“As the only people who were getting prayed for by the Healing Evangelist were the people who’d claimed to already have been healed during the meeting, Gladys thought it best to join the long line of other obviously still sick people and testify to her healing too.”

(See Gladys’s previous adventures here: Slain In The Spirit at a Christian Healing Meeting, and her next adventures here: Gladys Had A Sudden Revelation Why She’d Not Yet Been healed)

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Copyright Notice

This cartoon is copyright of Dod Cartoonist, © 2009.

www.worldofdod.wordpress.com 

If you like this cartoon, pass it on. You’re welcome to use it for free for any legitimate non-commercial purpose as long as you don’t alter it, and provided you link to my website and include this full copyright notice within any post or copy that you produce. If you wish to use my cartoons for any commercial purposes, then you MUST contact me first.

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A post that in my view sums Todd Bentley and his ministry up very well. http://worldofdod.wordpress.com/2009/11/25/healing-signs-and-wonders-and-miracles/

“Ben at Strange Fire Ministries wasn’t used to a customer saying it how it actually was.”

(Follow Strange Fire Ministries previous adventures here: The intern at Strange Fire Ministries designed a new sign for the coming revival)

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Copyright Notice

This cartoon is copyright of Dod Cartoonist, © 2009. www.worldofdod.wordpress.com 

If you like this cartoon, pass it on. You’re welcome to use it for free for any legitimate non-commercial purpose as long as you don’t alter it, and provided you link to my website and include this full copyright notice within any post or copy that you produce. If you wish to use my cartoons for any commercial purposes, then you MUST contact me first. ____________________________________________________

Rick Hiebert has been checking out the Todd Bentley “webinars” being held at Todd’s website. Rick is a brave person. Though I’ve received ‘invites’ to the “webinars”, so far I’ve not bit the bullet and checked them out.

You’ll find three interesting posts at Bene Diction blog:

Mr. Grady mucks out the barn

Why Rick Joyner may never be frank in public about Todd Bentley

I was about to become a king at Lakeland, says Todd Bentley

Quote

I might add more on his webinar in the comments below, but there is one thing that he says that sets off an alarm that I feel that I need to cite. It fails my smell test.

It comes after Bentley has been talking about David at length. David didn’t look like the “best” person for God to use, Bentley points out, but God did nevertheless. Gradually, David grew in his anointing, i.e., his sphere of influence and power. When David became King of all Israel, Bentley argues, he came into his “third anointing” and all the promise of the day that he had been anointed by the prophet Samuel had been fulfilled.

Some of his listeners, Todd says at the end of the 64th minute of his webinar, are about to come into their “third anointing” this year.

Starting at 64:26, Bentley says:

”Everything changes when the kingly anointing comes. When the kingly anointing comes on you life, that’s when you begin to reign–”he [David] began to reign at 30″…and then all of a sudden the third anointing comes, the kingly anointing….when you come into you third anointing, that’s when you begin to reign. I’m telling you what I touched in Lakeland, what I touched two years ago, what I touched five years ago, it was just on my way to third anointing, it was on my way to kingship, and I’m saying, My God, I haven’t even began…. ”

We have Bentley proclaiming, with raised voice and flailing of arms that he is to be a king, with incredible amounts of authority and power. He has not yet begun to operate in the levels of mischief, er, anointing that he plans to.

This isn’t the humility of a humbled man. This is pride, if not hubris.

If I had the flawed record of Bentley, I would hestitate in wanting to be a king. I would just try to not be in the King of King’s way as I served Him.

Some of Bentley’s critics feared that the evangelist was flirting with the Manifest Sons of God heresy. Would this fit? I fear it does.

Scary. Really scary, I would say.

Yes Rick, I agree its scary. This guy is totally deluded to even think he was on his way to a “Kingly anointing” (which by the way there is no such thing) in Lakeland. Was he on his way while drunk or cheating on his wife? It won’t surprise me if at some point he claims all the lies, drinking, cheating, etc were part of his journey to this fictitious anointing!

“Though he was impressed by the intern’s enterprise in producing the new sign for the conference desk, Ben at Strange Fire Ministries knew the intern would need mentored more so he didn’t inadvertently blab the contents of another private staff meeting in future.”

