This is not the anointing; this is an abomination.
This is not renewal by the Holy Spirit; this is reprobation by irreverent showmen.
This is not the sacred fire of God; this is the strange fire of men.
This is not blessing; this is blasphemy.
This is not revival... this is rebellion.
The Lie:
The Truth:
"Look carefully then how you walk,
not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time,
because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish,
but understand what the will of the Lord is.
And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery,
but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another
in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing
and making melody to the Lord with your heart,
giving thanks always and for everything
to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,"
-Ephesians 5:15-20
The Lie:
The Truth:
"Now many signs and wonders were regularly done
among the people by the hands of the apostles.
And they were all together in Solomon's Portico.
None of the rest dared join them,
but the people held them in high esteem.
And more than ever believers were added to the Lord,
multitudes of both men and women, so that they even
carried out the sick into the streets and laid them on
cots and mats, that as Peter came by at least his shadow
might fall on some of them. The people also gathered from
the towns around Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those
afflicted with unclean spirits, and they were all healed."
-Acts 5:12-16
"The signs of a true apostle were performed among you
with utmost patience, with signs and wonders and mighty works."
-2 Cor. 12:12
The Lie:
"The consciousness of lack is the root of all evil. "
-Eli Miller, Fresh Fire Ministries Apostolic Team member
"The consciousness of lack is the root of all evil. "
-Eli Miller, Fresh Fire Ministries Apostolic Team member
over the ministry of Todd "Bam-Bam" Bentley
The Truth:
"For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils.
It is through this craving that some have wandered
away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs."
-1 Tinothy 6:10, the Apostle Paul
"I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound.
"I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound.
In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret
of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."
-Phil. 4:12-13, the Apostle Paul
13 comments:
Steve,
This reminded me of a video I had seen when I first began hearing about Todd Bentley. I hope you don't mind my posting the link. It is the testimony of Bentley and then following is the testimony of Paul Washer. The difference is amazing! But if any of y'all go see it, have a Kleenex because Paul Washer's is very emotional(meaning I cry every time I see it). Here it is:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_nyWipn2hYY
Blessings,
Karen
S.J.
All of this garbage reminds me of the church I attended for about 10-15 years, City Bible in Portland, Oregon. Our pastors attended Wimber's church in Toronto and then on to Brownsville for the outpouring of toxic sludge there. We had all the signs, drunk in the spirit, rolling in the aisles, howling at the moon, all of the ungodly insanity and our church leadership bought into it all. You may know some of them Steve C.C.L.I. originated out of City Bible in Portland.
Anyway, all of this stuff brings back some disconcerting flash backs, I always tried to fit in but just could not get into the 'flow', I think it was the grace of God that I did not!
If you go to this thing Steve be ready to be confronted and rebuked for bringing a divisive spirit, someone will probably try to slap you on the forehead and drive the demon/s out of you, sounds funny but it is quite pitiful.
Hey, when you come to the North West on your cruise lets see if we can hook up and perhaps I can get you to my church as a guest speaker. If you are interested let me know, we would love to have you!
karensfaith
Not at all. Thank you.
This is heartbreaking tragic, isn't it? I can't believe that people are this gullible and undiscerning.
May the Lord forgive us all...
Steve
G-man
If you go to this thing Steve be ready to be confronted and rebuked for bringing a divisive spirit, someone will probably try to slap you on the forehead and drive the demon/s out of you, sounds funny but it is quite pitiful.
I deserve to be slapped every now and again :-); but in all seriousness I have been at these kinds of meetings before, have spoken with most of the heads of these kinds of events, they have tried to make me go over by hitting my head - didn't work.
They tell me not to touch God's anointed - which they think meant them, but it was said about King Saul by David who was encouraged to slay him and he commanded his troops to touch not God's anointed. It was speaking about whom God had sovereignly put into king over israel - not these men. And that is all they are all mere man.
Appreciate your prayers.
"But seriously, i do want to go... Please pray that the Lord would provide the means to make that necessary."
Already added to our prayer journal, right alongside the entry asking God's will be realized in bringing to fruition a new production of God-honoring music.
I can't imagine it's improved since back at Toronto and, subsequently, Brownsville. For some reason, the proponents of these false revivals are compelled to challenge, quite often virulently, those who take Biblical umbrage with their bizarre manifestations and teachings ... and they tend to fly with an almost rabid fury at anyone they perceive to be a detractor. After watching a few of Todd Bentley's escapades captured on video, I'm not all that comfortable such might not be done with more than mere words.
You, Campi, would especially be a target in person at one of Bentley's "revival" sessions since I can't imagine your bold, earnest contention for the faith delivered once for all time unto the saints is unknown to the powers that be promoting this false revival. It always rather amazed me that the proponents of these false movements spend so much time keeping up with those they perceive to be the "enemy" ... even to the point of issuing false prophecies raining down God's judgment on us. I have direct quotes from the tapes back then, most of which were cited in the 4-part series I was asked to write. I'll pull a few of those well-documented citations, it's been a few years.
