For the record, I support Todd Bentley. I support the move of God. I support healing. I support miracles. I support prophecy. I support the Bible and every ministry that it contains.
I also support testing fruit. I support seeking the scriptures. I support oversight. I support testimony. I support accountability. I support all of these things.
I do not support demonizing things we don’t understand. I don’t support demonizing people we do not agree with. I do not support “the end justifies the means.” I don’t support the ministry justifies the man. I do not support slander. I do not support gossip. (and i won’t approve comments that slander or gossip)
Since I have been a public supporter of Lakeland and Todd I feel I need to comment on the latest goings on. Indeed there have been moral failings. And this is a big deal.
At the end of the day, God used a man in sin. He has done it before. He will do it again.
I don’t judge Todd. Not because I am looking past his faults, but because of Gal 6:1. I am fearful of falling. I mean, I really am fearful of falling and I have found pride and judgment the 1 - 2 knockout combination for that.
Kathryn Kuhlman was restored and Todd Bentley can be as well. I hope he is able to get to the root of the issues, get it dealt with and move forward.
But while Todd is looking at his issues, I hope that along the way, we charismatics can come to grips with the fact that we are willing to look past almost anything if we see the right manifestations. I am not sure that Todd could not start his ministry back tomorrow without a lapse in his schedule as long as he comes and performs. Many people would restore him without repentance.
And in a day when we think it is beneficial to “toke the Ghost” smoke “gloryjuanna” do shots of the new wine or inject the anointing in our arms, we need to “be sober minded” and see if this foolishness has any biblical basis.
There is an extreme lack of reverence for the third person of the trinity. His first name is Holy for a reason.
After his last sabatical, Todd came back with an extreme humility in ministry. It is my hope that all of Fresh Fire ministries comes back with a new sobriety.
Peter Kirk at Gentle Wisdom reports on Todd Bentley's Apostolic Team in Action. Let us all pray that the process will be successful (i.e. repentance and restoration), and also pray that the wider circle of the charismatic world will learn some lessons on the dangers of promoting unstable men into high public visibility, of pushing hype and "weird" experiences over and above the preaching of Christ and expounding of the Scriptures, and of chasing the "next big thing" instead of quit pursuit of and obedience to the Lord.
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