Letter from Todd Bentley ...

Dear Friends,

Thank you for taking the time to read this letter and for hearing my heart on some of the issues that seems to be causing division and some confusion in the Body of Christ. Throughout the Old and New Testaments and in every age following, as far as I can determine, the Lord has given His people dreams and visions, signs and wonders, heavenly encounters and divine supernatural experiences that, for the most part, we cannot understand with our intellect. In the spiritual realm, God isn't limited by our thinking!

God's ways of communicating with us hasn't changed from the beginning of time, although the Bible is the mainstay of His communication to us in today's Church. Sometimes pictures say a lot, though, and the Lord does speak to us through visions and dreams, just as He spoke that way to the people of ancient days and just as He has promised us that He would in the Last Days. God says, "I am the LORD, I change not" (Malachi 3:6).

Whenever God pours out His Spirit, dreams and visions become integral to the move of God and are especially a Last Days phenomena according to Joel 2:28 and Acts 2:17. God-given dreams and visions are often because of the gracious outpouring of the Holy Spirit. They fall into the category of the miraculous when supernatural revelations are imparted. Ezekiel, the prophet operated in a continuous miracle ministry in the revelatory realm.

Some people desire Scripture for every manifestation of God - for every detail of every God-given, Holy Spirit inspired vision, dream, encounter, or demonstration of the supernatural realm of God manifested on the earth. While I firmly believe that we're to defend the Gospel of Jesus Christ, I don't believe we're to defend divine manifestations of God, because they are proof within themselves of the Gospel, wherever the Word of God is sent forth. Discern yes, but defend, no. Consider that many of the "greater" things that Christ said we would do hadn't even been done yet and weren't recorded in the Bible.

On Visions

While it's good and right and biblical to test the spirits to see if they are of God, it's vital to realize that just because a type of vision or a sign is not listed in Scripture, that it's unscriptural, to be discounted, or false. For instance: If you dream of Jesus visiting you, and in your dream, Jesus, the Man, was the most handsome man you'd ever seen, would the fact that the Bible described Him as having no beauty or majesty to attract us to Him, nothing in His appearance that we should desire Him (Is. 53:2b), discount your dream as being scriptural or genuine, relative, and of God?

Just as no two people are alike, no two experiences are alike. Guaranteed, the Bible doesn't list the details of each dream, each encounter, or everything that God has, does, and will eventually reveal to His people. It doesn't record every detail of every dream, or everything someone has seen in the spirit realm, or on earth for that matter. Nor does it record every possible miracle, but it does say that nothing is impossible with God (see Luke 1:37; Matt. 17:20). We have no account of miracles like amputated limbs growing back, but the absence of this is Scripture doesn't mean that such a miracle unbiblical.

If a person is of the mind-set that everything spiritual that happens or manifests in our lives has to be found in Scripture to be divine and of God, then that standard or belief would have to be applied to every area of one's life. God responds to each one of us in different ways so the specific way He speaks to any of His children should not become a doctrine of correctness.

Someone once said that limiting revelation is like trying to fit an ocean into a cup. God is continually restoring truth and light to His Church. Therefore, we should place no limit on further revelation. To have a view that everything that happens in someone's life because of God's loving response to us as His children should be listed in the Bible or else it's wrong or evil, is like saying that Jesus, who is the Word represents a list of do's and don'ts. Jesus is a Person who, through intimacy and relationship, we perceive and understand by the Holy Spirit what is good and what is evil. If Jesus listed for us everything that we needed to know, then knowing Him would have become an option. It's in knowing Him, who is The Word that we enter into what He has prepared for us.

To apply doctrine to the response of God in our lives is wrong. For someone to assume that something that happens to us isn't of God because it's not in his or her doctrine or knowledge of Jesus is, in my opinion, to grieve the precious Holy Spirit. I believe each experience is unique and tailored to the individual's background, experiences, circumstances, capacity to receive, and personal relationship with Jesus. The experience is usually one that a person can relate to. The Lord meets us where we're at and often shows us things in a way that gets our attention, in a way that we, as individuals, uniquely understand and relate to.

Some are questioning the soundness of my visitation from Jesus while I was in Redding, California. I stated in an interview that it was as though He came into this realm and I saw Him as I would imagine Jesus would be with the disciples on the Earth, as the Son of man, a humble servant as He walked the earth, not in His resurrection glory. The purpose of this experience was for God to impart to me His supernatural peace in my life. God chooses, in His infinite wisdom, to reveal Himself in different ways, and in various aspects so that people can understand, relate, and even receive Him. Why do some think it so bad if God wills to come in His grace and reveal Himself to us in whatever manner He chooses?

Focus on the Revelation

This can be drastically different from one person to another. What's important, however, are not the details of, for instance, a vision, but how it points to Jesus, the revelation gleaned, what we learn from the experience, how we apply it to our life, and/or speak it into the life of another, and how it draws us closer to Him, for His name's sake. Because one person may not be able to relate to a dream, vision, or experience of another, he or she may attribute this to the devil or to the flesh, or hallucinations, for example. I'm sure many have seen strange things happen in our meetings - things that puzzle, things that aren't normal to them, but understand - God doesn't seek approval for how He manifests through His people or in signs and wonders.

