If
you’ve been watching the news on "Christian Television" in the past
couple of weeks, you could not have missed the glowing reports of a
"revival" breaking out in Lakeland, Florida. It is headed up by a
certified false prophet/teacher by the name of Todd Bentley, one of
the guys from the infamous Elijah List, an umbrella group that
markets all the bogus "prophetic"
junk their many seers sell. Many of these forerunners for the
antichrist are heralding this outbreak as the much-touted outpouring
of the latter rain. {If you think I'm speaking harshly, keep reading
to understand why I can't mince words.}
Sadly, this circus show featuring
an "illustrated man" is now on the road and targets young people and
new believers who are not armed with a knowledge of Scripture so
they are sitting ducks for deception. The crowds following Bentley
are seen being overcome by ugly spirits of drunkenness and stupor.
Those in the church who are crying out against this injustice
perpetrated upon our weakest little lambs are being squelched by the
"Christian" media, since those in control of the airwaves suppress
the truth in unrighteousness. And any otherwise solid ministries
that buy airtime on networks such as TBN and the God Channel shut up
their own mouths for fear of biting the hand that feeds them and
getting their programs tossed.
So that leaves the Internet – the
only place you’ll see any opposition to the madness. I hate using an
analogy from the worst contemporary "Christian" song that gets sung
in churches on Sunday mornings, but as most of the church waltzes
with this injustice, we need to break-dance upon it instead. Better
yet – we need to stomp on it and pull down this stronghold that has
come against the bride of Christ.
That awful song, "Did You Feel the
Mountains Tremble" could well be a theme song for this deceptive
display of lying signs and wonders. It reflects the faulty theology
of those in "the river" movement popularized by the so-called
"Toronto Blessing," the last wave of madness that hit the church
back in the latter half of the 1990s. The lyrics reflect Kingdom-Now
visions of the church taking over all the elements of society and
setting up a kingdom on earth before the Lord returns – an idea that
the book of Revelation and all other passages about the end times
contradict. The song says, in part:
And we can see that God you're
moving
A mighty river through the nations
And young and old will turn to Jesus
Fling wide your heavenly gates
Prepare the way of the risen Lord
Open up the doors and let the music
play
Let the streets resound with singing
Songs that bring you hope
Songs that bring you peace
Dancers who dance upon injustice
Are the nations really turning to
God? Hardly! In fact, not only are the nations not turning back to
God, but the church as a whole is being transformed by the world, as
the Emerging Church and the Purpose-Driven movement demonstrate. One
anonymous blogger commented on this song:
"Injustice would be better dealt with
by a brute squad than some can-can dancers. My dad and I were
brainstorming about the type of dancing the song was talking about,
and we came up with some of these: 1. Moshing on injustice; 2.
Rhumba on injustice; 3. Waltz on injustice; 4. Square dance on
injustice; 5. Break-dance on injustice."
What’s Happening in
Florida?
Todd Bentley was guest preacher at
Ignited Church in Lakeland, Florida, for a 5-day healing revival
starting on April 2, 2008. It was extended to the end of the month
because of the crowds coming to get healed and to get "drunk in the
spirit." The church’s pastor is Stephen Strader, the son of Karl
Strader, formerly of Carpenter’s Home Church in Lakeland where
Rodney Howard-Browne made his holy laughter debut back in 1993. That
"outpouring" went on to spark the Toronto and Pensacola drunken
revivals.
So, it’s back where it started
from. One eyewitness described the manifestations going on at the
impartation of Bentley’s "anointing":
"These are the effects that I have
witnessed on people who have attended this movement and either have
had hands laid on them or claim to have been imparted with 'the
spirit': -They come back with this kind of childlike drunken stupor.
-Descriptions of a burning sensation either in their veins, heads or
stomachs. -Descriptions of being washed back and forth like the
waves in the ocean;-Dancing about like drunk...-Inappropriate
yelling and screaming like they're at a football game;-Young men
whistling over and over and holding their heads and claiming that
they 'feel the Holy Spirit about to split them in two'; -One young
man's back two teeth turned completely to some metallic
finish.-People with their eyes rolled in the back of their heads and
weaving around like they're lost.-Women just gyrating and pulsating
like they're being ravaged from behind from some unseen force.
-Drunken uncontrollable laughter in the middle of a solemn prayer
time…-People being 'slain in the spirit'... just falling down and
being unable to move (like something's holding them down)."
Then the blogger who posted this
asked a pointed question about the women reported to be "ravaged
from behind"-- "Am I misreading or does this mean that the women are
literally acting like they are being "sexed up" by unseen
supernatural forces?"