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Copyright Notice

This cartoon is copyright of Dod Cartoonist, © 2009.

www.worldofdod.wordpress.com 

If you like this cartoon, pass it on. You’re welcome to use it for free for any legitimate non-commercial purpose as long as you don’t alter it, and provided you link to my website and include this full copyright notice within any post or copy that you produce. If you wish to use my cartoons for any commercial purposes, then you MUST contact me first.

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“And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’  Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons.  Freely you have received, freely give.  (Matthew 10:7-8)

We have all been given spiritual gifts.  It was purchased for us by Jesus and has been imparted to us by the Holy Spirit.  We have been given a mandate by Christ to use the spiritual gifts in connection with the preaching of the kingdom.  It is imperative that we begin to grow in our area of gifting.  They are a part of our Christian identity and when they are in operation, they not only cause us to grow, they demonstrate the power of God to those around us.  Jesus tells us “freely give” what we have been given.  Hence, every opportunity that we have to exercise our gift, we should do it.  Here is a practical example of exactly what we are talking about, most people can’t just go to the gym and bench-press 300 pounds.  However, if a person makes a habit of exercising (using the gifts) and keeps a good diet (a lifestyle of holiness) he/she can reach a level of strength greater than when they began.  It is a process.  The same is true of spiritual gifts.

One should not expect to be able to preach like Billy Graham the day after they get saved.  But, with the proper training, anointing, and biblical study, one could progressively become more evangelical.  Healing is another great example.  It is one of the spiritual gifts listed in I Corinthians 12 and seemed to be a favorite of Jesus.  (Even a casual glance at the gospels reveals Jesus constantly healing, going to heal, or just having healed someone.)   It doesn’t just always manifest .  Let’s look at a couple of modern historical examples.

John Wimber led one of the greatest healing ministries in the 70’s-80’s.  Wimber’s Vineyard movement was hallmarked by physical healings and miracles.  This ministry greatly expanded and has been entitled, “The Third Wave” of revival and renewal.  But it wasn’t always hallmarked by the supernatural.  “Wimber realized he and the church couldn’t just theorize about healing, they had to practice regular prayer for the sick.  In other words, they had to start “doing the stuff.”  And so they did.  The problem was that despite constant prayer nobody was getting healed.  Instead, the people who prayed for the sick caught the colds and flu of those they ministered to.  But they persisted and some ten months later, a young woman was powerfully and instantaneously healed after Wimber prayed for her.” (1)  Wimber realized that healing was not just for a select few, but was a gift to all believers. (Mark 16)  He regularly held conferences and encouraged people to perceiver in faith.  Wimber knew by experience that breakthrough would eventually come.  He recognized that gifts were a part of Christian identity and that in order for us to grow, and for the advancement of God’s Kingdom, we must practice them.

Likewise, evangelist Todd Bentley experienced a similar process.  Bentley writes, “I purposed that if I prayed for a thousand and no one got healed that I would pray for another thousand.  In those early days of warring and contending, it seemed as though I prayed for a thousand without anyone being healed, but I just kept praying until something happened…Everywhere I went I’d call the deaf forward and pray for them.  I prayed for the deaf and I prayed for the deaf, and I prayed for the deaf.  For the longest time, when the deaf left my meeting they were still deaf.  I prayed for hundreds of deaf people and occasionally the deaf heard partially…  I saw results maybe two percent of the time.  I discovered that healing comes in levels and that, as believers , we need to contend and break through one level until we get authority.” (2)  Bentley went on to lead a healing revival in Lakeland, Florida 2008.  (Bentley has recently come under attack for some moral failure on his part and a recent divorce.  However, our point here is to examine his anointing and not his character.  How he achieved breakthrough is what we are looking at, not his morality.  It is important to note that we can grow in a gifting but not in character)  Bentley realized that the more we exercised and practiced our gifts, the stronger we became in our identity.
Bentley and Wimber both found a kingdom principle at work.  The scriptures states, “Those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.” (Hebrews 5:14)  In order for us to become mature, we need to use what God has given us.  The Greek translated here as “reason of use” means literally, “to make a habit of.”  The Bible affirms the witness of history by telling us, the more we use it, the more we grow in it.   As we grow in our gifts, we will grow in our identity.  When the miracles begin to happen we will say to ourselves, “This really is who I am.”

