keep it civil and constructive.

Link: A Charisma News update on Todd Bentley

One response to the update:  J. Lee Grady- “The Tragic Scandal of Greasy Grace”

(-Todd Bentley via Wikipedia)

Here’s a link to one more article by J. Lee Grady about Lakeland: 

"20/20 Hindsight: What I Hope We Learned From the Lakeland Revival"

Grady lists a few points that he hopes that we can agree on.  Some lessons he hopes we have learned from the Lakeland experience:

Lesson #1: Accountability. Accountability. Accountability.

Lesson #2: The one-man show is over.

Lesson #3: Chill out.

Lesson #4: Character is more important than anointing.

Lesson #5: Lay hands on no man quickly.

Lesson #6: You can’t have revival without repentance.

He also provides a link to a new statement (Nov.28) by the directors of Fresh Fire Ministries on Todd Bentley.

Response: Re: #1,2,and 6 –I am in total agreement with. Re: #4 -Character is just as important as an anointing. However, God has used flawed servants to do incredible ministries in the past. Re: #5 -Todd was not new to ministry, he had been ministering with a healing anointing for quite a few years. Who gave Todd the anointing in the first place?

The greatest disappointment to me was that it remained a one-man show that fell apart when the one man fell. I had hoped that it would just be the beginning of a move that would spread across the country and that thousands of unknown leaders would take it to another level. 

The statement by Fresh Fire is sad to say the least. We need to continue to remember Todd and particularly his family in our prayers.           *Top

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• Update: Lakeland Outpouring is ‘Officially’ Over?

Picture by eager sky via Flickr

The final ‘official’ meeting of the Lakeland Outpouring was held Sunday (Oct.12)at Ignited Church, six months after Canadian evangelist Todd Bentley launched the daily revival meetings in Lakeland, Florida. Gone were the lights, TV  cameras, healing evangelist, and large tent.

But is it really over?

Actually, the effects of the outpouring continue in a number of different venues and locations.

According to the Charisma article, it continues in a number of different European churches including a significant continuing revival in Dudley, England.

Also, the revival has spread to other churches in the Lakeland area. Here is a recent report from David Copeland of Revival Now Ministry and Carl Thomas of Revival Blog.            *Top 

-The Sound of Thunder

-Cerulean Sanctum

-Gentle Wisdom

-The Revival Blog 

I’m Still Looking For Revival

Myself, I am still looking for revival to sweep across all of North America and affect 100’s of churches in hundreds of different places all at the same time. Then like a tidal wave engulf the UK and wash up on the shores of France and Northwestern Europe. A revival coming soon near you.

A revival that crosses all the man-made divisions and denominations. A revival with no ‘superstars’ to elevate or tear down. A revival that looks to Jesus, engages culture, and brings repentance and change. A revival with lots of healing, that brings folks closer to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

So many are looking for Jesus to come for his church, I’m looking for him to come to it. Come to it? What exactly does that mean? I’m not entirely sure what that means except it’s a ‘word’ that I keep hearing in the Spirit and the church is going to get closer to Jesus and his people will hear his voice in a profound way.

I look for a revival that will bring with it ‘a changing of the guard’ and a whole bunch of new young leaders.  A revival that will change the face of the American church–the end of ‘churchianity’ and the beginning of greater outreach to the community.

This is what I was looking for when the Lakeland outpouring started and had hoped it would be the beginning of. In spite of all the controversy and division in the aftermath, I am still looking for revival…

I say, Come Lord Jesus and surprise us!         *Top

So what does this mean? Are those folks that were healed now required to give back the blessing? Those who where raised from the dead around the world in response to prayer, are they now required to give up and die? All the folks that I know who received a blessing from the Lakeland Outpouring–are they now supposed to deny that it ever happened?

This is a personal tragedy for Todd and his family. What really bothers me is how gleeful and celebratory some ‘Christians’ are in response to a brother’s difficulty–no it actually make me rather sad and angry at the same time!

The old adage that "we shouldn’t throw the baby out with the bath water" really does apply here. Let’s change the bath water so to speak and let the Revival continue.

Is Todd’s whole ministry and anointing now to be questioned? I was reminded this morning of some of the Judges in the Old Testament that had some personal problems and yet were blessed of God tremendously—particularly Samson. We haven’t heard the last of Todd Bentley and I am sure his future will include something more than just bring down the Philistine temple. My prayers go with him and his family.            *Top

He notes that Rick Joyner in his popular prophetic book, The Final Quest, had predicted a major split in the church between those who he called the “Blues” who emphasize spiritual life in the supernatural realm of dreams, visions and miracles; and the “Grays” who rely more on knowledge, organization, and intellect. According to Joyner’s vision, the Blues will win the day and usher in true revival.