The Bible is full of visions, encounters, signs, wonders, miracles, and manifestations that people have experienced, some of which may be downright hard for many to wrap their minds around, let alone believe it could happen today. Again, it's all relative to each individual, their experiences, and backgrounds, and with what they have learned through intimacy with Christ Jesus, and what they have received as a love response from God. I spend hours and hours at the feet of Jesus and perhaps the next person doesn't.

As I can recall, Smith Wigglesworth once had a vision of Satan. He'd been sleeping in bed during a thunderstorm that had rattled the windows and made the lights flicker. Suddenly he saw a vision of Satan standing at the foot of his bed. However, he wasn't in the least bit disturbed because he had first-hand knowledge and experience of God's protective nature and understood the power of the name of Jesus. "Oh, it's just you," he said to the devil, and turned over and went back to sleep.

If this were a new, breaking story today, how would people receive or respond to the account of what he saw? It would all be relative to what you know or have experienced relating to demons, or the knowledge that you have about the authority that you have as a blood-bought child of God, even to the church climate. If you've never cast out a demon from your life and seen him run at the mere mention of the blood of Christ Jesus, you wouldn't understand.

Angels

Likewise, if I say that I had a vision of an angel, or encountered one or even spoke with one, but you haven't doctrinally or experientially, come to terms with the reality of angels being in our midst, then you may not attribute it as valid. You may even tag me as someone who worships angels, seeks them for counsel, ministers under the power of, or misrepresents them in some way. In the case of the angel called "Emma," who I described as having mother-like nurturing qualities, some have automatically assumed that my doctrine is that I believe in female angels. This has never been the case! For whatever reason God chose to show me this angel in a female persona, He did. This isn't to say that the angel was female. Angels are spirit and appear in many forms. Perhaps that's the form God chose this angel to take for the purpose of the revelation He gave me. They are spirit beings of light, created out of God's glory, without gender, and appear in whatever form God chooses to send them to us.

Let me throw this out there for you to think about. If someone encounters an angel on earth that has come in the form of a female human being, and even refers to the angel as a "she," it doesn't raise eyebrows. We know they must sometimes appear to us in human form because the Bible tells us not to forget to entertain strangers, "for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels" (Hebrews 13:2). There is biblical precedent for angels appearing in human form in the example of the two angels who came to Sodom to warn Lot before the destruction of the city in Genesis 19. They visited, had a meal, and even spent the night. Their human "form" even fooled those who tried to accost them and the angels struck them blind.

Even though they appeared as men, they are still genderless. Emma appeared to me in angelic form appearing feminine, which is not to say Emma was female or had a gender. This was the first angel I'd ever seen in feminine-like form, in this motherly nurturing type of persona that opened up a well of healings and breakthrough.

Mary, Paul, Peter, Jesus, the shepherds, and several disciples, and many Old Testament folk like Abraham, Hagar, Daniel, and others had angelic encounters and some interacted with them in conversation. That doesn't suppose they worshiped these angelic beings or sought them out for revelation apart from God. I never summon angels directly. I do ask God to send angels to encamp around me, and others. Let it be said, that I seek only God for revelation and should He send an angel to me to impart revelation, get my attention, or open wells of revival and healing, so be it. I'll echo Mary's words when the angel Gabriel visited and conversed with her "You see before you the Lord's servant, let it happen to me as you have said." And the angel left her (Luke 1:26-38).

Christ paid the price for our spiritual blessings and access to heavenly things - angels included. Where I would be concerned about angelic revelation as being deceptive or as angels actually being demonic spirits, is where not-yet Christians claim angelic revelation while rejecting the cross of Christ.

Angels have a purpose in God's plan. It shouldn't come as a surprise to the Body of Christ that an angel, called the "Winds of Change" should usher in a new move of God.

Of the angels we learn, "He makes His angels winds and His servants flames of fire" (Heb. 1:7, NAS; see also Psalm 104:3, 4). If God has chosen to send them to us, it behooves us to welcome their presence as we usher in the presence and move of the Lord.

We see a manifestation of God's presence and power by means of "wind and fire" in the New Testament on the day of Pentecost "when suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance" (Acts 2:1-4).

Angels are messengers from God in heaven to His church on earth, and they seem to appear at the most critical points in the history of salvation. We get the sense also that they observe what's happening here on earth at least in the life of the Church. Christ ended two of His parables saying "there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents" (Luke 15:7,10, NKJV). They are also reapers in the great harvest, "...the reapers are the angels" (Matt. 13:39). Described as "ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation" (Heb. 1:14, italics mine).

Encounters/Visitations

Some people have even ventured to say that my visions and visitations are false. That's like telling someone who's just told you about a dream they had in their sleep that they didn't really dream it.

In the case of my encounter with Paul the apostle, just as Paul didn't know if he was in his body or out of his body when he was taken into the third heaven, I don't know whether my encounter was in a vision or an actual encounter. I do know that it was not of the adversary. God had reason for this experience and for the revelation that transpired from it. These things I cannot refute.

It's not that far out there when you consider that the apostle Peter beheld Jesus, Moses, and Elijah on the Mount of Transfiguration and was actually commissioned while in a visionary trance, to preach to the Gentiles (see Matt. 17:9, Acts 10:19).