Endnotes

1.  Hayford, Jack; The Charasmatic Century; Warner Faith; New York, NY; 2006; page 260.

2.  Bentley, Todd; Journey Into the Miraculous; Destiny Image Publishers; Shippensburg, PA, 2008, page 168-169.

Following my videos on Give me the Truth Part 1 and Part 2 and my post on ‘Did God actually say that?‘ I realise that the things mentioned in these posts happen predominantly in charismatic circles where I came from. Now let me say from the very start that not everything in charismatic churches is bad as there is bad in every church and I would agree with John Macarthur when he says:

I’m very much aware of the fact that not everyone who is associated with the Charismatic movement is engaged in the kind of extreme error that we will be, from time to time, referring to.  There are people who are more moderate.  There are people within the Charismatic movement who, themselves, are very, very concerned about the heresies and the aberrations that exist within that movement

However, there are so many things in there which is error that we cannot ignore it.

Here are some classic examples

Now there may be somethings below that you may not agree with but on the whole, I think that John Macarthur hits it right on the head. You can listen to each sermon by clicking on the appropriate link or download it by right clicking on the link and saving the files. 

Does God Still Give Revelation?

Does God Still Give Prophecies?

Proper Biblical Interpretation

Does God Do Miracles Today?

The Third Wave

How Do Spiritual Gifts Operate?

What Was Happening in the Early Church?

Does God Still Heal?

Speaking in Tongues

What Is True Spirituality?

Does God Promise Health and Wealth? Part 1

Does God Promise Health and Wealth? Part 2

Does Experience Determine Truth?

© Christian Research Service 2009

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Okay, that’s a little corny, but there is a lot of it going here at IHOP right now.  I’m sure many of you have seen and or heard about the current move of the Spirit going on at IHOP.  It started a week ago last Thursday at the weekly IHOPU chapel and it has grown  from there.  Primarily focused amongst the sutdents, it is also touching some older folks who haven’t experienced some of what God is doing right now.  What is that?  Well, I see this as more of the wine movement started in 1994 at Toronto.  It is mostly about God’s tremendous love for us, and the healing it brings to the human heart to encounter that in real Holy Spirit truth.   Self hatred, depression, suicidal thoughts, and rejection are all being broken off of people.  Women, young and some old, are telling of being free of shame from past memories for the first time.  And people are confessing all kinds of sin perpetrated against them that has left them closed off from God and people, even as they look fine on the outside.  There has also been an abundance of physical healings.  You may have seen some of this on the webstream, which is free during this outpouring by the way.  Best of all, 41 people were baptised Sunday night!

Personally, I had a major encounter with my Father’s love in the prayer room a few weeks ago.  Out of that, I’ve felt a tremendous peace about this whole thing, feeling called to mostly pray for people during ministry times and have a blast watching God touch, heal and play with His children.  So, tune in, come if you can, and pray for this move.  We’d love to see it grow in length, breadth and the numbers impacted.

EXCERPT

When Lee Grady (Apostle in the New Apostolic Reformation and editor for Charisma Magazine (with founder being Stephen Strang) not once during the duration of the Todd Bentley Lakeland Outpouring Revival say in any of his articles anywhere;   

‘No, people, No.  This is not God.  Stop, don’t go, you are being conned out of your money, you are being lied too, there is a fake spirit coming over you”  

Never did Lee Grady say this or anything remotely similar, there was NO warning what-so-ever.  In fact Lee Grady endorsed it and helped spread the fire (that fake holy) spirit.   So coming out now with an article like this is just laughable, telling people to calm down, as the ‘play play’ games are now over.   None of this should have ever happened in the first place if you and your apostle and prophets friends read the Word of God and had an ounce of discernment.

 

READ HERE:

http://www.discerningtheworld.com/2009/11/13/we-do-not-play-sloshed-in-the-spirit-anymore/#more-6825

Here is a classic example of why John Piper abominates the prosperity gospel

Related Posts:

The marks of false ‘christian’ teaching and teachers Part 5 – The Prosperity Gospel

Money cometh and the anointing money ritual

John Piper – Why I abominate the prosperity gospel

From Rick Hiebert at Benediction blog:

Off evangelist Todd Bentley’s Twitter feed about 20 minutes ago as I type:

IamToddBentley: Rejoicing that its time and were phasing back into some ministry here in Charlotte and morningstar. More info coming on upcoming events.