Another phenomenon I notice
whenever watching any of these "outpourings" is people bent over,
unable to straighten themselves up, while convulsing into their
bellies. Whenever I see this, I’m reminded of the "spirit" from
which Jesus delivered a woman as reported in Luke 13. Jesus said
that this woman "whom Satan has bound" needed to be loosed – even on
the Sabbath. So he released her from the spirit and "immediately she
was made straight." These pitiful people who can’t straighten up
their backs need to be loosed from whatever spirit Bentley is
imparting.
Bentley’s Source of
Power
We don’t have to play a guessing
game to discern the source of Bentley’s power over undiscerning
people. His own testimony reveals how he reportedly tapped into the
spirit realm for the key to do signs and wonders.
In one of his "Fresh Fire" classes
called "The Secret Place" (circa 2005, CD on file), Bentley takes
his followers to Psalm 91 for his proof-text in examining how to get
power.
[His voice on these tapes is
very eerie – it is indistinguishable from a cult leader by the name
of Anthony Marcolongo, a demonized "prophet" who back in the late
1980s abused his flock and molested his female followers. His
tyranny came to an end when he was killed in a one-car crash and his
body, along with his car, were wrapped around a tree.]
Here is the text in Psalm 91:1-2
"He who dwells in the secret
place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say of the Lord, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in
Him I will trust.’"
And here is Bentley’s paraphrase of
it that he gave in a gravely shouting voice:
"He who dwells, not visits, dwells in
the abode of God shall be like the Most High in that you will be
uppermost, far above, in the highest excellence of anything that you
do in your life as supreme ruler in your circumstances. He who
dwells in the secret place of the Most High is supreme, far above
uppermost, highest heights of heaven, lofty, excellence, overcoming
Christian. Are you understanding me?!?"
So, according to Bentley, those who
dwell in the secret place are "supreme" – supreme what? Lofty?
Uppermost? Do those words sound familiar?
"How you have fallen from
heaven, O morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to
the earth, you who once laid low the nations! You said in your
heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the
stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on
the utmost heights of the sacred mountain. I will ascend
above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most
High.’" (Isaiah 14:12-14)
It is hard to tell the difference
between the words of Bentley and those of Satan! He went on to
elaborate:
"You see, I want to be fruitful; I
want to be far above. I want to be a conqueror; I want to be a
mountain of strength; I want to be greatness. You know, we like that
word greatness. Well, he who dwells in the secret place of the Most
High automatically comes into everything that the Almighty is. It
happens."
And here’s God’s response to the
devil and to Bentley if he does not repent:
"But you are brought down to the
grave, to the depths of the pit."
(Isaiah 14:15)
So how did Bentley purport to get
into that secret place? He explains that in another session from the
same conference in his message entitled, "Soaking." In that message
he said that he began to practice "contemplative prayer" something
he said he learned from studying the lives of mystics such as
Brother Lawrence and an Indian mystic named Sundar Singh. He said
that this silence launched his ministry after three months of
soaking (meditating in an altered state of consciousness) culminated
in a physical encounter with Jesus Christ who stood behind him and
spoke to him audibly.
In reading about Singh on the
Internet, I found out that he was a "Christian Sikh" Indian who
lived from 1889 to 1929. He practiced mind-emptying meditation that
he warned wasn’t for everybody since it held dangers.
Wikipedia
documents that Singh would visit the spirit plane during his times
of silence. It said:
"Singh stated that he had contact with
Swedenborg in the spirit world: ‘I saw him several times some years
ago, but I did not know his earthly name. His name in the spiritual
world is quite different just according to his high position or
office and most beautiful character…Swedenborg was a great man,
philosopher, scientist and, above all seer of clear visions. I often
speak with him in my visions. He occupies a high place in the
spiritual world ... Having read his books and having come into
contact with him in the spiritual world, I can thoroughly recommend
him as a great seer."
Wikipedia also points out that--
"Christian apologist Walter Martin
classified Swedenborg and his followers among the cults…The
difficulty for evangelicals is compounded by Singh's confirmation of
contact with Swedenborg in the spirit world. This visionary form of
contact with an unorthodox deceased teacher clashes with the
portraits of piety drawn by later evangelical biographers."
It is also interesting, that
Bentley claims to have witnessed to a witch doctor on the spirit
plane while his body remained in his hotel room and he testifies
that unseen angels have come to his rescue by throwing a potential
mugger into a wall on his behalf.
Emma – the Demon of
the Abode of Hell
Speaking of angels – that’s another
source of power Bentley claims to have working for him.
The parallel passage to the
description of Lucifer in Isaiah 14 is the 28th chapter
of Ezekiel. Here God further describes His arch-enemy as one who has
a great love for treasure.