Some may not find my experience doctrinally sound, and liken it to speaking to the dead, and unbiblical, citing the apostle Paul's warnings in Galatians 1:8, and 2 Corinthians 11:14, of which I'm very aware. My accountability team and I, through careful examination, determined that this vision was not outside of God's realm. God had a purpose and a plan for the revelation He gave me and it all pointed to Christ.

In visions and encounters that I share, I emphasize that it boils down to Jesus Christ who is the essence of everything and is the All in All. It's all about Him, the Way, the Truth, and the Life. An encounter with heaven is an encounter with the Lord Jesus Christ.

Many people don't see what's happening in the spirit realm, viewing things only from the physical realm. This is one reason why there's so much division right now. I have found that many are judging things by what they see or hear in the natural, by their natural senses, to feelings, or without having relevant supernatural experiences themselves.

No Prototype for Revival

One of my colleagues told me of a pastor and his wife visiting Lakeland from Las Vegas last week. They pastor a church of over 5,000 people. They shared that they had to repent for believing in their hearts some of the concerns that they'd heard or read about, without first seeking the Lord about it or attending the outpouring, and experiencing first hand what God was doing here. They were amazed by the power and the glory of God there, and have headed back to Nevada with good reports!

This seems to be what I hear from many attending, and from what I read on blogs from people who've experienced the fire of God at our meetings. Every night we see hundreds of pastors and leaders all hungry for the fire of God to touch their churches, to disarm the religious paradigms that keep God in a box, quenching the work of the Spirit.

People may see me or others sprawled out on the floor, or in heavenly laughter, or shaking because of the glory and presence of God, but try to look beyond and understand that something's happening in the spirit, trusting that there's that other realm that you may not see.

Revival is often messy because there's a lot happening and sometimes it's hard for people to take in everything they see in the natural. Many come and some do manifest fleshly things, but for the most part, everyone is sincere and of good intention at a revival. Trust it's better to be full of life with a little untidiness than to be dead. Also, trust that God is big. He can handle it and can separate the tares from the wheat.

Revival shakes paradigms. It doesn't fit the mainstream Church's way of thinking. Revival is an upstream move of God that breaks away from the stagnant pools of religion and tradition. Those bound by tradition and inside a paradigm of do's and don'ts who give way to an upward stream, find transformation, and a new supernatural, empowering paradigm for their lives.

Moves of God like this are never normal. Do you think what happened in Acts looked normal to the disciples, or even to the onlookers? Pentecost was way, way out there, pretty far out, and must have caused much talk. No one had ever seen anything like it before. Revival is about new things happening, so it's important not to be quick to judge. There's no prototype for revival. It's not a cookie cutter thing. We're only in our baby stages - and there's a lot to learn, but what we need now is the support of the Church because unity is crucial.

If you cannot understand the supernatural things of God, or even if you disagree or choose to discount or discredit me in any way, then I urge you to look at the fruit. Every day we're seeing salvations. Every day people are being healed, not only physically, but emotionally too! Every day, people who thought they knew Christ are discovering Him in a fresh and powerful new way. Every day, we're teaching people how to use their gifts to evangelize. We're equipping and sending hundreds into the streets and marketplaces to talk about Jesus.

It's not even limited to this region. We're seeing this move of God as exponential growth because people carry the anointing and glory of God home to their churches and regions, empowered to "do the same stuff" and ignite more fires.

Before You Pick Apart the Worker...

Please examine the fruit before you pick apart the worker. People are being saved! Certainly this is common ground with every believer - our hearts should always be for the lost. Can we not come together and make this our mission, understanding that our theologies may be different but that we agree on this very important and vital commission. We serve the same God. God is the Father of all of us. We are His children. We are all in the same family. We are all running the same race but at different paces. The Word planted on good soil bears good fruit!

Salvation of the Lost

If you're watching out a window from a distance and see a child running around a busy street and in obvious danger of being hit, but see someone close-by who could help, what would you do? Would you first judge the person to determine if he or she is "fit" enough or qualified to lend assistance, in your eyes? Would you check to see that the person is wearing an "S" for "Superman" on his shirt? Would you wait for the right person to come along that fits your mold, or would you throw open the window and yell, "That child - save that child!"

Please. Our mission is to save the lost. Period. Everything that is happening at Lakeland is to that end. God is good. People are being saved. That should be the priority of every believer. You may not understand some of the things that you see. It may be out of your paradigm or traditional way of thinking, but trust that if God didn't want this to happen that He is more than capable of shutting it down single-handedly without the help of man.

Jumping into rivers of condemnation, disapproval, even censure before experiencing things for yourself could make you responsible for the loss of the one who may have come to the Lord but for quick judgments or criticisms. God is doing new things! Church history should never be used as a blueprint for experiences or beliefs, that's what the Word of God is for.

New Wineskins and New Garments

This move of God may not fit your perception of revival, especially if you are basing it on previous revivals, or even on the traditions of the Church. So too, I likely don't fit the mold of the traditional evangelist. Jesus used the Pharisees' disapproval as an opportunity to teach why it was important that He didn't fit into their mold. First, He used the metaphor of the patched garments and said "No one tears a patch from a new garment and sews it on an old one. If he does, he will have torn the new garment, and the patch from the new will not match the old" (Luke 5:36). To try to attach a new, unshrunk garment to the old will not only tear and destroy the new but also the old won't look right and will eventually tear again. Jesus contrasted the old and new again with a parable about new wine and old, saying that if a person pours new wine into old wineskins the new wine will burst the skins, the wine will run out, and the wineskins would ruin (Luke 5:37, 38).