In fact, as I recall quite distinctly, Michael Brown of Brownsville fame, suggested I, personally, might even be perilously approaching the commission of the dreaded unpardonable sin against the Holy Spirit for citing the contextual, accumulative evidences of Scripture which clearly repudiated the validity of their "revival". He went so far as to write a book entitled "Let No One Deceive You: Confronting Critics of Revival" (How's THAT for fanciful word twisting?). Mr. Brown's little book was wholly dedicated to denouncing us - both individually/specifically and collectively as a group - all of whom he deemed and declared "divisive, spiritual nobodies". That engendered yet another request for an updated version of my previous written verbosity which the editors subsequently re-titled "Accusers of the Brethren or Good Bereans?".
In another part to this I'll cite a few of the less than delightful references anyone who dared to hold up a Biblical standard to these false revivals was subjected to.
"They come in Jesus name but their sons of Hades. This is the Agony of Deceit." ~ Steve Camp, The Agony of Deceit, CD: Consider the Cost
As I compose this message, this heretic is "pouring out" his poison on godless tv. I cannot fathom what would attract someone to this satanic sewage. Then I'm sadly reminded that my cat Isaiah spends more time hearing the Word of God then the majority of professing American Christians do these days. This is the truth they need to hear from our thrice holy, Triune God.
15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth. 16 But avoid irreverent babble, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness, 17 and their talk will spread like gangrene. ~ 2 Timothy 2:15-17 ESV
In 1978, 918 people died, including 270 children of Peoples Church following the orders of faith-healer Jim Jones to drink drink cyanide-laced Kool-Aid at Jonestown in Guyanana. The most amazing fact is that the investigators found not one Bible at Jonestown.
Its simple, No Bible = No Discernment!
Guard the Trust,
Des
1 Timothy 6:20-21
des and deb_b
Both are really great comments. Thank you.
Here is the way to biblically begin to deal with this kind of error:
2 Corinthians 10:3-6
"For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete."
Amen?
Fear no man save Christ Himself.
"Fear no man save Christ Himself."
Amen.
It is a shame for those people in attendance who are not more discerning of what Todd says and does.
It is no wonder they can't because the Word is not even preached!
This continues to become more and more bizzarre with each new video I see.
kurt
Bingo!
The Word is mentioned; it is referenced to; it is casually thrown about in a proof-text kind of way... but it is not faithfully preached, exposited, exegeted or taught.
The same Holy Spirit they say is leading this revival they have forgotten is the same Holy Spirit that wrote the Scriptures (2 Peter 1:16-21). To treat with cavalier arrogance the Word of God is to grieve and quench the Holy Spirit.
Thank you for your words...
Steve
I looked at the video that Believing Thomas posted:
Re: Raised From The Dead 1 Florida Outpouring
and I noticed two things:
1. The man speaking in this video, defending Todd Bentley, says, "...I got filled with the Holy Spirit because *I* wanted more than just a cold religion."
That is the first problem/deception in the Charismatic Movement. They confuse the filling of the Holy Spirit with the so-called baptism of the Holy Spirit. This man thinks that *he* can will the Holy Spirit to "baptize" him with the evidence of speaking in tongues, no doubt. (Biblically, there *is* a baptism into the body of Christ by the Holy Spirit, which every believer receives at salvation, but that's not what this man is talking about.)
What the Scriptures teach is that it is *God* Who sovereignly gives gifts of the Holy Spirit as *He* wills.
1 Corinthians 12:11: "But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing [spiritual gifts] to each one individually as He wills."
1 Corinthians 12:13: "For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body..."
Today we see Charismatic churches and Toronto Blessing-type meetings where the people are seeking this "experience" and are only deceiving themselves. (I just saw a hideous video like this that Believing Thomas had posted.)
The man in the video (that I first linked to above) said that he "got filled with the Holy Spirit" (he means so-called "baptized") because he wanted more than just a cold religion.
This man has a valid desire in wanting more than just a cold religion, but we have that desire met in Christ, and nothing is to be gained by trying to attain it by unbiblical means.
2. I noticed that this man did not quote one single verse of Scripture in defense of Todd Bentley. He read some obscure writing of someone's, but no Scriptures to back his beliefs.
As Des pointed out, there was not one Bible found at Jonestown where they "drank the Kool-Aid".
As I said before, if you believe in the tongues and prophecies going on in the churches today, then tomorrow you may believe in the signs and wonders, and the next day you may believe in "holy laughter", and the next day you may follow people like Todd Bentley...one error leads to another and then to another.
Hi Steve hope you and your family are well...
Totally with you on this!! Its pitiful,and the saddest thing is, people are spending their hard earned cash to travel from my country UK to FL so they can pick up the fire and bring it back here...I know of at least 5 churchs claiming to of brought the blessing back :-(
andy
Great comment: know of at least 5 churchs claiming to have brought the blessing back.
As if genuine revival or a move of God could be caught like a common cold and transported to where ever someone else resides to infect others. Nonsense.
Thanks again...
Campi
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