"By your wisdom and
understanding you have gained wealth for yourself and amassed gold
and silver in your treasuries. By your great skill in trading you
have increased your wealth, and because of your wealth your heart
has grown proud" (Ezekiel 28:4-5).
Contrast that with Todd Bentley’s
focus on riches as documented in an article called "ANGELS" & the
FLORIDA HEALING REVIVAL - Warning!" written by Andrew Strom, a
historian of the Charismatic Movement, who quoted Bentley from an
article Bentley wrote in 2003 called "Angelic Hosts." Bentley wrote:
"So when I need a financial
breakthrough I don't just pray and ask God for my financial
breakthrough. I go into intercession and become a partner with the
angels by petitioning the Father for the angels that are assigned to
getting me money: ‘Father, give me the angels in heaven right now
that are assigned to get me money and wealth. And let those angels
be released on my behalf. Let them go into the four corners of the
earth and gather me money.’"
Todd’s money-gathering angel’s name
is Emma, who his good friend Bob Jones (discredited "prophet" who
was disciplined for using his prophetic office to get women to
undress for him) credits with birthing the discredited Kansas City
Prophet movement of the late 1980s. In Bentley’s own words:
"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. She glided into the room,
emitting brilliant light and colors. Emma carried these bags and
began pulling gold out of them. Then, as she walked up and down the
aisles of the church, she began putting gold dust on people...Within
three weeks of that visitation, the church had given me the biggest
offering I had ever received to that point in my ministry. Thousands
of dollars! Thousands!... During this visitation the pastor's wife
(it was an AOG church) got totally whacked by the Holy Ghost – she
began running around barking like a dog or squawking like a chicken
as a powerful prophetic spirit came on her. Also, as this prophetic
anointing came on her, she started getting phone numbers of complete
strangers and calling them up on the telephone and prophesying over
them... Then angels started showing up in the church."
Bentley claims that his angel also
assisted William Branham in his healing ministry in the 1960s.
[Check out background on
William Branham who called the Trinity a pagan doctrine.] In
fact, Branham always claimed that he could do no healings until his
angel showed up. Bentley refers to his angel as "the angel of the
Lord" and also waits upon Emma for the signs and wonders to
manifest. However, according to Bible scholars, the term "the angel
of the Lord" is an Old Testament reference to the pre-incarnate
Christ, also called a Theophany. It seems that Emma is really
overstepping her bounds to be referred to as "the angel of the
Lord."
This same Emma is credited with
showing up in revivals spreading gold dust and dropping gems around.
{See my article
All
That Glitters is not God’s Glory}
 But who is
Emma, if she exists at all? The
Encyclopedia Britannica identifies Emma-o as a demon ruler in
hell:
"Emma-o in Japanese Buddhist
mythology, the overlord of hell … judges the souls of men… The
sinner is sent to one of the 16 regions of fire or ice assigned him
by Emma-o for a fixed period of time until the next rebirth."
Another
online
encyclopedia confirms Emma’s identity:
"The folklore of Chinese Taoism and
Japanese Shintoism was naturally embodied in the mythology of the
Buddhists, and we find therefore in their temples innumerable
representations of hell with all their traditional belongings; Emma,
the stern judge of Meifu, the dark tribunal; Kongo, the sheriff, and
all the terrible staff of bailiffs, torturers, and executioners,
among whom the steer-headed Gozu and the horse-headed Mezu are never
missing."
Watching Bentley do his circus act
can be very nauseating. He imparts his Emma spirit on the young
people who come up for a touch. He flings the evil spirits upon them
while yelling, "blah, blah, blah, blah" – whatever he means by that
– and culminates it with slaying them in the "spirit" with the word
"BAM!" [see
link for example ] Why would he scream "Bam" over people? A clue
is in his own words taken from the "The Secret Place" CD of the
Fresh Fire conference referenced earlier. Bentley said:
"We’re like little chickens. We’re
pretty defenseless and sometimes we’re just going through life
pecking away… and then the wolf comes and we don’t even see it
coming. Bam! He’s got you!"
That’s pretty scary. And what’s
even scarier is what Bentley’s endorser, Wendy Alec, co-founder of
God-TV prophesied regarding this latest "outpouring" of the unholy
spirit:
"THIS is just the warm up party - for
what you shall see in the coming days shall even make these days
pale - with what I have up my sleeve. And I tell you my son - that
THIS THAT I POUR OUT UPON YOU UPON FLORIDA shall flow to the east."
Does God have something up his
sleeve? Of course not! These words emerged from the pit of
hell where Emma rules.
What are your thoughts on this article?
♥♥♥
Open your
mouth for the speechless, In the cause of all who are appointed to
die. Open your mouth, judge righteously, And plead the cause of the
poor and needy. (Proverbs 31:8-9) |