What could possibly be so new in Jesus' day as to be ruined by being attached to the old? The radical Gospel! Man-made rules and tradition would hinder the work. Jesus wanted them to see that the dead Pharisaical traditions didn't result in heart transformations. It would be easier for them to clasp onto and justify what was familiar and comfortable, than to be led by the Holy Spirit but the two can't be combined. Jesus wasn't throwing out the law or discounting it but came to fulfill it. The Gospel needed to be free of the confines of tradition and religious comfort zones to work its power. Jesus wanted to restore the hearts of the people, to restore life to the core of the Hebrew faith. Those external things, as Paul wrote in Colossians 2:23, "have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion, false humility, and neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh." Their system of laws had lost Christ who was their substance. They had the shadows but not the substance of Christ. Pride pretended to penetrate heaven but hadn't.

Signs, wonders, and miracles should be proof of the Gospel. However, Jesus said there would be false signs and wonders in the last days that were not done by Him (Matt. 7:21-23). Of this, I am well aware. Some people may do these things in His name and yet never really have a relationship of love and fellowship with Jesus. Salvation is knowing Jesus and being known by Him - it's much more than spiritual works or a verbal confession. I understand that lofty places in this visible kingdom are no proof of anyone's acceptance with God, and neither are the mighty works, even done in Jesus' name. However, the condition of the heart is what truly allies us with Him. This I've stressed repeatedly in my ministry. The heart changes when someone spends much time with the Lord. This is the foundation of my ministry and my walk with Jesus. From the outset of my salvation, my ministry, and even today, I spend hours in the secret place of His presence. I seek Him and His will for every meeting. My team here at Lakeland knows that several hours of every afternoon; before every meeting, I'm not to be disturbed as I spend time with Jesus. Signs, wonders, miracles, dreams, and visions I believe are His loving response - the fruit of fellowship.

Spend time in His presence and you won't be as resistant to change. You won't be afraid to be a new wineskin, God's present wineskin. You won't even be the same wineskin as tomorrow, because with God wineskins are new and newer. New wineskins won't limit God or what He can do.

When Did the Devil Change His Plan?

From what I've been hearing, my heart is saddened because critical people are bringing more attention to the supposed "works of the devil" in my life, and here in Lakeland than to the very real and wondrous works of God. Too much credit is being given to the devil and to man to the detriment of God's sovereignty and power. Some are even attributing good and wonderful manifestations of God's loving response to His children, to the devil! But this exalts no one but themselves when they choose to make a ministry out of their judgments and criticisms in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Since when did the devil come to heal the sick, raise the dead, open deaf ears and eyes, lead people to salvation in Jesus, or preach that the Kingdom of God is at hand? Just when did the devil change his plan? Jesus promised life and life more abundantly, and that's the fruit that we're seeing in Lakeland.

For this reason, I asked my staff to remove from our website, articles that are causing such strife and division and deterring the Body from the very real and pressing focus of these last days. Jesus wept when people missed the purpose. Every blessing flowed and people received, but they missed the purpose. Don't miss the purpose!

Again I emphasize, it's good and right to search out the Truth and to discern the spirits, God expects us to do so. Nevertheless, it's also important to do so outside of one's comfortable box, not mistaking discomfort for discernment, and realizing that God is not only a God who is the same yesterday, today, and forever, but also a God of new things. Realize also, that if you spend time in His presence, in fellowship with Him, and if daily, you put on the full armor of God and spend time in His Word; you'll be more comfortable erring on the side of extravagance rather than quench the Spirit. A body of believers without the Holy Spirit is a breathless, lifeless body.

Accountability

I am accountable to God, and to those who He has sent to me to speak wisdom into my life and ministry - (I submit to an accountability team that comprises my pastor and spiritual overseers from varying backgrounds and denominations). They have not discounted the things that the Lord has shown me just because they don't fit the mold of tradition or the old wineskins that some are carrying. The dreams, visions, and experiences that I've brought forth have been solely for ministering to the Body of Christ. My experiences have made me even hungrier and more zealous for God. That hunger transfers into a hunger to see others experience what I know to be true. They've been substantiated through the Word of God in principle, and accepted and given the go-ahead by my accountability team.

I also have an entire department of our ministry devoted to intercession, to coordinating and administering prayer covering over my life and family, over the ministry, and to those to whom we minister. We have an email list called The Firewall that comprises hundreds of intercessors from around the world who keep us covered in prayer.

Steadfast Word of God

Certainly, some people may not understand the visions God has given me, just as I may not understand theirs, but I'll always hold and stand firm on the truths and the promises He's given me because He lines them up in my life with the Word. What eternally matters is His Word, which is steadfast and true. My visions may fade away but God's Word never will. As long as I have the Word, I don't even need manifestations to prove to me that God is God.

However, God has promised that it shall come to pass in the last days that He will pour out His Spirit upon all flesh: that "your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions" (Joel 2:28). God is raising up an Ezekiel company empowered with the gifts of faith and the working of miracles, with voices like trumpets commanding and heralding the miraculous power of God. Effectiveness and power isn't limited to clergy. God will pour out His Spirit upon all flesh.