Since the coming of the Lakeland Outpouring, many have taken up conflicting and uncompromising positions on the Florida revival. Some have said that the whole controversy reminds them of The Final Quest scenario. Unfortunately, there are quite a few on both sides who seem to welcome the conflict. Just google: ‘Lakeland’ or ‘Todd Bentley’ and read a few–you’ll see and experience the ‘meanness’ of the battle!

If all you know about me is contained on this blog, you might suppose that I am clearly one of the ‘blue’ guys.  Actually, I like both the ‘blue’ and the ‘gray’ sides and try to balance it out in my own life and ministry.

I happen to believe that Lakeland is a move of God, but that does not mean that I will accept any excess or excuse any possible error in the name of revival.

Grady ends his article with three very good suggestions:

1. Let’s accept one another.

2. Let’s admonish one another.

3. Let’s pray for one another (see James 5:16).

If there really is a ‘war’ between brothers, it is our enemy the Devil who will really gain in the process.

*Top

"We prayed for thirty to forty minutes.

At the end of that time, Julia screamed out to God, telling Him that she believed with all of her heart that this baby could be raised from the dead. After Julia screamed out, everyone was silent. We were quietly interceding and praying.

Within a few minutes, the baby started moving. Then the baby coughed and began crying. The mother came rushing into the room. She was screaming, what is going on? No one could answer her. We were just staring at the baby, who had come back to life. The mother asked us again, what is going on? She began crying as she saw that her baby was alive.

She ran out of the house and banged on every door in the village, telling all of the people that God is real because her baby was alive. Within about thirty minutes, the baby’s skin tone and movements had become completely normal."

What an incredible experience! These young Christians will never be the same and obviously the Young woman, her baby, and that village also. Praise God!

I found the link to this on iamhealed.net blog. Kathi Sharpe mentions in the post that the teens had watched some of the Lakeland meetings on GodTV before they left on the mission and that’s where they got the idea to pray for the dead baby.            *Top

That is a lot like what is happening at Lakeland. Some folks are being healed and many are being blessed, and yet there are even more Christians who would paraphrase John the Baptist and ask- "Is that all there is –shall we keep looking?"

I would be inclined to agree with some of the critics except that I firmly believe that we are just at the beginning of a sovereign move that will not be limited to Florida, but will sweep across all of North America and eventually to the UK and Europe. Already, I have personally heard of dozens of churches and ministries in America that have seen an obvious increase in healing in 2008.

John the Baptist obviously had some preconceptions about the Messiah and what would happen when he came. A few miracles and healings didn’t look anything like the revolution he expected. But it was just at the beginning! 2,000 years have come and gone and most of us still don’t have a clue what Jesus is doing and what he is waiting for.

We have to remind ourselves that whatever is happening at Lakeland, it is just at the beginning. I wonder how past revivals would have survived the onslaught and glare of 24 hour TV and Internet. What did Wales and Azusa Street look like after a month and a half into it?

So many of us have read about past revivals and expect God to do the same thing again, full blown and mature at the start. We forget that each sovereign move was new and strange for those who experienced them at the time.

My Own Expectations

Myself, I am looking for a revival that sweeps across all of North America and effects 1000′s of churches in hundreds of places. A revival that crosses all the man-made divisions and denominations. Then like a tidal wave engulfs the UK and washes up on the shores of France and Northwestern Europe. A revival coming soon near you.

So many are looking for Jesus to come for his church, I’m looking for him to come to it. Come to it? What exactly does that mean? I’m not entirely sure what that means except it’s a ‘word’ that I keep hearing in the Spirit and it’s going to be good.

The church is going to get closer to Jesus, there will be a changing of the guard, ‘churchianity’  is going down, and his people will hear his voice in a profound way. I say, Come Lord Jesus and surprise us!            *Top

  Found the following articles in defense of Lakeland last weekend but haven’t have the time to post about till now:

1. Todd Bentley- "Lifting Jesus High!"

Here’s Todd’s own defense.

2. Carl Thomas- Revival Blog- "Theological Response to Lakeland Critics"

Carl gives a link to a 55 page paper by  Dr. Gary S. Greig, PhD:

"A Theological Response to Criticism of the Lakeland Outpouring and Todd Bentley- Biblical Reasons To Receive God’s Glory and Give it Away in Power Evangelism"

3. Peter Kirk- Gentle Wisdom- "A theological defence of Todd Bentley’s ministry"

If you don’t have the time to read the 55 page defense by Dr. Greig, Peter provides a great summary of the main points.

*Top