Of course his various internet “restoration videos” and  ”webinars” have included ministry elements, but this will be the first time that potenentially unfriendly people can see Todd Bentley preaching to the general public in person. Bentley’s brain trust must figure that his critics have gone to ground and the only ones left are fans.

Watch for security to attend events.

Also, it was quietly announced by both Jessa and Todd on an October 29 video that he has “joined” the Revival Alliance. This is a neat trick, as that ceremony late in the Lakeland Revival where he was prayed for by the evangelists was a ceremony where he came under the authority of the Revival Alliance. Most people would define that as “joining”, but as the hyperlinked post explains in detail Bentley and Joyner fell all over themselves trying to lie about what happened.

On another note, its interesting that a connection now exists between John Hagee and Peter Wagner’s International Coalition of Apostles. You may recall a recent post which included links to a story at Talk2Action concerning Sam Rodriguez joining The International Coalition of Apostles, and Rodriguez’s new connection to Hagee and Cufi.

This was posted today at Talk2Action; Hagee, Rodriguez Embrace Signals Massive New Alignments On Christian Right

As JTA News has just reported, John Hagee’s Christians United For Israel (CUFI), which represents many millions of American Christian Zionist evangelicals, has formed an official alliance with the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, led by the Rev. Samuel Rodriguez.

Sooo, we have Wagner as the starting point, with tentacles by way of The International Coalition of Apostles embedded within John Hagee’s CUFI, through Samuel Rodriguez. And Bentley now signed on officially with Wagner’s Revival Alliance.

Its interesting isn’t it–to watch all these different groups and “ministries” start coming together under one umbrella. The umbrella of Peter Wagner.

Dominionist power-seekers are uniting.

Wonder if this means Hagee will be forced to support Todd’s return to ministry? LOL

EXCERPT

Kingdom of Heaven

The parallels of this story with the condition of the visible church in America are easy to see. Jesus lamented in Matthew 11:12:

“And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.”

READ HERE:

http://www.apostasyalert.org/REFLECTIONS/kingdom_violence.htm

Todd Bentley posted a video blog from his recent book signing.  Watch as Bentley does a meet and greet with the fans and sells his products.  You’ll hear mention of Lakeland, and then later in the video, you’ll hear him say “Shika” and  and see one woman supposedly come under the influence of the spirit. 

Afterwards, they cut to the MorningStar Harvest Fest, Worship and Warfare Conference, where a woman is supposedly prophesying, “God wants you to shine,” while the camera cuts to Todd Bentley.  I would say this is a very effective PR campaign to get the masses primed for the deception that Bentley is on a new mission from God and will be coming to a church or conference center near you!

The more things change the more they stay the same.

Click here to be taken to the video blog.

This video is about the concepts of “wealth tranfer” (‘the wealth of the wicked [or sinner] is laid up for the just’) and “supernatural debt cancellation” as taught in certain circles in the evangelical Christian church. These concepts support the belief that in the end times, all the world’s wealth will be supernaturally “tranferred” to the Christians. Not only that, but this MUST occur before the return of Christ. This is popularly taught by Kenneth Copeland, Fred Thompson (“Money Cometh!” and “No More Empty Hands”), T.D. Jakes, Creflo Dollar, and many others.

“The harvest is past, the summer is ended,
and we are not saved.” Jer 8:20 ESV

A recent ministry update reported on a yet new move of the Holy Ghost. Indeed this was a newer move by all ranks as it was reported. The revival meeting started with the man of God exhorting believers as to how God in these last days wants to fill them with the new wine of the Holy Ghost. Before long it was Happy Hour and it was claimed the congregation was doused in “Godka,” “God-wiser” and puffing the glory cloud, “Jehovah-wanna.” He mentioned how the drug culture is simply a counterfeit and unholy substitute for real supernatural experience with the Lord.