We have to be immersed people. I want to be saturated with everything that God has for me - including dreams, visions, miracles, signs, wonders, and everything accessible to me as a child of God in the supernatural realm of His kingdom. I want the same for you, and so does God.

Go the Distance

People may criticize me for my boldness and zeal, for my methods and ways, for my intensity and urgency, but when we follow the Holy Spirit, He often leads us to do bold and even unexpected things - even outside of our norm. Samuel prophesied to King Saul that the Spirit of the Lord would come upon him and that he would prophesy and be turned "into another man" (1 Sam. 10:6). I am another man. Try to look beyond my paunch and the tattoos, and see how God has used me, and see how He can use you, and is using others.

Christianity shouldn't be a dead religion but full of life, vim, and strength! Supernatural signs and wonders so often lead people to the saving power of the Lord Jesus Christ. Whether people know it or not, no matter which way a person comes to Christ, the supernatural is involved.

It's vital for us to go the distance with God if the world is ever going to experience the might of who He really is! Walking in communion with God and in the reality of heaven on earth is the distance to aim and reach for but you have to be open to the impossible happening, even if it bursts your wineskin. The realities of heaven that have happened in my life, and that are happening here at Lakeland are to glorify God so that the lost would come into right relationship with Him, for He is mighty to save.

Take Part in the Feast

God uses the foolish things of the world to confound the wise. For some reason, He's chosen a bald-headed, red-bearded, tattooed, pierced, imperfect man as an agent for revival. I understand why I would come as a shock to the religious camp. Nevertheless, trust that if what I'm doing is of the flesh or of the devil, I will fail, but if what's happening is from God, nothing and no one can quench this blazing revival fire unless God wills it.

We're throwing a feast and we're inviting the sick, the poor in spirit, the oppressed, and those bound in old wineskins. We're going out to find and minister to those that no one else can touch to bring them in, and we're seeing an outpouring of God's blessings such that we cannot contain. Is it the work of the devil?

Spend time praying for souls. I pray you can see past my imperfections and gaze at the perfection of Christ Jesus. Break through your old wineskin and into the present one. Trust the wisdom of God and His hand in all of this.

I'm thankful that people are being watchful in these last days, just as I am watchful. Questions are good when we're uncertain of things. Trust too what a respected Pharisee advised in Acts 5:38, 39: "And now I say to you, keep away from these men and let them alone; for if this plan or this work is of men, it will come to nothing; but if it is of God, you cannot overthrow it - lest you even be found to fight against God."

I understand that people have questions, and God understands too! I invite you to come to Lakeland to see what God has for you, and to see for yourself the mighty and wondrous things that God is doing here. Thanks again for hearing my heart. It is my heart that we can bring unity to the Body of Christ to see a great harvest.

Fresh Fire to you,

Todd Bentley

PS: Just as I was wrapping up this letter to you, I received an unsolicited email from Dr. Gary S. Greig, PhD., a former Associate Professor of Old Testament and Hebrew at Regent University School of Divinity, and Senior Editor, Theology and Acquisitions for the Regal Publishing Group. In his letter, this biblical scholar and theologian shared that the Lord had healed him of sleep apnea while entering into worship while watching a telecast of the Lakeland Outpouring. He wrote that the Lord prompted him to write and send us an independent theological witness to help as many leaders and believers as possible understand that the Lakeland outpouring is from God. That by writing this theological response to questions and criticisms in: Biblical Reasons to Receive God's Glory and Give it Away in Power Evangelism, that as many as possible would receive "biblical permission" to get on board and fully commit to receiving the Lord's glory and anointing, and to give it away in power evangelism.

This paper is written at a high level of scholarship for pastors, church leaders, and theologians yet is understandable to the layperson. The Lord told Dr. Greig to "sow into the revival," not by publishing this 55 page booklet in a conventional way, but by donating it to Fresh Fire Ministries to use as we will, even if it's just as an encouragement to the ministry. He has granted us permission to post or distribute this paper free of charge and advised that the Lord told him to suggest a donation of $3-$5 to go to Fresh Fire Ministries to help cover the costs for ushering in the outpouring in Lakeland, though to remain free for those who cannot afford the cost of the booklet. Dr. Greig writes: "(God's) desire is to help every potential reader know that what God is releasing through Lakeland and through the Fresh Fire Ministries team is indeed squarely biblical and is not New Age or outside the clear teaching of Scripture and historic Christianity."

According to the Lord's leading, and our examination of the booklet's contents, we are in agreement with his theological assessment. Our accountability team has made this very informative document available to you on our website in PDF format for download, and will have print copies available as soon as possible. Our heartfelt thanks go out to Dr. Greig and to the Lord for this timely and vital theological response to concerns and criticisms. Please click here to download of Biblical Reasons to Receive God's Glory and Give it Away in Power Evangelism, by Dr. Gary Greig.

Comments :

RE: The Devil's Change of Plan

Whether this revival is genuine or counterfit and Todd Bentley annointed or decieved is something only time will tell. I do not sit in judgment on him or his ministry, but I am concerened with aspects of this 'revival'. Todd's letter hardly allayed my fears. He states:

"Since when did the devil come to heal the sick, raise the dead, open deaf ears and eyes, lead people to salvation in Jesus, or preach that the Kingdom of God is at hand? Just when did the devil change his plan?"