I do not want to detract at any one moment from the gracious move of God. However how far have we fallen to begin to revel in fancy mystic manifestations and unbridled excesses of self gratification. Is “Godka”, “Jehovah-wanna” and “God-wiser” scriptural? If so I want a double. Where is the word of God being taught? Where is Scripture in the foundations of our doctrinal practices? Where is the seeking of Gods face? Where is repentance? The further we move from the Word and leading of God than we begin to light up strange fires and conjure up mystic experiences. Mystic experiences and transcendental extrapolations do not mean God has sanctioned the move. This new move is definitely a some what twenty ninth chapter of Acts and begs for  an Annanias and Saphira ellipsis.

And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered STRANGE FIRE before the LORD, which he commanded them not. And there went out fire from the LORD, and devoured them, and they died before the LORD.  Lev 10:1-2 KJV

Strange fires, manifestations and the next fad that headlines Conferences and Revival Meetings in the name of God riddle the Christian walk with easy substitutions for discipline in the word and self control in godly living and listening to the gentle person of the Holy Spirit.

A Holy God seeks a Holy people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

The Church will remain scripturally illiterate and spiritually bankrupt if it cannot confront its challenges and temptations with “It is written…” Rudderless, she will be an easy target for smooth talkers, flattering false prophets and teachers who come with lofty speech and words tipped with human wisdom.

For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. And  I was with you  in weakness and in fear and much trembling,  and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of  the Spirit and of power,  that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but d in the power of God. 1 Cor 2:2-5 ESV

Whassup...Happy Hour. Hungry For God?

If revival graced our times, it would leave everybody hungry for more of God.  Beloved I wish we would prosper in the Word even as our souls prosper. The Holy Spirit would convict the church of sin, righteousness and judgement. This 3-D experience as it were, would span a cataclysmic change that would drive the elect to a deeper understanding of repentance and purity. Being drunk with the spirit would be a launch pad for not the next fad but would empower the meekest believer to become a witness in his Jerusalem and Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.

Oh how I hunger and thirst for the real move of God in my life. Like a deer thirsts for the water brooks; I pray that my times of refreshing would come from His presence alone. I would probably come to an understanding  of that verse where Jesus said that look, the fields are white for harvest. Pray that the Lord of the harvest may send labourers into his harvest. It surely is’nt time to slacken and get entangled with things that easily ensnare us and numb us to sleep. Its time to remain alert for false fires and teachers; be vigilant in the things of God. Be well read in scripture…like the Berean Church in Acts 17:11.

For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, are drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. 1 Thess 5:7-8 ESV

God is Almighty and Gracious. Who can fathom His infinite wisdom? If tonight after my bed time prayer God however wants to knock me down first with a “Jehova-wanna” glory cloud or shaken and stirred dose of “God-ka” or better still “God-wiser”, then I but gladly chirp:

“My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not my will, but your will be done.”

Let this cup pass... not my will but Your will be done.

Here is a direct quote from Todd Bentley from his book, “Kindom Rising: Making the Kingdom Real in Your Life.”

“We can preach the Gospel all day long, but that won’t win souls. That won’t win the hearts of the people. We can talk, try to theorize, theologize, reason, argue, debate, and spend time trying to prove that Jesus lived, but that won’t win a heart. How often do we see the religious mindset that believes that the more Scripture quoting, the more yelling, the more hell fire and brimstone preaching, the greater the chance to win someone over for the Kingdom? Likewise, how often do we see people sitting or standing there listening in stone-cold silence or indifference?”  [Todd Bentley, Kingdom Rising: Making the Kingdom Real in Your Life, Destiny Image Publishers, Inc., October 2008, p. 67, emp. added]  (Online Source)

I was going to write commentary refuting this, but I realized I didn’t have to.  God’s Word refutes this boldly and in the clearest manner.

1 Corinthians 1:18-29:

For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not in cleverness of speech, that the cross of Christ should not be made void.  For the word of the cross is to those who are perishing foolishness, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.  For it is written, “I WILL DESTROY THE WISDOM OF THE WISE, AND THE CLEVERNESS OF THE CLEVER I WILL SET ASIDE.”  Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?  For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.  For indeed Jews ask for signs, and Greeks search for wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block, and to Gentiles foolishness, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.  Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

So, in summary, Todd Bentley says that preaching the gospel will not win souls.  God spoke through Paul and said that He chose the foolishness of preaching to save those who would believe.  Todd Bentley would have you believe that only vulgar displays of power (which only exalt Todd Bentley) will win souls, but Scripture says it is preaching Christ and Him crucified that saves.

This is exactly what we mean when we say people disregard God’s Word and believe false teachers instead.  The contrast here between Todd Bentley and the teaching of Scripture is quite clear.  Who will you listen to?

(Special thanks to Bud Press.)

Bene Diction has posted a well written analysis by Rick Hiebert concerning the recent video posted at Todd Bentley’s website, “Personal thoughts from Jessa Bentley”.

I was glad to see Rick addresses Todd Bentley’s story about the ‘open vision’ he claimed to have had, which led to him marrying Shonnah.

Earlier this month, evangelist Todd Bentley wheeled out his heavy artillery.

He is still being assailed by those who think that his divorce, and remarriage to his former intern and nanny Jessa Bentley. So, amongst the latest batch of videos is Personal Thoughts From Jessa Bentley, featuring Todd Bentley, Wife number Two and Rick Joyner

(To help in following along on this post, here is the full video, which Joyner calls Jessa Tells Her story on his website:

The full video on Todd Bentley’s website is called “Personal thoughts from Jessa Bentley”. As I write it is the top video on his public videos page.

Rick Joyner and Todd Bentley make use of an old PR agents trick. Don’t want the media to report on the video? Release it either one day before the weekend  including a stat holiday or on the actual holiday itself. (Columbus Day in the U.S. and Canada’s Thanksgiving.)

Those with a fondness for bloopers might be able to spot Joyner calling Jessa by the name of Todd Bentley’s first wife, Shonnah, twice.

But what they are trying to pull off in this video is perhaps not as amusing. (continue here)

More and more I find the way the Lord teaches us is by experience. Have you ever looked at the Bible with its 66 books and thought – how on earth am I supposed to learn about all THAT? Growing up as a Christian that was certainly one of my questions. An entire read-through doesn’t exactly fill you with the confidence that this is going to be an easy ride either – by the time you get to the end you probably realise you need to go back because you forgot some things!

Thank goodness then that the Lord teaches us to understand His ways and His Word in the context of day-to-day life, rather than requiring us to be locked away in a study somewhere poring over pages with no idea what they mean. His book was written to give spirit and life, not simply lawful letters which kill and frustrate.

He knows each one of us and the path we take, and so I find He teaches us according to our experience. So while I may have a grasp on some aspects of what He is like, another brother or sister may have some revelation in a different area. Obviously combined this becomes more powerful and blesses me when I see a new perspective.

This begins already to touch on the area that the Lord has been teaching me about in my experience of late.

I am beginning to witness in my own life and in the lives of others the power that there is in numbers. A Scripture that has been encouraging me is found in the book of Ecclesiastes which says:

Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor. For if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to the one who falls when there is not another to lift him up. Furthermore, if two lie down together they keep warm, but how can one be warm alone? And if one can overpower him who is alone, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart. (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12)

Through events in my own life and through fresh observation of the church and various ministries, I have come to be impressed by the importance of this Scripture. It has over the last two months had some direct consequences in my own life where when I have stood in agreements in prayer with another individual, we have seen the answer come almost instantaneously. It provides striking contrast for me when compared with my years of earnest striving for breakthrough over matters which have taken those years to win for the Lord.

This is not to give up praying on your own! I believe in cultivating an intimate place with the Lord where there are secrets of the heart shared between only you and Him, which no one else knows. We can even go for breakthrough. But come the time that there is a matter which requires something to turn around, I know now to seek my brothers and sisters, my close friends, those I am agreed with in spirit, to join with me in prayer. Some of the recent fruit I’ve seen has been amazing, and it comes completely in conjunction with the prayers that I have prayed with others.

Jesus believed in this! He said:

“Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven. For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst.” (Matthew 18:19-20)

He couldn’t be clearer, and right now this couldn’t be a better description of my experience. I’m so excited to see that the word He spoke two thousand years ago have not aged a day, because He is the One who is the same yesterday, today and forever.