So by his logic any healings etc must be of God. Yet in the previous paragraph he notes:

"Signs, wonders, and miracles should be proof of the Gospel. However, Jesus said there would be false signs and wonders in the last days that were not done by Him (Matt. 7:21-23). Of this, I am well aware."

It seems he has convieniently forgotten that the devil plan has not changed. Namely that of deceiving the brethern by false works!

However, I think the fundamental problem is that the church has a whole, is so barren, that any so called move of the Holy Spirit is ceased upon almost unquestionably. Perhaps if the church got back to the way it should live out its faith i.e devoted to the word, to the poor (social concerns) and in 'one accord'. We would see the lost added to us daily, and therefore we would have no need to be so depresate as to jump on the last passing spiritual band wagon.

That was a good and well

That was a good and well thought out letter.

Until the P.S....

SEND US SOME MORE MONEY.

The sad part is, there are probably people reaching for their wallets and credit cards as I write this....

totally agree with you here.

I get angry when I see buckets being passed down the aisle or church pews, Jesus never carried one nor did he have a large bag for coins, he never asked anyone for payment,He gave away bread and fishes instead, so when do we get free bread and fishes?

todd bently

This guy is to say the least, very controversial. My wife adores his ministry. It would be an understatement to say that I am a sceptic. All this stuff about the angel Emma, the tattoos and the possable interpretations as to their meaning, leave me cold. In response to his letter I do think doctrine should be the final arbiter by which we asses what we receive and what we reject. It is the resposibility of each and every beleiver to discern the word of God in his own heart. With all this in mind I do not think I have seen enough to reject Todd Bently out of hand, their is enough however to be extremely scpeptical. Todd is very much in my box marked question mark??????????????????

Pro Pot-Smoking

Todd:

I read on the internet that you are pro-marijuana. Is this true?

There are clear

There are clear contradictions in this ministry - I should say cult. I went through the Toronto Movement and was deceived, and this is worse than that. I trusted leaders that led me wrong. Is there no discernment anymore?

There is a big difference between Jesus' miracle ministry/signs and wonders than Todd kicking and punching people, knocking their teeth out, him being possessed by a demon. Maybe this is just part of his drama queen routine to pull in the people and make the services exciting, or to whip up the adrenaline so people do experience reactions. Have you heard of group hypnosis? Have you heard of the Kundalini Awakening? I have seen groups go through things like this in modern concerts and in tribes on National Geographic. This is not a Christian experience - this is a human experience that has nothing to do exclusively with God or the Holy Spirit. Please have some discernment and open your eyes.

People want so bad to believe God is working they will follow men and manufactured spirituality. It's evil.

Jesus is alive and well and working daily - just open your eyes, he is all around us. Not functioning in outlandish out of control means - this is a mental responce hightened by emotional stimuli. Please be warned about the damages. God is alive, but not controlled, or showcased by man in this way.

todd bentley

truer words could not have come from me. i am being trested terrible in my local church where i have been for 40+years.i am 50 female and sent an email of concern at what i was seeing in florida to my friend who forwarded it to out pastor who has now called ther deacons to stand against me for quetioning this ministry. i am denied the right to worship/pray/bring a scriture or word to anyone and when i did try to pray in church they turned the music up to drown me out. they are now stretching the truth snd making threats to me and it is breaking my heart and my strenth emotionally. i want us all to take a good look at the fruit of the spirit.....................is it evident at all????????????? test the spirits and their fruit...............i am done with trusting a pastor now for the rest of my life because of what i have seen happen to my pasor since involving himself in this...i am in scotland uk.

church in clydebank scotland persecute lady member

i heard about your petition for justice when i was upset and enraged about how you were treated in clydebank elim. i went to my own pastor simon foster at glasgow elim when i heard he was involved in tryring to sort out the horrors of what happened to you at the hands of an elim pastor who i knew you loved and served faithfully. I told simon i was so very upset about how you had been treated for raising concerns and questions on issues about todd bentley and his theology and also about your pastors gossip about you. i am someone who you and your husband have sacrificially helped many times in my life and felt ihad to try and help you as people were talking about it as the news leaked out that your pastor and his assistant felt threatened that if you spoke to others in the church that they might lose credibility.oh how they dont know you.and dear sister.i am so very proud that you have let the gossips in leadership do it for you. yes one of them has still got a big cavern for a mouth and cant wait to share and strutt their stuff. and so what happens in clydebank became quickly known in glasgow elim too.i I spoke about you to pastor simon foster when i heard he was involved to hear your side of things and try to sort out what was happening to you and was concerned that this should not have been allowed as simon was a close friend of your pastor gordon allan.... (i am not sure if you knew that???) Newa travelled fast because you were a well known minister of evangelism in local profile and well known womens christian ministry as president and for years a member in clydebank elim . when i rebuked simon about how he could stand back and let it happen to you he told me that he actually went and spoke to your pastor and strongly urged him to get his act together and told me that he told gordon that he was wrong to persecute you but your pastor refused to listen.............sign of prideful anger and control???. i want to encourage you by telling you that simon told me he would gladly welcome you as a member in his church and that he had tried unsuccessfully to get gordon to take back what he had done to you. why dont you come to glasgow where we will love you and feel it an honour to worship the LORD.. i AM SO SAD THIS HAS HAPPENED TO YOU BUT TRUST GOD FOR YOUR CHARACTER AND LOVE ARE OBVIOUS AND THOSE OF US WHO KNOW YOU WILL ALWAYS KNOW YOU WERE INNOCENT.THE GUILTY CONDEMN THEMSESLVES IN THE WAY THEY ARE TREATING YOU. SMILE ON SISTER AND SING ALL THE MORE SWEETLY AND HOLD YOUR HEAD UP HIGH..THE LORD YOUR GOD IS WITH YOU....WHEREVER YOU GO!