This has implications also I believe when it comes to ministry, not just prayer agreements. A sad example of when this can go wrong is the awful and confusing mess up that happened famously just over a year ago with Todd Bentley at the time of the Lakeland outpouring. (Note – I like to be distinct about the man as separate from the move.) Yes, apostolic leaders gathered around him in one famous meeting during the outpouring but records have shown that it was probably ‘too late’ by that point. They gathered around him because they realised he was an individual away from home, and his ministry base, far out on a limb conducting pretty much the whole revival, with massive world-wide influence – clearly therefore not in a place of substantial apostolic covering. Bill Johnson was most lucid in this area when he was on stage, announcing the danger of sending a man out into battle and then withdrawing the troops from around him – it’s a foolish action reminiscent of David actually seeking to bring death to Uriah. Perhaps this is why some of the critical voices of the revival will sneer when the ‘apostolic alignment’ meeting is mentioned.

For those not in the know there is too much to explain and it is best left as things are moving on a year later. The point is this, that Todd did not have anything like sufficient covering, likely because of the initial golden success of the revival seemingly unmarred by any great affliction, and Todd’s on-the-whole clean record of endurance and integrity. (Again there are elements to explain which can be given if people respond asking for them.) The precaution wasn’t taken soon enough.

Let us learn from history. When one is out on their own, they might well be overpowered, as the Scripture from Ecclesiastes makes clear. But two can resist. We must never allow our soldiers to go out onto the field alone. Jesus sent His disciples in twos. He gave us principles like the one quoted above. How critically important are His words!

Let’s not forget this, especially in the UK, where we can often succumb to the influence of Western culture which is, of course, very much centered on the individual in its (highly flawed) value system. Even some church models and ministries push individuals into the limelight where they can become the centre and focus of our attention. While individuals do have a ministry, the ones to note are the ones that have taken conscious steps to surround themselves with prayer covering and accountability. Billy Graham made pacts with two other ministers whereby they kept accountable in their finances, relationships, and so on. The success of the ministry – and its endurance – is evident.

Bill Johnson again, on the latest podcast refers to a time of great transition in their church when the initiative was taken to surround his family with intercessors – and then to surround those intercessors with intercessors – and then to create a third circle of intercessors again. And he witnesses that the transition season referred to was, despite incredible and challenging circumstances, one of the easiest seasons to ride through.

There are many situations that I believe this principle can apply in. I’ve even been thinking about my small music business which consists of just me – and what might happen if I sought to work in partnership! This is an exciting journey and something that I believe we all need to grasp at some point if we’re going to live fruitful lives for the Lord and see His kingdom come!

Here’s an outstanding example of the kind of gnostic magic that is going on in the church today. Keith Luker, an associate of Bill Johnson and Bethel church from Redding CA, performs a ceremony where he is calling down the “mantle” of Lonnie Frisbee over the congregation. For those who don’t know Lonnie Frisbee was the acid dropping hippie preacher from the Jesus movement who helped reach the counter culture. His evangelism among the hippies helped explode both the Calvery Chapel and the Vinyard churches. Later on Lonnie was exposed as a closeted homosexual and both the leaders of these movements distanced themselves from him. He died of AIDS in the early ’90’s.

Notice in these videos that there is absolutely NO mention of Lonnie’s past history. Luker is using ceremonial magic and mystically trying to call down Lonnie’s “mantle” and the people in the congregation are eager to “receive” it.

The mystic river continues to flow among the signs and wonders crowd …. and there is NO discernment!!

Thursday, 15 October 2009 04:36 PM EDT Adrienne S. Gaines News - Featured News

The new wife of former Lakeland Revival leader Todd Bentley said she believes it was wrong to begin a relationship with the evangelist before his divorce was final.

In an interview with MorningStar Ministries founder Rick Joyner, who is overseeing Bentley’s restoration process, Jessa Bentley said her relationship with Todd Bentley began after he filed for divorce from his first wife, Shonnah. But she now believes they should have waited six months to a year after the divorce was final before beginning a relationship. 

“Even though Todd was getting a divorce and Todd was already separated, it was still wrong for us to have anything romantic, regardless if anything physical happened or not,” Jessa Bentley said. “Even that emotional line that we crossed, I think is wrong. I think it was a sin. I think it was a mistake. I think we missed it.”

She said she doesn’t regret marrying Bentley, but repented for “being deceived” and “allowing things to happen that shouldn’t have happened.”

“We hurt a lot of people,” she said. “For that, there’s nothing we could say to take that away or to make it right or justify it. It was wrong, and it was sin. … We made a huge mess. I want to apologize, I want to repent for that.” (Watch video.)