The Spurious Ministry of Todd Bentley

Quite recently I have watched the "ministry" of Todd Bentley and gatherings of HIS followers and these are my conclusions [a]the fundamental teaching in Corinthians that Christian meetings should be conducted
in an orderly fashion is clearly being flouted indeed a lot of what purports to be the Holy Spirits' moving is nothing more than the use of mesmerism and mind control techniques and New Wave Mumbo jumbo!! [b]the Scriptural teaching that "If I be lifted up "[..Christ that is!!] all men will be drawn unto me" is being subjugated in the cult of personality [c]the linking of Todd Bentleys so called ministry to dubious and indeed spurious "healers/evangelists such as William Branham and John Lake shoud have " alarm bells" ringing for any believer with spiritual discernment.May all truly Spirit led fellowships be on the guard in case they are infiltrated by this movement!!!

In the interests of balance ...

This is a letter from Todd to his supporters worldwide. It has been printed without any editing.

Here at "the planet" we believe in debate and fairness, so, to balance the critical article by Tony Pearce, we have printed this letter. It is up to you to evaluate it, test it, pray about it before you make any judgement on this controversial issue.

We welcome your comments ...

Emma the FEMALE angel ???

Correct me if i am wrong, but there is NO RECORD OF AN ANGEL APPEARING AND HAVING THE LIKENESS OF A WOMAN, described anywhere in scripture.

Emma the FEMALE angel

Hi Todd,

I must add a correction here. The spirit of Wisdom is mentioned in Isaiah as resting upon Jesus.

In Proverbs, wisdom is referred to as feminine.

Angels are spirits, so can an angel show up in the feminine? Hmmm....

Forgive me for speaking too soon. My spirit has been troubled since I wrote the last comment.

Blessings Todd,

Dan

todd angels and wisdom

it is very very important to read everything in context. this is likened to a conversation between a father and son and pertaining to the impulse of youth to follow after the crowd and the adulterous woman is the image used. i dont believe it actually intends for us to think of wisdom as having a gender at all but more of the suggestion of nurture as of a mother advising a child of dangers to be considered in the 'big world filled with immmorality. it is very poetic and picturesque for the purpose of us 'seeing' more easily...............at least i think so. I have never been comfortable with Todd Bentleys character.in the sense of being christ like. jesus was not in any way violent and if you search about the mud and spit ther is jewish meaning to the use of spit and mud medicinally in their ancient beliefs and jesus would be familiar with the practice. also he isgentle and loving in every instance and never trying to lord it over anyone......................just a thought for you.............ther is nowhere in scripture when anyone was slain in the spirit by the laying on of hands...in every case it happened in the presence of the holiness of Gods presence........WITHOUT A HUMAN HAND INVOLVED...........i am pentecostal and have only just realised this.............i believe it is time for all of us to get into the bible for ourselves and test what is being taught from the pulpit.

I'm Not Sure....

Dan, You say angels are spirits? I'm not sure about that, where is the scriptural proof? The Holy Spirit is not an angel. Gabriel is an angel not a spirit, etc.... There are spirits and there are angels. What made you decide they are one in the same? Wisdom is even a gift of the spirit I believe. Would we really call that a spirit unto it's self except metaphorically? hmmmm

Wow! Alot in there. He's

Wow! Alot in there. He's clearly aware of the divisions being caused globally among believers. There's everything in there from theology to accountability to angels and more. I respect him for putting out a letter to explain, and realise that anyone who is being used significantly by God will have opponents (as Jesus Himself did). I think i will need to read through this letter more thoroughly before casting judgement on its content... i only scanned through quickly.

todds answers to our concerns

there isa lot of manipulation in the response from todd in the letter he put out. look at how he is trying to put people on the defense as though they were less spiritual than he is. there are a lot of smoke screens in here......be careful.................................... a friend of mine had a picture while praying about the whole florida thing.she saw a snake crawling on the floor of the church then going from seat to seat and climbing up on each knee and curling up like a cat wolud and the people stroking it lying there. accepting it.scary!

seeker for truth

Quite recently I have watched the "ministry" of Todd Bentley and gatherings of HIS followers and these are my conclusions [a]the fundamental teaching in Corinthians that Christian meetings should be conducted
in an orderly fashion is clearly being flouted indeed a lot of what purports to be the Holy Spirits' moving is nothing more than the use of mesmerism and mind control techniques!! [b]the Scriptural teaching that "If I be lifted up "[..Christ that is!!] all men will be drawn unto me" is being subjugated in the cult of personality [c]the linking of Todd Bentleys so called ministry to dubious and indeed spurious "healers/evangelists such as William Branham and John Lake shoud have " alarm bells" ringing for any believer with spiritual discernment.May all truly Spirit led fellowships be on the guard in case they are infiltrated by this movement!!!

todd bentley

i spoke of my concerns about this ministry to my pastor in the elim pentecostal church i have attended for more than 40years. the following week he announced to our congregation that although todd believed things we didnt and that he would not recommend we follow his behaviout in some of the things he was known to do that people were being healed and therefore 'we are going for it'. i was so shocked at this simple acceptance of it for the sake of healings that i decided to research further and the more i see the more i feel we must be cautious. since sending an email to a friend saying i was researching it and felt it unhappy about this ministry i have been ostracised and my membership is being threatened and the leadeship have been told lies and twists and i am now forbidden to pray/speak/bring a scripture, in essence i am not allowed to take part in any oif the services of the church where i was dedicated baptised married and the same for my children, and my sister was buried and also my own and husbands parents and all my sisters were married from this church too and their children...in with the bricks as they say and very involved in running the church and yet since my pastor has been prayed for and accepts todd for real despite his concerns.i am being so badly treated it is affecting my health....i am also recovering from eosophageal and stomach cancer and not in the best of health anyway so feeel so so broken at my church family treating me like this just because i have not jumped on the bandwaggon but have personally decided it is not for me...............what would Jesus have done......would he have treated me so viciously? of course not! This is the elim pentecostal church in scotland uk that are treating me like this.

Todd Bentley

What ever can anyone say to offer comfort in circumstances such as yours? You are right, however, to be disturbed, and in a sense it 'satisifes' me and my friends to know of the outworkings of prophecy in this the end-time. The purported church is being shaken, and the only ones to be thrown out to the periphery are the remnant - sadly many of us cannot find a 'safe' church but please keep truth to your heart in Jesus and none other. Might I add you would be safer out of your church and not be troubled distressed and hurt. But it would take a certain dedication to try and replace the good things you lose, e.g., friendship, worship et al. But perhaps you should try - your choice! Look at this part of Todd's 'apologia' "Some people desire Scripture for every manifestation of God - for every detail of every God-given, Holy Spirit inspired vision, dream, encounter, or demonstration of the supernatural realm of God manifested on the earth. While I firmly believe that we're to defend the Gospel of Jesus Christ, I don't believe we're to defend divine manifestations of God, because they are proof within themselves of the Gospel, wherever the Word of God is sent forth. Discern yes, but defend, no. Consider that many of the "greater" things that Christ said we would do hadn't even been done yet and weren't recorded in the Bible" This is just one of the elements of belief quoted by Todd : therefore it surely follows that every manifestation of the Blessed Virgin Mark as experienced by Catholics must be by and large genuine. Likewise every Catholic manifestation of Angels, Saints & etc., is a purely 'experiental' matter and though 'subjective' to that particular person is nevertheless valid. So what is not valid I wonder - seemingly nothing and this all points to ECUMENISM and the COMING ONE WORLD CHURCH. Therefore the extremely clever Angel of Light - but eternal death, is losing some battles and skirmishes deliberately to win the war. How subtle and powerful is this? Small wonder millions are being duped. And as for that carefully chosen and quoted scripture (paraphrased) if it be not of God it will wither, so leave it alone and just wait and see - this is a mis-quote if ever there was one : why? Because we STILL have the J.W.s, Christian Scientists, Mormons, Islam ALL established by the way, through angelic visitations. (odd that Wesley, Whitfield, Spuirgeon launched their wonderful ministries via the Word of God! Perhaps you would care to have a look at this website ~ www.endtime.org.uk - a challenge of sorts, probably again only to a remnant!

My heart in this

One of the issues that concerns me apart from the harm caused by what happened with Todd. Is the reactions in the church, some good - showing integrity and grace. And some bad - little integrity and little or no grace. God has and still uses flawed people of which I am one! When I first saw Todd, looking like he did and my hearing the testimonies of people helped through his ministry. I was moved to see God using such a man with all those things that would naturally make us disqualfy him for service to God. I thought what a testimony to the grace of God. All the conversions to Christ and healings that took place, only go to show that God will use the willing and believing. Having said that, yes we need to be careful, Satan does want to deceive the church and take us off course. But, thankfully Jesus keeps his own. We should test everything with scripture, we should look at the character of the man as well as the works. It is possible to hold the truth in unrighteousness. Let us all be careful to work out our great salvation with fear and trembling, making sure of our own calling, producing good works and the fruit of the Spirit in keeping with who we are in Christ. Personally, I want to see a great move of God across the nations. A move of God where the unbeliever will say 'God is among you'. and 'what must I do to be saved'. It could be that the 'good things' that took place in Lakeland may contribute to what God is doing globally. I hope so. Lets keep the good, throw away the bad. Show love, show mercy, just as we have been given. Let us keep our passion for the Church on course as this is God's 'plan A' for a lost world. Let us test the spirits, but let us not grieve or quench the Holy Spirit by wrong attitudes disguised as being 'sound' and 'doctrinally correct', which are important of course, but not to the point we grieve or quench the Holy Spirit ourselves in our own lives. Keep the faith, be open to God, test everything, love God and love people.